Topics Archive

Hanjin Shipping bankruptcy

On February 17, 2017 Seoul Central District Court declared Hanjin Shipping Co. bankrupt. It was the 7th largest global container shipping firm with almost 3% global market share. It had been…

Assault on Mosul

On 19th February 2017, Iraqi forces launched an offensive on Jihadists defending Mosul's west bank. They swiftly retook five villages and set their sights on Mosul airport, marking a new phase in…

Donald Trump and the two-state solution

On 16 Feb 2017, President Donald Trump met Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, at the White House. The new President had been perceived as a strong supporter of Israel and after his election, Israel…

Samsung heir Lee Jae-yong arrested

On 16 February 2017, the heir of South Korean company Samsung has been arrested as part of an investigation into corruption and influence-peddling that caused President Park Geun-hye to be impeached…

Zuckerberg on globalization

In an interview with the BBC, the Facebook founder, Mark Zuckerberg said that fake news, polarised views and "filter bubbles" were damaging common understanding. Mr Zuckerberg's interview comes…

Trump national security adviser Flynn resigns over Russian contacts

On 13 February 2017, Michael Flynn, President Donald Trump’s national security adviser resigned after revelations he had discussed U.S. sanctions with Russia’s ambassador before Trump took office and…

Kim Jong-Nam

The half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has been killed in Malaysia. Kim Jong-nam was reportedly poisoned at Kuala Lumpur airport by female North Korean operatives with poisoned needles.…

Thousands told to evacuate in face of California dam risk

On 12 February 2017, at least 130,000 people have been asked to evacuate over concerns California's Oroville Dam's emergency spillway could fail. The tallest dam in the US was weakened by heavy…

North Korean missile test

On 12th Feb 2017, North Korea has confirmed that it "successfully" fired a ballistic missile, in a test supervised by President Kim Jong-Un. The device was described as a surface-to-surface medium-to…

Elizabeth Warren impugned

On the 8th of February, Republican Senators voted to silence Democratic Senator, Elizabeth Warren while she was condemning the nomination of proposed Attorney General, Jeff Sessions by reading out a…

Trump cabinet: Senate confirms Jeff Sessions as attorney general

The US Senate has confirmed President Donald Trump's nomination for attorney general, Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions, by a vote of 52 to 47. The confirmation follows a series of divisive hearings…

Immigrant order chaos

On 6th Feb 2017, US Department of Justice defended President Donald Trump's travel ban and urged the Appeals Court to reinstate it, in the interests of national security. A hearing has been set for…

Law on west bank settlements

On 6th Feb 2017, Israel’s parliament approved legislation that retroactively legalizes thousands of Jewish settler homes in the occupied West Bank. The bill was passed by a vote of 60-52 in Israel’s…

Romania protests

On 5 February 2017, at least 500,000 demonstrators rallied across Romania, despite the government revoking a controversial decree that had fuelled their discontent. Sorin Grindeanu, the Romanian…

Fillon apologises

On 06 Feb 16, Francois Fillon the Centre-Right, Les Republicans candidate for the French Presidential election apologized over making payments to family members for parliamentary work. However, he…

Protests in Japan over nanjing

On the 5th of February 2017, Chinese protesters gathered around Japan in an outcry against the actions of the country’s largest Hotel chain, Apa Hotels. The hotel came under scrutiny for placing…

Armyworms in Africa

Farmers in Limpopo, South Africa, have complained of an unknown worm ravaging their crops. The Department of Agriculture has confirmed the presence of Fall Armyworm, which is destroying crops in…

Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin

On 05 Feb 17, in an interview with Bill O’Reilly of Fox News, President Donald Trump defended a softer stance on Russia. The President’s remarks drew criticism from both Democrats and Republicans.

Trump travel ban: Seattle judge issues nationwide block

A temporary nationwide block on President Donald Trump's ban on travellers from seven mainly Muslim nations was issued by a US judge in Seattle. Federal Judge James Robart ruled against government…

US raid in Yemen

On 28 Jan 17, US Special Forces carried out a raid in central Yemen, targeting the house of a suspected Al Qaeda leader. Initially, US military reported that 14 militants and one US Navy commando…