Essays

BBC Bias Persists: The British Government-Financed News Outlet Verifies News Only When it Fits its Narrative

Months after the start of the so-called “Arab Spring”, a team of researchers became interested in this protest movement and its potential for bringing positive change in the Islamic world in the area of governance and economic development. To stay current the team developed a routine for checking major news outlets as well as social Read more

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The Limits and the Potential of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization

A meeting among leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states, during any other year in the past, would not make the news. This year’s meeting, however, should matters. Yet, it was hardly covered in Western media. There are important reasons for why the world should pay attention to this 21-year-old intergovernmental organization (IGO). Read more

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The Edge of our World: The new century and the new priorities

A global pandemic is generally enough to trigger a broad transformation with significant impact. A pandemic, an “Arab Spring”, a war in Europe, a climate crisis, and a shift in energy sources and consumptions make global change a certainty. That certainty becomes clear when looking at how each nation-state is maneuvering to secure space in Read more

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Axis Moscow – Tehran: an alliance without unnecessary obligations

by Nikita Smagin *  Russia and Iran are finding more and more points of contact both in the foreign policy and economic spheres. It is no coincidence that this year has already become unprecedented in terms of the frequency of visits at high and highest levels between countries. The latest event in this context was Read more

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Prospects for the referendum on the new draft constitution and its challenges in Tunisia

by Mounira Chrifi The last hours before the start of the referendum on the new draft constitution in Tunisia seem decisive and decisive. It is expected that more than nine million registered voters will go to the polling stations to vote “yes” or “no” on a draft new constitution for the country, including more than Read more

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Tehran Summit further limits Erdogan’s margins of maneuvering

by Hoda Rizk Iran is trying to re-deepen the relationship between the Astana parties in light of the changes taking place in the region and the impact of the Russian-Ukrainian war on regional and international alliances, at a time when Turkey is reviewing its stances and foreign policy after a decade of failed projects, and Read more

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The energy and food crises are not direct outcomes of just the war in Ukraine

The energy and food crises are not direct outcomes of just the war in Ukraine. The energy and food crises are connected to many other unaddressed critical issues. Thereforre, they must be addressed holistically. The conflict between Russia and the West that was exacerbated by Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine must not be understood as Read more

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The Russian Approach to the Global and Regional Challenges: Consolidating Moscow’s Power in the New World Order

by Mohamed Ibrahim The 1997 National Security Concept of Russia identified Russia as an “influential European and Asian power” and recommended that Russia maintain an equal distance in relations with global European and Asian economic and political actors, while the 2000 Foreign Policy Concept referred to the Russian Federation as its “superpower.” Responsibility for maintaining Read more

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Dying versus Killing: How the War in Ukraine is making research on media bias redundant

by Ahmed E. Souaiaia More than ten years ago, the BBC published a photograph, ostensibly supplied to them by activists, claiming that the photograph was depicting the Houla massacre, allegedly committed by the Syrian government. It turned out that the photo was depicting another massacre that took place in Iraq when the United States invaded Read more

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