Stories about International Relations from February, 2021
Saudi women's activist Loujain al-Hathloul released and tweeting
The 31-year-old women's rights campaigner was abducted in 2018 in the UAE and found guilty of a set of charges, with the prosecutor demanding a maximum jail term of up to 20 years.
Flights carrying ‘seafood’ between China and Myanmar fuel speculation about Beijing's support for the military coup
There's also speculation that the recurring power outages in Myanmar in the past few days are related to the testing and setup of Myanmar's version of The Great Firewall.
Capturing the mood on both sides of the Ukraine-Russia conflict in Donbas
A new survey finds that Donbas citizens hold little trust in state institutions and are divided on the future of the region, but strive for economic stability.
President Jovenel Moïse always seems to land on his feet, but what about Haiti?
While political opponents and protesters pressure Jovenel Moïse to vacate office, who holds the key to solve Haiti's uninterrupted crisis?
Chinese-Australian journalist Cheng Lei formally arrested for alleged spying in China
Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne has dismissed claims by China that Australia is trying to interfere in their judicial system.
Three climbers go missing during winter attempt to scale K2 summit in Pakistan
Though chances of their survival are slim, the families of three missing mountaineers have been hoping for a miracle.
Some Western observers share Central Asia's misgivings about Alexey Navalny
"Western policy-makers even turn a blind eye to the fact that Navalny’s foreign and security policies run directly counter to Western objectives. Maybe they think it’s worth the gamble."
Alexey Navalny's views on migrants run counter to his pro-democracy discourse
Alexey Navalny has emerged as a rallying figure for liberal Russians and a symbol of Russian opposition, but his image among Central Asians – including Russia's migrant workers – is more contentious.
COVID-19 vaccine in Africa: Caught between China’s soft-power diplomacy and the West’s vaccine nationalism, Part II
Is it not hypocritical to heckle China for their soft-power vaccine diplomacy in Africa while Western governments conveniently pursue vaccine nationalism?
COVID-19 vaccine in Africa: Caught between China’s soft-power diplomacy and the West’s vaccine nationalism, Part I
The storage of Chinese Sinovac’s CoronaVac and Sinopharm are more suited for Africa’s hot temperatures, unlike those produced in the West, which require deep-freezer temps.