In recent years, ransomware has increasingly appeared in headlines. Just this past summer, the largest fuel pipeline company in the US, the Irish Health Service and the Swedish supermarket chain Coop were afflicted by ransomware. Ransomware is a malicious type of cyberattack which aims to encrypt the victim’s files and
The Cuban embargo crisis: a neighbour from hell
This summer in Cuba was defined by protests that spread far and wide on the island. The July protests were sparked by a frustration of having to deal with food shortages and blackouts, along with the government’s much-criticised handling of the pandemic. The unrest, the biggest the country had seen
The Catalan regional crisis – Spain’s latest attempt to prosecute Catalonia’s ex-president
The former president of Catalonia, Carles Puigdemont, was recently arrested upon arrival in Sardinia, Italy, after having spent nearly four years in exile. During the trial held the following day, the Italian authorities decided to release him on the condition that he returns for a hearing later in October. With
Ten years of Tunisia’s democratic experiment
It all started in Tunisia in December of 2010, when street vendor Mohammed Bouazizi set himself alight in protest of the government after being harassed by local police. Ten years later, one often hears that the Arab Spring has become the ‘Arab Winter’. Egypt went from dictatorship to holding democratic
Hindu Nationalism, Human Rights and COVID-19
This article is a contribution from Amit Singh, a visiting researcher at Lund University’s Department of Political Science. Views expressed in this article are the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of UPF Lund and The Perspective. In the 2020 Human Freedom Index, which ranks civil, economic and
Bombs, Borders, and Blackmail – A look backwards and forwards at the turbulence in the Western Sahara
The Western Sahara, the territory on the Northwest coast of Africa which is sometimes called ‘Africa’s Last Colony’ due to its listing by the UN as a non-decolonized territory, has had an extremely turbulent year. From escalating violence in the South of the territory to diplomatic fights over international recognition,
By UPF Webzine Articles/Carribean/Central America/China/Conflict/Coronavirus/Diplomacy/International Relations/Latin America/North America/South America/UPF/USA The Race to Vaccinate the World – A Global Power Play in Latin America
Victor Idrogo / Banco Mundial, Flickr For centuries, Latin America and the Caribbean have been the site of geopolitical power plays. The Covid-19 pandemic has made the region once again the stage for competition over the world’s leadership position – this time between China and the United States. This past
Ten Years On: The Challenge of Rebuilding Syria
Photo: Freedom House, Flickr In the last ten years, Syria has suffered through a brutal civil war. This war has failed to uproot President Bashar al-Assad from power and instead left the country fractured and deeply wounded. This article will explore the challenges facing Syria when attempting to rebuild the
How the COVID-19 Pandemic Fuelled the Fire of New Conspiracy Theories
Since the storming of the U.S. Capitol, QAnon has flourished as a widely-known conspiracy theorist cult. Its followers believe that paedophiles control media and politics and that a deep state – where a hidden government rules over the legitimate elected body – has been created in the United States. They
How far “left” is the US Democratic party?
Gage Skidmore, Flickr Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of UPF Lund and The Perspective. With the advent of the ambitious Biden administration, it will not come as a surprise to see the Democratic Party moving further left as they maximize their slim federal majority