Featured Stories
“Today When Putsch Comes to Shove: A Historical Take on Trump The Significance of the Morocco-Israel-US Deal for Regional Peace Undoing the GOP Manipulation of the Courts. What the US Can Learn From Germany The Futures of US Foreign Policy in Latin America The Hidden Pandemic of Violence Against Women The Uphill Battle Against COVID-19 Misinformation Explaining the China-Russia Partnership in Syria The Economics of Crime and Violence During Coronavirus The Obsolescence of Sanctions against Iran COVID-19 has Revealed a World of Strong States and Global Enmity Reflections on Ethnic Nationalism in China and the West
 
Image courtesy of European External Action Service - EEAS

“Today’s Morocco is Not That of the Past”

Any follower of Moroccan foreign policy will recognise an unprecedented dynamism and momentum in recent years. The best catchphrase that illustrates this dynamism is the one by Morocco Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita: “maghrib alyawm lays hu maghrib al’ams  – [today’s Morocco is not that of the past]”. This expression is argued not only to highlight […]

Image by Tyler Merber

When Putsch Comes to Shove: A Historical Take on Trump’s Attack at the Capitol

Image by Tyler Merber There are many terms being thrown around to describe the events in Washington DC on 6 January: sedition, insurrection, protest, riot, mob, even coup. The most historically accurate term is a putsch, with any number of examples of angry mobs being channelled to overthrow civilian authority. It may have started as […]

Image by United Nations Photo

The Significance of the Morocco-Israel-US Deal for Regional Peace

American recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over its Sahara and the normalisation of relations between Morocco and Israel could have lasting benefits for the cause of peace in North Africa and the Middle East. For North Africa, the Sahara dispute between Morocco and the Algerian backed Polisario has dragged on for 45 years, making it one […]

Image by Geoff Livingston

Undoing the GOP Manipulation of the Courts. What the US Can Learn From Germany

In the tribute he wrote in 1954 for Robert Jackson, his friend and Supreme Court colleague, Justice Felix Frankfurter explained the profound effect that the experience of prosecuting the Nazi leadership at Nuremberg had on Jackson’s endeavour to understand the human condition. “An essentially good-natured, an even innocently unsophisticated temperament, was there made to realise […]

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The Futures of US Foreign Policy in Latin America

How a new administration in Washington could spell change for Latin America, and why it probably won’t. Image by author: Children play in the sprawling refugee camp in Matamoros, Mexico, on the border with Brownsville, Texas. To say that COVID-19 has become the defining issue of the 2020 US presidential election, and elections around the […]

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The Hidden Pandemic of Violence Against Women

The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines a pandemic as “an epidemic occurring worldwide, or over a very wide area, crossing international boundaries and usually affecting a large number of people”. We know all too well the disease that has brought the world to a shocked standstill. But what we don’t see is the one that already […]

Anti-mask protest

The Uphill Battle Against COVID-19 Misinformation

Since the World Health Organisation declared a “global pandemic” on 11th March we’ve seen a broad spectrum of responses from different states in their attempts to handle the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19). The success or failure of various states to deal with the pandemic has been well reported, with several leaders ranging from Germany’s Angela […]

Image courtesy of Chaoyue Pan

Explaining the China-Russia Partnership in Syria

‘War is the continuation of politics by other means’. This well-known quote from 19th century Prussian military strategist Carl von Clausewitz epitomises the Russian and Chinese role in the Syrian conflict, which is now in its tenth year. The conflict began in March 2011 after pro-democracy protests in Syria were brutally crushed by the Syrian […]

Image courtesy of THE Holy Hand Grenade!

The Economics of Crime and Violence During Coronavirus

Stores, restaurants and other businesses are suffering as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic. Drug Gangs in Latin America are no exception. With many sources of revenue cut off, narco traffickers are forced to adapt in order to survive. Drug markets from Mexico to Honduras are changing and, along with them, so is the structure […]

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The Obsolescence of Sanctions against Iran

The deadly impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on Iran has given a new focus to the ongoing debate about the purpose, effectiveness and relevance of US sanctions imposed on the country. Many leaders, political figures, and organisations have questioned the continuance of these sanctions. These include the UN Secretary General, the UN Special Rapporteurs on […]

Image courtesy of Yuri Samoilov

COVID-19 has Revealed a World of Strong States and Global Enmity

“Viruses know no borders and they don’t care about your ethnicity, the colour of your skin or how much money you have in the bank.” The words of WHO official Dr Mike Ryan about Coronavirus (COVID-19) would seem to many of us common sense. What appears ‘common sense’ does not, however, always manifest in the […]

