Sri Lanka’s economic crisis: Past, present and the path ahead
Amid the worst economic downturn faced by Sri Lanka since independence, shortages of essential supplies and public outrage are only worsening by the day. International loans and stopgap measures may not be sufficient to manage the crisis in the longer term as the country is in dire need of internal economic and political reforms.
New increases in migration to the US from Latin America
The migrant crisis at the US-Mexico border and throughout Latin America looks to heat up once again this spring as governments have so far failed to offer adequate solutions for the root causes of northbound migration.
Devastating floods hit Australia’s New South Wales and Queensland
The devastating floods in Australia’s NSW and QLD in recent weeks have highlighted shortcomings to the country’s emergency response and preparedness.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine
Less than one week into its invasion of Ukraine, the Russian armed forces have struggled to achieve the quick victory that they were ordered to secure.
Death of IS leader in US raid offers little comfort after prison break in Syria
Despite the death of the new leader of the Islamic State (IS), a major prison break in Syria signals that major IS attacks with the goal of rebuilding their former strength are certain.
Burkina Faso military takes power in West Africa’s latest coup
A military junta has taken control of Burkina Faso in the name of public security, but such governments have rarely been capable of solving the long-term problems which lead to coups in West Africa in the first place.
The Omicron variant: Life goes on
While the Omicron COVID-19 variant has spurred another global outbreak wave less than a year after Delta, the milder effects of the strain, particularly on fully vaccinated individuals, means that global travel and the economy may recover quicker this time around.
Convoy protests in Canada expose domestic fault lines
After three weeks of border closures and citywide shutdowns, anti-government protesters have largely dispersed without achieving their primary goals, but have been emboldened by the support they received to continue their efforts.
Failure of Russia-NATO talks likely to escalate crisis over eastern Ukraine
Western leaders feel that they have limited options to meet Russian demands to halt the enlargement of NATO or threaten sanctions so may opt to force Ukraine to make concessions instead to avert war.
Kazakhstan protests trigger political upheaval
The swell of anti-government protests that erupted in Kazakhstan at the start of 2022 have triggered violent crackdowns and scared the government enough to seek foreign military assistance despite the risk of doing so.
