Archive
France: Towards stronger counter-terrorism regulation online
A terror attack on the outskirts of Paris that led to the beheading of a middle school teacher has emboldened President Macron’s efforts to impose harsher legislation on social media. Broadening the scope of user-generated content online is likely to affect the European Commission’s ambitious Digital Services Act, and thus the global digital fight against terrorism.
Carbon Neutral by 2060? The Environmental Implications of China’s New Climate Target for Southeast Asia
On September 22, China announced its long term target to be carbon neutral by 2060 and reach peak CO2 emissions before 2030. This has been deemed a game-changer for international
Sudan: Rising Tensions a Year and a Half after the Revolution
The Sudanese Revolution of December 2018 promised freedom, peace, and justice but a year and a half later people are struggling to survive. The impact of COVID-19, climate change, inflation and a precarious relationship with the United States leaves Sudan in a socio-economic and political situation that is not too different from the context people protested against in December 2018. The question remains, can Sudan deliver on its revolutionary promise with all these odds stacked against it?
Poland: New Restrictions on Abortion – Catholic Influence or a Populist Agenda?
Poland as a majority Catholic state traditionally has maintained a hard stance against abortion – similarly to Malta (which has the toughest abortion laws in Europe) and Northern Ireland (where prior to 2019 abortion was criminalised). Other Catholic-majority states across Europe have also been contemplating tightening restrictions, evident in the recently unsuccessful proposal in Slovakia.Thus, a link between the politicisation of family planning and Catholicism as a state religion seems undeniable, albeit it being more pronounced in counties where the separation between church and state is blurred.
Armenia and Azerbaijan: Conflict in Nagorno Karabakh continues to erode regional security
A flare-up between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region raised concerns over the security and stability of the Caucasus for more than a month. A Russian-brokered deal between the two is highly likely to ensure the region’s security, although long-term peace is an unlikely outcome.
Burkina Faso’s Elections to Proceed Without the People
A change to the electoral code for impending elections in Burkina Faso raises concerns over the country’s future, in a region that is seeing a growing trend of incumbent politicians engineering political systems to remain in power.
Chile Chooses Change: What October’s Vote Means for the Country
After the outbreak of protests in 2019, calls from Chileans for significant reform to overcome what they saw as an increasingly unequal and corrupt society grew louder and louder. In response, Chile’s political parties came to an agreement, pledging to hold a plebiscite for a new constitution. Though originally scheduled for 26th April, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic led this vote to be postponed until 25th October. What has the outcome of the vote been, and what changes can we expect there to be in the coming months and years as a result?
China’s Renunciation of Single-use Plastic
Recently, China has decided to gradually abolish the use of single-use plastic. This decision was reached by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) at the beginning of 2020. The reason why they would make this decision is quite simple: China has contributed to worldwide pollution much more than other countries.
Bolivia’s (re)turn to the left: The significance of Luis Arce’s electoral victory
Candidate Luis Arce of Bolivia’s Movimiento al Socialismo (MAS) appears to have claimed an impressive victory of over 54% in the 18th October general election. Arce claimed around 24% more votes than his next closest rival, the centre-left Carlos Mesa of Comunidad Ciudadana (CC). His victory represents a political U-turn for Bolivia, a vote to return to socialism and reject the centre-right politics of interim president Jeanine Áñez. Taking into account Arce’s significant victory and close relationship with controversial former Bolivian president Evo Morales, what can we expect from Bolivia and the President-Elect going forward?
COVID 19 and the Shifting Maritime Balance
In South East Asia, the reduction of the navy budgets in key countries might threaten the balance of power by weakening their presence in a highly disputed area. Indeed, China has already adapted its policy in the South China Sea to benefit from the weakening of its opponents.
