Since President Donald Trump’s administration froze and subsequently slashed funding for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) this year, Moldova—a small, geopolitically vulnerable nation—has been reportedly thrust into a maelstrom of uncertainty. The Elon Musk-led decision, part of Trump’s … The post USAID Funding Cuts in Moldova Shed Light on Country’s Dependence on “Shadow NATO” appeared first on Global Research.

Since President Donald Trump’s administration froze and subsequently slashed funding for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) this year, Moldova—a small, geopolitically vulnerable nation—has been reportedly thrust into a maelstrom of uncertainty. The Elon Musk-led decision, part of Trump’s … The post USAID Funding Cuts in Moldova Shed Light on Country’s Dependence on “Shadow NATO” appeared first on Global Research.

… The post Hegseth’s Visit to the Philippines Meant to Advance US War Agenda in the Indo-Pacific appeared first on Global Research.

… The post Hegseth’s Visit to the Philippines Meant to Advance US War Agenda in the Indo-Pacific appeared first on Global Research.

Today, Western geopolitical discourse has come to completely ignore and deride the concept of ideology, or that nations and individuals can be motivated by non-material, non-security factors. Instead, in America and Europe, rationalistic and utilitarian concepts like economic interests, military projection, and balance of power are thought of as the only meaningful categories of inter-state conflict. It is this latter, ultimately myopic perspective which explains the Trump administration’s belief that a meaningful peace agreement with Russia is possible.  In Trump’s view — shared by some proponents of the realist school of international relations— diplomatic overtures offer a reasonable alternative to continuing a seemingly unwinnable war. In this scenario, Russia will be recognized as the de facto ruler of occupied Ukrainian territories in parts of Donetsk, as well as Kharkiv, Kherson, Luhansk, Mykolayiv, and Zaporizhzhya oblasts, permitting Vladimir Putin to secure his legacy as a wartime victor. Ukraine will cut its losses and arrest the downward spiral of bloodletting that has cost hundreds of thousands of lives and displaced 11 million citizens to date. America, as the broker of peace, gains access to Ukraine’s rich critical minerals, and the promise of potentially billions of dollars for American corporate interests.  The problem with this approach is not that Ukraine or Russia won’t formally agree to lay down arms. While Ukraine may not consent to any lasting agreement without stronger American or European security guarantees (conditions which Putin has flatly rejected), Trump’s persistence and the realities of warfare are nevertheless likely to result in some sort of ceasefire. Instead, the bigger concern is that Putin, unlike Zelenskyy and Trump, does not perceive the world through the supposedly objective categories of thought which guide the West. From the outset, Western liberal analysts have misunderstood Putin’s goals and intentions in Ukraine, which were never (entirely) about conquering rich arable land, appeasing the domestic Russian population, reclaiming old Soviet borders, maintaining an authoritarian grip on power, escalating tensions with Europe, or disrupting the American-led rules based international order. These are but icing on the cake. Nor was the war fundamentally about Ukraine’s request for ascension to NATO membership, despite Putin’s recent assertion about “root causes.” Instead, the sources of Russian aggression are much deeper, more sinister, and far more difficult for Westerners to comprehend. In speech after speech (as well in essays and revealing interviews), Putin and his senior officials have conveyed an ideological view of history that places Kyiv as the birthplace and spiritual center of ancient Russian civilization (‘Kyivan Rus’). As scholar Marlene Laruelle has argued in a new book, Putin’s “imperial strategy is focused obsessively on Ukraine” for precisely ideological reasons.  There is no similar desire on the part of Moscow to reconstitute the former Soviet Union by reintegrating Central Asia or the South Caucasus into its sovereign orbit. Instead, Putin seeks to recreate the “mythical Russia” of the tsars, many of whom he looks toward for geopolitical inspiration (Sergei Lavrov once remarked that Putin had “three advisers”: Ivan the Terrible, Peter the Great, and Catherine the Great). An independent, Western-oriented Ukraine poses an existential threat to this vision of a “mythical East Slavic unity.” Putin’s geo-imaginaries long precede the current war, and therefore cannot be discarded as mere ex post facto propaganda. In 2008, for example, after the NATO Bucharest Summit, Putin exclaimed, “Ukraine is not even a state! What is Ukraine? A part of its territory is [in] Eastern Europe, but a[nother] part, a considerable one, was a gift from us!” Several years later, after the annexation of Crimea, Putin addressed representatives of the Russian Duma. Ukrainians and Russians were “one people. Kiev is the mother of Russian cities. Ancient Rus is our common source and we cannot live without each other.” Moreover, these views are not unique to Putin. It is the official position of the Russian Orthodox Church, under Patriarch Kirill, who, similarly, several years before the war, referred to Kyiv as the “the mother of all Russian cities”, which Russians could never “abandon.” And this is a view widely shared by the Russian citizenry. As historian Serhii Plokhy points out, the view that Ukraine was once historic Russia is almost universally held by the entire Russian population, from Machiavellian politicians to harmless babushkas.  National mythology shapes foreign policy, perhaps nowhere as much as in Russia, where Putin and his inner circle regularly reference their ideological interpretation of history (in Laruelle’s analysis, Russian presidential speeches have, in recent years, made between one hundred and three hundred references to Russian history per year). There is simply no reason—beyond Western naivety and the inability to look beyond our own rationalistic and secular political categories—not to take Putin at his word when he asserts his belief (and that is merely what it is) that Kyiv is the crown jewel of the Russkiy Mir (Russian world). Seen from this perspective, it is unsurprising that Russia’s original invasion plan sought to subjugate Kyiv itself. The “special military operation” was modelled after the Soviet era Operation Danube, which crushed the Prague Spring in 1968 and installed a puppet regime in Czechoslovakia for another twenty years. Only after this initial plan had failed did Moscow scale back its objectives, readjusting its military strategy to focus on the occupation of the Donbas region and the Sea of Azov. And it is likely that, several years from now, a reconstituted Russian army will once again seek to push Russian borders westwards towards the Ukrainian capital. For this reason, any peace agreement will in all likelihood be a repeat of the 2015 Minsk II agreement, which set the stage for the 2022 invasion. It would no doubt succeed in postponing further bloodshed for a time, as did Minsk, but will do nothing to staunch Putin’s long-term aspirations. Some describe Putin as a thug while others see him as a geopolitical mastermind. He is both, but he is also first and foremost an ideologue. One should always be wary of negotiating with ideologues. 

IDF reports that it and the Shin Bet internal security agency have destroyed over 100 pickup trucks used by Hamas terrorists during the October 7th invasion of southwestern Israel. The post Israeli strikes destroy over 100 pickup trucks used in October 7th invasion appeared first on World Israel News.

Ordinary Europeans do not want to go to war with Russia.

A Ásia Central continua sendo uma região-chave para a estabilidade russa. Como todo o espaço pós-soviético, os países da Ásia Central apresentam à Federação Russa uma série de desafios e oportunidades, e é vital para Moscou desenvolver uma estratégia de … The post Ásia Central continua a ser uma das áreas mais sensíveis no ambiente estratégico da Rússia. appeared first on Global Research.

A Ásia Central continua sendo uma região-chave para a estabilidade russa. Como todo o espaço pós-soviético, os países da Ásia Central apresentam à Federação Russa uma série de desafios e oportunidades, e é vital para Moscou desenvolver uma estratégia de … The post Ásia Central continua a ser uma das áreas mais sensíveis no ambiente estratégico da Rússia. appeared first on Global Research.

Despite attempts by protesters to block Coalition lawmakers from entering the Knesset and disruptions inside the parliament building, Netanyahu government manages to secure passage of the 2025 budget. The post Protesters swarm Knesset, barring entrance to lawmakers as gov’t passes budget appeared first on World Israel News.

