Mali quits G5 Sahel anti-jihadist force: France intrigues? Kanako Mita and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The nation of Mali is quitting the G5 Sahel regional group. This regional group consisted of Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, and Niger before Mali announced that it would withdraw from this anti-jihadist alliance. Mali is citing political…
South Sudan and 1.3 million children are malnourished Kanako Mita and Sawako Utsumi Modern Tokyo Times South Sudan is blessed with important natural resources. However, ethnic and political instability continues to blight South Sudan – similar to ethnic and religious tensions that resulted in the loss of millions of lives in Sudan before the creation…
South Sudan and ethnic and political differences: Peace agreement Sawako Utsumi and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times South Sudan (Republic of South Sudan) should have ushered in a period of peace for the embattled ethnic and religious groups who faced Arabization and Islamization concerning the policies of past Khartoum elites. However, while South Sudan has an…
Ethiopia and more ethnic massacres reported Noriko Watanabe and Sawako Utsumi Modern Tokyo Times After Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed of Ethiopia went to the frontline last year, the threat of the Tigrayan People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) launching an attack on Addis Adaba subsided dramatically. However, the weakness of the…
Kurdish prisoner executed in Iran: Family told he is in his grave Sawako Utsumi and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The Islamic Revolution of 1979 culminated in the power concentration of ruling Shia theocratic elites and the political system that is part of the state apparatus that rules by fear. Countless numbers of people…
Cameroon, Chad, and Nigeria to alter fight against Islamist terrorists: Instability in Africa Murad Makhmudov and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times After the reported death of Aboubakar Shekau, the former leader of Boko Haram, the Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) is altering the terrorist tactics on the ground. Boko Haram is a regional…
Russian Federation dismayed by PM Kishida of Japan: Kuril Islands Chika Mori and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Prime Minister Fumio Kishida recently became the leader of Japan after Yoshihide Suga voluntarily stepped down. Hence, an internal Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) transition before the general election later this month. However, even before the general…
Anti-Russia and anti-China politicians in Japan says Russia: AUKUS to Cybersecurity Sawako Utsumi and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Since Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga took power, the Japanese Foreign Ministry barely goes a week without upping the anti-China mantra. More recently, the anti-Russian Federation angle is emerging. Indeed, the next leader of Japan seems…
Judiciary in Venezuela accused of assisting state oppression by UN fact-finding Mission Kanako Mita and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The government of Venezuela under President Nicolás Maduro is heavily focused on power concentration. Henceforth, the state apparatus – and all tools available to preserve power are utilized – just like in Nicaragua and…
President of Tunisia suspends parliament further and consolidates: Regional issues Murad Makhmudov and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times President Kais Saied of Tunisia is suspending parliament further while consolidating his position and aims. Last month, he fired Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi citing national security. Therefore, in this interim period, Saied intends to shore up Tunisia…
Lebanon hit by severe power cuts and a pharmacy strike Kanako Mita and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The multi-religious jewel in the Middle East crown is crumbling under the pressure of internal political cronyism. Equally detrimental, the weight of endless power plays by Iran, Israel, Syria, and the Palestinians have all abused Lebanon.…
Ethiopia confirms ethnic massacres in Tigray and the involvement of Eritrea Kanako Mita and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The government of Ethiopia confirmed for the first time that the armed forces of Eritrea helped during the conflict in Tigray. Also, the leader of Ethiopia admitted that ethnic massacres had taken place. The Ethiopian…
Alleged massacre in Ethiopia: Tigray crisis Sawako Utsumi and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Tensions in the region of Tigray in Ethiopia are ongoing and many people have died in recent clashes. The thorny issues of power concentration, federalism, regional grievances, ethnicity, religion, a unitary state, and political differences all exist in Ethiopia to…
African Union calls for an immediate ceasefire in Ethiopia: Tensions in Tigray Noriko Watanabe and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The nation of Ethiopia is multi-ethnic and multi-religious and many faultlines exist. Thus, issues around power concentration, regional dynamics, political differences, and ethnic issues can quickly spiral out of control. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed…
Japan needs pragmatism on Hong Kong issue: Geopolitics of Northeast Asia Sawako Utsumi and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan should focus on pragmatism and the geopolitical reality of Northeast Asia. Of course, the new Hong Kong security law is draconian. However, Japan must not be dragged into the…
Over 900 dead from Coronavirus in China and over 40,000 cases internationally Sawako Utsumi and Noriko Watanabe Modern Tokyo Times The number of deaths sadly keeps on rising from the coronavirus crisis in China that emanated in Wuhan. Thus, the latest figure says that just over 900 people have died from the coronavirus. At the…
Protesters in Iraq rebuke Iran with chants of, “Get out, Iran! Free Baghdad!” Murad Makhmudov and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The crisis in Iraq is not abating because protesters demand genuine political change. At the same time, protesters want Iran to keep out of the body politic of Iraq. Equally important, protests have…
President Aoun of Lebanon calls for major political changes but will protesters take heed? Ramazan Khalidov and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times President Michel Aoun of Lebanon expressed his concerns about mass demonstrations and the need to listen. Thus, he vowed to form a new emergency government based on expertise and not political or…
Tensions in Bolivia after Evo Morales re-elected because of alleged fraud Noriko Watanabe and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times President Evo Morales of Bolivia was re-elected according to internal sources that stipulate he won just over 47 percent of the vote. However, according to Carlos Mesa who won just over 36 percent of the…
Hong Kong demonstrators need to avoid playing into the hands of China Kanako Itamae and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The centralized Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is worried about losing power concentration over Hong Kong. Equally, statements emanating out of America and the United Kingdom are angering China. This notably applies to Nancy Pelosi…
New mass protests in Sudan is met by violence from the military Boutros Hussein and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Mass demonstrations have once more broken out in Khartoum and in other parts of Sudan despite the threat of death. Indeed, the latest demonstrations show that people will not be crushed despite the horrendous…
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