Commentary

The court did not order a cease-fire. In 63% of previous cases, it denied similar requests to stop military action.

As the country moves closer to joining NATO, member countries, including Poland and Germany, have said that within the next decade Russia could attack nations that have joined the military alliance. 

Houthi attacks in the Red Sea and drought in the Panama Canal are delaying shipments and could increase emissions.

At least a quarter of Taiwan’s eligible voters are between 20 and 40 years old, a group that overwhelmingly supports an independent Taiwan.

The U.S. has official relationships with nearly every country in the Middle East. Israel, a close U.S. ally, has official ties with only five.

On Dec. 29, South Africa brought genocide charges against Israel in the International Court of Justice. Israel said it will defend itself from the charges at hearings on Jan. 11 and 12 in The Hague.

The US has used its UN veto power to stop an Israel-Hamas war ceasefire resolution and other measures. Here's how it got veto power and how America has used it.

The U.S. has maintained a delicate balance between not officially recognizing Taiwan as a sovereign nation and arming the island to fend off any Chinese aggression.

Despite its small size, Qatar has historically played an outsize role in negotiating with organizations or countries that the U.S. doesn’t have relations with.

In 2022, there were about 170,000 troops stationed outside of the U.S. and its territories, according to the Department of Defense. As of June 2023, there were over 30,000 troops stationed in the Middle East alone, before America expanded its military presence following Hamas' attack on Israel in October.