Green card applicants who 'conceal group memberships' that would threaten their residency status are considered guilty of fraud. The post Mahmoud Khalil omitted work for terror-tied UNRWA from green card application, prosecutors say appeared first on World Israel News.

IDF forces carried out multiple raids in southern Syria, seizing and destroying weapons caches—including explosives, ammunition, and mortars—based on intelligence about storage sites. The post WATCH: IDF forces confiscate weapons during raids in Syria appeared first on World Israel News.

The Alawites were well aware of the warning given to the Syrians by Defense Minister Israel Katz on March 1 The post The Alawites know that their enemy is not Israel – analysis appeared first on World Israel News.

While the campus protest remained relatively tame, it calls into question the school’s ability to enforce its new rules. The post Masked protesters rally against Columbia’s new mask policy, testing school’s resolve to deliver Trump-imposed reforms appeared first on World Israel News.

Lebanese Druze leader Wiam Wahhab shocks the region by praising Israel as a protector after the Sunni Muslim Brotherhood's betrayal in Syria, amid escalating tensions and Israeli military moves to defend Druze settlements near Damascus. The post WATCH: Lebanese Druze leader – ‘Who else but Israel will protect us?’ appeared first on World Israel News.

London restaurateur accuses vandal of antisemitism, after CCTV footage shows man ripping Jewish religious markers off of doorways of his restaurant and a synagogue. The post Vandal tears off religious items from London synagogue, kosher restaurant appeared first on World Israel News.

Did it ever occur to anyone to allow the political leaders of ISIS or Al-Qaeda to play any role in Syria and Iraq? The post No difference between Hamas ‘politicians’ and terrorists – opinion appeared first on World Israel News.

Malaysia needs to look beyond the differences and uncertainties which characterise international conflict instead of seeing them as a negative aspect, and seize opportunities to establish global balance in this multipolar world, Abdul Haziq Kongid writes

The future of the world economy that is transformed by BRICS rests not solely on the dynamics within this hierarchy of the largest economies, but also on the qualitative changes brought about by BRICS initiatives and policy coordination

Reorientation of exports to geopolitically aligned countries grows in global trade

While Adams wasn't specific to which opponent he meant, many pointed to Zohran Mamdani, 33, a democratic socialist who has been a harsh critic of the Jewish state. The post NYC Mayor Eric Adams tells Jewish leaders one of his election opponents is ‘spewing antisemitism’ appeared first on World Israel News.

Elon Musk’s Starlink is muscling in on Joe Biden’s rural internet initiative. “What rural internet initiative?” you might ask. Good question. The Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program was introduced as part of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 to bring internet access to America’s unconnected households, 80 percent of which are in rural

Anglo-ally Britain is also facing major naval issues.

The idea of progress has been central to the Left since its inception. From the French Revolution on, the task was nothing less than the struggle to free humanity from the bonds of necessity. But today faith in progress has been severely diminished. While we have made incredible productive and technological leaps, the benefits have

[This is an AI translation of the original article published in Serbian at politika.rs, corrections and editing by the author.  Germany, Great Britain and France want to continue the war in Ukraine because they have proxy regimes, which are … The post NATO’s First War against Yugoslavia. No War, No NATO. : Prof. Michel Chossudovsky appeared first on Global Research.

[This is an AI translation of the original article published in Serbian at politika.rs, corrections and editing by the author.  Germany, Great Britain and France want to continue the war in Ukraine because they have proxy regimes, which are … The post NATO’s First War against Yugoslavia. No War, No NATO. : Prof. Michel Chossudovsky appeared first on Global Research.

The Foreign Ministry charged that 'Nothing stands in the way of the UN Secretary-General in another attempt to smear Israel.' The post Israel rejects UN’s repeated accusation of shelling its compound in Gaza appeared first on World Israel News.

We live in a 24/7 media society of the spectacle where brainwashing is cunning and relentless, and the consuming public is consumed with thoughts and perceptions filtered through electronic media according to the needs and lies of corporate state power.… The post Do You Think You’ll Ever Know, Now That You Have Handed Your Mind to the Machine? appeared first on Global Research.

We live in a 24/7 media society of the spectacle where brainwashing is cunning and relentless, and the consuming public is consumed with thoughts and perceptions filtered through electronic media according to the needs and lies of corporate state power.… The post Do You Think You’ll Ever Know, Now That You Have Handed Your Mind to the Machine? appeared first on Global Research.

After the fall of Assad's regime, the Israeli military entrenched itself in southern Syria, transforming ghost towns into strategic outposts. The post WATCH: Inside IDF operations on the Syrian side of Mt. Hermon appeared first on World Israel News.

Vehement opposition to annexation exists in Israel, mostly from the left, but some centrists and right-wingers may reconsider with incentives such as Saudi normalization. The post Why Israel should annex at least parts of Judea and Samaria – analysis appeared first on World Israel News.

America’s military budget is more than just numbers on a page—it’s a reflection of the priorities that shape our society. Right now, that nearly trillion dollar budget is bloated, inefficient, and far removed from the needs of everyday Americans. We’ve … The post Dear DOGE: Here’s How to Cut the Pentagon Budget by $100 Billion in Six Easy Steps appeared first on Global Research.

America’s military budget is more than just numbers on a page—it’s a reflection of the priorities that shape our society. Right now, that nearly trillion dollar budget is bloated, inefficient, and far removed from the needs of everyday Americans. We’ve … The post Dear DOGE: Here’s How to Cut the Pentagon Budget by $100 Billion in Six Easy Steps appeared first on Global Research.

Hamas has reportedly responded 'positively' to a revised Egyptian proposal that Israel has yet to officially receive. The post Egypt threatens to expel terrorists if Hamas doesn’t agree to new deal appeared first on World Israel News.

У петак, 21. марта 2025. године је у Дому Војске одржана је конференција «КАД ЈЕ РАТ ВРАЋЕН У ЕВРОПУ» у оквиру програма обележавња 26. годишњице агресије НАТО на СРЈ. Представљена је и књига «КАД ЈЕ РАТ ВРАЋЕН У ЕВРОПУ», Зборник … The post видео: Професор МИШЕЛ ЧОСУДОВСКИ, Конференција, 21. март 2025. appeared first on Global Research.

У петак, 21. марта 2025. године је у Дому Војске одржана је конференција «КАД ЈЕ РАТ ВРАЋЕН У ЕВРОПУ» у оквиру програма обележавња 26. годишњице агресије НАТО на СРЈ. Представљена је и књига «КАД ЈЕ РАТ ВРАЋЕН У ЕВРОПУ», Зборник … The post видео: Професор МИШЕЛ ЧОСУДОВСКИ, Конференција, 21. март 2025. appeared first on Global Research.

The IDF reported that the violence began when Palestinian suspects hurled rocks at Israeli civilians, damaging vehicles. The post Oscar-winning documentary co-director arrested for throwing stones at Israeli forces appeared first on World Israel News.

The U.S. State Department responded to a question about an IDF strike that killed a Hamas terrorist disguised as a journalist, stating that Hamas bears full responsibility for any death and destruction in the Strip. The post WATCH: US State Dept. blames Hamas for deaths of ‘journalists’ in Gaza appeared first on World Israel News.

The erosion of democracy happens bit by bit and then all at once

I finally got to the theater to see The Monkey, which is surprisingly lively and enjoyable. Though it opened in February, it goes right on playing week after week, quietly making a lot of money while so many other films tank in a rotten year for movies so far. It’s become the first horror film

Despite the Greenlandic people voting in favor of independence and rejecting Trump’s agenda to control the island-nation, National Security Advisor, Mike Waltz, US energy secretary, Chris Wright and J.D. Vance’s wife, Usha are set to visit Greenland and the locals … The post Fox News Media Blackout: Greenland Rejects Trump’s Offer to Become a De Facto Colony of the US appeared first on Global Research.

