The Americas
China
Drone producers in China and Russia face new U.S. sanctions
In recent months, the Biden administration’s sanctions taskmasters at the State and Treasury Departments have clearly gone into overdrive, designating new targets/entities at least...
Sanctions and related policies
U.S. expands sanctions on Iranian petroleum sector, targeting “ghost fleet”
In the aftermath of Iran’s unprecedented October 1 ballistic missile attack against Israel, Washington made it clear that Iran would face consequences for its...
Terrorism
Washington orders new sanctions against Hamas’ sham fundraising network
Going after key elements of the Hamas European fundraising network on the anniversary of the Gaza war, on October 7 the U.S. Treasury Department’s...
Zero Tolerance
UNGA 2024 overshadowed by Middle East turmoil
At the end of September, as usual, most of the world’s leaders converge on New York for the annual UN General Assembly (UNGA) session...
Democracy & Human Rights
Georgian officials sanctioned for anti-democratic actions and human rights abuses
In the continuing wave of new sanctions announcements this month against actors who are seen as undermining democracy and abusing human rights, the Biden...
Democracy & Human Rights
Venezuela’s democratic opposition leader driven out, despite probable victory
The departure on September 7 former Venezuelan opposition presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalez for exile in Spain likely marks the end of the latest opportunity...
Disinformation & Propaganda
Washington hits back at Russia’s covert influence activities aimed at 2024 U.S. elections
In a wide series of actions on September 4, the Biden administration froze Kremlin-run websites and charged two Russian state media employees in its...
Freedom of Navigation
China’s “dangerous and escalatory” activities against the Philippines in the South China Sea sparks condemnation from Washington
On August 31, the U.S. Department of State issued a strongly worded statement condemning the latest in a series of dangerous and escalatory actions...
Democracy & Human Rights
Unified western response to Venezuela’s fraudulent election stymied
Street protests expanded on July 31 in Caracas, as thousands took action to demand that President Nicolas Maduro accept defeat in Venezuela’s July 28...
Op-Eds & Guest Contributors
Time for Mandatory Climate Change Disclosures by GCC States?
From wildfires in New Mexico, to droughts in Vietnam, and extreme temperatures and historic flooding in China, it is clear that urgent action must...
The Negroni Diaries
Americans deserve far more than a coronation
After the NATO Summit in Washington on July 9-11, where Biden-watching essentially became the main focus, and the assassination attempt on former President Donald...
Defense & Security
NATO Summit: “Trump-proofing” Ukraine support while Biden appearances under a microscope
The July 9-11 NATO Summit was originally envisioned as a celebration of the alliance’s 75th anniversary at the organization’s founding venue in Washington D.C.,...
The Americas
EU strengthens energy cooperation with Chile, Argentina
This week EU Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson visited Chile and Argentina to step up cooperation with these two countries in the energy field, with...
Invasion of Ukraine
G7 Summit focuses on Ukraine support and shattering Russia’s wartime economy
Despite last week’s expert punditry (itself almost indistinguishable from AI) on the latest G7 decisions as exhibited by the “instant experts” on global issues...
Environment
World Oceans Day calls for action to protect coastal communities and marine ecosystems
UN World Oceans Day, which is officially on June 8, was celebrated on June 7 at UN Headquarters in New York, focusing on protecting...
Kazakhstan
U.S.-Kazakhstan Enhanced Strategic Partnership Dialogue deepens political and economic ties
The sixth annual United States-Kazakhstan Enhanced Strategic Partnership Dialogue (ESPD) was held in Washington D.C. on May 31.The U.S.-Kazakhstan Enhanced Strategic Partnership Dialogue was...
Africa
Washington orders new sanctions against Russia’s Wagner Group in Africa
On May 30, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ordered new sanctions measures to counter Russia’s destabilizing activities in...
Development Assistance
Outline for Luzon Economic Corridor takes shape
While most headlines from the Indo-Pacific Business Forum held on May 21 in Taguig, just outside Manila, focused on the latest official data concerning...
Russia Sanctions
New wave of U.S. sanctions target Russia’s foreign suppliers and industrial base
On May 1, the U.S. Department of State together with the U.S. Treasury Department unveiled a wide-ranging new list of anti-Russia sanctions covering an...
The Middle East
New U.S. Special Envoy for Middle East Humanitarian Issues named
Although currently traveling in China, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced a reshuffling of the position of Special Envoy for Middle East Humanitarian...
Democracy & Human Rights
G7 Italy 2024 Foreign Ministers’ Statement on Addressing Global Challenges, Fostering Partnerships
The text of the following statement was released by the G7 foreign ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the...
Disasters and Reconstruction Initiatives
U.S.-Ukraine Partnership Forum focuses on engaging the private sector in Ukraine’s Recovery
On April 17, in partnership with the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Department of Commerce, and USAID, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce hosted...
Russia Sanctions
U.S. and U.K. take new steps to reduce Russia’s revenue from metals
On April 12, the U.S. Department of the Treasury, in coordination with the United Kingdom, issued two new prohibitions in order to disrupt the...
Op-Eds & Guest Contributors
EU-Armenia-U.S. High-level Meeting: A Critical Moment for the South Caucasus
On April 5, an EU-Armenia-U.S. trilateral meeting was held between European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and U.S....
