Archive for August, 2020
Iran’s new ‘hard war’ stance
Iran’s experience in the years-long Iran-Iraq War had a profound impact on its threat perceptions, national security strategy and doctrine regarding the use of force. The Iran-Iraq war, which took place between 1980 and 1988, by conservative Western estimates killed 367,000 people, 262,000 of whom are believed to have been Iranian. Officially, Iranian estimates put […]
China’s role in the COVID-19 pandemic
China has come under scrutiny for its handling of the pandemic that began to tighten its now-worldwide grip in January. Joe Varner investigated what has been reported in independent media and what the Chinese government has stated on wide-ranging aspects of the pandemic. At publication time, we are still emerging from almost four months of […]
COVID-19: The Swiss experience so far
In Switzerland, the first case of COVID-19 was identified Feb. 25 and the first case of community transmission came on March 2. As of May 29, there were approximately 31,000 confirmed cases with a death toll of 1,700 out of a population of 8 million. That makes Switzerland one of the most affected countries in […]
More trade with Mali is welcome
Mali is at a crossroad of civilizations — a country rich in history and home to diverse cultures. Most often known for its legendary city, Tombouctou, Mali is a country of commerce and was, for a long time, at the heart of major trans-Saharan trade. Mali occupies a strategic geographical position in the heart of […]
Japan and Canada should amp up trade
Japan and Canada have a longstanding friendly relationship and share universal values such as freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law. We are confident that Japan could be the best bridge-builder between Canada and the Indo-Pacific region. Last year, Japan and Canada celebrated the 90th anniversary of diplomatic relations between our two countries. […]
Cuba: An open door to investment and trade
Since the beginning of the 1960s, Cuba’s economy has been slowed down by the economic blockade imposed by the U.S. government, which, due to its extraterritorial scope, affects not only the functioning of Cuba itself, but also its foreign relations. As such, the Cuban economy and its links with the outside world have operated and […]
Europeans do a good turn during COVID lockdown
In an effort to highlight their unity and solidarity with European values, several of the embassies from EU member states, along with the EU delegation, volunteered for Food for Thought on Europe Day. “Europe Day is on May 9,” Brice de Schietere said in a statement about the event. “It had to be different this […]
COVID-19 changes everything for War Child
The COVID-19 pandemic represents an existential threat to countries already responding to the consequences of war and conflict. In particular, displaced people and host communities all over the world are at heightened risk as the virus continues to spread. Uganda, for example, hosts more than 1.4 million refugees, making it the largest refugee-hosting country in […]
COVID-19: ‘There was no reason to think [Canada would] be spared in a major way’
Mona Nemer is the chief science adviser to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as well as to the minister of science and cabinet. She’s charged with ensuring that science factors into policy decisions and that government science is available to the public. Prior to taking on this role in 2017, after Canada had been without a […]
COVID will dampen our economic future
As the coronavirus took its toxic flight around the globe and the health crisis in many countries — developed and developing alike — deepened, many pundits forecast that globalization was finally lurching to an ignominious end. “Davos Man will need rebranding,” one commentator cheekily observed in Forbes business magazine, arguing that the crisis was forcing […]
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