Syrian President Bashar Assad is facing the biggest challenge to his 11-year rule, with mass protests taking place across the country. The government has cracked down violently, but this has failed to restore stability. My colleagues and I now see a growing possibility that the Assad regime will eventually collapse under the strain, possibly resulting… [Read more]

Although the war in Libya has been dominating international media in recent weeks – with a brief interlude for the Japanese earthquake – events in Yemen – where President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s regime is on the brink of collapse – are arguably of greater geopolitical significance. Libya has dominated headlines because it is more visibly… [Read more]

With Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Qadhafi’s position looking increasingly untenable, and Bahrain rocked by unrest, so soon after popular protests toppled the Tunisian and Egyptian presidents, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region has been shaken like never before. Crucially, the uprisings have also overthrown the conventional wisdom. Until recently, it was generally assumed… [Read more]

Egypt is entering a pivotal time in its modern history, as my colleagues and I explain today in Business Monitor Online. Popular protests against President Hosni Mubarak, inspired by those in Tunisia, are a major risk to his regime. However, even if the protests fail to dislodge Mubarak now, his advanced age (82) would appear… [Read more]

The ousting of Tunisian President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali late on Friday is as good a time as any to discuss the ingredients for a successful popular uprising. Many leaders around the world face protests of some sort, but most survive the turmoil. There were several reasons why Tunisians moved against their president last week:… [Read more]

Kyrgyzstan and Thailand generally have very little in common, but this week they have both found themselves gripped by political crises. Kyrgyzstan’s government has been overthrown, but so far the drama in Thailand has been contained. What to make of this? Kyrgyzstan The immediate crisis has been triggered by massive energy price increases and a… [Read more]