Latest Articles about Domestic/Social

Hopes for Solution to Belarus’s Political Crisis Derailed Again
On September 30, Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka gave an hour-and-seven-minutes-long interview to CNN (President.gov.by, September 30). He agreed to speak under the condition that the cable news channel publish a full recording of the interview, which it did. It is difficult to judge how those... MORE

Clashes Intensify Between Moscow and Circassians on Key Issues
The range of issues on which Moscow and the Circassian nation are in conflict is expanding, and the Russian government, along with its agents in the Circassian republics and regions of the North Caucasus, have stepped up their efforts to block Circassian demands. In response,... MORE

Ukrainian Anti-Oligarch Law Inadvertently Shines Spotlight on Russian-Linked Members of Presidential Entourage
On September 22, someone fired shots at the car of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s first aide, Serhiy Shefir. The attack unfolded near the village of Lisnyky, outside Kyiv. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, more than ten bullets hit Shefir’s vehicle, wounding the driver,... MORE

Georgian Government Arrests Former President Saakashvili Upon His Return From Exile
On October 1, one day before Georgia held local elections, Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili stated that the police had arrested former president Mikhail Saakashvili in the Georgian capital city of Tbilisi (Radio Tavisupleba, Civil.ge, October 1). Saakashvili was detained almost immediately upon his return to... MORE

Anti-Migrant Rally in Buzhaninovo Raises Specter of Dangerous Russian Nationalism
On September 13, more than 300 individuals gathered for a “people’s meeting,” or skhod, outside a dormitory for migrant workers in the Moscow Oblast town of Buzhaninovo, near Sergiev Posad. The rally participants called on the local police to investigate the foreign migrants in the... MORE

Crop Failures in Russia Point to Serious Shortages of Bread and Potatoes Ahead
For several years, food prices have been rising in Russia, forcing the population to purchase ever cheaper products (Profile.ru, September 20). The government has tried to rein in prices, while avoiding having those top-down interventions lead to the empty store shelves that were a feature... MORE

Is Serbia Preparing to Annex Kosovo’s North?
Tensions on the Serbian-Kosovo border have rapidly escalated, threatening to spiral into a renewed conflict in the Balkans. Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić has ordered military and police units on heightened alert after Kosovo Serbs initiated protests against Pristina’s new vehicle license plates requirements and blocked... MORE

Are Chechens Being Purposefully Pitted Against Crimean Tatars?
Dozens of individuals were detained after clashes in Yevpatoria, in Russian-annexed Ukrainian Crimea, on the night of September 22. Police fired shots into the air to stop the rioters and arrested 58 people as a result of the disturbances. Law enforcement reportedly found small arms... MORE

The Taliban’s Persistent War on Salafists in Afghanistan
Salafists in Afghanistan face severe challenges and insecurities after the fall of Kabul to the Taliban on August 15. The Taliban are suspicious of Afghan Salafists for supporting the Taliban’s arch-enemy, Islamic State in Khorasan Province (ISKP). The Taliban’s abduction of one of the most... MORE

Can New Policies Curtail Banditry in Northwestern Nigeria Amid the School Closure Crisis?
The series of attacks on schools, commuters, and communities in northwestern Nigeria has left families with traumatic experiences, displaced thousands of people from their homes and caused a deterioration of socio-economic activities, particularly in hinterland areas. For a region with a high rate of out-of-school... MORE