Category Archives: Region
UK: Is it time for strategic depth in British foreign policy?
In March 1848, the then-Foreign Secretary and legendary statesman, Lord Palmerston, painted a picture of British foreign policy that has been instrumentalised as a realist maxim ever since. Speaking in the House of Commons, in response to the revolutionary fervour Read on! →
Bosnia: Independence never far from the minds of Bosnian Serbs
As relations between Serbia and Kosovo improve after an agreement signed last month giving extensive rights to Serbs and their municipalities in Kosovo, there are renewed demands in the Republika Srpska for it to separate from Bosnia and Herzegovina. On Read on! →
Tunisia: What happened to secularism?
Not long ago, Tunisia was considered a shining example of the secular Arabic state. But since the Arab Spring, it is now the governing Islamic party which is oscillating between the secular opposition and its own more radical members. The Read on! →
Argentina: The beginning of a wave of resource nationalism
Despite the Arab Spring, it was not a Middle Eastern country which grabbed biggest headlines for resource nationalism in 2012. It was Argentina, where populist President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner proposed a bill on April 16 to renationalize Yacimientos Petrolíferos Read on! →
Intra-African Trade: A first step to a continental free trade zone
Africa is touted as the continent of opportunities, where there are endless resources available for economic growth and transformation. But for Africa to take its rightful position in the world’s global economy, then it must dream of becoming borderless in Read on! →
USA: Liberals lax on Obama’s foreign policies [op-ed]
Nobel Peace Prize winning President Barack Obama has recently reiterated his desire to close Guantanamo Bay. The news was warmly welcomed by US liberals keen to show their conservative counterparts that their man in the White House is a force Read on! →
UK: Would criminal law prevent banks taking excessive risks?
On Friday we were yet again reminded of the fragility of the UK financial sector. The Co-operative bank has had its credit rating downgraded to ‘junk’ status by credit rating’s agency Moody’s. In addition, their CEO, Barry Tootell, has resigned Read on! →
UK: What is the future of the Lib Dems?
The Liberal Democrats have had the fastest rise and fall in modern day politics, whilst, their leader Nick Clegg has gone from being heralded as a potential Prime Minister to being dubbed ‘Calamity Clegg’ by the media. At his party’s Read on! →
Syria: The race for Assad’s chemical weapon stockpile
The last few weeks have been generous in events and catastrophes, from the Boston bombings to the attack on the French embassy in Libya. One event that has been strangely overlooked, but is of critical importance, is the suspected use Read on! →
Burma: Can Burma become a multi-ethnic Asian star?
When President Obama visited Burma last year, he was careful to temper any praise he had for the recent reforms undertaken by Burmese President Thein Sein and his government.