غزة مفتوحة: عمران الأمل by LSE Middle East Centre

Central Asia is no exception to the protests that have emerged with renewed vigour on a global scale, a phenomenon made more visible against the backdrop of COVID-19 restrictions. Although the grievances driving them are context-specific, deep socio-political divisions and populist leaders are recurring themes, says Dr. Erica Marat. A professor at the U.S. National Defense University and a post-Soviet security expert, she joins Olga and Hugh to discuss what connections can be drawn between collective action and protest-policing dynamics spanning the U.S., Ukraine, and Kyrgyzstan. Central Asian regimes bear the legacy of the Soviet era, and yet even the most autocratic among them are in constant adaptation, borrowing tactics from around the world to survive. Protest movements are evolving in the same way. Erica shares her findings of these trends, explaining the rise of ‘uncivil’ society, who the so-called “Kyrgyz Trump” is, and why Kazakhstan is a repatriation model for ISIS-affiliated citizens. For more information: Explore Crisis Group’s regional analysis on our Central Asia page Erica Marat, The Politics of Police Reform: Society against the State in Post-Soviet Countries, Oxford University Press

Most African countries have fared relatively well in their responses to the coronavirus pandemic, reporting rates of infection and mortality that are far below those seen across much of Europe and the Americas. Yet Africa is expected to take a huge economic hit from the pandemic and its associated containment measures, with the African Development Bank forecasting that an additional 50 million people could be pushed into extreme poverty across the continent. Vaccination drives and economic relief packages will certainly be important to contain the damage. But according to author and researcher Efosa Ojomo, emerging-market nations should be aiming to build societies that are more resilient to economic shocks like the pandemic. This week on Trend Lines, Ojomo joins WPR’s Elliot Waldman to discuss how the concept of “market-creating innovations” can foster broad-based solutions to poverty and other social problems in the wake of the pandemic. Ojomo is the head of the Global Prosperity research group at the Clayton Christensen Institute for Disruptive Innovation, and a co-author of “The Prosperity Paradox: How innovation can lift nations out of poverty.” Relevant Articles on WPR: Africa Is a Coronavirus Success Story So Far, If Only the World Would Notice How Africa’s Surging Technology Sector Can Reach Its Full Potential Tech Giants Are Engaged in a New Scramble for Africa The Continued Relevance of Informal Finance in Development Trend Lines is produced and edited by Peter Dörrie, a freelance journalist and analyst focusing on security and resource politics in Africa. You can follow him on Twitter at @peterdoerrie. To send feedback or questions, email us at podcast@worldpoliticsreview.com.

Geopolitics is our bread and butter. It's also a term easily thrown around without accurately conveying its meaning. On this first episode of the new Talking Geopolitics podcast, host Christian Smith talks with the founder of Geopolitical Futures, George Friedman, about the fundamentals behind the company's work. He also speaks with Director of Analysis, Allison Fedirka, on how Cuba's poor economic condition has helped propel the island back in to the spotlight.

This week on Hold Your Fire!, Naz Modirzadeh and Richard Atwood are joined by Jean-Hervé Jezequel, Crisis Group’s Sahel Project Director, for a frank look at why French-led efforts to weaken the jihadist grip on the Sahel and restore regional stability have foundered. He describes the lay of the land today, how jihadist groups have exploited the void left by states, and why emphasis should be shifted to local-level dialogue and governance to effectively reverse the spiral of violence. For more information, see our latest report: A Course Correction for the Sahel Stabilisation Strategy

Armed conflict has been raging in Ethiopia's northernmost Tigray region since November and fears are growing that it is on the brink of famine. Sporadic reports trickling out of the chronically food-insecure region paint an alarming picture: hundreds of thousands displaced, essential infrastructure systematically destroyed, widespread atrocities committed and an untold number of civilian deaths. Shrouded by a virtual information blackout, Alex de Waal says the scope of what is yet to emerge is cause for even more concern. The executive director of the World Peace Foundation at Tufts University and author of Mass Starvation: The History and Future of Famine, the renowned Horn of Africa scholar is back with Alan to distill what is known of how the war is unfolding. Having drawn in multiple belligerents, the situation is dire but also complex. Alex underlines that the window of time to avert a full-blown humanitarian disaster is slipping. He discusses what witnesses have told him about the catastrophe, how political will at the highest level can be mobilized to give humanitarian agencies access to stricken regions, what Eritrea’s endgame could be, and what may come of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) now that it has been forced into an insurgency from the mountains. For more information, see our latest briefing: Finding a Path to Peace in Ethiopia’s Tigray Region

How do we go beyond rhetoric that rarely translates into concrete and strategic action? In our 10th episode in partnership with African Arguments, Judd Devermont is joined by Deborah Malac (former U.S. Ambassador to Uganda), Maria Burnett (CSIS), and Michael Mutyaba (African Arguments contributor) to discuss recommendations for foreign partners and donors in holding autocratic regimes accountable—beyond strongly-worded statements. Guests also delve into Uganda’s repressive elections and the deteriorating humanitarian conditions displacing millions in Ethiopia.  Background Readings:  Uganda: How donors can go beyond “strongly-worded statements” – Michael Mutyaba (African Arguments)  Repression as Voters Weigh Museveni’s 34 Years – Maria Burnett  The Battle of Mekelle and Its Implications for Ethiopia – Judd Devermont

In this episode, Dr. Victor Cha and Andrew Schwartz are joined by Dr. J. Stephen Morrison of CSIS and Dr. Kee Park of Harvard Medical School to talk about Covid-19 in North Korea. They discussed what we know and don't know about the lockdown and the severity of the health situation there, and what to expect moving forward with how the Biden administration and the international community will deal with the pandemic in North Korea.