Despite the Greenlandic people voting in favor of independence and rejecting Trump’s agenda to control the island-nation, National Security Advisor, Mike Waltz, US energy secretary, Chris Wright and J.D. Vance’s wife, Usha are set to visit Greenland and the locals … The post Fox News Media Blackout: Greenland Rejects Trump’s Offer to Become a De Facto Colony of the US appeared first on Global Research.

The NATO Bombing of Yugoslavia Was a Criminal Act, Western Media Were Accomplices, Covering Up the Crimes of NATO and the KLA. Michel Chossudovsky By Prof Michel Chossudovsky, March 25, 2025 In recalling March 24, 1999, Chossudovsky pointed out … The post Selected Articles: The NATO Bombing of Yugoslavia was a Criminal Act, Western Media Were Accomplices, Covering Up the Crimes of NATO and the KLA appeared first on Global Research.

The NATO Bombing of Yugoslavia Was a Criminal Act, Western Media Were Accomplices, Covering Up the Crimes of NATO and the KLA. Michel Chossudovsky By Prof Michel Chossudovsky, March 25, 2025 In recalling March 24, 1999, Chossudovsky pointed out … The post Selected Articles: The NATO Bombing of Yugoslavia was a Criminal Act, Western Media Were Accomplices, Covering Up the Crimes of NATO and the KLA appeared first on Global Research.

The recent clash between Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump sent shockwaves across Europe, exposing the continent’s deep political fractures. The European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen’s response — a €800 billion military spending plan dubbed “ReArm Europe”  only exacerbated divisions across the continent, including within the pro-EU camp. Take Italy, where Michele Serra, a

Mike Whitney (MW): Did Israel Kill JFK? Was Israel involved in the assassination of President John F. Kennedy? (Is there any hard evidence or is it mostly conjecture?). And if Israel was involved, then what was the alleged motive?… The post How Israel Killed the Kennedys appeared first on Global Research.

Mike Whitney (MW): Did Israel Kill JFK? Was Israel involved in the assassination of President John F. Kennedy? (Is there any hard evidence or is it mostly conjecture?). And if Israel was involved, then what was the alleged motive?… The post How Israel Killed the Kennedys appeared first on Global Research.

We are being attacked from all sides. Everybody knows it. The primary goal of the Deep State – whoever it is — is to massively reduce world population; from currently about eight billion to less than a billion.  Back in … The post Appeal on Sovereign Countries: Worldwide Exit from Western-Imposed Institutions – The UN System, European Union, NATO appeared first on Global Research.

We are being attacked from all sides. Everybody knows it. The primary goal of the Deep State – whoever it is — is to massively reduce world population; from currently about eight billion to less than a billion.  Back in … The post Appeal on Sovereign Countries: Worldwide Exit from Western-Imposed Institutions – The UN System, European Union, NATO appeared first on Global Research.

Mišel Čosudovski, profesor ekonomije sa Univerziteta u Otavi i osnivač Centra za istraživanje globalizacije, izjavio je povodom 26. godišnjice početka NATO agresije na SR Jugoslaviju da je to bio prvi zvanični rat NATO-a protiv jedne suverene zemlje, ali ne i … The post Čosudovski: Bombardovanje SRJ je bilo kriminalan čin, u kojem su zapadni mediji bili saučesnici, prikrivajući zločine NATO-a i OVK-a appeared first on Global Research.

Mišel Čosudovski, profesor ekonomije sa Univerziteta u Otavi i osnivač Centra za istraživanje globalizacije, izjavio je povodom 26. godišnjice početka NATO agresije na SR Jugoslaviju da je to bio prvi zvanični rat NATO-a protiv jedne suverene zemlje, ali ne i … The post Čosudovski: Bombardovanje SRJ je bilo kriminalan čin, u kojem su zapadni mediji bili saučesnici, prikrivajući zločine NATO-a i OVK-a appeared first on Global Research.

[This article was originally published in Serbian.] Michel Chossudovsky, professor of economics from the University of Ottawa and founder of the Centre for Research on Globalization, said on the occasion of the 26th anniversary of the beginning of the NATO … The post The NATO Bombing of Yugoslavia was a Criminal Act, Western Media Were Accomplices, Covering Up the Crimes of NATO and the KLA. Michel Chossudovsky appeared first on Global Research.

[This article was originally published in Serbian.] Michel Chossudovsky, professor of economics from the University of Ottawa and founder of the Centre for Research on Globalization, said on the occasion of the 26th anniversary of the beginning of the NATO … The post The NATO Bombing of Yugoslavia was a Criminal Act, Western Media Were Accomplices, Covering Up the Crimes of NATO and the KLA. Michel Chossudovsky appeared first on Global Research.

… The post The Cake: Australia’s Birth Certificate Bond appeared first on Global Research.

… The post The Cake: Australia’s Birth Certificate Bond appeared first on Global Research.

There is much talk in this age of heaving tech behemoths about the digital town square, where views can be aired with confidence, impunity and, at stages, disconcerting stupidity.  Tech moguls such as Elon Musk are the loudest proponents of … The post Careless People, Meta and Restricting the Digital Town Square appeared first on Global Research.

There is much talk in this age of heaving tech behemoths about the digital town square, where views can be aired with confidence, impunity and, at stages, disconcerting stupidity.  Tech moguls such as Elon Musk are the loudest proponents of … The post Careless People, Meta and Restricting the Digital Town Square appeared first on Global Research.

Even by Israel’s brutal, barbaric standards, the cruel, callous carnage carried out by its military in Gaza has come as a shock to the world. The carnage which occurred on Tuesday 18th March 2025 killed 436 individuals, the majority … The post Carnage in Gaza and Global 195 appeared first on Global Research.

Even by Israel’s brutal, barbaric standards, the cruel, callous carnage carried out by its military in Gaza has come as a shock to the world. The carnage which occurred on Tuesday 18th March 2025 killed 436 individuals, the majority … The post Carnage in Gaza and Global 195 appeared first on Global Research.

Trump is butchering children in Gaza, stomping out free speech in the US, bombing Yemen for Israel, and preparing for full-scale war with Iran in plans which reportedly include the possible use of nuclear weapons. And from … The post Trump Is Just Bush in a Red Hat appeared first on Global Research.

Trump is butchering children in Gaza, stomping out free speech in the US, bombing Yemen for Israel, and preparing for full-scale war with Iran in plans which reportedly include the possible use of nuclear weapons. And from … The post Trump Is Just Bush in a Red Hat appeared first on Global Research.

Some European politicians are making their “readiness for war” clear. In a recent statement, Finnish President Alexander Stubb advocated expanding the policy of arms supplies to Ukraine, stating that this is the only way to guarantee deterrence capacity for both … The post Finnish President Wants to Arm Ukraine ‘To the Teeth’ to ‘Dissuade’ Moscow appeared first on Global Research.

Some European politicians are making their “readiness for war” clear. In a recent statement, Finnish President Alexander Stubb advocated expanding the policy of arms supplies to Ukraine, stating that this is the only way to guarantee deterrence capacity for both … The post Finnish President Wants to Arm Ukraine ‘To the Teeth’ to ‘Dissuade’ Moscow appeared first on Global Research.

It was costly for British actor Vanessa Redgrave beginning in the 1970s, pilloried for her crime of speaking out on an unspeakable subject. She refused to back down, calling her adversaries ‘Zionist hooligans’. Yes, really! Forty years later, resolute in … The post What’s an Oscar Worth? Barbara Nimri Aziz appeared first on Global Research.

It was costly for British actor Vanessa Redgrave beginning in the 1970s, pilloried for her crime of speaking out on an unspeakable subject. She refused to back down, calling her adversaries ‘Zionist hooligans’. Yes, really! Forty years later, resolute in … The post What’s an Oscar Worth? Barbara Nimri Aziz appeared first on Global Research.

