Established in 1949 as a military alliance to protect against Soviet encroachment into Western Europe, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization has worked towards “uniting efforts for collective defense and the preservation of peace and security”, a goal that has remained unchanged over the years. However, in the face of shifting interests and newly emerging threats … Continue reading The Future of NATO
Author: hopkinspofa
A Post-Duterte Philippines
https://open.spotify.com/show/7d47w40VDonnVkH4pC6j1Y?si=d1c46044867b4c49 Rodrigo Durterte has brought the world’s attention to the Philippines with his brash, populist rhetoric and tough-on-crime policies. In this episode we look at the president’s rise to power, his major foreign, and domestic policies, and to what extent he will step back from Filipino politics. Joining us to answer these questions is Joshua … Continue reading A Post-Duterte Philippines
China’s Evolving Nuclear Arsenal
https://open.spotify.com/show/7d47w40VDonnVkH4pC6j1Y?si=d1c46044867b4c49 In late July, China conducted a test of a nuclear-capable hypersonic missile that entered low earth orbit, circled the globe, and struck a predetermined target in China. The test allegedly stunned U.S. military and intelligence officials for its complexity, with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley calling the test a near … Continue reading China’s Evolving Nuclear Arsenal
A Fraught Moment for African Democracy
https://open.spotify.com/show/7d47w40VDonnVkH4pC6j1Y?si=9a9e81519de64d6f Since August, of last year there have been more coups in sub-Saharan Africa than at any time for the past two decades - Mali in August 2020, Chad in April 2020, Mali again in May 2021, Guinea in September, and Sudan just last month. In this episode we discuss the recent trends of turmoil … Continue reading A Fraught Moment for African Democracy
Polexit? Implications of Poland’s Landmark Supreme Court ruling
On Thursday Oct. 7, Poland’s Constitutional Tribunal ruled that Poland’s national laws take supremacy over European Union (EU) laws, This marks the end of a cumulative battle between thePoland’s right-wing government and the EU. Since assuming his position in December 2017, Poland’s Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki implemented several changes to the Polish judiciary designed to … Continue reading Polexit? Implications of Poland’s Landmark Supreme Court ruling
Explaining the Pandora Papers
Just a few years after the Panama and the Paradise Papers of 2016 and 2017, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) published the Pandora Papers beginning Oct. 3, 2021. It is, by the volume of information uncovered, the biggest investigative piece by ICIJ yet, exposing many offshore accounts and shell companies of influential people … Continue reading Explaining the Pandora Papers
El Salvador’s Bitcoin Experiment- What now?
Playa de El Zonte, El Salvador: a town of 3,000 inhabitants boasting incredible surf, great food, and the pioneering adoption of bitcoin as a main form of payment. Beach vendors, aiming to increase their sales to tourists who frequented El Zonte, decided to start accepting bitcoin as a form of payment. President Nayib Bukele cited … Continue reading El Salvador’s Bitcoin Experiment- What now?
Austria’s Leadership Shakeup:
For the second time in a little over three years, Austrian Chancellor and People's Party (ÖVP) leader Sebastian Kurz finds himself out of the nation’s highest office, forced to step down on Oct. 9 amid allegations of corruption against his chancellorship. Here’s everything you need to know about this scandal and the events that led … Continue reading Austria’s Leadership Shakeup:
Explaining Upcoming Changes to Australia’s COVID-19 Policies
On Oct. 1, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison declared plans to lift some of its COVID-19 restrictions for the first time since March 2020. What was Australia’s COVID-19 strategy? During the pandemic, Australian leaders pursued a “covid zero” strategy. Australians and foreigners were not able to enter Australia, state borders were closed during outbreaks, and … Continue reading Explaining Upcoming Changes to Australia’s COVID-19 Policies
The Taliban’s Future in the International Community
On Aug. 30, the final U.S. troops withdrew from Afghanistan, ending a two-decade long conflict. As American forces left, Taliban fighters swarmed into major Afghan cities and provinces, quickly occupying the country and installing a new Taliban government in Kabul. As the Taliban attempt to integrate themselves into the international community after the takeover, Afghanistan’s … Continue reading The Taliban’s Future in the International Community
Hopkins Podcast on Foreign Affairs 