Politics
Maldives presidential election 2018: implications for India and China
This article examines the geopolitical implications of the outcome of the 2018 Presidential Elections in Maldives on India and China, arguing that the power balance between the Asian giants is likely to tilt towards India.
Turkey’s expedited European extraditions
Turkey’s ongoing effort to dismantle the supporters for Fethullah Gülen has underlined its influence in southeast Europe, where multiple countries have hurried to comply with requested Turkish extraditions. This raises hard questions
DRC Cobalt: A potential achilles heel of electric vehicles
With the global transition to electric vehicles (EVs), corporations are increasingly forced to rely on cobalt from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where a culture of corruption, unscrupulous mining practices, and political instability threaten supply security.
Maduro regime unfazed by condemnation
In a historic rebuke, five Latin American nations urged the ICC to investigate the regime of Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro for human rights abuses. Though this public denunciation is noteworthy, the main external threat to the Maduro regime comes not from its neighbors, but from Beijing.
The dragon over Visegrad: China in central Europe
China’s modern successor to the Silk Road – the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) – has received heavy criticism from the West as a tool that could be used to divide Europe through economic influence. Just how well-established is China’s influence in Central Europe – and does Chinese investment represent a threat?
Can Spain’s new government resolve the issue of Catalan independence?
Spain’s new Socialist-led government has adopted a more diplomatic approach to the question of Catalan independence, but is defiant that Spanish unity will not be compromised. How will this strategy balance out and affect the political landscape in Catalonia and across Spain?
The Week Ahead: 23-29 September
Crucial referendum in Macedonia. Fed likely to raise interest rates in US. All in The Week Ahead.
Challenges of Mexico’s drug legalisation
Mexican President-elect Obrador has declared his intention to combat drug cartels with a bold strategy – decriminalization of opium and marijuana. But while this policy may hurt the cartels, it
The curious case of Pakistan’s democracy
This article examines military influence in Pakistani democracy and highlights problems Imran Khan might face in implementing changes. The actions of the newly elected Prime Minister will have security and economic consequences at home and in the region.
Haider al-Abadi: From success to despair
Since 2014, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi of Iraq has had to deal with an unending series of problems including corruption, the war against the Islamic State (IS), and sectarianism. Following a poor performance in the May elections and the mass protests in Basra, will Abadi survive?