The last week in March 2020, most of world grinded to a halt in the face of the Covid-19 scare as ‘stay at home’ lockdowns were ordered in the US, Canada, UK, Germany, Ireland, and … The post This Week Five Years Ago: 2020 Lockdown – The ‘Planned’ Pandemic and the Split in Society appeared first on Global Research.

The last week in March 2020, most of world grinded to a halt in the face of the Covid-19 scare as ‘stay at home’ lockdowns were ordered in the US, Canada, UK, Germany, Ireland, and … The post This Week Five Years Ago: 2020 Lockdown – The ‘Planned’ Pandemic and the Split in Society appeared first on Global Research.

On March 23, Ekrem Imamoglu, Mayor of Istanbul, was sent to prison awaiting trial on terrorism and corruption.  He had been arrested on March 19 at his home.  Before the arrest, he had answered questions at the prosecutor’s office … The post Mayor of Istanbul Imprisoned Ahead of Presidential Nomination appeared first on Global Research.

On March 23, Ekrem Imamoglu, Mayor of Istanbul, was sent to prison awaiting trial on terrorism and corruption.  He had been arrested on March 19 at his home.  Before the arrest, he had answered questions at the prosecutor’s office … The post Mayor of Istanbul Imprisoned Ahead of Presidential Nomination appeared first on Global Research.

In a county where most villagers have very small farms, a significant way of reducing poverty can be to convert a part of these farms into small orchards and vegetable gardens that can yield higher income and improve nutrition, while … The post Orchards and Vegetable Gardens — Reducing Poverty, Protecting the Environment appeared first on Global Research.

In a county where most villagers have very small farms, a significant way of reducing poverty can be to convert a part of these farms into small orchards and vegetable gardens that can yield higher income and improve nutrition, while … The post Orchards and Vegetable Gardens — Reducing Poverty, Protecting the Environment appeared first on Global Research.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported on 21 March that it had documented the killing of 72 people across Syria over the past 24 hours in a series of bloody assassinations targeting both civilians and military personnel. The … The post Syrian Government Forces Kill 72 Alawites in New Wave of Sectarian Massacres appeared first on Global Research.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported on 21 March that it had documented the killing of 72 people across Syria over the past 24 hours in a series of bloody assassinations targeting both civilians and military personnel. The … The post Syrian Government Forces Kill 72 Alawites in New Wave of Sectarian Massacres appeared first on Global Research.

Donald Trump’s first promise after taking the oath of office was to “end all wars.” Indeed, Trump started his second term with a strong staff and base, and his first job was to call Moscow. The Trump-Putin meeting first started … The post Trump and Kennedy Files: Why Did Trump Release the JFK Files Now? appeared first on Global Research.

Donald Trump’s first promise after taking the oath of office was to “end all wars.” Indeed, Trump started his second term with a strong staff and base, and his first job was to call Moscow. The Trump-Putin meeting first started … The post Trump and Kennedy Files: Why Did Trump Release the JFK Files Now? appeared first on Global Research.

It has been another exciting week here in the Land of Oz, formerly known as the United States of America, which is currently going through an apparently overdue purging that will replace the rule of law with a whimsical process … The post America’s New Free Speech Enemies List Is Getting Longer. Philip Giraldi appeared first on Global Research.

It has been another exciting week here in the Land of Oz, formerly known as the United States of America, which is currently going through an apparently overdue purging that will replace the rule of law with a whimsical process … The post America’s New Free Speech Enemies List Is Getting Longer. Philip Giraldi appeared first on Global Research.

Indonesia's joining BRICS as a full member underlies its growing importance and influence

Russia and India, both part of Brics, are taking a big step in the worldwide trend of dedollarization. Almost 90% of their direct transactions are now in their national currency, which greatly reduces dependence on the US dollar. What consequences does this have for international financial markets and geopolitical power relations?

At a time when a group of countries relying on an aggressive and expansionist military alliance is pushing humanity towards unbearable destruction, the BRICS nations are striving to ensure a more just, democratic and participatory world order with а vision of delivering everyone general peace and security, shared benefits, and long-lasting stability

COP ignores reality on the ground in Latin America and wrongly assumes governments are key drivers of climate policies

Growing up in Marianao, a city next to Havana, Cuba, in the early 1950s, I remember the excitement of people in the neighborhood when our city’s side streets were paved and the road connecting Marianao with the capital was widened. Even my Jewish immigrant parents, who just a few years earlier had discovered that their

You could get invited to an eighteenth-century salon at any time. Be prepared. Illustration by Rose Wong Sorry, this articles is available to subscriber only. Click here to subscribe.

In the early weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic, dozens of cell phone towers were torched around the world in what looked like a series of offerings to an angry god. But the arsonists themselves would tell you the threat is entirely man-made, half in your pocket and half in the air: cell phones with 5G

Donald Trump is trying to shock and awe the workers’ movement into submission. This became immediately clear with the January firing of pro-union National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) officials, including General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo and board member Gwynne Wilcox. The latter move is illegal, since Wilcox’s congressionally mandated term does not end until August 2028.

When and where organized labor’s been on the move. Sorry, this articles is available to subscriber only. Click here to subscribe.

The US believes Ukraine peace deal can be reached by Easter.

We’ve been sleeping nine hours a night and bathing our retinas in morning sunlight. We’ve been Vitamin D supplementing while our peers slurp on microplastics and processed foods. We’ve been avoiding blue light in the evening while hitting our zone 2 cardio before lunch — by which point we’re already at 100 grams of protein, just in

Imagine that someone you love read Steven Pinker’s 2018 book Enlightenment Now: The Case for Reason, Science, Humanism, and Progress. They were dumbstruck by the evidence: consistently, across domains, across several hundred years, life has improved. The average human is living a longer, healthier, safer, and happier life than ever before. This person knows that

We explained our issue prompt to ChatGPT and asked it to recommend five books on the idea of progress. The results — which represent the return of an AI author to Jacobin’s pages, after a somewhat clumsy chatbot interview in issue 52 — were more banal than sinister. Sorry, this articles is available to subscriber only. Click here to subscribe.

Joining me remotely from a house in Pasadena, California, not far from the then ongoing LA fires (his family’s bags are packed and ready), Simon Reynolds asks me if I’ve seen “that new Musk car that looks like a giant block of geometric planes.” He describes it with both awe and disgust. “It’s a car,

The detention of Ekrem İmamoğlu, Istanbul’s mayor and the opposition’s leading contender for the 2028 presidential elections, marks a turning point in Turkey’s descent into full autocracy. Although the country formally transitioned to a one-man regime in 2017 that entirely abolished the separation of powers and rendered parliament functionally irrelevant, elections have continued to function

Based on H. G. Wells’s 1933 science-fiction novel and released just three years before Adolf Hitler’s invasion of Poland in 1939, Things to Come opens at Christmastime in Everytown, a city closely resembling London that is on the brink of world war. A montage moves quickly through the ensuing years, during which conflict continues to

The first mad scientist was Mary Shelley’s Victor Frankenstein. Her 1818 novel’s subtitle dubs Frankenstein “the modern Prometheus”: a man who usurps the power of the gods using modern technology. Shelley invented her mad scientist figure amid the upheavals of the Industrial Revolution, and Frankenstein’s successors have continued to channel our anxieties about whether we

For the novelist Marguerite Yourcenar, Giovanni Battista Piranesi was “the inventor of Rome’s tragic beauty.” The son of a Venetian stonemason, Piranesi arrived in Rome around 1740 and soon became infatuated with the Eternal City’s antiquities. His etchings of Roman ruins, which he began producing as a 20-year-old architectural draftsman, went on to capture all

In the late nineteenth century, Edward Bellamy and William Morris presented millions of readers with a choice between their visions of socialist utopia. Bellamy, an obscure Massachusetts novelist, launched the first salvo in 1888. His sci-fi parable Looking Backward: 2000–1887 centers on a man who falls asleep for 113 years, awakening in 2000 to an

A brief catalog of genre-changing moments in music history. (Anthony Barboza / Getty Images) Sorry, this articles is available to subscriber only. Click here to subscribe.

