Category: Country Reports
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June 2024
Ebrahim Raisi’s death in a helicopter crash led to a period of national mourning. Tipped as a future Supreme Leader, Raisi was not a popular politician. His demise was widely mocked on social media in Iran, the overriding sentiment being that, for many Iranian people, any trauma associated with the crash comes from more senior…
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June 2024
Overview. President Sisi’s patience and diplomatic skills are being sorely tested. Israel appears intent on pushing every last one of his buttons to see just how far they can go. It is in Egypt’s interest to bring peace to Gaza. Revenue, growth, and stability depend on it, but Israel is making it difficult for some…
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June 2024
President Tinubu’s term in office started with a blast which saw him slash fuel subsidies, sending prices soaring right across the nation and provoking protests and violence. He quickly but subtly u-turned on this decision. But, instead of reversing the policy he has quietly tweaked it by providing special foreign exchange concessions for product importers.……
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June 2024
Kazakhs were gripped by live streams of a murder trial that has broken down some long standing barriers in the country. The trial was about domestic violence but it quickly became politically significant as it kept viewers hooked and mobilised formerly stagnant sectors of society. The drama in the courtroom provoked cross generational discussions on…
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May 2024
Iran and Israel took the Middle East region to the brink of war this month as Israel’s assumption that Iran would not respond to a strike on diplomatic premises in Damascus proved flawed. Both sides resisted their own hardliners’ demands to escalate, but even their more-limited responses have crossed a Rubicon.…… Read the rest
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May 2024
In the run-up to May’s critical upazila (local) elections, the main opposition party, the BNP, have expelled 73 members of their party for preparing to take part in the election, thereby violating the BNP’s decision to not take part. The IMF has, for the second time in recent months, reduced its GDP growth forecast (down…