In an understated ceremony within Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office, Israel became the first United Nations member to formally recognise Somaliland’s independence. The decision, taken almost thirty-five years after Somaliland declared independence from Somalia, gives new hope for momentum to the unrecognized state's bid for international recognition. Yet, Israel’s decision may similarly present new challenges, as Somaliland attempts to navigate the complex politics of the Red Sea region

Three years after electing Milorad Dodik, the citizens of Republika Srpska, one of the two constituent entities making up the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, are tasked with electing a new President. The election, seemingly a mostly local affair, may have a decisive role in determining the future of Bosnia; specifically in the context of stalled out EU membership negotiations and rising ethnic polarisation. 

“We have enough fuel deliveries ensured, not just until the end of the year, but even after it”, Bulgarian minister of energy, Zhecho Stankov, told a group of journalists as he participated in a joint-inspection of the new gas pipeline, Rupcha-Vetrino. Only a few days earlier, on October 23rd, the United States announced new sanctions against two of Russia’s primary oil companies- Rosneft and Lukoil- both of which continue to operate refineries and gas stations across a number of European countr