Iran: increasingly tense atmosphere
Security forces have killed at least 201 people in unrest following the death in custody of a woman arrested for breaking strict hijab rules. Now people honk car horns supporting any women they…
Armenia/Azerbaijan: South Caucasus war?
The long-simmering conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh region erupted on 27 September, with over 100 confirmed deaths already in the fiercest fighting in years. Many are asking, ‘Will it escalate…
South China Sea: US actions alarm China
Patches on US uniforms made for military exercises off California’s coast showed an MQ-9 Reaper drone superimposed over a red silhouette of China. Throughout September the US has staged simulated island assault exercises…
Taiwan tells China to back off as airspace 'incursions' rise
Taiwan has reported a sharp rise in incursions by Chinese warplanes into its air defence identification zone. Foreign minister Joseph Wu urged Beijing to ‘return to civilised international standards’ after a Chinese foreign…
Gulf of Oman: escalating tensions
On 16 June the Saudi crown prince said he would ‘deal with’ threats to his people and vital interests following attacks on tankers in the Gulf of Oman. America blamed Iran for the…
Gulf of Oman: oil tankers attacked
Two oil tankers have been attacked off the coast of Iran. They were evacuated, and search and rescue teams from Iran saved 44 sailors. The Front Altair, carrying crude oil, is believed to…
EU: Macron and US animosity
Emmanuel Macron is launching a bid to block EU/US trade talks because of Donald Trump’s refusal to sign up to the Paris climate agreement. Trump enraged Brussels when he described the EU as…
Turkey and the Greek islands
Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party and the opposing Republican People's Party both agree that the Greek islands are Turkish territory and must be reconquered. Both parties in the past have openly threatened…
Two US destroyers sent into Black Sea
Two American destroyers have sailed into the Black Sea, the first time since 2014 that more than one US warship has operated in this tense region other than in an exercise. ‘Our decision…
Israel: significant anniversaries
In 1867, two visitors to Ottoman Palestine separately showed that Palestine had declined since the Jews had left. First a British archaeologist, Charles Warren, conducted major excavations of Jerusalem’s Temple Mount and found…
