Jordanian Duplicity
There is a raging memefest in the Arab world about the Jordanian King Abdullah II. One of the most caustic meme images is of the Arab King wearing an Israeli Military uniform.
There is a raging memefest in the Arab world about the Jordanian King Abdullah II. One of the most caustic meme images is of the Arab King wearing an Israeli Military uniform.
The recent assembly of naval officials from around the globe in China’s Qingdao, hosted by the Chinese Navy, is an emblematic event that reveals the intricacies of diplomacy and power in the contested waters of the South China Sea.
In the face of geopolitical turmoil and escalating threats, the passage of a $95 billion aid package by the US House of Representatives stands as a beacon of hope and solidarity for the country’s allies in distress.
Afew years ago, I was on a return flight from New Delhi to Paris and New York, when the chief flight attendant suddenly broke up the humming silence and asked passengers to ring the call bell if anyone was a doctor.
As Russian forces continue their unyielding offensive against Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second largest city, civilian life is under siege. The repeated use of advanced weaponry like glide bombs has not only devastated the city’s infrastructure but has also left deep psychological scars on inhabitants.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, against the backdrop of Russia’s market-rate GDP losing a third of its value between 2013 and 2020, represents a doubling down of Putin’s strategy to seek legitimacy from “great power status,” rather than economic performance. Yet the West’s unrelenting financial and economic sanctions have only accelerated Russia’s economic downfall.
Whatever may be the case, today in this high tech age, among the 150 calendars, the Gregorian calendar introduced in 1582 A.D. based upon the Julian calendar of 45 B.C. has become the de facto global calendar. It reckons time by determining the start of a New Year from the midnight of 31 December although in our country the New Year celebrations continue month after month.
Hostility between the long-time foes has often played out in Iraq, whose government is allied with both countries. The attack triggered harsh condemnation from the Iraqi government, which called it a “violation of international law and norms” and demanded an explanation from the Iranian leadership. The United States also condemned the strike and said it was an unjustified outrage on a civilian residence.
What seems to have got the US Administration to up the ante on China is a report over the weekend that the Kremlin has asked Beijing for military aid, a claim derided as “fake news” by the Chinese. Russia’s outreach to India ~ offering an increase in its oil and petroleum product exports as well as Indian investments in the Russian oil sector ~ against the backdrop of the West-led ban on Russian oil and gas also has Washington worried.
Beyond the worsening US-China rivalry, there are internal pressures within South Koreas restive society, which is becoming increasingly suspicious of Chinas intent and trustworthiness. Majority of South Koreans now view China as the biggest threat to a hypothetically-unified Korea, and not Japan and a 2020 Pew Poll found 83 per cent of South Koreans distrusting Chinese President Xi Jinping to do the 'right thing in world affairs'
