Trevor Darr

The Prince and the Pauper: Assessing US-Saudi Relations

Israel-Hamas Conflict

The Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023 were the largest single-day loss of life of Jewish people since the Holocaust, and represented the single deadliest day on Israeli soil since the state’s independence in 1948. Over 1,400 Israelis had been killed through a combination of attacks on suburban kibbutz communities and rural populations, including the Re’im Music Festival, bringing substantial social media attention to the attacks through victim-recorded footage.

Greece and Turkey Sign Commitment To Friendly Relations

Poor Turkish-Greek relations are influenced by centuries of ethnic divisions and conflicting land claims, which has resulted in the countries fighting two major wars against one another. Recently, a sudden and unexpected break in tensions between Greece and Turkey led to a landmark agreement to mend ties.

Freedom and Fairness of the 2024 Bangladeshi Parliamentary Election

In early January, increasingly autocratic leader Sheikh Hasina of the Awami League won her fifth term in office as Prime Minister. For months preceding the election, violence and protests broke out as a result of controversy surrounding Hasina’s rule. These protests were repressed as Hasina became notorious for cracking down on free speech. The main opposition party, Bangladesh National Party (BNP) declined to participate in the election, calling for an interim caretaker government, which Hasina refused. Her victory was highly controversial among BNP members and has been recognized as an unfree and unfair election by several countries.

Houthi Rebel Attacks in the Red Sea

The Houthis are an anti-Sunni Yemeni rebel group. Since November 2023, The Houthis have launched numerous missile and drone attacks on commercial Israeli ships in the Red Sea targeting as a response to the intensifying war in Gaza. The US has responded with self-defense strikes, which was met with mixed responses from the Middle East, Europe, and regional powers.