Khusro’s Fateful Decision

The first decisive moment in the war came in winter 615–16, when Khusro rejected a grovelling plea for peace made by the Senate, based on terms discussed by Heraclius and Shahen at a summit meeting on the Bosporus in 615. This was tantamount to a decision to liquidate the Roman Empire, which made sense in the context of the threat posed by the Turkish khaganate in the east. The following five years saw the Persians take over Palestine (616), raid Asia Minor (617), and conquer Egypt (619). In Palestine they reintroduced controls on Jewish immigration into Jerusalem and designated the Ghassan their chief clients among the neighbouring Arab tribes.

Papua New Guinea in 2018

Papua New Guinea experienced another challenging year, with a major earthquake impacting oil and gas projects, rioting and inter-clan fighting in the highlands, and economic decline, but Prime Minister O’Neill survived, and the country raised its international profile with the hosting of the 2018 APEC summit meeting. Closer ties between Papua New Guinea and China raised some concerns in Australia, which moved to strengthen its presence in Papua New Guinea and the region.

Singapore in 2018

In June, Singapore captured the global spotlight when it hosted the summit meeting between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. The regional political environment prompted anxiety, given the leadership transition in Malaysia. Domestically, political leadership transition and the opposition Workers’ Party’s lawsuit over allegations of mismanagement of town council funds were major issues.

Siódme rosyjsko-chińskie spotkanie na szczycie (drugie „nieformalne spotkanie” na szczycie) 9-10 grudzień 1999 r.

The article discusses the basic documents signed during the seventh Russian-Chinese summit meeting (the second “informal summit”) in Beijing on 9-10 December 1999. During the meeting a joint information from the second informal summit was signed, and a joint Russian-Chinese statement. Three intergovernmental agreements were also signed – the protocol on the delineation of the eastern section of the boundary line between Russia and China, the protocol on the delineation of the western section of the boundary line between Russia and China, and an agreement on joint economic use of certain islands and the adjacent water areas of the border rivers.

Contending with Decline

This chapter charts the decline of the American Century in the mid-to-late 1960s. Ties with European allies were cordial, notably with West Germany. Also, U.S.-Soviet relations improved, as seen at the 1967 Glassboro summit meeting. Decline, however, overshadowed such gains. In the Middle East, black Africa, and Southwest Asia, the Johnson administration had trouble asserting leadership. And in the Americas, Washington often supported military regimes, thereby diminishing the chances for democracy. Also, Ho Chi Minh largely thwarted U.S. goals in Vietnam. The 1968 Tet Offensive, the gold crisis in March of that year, and reports by the Interagency Youth Committee on anti-American dissent around the world showed the eroding credibility of the United States and the American Century’s fading appeal.