Brexit again

U-Turn in the Brexit process, with threats from the British government of jeopardizing the finalized exit deal of less than a year ago. By introducing legislation that aims to eliminate the legal force of the agreement, the United Kingdom is openly breaking the notion of “pacta sunt servanda” (agreements must be kept), which is one of the pillars of international law.

Among the consequences of such a development are the Northern Ireland border issue and the “Good Friday Agreement“, while it is currently unclear what the end-goal is for this political move.

A “chaotic” exit would also imply heavy regulatory issues for both parties, firstly because it would impose the application of import tariffs that would jeopardize all bilateral trade.

Ethiopia and regional elections in Tigray

The Tigray region in Ethiopia is the target of the Ethiopian government’s attention, after having decided to proceed with its electoral process against the government’s orders, who in turn, decreed that elections were to be postponed as a result of Covid-19. The government is also facing international scrutiny as a result of its actions that jeopardize press freedom.

These developments are seen as a challenge to the federal government, as Ethiopia is already a country that deals with large ethnic, linguistic and religious divisions.

These developments place additional pressure on Ethiopia, which itself is already under international pressure due to its intention of going through with its plans for the GERD (Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam) in the Nile river, a dam which may cause water supply issues upstream and faces criticism from Sudan and Egypt as a result.

Other Stories

• Huawei announced its new operating system, which will be running in its smartphones from 2021.
• A fire took place in the Beirut port, merely weeks after the explosion which resulted in hundreds of dead and thousands of injured. The Lebanese authorities have launched an investigation.
• Navid Afkari, an Iranian wrestler, was executed for taking part in protests in 2018.
• Five young Indian nationals were kidnapped by the Chinese army in the Arunachal Pradesh border, with the Indian army stating that their release is being negotiated.
• Greece sent troops to another demilitarized island, following the developments in the last few weeks in the Eastern Mediterranean.
• India and Japan signed another military cooperation treaty in the field of logistics.
• Belarus was unable to reach an agreement with the IMF for a financial aid package worth $940 million.
• Israel and Bahrain established full diplomatic relations, following the Israel-UAE normalization.
• A fire at Moria camp in the island of Lesbos, Greece, left thousands of refugees without shelter.
• According to Microsoft, hackers from China, Iran and Russia are attempting to spy on the American presidential campaigns.