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]

Former Chinese premier Zhou Enlai (1949-76) was once asked about the impact of the French Revolution in 1789, and he replied ‘It’s too early to say’. However, with today marking the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Shah of Iran, one thing that I can say with confidence is that the Iranian Revolution was… [Read more]

The ‘low-key’ (almost anti-climatic) celebrations marking the 50th anniversary since the Cuban revolution on January 1 were highly symbolic of the republic’s current economic, social and political state of affairs. Cuba endured three devastating hurricanes in 2008 (Gustav, Ike and Paloma) incurring damages worth an estimated US$10bn, struggled with soaring fuel and food costs earlier… [Read more]