insert_link World Why would Islamic State attack Russia and what does this mean for the terrorism threat globally? By Greg Barton, Deakin University It appears almost certain the brutal assault on a Russian crowd settling down to watch a rock concert in Moscow on Friday night was an Islamist terrorist attack. At least 133 people were left dead and scores more were injured after gunmen with automatic weapons stormed the Crocus City Hall in Moscow and opened fire, triggering a stampede. Islamic State claimed […] todayMarch 25, 2024 5
insert_link World Buying millitary equipment for Ukraine on top of the agenda at European Council summit todayMarch 22, 2024 25
insert_link World The West can’t ‘solve’ its Russia problem. Here’s how it should handle 6 more years of Vladimir Putin By Peter Tesch, Australian National University In perhaps the least surprising news of the year, Vladimir Putin has triumphed at the Russian ballot box and been enthroned for the fifth time as president. He will serve for six more years. He will be 77 years old in 2030. According to the constitution, which he re-wrote to his benefit in 2020, he then could stand again for a further […] todayMarch 20, 2024 16
insert_link Africa Niger has cut military ties with the US: why this is bad for the Sahel’s security By Olayinka Ajala, Leeds Beckett University Niger – a landlocked country of 25 million people in one of the most unstable parts of the world – recently announced it was suspending military cooperation with the United States. For over a decade, Niger has been one of America’s most reliable allies in the Sahel. The Sahel region, which stretches across Africa from the Atlantic to the Red Sea, is […] todayMarch 20, 2024 11
insert_link World Vladimir Putin’s gold strategy explains why sanctions against Russia have failed By Robert Huish, Dalhousie University There are more than 16,000 sanctions imposed against Russia. Yet the Russian economy and war machine grew by 3.6 per cent in 2023 and is projected to grow another 2.6 per cent in 2024. Nearly six per cent of Russia’s gross domestic product goes towards military spending. At a time when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is scrambling to acquire arms, funds and […] todayMarch 19, 2024 8
insert_link World Putin Claims Election Victory Russian President Vladimir Putin says he'll prioritise military operations in Ukraine after claiming another six-year term in elections. Official results gave him more than 87% of the vote. Western countries say the election was not free or fair and insist voting in Ukrainian territory was illegal. Director of the Russia Programme at Chatham House James Nixey says the result was not in doubt. todayMarch 18, 2024 13
insert_link World Ukraine war: ten years after Putin annexed Crimea, Russia’s grip on the peninsula looks shaky By Stefan Wolff, University of Birmingham It is ten years since Russia illegally annexed Crimea on March 18 2014. Subsequent efforts to firmly integrate the peninsula into the Russian Federation, however, have been far from the success story that the Kremlin often likes to portray. In fact, comparing the increasingly shaky grip that Moscow has on the peninsula today with the situation before the annexation would suggest […] todayMarch 18, 2024 5
insert_link Videos Six more years: Putin claims landslide election victory in Russia Vladimir Putin has won a fifth term as president in a landslide election victory that had an all but certain outcome. Russia's number one faced no credible opposition candidates, amid a ruthless crackdown on dissent and critical voices. Russian election officials said Putin - who will now serve another six-year term on top of his nearly quarter-century rule - won more than 87% of the vote. Putin claimed Russia's democratic […] todayMarch 18, 2024 22
insert_link World Russian elections: despite fixing the opposition, Vladimir Putin wants lots of people to vote for him By Natasha Lindstaedt, University of Essex Russians head to the polls this week in a presidential election that will almost certainly result in Vladimir Putin decisively winning yet another six-year term. When he does, it will make him the longest-serving leader since Joseph Stalin. Advance polling indicates he will earn 75% of the vote and face little or no meaningful opposition. His three main opponents are each […] todayMarch 14, 2024 8
Paying it forward: Kenyan coastal doctor Bashrahil Mohammed Mafudh has made it his life’s work to care for the most vulnerable in his community, at no cost.
