US military presence in Syria carries substantial risks, but so does complete withdrawal
Aug 19, 2024 03:50 am UTC| Insights & Views
U.S.-backed forces in eastern Syria launched a major attack on three posts manned by pro-government gunmen on Aug. 12, 2024, killing at least 18 fighters in a rare provocation near the border with Iraq. The assault...

Russia-Ukraine war spills into west Africa: Mali attacks signal dangerous times ahead
Aug 19, 2024 03:38 am UTC| Insights & Views
Russia suffered significant blows to its reputation in mid-2024. An attack on its territory by Ukraine came as a surprise. In west Africa, the Wagner mercenary group, supported by Russia, suffered one of its heaviest...
Ukraine war: Kursk offensive has taken the war into Russia and put Putin on the back foot – for now
Aug 16, 2024 03:52 am UTC| Insights & Views
The Ukrainian advance into Russias Kursk oblast took almost everyone by surprise. Perhaps not the Russians stationed on the border, who reportedly tried to warn of a Ukrainian troop buildup, but the rest of us who watch...
Aug 15, 2024 23:48 pm UTC| Insights & Views
On Aug. 6, 2024, Ukrainian soldiers crossed the border into Kursk province, marking the first invasion of foreign troops into Russian territory since World War II. In the days since, Russian television viewers and social...
Ceasefire in Gaza more remote with the assassination of Haniyeh and promotion of Sinwar
Aug 09, 2024 18:39 pm UTC| Insights & Views
Yahya Sinwar has been unanimously chosen as the successor to Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of Hamas who was assassinated in Tehran on July 31. Sinwar is reported to be more extreme than his predecessor and is widely...
Gaza update: Hamas appoints new leader as Middle East braces for more violence
Aug 09, 2024 18:32 pm UTC| Insights & Views
Iran is going to launch a retaliatory strike against Israel for the dual assassinations of Hamas leader, Ismail Haniyeh, on July 31 and Hezbollahs number two, Fuad Shukr, just hours before. The only questions are when,...

The World Court says Israel’s occupation of Palestinian land is illegal: 4 steps NZ can take now
Aug 09, 2024 18:26 pm UTC| Law
Peace in the Middle East seems further away than ever. The assassinations of Hamas and Hezbollah leaders, the threat of Iranian retaliation against Israel, and the ongoing catastrophe in Gaza have all put the region on a...