USAID had been a key player in shaping Moldova’s pro-EU trajectory, bankrolling civic education and media campaigns to sway public opinion. Without this machinery, the referendum’s momentum feels fragile—it seems less a grassroots victory than a somewhat manufactured outcome now teetering on shaky ground.

Europe is replacing USAID in the role of financing sabotage activities in the post-Soviet space.

JimmyTheGiant on how the right is appealing to a new generation

Russia has been a longstanding and time-tested partner for India. Development of India-Russia relations has been a key pillar of India's foreign policy

Indonesia’s decision to join BRICS marks a new chapter in its diplomacy. Brazil, as the current BRICS Chair, announced Indonesia’s BRICS membership effective January 2025. This decision was undoubtedly accelerated, with all BRICS member countries agreeing to Indonesia’s inclusion in less than three months

Russian-Indian relations are distinguished by their strategic empathy, as consistently demonstrated by both sides at the state level, and the sincere disposition of the peoples towards each other. This creates huge, albeit largely untapped, potential for development

In business and sports, there are multiple variations of the cliché: “You win when your opponent makes more mistakes.” The same principle applies to warfare, where one side’s strategic missteps can decisively impact the war’s outcome. During World War I, Germany’s unrestricted submarine warfare and the leaking of the Zimmermann Telegram—a secret German proposal to Mexico for a military alliance against the United States—motivated the Wilson administration to abandon its neutrality and enter the war on the side of the Allies. During World War II, Winston Churchill recalled in his memoir that he slept “the sleep of the saved and thankful” upon hearing news of Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor, confident that the United States would now join the war against the Axis Powers. Today, after three years of attritional warfare with Russia, Ukraine faces a significant strategic challenge. The United States, which has led international efforts to provide economic and military support to Ukraine, has shifted from Biden’s commitment to supporting Ukraine “for as long as it takes” to Trump has vowing to end the Russia-Ukraine war quickly and reduce U.S. involvement in European security. During the recent bilateral summit at the White House, Trump berated Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky for not expressing sufficient gratitude for US support and risking a “World War III” by prolonging the war with Russia. Trump warned that without US support Ukraine has “no cards” in dealing with Russia. In a demonstration of Trump’s warning, the US temporarily suspended providing military aid and intelligence support to Ukraine, escalating security anxieties across Europe. For Ukraine, the military situation would significantly worsen without U.S. support. Europe will likely struggle to provide the same quality of military technology and intelligence that the U.S. currently supplies. Subsequently, Ukraine is strategically vulnerable (despite defiant reactions from its leaders and populace) to US threats to impose a “peace deal” that falls short of Ukraine’s war objectives. In an effort to improve its strategic position, Ukraine has sought to reconcile with the Trump administration. Urged by European leaders, Zelensky expressed regret over his recent disputes with Trump and reaffirmed his commitment to signing the bilateral mineral agreement. On March 11, Ukraine agreed to the U.S. request for a 30-day comprehensive ceasefire, leading to the resumption of U.S. military aid and intelligence support. However, the greater impact on Ukraine’s strategic situation will likely stem from Russia’s response to Trump’s diplomatic overture. Though Trump has disappointed Ukraine by indicating his opposition to Ukrainian membership in NATO and describing Ukraine’s recovery of its occupied territory as unlikely, his stated aims contradict Russian demands in at least four areas. First, the Trump administration’s preference is to “freeze” the war along the current front lines, deterring military offensives from both Ukraine and Russia. Russia however, has maintained territorial demand over the entirety of four Ukrainian regions (Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia) which it formally annexed in 2022, despite Ukraine’s continued control over sizable portions of these territories. Second, while declining to guarantee explicit U.S. security assurances for Ukraine, the Trump administration has signaled a willingness to support Ukraine’s efforts to enhance its own defense capacity in maintaining a post-war settlement. In contrast, Russia has demanded restrictions on Ukraine’s militarization. Third, the Trump administration appears supportive of Europe’s proposal to send peacekeepers and security assistance to Ukraine as part of its broader strategy to shift U.S. security commitments toward European nations (Trump however, has been critical of Europe’s request for US to provide “backstop” reassurance for Europe’s peacekeeping operations in Ukraine). Russia, however, has opposed European peacekeepers and military aid as contrary to its demands for Ukraine’s post-war strategic neutrality. Fourth, Ukraine has accused Russia of abducting children from occupied Ukrainian territory and resettling them in Russia. The Trump administration has signaled support for Ukraine on this issue, proposing “humanitarian steps” during the month-long ceasefire to facilitate the exchange of prisoners, the release of detained civilians, and the return of “forcibly transferred Ukrainian children.” Russia, in contrast, has denied that any forced relocation of Ukrainian children has taken place. Russia has cited these differences for declining the immediate implementation of a ceasefire. Though not an outright rejection, Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested further negotiations on a set of preconditions, including broader discussions on the “root cause” of the conflict between the West and Russia, while continuing military operations against Ukraine. Russia’s stalling of the U.S.-proposed ceasefire could present a strategic opportunity for Ukraine insofar as Putin’s refusal to moderate may to persuade Trump that Russia is the true obstacle to peace and not Ukrainian obstinacy.   Trump has been ambiguous on whether he would employ coercive pressures on Russia. The Trump administration has extended existing U.S. sanctions on Russia, and Trump has suggested he may consider imposing new sanctions until a peace deal is reached. However, Trump has commented that he finds it “easier” to deal with Russia than with Ukraine, and his administration has expressed “cautious optimism” regarding Russia’s equivocal response to the ceasefire proposal. Russia’s continued hardline stance on territorial control and post-conflict security arrangement, however, may test the Trump administration’s patience and could be seen as excessive and contrary to US strategic interests. With the US-Ukraine mineral deal expected to be signed soon, the Trump administration will likely be averse to Russia’s continued military offensives, which threaten Ukraine’s territorial control over mineral resources near the current front lines. While it seeks to limit U.S. security involvement in Ukraine, the Trump administration may be indifferent to accommodating Russia’s demand to also prevent Europe’s assistance to Ukraine. Additionally, Russia’s proposal to address the “root cause” of the West-Russia conflict may be perceived by U.S. officials as too complex and an unnecessary impediment to a quick war settlement. Finally, similar to U.S. mediation in the current Israel-Hamas war and U.S.-DPRK negotiations during Trump’s first term, U.S. officials may see diplomatic advantages in including a humanitarian component (i.e. return of Ukrainian civilians) in the peace settlement. Trump’s strategy of limiting US security commitments in Europe is unlikely to change, yet Russia’s response toward his peace terms could influence the Trump administration’s strategic reassessment in establishing a durable war settlement in Ukraine. After securing Ukraine’s agreement to a one-month ceasefire, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio remarked, “The ball is now in Russia’s court.” Ukraine may still be forced to accept concessions regarding territorial sovereignty and security reassurances in the eventual settlement. Even so, drawing from Churchill’s words, Ukrainian and European leaders may perhaps sleep a little more soundly if Putin’s next move—whether throwing the ball back or continuing to stall—causes Trump to conclude that his “win” requires Putin to also accept some “losses.”

After the F-16 took off, it was detected by the Su-35's X band monopulse N035 "Irbis" hybrid ESA radar. The Russian pilot illuminated the US-made jet, relaying this information to the S-400 crew which then fired one of its missiles on the target.

Expansion of military measures would be absolutely useless as it would not change the final outcome of the conflict.

Macron strives to create a situation in which a conflict between Russia and NATO is inevitable.