Image by Meaduva

Reflections on Ethnic Nationalism in China and the West

I moved to London when I was 16, having spent my entire childhood living in Beijing. My parents met there studying Chinese and my father later got a job with the Spanish embassy. When I arrived in the UK in 2014 British national culture seemed like a breath of fresh air compared to the parochial […]

By OSeveno - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0

In Pursuit of Accountability for War Crimes in Iraq

September 14, 2017

What comes next as British Government targets lawyers and closes investigative body? By Thomas Obel Hansen This Article is based on research conducted under a British Academy grant involving interviews with relevant stakeholders. A more comprehensive academic article addressing the same topics is scheduled for publication later this year.  An examination opened by the International […]

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Posted in Conflict, Iraq, Terrorism, UK News, World

An Iraqi-Kurdish Conflict Casts Doubt on the “Shia Crescent” Theory

September 9, 2017

An alliance between Kurdish leftists and Iraqi militias shows why it’s dangerous to overestimate Iran’s role in the so-called “Shia crescent.” In light of the breakdown of state structures in Iraq and Syria, it’s tempting to try to build narratives that portray entire ethnic groups or sects as pawns of great powers like Iran, as […]

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Posted in Conflict, Iran, Iraq, Islam, Middle East, Religion, Security Issues, Syria, Terrorism, Turkey, World

The Narva River separates Hermann Castle (left) in Estonia from Ivangorod Fortress in Russia

Rethinking the Spectre of Russian Intervention in the Baltic States

August 24, 2017

The baltic states responding to the threat posed by a resurgent Russia is understandable, but the nature of this threat and the means to reduce it need to be re-examined. From 2014 onwards, Western commentators covering Russian aggression in the former Soviet space have repeatedly issued stark warnings of a potential threat to the Baltic […]

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Posted in Europe, Russia, Security Issues, World

Image by David Tubau (Energético)

The Economics of Catalan Secession from Spain

August 4, 2017

Image by David Tubau (Energético) One year on from the Brexit vote, Europe’s economy faces yet another monumental challenge in the shape of the Catalan independence referendum. There are doubts as to whether the referendum will go ahead; a referendum on independence was held in 2014, but after the Spanish constitutional court anhttp:\/\/global-politics.co.uked it, the […]

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Posted in Economic Security, Economics, European Union, Global Economy, World

Image by U.S. State Department

The Paris Agreement: Thinking Long-Term About US Power and Wealth

July 9, 2017

US President Donald Trump’s decision to pull the country out of the Paris climate agreement may eventually end in a U-turn. After all, unpredictability has by far been Trump’s favourite foreign policy strategy. Yet should this one promise be kept its implications for global cooperation on climate change would be catastrophic. In the long term, […]

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Posted in Global Economy, US, World

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Qatar’s Actions Destabilize Bahrain and Gulf Region

July 5, 2017

Grievances between Qatar and much of the rest of Middle East go back decades and help explain the schism that burst into the open recently and led to the widespread boycott of Qatar. Take the case of bad blood between Bahrain and Qatar. Bahrain is still angered over Qatar’s attempts to use its vast funds […]

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Posted in Conflict, Middle East, Saudi Arabia, World

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Angola’s August Elections Come Under Scrutiny After Journalist Arrests

July 1, 2017

Rumblings are rife in Angola that something is afoot at the highest reaches of government. What may be in the offing? Everything from a top-level government shakeup to a full-fledged coup have been talked about. To keen observers of politics and conflict, it would not be surprising if people in power took sudden actions to […]

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Posted in Africa, corruption, Political Security, World

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The End of Truth

June 8, 2017

Truth and Democracy have always had a troubled relationship, but perhaps never as troubled as now. From Plato’s Noble Lie to Kellyanne Conway’s Alternative Facts, there has always been a tension between the presentation of an objective truth and the exercise of political power. Michael Ignatieff, himself an academic turned not particularly successful politician, mused […]

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Posted in Europe, US, World

President Jacob Zuma speaks at the Unveiling of the Tombstone of the late H.E Bavumile Vilakazi held at Vanderbijlpark, Ekurhuleni.South Africa. 06/08/2011

What South Africa’s ANC Can Learn from the Demise of India’s Congress Party

June 5, 2017

Feeble economic growth, allegations of kleptocracy, and the controversial sacking of not one, but two Finance Ministers, headline South Africa President Jacob Zuma’s second term. In its most recent forecast, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) predicts the country’s economy to grow at 0.8 percent this year. While the IMF’s report expects poor growth across the […]

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Posted in Africa, corruption, Economics, Global Economy, India, World

Not Your Grandfather’s Battlefield: Artificial Intelligence and the Military

May 29, 2017

The US military is on the cusp of a fundamental transformation in how it operates on the battlefield due, in large part, to advances in artificial intelligence (AI).   Although the use of AI by the military has drawn criticism — based mostly on concerns over robots potentially making life and death decisions — over the […]

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Posted in Security Issues, Technology, World

Image by Adriano Aurelio Araujo.

