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UkraineAlert

Jul 31, 2019

Nine names to watch in Ukraine’s next parliament

By Melinda Haring

Five political parties will enter the next parliament, and four of the five support a Western path for Ukraine. But will the new parliament be more or less reform minded than the previous one?

Elections Political Reform

New Atlanticist

Jul 31, 2019

The fight to regulate Facebook’s Libra: fueling transatlantic tensions in the digital age

By Barbara C. Matthews and Marianna Aslund

The Libra project seems poised to aggravate existing transatlantic policy tensions, particularly with respect to data privacy

Economy & Business European Union

IranSource

Jul 31, 2019

The IRGC should be held accountable for rights abuses

By Gissou Nia

Up until recently, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) was an organization relatively unknown to the American public. However, with the Trump administration’s “maximum pressure” campaign on Iran threatening to boil over into actual military confrontation, and the IRGC’s announcements of downing an American drone and seizing oil tankers, the increasing references to this group in the mainstream news and on social media may soon make it a household name.

Human Rights Iran

MENASource

Jul 30, 2019

Israel’s mixed bag: How Israel excels and fails at sustainability

By Daniel J. Samet

When it comes to green technology, there is no denying Israeli clout. The “start-up nation,” whose renowned tech sector accounts for 35 to 40 percent of GDP, has earned the moniker due in no small part to sustainability.  

Israel

EnergySource

Jul 30, 2019

Nuclear energy in context: What we’re reading

By Amb. Thomas Graham, Jr. and Admiral Richard Mies

The current discourse around nuclear energy reflects the extent to which the stakes have grown higher, both for environmental impact and US national security.

Energy & Environment Nuclear Energy

UkraineAlert

Jul 30, 2019

Three easy wins for Ukraine

By Andreas Umland

Now that Ukraine’s elections have passed, few would disagree that numerous new laws, resolutions, and policies need to be implemented to make the state function better.

Elections Political Reform

UkraineAlert

Jul 30, 2019

A plan to transform Ukraine’s notoriously bad parliament

By Yuri Polakiwsky

Passing such legislation in the early days of a new parliament would be a monumental achievement

Corruption Political Reform

New Atlanticist

Jul 29, 2019

Pakistan PM Khan hails new relationship after Trump meeting

By Kyra Kocis

Pakistan can play a role in pushing the Taliban to participate in future talks, Imran Khan argues

Afghanistan Pakistan

IranSource

Jul 29, 2019

Lebanon is incapable of implementing UN Security Council Resolution 1701

By David Daoud

On its thirteen anniversary, UN Security Council Resolution 1701—intended to degrade and disarm the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah—is no closer to fulfilment than on the day it was passed.

Iran Israel

EnergySource

Jul 28, 2019

Gaming out the disaster: What could go wrong with the FSO Safer

By Dr. David Soud, Rohini Ralby, and Dr. Ian Ralby

In April, we sounded the alarm about how the Safer, an oil tanker converted into a floating storage and offloading facility (FSO) near the Red Sea coast of Yemen and filled with an estimated 1.1 million barrels of crude oil, was not only structurally deteriorating but might actually explode. In the past week, news outlets around […]

Geopolitics & Energy Security Middle East