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Kelsey Norman

Fellow for the Middle East, Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy, Rice University
I am a Fellow for the Middle East and Director of the Women's Rights, Human Rights and Refugees program at Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy. My book, 'Reluctant Reception: Refugees, Migration and Governance in the Middle East and North Africa,' was published by Cambridge University Press in 2021.

Assad’s fall opens window for Syrian refugees to head home − but for many, it won’t be an easy decision

Jan 28, 2025 02:39 am UTC| Insights & Views Politics Life

For more than a decade, Syrians have been the worlds largest refugee population. More than 6 million Syrians have fled the country since 2011, when an uprising against the regime of Bashar Assad transformed into a 13-year...

Migrant Crisis Series

A year of escalating conflict in the Middle East has ushered in a new era of regional displacement

Oct 08, 2024 16:44 pm UTC| Insights & Views

A year of conflict has ushered in a new era of mass displacement in the Middle East. Since Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and the subsequent sustained Israeli bombardment of Gaza, Israel has expanded its...

3 years after fall of Kabul, US Congress has still not acted to secure future of more than 70,000 Afghan evacuees in US

Aug 16, 2024 03:47 am UTC| Insights & Views Politics

Amid the chaos that followed the U.S. pullout of Afghanistan on Aug. 15, 2021, the Biden administration declared that evacuated Afghans would be allowed to enter the U.S. via humanitarian parole. The initiative would...

Israel is using mass displacement of Gazans as a tool of war – it could also serve long-term strategic goals

Dec 12, 2023 16:01 pm UTC| Insights & Views

As a result of the monthslong Israeli air and ground campaign in northern Gaza Strip, more than 1.8 million of the strips population have been displaced from their homes. And with the operation heading into Gazas south,...

Economy

PCE Price Index Reveal: Key Insights into Inflation Trends Set for Today

December 2024 PCE Data to be Released Today The US Personal Consumption Expenditures Price Index data for December 2024 is expected to be published today, January 31, 2025. This will give the critical inflation trend...

US economy grows slower than expected in Q4

The US economy grew by 2.3 percent quarter on quarter in the fourth quarter, slightly less than the average prediction of 2.6%. The overall growth rate for 2024 was 2.8 percent, which was bit less than the 2.9 percent rate...

Brazil Hikes Interest Rates Again as Inflation Pressures Mount

Brazils central bank raised its benchmark Selic rate by 100 basis points to 13.25% on Wednesday, marking the second consecutive hike and signaling another increase in March. The decision, made unanimously by the banks...

Yen Strengthens as Japan Maintains Tightening While ECB Moves to Cut Rates

The yen surged on Thursday as Japan stays on track for rate hikes, while the European Central Bank (ECB) is expected to ease. The dollar fell 0.5% to 154.43 yen, and the euro dropped to 160.96 yen. Meanwhile, the euro held...

Hong Kong Keeps Interest Rates Unchanged, Tracking Fed's Decision

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) maintained its base rate at 4.75% on Thursday, aligning with the U.S. Federal Reserves decision to hold rates steady. Hong Kongs monetary policy follows U.S. interest rate moves due...

Politics

Trump Weighs Tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China Over Trade and Fentanyl Concerns

U.S. President Donald Trump announced Thursday that he would soon decide whether to impose a 25% tariff on oil imports from Canada and Mexico. The decision, expected by nightfall, will depend on oil prices and whether the...

Trump Links FAA Diversity Hiring to Deadly Air Crash, Sparking Backlash

Former President Donald Trump claimed without evidence that a recent midair collision near Reagan National Airport was linked to the Federal Aviation Administrations (FAA) diversity hiring policies. The crash, which...

Tulsi Gabbard Faces Tough Questions in Senate Intelligence Hearing

Former U.S. Representative Tulsi Gabbard, President Donald Trumps nominee for director of national intelligence, faced bipartisan scrutiny during her Senate confirmation hearing. Lawmakers challenged her past defense of...

Marco Rubio Warns of China’s Influence Over Panama Canal, Calls It a Security Threat

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed zero doubt that China has a contingency plan to shut down the Panama Canal in a potential conflict with the U.S. Speaking on The Megyn Kelly Show, Rubio emphasized that...

Doug Burgum Confirmed as Trump’s Interior Secretary, Set to Expand Energy Development

The U.S. Senate confirmed former North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum as Interior Secretary in a 79-18 vote. Burgum, 68, will oversee the management of 500 million acres of federal and tribal land, focusing on maximizing...

Science

South African telescope discovers a giant galaxy that’s 32 times bigger than Earth’s

Inkathazos glowing plasma jets are shown in red and yellow. The starlight from other surrounding galaxies can be seen in the background. K.K.L Charlton (UCT), MeerKAT, HSC, CARTA, IDIA, CC BY You may not know it, but right...

It’s science, not fiction: high-tech drones may soon be fighting bushfires in Australia

Picture this. Its a summer evening in Australia. A dry lightning storm is about to sweep across remote, tinder-dry bushland. The next day is forecast to be hot and windy. A lightning strike tonight could spark a fire that...

Earth is bombarded with rocks from space – but who gets to keep these ultimate antiques?

Every day, about 48.5 tonnes of space rock hurtle towards Earth. Meteorites that fall into the ocean are never recovered. But the ones that crash on land can spark debates about legal ownership. Globally, meteorite hunting...

Most of us trust scientists, shows a survey of nearly 72,000 people worldwide

Public trust in scientists is vital. It can help us with personal decisions on matters like health and provide evidence-based policymaking to assist governments with crises such as the COVID pandemic or climate change. In...

Astronauts on NASA’s Artemis mission to the Moon will need better boots − here’s why

The U.S.s return to the Moon with NASAs Artemis program will not be a mere stroll in the park. Instead it will be a perilous journey to a lunar location representing one of the most extreme environments in the solar...

Technology

Nvidia Approves Samsung's HBM3E Chips for AI, but SK hynix Remains Leader

Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) has approved Samsung Electronics (KS:005930) 8-layer HBM3E chips for artificial intelligence applications, Bloomberg reported. The chips will be used in Nvidias AI products for China, which are less...

U.S. Probes DeepSeek Over Possible Nvidia Sanctions Violation

U.S. officials are investigating whether Chinese AI startup DeepSeek sourced advanced Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) processors through Singapore distributors to bypass U.S. sanctions, Bloomberg reported. The probe centers on...

SoftBank Eyes Up to $25B OpenAI Investment Amid AI Boom

SoftBank Group Corp. (TYO:9984) is reportedly in talks to invest up to $25 billion in OpenAI, potentially becoming the AI startups biggest financial backer, according to the Financial Times. While the exact investment...

Meta Settles Trump Lawsuit for $25M Amid Efforts to Repair Ties

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: META) has agreed to pay $25 million to settle a lawsuit filed by U.S. President Donald Trump over the suspension of his social media accounts following the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot. Trump had...

Morgan Stanley Identifies Top Japanese Stocks Poised for AI-Driven Growth

Morgan Stanley analysts have highlighted Japanese equities set to benefit from artificial intelligence (AI) advancements or remain resilient against market disruption. Their research focuses on companies categorized as...