By Wesley Morgan, UNSW Sydney and Ben Newell, UNSW Sydney An emphatic election victory for the incumbent Labor government means Australia’s rapid shift to renewable energy will continue. As Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen said on Saturday: In 2022, the Australian people voted to finally act on climate change. After three years of […]
Archives for May 2025
Trump halts Bombing of Yemen, Reportedly under Saudi Pressure, and to Dismay of Israel
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Middle East Eye reports that Saudi Arabia pressured the Trump administration to cease bombing Yemen in advance of his planned trip to the Kingdom next week because such raids would be an embarrassment for him and his host. Trump said Tuesday that he was convinced that the Houthis were sincere […]
GCC Energy stands as the ‘Superman’ of Global Energy Markets
by Dr Elif Selin Calik The energy sector of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries represents the ‘Superman’ of global energy markets according to both analysts and diplomats. The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries now represent a unique combination of stability and transformation in a world where energy security continues to intersect with geopolitical tensions […]
Sports are not Enough to Distract us from Continuous Trump
By Robert Lipsyte ( Tomdispatch.com ) – If the overwhelming deluge from the Trumpian firehose of lies, threats, incompetency, illegal actions, and surreality is sweeping you off your feet, driving you to bedridden depression, leaving you passive and breathlessly unable to mount a response, much less resistance, please get into the huddle, take a time-out, […]
Israel Announces New Campaign in Gaza aimed at Complete Occupation and Confining Palestinians to Southern Enclave
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Mahmoud Mujadala at the Israeli newspaper Arab 48 reports that the spokesman for the Israeli army, Effie Defrin, announced Monday night that the army is preparing to implement a new military operation in the Gaza Strip, called “Gideon’s Chariots.” It will, he said, inaugurate a broad attack and will displace […]
Pope’s final Wish: his Car to become a mobile Clinic for Gaza’s Children
( Middle East Monitor ) – Swedish Television announced on Sunday a humanitarian initiative to convert the late Pope Francis’s car—used during his 2014 visit to Bethlehem—into a mobile clinic for children in the Gaza Strip, fulfilling his final wish. The initiative is being carried out in coordination between Peter Brune, Secretary General of Caritas […]
Pope Francis encouraged Christian-Muslim Dialogue and helped break down Stereotypes
By Craig Considine, Rice University (The Conversation) – Pope Francis’ pontificate marked a distinct shift in the Catholic Church’s engagement with the Muslim world. While his predecessors fostered dialogue and tolerance, Francis sought more active engagement with Muslims, particularly in the Middle East. Francis framed his efforts around the “culture of encounter,” which he explained […]
Are Houthi Attacks on Israel Driven by Yemeni Domestic Politics?
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – The Ansar Allah (Helpers of God) government of North Yemen, led by Abdel Malik al-Houthi, declared an aerial blockade of Israel on Sunday, as they successfully fired a missile at Ben Gurion International Airport. The missile evaded Israeli air defenses and landed on the outskirts of the airport, causing panic […]
Humanitarian response in Gaza “on the Verge of Total Collapse” – Red Cross warns
( Middle East Monitor ) – The humanitarian response in Gaza is on the verge of total collapse, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) warned today. “Six weeks of intense hostilities, combined with a complete blockage of aid for two months, have left civilians without the essentials they need to survive,” the aid […]
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