Written by Jordan Richard Schoenherr, Assistant Professor, Psychology, Concordia University Along with the recent reciprocal drone strikes by Iran and the United States in Syria, Russia continues to unleash its arsenal on Ukrainian civilian and military targets alike. While the Russian armies have started using outdated weapons, novel technologies remain the objects of fascination on […]
Written by Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, Baker Institute Fellow for Kuwait, Rice University The fact that Saudi Arabia entered a rapprochement deal with Iran and chose China to broker it came as a surprise to many international observers. The agreement, officially called the Joint Trilateral Statement, was signed in Beijing on March 11 and begins the […]
Written by Richard Forno, Principal Lecturer in Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, University of Maryland, Baltimore County The Biden administration released its first National Cybersecurity Strategy on March 2, 2023. The last version was issued in 2018 during the Trump administration. As the National Security Strategy does for national defense, the National Cybersecurity Strategy outlines […]
Written by Paul Rogers, Professor of Peace Studies, University of Bradford Following political developments in the past fortnight, two state-level policy changes in the Middle East are likely to combine to have a substantial impact on regional stability. On March 10, in a deal brokered by China and signed in Beijing, Saudi Arabia and Iran […]
Written by Ahmet T. Kuru, Professor of Political Science, San Diego State University On Jan. 17, 2023, Pakistan’s National Assembly unanimously voted to expand the country’s laws on blasphemy, which carries the death penalty for insulting the Prophet Muhammad. The new law now extends the punishment to those deemed to have insulted the prophet’s companions, […]
Written by Robert Poole, Professor of History, University of Central Lancashire In December 1972, Nasa’s final Apollo mission (Apollo 17) took the iconic “Blue Marble” photo of the whole Earth. Many, including science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke, had expected that the sight of Earth from afar would instil the belief that mankind’s future lay […]
Written by Michael Humphries, Deputy Chair of Business Administration, Touro University It’s a case of déjà vu all over again on the debt ceiling debate. Republicans, who regained control of the House of Representatives in November 2022, are threatening to not allow an increase in the debt limit unless they get unspecified spending cuts in […]
Written by Albert Van Dijk, Professor, Water and Landscape Dynamics, Fenner School of Environment & Society, Australian National University In 2022, a third La Niña year brought much rain to Australia and Southeast Asia and dry conditions to the other side of the Pacific. These patterns were expected, but behind these variations there are troubling […]
Written by Terhi Nurmikko-Fuller, Senior Lecturer in Digital Humanities, Australian National University Time and again, collaboration has proven to be a key driver of scientific and technological innovation. So it follows that some of the greatest advances have come from intellectual hubs set up for this very purpose. Today Silicon Valley is synonymous with this […]
Written by Michelle O’Shea, Senior Lecturer, School of Business, Western Sydney University This year’s FIFA men’s World Cup has cast a media spotlight on Qatar’s human rights record. The tournament also offered an opportunity to draw attention to the current protests in Iran surrounding the mistreatment of women. Qatar’s imbalance in rights and treatment of […]
Written by Evelyn Namakula Mayanja, Assistant Professor, Interdisciplinary Studies, Carleton University A photograph recently circulated on social media purportedly showing two Chinese professors in Shanghai standing between a squad of police officers and students protesting the government’s zero-COVID policies. That morning, when I met my class for the course I teach on political repression, a […]
Written by Keith Parry, Deputy Head Of Department in Department of Sport & Event Management, Bournemouth University In the eighth minute of their Fifa men’s World Cup match against England, Iranian goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand collided face-first with a teammate. The clash left the keeper bloodied, unsteady on his feet, and apparently disoriented – in no […]
Written by Noushin Nabavi, Research Associate, Public Policy, University of Victoria Iran has entered the second month of upheaval with an average of one child murder a day by the Basij, part of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), amid the crackdown against the “woman, life, freedom” movement. The protests began in September 2022 after 22-year-old […]
Written by Sara Rahnama, Assistant Professor of History, Morgan State University Uncommon Courses is an occasional series from The Conversation U.S. highlighting unconventional approaches to teaching. Course Title: “Women and War” What prompted the idea for the course? When I was on a fellowship at the Library of Congress finishing my first book, “The Future […]
Written by Jonathan Este, Associate Editor, International Affairs Editor First, let’s clear up some unfinished business from last week. We reported here that Russia’s defence minister, Sergei Shoigu, had been talking up the idea that Ukraine was planning to use a “dirty bomb” and specified a couple of facilities which he said were involved in […]
Written by Daniel Salisbury, Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Science and Security Studies, King’s College London It has been reported that Iran is preparing to transfer short-range ballistic missiles to Russia for use against targets in Ukraine, allegedly as part of a shipment of 1,000 additional weapons of unspecified type. Iran has allegedly […]