Global Political Insight

In the months preceding the Brazilian World Cup, our television screens were plastered with images of protests, riots and burnt out cars on the streets of Rio De Janerio, Sao Paulo and Belo Horizonte. The cause of the violence was attributed to social discontent with protesters captured carrying banners with potentially threatening messages such as […]

History illustrates that the recurring themes of a world with a fading hegemon are wars and instability. From Eastern Ukraine, to the South China Sea, current events signal a shift in the global strategic balance. Russia and China have become increasingly antagonistic towards the perceived interference from the West into their spheres of influence. These […]

On 4th August, the world marked 100 years since World War I, a conflict that resulted in 16 million deaths. A century later, a new conflict is brewing, this time between Russia and Western countries, with Ukraine being the hotspot of military activity. Ever since a wave of demonstrations and civil unrest broke out in […]

How to direct Western economies to stability and prosperity? Austerity or spending? One American billionaire proposes a different solution and predicts the end of the rise of the super-rich. Since the start of the financial crisis in 2008, experts all over the world have discussed ways to get the economies in effected countries out of […]

Unbeknown to most people, there exists a particular – and slightly peculiar – research domain in the discipline of consumer behaviour called; The Socio-Cultural Patterning of Consumption.  It addresses the question of how systematic consumption behaviours are precipitated by institutionalised social structures.  A nexus of these social structures is; Social-Class.  The provenance of this now […]

While attending the BRICS summit in July this year, President Xi made a state visit to Brazil where he met with Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff. This was Xi’s first visit to the country since becoming president (he previously visited as Vice President in 2009), and comes as China and Brazil celebrate their 40th anniversary of bilateral ties. Before […]

The Ebola Virus, formerly known as ‘Ebola Haemorrhagic Fever’ is an often fatal disease originating in the tropical rainforests of Central Africa. 932 people have died as a result of contracting the disease in this latest outbreak. The disease is spread to humans through the handling and butchering of infected animals. Once an individual is […]

It has been three years since the civil war that engulfed Libya and resulted in the ousting of Colonel Qaddafi. The images of some citizens celebrating the end of a ruler who was in charge for more than 40 years was supposed to be the first of many promising moments in the new Libya. However far from becoming […]

The United States and Israel have always enjoyed an intimate relationship. Israel was a key ally during the Cold War and the security of Israel is one of Washington’s primary concerns. As a result, the US provides Israel with a lot of finances in the form of aid. Since World War II Israel has received […]

In 2016, the world’s fastest growing economies, Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, commonly abbreviated as the ‘BRICS’ countries, with South Africa being the latest addition to the group, will set up their own Development Bank. The Development Bank will focus on BRICS infrastructure projects and will serve to support the blocs’ economies. The […]

The date on which Scotland will decide its faith in the 307 year old union is approaching fast. Despite that, neither the nationalists nor pro-unionistic British government are making any dramatic moves, keeping their best cards hidden. The recent stipulation of Alexander Salmond, the First Minister of Scotland, that Scotland will keep its pound, mildly […]

The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict has stemmed from several disagreements that all have roots in the past, before spiralling into the current conflict we see in the news. We are constantly bombarded with images of soldiers and civilians, politicians and commentators, Israelis and Palestinians. And, most importantly, everyone tries to decide who is right, who has the […]

Despite the insistence of western governments on framing the conflict within the ‘war on terror’ narrative, recent events in Mali are part of decades long struggle for Azawadi independence and the geopolitical manoeuvrings of regional and world powers. Negotiations are underway between Tuareg and Arab rebel groups and the Malian government following the signing of the Algiers […]

The current outbreak of violence in Gaza follows a pattern which has engulfed the region for more than half a century. The particularly aggressive offensive currently being carried out by the Israeli military resulting in around 1000 Palestinian deaths has led to the UN accusing the nation of possible war crimes. Israel, however believes that it is […]

The crash of MH17 that took place on 17 July was a stark reminder of the horrific incidents that can occur during a civil war. Unfortunately, rather than contemplating on how to end the Ukrainian crisis and ensure that similar future catastrophes do not happen again, the Ukrainian government and separatists blamed each other for […]