Showing 31 - 40 of 141
The Houthi threat to global shipping
Oped, John J. Metzler, Published on 28/03/2025
» Amidst the unpredictable arc of crisis shadowing the Middle East, the systemic and sustained merchant shipping attacks in the Red Sea persist. The culprits are a shadowy but lethal Iranian proxy force, the Houthis, who use their control of mountainous parts of the Yemeni coast to launch missile, drone and speedboat attacks on vital shipping lanes connecting the Mediterranean with the Gulf of Aden.
Taliban rule dims Afghan women's rights
News, John J. Metzler, Published on 17/03/2025
» The darkening rule of the Taliban regime over Afghanistan continues to dim prospect women's rights as well as any chances for the war-torn country to overcome an ongoing humanitarian catastrophe. Currently more than 50 percent of the population, some 23 million people in this South Asian land, require humanitarian assistance and that aid is now decreasing.
Thai-Irish toasts to 50 years of ties
News, John Cummins, Published on 17/03/2025
» I am delighted to represent the Government of Ireland on a visit to Bangkok for Ireland's National Day, St Patrick's Day, as we mark 50 years of diplomatic relations between Ireland and the Kingdom of Thailand, and celebrate the strong and growing relationship between our two countries.
What happens after Trump, Zelensky spat
Oped, John J. Metzler, Published on 06/03/2025
» In a made-for-TV political smackdown in the White House between two uneasy allies, a flood of recriminations followed the incendiary face-off between President Donald Trump's team and the visiting Ukrainian delegation. The fear that the pending Ukrainian peace plan had already gone off the rails haunted world capitals.
CDU won the German polls, but can it rule?
Oped, John J. Metzler, Published on 26/02/2025
» Another major country has flipped politically to the conservative column. After three years of a drifting centre-left coalition government, voters elected a conservative (small c) Christian Democratic Union CDU government in Germany's parliamentary elections. Yet what was expected to be a massive win for the likely new Chancellor, Friedrich Merz, became a bit disappointing when his party gained 28.5% of the vote.
Ukraine's fate is now hanging in the balance
Oped, John J Metzler, Published on 20/02/2025
» Three years into Russia's war against Ukraine, there seems to be a chance for peace. But this political intermezzo may be as fleeting as the approaching spring weather to soon sweep the steppes, yet at the same time, it remains a worthwhile window of opportunity for all parties to reach a ceasefire and then begin the long and perilous quest for peace.
Trump, Rubio and the Panama Canal rhumba
Oped, John J. Metzler, Published on 12/02/2025
» The Panama Canal is back in the headlines after President Donald Trump raised political and security concerns over the future of the strategic waterway linking the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The heart of his argument is that the canal, built and paid for by the United States in the early 20th century is now coming under Chinese communist influence.
India, US ties to be enhanced by Trump 2.0?
Oped, John J Metzler, Published on 30/01/2025
» Already close and cordial India/US political ties surged in the early hours of the new Trump administration. India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar was honoured with rare front row seating at the Inauguration of President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance at the Washington ceremony.
Donald Trump's foreign policy inheritance
Oped, John J. Metzler, Published on 22/01/2025
» A series of widening wars, growing humanitarian crises and simmering foreign conflicts are among the list of foreign policy/security woes confronting President Donald Trump. From day one of his administration, the president must assess and prioritise US policy interests in key regions on both geo-strategic and political fronts.
Greenland: the northern US rampart?
News, John J. Metzler, Published on 10/01/2025
» Everybody it seems is suddenly interested in Greenland. Canada, Russia, China and the United States all are vying for a foothold on the Arctic island. A fantastically beautiful but often foreboding place locked in ice and isolation, Greenland's remoteness has been both its blessing and its bane. This may now be changing.