Author: synergia
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South Korea steps up fight against pollution
South Korea’s parliament passed bills aimed at reining in air pollution. Seoul increasingly embraces emergency measures targeting sources from coal plants to cars. According to the Environmental Performance Index 2016, South Korea ranked 173rd out of 180 countries in terms of air quality….
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ISIL on the brink, challenges await in Syria
ISIL’s few remaining enclaves are primed to be run over. However, the defeat of ISIL brings with it a number of considerations in regard to the Syrian Civil War. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), also known as ISIS or Daesh, is a Salafi jihadist militant group that adheres to a fundamental…
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May defeated yet again
The UK parliament has again rejected Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit deal after she secured legally binding assurances from Brussels on the controversial Irish ‘backstop’ – but the changes weren’t enough to placate lawmakers. On June 23rd, 2016, Britain narrowly voted to leave the European Union, stunning Europe ….
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Berners-Lee urges data controls
World Wide Web inventor Tim Berners-Lee on Monday slammed the increasing commodification of personal information and appealed for internet users to strive to maintain “complete control” of their data. The Internet (contraction of interconnected network) is the global system of interconnected computer networks that use the Internet ….
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UN envoy raises concerns over Bangladesh’s Rohingya relocation plans
Bangladesh’s planned relocation of 23,000 Rohingya from Cox’s Bazar imperils their lives. The proposed relocation site sits in a geographically precarious position that is frequently subject to natural disasters. The Rohingya are stateless…
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Australia’s Pacific ‘Step-up’ Policy
Australia turns to Pacific Island States to shore up its defenses against what is its most pertinent geopolitical threat; China. In China’s quest to secure its borders and project its power beyond its boundaries, a renewed emphasis has been placed on the Pacific Ocean. China has demonstrated its ambition to assume the mantle of a…
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US to become largest oil exporter
The US could overtake Russia and Saudi Arabia as the world’s top oil exporter by 2024, the International Energy Agency (IEA) has predicted. The International Energy Agency is a Paris-based autonomous intergovernmental organization established in the framework of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation …..
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UK secures Ireland border deal
British PM Theresa May has agreed to a “legally binding” deal with the EU around the Northern Ireland ‘backstop’ to secure Brexit and will put that to a vote in the Parliament on Tuesday. Talks with EU leaders are ongoing. On June 23rd, 2016, Britain narrowly voted to leave the European Union, stunning Europe and…
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Afghanistan’s Peace Progress
As ongoing direct talks between the United States and the Taliban further open the door for peace in Afghanistan, the country is facing ‘daunting challenges’ ahead of the presidential vote. A series of civil wars in 1996 saw Kabul fall into the hands of the Taliban, a hardline Pakistani-sponsored movement that emerged to end the…
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Finland’s government resigns
The coalition government in Finland resigned because it could not deliver on a healthcare reform package that is widely seen as crucial to securing long-term government finances. Finland is a Northern European country bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, and the Gulf of Finland. It is a Nordic country and is situated between…