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MENASource

Mar 26, 2018

The president’s scorecard

By Mirette F. Mabrouk

Egyptians are going to the polls to vote in a presidential election for the third time since the uprisings of 2011. The act of voting for a president who could, ostensibly, be voted out was a novelty. Hosni Mubarak served five six-year terms before stepping down in February of 2011, and Egyptians were keen on […]

Democratic Transitions Elections

New Atlanticist

Mar 26, 2018

White House Joins European Allies, Expels Russians Over UK Poisoning

By Rachel Ansley

By expelling sixty Russians from the United States and closing the Russian consulate in Seattle, the administration of US President Donald J. Trump has made a decisive move against the Kremlin for its attack in the United Kingdom (UK). These actions were taken alongside announcements from fifteen European countries that they, too, would expel Russian […]

Russia

SyriaSource

Mar 26, 2018

Syrian Women Journalists, Stronger than You Think

By Hasan Arfeh

In the shadow of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham’s takeover of Idlib province and the conflict between it and the Syrian Liberation Front (Jabhat Tahrir Souria), it is difficult for women to work in any profession. The laws are designed to prevent women from leaving their homes to do any work. So how would a woman of […]

Syria

MENASource

Mar 26, 2018

Egypt’s 2018 presidential elections – live updates

By Audrey Bolus and Yousuf Eltagouri

Polls opened at 9am local time on Monday, March 26th, in the first of three days of expected voting for the next president of Egypt. With Abel-Fattah El-Sisi projected to win against his only challenger, Moussa Moustafa Moussa from the al-Ghad Party, the incumbent government is pushing for the highest possible voter turnout to bolster […]

Democratic Transitions Elections

EnergySource

Mar 26, 2018

Mexico’s presidential election: Energy reforms at risk

By David L. Goldwyn

Mexico’s historic and successful energy reforms are at risk in its upcoming Presidential elections. The leading candidate for the Presidency, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, referred to as AMLO, of the Morena party, has recently doubled down on his critiques of the reforms. He has pledged to review existing oil contracts, indicated he would require national […]

Energy Markets & Governance Mexico

IranSource

Mar 26, 2018

JCPOA and Nuclear Diplomacy in Doubt as Hawks Join Trump Administration

By Tarja Cronberg

News that John Bolton has been named President Trump’s new national security adviser – following the appointment of harsh Iran critic Mike Pompeo as Secretary of State – adds to mounting evidence that the United States will quit the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action in May.

UkraineAlert

Mar 25, 2018

Exclusive: New Owner of Kyiv Post Promises Editorial Independence

By Diane Francis

On March 21, the hearts of reformers and journalists sank when Mohammad Zahoor sold the crusading Kyiv Post to Odesa businessman Adnan Kivan. Many were convinced that the new owner would soften the editorial line of Ukraine’s top English language newspaper. But in an interview March 25, Kivan said he bought the newspaper because of […]

Russia Syria

New Atlanticist

Mar 23, 2018

The Populist Challenge to the Liberal International Order

By Jeffrey A. Stacey

Right-wing populism constitutes a sustained challenge to the seventy-year-old so-called liberal international order, a postwar construction of a body of ideas, laws, and cross-border security arrangements that have allowed the Western world to prosper while promoting general values of democracy, openness, and the rule of law. A deep backlash to the liberal order has already […]

European Union International Organizations

MENASource

Mar 23, 2018

Democracy in Tunisia: Façade or reality?

By Amir Ben Ameur & Erin Neale

Disappointment surrounding Tunisia’s democratic transition abounds in the country, and the volatile economy adds a degree of difficulty to politicians’ agendas. Economic development is always a long and arduous process, but the current strategy is clearly inadequate. Tunisians call on the government to do more to pull the economy out of stagnation by increasing public […]

Democratic Transitions North Africa

EnergySource

Mar 23, 2018

Japan’s energy crossroads

By David Livingston

Few countries have navigated as challenging an energy landscape as Japan in recent years. Following the 2011 Fukushima nuclear accident, Japan’s dependency on energy imports has climbed to 93 percent and its energy costs have risen sharply, straining consumers and industry alike. With Japan’s forty-eight nuclear reactors offline, the country began using more coal, gas, […]

Energy Transitions Japan