Latest Insights
Between a Bear and a Dragon: New challenges for Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan’s president Nursultan Nazarbayev is stepping down. This exposes the new leader to challenges of balancing Kazakh interests between China & Russia
Lessons from Hanoi with Prof Stephan Haggard
Donald Trump was widely criticised for walking away in Hanoi but the disappointing end of the summit holds prospects for a more realistic approach to denuclearisation. With input from Prof Stephan Haggard, here is some insight into what really happened in Hanoi and what we can expect to happen next.
Beijing’s ‘creeping expansionism’ in the South China Sea
The South China Sea island dispute is an ongoing and complex situation in Southeast Asia’s doorstep. It has the power to disrupt multilateral alliances.
Influence of Facebook on Asia’s election season
Various Asian nations are set to hold critical elections later on this year. And there are serious concerns over the effect Facebook and other social media platforms can have on election campaigns in terms of fake news and bots.
Turkey: Impact of the Syrian war’s next stage
The Syrian Civil war is nearing its end game. This article, part five of a five-part series on the regional impact of this news, examines the current economic obstacles and opportunities for Turkey.
South Sudan: Post civil war instability
September’s peace deal in South Sudan was greeted with apprehensive relief. Now scepticism is rising.
New Pirates of the Caribbean: Growing instability in Venezuela
Globally, the threat of piracy has been tackled with impressive and effective joint international efforts. In some parts of the world, though, the threat is growing.
Italy: Likelihood of general elections
The recent regional elections in Abruzzo and Sardinia have highlighted the contrasting political fortunes of the two populist parties that make up Italy’s coalition government.
Kurdistan Region stalls government formation
The last several years have been turbulent for the oil-rich Kurdistan Region. The local elections in September represented an opportunity to introduce some stability.
Sudan in state of emergency
Sudan is facing social unrest over the rule of President Bashir. This will cause socio-economic and political uncertainty over short to medium term.
