Recent Posts

Have Chemical Weapons been Used in Ukraine?

Recent reports suggest that Russia has made limited use of riot control agent as a weapon during its war against Ukraine. If true, what might explain this particular use – and what are the prospects of more widescale deployment of chemical weapons by Moscow? On 2 May 2023, state-controlled Channel …

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Pakistan: The Coup That Was Not a Coup

The army’s crackdown may appear to have been effective in undermining Imran Khan and dismantling his political party, but the long-term consequences could be serious. Too much time has been spent on ugly political manoeuvres, whereas the focus needs to be on the economy. A failure to address Pakistan’s economic …

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What’s driving France and Saudi Arabia’s deepening ties?

Analysis: Mohammed bin Salman’s visit to France further aids his reputational rehabilitation on the international stage, with economic, defence, and geopolitical interests bringing Paris and Riyadh closer together. On 16 June, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman (MbS) met with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris. This …

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Why Iraq’s largest ever budget has invited controversy

In-depth: In the absence of coherent policies, long-term planning, and the Iraqi elite’s poor track record in the realm of public spending, the new record-breaking $153 billion budget has raised concerns. On 16 June 2023, after a months-long impasse and four consecutive days of voting, Iraq’s Parliamentary Financial Committee submitted …

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A new era for the Turkish economy?

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s victory over the alliance of opposition parties in Turkey’s May elections, in which he secured another term as president and maintained his alliance’s majority in parliament, came as a surprise to many, as credible pollsters had forecast just the opposite. Investors had to quickly adjust their …

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Le monde vous appartient

Le mystère de la guerre d’Ukraine échappe encore à son Jules César. Pourtant, de plus en plus de détails cruciaux passent les barrages. Poutine montre ses cartes, Loukachenko divulgue des documents, Zelensky baratine et raconte… Quand la guerre a éclaté, les États-Unis venaient de finaliser leur grand exploit : la …

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