In any other SE Asian country this level of political instability would precipitate a crisis, yet in Vietnam, the collective leadership model seems to ensure the durability of communist rule. It also helps that the US needs Vietnam as a bulwark against China!

a bit jarring to read Secretary Blinken, after visit to NYU Shanghai, calling on Chinese government to ensure 'a free and open discussion of ideas... confidence in the safety, security, and privacy of the participants'

.Michael Vatikiotis's book 'Lives Between The Lines' is a 'poignant exploration of [his] personal journey, the family's history, and the broader dynamics of the Middle East,' Patrick N. Theros writes in Middle East Policy's Spring 2024 issue. Read the review for free:
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/me…

Absolutely outrageous & unacceptable rights violation by police in US!

Welcome to World War III – The Diplomat thediplomat.com/2024/04/welcom…

US authorities continue to destroy US universities and constitutional freedoms so the war can continue

For millions the world over, Gaza now symbolises utter moral failure by many of the architects of the post-World War Two system. channelnewsasia.com/world/post-wwi…

Competition in the US Congress - with the Taliban

As #US -China tensions rise, #Singapore walks a thin line between the two superpowers, wanting to embrace both but owe allegiance to neither. Singapore has trended closer to China’s economy and society, hence the need to demonstrate balance. ft.com/content/cdea54…

When I was an undergraduate in the 1980s, freedom of expression was never in doubt. The Cold War was at its height. We knew what totalitarianism meant.

US arguing here that formal statehood for Palestine would be like putting cart before horse: many would argue that Statehood is the actual horse that needs to pull the cart.

Clearly US support for a two state solution can be questioned because the US refuses to support Palestinian statehood.

Perhaps with an eye to a bloodbath in the upcoming #Rafah offensive, it seems the Int'l Criminal Court may be about to issue arrest warrants for @Netanyahu & co timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry… & get on the right side of history.

There is no global leadership.

Ring of Fire in #indonesia

In Rwanda former Phnom Penh Post editor Michael Hayes finds a “Cambodian Corner” in the Kigali Genocide Memorial (KGM) that “remembers” the Khmer Rouge atrocities. asiatimes.com/2024/04/rememb…

China weighs in on the Mideast Crisis as FM Wang Yi makes calls to Tehran and Riyadh.

How journalism dies: analysis showed that the major newspapers reserved terms like “slaughter,” “massacre,” and “horrific” almost exclusively for Israeli civilians killed by Palestinians, rather than for Palestinian civilians killed in Israeli attacks. theintercept.com/2024/04/15/nyt…

Some of these old veterans fought to oust Marcos Snr and may have played a role in doing so back in the 1980s before most people remember anything!

Simply love this review of my book “Lives Between the Lines: A Journey in Search of the Lost Levant in Middle East Policy by Amb. Patrick Theros. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.11…