Content

New Atlanticist

Dec 24, 2020

What the Brexit deal solves—and what it doesn’t

By Hung Tran

After more than four years of contentious negotiations, last-minute compromises by the United Kingdom and European Union have finally pushed a post-Brexit trade agreement over the finish line. But the agreement leaves many details open for future disputes.

Economy & Business European Union

MENASource

Dec 24, 2020

How Moroccans reacted to normalization with Israel

By Zineb Riboua

Moroccans were not surprised to see their country became the fourth Arab nation to normalize relations with Israel—it was the US’s recognition of Western Sahara that astonished them since Morocco’s identity is intertwined with that of Western Sahara.

Middle East North Africa

IranSource

Dec 23, 2020

Zam: The family that picked their son over the revolution

By Arash Azizi

The regime’s forty-one-year history is filled with fathers who didn’t mourn the killing of their children by the republic they served.

Iran Middle East

Fast Thinking

Dec 23, 2020

FAST THINKING: Will a Brexit deal be home for Christmas?

By Atlantic Council

The European Union's chief Brexit negotiator said yesterday that a trade deal could come before Christmas. That would be quite the gift for British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who faces the prospect of his country "crashing out" of its old trading arrangements with the EU.

Economy & Business European Union

MENASource

Dec 23, 2020

Five decades of Baathism survived because of nationalism

By Rahaf Aldoughli

Implicit in understanding the role of nationalism in maintaining the Assad regime’s survival is exploring the extent to which this ideology has given support to it.

Middle East Syria

Event Recap

Dec 22, 2020

Event recap | Practical steps forward: Improving global efforts to advance digital content safety

By Henry Westerman

On Thursday, December 3, the Atlantic Council's GeoTech Center and the World Economic Forum partnered to host a private roundtable under the Chatham House Rule to discuss the possible practical policies for improving digital content safety. The following notes summarize the event's discussion.

Digital Policy

New Atlanticist

Dec 22, 2020

The 5×5—A cyber wish list at a ‘moment of reckoning’

By Simon Handler

The recent SUNBURST compromise of numerous government and private sector company networks has led some, including Microsoft President Brad Smith, to dub the incident a “moment of reckoning.” Here's what our experts are wishing for this holiday season.

Cybersecurity Disinformation

New Atlanticist

Dec 22, 2020

What Biden’s election means for Central Europe

By Petr Tůma

While Western Europe is looking forward to the next four years, the reaction is more mixed as one moves east. The reason is simple: The Trump administration—despite (and perhaps because of) its confrontational rhetoric towards Europe and the EU in general—intensified cooperation with Central and Eastern Europe.

Central Europe Defense Policy

AfricaSource

Dec 22, 2020

African outlook 2021: The Africa Center reflects on 2020 and looks ahead

By Africa Center

African nations have mostly escaped the heavy death toll and hospital bed shortages faced by Western countries, but the COVID-19 pandemic has dealt a disproportionately severe blow to the continent’s economic ambitions. Fortunately, robust collaboration between African public and private sectors, and particularly innovative financing measures from African development institutions—including members of the Africa Center’s […]

Africa Coronavirus

GeoTech Cues

Dec 22, 2020

Vaccine hesitancy part 2: Effective strategies for a human-centered health campaign

By Tiffany Vora

Dr. Tiffany Vora continues her insights on vaccine hesitancy by laying out a human-centered health campaign approach that multiple sectors, from public health to social media companies, can consider.

Coronavirus Disinformation