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Atlantic Council blogs provide short-form analyses from Council experts and a wider community of global voices on the world’s most important news stories.
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Emerging Defense Challenges

Oct 21, 2015

‘We Need a Freakin’ Budget’

By Ashish Kumar Sen

Congressman Adam Smith says cap-free defense budget needed to address global challenges The Pentagon needs a long-term budget that is free of caps if it is to address important global threats, including from Islamist militants, Russia, and China, a senior Democratic lawmaker said on Oct. 21. “We need a freakin’ budget,” Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA), […]

Iran Russia

MENASource

Oct 21, 2015

Despite Concessions Nour Party Loses Out in Parliamentary Elections

By Abdelrahman Youssef

A new Egyptian parliamentary election cycle is underway. With it, Egypt’s Nour Party—the political arm of the Alexandria-based Salafist Call movement—is facing one of the most difficult tests it has encountered since the party’s founding in June 2011. Preliminary results indicate that the party is failing that test. 

Elections North Africa

SyriaSource

Oct 21, 2015

Top News: Assad meets with Putin in Moscow

By Syria Source

President Bashar al-Assad has traveled to Moscow in his first known trip abroad since war broke out in Syria in 2011, meeting his strongest ally Russian leader Vladimir Putin. The two leaders stressed that military operations in Syria, in which Moscow is the latest and most powerful addition, must lead to a political process. Turkish […]

Syria
Russian warship celebrating Navy Day, July 26, 2015

NATOSource

Oct 21, 2015

Russia’s Syria Strategy Poses Challenge to NATO in Mediterranean

By Sam Jones, Financial Times

Russia’s military intervention in Syria is serving as a broader announcement of Moscow’s renewed determination to hold sway in the Middle East.

NATO Russia

MENASource

Oct 21, 2015

Top News: Egypt Appoints New Central Bank Governor

By EgyptSource

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has appointed Tarek Amer as the new governor of Egypt’s Central Bank following the resignation of Hisham Ramez. Amer, who previously served as First Deputy Governor of the Bank, will take charge of the Central Bank after the end of Ramez’s term ends on November 26, the presidency said.

MENASource

Oct 21, 2015

Top News: US General Wins Assurance Iraq Will Not Seek Russia Air Strikes

By MENASource

The United States won assurances from Iraq on Tuesday that it would not seek Russian air strikes against ISIS, said US Marine General Joseph Dunford. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, under pressure to show progress in his war against the extremist group, said on October 1 that he would welcome Russian air strikes in his […]

UkraineAlert

Oct 21, 2015

Battle to End Pharma Corruption Makes Progress, Needs Push

By Josh Cohen

As the ceasefire in the Donbas takes hold, Ukraine can now face its other existential threat: the endemic corruption that threatens the country’s long-term stability and prosperity. While graft within the Ukrainian government is widespread, corruption is perhaps most threatening in the area of government procurement. Public procurement corruption costs Kyiv billions, with as much […]

Ukraine

New Atlanticist

Oct 21, 2015

Polish-German Ties: A Return to the Past?

By Adam Twardowski

In late August, three weeks after assuming office, Poland’s President, Andrzej Duda, embarked on a well-received official visit to Berlin. It allayed concerns in some quarters that his presidency would resurrect the combative foreign policy his right-wing party, Law and Justice, practiced toward Germany from 2005 to 2007. At that time, prickly ties between Warsaw […]

Germany Poland

UkraineAlert

Oct 21, 2015

Ukrainians Face Another Election Headache

By Irena Chalupa

People are more important than political interests. This party will never betray you. Fair wages and pensions. People, not politicians. Let’s unite for Ukraine! Order and justice. These are just a few of the messages blaring at Kyiv residents from billboards. Ukraine’s capital is awash with campaign tents manned by students and retirees wearing smocks […]

Ukraine

MENASource

Oct 21, 2015

EconSource: IMF says Low Oil Prices, Regional Turmoil Will Keep Mideast Growth Subdued

By EconSource

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) says a fall in oil prices and deepening turmoil in parts of the Middle East will keep real gross domestic product (GDP) growth subdued this year at 2.5 percent.