As Keir Starmer cuts benefits in the UK, openDemocracy readers discuss social security where they live

Labour government has repeatedly aided and defended assault on Gaza – but opinions may be shifting as war intensifies

According to reporting over last weekend, the Trump administration appears to be closing in on a TikTok deal. Vice President J.D. Vance struck a confident tone with reporters last Friday: “There will almost certainly be a high-level agreement that I think satisfies our national security concerns [and] allows there to be a distinct American TikTok enterprise.” That’s good news, as Chinese Communist Party (CCP) control of TikTok poses severe threats to the American people. However, reports emerged on Sunday confirming what many have suspected for a number of weeks: the administration appears to be open to a compromise agreement that would allow ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese parent company, to retain control of the app’s algorithm and perhaps some degree of ownership. This outcome may accomplish the second objective Vice President Vance identified — establishing a distinct American entity — but it would likely fail to rectify the deeply concerning national security implications of TikTok’s relationship with the CCP. Control of the algorithm is paramount. Any deal must reckon with this reality. From what we know publicly, ByteDance seems to be resurrecting an old plan it pitched to Washington in 2022. That plan is called “Project Texas,” which was the company’s efforts to assuage elected officials’ concerns about data security. Under this plan, TikTok would move U.S. user data to Oracle servers in Texas, limit access to that data with U.S. government review, allow Oracle to inspect TikTok’s algorithm and content moderation protocols, and empower Oracle to inspect and review cybersecurity concerns. After years of discussion, Project Texas was rejected by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), an interagency committee authorized to review certain transactions involving foreign investment and the impact of such investment on U.S. national security. However, to stave off Congressional legislation that would have addressed the national security threat, TikTok unilaterally implemented several of these policies. Congress too rejected the Project Texas proposal and instead enacted the TikTok divestiture legislation. As Rep. Moolenaar, Chairman of the House Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, recently observed, “It’s no shock that even after Project Texas was rolled out, Americans’ data kept flowing to China, and ByteDance still had the power to censor and quietly manipulate users through TikTok’s algorithm.” ByteDance and TikTok are again working Capitol Hill to sell the Project Texas proposal. It is no accident that Oracle is briefing congressional staffers this week about a potential deal, as it provides cloud services to TikTok with estimated revenues between $480 million and $800 million. Beijing has already throttled TikTok for its own benefit. This is not a matter of rank speculation, as some pundits in Washington intransigently insist. In 2024, the Network Contagion Research Institute at Rutgers compared TikTok’s China content with similar content on Instagram and YouTube, looking for evidence of censoring anti-CCP content while promoting pro-Beijing messages. The peer-reviewed results were clear: “TikTok is suppressing anti-China content in order to diminish the reach of narratives critical of the CCP.” On content relating to Tibet, Uyghurs, and the Tiananmen Square Massacre, TikTok trailed far behind Instagram and YouTube. These findings came in the wake of a December 2023 Wall Street Journal investigation which uncovered evidence of systematic bias against Israel on TikTok in the wake of the Hamas’ terrorist attacks on October 7, 2023. In the face of growing evidence of CCP control, Congress passed the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act in April 2024. The law goes to the heart of the matter that President Trump rightly identified in 2020: CCP control of TikTok and, more importantly, the algorithm. Instead of risk mitigation measures that ByteDance could easily circumvent, the law requires TikTok to divest from its Chinese parent company. The only acceptable national security outcome is one where the ByteDance/TikTok algorithm is not controlled by the CCP and TikTok is no longer in the hands of a foreign adversary. Any deal that falls short of this standard would leave Americans exposed to the Chinese Communist Party’s predations. In the emerging world of AI and deepfakes, such risks are unacceptable. Imagine the havoc TikTok-generated AI videos could wreak: targeting U.S. soldiers deployed abroad with deepfake videos of their spouses committing infidelity timed to coincide with military action, sowing confusion and weakening morale. TikTok represents the threat of psychological warfare of a heretofore unseen magnitude at the time and place of Beijing’s choosing. But TikTok wouldn’t have to wait for war to fire this bullet. There are roughly 42 million American teenagers on TikTok. Each of them is vulnerable to the malicious use of deepfakes, as First Lady Melania Trump and bipartisan senators like Ted Cruz and Amy Klobuchar have warned. Leaving them exposed to the CCP’s predations is unconscionable — but leaving the ByteDance/TikTok algorithm under CCP control would do just that. TikTok hopes Washington will fall for its head fake. In reality, data privacy isn’t the fundamental issue at play. Whoever controls the app’s algorithm can marry U.S. data with AI deepfakes to psychologically harm Americans and materially threaten our nation’s interests. Americans are counting on the Trump administration to join Congress and the Supreme Court, the latter having unanimously upheld the validity of the TikTok law, in standing up for U.S. national security by ensuring that Beijing’s predatory intentions cannot be accomplished by weaponizing ByteDance/TikTok’s algorithm that has access to 170 million US users.

The contrasting conditions of the two informal federations have focused public attention on the nature of the rivalry between them. BRICS vs. G7? Which is stronger in terms of economic growth?

The dragon and the elephant can move in tandem, provided they commit to mutual respect and equitable partnership, Maj. Gen. RPS Bhadauria writes

The BRICS summit in Kazan was about making the first steps towards the reforming of the international financial system so that it promotes, rather than hinders, the economic development of countries while de-risking transactions between them. If the existing international financial system does not serve its principal purpose of facilitating financial transactions between nations and compensating for the disbalances in international trade then a growing number of countries will seek to establish additional pillars in the financial architecture

The move would substantially worsen the regional security crisis.

By escalating its role, Norway inevitably invites Russian retaliation, whether through economic pressure, or military posturing along their shared Arctic frontier. Large-scale arms supplies entrench a proxy attrition war at the expense of Ukrainian lives and European security.

Ankara is seeking to expand its influence in Southeast Europe. To that end, it's preparing to ratify military agreements with several countries, including Albania, North Macedonia and the narco-terrorist entity in the NATO-occupied Serbian province of Kosovo and Metohia. For its part, Greece sees this as an attempt to encircle it with enemies, with Ankara establishing a strategic presence and expanding influence behind Athens' back.

Witkoff says there is “amazing progress” made in the normalization of US-Russia ties.

