The ongoing Ebola outbreak in the DRC serves as a critical warning that the global health security system is fundamentally unprepared for future biological threats. The difficulty in containing this outbreak is compounded by the rising risk of emerging pathogens and the growing potential for AI misuse in bioweapon development. Policy must therefore shift from reactive, crisis-driven funding to sustained, proactive investment in resilient public health infrastructure, particularly in conflict zones. Addressing this requires strengthening global surveillance, ensuring consistent international cooperation, and mitigating the intersection of conflict, climate change, and disease spread.
Ethiopia needs more than an election to calm internal and regional conflict
English Summary
The Chatham House analysis argues that Ethiopia's deep-seated internal and regional conflicts—particularly in Tigray and Amhara—are overshadowing the upcoming election, rendering the poll insufficient for achieving stability. Escalating tensions are driven by the TPLF's reconstitution of regional authority and the risk of wider regional conflagration, evidenced by proxy conflicts and shifting alliances with neighbors like Eritrea and Sudan. Consequently, the report stresses that resolving the crisis requires an urgent, coordinated diplomatic response from major international actors (including the US, EU, and China) to bolster regional mediation efforts, rather than relying on political processes or electoral outcomes.
中文摘要
查塔姆學會的分析指出，衣索比亞根深蒂固的內部與區域衝突——特別是在提格雷和阿姆哈拉地區——正在掩蓋即將到來的選舉，使得透過民調無法實現穩定。緊張局勢的升級源於人民解放戰線黨（TPLF）重建區域權威，以及爆發更廣泛區域戰火的風險，這從與厄立特里亞和蘇丹等鄰國的代理人衝突和聯盟轉變中可見。因此，報告強調，解決這場危機需要主要國際行為者（包括美國、歐盟和中國）緊急且協調的外交回應，以加強區域調解努力，而非依賴政治過程或選舉結果。
Related Entries
-
1.
-
2.
The article argues that modern conflicts are increasingly defined by attrition, driven by three strategic gaps: the difference between nominal military power and usable capacity; the difficulty of achieving breakthroughs in a technologically advanced battlefield; and the detachment of military means from clear political objectives. Evidence from Ukraine and the Middle East demonstrates that sustained logistics, rapid technological adaptation, and proxy networks are now more decisive than sheer military size. For policymakers, this implies a strategic shift away from seeking short, decisive victories toward preparing for prolonged, high-cost engagements, requiring a focus on sustainable supply chains and defining concrete, attainable political end-states.
-
3.
Congress has significantly expanded presidential tariff authority by passing the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, allowing the executive to impose up to 100% tariffs on key buyers of Russian energy and sanctions enablers. The article argues that this legislation represents a dangerous abdication of Congress's Article I authority, as it grants the executive vast, discretionary power without specifying criteria for enforcement. Historically, the executive could claim tariffs were its own doing; however, by writing and passing this new authority, Congress now owns the resulting trade policy and its economic consequences. This shift implies that future tariffs will be viewed by the public as a direct legislative action, potentially undermining the administration's credibility and creating political vulnerability.
-
4.
Cuba is on a trajectory toward an accelerating state and economic collapse, risking a point of no return. The state is deteriorating into "authoritarian anarchy," retaining its capacity for political repression but losing the ability to provide basic public services like health and safety. Economically, while the private sector is growing, this expansion is highly unequal, fueling cronyism and widening class gaps between the elite and the poor. If the current trend continues, the country risks calcifying these defects into a dysfunctional baseline, severely diminishing the chances of a stable, democratic transition.
-
5.
The article analyzes Finland's agreement to coordinate its conventional forces with French nuclear capabilities, clarifying that no nuclear weapons will be stationed in Finland. The author argues that increased communication between nuclear powers, rather than the deployment of weapons, is beneficial for reducing the risk of miscalculation and inadvertent escalation, particularly near Russia. For Europe, the policy recommendation is a responsible middle course: strengthening non-nuclear military capabilities to deter Russia while simultaneously negotiating a stable system, such as non-aligned buffer states. This approach is presented as a diplomatic alternative to both aggressive military action and surrender.