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Your cheat-sheet to developments around the world in 2018, and what to expect in 2019. For almost two years on a weekly basis, I have been summarising news stories across six regions – Africa, the Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, North America, and South America – and for the first time I am summarising the biggest stories from 2018, focused on drawing links across the year. Continue reading
Kabul, Afghanistan has been the site of intensified terror attacks since early this year, and even in August the violence throughout the country has only persisted. This week, multiple attacks left more than 100 people dead, as Taliban insurgents signalled a willingness to further talks with the United States (US). A day after an attack killed more than 60 people, Taliban insurgents killed at least 57 Afghan police officers and soldiers in four attacks. Thereafter, a bombing at a peaceful protest killed at least 32 people. Taliban insurgents denied the group’s role in the attack, and instead signalled a willingness to send a delegation to further talks with US officials to end the conflict in the country. Continue reading
Elections were held in Cambodia, Pakistan, and Zimbabwe in the past week. In Cambodia, the party of Prime Minister Hun Sen regained power in a landslide, in an electoral process marked by a crackdown on the press and the disbanding of the country’s main opposition party. It was a “processional day at the ballot boxes” for the ruling party, though the high number of invalid votes would be of concern. In Pakistan, former cricket star Imran Khan is set to be the country’s next prime minister, after winning the national elections. The country has had 18 prime ministers since 1947, but “not one of them has served the entirety of their term”. And in Zimbabwe, the first general election since the ouster of Robert Mugabe in November last year saw a high voter turnout of 75 per cent. The ruling Zanu-PF party won a majority of parliamentary seats, with results of the presidential election due soon. Continue reading
guanyinmiao's musings (Archived: July 2009 to July 2019) 