After a federal judge blocked Pete Hegseth from taking away Sen. Mark Kelly’s military pension and the administration appealed, Senator Mark Kelly stood in front of the federal appeals court and called out Trump and Hegseth.PoliticusUSA provides 100% independent news and opinions. Support us by becoming a subscriber.Senator Kelly said:Even after a federal judge ruled earlier this year that his attempts to silence me were unconstitutional, he didn’t stop. And today, this administration argued in federal court that not only do I not have the same free speech rights as other Americans, but neither do the millions of other retired…
Author: Frank M. Everett
After nearly two years of investigation, China officially announced on May 7 that former defense ministers and members of the Central Military Commission (CMC), Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu, had been sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve, as well as confiscation of all their personal property. According to the official press releaseWei was found guilty of accepting bribes, while Li accepted and gave bribes. This marks a significant development in the ongoing purge within the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). Until now, no member of the military’s top brass had received such harsh sanctions since the early days of the…
There aren’t many media outlets that cover Central Asia consistently and comprehensively, let alone in English. Seeing established English-language media outlets struggle with funding cuts and seeing a dearth of high-quality, in-depth content on Central Asia – particularly long-form reporting, investigations, and articles focused on culture and history – longtime journalist Agnieszka Pikulicka decided to launch Tales of Turana regionally focused Substack podcast and newsletter. Turan Tales takes its name from an ancient Iranian term with historical, geographical and mythological connotations. Over the past year, Turan Tales has covered topics as varied as infighting between elites in UzbekistanTHE prospects for…
Two days after departure his position in the presidential administrationAibek Dadebay was elected president of a new political party in Kazakhstan: Adilet. In mid-April, the formation of Adilet was announced by diverse group of professionals, from NGO leaders to political scientists to business figures. Their stated intention is to “consolidate the efforts of all responsible citizens to build and strengthen a just state with a strong economy, broad prospects for all and a credible position for our country in the global community.” A “just state” is an aspect of Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s “politics”.Just Kazakhstan» framing, itself coupled with the…
After almost two years of speculationchanges to the North Korean constitution have been made public. Of great interest was the country’s definition of its territory, which is a key indicator of its policy towards South Korea. The amendment bed that North Korea’s territory borders “China and Russia to the north and the Republic of Korea to the south, as well as the territorial waters and airspace established thereon.” This is the first time that North Korea abandoned its territorial claims against the South. Pyongyang also deleted references to “peaceful unification” and “imperialist aggressors” in the document. Neither identify Seoul as…
Last year, the American technology giant Meta, formerly Facebook, which is increasingly investing in artificial intelligence, bought the Manus, AI companywhich was founded in China before moving its headquarters to Singapore. This month the agreement was suddenly canceled as the Chinese government forced Meta to cancel its acquisition of Manus. The move could surprise some foreign investorsbut it simply reminds Chinese entrepreneurs that China views its AI sector as its own national asset, rather than private property. Although some see the move as Beijing increasingly exploiting its economic policies to thwart U.S. businesses and interests, this is not China’s primary…
Abu Dhabi’s exit from OPEC and OPEC+ on May 1 was framed in sober language: a review of production policy, current and future capacity and national interest. The reasoning Vienna followed was procedural, but the vision behind this decision is monumental. – just like the consequences for Asia. Three variables had been getting worse for years. The fourth, the war in Iran, was in no way a trigger, as this decision was probably inevitable. The first variable is capacity. The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) spent a decade reaching 5 million barrels per day, a target now pushed back…
As global markets continue to price in the conflict in Iran and energy shocks following the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index has remained largely unshaken after its two-year growth spurt. The index has been supported in recent days by China’s resilience in handling the current energy crisis. Since China is the world’s second largest consumer of oil, using 8.1 million barrels per day, the surge in the price of Brent crude is one of the country’s main concerns as leaders lowered its growth target for the year at 4.5 percent, their lowest rate since…
From time to time, Indonesians have been attentive to foreign affairs. Public opinion has often been shaped – sometimes markedly – by the way the government manages its international relations. Episodes such as Brunei-gate the controversy under Abdurrahman Wahid, the Tangguh gas export deal with China during the presidency of Megawati Soekarnoputri, and the intense debates on China-related issues during the era of Joko “Jokowi” Widodo all demonstrate that foreign policy has never been free from domestic contestation. Media coverage has often amplified these debates. This somehow transforms diplomatic choices into matters of public judgment. Nowhere has this been more…
“Red carpet welcome for them! » wrote an Instagram user in Malaysia. Virtual cheers and applause emojis greeted the arrival of Ocean Thunder at Pengerang Port on April 5. The tanker, carrying a million barrels of Basrah Heavy crude, was among the first ships to leave the Strait of Hormuz after the Iranian conflict erupted in late February. The safe transit of Ocean Thunder was a diplomatic victory for Anwar Ibrahim, the Malaysian Prime Minister. In a telephone conversation with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on March 26, Anwar negotiated safe passage for seven ships. The tankers were chartered by a…