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UkraineAlert

Aug 10, 2015

Making Ukraine the Breadbasket of Europe Again

By Oksana Khomei

Ukraine’s system of agricultural production is paternalistic, dating back to the Soviet era, when bureaucrats constantly intruded into the production process. Such a strategy may have suited the planned economy, but in Ukraine’s market economy it has only spawned widespread corruption, because authorities cannot inspect every farm and business in person. EU standards allow producers […]

Ukraine

MENASource

Aug 7, 2015

A Critical Moment in North Africa

By Karim Mezran

The situation in North Africa has reached a critical point, demanding greater attention from policymakers in Western capitals and elsewhere. While the crisis in Syria and Iraq, the consequences of the Iran deal, and the Yemeni conundrum have garnered global consideration, critical signals of unrest and instability continue to emanate from the North African countries.

Libya North Africa

MENASource

Aug 7, 2015

Top News: ISIS Kidnaps 230 Civilians in Central Syria

By MENASource

The Islamic State (ISIS or ISIL) abducted 230 civilians, including at least sixty Christians, in central Syria’s Qaryatain after capturing the town Wednesday night.

MENASource

Aug 7, 2015

Top News: Rocket Shell Kills Sinai Senior Tribal Chief in his House

By EgyptSource

Eyewitnesses in al-Mahdeya village, south of Rafah City, North Sinai, have reported the killing of senior tribal chief of al-Sawarka Tribe Ahmed Hammad al-Meneai after an unidentified rocket shell fell on his house, Egypt Independent reported.

MENASource

Aug 7, 2015

EconSource: Fitch Issues First Rating on Iraq’s Debt

By EconSource

Iraq has a stable outlook and a long-term foreign currency issuer default rating of B-, Fitch Ratings said in a statement on Friday.

SyriaSource

Aug 6, 2015

Syria: Is There a Political Future for Assad?

By Frederic C. Hof

News that Iran may submit a Syria peace plan to the United Nations combined with ongoing Syria-related talks between Moscow and Washington brings to the fore the perennial question of Bashar al-Assad, still recognized by the West as presiding over a heap of physical and political wreckage known as the Syrian Arab Republic.

Syria
Polish President Andrzej Duda and Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, June 18, 2015

NATOSource

Aug 6, 2015

New Polish President Makes NATO Bases in Central Europe a Priority for Warsaw Summit

By Guardian, AP, and Irish Times

From Guardian:  The Conservative politician Andrzej Duda has been sworn in as Poland’s new president, immediately calling for a stronger Nato presence in his country to counter a perceived military threat from Russia.

Germany NATO

MENASource

Aug 6, 2015

What is the Best Case Scenario for Egypt’s New Suez Canal?

By Tarek Radwan

One cannot deny Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s clear desire to reinvigorate Egypt’s economy after four years of steady weakening due largely to tumultuous political change and ongoing violence. One large project (among many mega projects Sisi has envisioned)—the “New” Suez Canal—has come to fruition two years ahead of schedule on presidential orders.

North Africa

MENASource

Aug 6, 2015

Top News: ISIS Seizes Central Syrian Town

By MENASource

The Islamic State (ISIS or ISIL) on Thursday seized the heavily populated town of Qaryatain in southwestern Syria after heavy clashes with President Bashar al-Assad’s forces. ISIS’s capture of the town, which is its biggest advance since capturing Palmyra in May, will allow the group to link areas under its control in Palmyra with areas […]

MENASource

Aug 6, 2015

Top News: International Delegations Arrive in Egypt for New Suez Canal Ceremony; Sinai State Threatens to Execute Croatian Abducted in Egypt

By EgyptSource

International delegations continue to arrive in Egypt to attend the inauguration on Thursday of the new Suez Canal. Early on Thursday, commander in chief of the Russian Navy Admiral Viktor Chirkov arrived in Cairo.

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