Notebook
Extremism must be a problem shared
We are witnessing more terrorist attacks that occur across more countries and kill more people (and, importantly, more Muslims than non-Muslims). It is pointless for world leaders to issue shared statements of condemnation while continuing to pursue otherwise nationally-centred responses to the problem.
read moreBurundi teeters on the brink of civil war
The president and his supporters may have defeated the coup – but if anything, the events over the past days and weeks have exposed the deep rifts in Burundian society that to fix will take more than arms.
read moreAl-Shabaab’s violence can’t be tackled by force alone
The terrorist group al-Shabaab has claimed an attack on Garissa University College in eastern Kenya, in which an unclear number have been killed and many others taken hostage.
read moreMoscow holds aces as bombing rattles shaky Ukraine ceasefire
Just as the latest peace deal to stabilise Ukraine was being put into place, a bomb exploded in the city of Kharkiv, killing two people and injuring at least ten, while another was found and defused in Odessa.
read moreUkraine ceasefire announced at Minsk summit – what next?
After all night talks in the Belarusian capital Minsk, the outcomes of the four party talks in the so-called Normandy format have neither brought a major breakthrough or a complete disaster. As a deal, it is not a solution, but perhaps a step towards one.
read moreUkraine sliding towards all-out war despite mediation efforts
For the time being, the discussions in the Ukraine Contact Group are the only mechanism that can potentially avert all-out war. But unless there is some credible follow-through by the opponents on the ground to the latest “agreementâ€, the window of opportunity that these ongoing discussions create may be closing fast – and with dire consequences.
read moreAl-Qaeda’s Yemen branch adds Paris attacks to list of successes
AQAP’s alleged involvement in the Paris attacks not only highlights the continuing threat from al-Qaeda in general, which must not be underestimated; it also underscores the similarities and differences between al-Qaeda and Islamic State.
read moreUkraine steels for more unrest as Donetsk bus attack kills 12
The deadly attack on a bus carrying civilians near Donetsk, killing at least 12 of them and wounding many more, comes in the wake of yet another round of failed talks among the foreign ministers of Russia, Ukraine, Germany, and France. It also follows a pattern of persistent violence between rebels and government forces that has made a mockery of a ceasefire agreement brokered between the two sides back in September 2014.
read moreMoldova’s future in the balance
Even in the best-possible scenario, Moldova has a long way to go before it sheds its reputation as one of the most corrupt and poorest countries in Europe. It will be up to the country’s political elites, as well as their respective external patrons, to decide whether these elections are the first step in this direction.
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