Displaying items by tag: geopolitics

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe appeared in court again on 14 March, accused of participating in a demonstration outside London’s Iranian embassy twelve years ago and giving an interview to the BBC Persian service. Her lawyer said the atmosphere in court was calm and he hoped she would be acquitted because she has already served five years on a more serious charge. The judge told her to expect a verdict by 21 March. 20 March begins the festival of the Persian New Year, Nowruz, which celebrates hope, new life and fresh possibilities. May Nowruz in Iran bring about Nazanin’s acquittal. Along with several other dual nationals from a range of countries, she is caught up in the middle of complicated geopolitics. Please pray for her acquittal on or before 21 March. See also the Iran article in the world section.

Although Donald Trump and President Xi recently announced a trade agreement between the US and China, some believe 5G mobile networks might yet spark a further ‘trade war’. These mobile data networks will be rolled out commercially over the next decade, preparing the way for driverless cars and smart cities. Some say 5G technology, 100 times faster than today’s connections, could be a bigger leap forward than the original internet, and countries using it successfully will dominate 21st-century trade and commerce. Whoever builds and controls the new networks will take on huge political and economic importance. The US now wants to stop Chinese technology companies from taking a lead in this field. China is racing to gain a head start in these new technologies, and views 5G as potentially the key to 21st-century superpower status. See also UK article 3.