Showing 1 - 9 of 9
Hazy geopolitics means Sudan conflict rages unseen
News, Peter Apps, Published on 28/05/2024
» Video released by Sudan's rebel Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on Wednesday shows the last few vehicles of aid agency Medecins Sans Frontieres evacuating al-Fashir, the largest city in North Darfur, watched by the gunmen who have besieged the city and appear intent to overrun it altogether.
America's waning Middle East clout
News, Peter Apps, Published on 19/10/2018
» When it comes to defining America's quandary on Saudi Arabia, US President Donald Trump's description is mercenary in the extreme. If Washington doesn't stay close to Riyadh and sell it arms, he told reporters in the Oval Office this weekend, the Saudis will turn to Moscow or Beijing instead. Given that, he seemed to be suggesting, the United States should just keep its plans for a US$110 billion arms deal and the 450,000 jobs he says it would bring.
A reality check on Korea nuke talks
News, Peter Apps, Published on 24/05/2018
» When US President Donald Trump and his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in first agreed to meet in Washington on Tuesday, they seemed to genuinely believe they might be on the brink of a major rapprochement with the North. Now, there are concerns over whether the much-touted summit between Mr Trump and Kim Jong-un scheduled for Singapore on June 12 will happen at all.
What a nuke deal with Kim Jong-un might look like
News, Peter Apps, Published on 26/04/2018
» For much of the last few decades, powerful speakers on the South Korean border have blasted propaganda to nearby North Koreans, everything from Korean pop songs to news about the number of cars in the affluent South. On Monday, they stopped -- the latest step in a high-stakes diplomatic dance.
Syria strike leaves murky aftermath
News, Peter Apps, Published on 20/04/2018
» The US-led strikes on Syria may be over, at least for now, but the war that produced them -- as well as the wider international confrontations that fuelled it -- is only getting more complex.
Why Kim Jong-un wanted a diplomatic offensive
News, Peter Apps, Published on 12/01/2018
» Last year Kim Jong-un shocked the world with the unexpected speed of his nuclear missile development, his brutal crackdown on apparent rivals and suspicions that he ordered the assassination of his half-brother with a chemical nerve agent. This year, the North Korean leader is opening January with a diplomatic offensive -- but that doesn't mean a change of strategy.
From Trump to Europe crises, what to watch in 2018
News, Peter Apps, Published on 29/12/2017
» Professional forecasters like to say that making predictions is difficult, particularly about the future. As we reach the end of 2017, however, here are some of the key themes -- and questions -- that look set to shape global events next year.
Syria, NK a fine balancing act for US
News, Peter Apps, Published on 14/04/2017
» If there were ever any doubt that US President Donald Trump's strike against Syria was also intended to send a message to Pyongyang, the deployment this weekend of a US carrier strike group towards the Korean Peninsula should have cleared it up.
Kim knows exactly what he's doing
News, Peter Apps, Published on 10/03/2017
» With a suspected role in the assassination of his estranged half-brother and a string of increasingly aggressive missile tests, the North Korean leader appears to be testing the patience not just of Washington but also his key ally, China. It's a high-stakes game that may push the region into the worst conflict it has ever seen. Kim Jong-un's actions have a ruthless internal logic, however, and while he has a plan, there is no sign that anyone has a coherent strategy for stopping him.