COVID-19: Why was Italy the First Badly Affected Western Country despite being Half the World Away from China?

[Bahauddin Foizee] Chinese tourists and business persons, elderly population, not maintaining social distancing, and the delay in imposing full lockdown — all these factors made Italy the first Western country to be badly affected by the COVID-19.

UK Backing Away from Commitments Made to EU

[John Bruton] A fraught negotiation between the EU and the UK is looming, as Boris Johnson seems to be backing away from legally and politically binding commitments he gave to the EU last October.

Why did Sirisena Fail to Achieve a Balanced Policy for Sri Lanka?

[Bahauddin Foizee] Despite his attempts to reduce Chinese influence during the initial stage of his tenure, Sirisena had later realized that China has already established so deep influence in his country that he had little power to change this reality.

Ireland Needs Experienced People (not Amateurs) in Office to Deal with 2020 BREXIT Negotiations

[John Bruton] Republic of Ireland needs experienced people in office to navigate the challenges of 2020, which could be the most consequential year for the century. It wouldn't be in Ireland’s interest to entrust the 2020-Brexit-negotiations to well intentioned, but inexperienced, amateurs.

Ireland must Work with EU Partners to Protect Itself

[John Bruton] Ireland can and must learn from the work of other EU members and, on a case by case basis, take part in joint initiatives in areas like cyber security, threat intelligence, maritime surveillance, drone surveillance, etc.

Iranian Regime Lost its Charm in Middle East

[Syafruddin Arsyad]
Iranian regime has now become detached from the young Iranians as well as from its support bases in Lebanon and Iraq.

Asia-Pacific’s Coastal Communities Becoming more Vulnerable by the Day

[Bahauddin Foizee] While coastal areas of countries like Bangladesh, India, the Philippines and Sri Lanka would disappear gradually, other small island nations like Micronesia and the Maldives would be submerged under water almost completely, turning millions of inhabitants living in these countries into climate refugees.

Brexit is Far from Done. It is Entering its Dramatic Second Act

[John Bruton]
Can a chaotic "Crash Out" Brexit in December 2020 be avoided?

Brexit: The Era of Easy Decisions is Over

[John Bruton]
The EU’s strategic weight in the world will be reduced by the absence of the UK, as the EU is losing a relatively young, diverse and creative member state.

Problems with Boris Johnson’s New Proposals on Irish Backstop

[John Bruton]
A 'Northern Ireland only' backstop would not protect Republic of Ireland's trade with Britain which is more valuable than trade across the border with Northern Ireland.

The Coming Peace in Afghanistan

[Yead Mirza]
USA's growing desperation to end the Afghan war – driven by the understanding of 'costs versus benefits' of the longdrawn conflict – would bring about a positive result for achieving peace in not-so-distant future.

Bay of Bengal Countries Losing Coastal Areas to Rising Sea Level

[Bahauddin Foizee]
If the environment of the Bay of Bengal region continues to deteriorate due to climate change, millions of inhabitants living in coastal areas would become climate refugees.