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Anti-Jewish hate and violence—long a scourge of Europe—is once again on the increase, as the coronavirus pandemic continues to take a bruising toll on economies from Belgium to Bulgaria. Yet in the wake of neo-Nazi conspiracy theories and online Holocaust denial, Germany has a special responsibility to stem this rising tide of hatred, argues Emily Haber, the country’s ambassador to the United States.
The African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), which took effect Jan. 1, involves more countries than any other trade bloc on Earth. Of the 55 member states of the African Union, 54—all but Eritrea—have signed on to the treaty, which aims to create a single market through the elimination of tariffs on 90% of all goods by 2022.
March 26, 2018, is a day Marko Đurić, Serbia’s new ambassador to the United States, will never forget. On that Monday, Đurić—at the time chief negotiator for Serbia’s Office for Kosovo and Metohija—was meeting with local Serbs in the town of North Mitrovica when he was violently detained for having crossed into Kosovar territory illegally.
With Saudi Arabia’s March 22 ceasefire offer collapsing within hours of being made, Yemen’s years-long conflict shows no signs of abating, as renewed U.N. peace efforts remain stymied and the specter of colossal humanitarian disaster looms large yet again.
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Culture
“Dreamland,” which features two photography series by Swedish artist Helene Schmitz as well as an outdoor sound installation, takes a hard look at the impact of humans and technology on the natural world.
A new exhibition organized by the American University Museum showcases the indelible mark that the Peace Corps has left on countless lives with objects and stories from 30 volunteers representing a sampling of the 240,000 people who have joined the corps since its inception 60 years ago.
In conjunction with this year’s Cherry Blossom Festival — and local officials’ attempts to limit crowds due to the pandemic — the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art is hosting a virtual experience centered around Japanese artwork and the festival.
When it comes to diplomatic spouses, there are a lot of clichés, inspired mostly by decades of glamorous Hollywood portrayals and the mysterious aura of diplomacy. But the reality is far more complicated — for better and for worse.
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In “The Middle Way: How Three Presidents Shaped America’s Role in the World,” Derek Chollet argues that American foreign policy is more effective when it draws inspiration and guidance from the centrist approach of three former American presidents: Dwight D. Eisenhower, George H.W. Bush and Barack Obama.
As wealthy Western countries carefully guard their national stockpiles of COVID-19 vaccines, raising concerns about “vaccine nationalism,” China and Russia have moved aggressively in the opposite direction — toward vaccine diplomacy.
The Kremlin’s increasing military activities in the Arctic worry many countries, but especially Norway—the only NATO member state that borders Russia north of the Arctic Circle—and Denmark, whose kingdom includes the world’s largest island, Greenland.
“The world has faced two ‘once-in-a-century’ crises in the past 12 years,” says economist Mohamed Aly El-Erian. “To avoid making the same mistake of a muted recovery, leaders must restore counter-party trust and invest in the recovery through measures enhancing high, inclusive and sustainable growth.”
René León Rodríguez’s tenure in Washington spanned the administration of three U.S. presidents — Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama — as well as three presidents of El Salvador.
Last month marked the 40th anniversary of a very British diplomatic coup. On Feb. 27, 1981, President Ronald Reagan, Vice President George H.W. Bush and the Cabinet sat down for dinner at the British Embassy as guests of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. With his presidency barely a month old, this marked the first time Reagan had set foot on foreign soil.
In a night that combined steadfast traditions and unparalleled circumstances, the International Student House of Washington DC (ISH-DC) last month held its annual leadership awards ceremony online.
10 outstanding Spanish- and Portuguese-language films will be shown online this month, courtesy of the DC-based Ibero-American Cultural Attachés Association (AACIA).
Pulitzer Prize-winning author David Yergin headlined the first of a series of “Thought Leaders” webinars hosted by the Washington-based National US-Arab Chamber of Commerce (NUSACC). More than 400 business leaders, D.C.-based diplomats and senior government officials tuned into the event.
Veteran diplomats Yousef Al Otaiba of the United Arab Emirates and Jeremy Issacharoff of Israel discuss the Abraham Accords and the prospects for Middle East peace.
The Polish and Lithuanian embasses in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 6 jointly hosted an evening of solidarity with protesters opposed to the Lukashenko dictatorship in Belarus.
The Embassy of Uzbekistan in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 9 hosted a webinar to honor poet Alisher Navoiy, who was born 580 years ago.
For Cuba-watchers waiting on President Joe Biden to end the embargo and throw open the gates of US trade with Havana, Robert Muse has some advice: Don’t hold your breath.
As many as seven million Venezuelans will have fled their country by the end of this year if borders with neighboring countries reopen and President Nicolás Maduro remains in power.
The emergence of a dynamic young leader galvanized the Venezuelan opposition two years ago. Juan Guaido united disparate opposition parties and won recognition as the country’s legitimate president from Donald Trump’s administration and dozens of other governments.
In his first foreign policy address as president, delivered last week at the State Department, Joe Biden drew the curtain on the disastrous Trump era, rededicating the United States to repairing its tattered alliances, reengaging the world and defending freedom.
