Kseniya Kirillova, Jamestown
Beginning in the fall of 2018, sociologists saw a sharp rise in social tensions in Russia, driven by price increases, unemployment and an economic crisis (Deutsche Welle—Russian...
David Kiwuwa, Worldcrunch
The military has seized control in one of Africa's largest countries, which until recently had made significant progress towards transitioning to democracy after years of strongman rule. But the people, and international community, may not be willing to turn back.
Wolfgang Münchau, Spectator
Until yesterday, it was possible to imagine that there would be a political solution to the standoff between the EU and Poland. Poland would reform the disciplinary chamber for its judges, and the EU would be satisfied that its principal grievance had been addressed. The Polish government had alr...
A. Parasiliti, E. Hagedorn & J. Snell, Al Monitor
The Biden administration had hoped Sudan, a pivotal country of 44 million in the Horn of Africa, was on a steady if bumpy road to elections and economic reform. That's all in jeopardy now after the military ousted civilian leaders in a coup on Oct. 25. The US State Department has put the junta on notice that the recent turnaround in relations, as well as economic assistance, is in jeopardy unless and until civilian rule is restored.
Matthew Karnitschnig & Laurenz Gehrke, Politico EU
Ignoring Beijing's human rights abuses is becoming increasingly difficult for Berlin.
Mikhail Troitskiy, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
"Humanity remains unacceptably close to nuclear annihilation. Now is the time to […] eliminate nuclear weapons from our world." This recent post by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres supports the large group of states looking to advance the cause of prohibition of nuclear weapons. It should also be taken seriously by the two nuclear superpowers—the United States and Russia—who are...
C. Hudson, R. Yade & W. Wechsler, Atlantic Council
On Monday, Sudan's military arrested the country's civilian leaders—including Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok—in an apparent coup that's likely to stymie the country's already-slow progress toward political reform. The move comes just weeks after a failed takeover attempt by loyalists to ex-dictator Omar al-Bashir and
Marzuki Darusman, Bangkok Post
After eight months of being played by Myanmar's junta, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) has finally put its foot down. The decision to bar junta leader, Senior Gen Min Aung Hlaing from attending this week's Asean Summit was as welcome as it was surprising. It must not only be a permanent decision by the regional bloc, but the start of a new, assertive approach that necessarily leads to direct engagement with the National Unity Government (NUG).
Harold Chambers, Riddle
Ahead of his record-breaking victory in the September elections, Ramzan Kadyrov reinvigorated his feud with Akhmed Zakayev, a former Ichkerian commander and current head of the separatist government-in-exile. The...
Yao Chung-yuan, Taipei Times
New Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Oct. 14 dissolved the lower house of parliament and announced that a general election is to be held on Sunday. The early dissolution of the House of Representatives set a new record as the shortest since World War II — it took place only 10 days after Kishida took office, and a mere 10 days after a new Cabinet was formed. Unless something unexpected happens, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Japan's largest political party... Читать дальше...
AFP
That figure was up from 362, the group told reporters and activists in Moscow after a year that has seen an unprecedented crackdown on critical voices, including Navalny, who in February was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison on old embezzlement charges.
J. William Middendorf II, 1945
On October 1, China celebrated its National Day by sending fighter jets, bombers, and other warplanes in menacing formations off the southern end of Taiwan. The flights continued day and night for the following four days, with one massive formation of
Tanvi Madan, War on the Rocks
In early 2019, Gen. David Petraeus and S. Jaishankar, now India's external affairs minister but then in his private capacity, appeared together on a panel. The former U.S. Central Command commander asserted that China was "the defining issue of our age" and, seemingly in frustration, added that countries such as India "have to decide." Asked if India could indeed take a stand and choose a side, Jaishankar retorted, "India should take a stand and should take a side ... Читать дальше...
Angela Stent, Russia Matters
This year's session of the annual Valdai International Discussion Club was organized in hybrid fashion, with most participants attending in person but some (myself included) choosing to participate remotely. Indeed, the pictures from the conference hotel in Krasnaya Polyana, high in the mountains above Sochi, provided a sharp contrast with what was happening in the rest of Russia: While the participants sat unmasked next to each other in a crowded auditorium,... Читать дальше...
Martin Duffy, e-International Relations
In over three decades at the coalface of United Nations fieldwork, the scenes witnessed by the author during humanitarian service in Myanmar in the past two years, are among the worst visited on any people, in any part of the world. Having served extensively in the Congo, Afghanistan, Sudan, Somalia, Syria, Rwanda, Cambodia, and Tigray, these conflicts all brought their unique challenges, but there is a desperation to the Myanmar situation that exceeds... Читать дальше...
Ben Judah, Lowy Interpreter
Only a formal deal will lock in the gains under AUKUS against future uncertainty.
Hai Hong Nguyen, Strategist
That only a handful of people in Canberra knew that the AUKUS pact was being negotiated is a minor concern for those living on China's borders. Any discussion about how AUKUS is perceived in the ...
James Curran, EAForum
A recent Iowa poll showed that Trump would win the state comfortably if a poll were held now, despite a disapproval rating of 99 per cent among Democrats. Trump's popularity there is higher now than when he was President.
Matthew Continetti, Washington Free Beacon
In 1959 the British novelist C.P. Snow delivered a lecture at the University of Cambridge entitled "The Two Cultures." Snow's topic was the gradual separation of scientific knowledge from humanistic knowledge, and the dangers of educational specialization and technical illiteracy. Snow was not a disinterested observer: Trained as a chemist, he had a foot in both cultures. He argued that educated citizens once understood reality through shared vocabulary... Читать дальше...