Sudan and South Sudan have agreed to set up a buffer zone in order to minimize the border violence between the two states. There are many issues that separate the two states–oil reserves and migratory patterns of some of the nomadic peoples in the region–most of which were apparent when the South seceded from Sudan. One can only hope that the buffer zone will give the two states the necessary space to resolve these issues.
Mahmoud Abbas has ordered the Palestinian Authority to start issuing official documents identifying the issuing authority as “Palestine” and not the “Palestinian Authority.” The change signifies the ongoing effort to elevate the status of Palestine to that of a state. We don’t yet know what Israel’s response will be to this effort, but we will have a clearer idea after the upcoming Israeli election.
China’s recent moves to claim territory in the East and South China Seas has raised concerns in all of its neighbors. The specter of Chinese naval control over such a wide area would be a significant shift in the balance of power. The Diplomat has published an essay on the implications of “Lake Beijing.”
World Politics News 
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