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New Atlanticist

Apr 6, 2020

Strict measures—including compulsory face masks—help Czechs get grip on COVID-19

By Ian Willoughby

There is a growing sense that the Czech government has already succeeded in more or less containing the coronavirus pandemic and cabinet members have signaled that some of the strictest measures will be loosened in the coming weeks, unless infection rates take an unexpected turn for the worse. Face masks will no doubt be worn for quite some time to come—but many in the Czech Republic are already cautiously looking forward to the day when they can finally take them off.

Central Europe Coronavirus

IranSource

Apr 6, 2020

Why a new nuclear deal with Iran is needed now

By Pierre Goldschmidt

There is thus no alternative to behind the scenes good faith negotiations with all the parties to hammer out a new agreement. The best guarantee that Iran's nuclear program is and will remain exclusively peaceful would be for Iran to adopt the so-called "nuclear gold standard”—a legally binding obligation to forswear enrichment and reprocessing technology. Iran, however, has repeatedly stated that it will never give up what it considers its right under the NPT to enrich uranium.

Coronavirus Iran

The future is here

Apr 6, 2020

US “Pearl Harbor” moment as cases peak; UK’s Johnson in hospital

By Atlantic Council

The United States faces a “Pearl Harbor” moment this week as parts of the country face a potential peak in coronavirus cases. As daily death tolls in some European countries show signs of leveling off, debate turns to the thorny problem of how and when to ease restrictions. The UK’s Queen Elizabeth II made a rare address, while Prime Minister Boris Johnson was hospitalized after suffering persistent symptoms of coronavirus.

Coronavirus

New Atlanticist

Apr 6, 2020

Lift Iran sanctions, but hit back hard if necessary

By Frederic C. Hof

Only by suspending sanctions explicitly and across-the-board can the United States make a critical point directly to the people of Iran: Americans care about your health and well-being, even as your rulers suffocate you with breathtaking incompetence, bottomless corruption, and an appetite for violent aggression that wastes vital resources for the benefit of the lowest political lifeforms in the Arab world.

Coronavirus Financial Sanctions and Economic Coercion
gtc network of green and red nodes

GeoTech Cues

Apr 6, 2020

We can build an immune system for the planet

By David Bray

Our approaches for pathogen detection and antigen development are too slow. Using high-speed computers, biosensors, and the Internet, we can universalize and automate the process such that we can automatically sense an abnormal pathogen and immediately start synthesizing in a computer’s memory techniques to mitigate it. Once an abnormal pathogen is detected, we can automate the antigen development to have a solution ready much faster for possible use than conventional means. Together, we can build an auto-immune system for the planet.

Coronavirus Economy & Business

UkraineAlert

Apr 4, 2020

Ukraine adds political drama to coronavirus crisis

By Brian Mefford

Ukraine experienced a month of political turbulence in March 2020 as the country grappled with cabinet reshuffles amid an escalating coronavirus crisis. Who emerged as the political winners and losers?

Coronavirus Democratic Transitions

UkraineAlert

Apr 4, 2020

Coronavirus crisis could spark authoritarian revival

By Oleksiy Goncharenko

The Western world has been particularly hard hit by the coronavirus crisis while non-democratic regimes claim to have acted more decisively. Will the pandemic lead to greater support for authoritarian approaches?

Coronavirus Eastern Europe

New Atlanticist

Apr 4, 2020

A new “Asian drama”: Will COVID-19 destroy the progress against poverty eradication and human development in South and East Asia?

By Ajay Chhibber

With weak health systems and crowded living conditions, the chances of wide-spread pandemic is very high. If COVID-19 is not brought under control quickly, despite all the progress in medicine and healthcare since 1918, the number of deaths may rise rapidly. Governments are responding with lockdowns, more health spending, and fiscal and monetary packages for economic life-support—but with weak social safety nets millions will have fallen back into poverty

Coronavirus Economy & Business

New Atlanticist

Apr 3, 2020

COVID-19 in the Western Balkans

By Dimitar Bechev

COVID-19 overshadowed two major developments in the region: the EU decision to open membership talks with North Macedonia and Albania, as well as North Macedonia’s formal accession to NATO on March 27. In normal circumstances, this would have been huge news. Yet now the pandemic leaves little bandwidth for other matters, even in the Western Balkans.

Coronavirus Democratic Transitions

New Atlanticist

Apr 3, 2020

China’s failing coronavirus strategy

By Joe Bodnar

While it is too early to understand the impact of the coronavirus on geopolitics, it is not too early to recognize China as a rising power that is aggressive, opportunistic, and susceptible to mistakes.

China Coronavirus