Archive | World

Image by riekhavoc

Compulsory Drug Treatment in Southeast Asia – Neither Ethical Nor Effective.

ASEAN foreign ministers signed the Joint Declaration for a Drug-Free ASEAN on the 25th of July 1998, committing association members to eradicate illicit drug production, trafficking and abuse by 2015. The strategy, founded on the specious belief that taking a sufficiently ‘tough’ stance on the drug trade would result in its demise, has been shown to be as […]

Read the full story

Posted in Asia, Drugs, UN, World

Image by Korea.Net

South Korea Must Find Its Own Way in The Clash of Titans

‘When whales fight, the shrimp’s back is broken.’ The South Korean government has long viewed itself in terms of this proverb when it comes to its relations with the People’s Republic of China and the United States. The two great powers, in their battle for influence over the Asia-Pacific region, often require that South Korea […]

Read the full story

Posted in Asia, China, Economics, Global Economy, Security Issues, US, World

Image by Koala99

Tory Claims on Legitimacy of Scottish Votes Threatens Union Anew

The Conservative party has this week been briefing about the possibility of a Labour government supported by the SNP leading to a constitutional crisis. However, this crisis may be largely of their own making. Polls currently suggest that the Conservatives will be the largest party in Westminster, both in terms of vote share and seats, […]

Read the full story

Posted in UK News, World

Image by Bernabeu

The overlooked story of Syria’s Yarmouk death camp

A brave 12-year-old girl named Zeynab Daghastani recently attempted to escape the grim living conditions of a besieged Palestinian refugee camp in Syria. Starving and bone-tired, she did not make it very far before being shot and killed by an ISIS sniper. Welcome to Yarmouk. On April 1st, a group of ISIS’s mask-wearing jihadists swept through the […]

Read the full story

Posted in Conflict, Humanitarian Intervention, Israeli Palestinian Conflict, Middle East, Political Security, Refugees, Security Issues, Syria, Terrorism, UN, US, World

Image by Jacques Delarue

After Authoritarianism: State Development and National Identity in the Middle East

The Arab Uprisings have resulted in an increase in the expression of both sectarian and trans-state identities, making the process of reunification and the prospects for a peaceful coexistence somewhat dependent on the new leaderships’ ability to unite, make amends and, possibly for the first time in the region, craft a territorial nationalism that complements rather […]

Read the full story

Posted in Conflict, Iraq, Islam, Middle East, Syria, Terrorism, World

Image by quapan

Was ISIS Inevitable?

ISIS’ exploits dominate headlines, horrifying witnesses around the world. As a history graduate who specialised in researching the rise of Islam, its culture, and its creation of a complex and inspiring civilisation, the recent destruction of millennia old artefacts have almost reduced me to tears. As we now watch and condemn the destruction of priceless […]

Read the full story

Posted in Conflict, Humanitarian Intervention, Iraq, Islam, Middle East, Political Security, Refugees, Religion, Security Issues, Syria, Terrorism, World

Image by Dmitry Terekhov

Taking a Russian Nuclear Threat on the Chin

In light of wider Danish strategic priorities, Danish Foreign Minister Martin Lidegaard’s restrained reaction to Russia’s decision to target Danish military frigates with nuclear weapons was understandable. In a recent op-ed piece for the Danish daily Jyllands-Posten, the Russian ambassador to Denmark, Mikhail Vanin, wrote that Danish warships would “become targets for Russian nuclear missiles” should […]

Read the full story

Posted in Conflict, Europe, Russia, Security Issues, World

Image by Cyrl

Why Israel Is Losing the Public Relations War

Almost everybody thinks badly of Israel. That’s what a poll published by the BBC World Service in 2014 shows. More precisely, Israel ranks as the fourth most negatively viewed nation, right after North Korea, Pakistan and Iran. What explains the differences between European and American views on Israel, and how does such an overall negative […]

Read the full story

Posted in Conflict, Economics, Israel, Israeli Palestinian Conflict, Middle East, Political Security, Security Issues, World

Image by World Economic Forum

Is Iran Headed For Another Recession?

Garnering over 50 percent of the vote, Hassan Rouhani assumed a decisive victory on June 2013 and became Iran’s new president after Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s eight year long reign. Vowing to pull the country out of its sanction filled, depressed economy, he won the elections by a landslide. Less than three months ago, during a December […]

Read the full story

Posted in Economic Security, Economics, Global Economy, Iran, Middle East, Security Issues, World

3488872844_2668b6c6cc_b

Bibi Wins Re-election in Israel, But at What Cost?

