Wielding a golden gavel and a playlist featuring the Beach Boys, Donald Trump ushered in a new era of international humiliation at the inaugural meeting of the U.S.-led Board of Peace. The new body, while established by Trump, has been tasked by a UN Security Council resolution to administer Gaza’s reconstruction efforts. But Trump has also suggested his ambitions for the board go far beyond Gaza, saying it would “almost be looking over the United Nations and making sure it runs properly.” Trump has demanded that world leaders pony up…
Posts published in “Opinion”
Valentine’s Day: The Politics and Psychology of Hating Love. Each year Hindu nationalist groups carry out violent crackdowns on couples in public spaces during Valentine’s Day in India. These incidents show how moral policing, group identity politics and anxiety about social change combine to justify control over private emotion and public behaviour. On Feb. 14, activists linked to Hindu nationalist organisations entered NMIMS University in Indore and allegedly vandalised property after claiming that an obscene Valentine’s Day related program was being organized on campus, according to The Telegraph. The university…
The search for rare earths for energy transition is often regarded as a form of neo-colonialism, and today it is the area in which this phenomenon manifests itself most clearly, especially due to its geopolitical and economic effects. However, there are other neo-colonial practices that are less visible but with equally negative consequences at the local level. One of these is the export of waste to Africa and Asia by Western countries, particularly the export of plastic, clothing, and electronic waste. The export of waste to the Global South is…
A quiet but profound shift is reshaping the geopolitical map of South America, as revealed by an exclusive Reuters report, “Brazil signals new openness to Mercosur-China talks as Beijing seeks deeper ties”: For the first time, senior Brazilian officials are considering a push for a “partial” trade agreement between the Mercosur bloc and China. This represents a major shift for Latin America’s largest economy. While Washington is busy raising tariffs and fortifying protectionist walls, countries in the Western hemisphere are recalculating their survival strategies. The result? A pragmatic reassessment of…
The Office of the President of Uruguay on Saturday posted a recap on Instagram of President Yamandú Orsi’s seven-day state visit to China, which took place from February 1 to 7, highlighting achievements in five areas: diplomacy, production, science, education, and cooperation.The post, published on the very day Orsi concluded his China visit, described the visit as a successful “historic” official trip, noting that it consolidated Uruguay’s position as a strategic partner on the world stage. The post outlined achievements across various sectors over the seven-day period. On the diplomatic…
In January 2026, the death of Renée Good, a mother of three in Minneapolis, by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent, and the subsequent fatal shooting of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old nurse, by federal agents, sparked outrage and protests within the US. Nobel laureate Daron Acemoglu of Massachusetts Institute of Technology swiftly diagnosed the malady in a Project Syndicate piece. This could be “a turning point,” he declared. The killings represented “a key distinguishing feature of authoritarian governments” – the ability to deploy excessive force against opponents. The Trump…
Few ideas in global finance generate as much anxiety as de-dollarization. To some Western observers, any attempt to reduce reliance on the US dollar is automatically framed as a political challenge to American power. Yet for much of the developing world, the conversation is far less ideological and far more practical. The push to diversify global payment systems and promote the use of local currencies is not about confrontation; it is a response to economic realities that many countries have lived with for decades. The dominance of the dollar has…
As news emerged that UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer would lead a significant delegation to China, the narratives in Western media surrounding this potential visit have become both complex and divergent. Some outlets sensationalized the situation, claiming that “ignoring security threats, Starmer caves to China on mega-embassy,” while others argued that the prime minister “has to play it tough in China.” In contrast, there are voices emphasizing a pragmatic cooperation agenda, highlighting key initiatives such as the potential revival of a “golden era” business dialogue between the UK and China.…
As we just entered a new year, I think Hong Kong now has a golden opportunity to think afresh and reinvent itself. Rather than regretting the events of the very difficult days in 2019-20, Hong Kong should embrace a very different and new kind of future, based on “one country, two systems.” I would like to make seven propositions concerning Hong Kong’s future. First, it must be based on deep integration with the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA). The dynamism of the Guangdong Province and its cities represents a…
On Monday, Yan Junjie, born in 1989, walked into a conference room in Beijing. At 37, he was likely the youngest entrepreneur at a symposium chaired by Chinese Premier Li Qiang to solicit opinions on the draft government work report and the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30). Who is this young man, and why does his voice matter to China’s economic strategy? Yan is the founder and CEO of MiniMax, an AI startup that became China’s second “AI tiger” to go public on January 9. The company achieved in four years…