COMMENT
— Nikki Haley, trailing behind Trump in polls, pledges to persist in the presidential race. Speculation suggests her candidacy aims to challenge Republicans and offer an alternative.
Rashmee Roshan Lall
Journalist by trade & inclination. World affairs columnist.
COMMENT
— Michelle O’Neill and Emma Little-Pengelly, political rivals in Northern Ireland, exemplify unity for a shared political goal despite ideological differences. Their collaboration marks a positive step towards peace and cooperation.
COMMENT
— Several Western donor countries have suspended funding to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees based on Israeli accusations of staff involvement in Hamas attacks, impacting millions of Palestinians in Gaza, despite ongoing investigations.
COMMENT
— The start of 2024 witnesses escalating global threats: the ongoing conflicts in Gaza, Iran-Pakistan exchanges, China’s tensions with Taiwan, North Korea’s strategic shift, and a concerning prospect of Russia using nuclear weapons to deter NATO.
COMMENT
— The Houthis hold freedom of navigation hostage to press for a ceasefire in Gaza. The West responds with bombs on Houthi facilities in Yemen. How is this conducive to peace in our time?
OPINION
— Bangladesh’s 2024 election resulted in PM Sheikh Hasina’s anticipated win, as the main opposition boycotted, alleging a sham to maintain ruling party dominance and raising concerns about democratic decline, underscoring global challenges to democracy in the year ahead.
COMMENT
— The UK media sensationalised a political meeting between Rishi Sunak and Giorgia Meloni, labelling it a “love-burst”. Instead, the event in Rome focused on migration controls and blurred lines between the Conservative and far-right politicians.
COMMENT
— Javier Milei, Argentina’s president-elect, resembles Britain’s short-serving PM Liz Truss in their shared goals of low taxes and a reduced state. Both faced economic challenges, raising concerns about the potential consequences of their radical policies.
COMMENT
— Joe Biden and Xi Jinping participated in a crucial summit during the APEC forum in San Francisco. Acknowledging competition, the leaders underscored the importance of averting conflict and committed to resuming military contact.
COMMENT
— Global tensions are escalating, marked by ongoing regional disputes in Ukraine-Russia, Israel-Gaza, Sudan, Myanmar, and Ethiopia. The international community’s intermittent focus on these crises raises concerns about the efficacy of global peacemaking efforts.
COMMENT
— Some Republicans express disapproval of the Biden administration’s approach to aiding Ukraine against Russia, which frames aid as a means to boost American employment in the weapons manufacturing industry.
COMMENT
— What is the purpose of Rishi Sunak’s Government deploying a notably smaller naval task group in the Middle East compared to the United States, if not to project a larger presence on the international stage?
COMMENT
— Aylet Gundar-Goshen has previously said the trait she finds most irritating in others is, “indifference to others’ suffering.”
COMMENT
— 50 years after Peter Adler’s “Multicultural man”, Rishi Sunak’s diverse identity challenges stereotypes and raises questions on multiculturalism.
COMMENT
— The Sikh Council UK seems to be trying to stir suspicions against India. Were they to succeed, it would be profoundly damaging in all sorts of ways.
COMMENT
— Eight years on from the grand bargain, Libya’s situation is even more woeful.
