Новости за 11.01.2024

The role of the US State Department regarding Israel’s continued obliteration of Gaza is becoming increasingly clear.  As the actions of the Israeli Defence Forces continue, the Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, is full of meaningless statements about restraint and control, the protection of civilians, the imperatives of humanitarianism in war.  As the war continues, so do those statements.

British Defense Minister Grant Shapps said Tuesday’s assault on a Royal Navy warship in the Red Sea was the most significant in decades.

The UN Security Council on Wednesday passed a resolution condemning “in the strongest terms” the multiple attacks by Houthi rebels off the coast of Yemen which have disrupted global trade and raised fears of further spillover from the war in Gaza.

By Walter Block

What is an orphan drug? It is one that will address a disease that negatively impacts only a few people. Why is the orphan drug perennially in the news? This is because it can be and is used to constitute a very serious complaint about free enterprise; it is one of the best sticks with which to beat up on laissez-faire capitalism.

To wit, profit-seeking entrepreneurs have little or no incentive to engage in research and development to satisfy desperate potential customers. Читать дальше...

By Kartik Bommakanti

With reports emerging that the People’s Republic of China (PRC) is preparing to conduct a series of nuclear tests at its Lop Nur nuclear test facility in the Xinjiang Region, there are grave implications which are likely to follow not just for the world, but above all—India. The recent revelation establishes that the PRC is moving in the direction of accumulating an arsenal that is qualitatively better in terms of size, lethality, and effectiveness.

Assessing... Читать дальше...

By Joshua D. Glawson

There is an untold story in American monetary history. Some are reluctant even to discuss it.

I’m referring to the US Secret Service’s very own role in the destruction of sound money in America.

As constitutional, sound money in the form of physical gold and silver coins—whether minted privately or not—became an annoying impediment to expanding the size and power of the federal government, central planners began circulating unbacked paper proxies... Читать дальше...

The Korean Peninsula, historically a flashpoint of geopolitical tension, is witnessing a renewed period of anxiety. Recent developments in North Korea, particularly the directive from leader Kim Jong-un to escalate military preparations, have significantly amplified regional apprehensions.

By Jonathan Power

Is what you see what you’ll get? President Xi Jinping of China is poking the US in the eye again. China, he suggests, is all set to wrest Taiwan back into the “China fold”. Xi appears far more determined than his predecessors to try to do this. Yet even he is cautious. He doesn’t threaten immediate military action and he sets no timetable for himself.

So, given the breathing space, the West has the formidable job of persuading him this is not a good idea.... Читать дальше...

During a Wednesday United States House of Representatives Oversight and Accountability Committee meeting regarding whether President Joe Biden’s son Hunter Biden should be found in contempt for failing to show up to answer questions after receiving a House subpoena, Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) directed an astoundingly ridiculous comment toward Hunter Biden who was sitting in the front row of the audience.

By Mohamed Chebaro

The UK is on course for yet more uncertainty in 2024, as Prime Minister Rishi Sunak seems intent on keeping hold of power for as long as he can. The people of the country are yearning for an to end the 14 years of Conservative Party rule, which has oscillated between austerity and Brexit and left many people lamenting its failure to yield any benefits for the country, with the politicians in power seemingly in it for their own benefit rather than putting the country first. Читать дальше...

Israel’s massively violent and indiscriminate response to the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks, killing more than 22,000 people, including some 10,000 children, has provoked widespread international condemnation.

By Mohammed Soliman

(FPRI) — Building on its new global economic initiatives, such as the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework and the India-Middle East-Europe Corridor (IMEC), the United States, alongside thirty-one nations, launched the Partnership for Atlantic Cooperation, a transcontinental initiative, at the UN General Assembly in September. 

The Partnership for Atlantic Cooperation gathers nations across Europe, Africa, and the Americas, forging a new path in transatlantic cooperation. Читать дальше...

Introduction

Refugees are an inevitable consequence of conflict, and countries exposed by position or policy rarely escape the collateral damage of war. India is no exception. Strange then, given the long history of refugee movement from neighbouring states, that the best New Delhi has come up with in terms of the policy is an anti-refugee stance, especially regarding the Rohingya refugees and the Kuki-Chin-Zo tribes people from Myanmar. However, that position has faced multiple challenges from the population in the states... Читать дальше...

By Paul Heer

Despite the positive atmospherics of the November 2023 summit in California between Presidents Joe Biden and Xi Jinping, it remains unclear whether any momentum has been generated toward a substantial relaxation of bilateral tensions over the coming year.

Although the summit produced agreement on several tactical bilateral issues, the fundamental sources of friction and mistrust between the two sides were not substantially addressed. As a result, the relationship... Читать дальше...

By He Jun

The chain reaction triggered by the geopolitical crisis in the Red Sea is deepening, impacting the global shipping market and supply chain system. Since mid-December 2023, Houthi insurgents in Yemen have been attacking vessels, thereby blocking this vital passage in the Red Sea. So far, over a hundred container-laden ships have been forced to detour around the southern tip of Africa, resulting in a significant increase in transit times and transportation costs in less than a month. Читать дальше...

I have a lot of respect for Ro Khanna. He is an articulate and energetic progressive from the belly of the beast, Silicon Valley. I also appreciate the sentiments behind his latest op-ed in the NYT on how we should seek to ensure that the benefits from AI are broadly shared. However, he badly errors in his framing of the issue and description of recent economic policy.

US pressure on Israel to switch gears and focus on targetted precision strikes and killings, rather than indiscriminate bombing of the Gaza Strip, potentially heightens the risk of the war escalating into a regional bust-up and expanding beyond the Middle East.

By Andrés Bermúdez Liévano

When Gustavo Petro came to power in Colombia a year and a half ago as the first left-wing president in its history, he sought to distance himself from his right-wing predecessor Iván Duque on multiple fronts. One of the clearest was to pledge implementing the peace agreement signed by the government with the former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerrillas in 2016, whose historical significance Duque strove to dilute and even tried to torpedo. Читать дальше...

The science of rhythm across species is a new and growing research field, as yet without agreement on the question of whether the phenomenon of rhythm exists for every species. There is, however, fascinating and suggestive experimental and observational evidence: Parrots can bob their heads to a beat; rats can synchronize head movement to music; the cockatoo Snowball is famous for dancing; the California sea lion Ronan can move to music but does not vocalize; and chimpanzees can beat rhythmically on hollow tree trunks. Читать дальше...