Macron’s New Cabinet Heralds Revival of a European Defence

May 22, 2017

With the recent nomination of his government, President Macron takes a chance to rejuvenate the idea of a European defence, an ambitious plan that collapsed when it failed to obtain the ratification in the French Parliament back in 1954. The European Defence Community emerged from the Pleven plan, proposed in 1950 by the French Prime […]

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Posted in Europe, European Union, France, World

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Green Politics in the Age of Populism

May 19, 2017

Who will provide strong and stable leadership on the environment? Following May’s shock election announcement there has only been one issue on the agenda for both the media and political parties themselves: Brexit. One worrying effect of our preoccupation with constitutional issues is that green politics have been ignored. Despite Green Party gains in the […]

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Posted in Environmental Security, World

Image by Asitimes

America’s Allies in Eurasia Face a Common Foe in Russia

May 12, 2017

By Eugen Iladi It’s no secret that Russia is using military means and disinformation to try to reassemble its Soviet Union footprint. Ukraine has drawn the most headlines in this effort. But the Kremlin has long been working its land-grab plan in Georgia, Moldova and Azerbaijan. Russia’s economic failure and social challenges in the 21st […]

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Posted in Conflict, Europe, Political Security, Russia, Ukraine Conflict, US, World

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The Problem with Polling

May 9, 2017

By Daniel Shaw and Claire Elliott Political polls are making a fast comeback after failing to correctly predict either Brexit or the election of Donald Trump.  Following the highpoint of Nate Silver’s flawless prediction of Obama’s 2008 victory, these embarrassing failures blew up in the face of both polling companies and liberal orthodoxy.  These failures were […]

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Posted in Europe, UK News, US, World

Image by Duarte JH

Assessing the Impact of Independence On Scottish Agriculture

May 8, 2017

The UK’s vote last year to leave the EU has resulted in Scotland once again re-evaluating whether or not independence would be in its best interests. The Brexit decision and the subsequent triggering of Article 50 have both generated significant political upheaval throughout the UK. In a recent speech, Nicola Sturgeon has added to that turmoil […]

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Posted in Economic Security, Food Security, Scottish Independence, UK News, World

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CETA and TPP: Why Understanding Trade Matters Politically

April 17, 2017

With an overwhelming majority of 408 votes against 254, the European Parliament recently approved the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) with Canada. This came only three weeks after Donald Trump’s formal withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) – a deal involving 12 nations around the Pacific Ocean. As trade is silently shaking world politics […]

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Posted in Europe, Global Economy, US, World

President Trump’s Failure to Connect the Dots

April 9, 2017

Most children learn early on the art of connecting the dots. Draw a line from one dot to another in a logical pattern and an image begins to emerge. The art of foreign policy has similar characteristics. Policy makers try to connect the dots, attempting to imagine the ways their decision will effect the larger […]

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Posted in US, World

HRH The Queen meets deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness at private audience in Hillsborough Castle this evening.
Photo by Aaron McCracken/Harrisons

Martin McGuinness and the Not so Uncommon Transition from Terrorist to Statesman

March 25, 2017

With the death of Martin McGuinness, the former Provisional IRA senior commander  turned peace-maker and Deputy First Minister, one is struck that such a transition was simultaneously, impressive and outrageous. I had the opportunity of meeting McGuinness last January when I interviewed him. I was struck by his warmth and generosity in taking time out […]

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Posted in Conflict, Europe, Security Issues, Terrorism, UK News, World

Image by the Prime Minister's Office.

In Retreat

February 10, 2017

  Brexit, Donald Trump and the growing nationalism wave sweeping across the Western world represent a new political backlash against globalisation, which might seriously threaten the world liberal economic order and global security. In her much-anticipated speech on 17 January, UK Prime Minister Theresa May announced her plans for a “Hard Brexit”, which will end […]

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Posted in Europe, Global Economy, US, World

Official Opening of the Permanent Premises of the International Criminal Court

Are Notions of Retributive Justice Helpful?

January 29, 2017

The International Criminal Court and its perception of justice being achieved through trial, conviction and imprisonment shows a notion of retributive justice, a notion that may have limited effectiveness in the context of Uganda and the case of Dominic Ongwen. With the trial of former Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) Commander Dominic Ongwen currently ongoing, the […]

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Posted in Africa, Conflict, World

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