On his first day in office, President Joe Biden revoked the Keystone Pipeline’s permit, all but shutting down construction. But, why did the Biden Administration decide to do this? What has made the Keystone Pipeline so controversial in the United States? And what does that mean for the future of US-Canada relations? Joining us today … Continue reading The Geopolitics of the Keystone Pipeline

Ten years after a popular uprising overthrew a dictator, Egypt largely appears to be back where it started. Why were Egyptians’ democratic hopes dashed, and can they still be realized? Here to discuss Egypt’s situation and prospects is Michael Hanna. Michael is a senior fellow at the Century Foundation and a non-resident fellow at the Reiss Center on Law and Security.

The conflict in Yemen is entering a new phase. The Houthi rebel group that controls much of the country is launching a new offensive in an oil rich region of the country. Meanwhile, the Biden administration has breathed new life into international diplomatic efforts to end the war by ending US support to the Saudi Arabia lead military campaign. This episode examines how the Yemen conflict has evolved over the years and where it may be headed next. Guest: Gregory D. Johnsen, Brookings Institute and former member of the UN Security Council's Panel of Experts on Yemen.

Chinese debt relief talks are underway in a number of African countries including Angola, Zambia, Kenya, and Ethiopia among others but you wouldn't really know it. Officials on all sides aren't saying much and there's relatively little press coverage on the issue. Meantime, a growing number of African countries are signing on to the G20's common framework while at the same time negotiating debt deferral deals with the IMF and other multilateral creditors. In terms of private creditors, there's been little to no progress on any meaningful restructuring of the billions of Eurobond obligations owed by African borrowers. Mark Bohlund, a senior credit research analyst at REDD Intelligence in London, closely follows everything going on in the African debt market. He joins Eric & Cobus to provide an update on China's role in the debt situation confronting many of Africa's largest economies. JOIN THE DISCUSSION: Facebook: www.facebook.com/ChinaAfricaProject Twitter: @eolander | @stadenesque | @markbohlund SUBSCRIBE TO THE CAP'S DAILY EMAIL NEWSLETTER Your subscription supports independent journalism. Subscribers get the following: 1. A daily email newsletter of the top China-Africa news. 2. Access to the China-Africa Experts Network 3. Unlimited access to the CAP's exclusive analysis content on chinaafricaproject.com Subscriptions start at just $7 a month. Use the promo code "Podcast" and get a 20% lifetime discount on your annual subscription: www.chinaafricaproject.com/subscribe

In this episode, I talked to three young foreign policy enthusiasts who have been working on the field for some years, Frederik Wrist, an active foreign policy writer and postgraduate student on International Relations at the University of Birmingham, Esther Tamara, associate researcher at Foreign Policy Community of Indonesia, she is also a graduate of International Relations, Political Science, and Economics from University of Massachusetts, Boston and Ignatius Randy, a young Indonesian diplomat posted at the United Nations Headquarters in New York and the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). We explored the future relationship between Beijing and Washington, particularly after seeing the positive tone given by Premier Xi Jinping to uphold the spirit of non-conflict and non-confrontation, mutual respect and win-win cooperation, in which will focus on cooperation, control differences and promote healthy and stable development of Chinese-U.S. relations. Biden has an extensive knowledge and experience on Asia from his previous positions, his team in the White House also have a strong background that believed by many analysts give the hopes to a better relationship with Asia. What are the challenges for Biden and his team in engaging Asia especially with Trump legacies on the ground? Should Biden keep the U.S.  tough on China? What are the best strategic ways for Biden to regain trust towards the United States particularly from Southeast Asian countries?

In this episode, senior editor Jason Wincuinas speaks to Hal Hodson, The Economist’s Asia technology correspondent about established and emerging technologies that have potential to reduce carbon footprints and make headway against climate change. Listen to the previous episodes and subscribe for upcoming episodes. To learn more about investing in climate change mitigation, read Tech imperative: Looking beyond ESG investing to reinvent the future, a report by The Economist Intelligence Unit. The Economist's recent coverage on technology: The roaring 20s? Towards a new era of innovation   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

India, South Africa, and more than 50 other countries propose changing WTO rules for vaccines and other medical supplies.

Censorship comes in many forms. You might have heard that Facebook blocked news coverage in Australia last week, because Australia's government wanted the tech giant to pay for journalism. In Venezuela, censorship has gotten so bad that people have to get creative to get informed. And the Indian government ordered Twitter to block accounts commenting on farmers' protests.

In this episode of the RANE insights on COVID-19 podcast, RANE founder, David Lawrence speaks with Drs Fred Southwick and Bill Lang, about the global death toll and the latest vaccine news. in the United States, more than half a million lives have been ended by COVID-19. Around the world, more than 2.5 million. Tragic milestones to be sure. And yet, on the horizon is the possibility that with new vaccines approved, the world may be getting closer to getting the year-long pandemic and its disruptions under control. Through in-house expertise and a global expert network, RANE provides more than 400 corporations, government agencies, and academic institutions with risk intelligence, with actionable insights from the collective wisdom of our global network of risk experts. You can sign up for our coronavirus solution to get critical information on the COVID-19 pandemic delivered daily. Visit us at ranenetwork.com

President Biden's authorization of a U.S. retaliatory strike against Iranian-backed militias in Syria raises questions about his administration's policies toward Iraq, Syria, and the broader region. Michael O'Hanlon addresses the scale of the airstrikes, whether congressional authorization should have been sought, and how he expects the Biden administration to streamline the U.S. military presence in the Middle East. Show notes and transcript: https://brook.gs/3sA3xXl Subscribe to Brookings podcasts on Apple or Google podcasts, or on Spotify. Send feedback email to BCP@Brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Current is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.