The last time I saw Fawaz Najim alive was in Galilee, not far from St. Paul’s parents’ hometown. The first time I saw him was outside his apartment building in Israel’s northernmost city of Metula which abuts the Lebanese border. Fawaz was waiting outside in a t-shirt and orange Crocs, leisurely smoking a cigarette by the curb when we pulled up. Passersby might have figured him for a mechanic, but I knew better. Fawaz tossed his cigarette aside and embraced me as I got out of the car. “Thank you for coming,” he said in English with a big smile. He was short, stocky, and dark, over 60 but as strong as an ox. Leading me inside, he sat me on a couch and pulled up a chair so close that our knees touched. Our mutual friend Shadi Khalloul sat beside me. Fawaz soon exhausted his stockpile of English phrases and switched to Hebrew. His wife Mariana brought coffee and sweets. Shadi had told me a lot about Fawaz, a Lebanese Christian born and raised in Qlayaa, a small village over the border now visible through his living room window. Fawaz, like Shadi, was a member of the Syriac Maronite Church, a Rome-affiliated rite founded by Aramaic-speaking Christians in the Lebanese mountains. The Maronites have always been a proud people—proud of their faith, proud of their heritage, proud of their freedom. Thanks to the patronage of the French, they dominated Lebanon for much of the 20th century and still hold some of the country’s top political offices by law. The big thing I knew about Fawaz—the thing that had interested me enough to ask for a meeting—was that he had spent his life as a Christian soldier in Lebanon, much of it fighting in the trenches side-by-side with Israelis. I had read about this little-known episode in the Arab-Israeli conflict—the armed Judeo-Christian alliance in Lebanon—but had never encountered it firsthand. Examining Fawaz’s weather-beaten face, his salt-and-pepper hair, and his unkempt beard, I could see it now with clear eyes. “Shadi told me a lot about you,” I said. “I want to hear everything.”  Fawaz smiled. It was the invitation he had been waiting for. +++ It all started in 1970, Fawaz said, when Yasser Arafat moved the headquarters of the Palestine Liberation Organization to Lebanon after King Hussein threw him out of Jordan. Back then Beirut was still known as the Paris of the Middle East, a Europeanized corner of the Arab world where Christians made up a third of the population and French was almost as ubiquitous as Arabic. But Arafat quickly rebuilt in Lebanon what he’d lost in Jordan—a Palestinian state-within-a-state, complete with checkpoints and armed fedayeen—and commenced a new wave of assaults against Israel. It wasn’t long before the PLO controlled most of the south and large parts of Beirut, taking over neighborhoods at gunpoint, terrorizing the populace, and triggering Israeli reprisals with each cross-border raid. It wasn’t long before Lebanon’s sectarian balance was thrown into chaos. Sunnis, Druze, and Marxists from all camps, including many Christians, swarmed to Arafat’s side, demanding the end of the Maronite-dominated regime. The Maronites, with the rest of the Christians, took up arms to defend it. And so began a 15-year civil war that in many ways still goes on today. For Fawaz, the turning point came at age 17 when some of his relatives were killed by fedayeen and tossed into a ditch, forcing him to do what many young men were doing in the early 1970s: pick up a rifle and join a militia, in his case the Lebanese Tigers. For more than two hours, Fawaz recounted his experiences on the front lines of the civil war: the massacres and counter-massacres; the Syrian occupation that started in 1976; the Israeli invasions of 1978 and 1982; the PLO’s expulsion to Tunis; and the Taif Accord, which ostensibly ended the war but planted the seeds for new conflict.  I was especially intrigued by Fawaz’s affiliation with the Free Lebanon Army—later called the South Lebanon Army, or SLA—which started when a rogue unit of the Lebanese Armed Forces broke away under Major Saad Haddad, a Greek Catholic from nearby Marjayoun, and established an autonomous security zone in the south with backing from the IDF. This idiosyncratic Israeli-Maronite condominium, which Haddad declared in 1979 the “State of Free Lebanon,” stretched along the Lebanon-Israel border from Mount Hermon to the sea, enduring in one form or another until Israel pulled out in 2000. Fawaz served for years alongside Shiites and Druze in this Christian-dominated paramilitary force. Because the SLA had its training camps and headquarters in Israel, Fawaz was soon visiting the Jewish state, befriending Israeli soldiers, and learning colloquial Hebrew. He fought with the Israelis, first against the Palestinians then against Hezbollah, a new Iranian-backed paramilitary force that had radicalized Lebanese Shiites—historically, an impoverished population ignored by Christians and Sunnis alike—with a new political theology and promises of protection. It was an unusual chapter in the history of the Near East—a time when Jews and Christians fought alongside Muslims against common enemies. Recounted in 2019, the whole thing seemed unreal enough to be a fairy tale. But the story of the SLA, like so many others in Lebanon (and like so many fairy tales), ended in tragedy. And men like Fawaz suffered the most. +++ When the civil war ended, Hezbollah refused to disarm—it really all came down to that. Claiming resistance against the Israelis, its leaders launched a bloody campaign of suicide bombings and commando raids that turned south Lebanon of the 1990s into Israel’s Vietnam. It was a terrorist campaign that helped inspire America’s enemies in Afghanistan and Iraq a decade later. Eventually, the Israelis grew tired of occupation. Southern Lebanon was never considered part of the historical Jewish homeland, which meant little emotional attachment to its coniferous hills and valleys. When two troop helicopters collided in 1997, killing 73 IDF soldiers, the Israeli anti-war camp took on new energy and demanded that first-term Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu leave Lebanon immediately. When left-wing opposition leader Ehud Barak put that demand at the center of his peace-forward political campaign, Israelis put him in office. On May 25, 2000, Barak made good on his promise and evacuated from Lebanon for good. As soon as Israel moved out, Hezbollah moved in. The SLA collapsed immediately, many of its fighters rounded up and tried for treason. But thousands escaped to Israel with their families, some moving on to other countries but others remaining as citizens of the Jewish state. Cut off from their homeland with minimal financial assistance, these newly-minted “Lebanese-Israelis” had to restart their lives from zero. Some like Fawaz became Israeli patriots. Others became bitter. Back in Lebanon, Hezbollah became more powerful than ever. Politically, Fawaz was to the right of Netanyahu. He hated peaceniks like Ehud Barak who handed Lebanon to Hezbollah and brought Arafat back to Ramallah, paving the way for the Second Intifada. Few could explain the importance of a Jewish state as well as he could. But the more Fawaz talked, the more I realized how Lebanese he still was. My gaze kept shifting over his shoulder to his native Qlayaa in Lebanon, still hovering in the window like an apparition—close enough to touch, but like the Promised Land before Moses, forever beyond his reach. I noticed that the contents of his living room, like the contents of his heart, were all oriented towards that window and the world beyond. There was something heroic about Fawaz, but something sad too. “If it wasn’t for the Israelis, there would be no Lebanon today,” he told me through cloudy eyes. “The Jews saved the Christians. They saved the whole country.” But few Jews in Israel remembered his war, let alone realized an old Lebanese gunfighter was living among them. So there he sat, watching Arabic TV and smoking cigarettes in his Crocs while casting furtive glances out his window at a lost world.  All he had now was his story—a tale of Jews and Christians fighting alongside Druze and Muslims to hold back the forces of chaos that would soon tear the world apart. He wanted to tell that story, and believed that if he could tell it, the dream of a free Lebanon might be resurrected. Israelis and Lebanese might remember their shared past and rediscover the path to peace. He talked about writing a memoir, maybe even producing a documentary if he could find money. He had high hopes. Instead, Fawaz developed lung cancer and died in 2021, his story preserved only by Mariana, their children, and close friends. It was the end of an era. But his spirit lives on. +++ I was thinking of Fawaz as I watched Israel’s war with Hezbollah unfold last fall. I wondered what he’d say about “Operation Grim Beeper,” the death of Hassan Nasrallah, and the election of a new Maronite president. I had a feeling he’d be pleased, but also knew that any victory without Qlayaa would disappoint him. The future of Lebanon in this new chapter is uncertain. There are good signs and bad. The idea of peace between Lebanon and Israel, like the legacy of Israel’s cooperation with the Maronites, remains controversial to say the least. In Lebanon, the mere suggestion of peace can land you in jail or worse. But with the 25th anniversary of Israel’s pullout approaching, the story of the SLA and its fighters deserves closer attention. So, too, does the dream of a free Lebanon, which Israel’s victory over Hezbollah makes possible again. Thousands of men like Fawaz—Christian, Jewish, Muslim, and Druze—gave their best years in service of that dream. Many gave their lives. It’s high time we remember them

