Show Notes
Welcome back everybody to "The Libya Chronicles" the first series of the Maghreb Voices Mini Series, a special co-production of The North Africa Initiative and the SAIS Review Looking Glass Podcast. This series delves into the rich and tumultuous history of Libya, a land of ancient kingdoms, vast natural resources, and a complex political landscape. To discuss the transformation of Libyan society under Gaddafi and the following social and economic developments domestically and globally, joini...
More from The Looking Glass
To mark the launch of our newest print edition, “The United States at 250: Institutions, Alliances, and the Future of World Order,” this special extended companion episode of The Looking Glass brings the pages of the journal directly to your ears. As the United States approaches its semiquincentennial, we invite the issue’s featured authors to provide reflections on their research, arguments, and strategic policy takeaways. From the historical parallels of international interventions an...
A special mini-episode of The Looking Glass featuring H.E. Omran Sharaf, UAE Assistant Foreign Minister for Advanced Science and Technology and former Chair of UN COPUOS. Following his recent appearance at Johns Hopkins SAIS, Minister Sharaf sits down with Aaryaman Shah for a brief conversation on UAE tech statecraft, middle-power strategy amid US–China tech friction, and the future of international space governance. We extend our sincere gratitude to His Excellency and his team for joining t...
The Pakistan–Afghanistan border clashes in October 2025 were the latest eruption of a deeper historical fault line at the Durand Line. The roots trace to decades of mistrust, migration, and geopolitics. This episode hopes to explore how the Durand line continues to fuel tensions and how ordinary people (especially near the border) bear the brunt of the security crackdowns and deportations, and how external involvement, both past and present, has shaped the relationship of the two neighbors an...
Peru’s 2026 election season is occurring amid a deepening crisis of political legitimacy. Public confidence in Congress has collapsed to some of the lowest levels in the Western Hemisphere, and Peruvians increasingly doubt whether their institutions can deliver stability, security, and responsive governance. Adding to this political unease, Keiko Fujimori, a polarizing figure and leader of the right‑wing Popular Force party, has launched a renewed presidential bid despite multiple corruption ...
2026 is a decisive year for Latin American democracy, as democratic institutions across the region are being tested by public distrust and upcoming elections in Colombia, Peru and Brazil. This year, however, it happens under a very different backdrop: The U.S.’s capture of Venezuela's dictator Nicolas Maduro and Washington’s renewed desire to maintain a regional sphere of influence. These developments raise critical questions about the extent of U.S. influence over Latin America’s democratic ...