Defense & Security
New U.S.-Japan-Philippines Pacific bulwark established
The leaders of Japan, the Philippines, and the United States met in Washington April 11 for the first ever trilateral summit with a deep...
Minerals, Mining and Rare Earths
EU, U.S., Uzbekistan and other partners strengthen critical raw materials cooperation
The European Union, the United States, and other Minerals Security Partnership (MSP) partners, joined by Kazakhstan, Namibia, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan, officially launched the Minerals...
The Philippines
U.S. condemns latest PRC actions in South China Sea as dangerous
Coming just days after U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Manila (March 19), Washington released on March 23 a strongly worded statement of...
Economy & Business
Inaugural B5+1 Forum launched to boost regional trade and investment
On March 13-15, government policymakers, business leaders, experts, and investors from C5+1 countries inaugurated the first-ever Business 5+1 (B5+1) Forum which was held in...
Sanctions and related policies
U.S. zeroes in on Houthi revenue sources
The U.S. Government made several announcements this month regarding new sanctions on Houthi revenue sources, building on steps taken in coordination with the U.K....
Democracy & Human Rights
U.S. joins International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children
On March 7, the office of the spokesperson at the U.S. Department of State issued a media note, clearly meant to be circulated in...
Democracy & Human Rights
Intellexa Commercial Spyware Consortium sanctioned
The U.S. Government announced on March 5 a new set of sanctions on the members of the Intellexa Commercial Spyware Consortium based across Europe....
Democracy & Human Rights
Zimbabwe: U.S. reconfigures sanctions to focus on corruption and human rights
On March 4, three separate U.S. Government Departments/Agencies issued Zimbabwe-specific sanctions guidance, demonstrating how complex and intertwined U.S. sanctions legislation has become and how...
Russia Sanctions
Russia sanctions remain a powerful tool to support Ukraine’s defense
Western leaders should not dismiss the two-year long sanctions campaign (as opposed to the 2014 Crimea sanctions) as unsuccessful simply because the Kremlin has...
Russia Sanctions
New U.S. Russia sanctions widen scope, adding 500 new targets
The U.S. State Department released a comprehensive list of new sanctions measures on February 23, clearly the culmination of months of preparation in order...
USA
US Democrats overseas to hold primaries in early March
In an election year where most U.S. voters are already sure they will witness a Biden-Trump rematch, few voters residing abroad see the need...
Terrorism
Washington strongly condemns Houthi attacks on shipping
The U.S. State Department issued a strongly worded condemnation of Houthi attacks on international shipping on February 21st, equating many Houthi attacks with piracy.Washington...
United Nations
UNRWA blasted for allegations that staffers supported Hamas
The United Nations agency that manages support for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, said on January 26 that it is starting an investigation into several employees...
Invasion of Ukraine
Canada and aiding the democratic cause in Ukraine
Though the funding of Ukraine’s war against Russia remains the main topic of the American Congress, Ukraine’s relationship with its other key Western partners,...
Terrorism
US designates Yemen’s Houthis as terrorist organization
The Biden administration announced on January 17 that it is re-designating the Houthis, an Iranian-backed, Yemeni Shia Islamist group, as a terrorist organization. The...
Columns
Record-high American LNG exports reinforce EU energy security drive
US liquefied natural gas, or LNG, exports reportedly hit monthly and annual record highs in December, positioning the United States to potentially become the...
Defense & Security
Joint Statement on the Trilateral United States-Japan-Republic of Korea Indo-Pacific Dialogue
The inaugural Trilateral Indo-Pacific Dialogue between the United States Japan and South Korea was held on January 5, with this new format presented as...
Defense & Security
Washington strongly supports Manila in latest confrontation with Beijing
After a difficult year in the loosely defined maritime boundary region between China and the Philippines, including vessel collisions and Chinese use of water...
Palestinian Territories
What will it take to prevent a Gaza reconstruction fiasco?
Let us be unequivocal about the current war between Israel and the Palestinian terrorist organization Hamas - the latter declared this war on Israeli...
Economy & Business
New US actions against corruption and Russian malign influence in the Western Balkans
On November 16, the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, known by its acronym OFAC, designated eight individuals and six...
Op-Eds & Guest Contributors
Breaking Europe’s hold on football
The 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar brought together nations from around the world, and 1.5 billion people tuned in to watch the final. But...
Israel
US announces Israel’s acceptance into the Visa Waiver Program
Israeli citizens will be allowed visa-free entry into the United States by the end of November when Israel officially becomes the 41st member of...
Disasters and Reconstruction Initiatives
US Special Representative for Ukraine’s Economic Recovery announced
President Joe Biden announced on September 14 the appointment of Penny Pritzker as the US Special Representative for Ukraine’s Economic Recovery.In this role, she...
Asia & Pacific
US-ASEAN establish a research center in Washington, D.C.
Vice President Kamala Harris, who was in Jakarta for a US-ASEAN Summit on September 6, announced Washington’s decision to establish a joint center with...
Economy & Business
US-UK Strategic Sanctions Dialogue inaugurated
Building on the unique economic and security partnership between the two nations, the US Department of State hosted a senior UK government delegation for...
Medicine
Strong US support for Minnesota’s 2027 Expo bid
The next General Assembly of the Bureau International des Expositions, better known by its acronym ‘BIE’, will take place June 20-21 in Paris where...
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