Glasses on a pile of books

Best of the fortnight - 25 August 2023

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Guest Editor Louis Newstead has scoured the internet for IR-related content that might interest you. Here he brings you the past fortnight's best readings and podcasts to keep you up to date with what's happening around the world.

Global issues 

What is the UN cybercrime treaty and why does it matter? Isabella Wilkinson for Chatham House 

UK and Europe 

Why thousands of Ukrainian refugees in the UK are now homeless. Richard Machin for The Conversation 

Why an EU document mentioning the ‘Islas Malvinas/Falkland Islands’ is a big deal. Jennifer Wood for The Conversation 

The EU is making overtures for a post-Brexit defence collaboration with the UK – but London isn’t listening. Amelia Hadfield for The Conversation 

The Missed Opportunity of Europe’s Energy Crisis. Alexander Gard-Murray, Miriam Hinthorn, and Jeff D. Colgan for Foreign Affairs 

Russia and Ukraine 

Yevgeny Prigozhin: Wagner Group boss joins long list of those who challenged Vladimir Putin and paid the price. Stefan Wolff for The Conversation 

Podcast: Flight of the long knives: Prigozhin’s reported death. The Intelligence from The Economist 

After months of negotiations Ukraine will be getting the F-16 warplanes it has been begging for – here’s why that’s important. Matthew Powell for The Conversation 

The Return of Russian Ethnonationalism. Jade McGlynn and Kirill Shamiev for Foreign Affairs 

Diplomacy Watch: Will Russia follow through on Black Sea threats? Blaise Malley for Responsible Statecraft 

USA 

America’s Window of Opportunity in Asia. Andrew Yeo, Mireya Solís, and Hanna Foreman for Foreign Affairs 

Biden, don’t let differences over Ukraine tank your relations with Lula. Nick Cleveland-Stout for Responsible Statecraft 

15 US-backed officers had hand in 12 West African coups. Nick Turse for Responsible Statecraft 

US slap sanctions on formerly CIA-backed Syrian rebels. Matthew Petti for Responsible Statecraft 

Latin America 

Ecuador: how this ‘island of peace’ in Latin America has become a hotbed of violence run by criminal gangs and drug cartels. Nicolas Forsans for The Conversation 

Latin America Is Stronger Together. David Adler and Guillaume Long for Foreign Affairs 

How Javier Milei upset Argentina’s political status quo. Juan Elman for openDemocracy 

China 

Why China-Taiwan Relations Are So Tense. Lindsay Maizland for Council on Foreign Relations 

Asia 

Narendra Modi’s Independence Day speech sounded more like a snake oil salesman than a statesman. Nitasha Kaul for The Conversation 

U.S.-Japan-South Korea Trilateral Summit. Sheila A. Smith, Scott A. Snyder, and Paul B. Stares for Council on Foreign Relations 

Camp David summit: A trilateral march toward instability? James Park and Mike Mochizuki for Responsible Statecraft 

Middle East 

70 years ago, an Anglo-US coup condemned Iran to decades of oppression – but now the people are fighting back. Simin Fadaee for The Conversation 

Amid growing tension between Russia, Iran and the US, Syria’s Kurds have been sidelined. Scott Lucas for The Conversation 

Afghanistan: two years after Taliban takeover the west is letting down the democratic opposition. David Loyn for The Conversation 

US-Israel relations the coolest for decades after ‘terror’ attack by settlers kills 19 year-old Palestinian. Paul Rogers for The Conversation 

Getting Israeli-Saudi Rapprochement Right. Daniel C. Kurtzer and Aaron David Miller for Foreign Affairs 

Africa 

What Is the Extent of Sudan’s Humanitarian Crisis? Mariel Ferragamo and Diana Roy for Council on Foreign Relations  

Niger coup underlines challenge to democracy across West Africa. Paul Melly for Chatham House 

Podcast: Countering coups, terrorism and insecurity – insights from ECOWAS. Africa Aware from Chatham House 

Fleeing Khartoum: ‘The only thing harder than staying was leaving’. Mukanzi Musanga for openDemocracy 

Photo by Sincerely Media on Unsplash