Above the clouds, U.S. military pilots are on the forefront of escalating tensions between the U.S., China, and Russia. The Pentagon released over 200 videos this week of encounters from the last few years in which U.S. pilots have had to dodge flares, maneuver away from potential collisions, and face down intimidation by Chinese and Russian pilots over contested areas like the Taiwan Straights and Syria. Retired Air Force Maj. Gen. Larry “Stutz” Stutzriem told Task & Purpose that the encounters with Russian pilots is...

Conflict Analysis & Prevention

As the civilian death toll from the bloodiest Israel-Gaza conflict in decades climbs ever higher, analysts warn that Asia must be on guard against deep divisions over the war tearing at the region’s social fabric – and the consequences of an increasingly distracted United States turning the bulk of its attention elsewhere. Some observers have cautioned that China could seek to take advantage of Washington’s...

Violent Extremism

One after another, societies caught under autocratic or corrupt governments keep seeking road maps back to clean, stable democracy. Now it is Venezuela’s turn. On Sunday, its people have a possible opportunity to decide who they want to challenge President Nicolás Maduro in elections next year. The weekend ballot is only a primary, but it could be transformative. That is because it is citizen-run. A group of civil society groups has set up voting stations while educating and mobilizing voters to...

Democracy & Governance;  Justice, Security & Rule of Law

On Oct. 9, a devastating late-night airstrike by the Myanmar military on Laiza, a Kachin town bordering China under the administration of the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO), tore through a camp for internally displaced people, killing numerous civilians including 12 children. This appalling incident adds to the litany of heinous crimes the Myanmar military has committed against...

Violent Extremism;  Human Rights

Russia is in the process of equipping its new nuclear submarines with hypersonic Zircon missiles, as the Ukraine war continues to intensify. Moscow is also receiving a visitor this week (14 Aug) – China’s Defence Minister, General Li Shangfu. We get analysis from Donald Jensen, Senior Advisor, Russia...

Global Policy

The illicit economy in Myanmar has risen following the military coup in February 2021. The rise of the illicit economy is seemingly in part intentional, because the military junta, which calls itself the State Administration Council (SAC), finds opportunities to exploit outlawed business. This article...

Economics;  Civilian-Military Relations

In the early hours of Tuesday morning, dozens of Israeli military vehicles invaded a refugee camp in the Palestinian Authority (PA)-ruled territories in the West Bank. The raid killed two Palestinians and left several others wounded, some with serious injuries. The raid came hours after a joint statement by...

Global Policy

Please join the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission for a briefing on the human rights situation in Bangladesh as elections approach in January 2024. Bangladesh, a long-standing U.S. partner and host to nearly one million Rohingya refugees, is a parliamentary democracy that faces an array...

Human Rights