Eurasia

A Reluctant Chinese Dragon In West Asia: Evidence From Syria

Diplomatic and commercial ties between China and Syria have been established for decades. When Hui Liangyu visited Syria in 2009, he met President Bashar al-Assad. A statement from Assad to the Syrian people stated that China would work to improve mutually beneficial relations and partnership between the two countries in …

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Russia Pushes For Republican Units In North Caucasus To Fight In Ukraine

One after another, authorities in the North Caucasus republics are announcing the creation of volunteer units for fighting Ukraine. The Russian military command proposed the establishment of a Dagestani rifle company on the basis of the 136th Separate Guards Motorized Rifle Brigade, stationed in Buinaksk, Dagestan. On June 16, Colonel …

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Does ‘Zeitenwende’ Represent A Flash In The Pan Or Renewal For The German Military?

For decades, Germany pursued close economic and political ties with Russia. It did so because German political and strategic leaders thought consistent engagement would result in geopolitical stability for Europe. They also thought it would lead to the eventual transformation of Russia itself, following the paradigm of “Wandel durch Handel” …

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US CENTCOM Forces Kill Senior Leader of al-Qaida-Linked Group in Airstrike in Syria

United States military forces killed a senior leader of a terror organization aligned with Al-Qaida. US Central Command forces targeted Abu Hamzah al Yemeni, a senior leader of Hurras al-Din in an airstrike in Idlib province in Syria on Monday, CENTCOM said in a statement. Abu Hamzah al Yemeni was …

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The World’s First Energy Crisis

A Conversation With Jason Bordoff and Meghan O’Sullivan The global energy market is in a state of upheaval. The war in Ukraine and the resulting sanctions against Russian oil and gas have forced the West, especially Europe, to quickly find new energy sources to keep the lights on and the …

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Islamic finance grows despite global economic turmoil

According to a recent report from Swiss banking group Lombard Odier that surveyed more than 300 high net worth investors in the Middle East, attention to Islamic investments is growing fast. The survey shows that 61% of the respondents say their interest in Islamic assets has increased during the last …

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Arab League weighs in on Nile dam dispute

Ahmed Aboul Gheit, secretary general of the Cairo-based League of Arab States, criticized the way the international community has dealt with the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam crisis. Secretary General of the Cairo-based Arab League Ahmed Aboul Gheit recently criticized the way the international community, particularly the UN Security Council, has …

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Imports up pressure on Morocco’s foreign reserves

Energy and food imports alongside a growing trade deficit put pressure on Morocco’s foreign currency reserves. The Office des Changes (OC) published its monthly newsletter in early June, indicating a sharp rise in both exports and imports. The newsletter shows that remittances and phosphates were the leading sources of foreign …

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Ankara forces companies to sell hard currency as circle tightens

The Turkish government’s latest loan restriction may help the embattled lira recover to some extent, but not without the risk of damaging side effects. Desperate against galloping inflation but bent on keeping interest rates low, Turkey’s government has turned to interventionist measures akin to capital controls to bolster the embattled …

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