China Note How Far Will the U.S. Push Reciprocity in Relations With China? Benjamin Wilhelm Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2019 Last week, the State Department announced new rules for Chinese diplomats in the U.S. that mirror those that American diplomats must follow in China. While they might be long overdue, the rules may force the U.S. to reflect more on its own values if reciprocity becomes a rationale for future China policy.
Q&A Can Bosnia’s LGBT Activists Build on the Momentum of Their First Pride Parade? The Editors Monday, Oct. 21, 2019 Bosnia and Herzegovina hosted its first Pride parade last month, as LGBT activists and supporters marched in the capital, Sarajevo, amid heavy security. In an interview, Zorica Mršević discusses the significance of the march and the obstacles to expanding LGBT rights in the Balkans.
Ecuador’s Indigenous Communities Prevail, for Now, Against Moreno’s Austerity Drive Laura Weiss Friday, Oct. 18, 2019 After nearly two weeks of paralyzing and deadly protests in Ecuador, the streets of Quito rang out in celebration Sunday night. The demonstrations, led by indigenous groups, had succeeded in pressuring President Lenin Moreno to reinstate a popular fuel subsidy he had removed as part of an austerity package.
Africa Watch Tunisia’s Election Introduced a New Era. Mozambique’s Points to a Troubled Past Andrew Green Friday, Oct. 18, 2019 Presidential elections on either end of the continent this week delivered markedly different results. While a vote in Mozambique appears to have secured a victory for the ruling party, elections in Tunisia may have introduced a new political era after outsider Kais Saied won the race in a landslide.
Q&A The ‘Entangling Cycle of Violence’ Behind Unrest in Indonesia’s Papua Region The Editors Thursday, Oct. 17, 2019 Indonesia’s Papua region has been rocked by violent protests in recent weeks in response to racist incidents against indigenous Papuans. Dozens of protesters have been killed. Simon Philpott discusses the factors behind the recent unrest in the context of a much longer cycle of ethnic conflict in Papua.
China Note Can the Limited U.S.-China Trade Deal Move Past ‘Phase One’? Benjamin Wilhelm Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2019 China says it is “on the same page” as the U.S. on a partial trade deal reached in principle Friday. But even if negotiators finalize the tentative agreement, progress toward a more comprehensive pact could be hindered by domestic politics and a lack of trust between both countries’ senior leadership.
Q&A A ‘Perfect Storm’ Has Led to a Spike in Drug Deaths in Scotland The Editors Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2019 The number of drug-related deaths in Scotland spiked to nearly 1,200 in 2018—a 27 percent increase over the previous year. In an interview, Catriona Matheson discusses the myriad factors that are causing the epidemic and what authorities at various levels of government are doing to address it.
Africa Watch Can International Pressure Keep South Sudan’s Peace Deal From Unraveling? Andrew Green Friday, Oct. 11, 2019 South Sudan’s peace deal showed signs of faltering this week ahead of a November implementation deadline. With key provisions unmet, including an agreement on the boundaries of the country’s states, opposition leader Riek Machar is threatening to boycott the unity government that is the deal’s centerpiece.
In Nicaragua, Attacks on Journalists Are Part of Ortega’s Survival Strategy Laura Weiss Thursday, Oct. 10, 2019 Last month, El Nuevo Diario, Nicaragua’s second-largest newspaper by circulation, announced that it would shut down after months of pressure from the government. The closure of the paper, which had been critical of President Daniel Ortega, is only part of a broader campaign to suppress dissent.
China Note Can China Afford to Lose the NBA? Benjamin Wilhelm Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2019 A tweet by Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey in support of Hong Kong’s pro-democracy protesters has provoked a fierce backlash from China. The fallout is already costing the NBA, but the situation also presents a challenge to Beijing, as American basketball is immensely popular in China.
Q&A After an Upset Election Win, Can Anti-Establishment Forces End Kosovo’s Limbo? The Editors Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2019 A left-leaning anti-establishment party scored an upset victory in parliamentary elections in Kosovo last weekend. In an interview, Aleksandar Kocic discusses the significance of the election results and what they could mean for stalled negotiations aimed at normalizing relations with neighboring Serbia.
Q&A Will North Korea’s Squid Poaching Strain Its Close Ties With Russia? The Editors Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2019 Russian border guards have escalated a crackdown on North Korean squid poachers in recent weeks, detaining dozens of fishing vessels and hundreds of crew members. In an interview, Artyom Lukin explains the timing behind Russia’s clampdown and how this is affecting the two countries’ broader relationship.
