Charles III and the future of the UK monarchy: looking abroad for clues

By Craig Prescott, Lecturer in Law, Bangor University

London, Sep 10 (The Conversation) King Charles III takes the throne at an uncertain time for the British monarchy. Republicanism is on the rise, both in the UK and across what is left of the Commonwealth.

Meanwhile the withdrawal of three family members from royal duties the Duke and Duchess of Sussex by personal choice, and Prince Andrew by order of his late mother has already changed the royal landscape in Britain.

Is Africa witnessing a new cold war as the Ukraine conflict drags on?

by Dr Mustafa Fetouri

One of the unintended consequences of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, now entering its seven months, is the emergence of new axes and allies rallying behind each other in a way reminiscent of the cold war days. Most world countries have condemned what Moscow calls "Special Operation" in Ukraine, but most also did not go as far as sanctioning Russia for it—a top Western demand from other countries.

Jinns and glass palaces: how Saudi's dystopian desert city borders on the occult

by Omar Ahmed

Saudi Arabia's The Line has been lauded as the world's most futuristic city plan, and for good reason. The vertical, walled smart city will run entirely on renewable energy and aims to revolutionise urban planning, putting humans first.

How many times must Gaza be rebuilt, to be bombed again?

by Anjuman Rahman

Israel is infamous for bombing the innocent in the Gaza Strip. During Israel's latest three-day military offensive against the besieged enclave on 5 August, 49 people, including 17 children and four women were killed.

Israeli air and artillery strikes also struck various targets across Gaza that it claimed belonged to Islamic Jihad, destroying refugee camps and more than 1,500 housing units, displacing approximately 450 Palestinians from homes that were completely damaged.

The road to fascism: How the war in Ukraine is changing Europe

by Dr Ramzy Baroud

As soon as I landed in Rome, I discovered that I was no longer able to access any Russian media whatsoever. Unfortunately, threats by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen that Europe should sever all links with "Russia's propaganda machine" were taken seriously by the Italian government.

Israel is worried about a possible clash with Washington over the Iran nuclear deal

by Dr Adnan Abu Amer

As the countdown begins for the signing of a nuclear agreement between Iran and world powers, a number of disputes have surfaced between Israel and the US about the deal. There is also criticism within Israel of the government's political and military approach towards the agreement. The occupation state appears to be opposing the whole world, which has more or less united to curb Iran's nuclear ambitions through diplomatic means, while Israel foolishly sticks to the punishment approach.

Arab normalisation with Israel is part of a passing phase

by Dr Mohammad Makram Balawi

The Imam of the Grand Mosque in Makkah, Sheikh Ṣaliḥ Ibn ʻAbd Allāh Ibn Ḥumayd, prayed to the Almighty during the Friday prayer last week, to "bring annihilation upon the plundering and occupying Jews [sic]" and to protect the Muslims from their evil. The supplications of the former speaker of Saudi Arabia's Shura Council are seen by many as a sudden diversion from his country's position on relations with Israel.

We won't be fooled again, say people of Pakistan

by Yvonne Ridley

Politicians in Pakistan rise to power and fall from grace with alarming regularity, so much so that not a single prime minister has ever completed a full term in office. The one constant has been the genuine love and affection ordinary people have for the military. However, that could be about to change now that some inconvenient truths are beginning to surface in the increasingly clumsy attempts to silence Imran Khan.

Will the idea of the 'West' survive the scourge of the Russia-Ukraine war?

by Dr Ramzy Baroud

The "West" is not just a term, it is also a concept that acquires new meanings with time. To its advocates, it can be analogous to civilisation and benevolent power; to its detractors, mostly in the "East" and "South", it is associated with colonialism, unhinged violence and underserved wealth.

France's ambiguous relations with Terrorism

by Dr. Tarek Cherkaoui

It was perplexing to see the French Newspaper, Le Monde, publishing on 17 August 2022, an opinion piece by writer, Patrice Franceschi, and former French Foreign Minister, Bernard Kouchner. The piece, which peddles loads of misinformation and fallacies, calls upon Western nations to discourage Turkiye from launching a military operation against 'the Kurds of Syria'.

Don't judge the Taliban after just one year in charge

by Yvonne Ridley

The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has been in existence for one year now, but change has been agonisingly slow; early promises on women's rights are as yet unrealised; and the closure of schools for teenage girls continues to be a running sore for the international community. The country is in dire straits, but blaming the ruling Taliban is simply lazy journalism, agenda-driven bias and opportunistic politics.

Afghan Taliban in power – one year on

by Amina Khan

On 15 August 2021, the world looked on with trepidation as the situation in Afghanistan reached a critical juncture with the Afghan Taliban assuming power in the country. The takeover was swift, and relatively peaceful, with little resistance from the masses, followed by the abrupt withdrawal of US forces, leading to a new set of debates and questions.

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