Category: Country Reports
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April 2021
Overview. 20th March marked two years of Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s five-year presidency term, and this year Kazakhstan celebrates 30 years of Independence. The country’s C19 vaccination campaign began on 1st February with the Russian Sputnik V vaccine. After a peak in February, the oil price – central to the Kazakh economy – started to decline in…
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February 2021
Overview. Tehran raised its pressure on Washington to move quickly on sanctions relief amid signs that President Biden’s administration is not in a rush to do so. Iranian politicians’ announcements on further deviations from nuclear compliance exemplify this. Biden’s team will coordinate with European allies on Iran policy in a marked change from his predecessor’s.………
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March 2021
Overview. Additional degrees were added to the political temperature this month thanks to by-elections in four constituencies. Policy and law makers are focused on senate elections to be held on 3rd March. Surprisingly, despite the re-opening of educational establishments, there was an (official) drop in C19 cases, and an accompanying general relaxation in related restrictions.………
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March 2021
Overview. The ruling Awami League have won in a whopping 88% of municipalities in the fourth phase of the ongoing municipal elections. The central bank has ordered non-bank financial institutions not to give dividends of more than 15% for the financial year. The country’s foreign reserves set a new record of more than USD 44…
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February 2021
Overview. Despite everything going on internationally Egypt is holding steady and doing remarkably well given the circumstances. The economy is stable, C19 infection numbers, at least the official ones, are dropping and President Sisi’s ever voracious appetite for big plans and developments remains un-sated. State of Emergency. As expected, Sisi has extended the State of…
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February 2021
Overview. During January PDM attempts to press PM Khan and the PTI to step aside failed, terrorist attacks increased, and inflation rose. The Afghan peace deal is stumbling along, and we await news of what President Biden will do to push it through. C19. Pakistan will commence its C19 vaccination drive in the first week…
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February 2021
Overview. Ruling party Awami League’s General Secretary Obaidul Quader has claimed that the victory of the party in the municipality elections is a sign of the people’s desire for progress and development. The UN has reported that Bangladesh GDP growth fell to 0.5% in 2020, compared to 8.4% in 2019.…… Read the rest
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January 2021
Overview. Tensions have risen following the assassination of nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh in late November. The conservative Majlis ordered the government to up its nuclear activities and further reduce cooperation with international monitoring agencies. The US and Israel have openly moved military forces into the Gulf and the US Embassy in Baghdad has come under…
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January 2021
Overview. As the pandemic continues to rage, Egypt is finally beginning to pay some serious attention to it. Occupancy policies, strict opening hours, and mandatory mask wearing are all part of the new normal. Rumours abound of an impending lockdown but nothing concrete has yet been announced. President Sisi knows that he needs to keep…
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January 2021
Overview. December saw an uptick in terrorist violence, with some notable attacks in Rawalpindi, home of the Army’s Headquarters. C19 case numbers continue to grow, and the more infectious strain of the virus has arrived from the UK. For the second month running Pakistan’s exports exceeded USD2 Bn, representing growth against the same period last…