Q&A The Mass Return of Migrants from Iran Poses an Ill-Timed Challenge for Afghanistan The Editors Thursday, Dec. 13, 2018 More than 730,000 undocumented Afghan immigrants in Iran have returned to Afghanistan so far this year, largely due to a lack of economic opportunity in Iran. In an interview, Annalisa Perteghella explains why the current wave of return migration should be a matter of concern to the entire international community.
As Election Nears, LGBT Nigerians’ Expectations Can’t Get Much Lower Robbie Corey-Boulet Thursday, Dec. 13, 2018 A recent dust-up involving a reform-minded Nigerian presidential candidate shows how anti-LGBT voices have successfully branded sexual minorities as a population undeserving of equal rights. It’s little wonder that activists expect scant help from the country’s political class, regardless of who wins in February.
China Note A Chinese Executive’s Arrest Could Open a New Front in the ‘High-Tech Trade War’ Benjamin Wilhelm Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2018 The arrest of Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou has dominated headlines since the story broke last Wednesday afternoon. But it is only the latest chapter in both the Chinese telecommunication giant’s rise to global prominence and Washington’s broader high-tech trade war with Beijing.
Q&A Amid Economic Woes, Argentina Reconsiders Its Immigrant-Friendly Stance The Editors Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2018 Argentina has long been a welcoming destination for immigrants, but in recent years, xenophobic sentiments have risen amid an economic crisis. Guillermo Cantor discusses Argentina’s history as a hub for immigration and the factors that are now causing some Argentines to think twice about welcoming more immigrants.
Q&A Bainimarama Secures a Second Term in Fiji, but Faces a Stronger Opposition The Editors Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2018 Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama of Fiji narrowly won a second term in an election last month. Jon Fraenkel discusses the results in the context of the coup-prone island nation’s demographic fault lines and the regional rivalry between China and Fiji’s traditional allies, Australia and New Zealand.
Q&A Can Morrison Patch Up Australia’s Troubled Ties With China? The Editors Monday, Dec. 10, 2018 Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has adopted a softer tone toward China since taking office in August, in contrast to his predecessor, Malcolm Turnbull. Simone van Nieuwenhuizen discusses the Morrison government’s efforts to bring China-Australia ties out of the diplomatic chill of the Turnbull years.
Q&A Reeling From U.S. Sanctions, Iran Tries to Step Up Economic Engagement With Iraq The Editors Friday, Dec. 7, 2018 Iraqi President Barham Salih traveled to Iran last month for talks with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. The meeting came two weeks after the U.S. reimposed sanctions on Iran that had been lifted under the 2015 nuclear deal. In an interview, Tamer Badawi discusses Iran’s approach to its commercial ties with Baghdad.
Africa Watch Burkina Faso Inches Toward Justice for Compaore-Era Heavyweights Robbie Corey-Boulet Friday, Dec. 7, 2018 It was a big week for justice advocates in Burkina Faso, as a French court approved the extradition of Francois Compaore, the brother of ex-President Blaise Compaore, and hearings continued in the trial stemming from the 2015 coup bid. Read up on that and other stories from across the continent in our weekly roundup of Africa news.
Q&A Why Chile’s Militarized Approach to Indigenous Communities is Failing The Editors Thursday, Dec. 6, 2018 President Sebastian Pinera’s administration in Chile is facing heavy criticism for its treatment of the country’s indigenous groups after security forces killed a young Mapuche man in the southern Araucania region last month. Jorge Contesse discusses the history of the Chilean government’s policies toward the Mapuche.
Frustrated With Street Protests in Guinea, Conde Sends in the Soldiers Robbie Corey-Boulet Thursday, Dec. 6, 2018 Late last month, officials in the West African nation of Guinea announced that soldiers would be deployed alongside police officers and gendarmes as part of new mixed patrols in the capital, Conakry. The move amounts to a tacit admission that the government of President Alpha Conde is again straining to impose order.
China Note Confusion Over U.S.-China Trade ‘Truce’ Overshadows Busy Week of Travel for Xi Benjamin Wilhelm Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2018 Saturday night’s dinner between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Buenos Aires led to a 90-day trade truce and plenty of uncertainty for observers, stock traders and even Trump administration officials. But Xi’s overseas trip included a number of other lower-profile stops.
Q&A In Georgia, the New President’s Big Runoff Win Masks Rising Polarization The Editors Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2018 In Georgia, Salome Zurabishvili, who was backed by the ruling Georgian Dream party, won a presidential runoff last week against Grigol Vashadze, who was supported by the opposition United National Movement. Paul Stronski discusses the results and explains why political polarization could spell trouble down the road.
