World Briefing, April 2013
A list of some of the critical economic and security issues facing the world in April 2013, covering: North Korea, Japan, China, the Central African Republic, Cyprus, India, Pakistan, Argentina, and Myanmar.
Yemen: New Venue For US ‘Great Game’
The timing for the attacks (or, attempted attacks, or, presumably attempted attacks) was chosen very carefully. The United States face the mid-term elections, and the Democratic administration is heading for a worst defeat in decades.
TAP Pipeline: Look Who’s Switching Off the Gas This Time
It's not Moscow, but the new government in Rome that might be turning off the TAP and dooming the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline project.
Infiltrating the West: Europe’s “Open Door” Refugee Policy and the Threat of Terrorism
There is an important security element to the refugee crisis unfolding in Europe.
May Limps into a New Round of Brexit Negotiations
The Conservative conference was supposed to strengthen Prime Minister May’s negotiating position in the next round of Brexit talks. If anything, it weakened it.
North Korea and US Diplomacy: Toward a New Paradigm
With both sides advancing radically different expectations, a breakthrough will remain elusive over the short-term.
UK-Caribbean Partnership Takes on Safe Bets, Confronts New Realities
The UK-Caribbean partnership is grappling with an increasingly expansive and complex agenda, warranting a relook into the conduct of the relationship.
The Impact of New Russian Sanctions on Metals Markets
The effects felt in the metals market across the next few months will likely prompt Western governments to provide funding and political backing for domestic mining projects.
New Party, Old Hurdles: Cambodian Opposition Struggles to Bounce Back
Several senior ex-officials of the dissolved CNRP have joined a new party. Yet given Prime Minister Hun Sen’s record of stifling opponents, their chances of electoral success are slim.
How Long until the Next Iron Curtain Speech?
Cold War history seems to be repeating, with Eastern Europe now swapped for the Indo-Pacific region. All that’s left is a parallel to Churchill’s iconic speech in 1946.