Category: Timely Commentary & Analysis

The Afghan Taliban aren’t likely to give up the TTP. Here’s why.

By Fahd Humayun

This week, a commander of the anti-Pakistan terrorist outfit Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) was killed by sniper fire in Afghanistan’s eastern province of Nangarhar. While no group has claimed responsibility for the attack, Afghanistan’s new ruling dispensation under the Afghan Taliban is unlikely to have had a hand in the hit, despite Islamabad’s insistence that the new regime take action against the outlawed terrorist group.

Plan to crack open more books in 2022? Check out what our Europe experts are reading.

By Atlantic Council's Europe Center

One of the ways the experts at the Atlantic Council’s Europe Center passed the second full year of the pandemic was by reading everything from politics, philosophy, and history to biography and, of course, fiction. Here are their favorite and often surprising top picks.

Infographic: What’s ahead for Venezuela after January 5, 2022

Three years since the interim government came to be, Venezuela’s political crisis remains unresolved. Opposition forces continue to face deep challenges – both internal and external – to restore democratic institutions. The Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center at the Atlantic Council created an infographic that looks back at the interim government’s trajectory since 2019 and […]

How secure is Social Security?

By Amin Mohseni-Cheraghlou

The Social Security System is estimated to run out of reserves in just 12 years. However, reform is possible and through a combination of tax increases and retirement changes, Social Security can regain solvency

Spotlight: Latin America and the Caribbean – Ten questions for 2022

By Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center

The year 2022 will be one of change across the Western Hemisphere. So, what might or might not be on the horizon?

State of the Order: Looking Back on 2021

This special edition of State of the Order breaks down the most important events that shaped the democratic world order last year.

How not to privatize: K-Electric and circular debt in Pakistan

By Ammar Khan

K-Electric could have been the jewel in the crown of Pakistan’s privatization program. Unfortunately, it became a case study in how not to destroy investor confidence and value in Pakistan.

Expanding the ETS to cover the road transport and building sectors would leave many Europeans behind

By Elena Benaim

An expansion of the EU's ETS to the road transport and building sectors would hit low-income Europeans hard without making a significant dent in emissions. To avoid foisting the costs of the transition onto those who can least afford it, EU policymakers should explore other avenues.

By the numbers: The global economy in 2021

By GeoEconomics Center

As the year comes to a close, our GeoEconomics Center experts explore the numbers behind the headlines that best capture the shape of the global economy in 2021—and what lies in store for 2022.

As extreme weather events devastate the central US, the time to prioritize climate resilience is now

By Clinton Britt and Andrea Clabough

The recent disaster in Kentucky marks a continuation of an escalating pattern of catastrophic weather events in the US. With so many lives at risk, climate resilience cannot fall by the wayside. It must be an emphasis now.