Incumbent Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has won re-election. Under immense pressure, Netanyahu displayed his winner mentality and insatiable desire to govern Israel by seemingly pulling out all the stops to assure another Likud victory, but at what cost? First there was Netanyahu’s Republican-hosted speech to U.S. Congress where his apparent aim was to display […]

Read the full story

Posted in Conflict, Middle East, Security Issues, UN, US, World

Image by greensefa

Save TTIP or Risk the Alliance

The European Union (EU) and the United States (U.S.) have been negotiating the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) since 2013. Intended to revive the transatlantic economies by eliminating tariffs and accepting various degrees of regulatory convergence or mutual recognition across a wide range of sectors, and solidify EU-U.S. relations, it now appears to be […]

Read the full story

Posted in Economic Security, Economics, Europe, Germany, Global Economy, Political Security, Security Issues, US, World

Image by Marco Monetti

181 Dead Women A Day: The Global Femicide Shame

Gender inequality is a thing of the past. This is the narrative we are fed; that any incidences of violence or discrimination regarding gender, particularly towards women, are anomalies often attributed to developing countries. We are all quite content to think, “We’ve got this under wraps” and the discussion is closed. The fact of the […]

Read the full story

Posted in Europe, Latin America, Mexico, UN, Uncategorized, World

Image by SpeakerBoehner

Boehner Makes Republicans ‘Tools and Dupes’ of Netanyahu’s Election Campaign

This article was first published in The Huffington Post on 3rd March 2015. One of the defining precepts of the American Republic from its earliest days to today has been that the president of the United States represents the country in its dealings with the world. It is a view which the Supreme Court unambiguously […]

Read the full story

Posted in Iran, Middle East, US, World

Image by Martin Schultz - EP President

ISIS, Islam and Credulity: More Irreverence Needed in the Fight Against Extremism

This week, King Abdullah of Jordan appealed to European parliamentarians to help root out both terrorism and ‘Islamophobia’. Setting aside this interesting conflation, the wholesale failure of Arab and majority Muslim countries to embody either mutual respect or inclusivity towards many of their ethno-religious minorities bespeaks of an imbalance in critical attention to how those […]

Read the full story

Posted in Europe, Iraq, Islam, Middle East, Political Security, Religion, Security Issues, Syria, Terrorism, World

Image by Utenriksdept

NATO, Russia, and the Post-Cold War Settlement

Eastern and Central European states lined up at the NATO application window after the collapse of the Soviet Union.  And can anyone blame them after the events of the 20th century?  They were, after all, victimized by the Molotov-Ribbentrop treaty, the German Invasion, and then the subsequent Soviet “liberation” and forty- five year occupation. Yet […]

Read the full story

Posted in Europe, Political Security, Security Issues, World

Image by Abode of Chaos

ISIS and The Illusion of Power

It can be difficult to stay optimistic about peace while an atmosphere of gloom permeates the contemporary Middle East, particularly in Iraq and Syria. It is nearly impossible to watch the news without being inundated by provocative visuals of ISIS’s atavistic executions of U.S. journalists and perplexed by ISIS’s seemingly uncanny ability to recruit Westerners. […]

Read the full story

Posted in Conflict, Iraq, Islam, Middle East, Religion, Syria, Terrorism, US, World

Image by Surizar

Corruption and Violence Haunt Guatemala Ahead of Election

One might say Guatemala is best known for its coffee, bananas and rampant violence. In September, Guatemala will face not only local and legislative, but also presidential elections offering, yet again, a glimmer of hope. Scheduled for September 13th, they will determine the new President and Vice President, members of Congress, the Central American Parliament, […]

Read the full story

Posted in Drugs, Food Security, Latin America, Security Issues, World

Image by boellstiftung

The weight of history hangs over elections in Nigeria

The upcoming March 28 presidential elections in Nigeria are expected to be the most contested in the nation’s history. As election day approaches, the world is given a revealing look at the challenges facing Africa’s largest country today. The electoral candidates are incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), which has been […]

Read the full story

Posted in Africa, World

Image by Rod Waddington

Khat Chewing – Benign Practice or Social Peril?

A stimulant native to the Horn of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, Khat is a narcotic leaf that induces mild euphoria upon chewing – an extremely popular custom in Somalia, Yemen, Kenya, Djibouti and Ethiopia. Lucrative business More than 25,000kg of khat is sold each day in Ethiopia’s Adaway Market and is a vital source of […]

Read the full story

Posted in Africa, Drugs, Economic Security, Food Security, Security Issues, World, Yemen

Image by noborder network

Mediterranean Migration Reveals Flaws in Dublin Convention

John Donne famously reminded us that ‘no man is an island’. Likewise in today’s polycentric, ever-globalized, and interconnected world, no state can remain untouched by social, economic, or political influences from neighbouring states. As terrible as Islamic State has been for people living in Syria, Iraq and Libya, its effects on Europe are also increasingly being felt. […]

Read the full story

Posted in Africa, Conflict, Economic Security, Europe, Germany, Humanitarian Intervention, Iraq, Islam, Middle East, Refugees, Security Issues, Syria, Terrorism, UN, World

Donate to Global Politics

The team of academics and students who work at Global Politics do so on a voluntary basis. If you like our content please consider making a donation to help meet the increasingly high running costs of the site.




Privacy Policy

To learn more about how Global Politics uses cookies please refer to our Privacy Policy.