Politics
5 Challenges for Russia on Sochi Winter Olympics
With the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics only half a year away, the games are facing a number of challenges from organizations within the Russian Federation, as well as from foreign
Ecuador’s Snowden Rhetoric Displays Leftist Solidarity
On 27 June, 2013, Ecuador’s Communications Secretary, Fernando Alvarado, announced the decision to “reversibly” revoke the renewal of the Andean Trade Promotion and Drug Eradication Act (ATPA), a 1991 trade
Six Policy Areas for Brazil to Address
Protests have recently erupted throughout Brazil, drawing over 250,000 people expressing their grievances towards the government and illustrating both the perils of a growing middle class during an economic slowdown
Clashes in Xinjiang Reveal Continued Ethnic Tensions
In 2009, unrest in the Western Chinese province of Xinjiang resulted in the most violent protests in China since the iconic Tiananmen Square protests, and generated Western speculation regarding the
Snowden in Self-made Passport Limbo
Every once in a while a story arises in the news that requires some theorising to contextualise its importance; Edward Snowden’s story is such an example. Snowden is the (in)famous
Sudan and South Sudan political tension to rise
For over four decades, intra-state conflict raged in the north east African state of Sudan. There were few intermissions from the violence until a long-awaited peace agreement was signed in
Egypt’s Fresh Start or Coup d’État
A four-day struggle between Egyptian protestors and their first democratically elected president Mohamed Morsi started on the 30th of June and ended up with his ouster on the 3rd of July.
Cuba’s Reforms Pick Up Pace
Cuba is once again in the international spotlight with news that Edward Snowden, the former U.S. NSA contractor, was potentially seeking to fly there. This is not too surprising given
Four Issues to Monitor in African Politics
Making predictions is a risky business, which explains why the world’s major financial institutions are always careful to include caveats in their investment outlooks. While the stakes are not as