To the editor of Providence Magazine  Dear Sir:  As a historian and biographer of the abolitionist John Brown with my own roots in the evangelical and Reformed tradition, I was appreciative of Shiv Parihar’s essentially positive consideration of Brown in the context of the current debate over Christian nationalism. In his thoughtful piece, Parihar drew extensively from my work in making his argument that the abolitionist was a Christian Nationalist. His portrayal of John Brown is key to his conclusion that “‘Christian Nationalism’ in the 19th century was an animating force in the demise of slavery.”  However, although Parihar’s appreciation and use of the John Brown story is a positive change in his treatment by writers, I find myself in the unfortunate position of having to disagree with him. Furthermore, I am placed in the position of pointing out that Parihar’s use of the sources as quoted in my work is significantly flawed.  I have rarely been so regretful about writing in disagreement with an author, but Parihar’s use of my work, as represented, is both incorrect and does not affirm his conclusions.  Let me preface my remarks by pointing out that my work on Brown has been a project of more than twenty-five years, and my extended research and reflections have often led me to oppose conventional readings of the abolitionist, both from the right and the left. Often the conservative reaction against Brown is dismissive of his evangelicalism and more accusatory than insightful and often based on biased assessments of older writers and historians. On the other hand, Brown has often been subjected to the reductionism of the Left, which has rendered him as a revolutionary figure. Neither side has sufficiently explored primary source material but instead has concentrated on interpretations of Brown suited to their respective ideological commitments. My work has involved appreciating how Brown’s Christian faith directly informed and shaped his antislavery actions such that he was far more in the tradition of the Protestant Reformation and might therefore be considered a radical reformer rather than a revolutionary figure.   Typically, the reaction against presenting Brown as an evangelical reformer pertains to his radical actions in the Kansas territory and Harper’s Ferry, Va. (today West Va.) in 1856 and 1859. I will not attempt to provide a contextualized and documented response in Brown’s defense in this case, but I have done so in my several publications, most notably in my extensive treatment of his last days, Freedom’s Dawn (Rowman & Littlefield, 2015). Certainly, I disagree with the conventional and often hackneyed treatment of Brown as a murderous fanatic and ne’er-do-well misanthrope which emerged from the post-Reconstruction period and the Lost Cause tradition, lasting well into the mid-to-late twentieth century. Thankfully, Parihar draws from the corrective biographical work that biographers like David S. Reynolds and I have done in the twenty-first century.  Nevertheless, Parihar grounds his arguments in large part on two documents that are cited in my work, unfortunately misconstruing both. First, he misinterprets a letter from John Brown to his pious father, Owen, written on December 2, 1847 (which Parihar erroneously attributes to Lucien Brown, his younger half-brother). His misrepresentation is not insignificant because he directly associates Brown’s words concerning Christ being “the end of the law” as pertaining to his violation of the law of the land in opposing slavery. To the contrary, in this letter, Brown was literally quoting Romans 10:4 in expressing confidence that his dying, half-brother, Lucien, would finish life in faith and obedience to the Lord. The full quotation from which Parihar samples thus follows:  . . . but we hope that a life still lengthened, may not all be misspent; & that the little duty to God, & mankind it may yet be in his power to do, may be done with his might; & that the Lord Jesus Christ will be the end of the law for righteousness, for that which must be left undone. This is the only hope for us; Bankrupts, as we may see at once; if we will but look at our account. (Sanborn, Life and Letters of John Brown, 23-24)  In the following paragraph, Parihar makes an even worse error by attributing the words of another correspondent to Brown. In this case, Brown was in jail awaiting the day of execution, and among the many letters he received was an encouraging note from a leading Reformed Presbyterian clergyman, the Reverend Alexander M. Milligan, a Scottish member of the Covenanter denomination. In Milligan’s letter, dated November 23, 1859, the clergyman expressed the Covenanter position, complaining that the United States had never submitted itself to the kingship of Jesus Christ, neither paying “regard to the requirements of His law” nor mentioning “his name even in the inauguration oath of its chief magistrate.” Unfortunately, to buttress his argument that Brown was a Christian Nationalist, Parihar attributes Milligan’s words to Brown. To the contrary, while Brown doubtless admired the strident abolitionism of the Covenanter sect and their commitment to the gospel, he never advocated such sentiments. Brown’s letter in response, dated November 29, is warm and appreciative but brief, because he had many letters to answer before his execution in barely three days’ time. Certainly, he makes no such remarks in any of his letters that might be construed in favor of Parihar’s thesis. (Milligan’s letter to Brown is found in James Redpath, Echoes from Harper’s Ferry [1860], 395; Brown’s response is found in Sanborn, Life and Letters, 610. The original letter from Brown is held in the collection of the Macartney Library of Geneva College.)  At best, Parihar’s misuse of these sources quite undermines the argument that Brown was a Christian Nationalist. At worst, his general argument, that Christian Nationalism was a force for good in the history of the United States, is undermined by these significant errors. Certainly, John Brown bears no resemblance to the most extreme expressions of Christian Nationalism today, which Mark Tooley has observed as advancing some form of theonomy or “Reformed Establishmentarianism.” In his own day, Brown did not join the abolitionist movement in part because it was often overrun by heterodox theological novelties; he was much closer to the Covenanters in his view of Scripture and the gospel. But he makes no argument for the overt Christianization of the government of the United States. He was plainly satisfied with the political structure handed down from the founders, except for slavery, which he contended was a great evil. If there were Christian Nationalists in Brown’s time, arguably they were among the proslavery (and soon secessionist) clergy, or that ilk of leftover apologists of the slavocracy like Robert L. Dabney. However, Brown himself sought only the reform of the nation and the necessary elimination of slavery, nowhere arguing for anything resembling Christian Nationalism. As a patriot and Christian, Brown would doubtless have praised the constitutional amendments that followed the Civil War; but essential to his own antebellum vision was that the United States must quite literally adhere to the foundational claims of the Declaration of Independence. As an activist, he worked closely with people of different religious outlooks while retaining a rigorous commitment to his own Reformed and evangelical convictions. This aspect of his thinking was never more explicit than in his prison letters—which are far more concerned with his children’s conversion to Christ and adherence to Scripture than even to the slavery question. It would take a much longer essay to illustrate Brown’s temperament, optimism, and grounded trust in the Scriptures and the Providence of God. But thankfully, one need not look further than Tooley’s helpful conclusion about Christian Realism to find an adequate description of the thinking of John Brown the abolitionist, for it suits him quite well:  Christian Realism works to harmonize and reform society through mediating rival interests and leaning into Providence, whose works we know aren’t always visible to the human eye. It’s less theatrical than the polarities of our present times. But it is more attuned to human nature, patient about human affairs, and trusting in God’s purposes. (Mark Tooley, “Christian Realism vs Christian Nationalism,” Providence [Sept. 8, 2022].  Parihar is quite incorrect: John Brown was no Christian Nationalist. He was a Christian Realist.

BRICS is set to dominate 40% of the global economy by 2030, while the West’s share shrinks to 27%, Russian Economic Minister Maksim Reshetnikov said

BRICS seeks to reduce dollar dependence, but economic and geopolitical hurdles hinder a common currency

Now representing nearly half the world’s population and 40% of global GDP at purchasing power parity, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), BRICS holds significant sway over global markets BRICS wields considerable influence in global markets

Ukraine has failed to comply with an infrastructure ceasefire agreement hours after both sides reached a consensus.

The two new "Rafale" squadrons are to be armed with the upcoming ASN4G hypersonic missiles, but won't be ready before 2035. This timeframe is not exactly reassuring for either France or other EU/NATO members. Meanwhile, Moscow has at least a dozen hypersonic weapons already in service.

Europe is unable to meet US demand for eggs.

Secretive new political firm set up by ‘posh’ George Cottrell raises ‘real red flags’, anti-corruption expert warns

In his 1913 study Krieg und Kapitalismus (“War and Capitalism”), economist Werner Sombart argues that the operations of European militaries helped to usher in capitalism and the Industrial Revolution. Sombart proposes that early modern warfare was Janus-faced. In the short term, it was economically destructive, yet in the long run, it made possible the highly productive modern economy. This notion reappears in other books by Sombart, notably The Quintessence of Capitalism.  Sombart’s thesis has received scant discussion in recent years. Still, one scholar proposes that Sombart’s ideas on this and other topics merit “attentive consideration.” What follows is an attempt to provide such consideration.  Military service as character-building  Sombart maintains that military training cultivated character traits necessary for the full development of capitalism. These included discipline, patience, respect, the capacity for large-scale cooperation, and the ability to follow instructions.  It is indeed plausible that mental habits instilled through military training can carry over into the civilian world and have economic effects. Thus, a study of over 1000 “truck driver trainees” found that “those who had previously served in the military were more patient.” This seems even more impressive because, in the same study, secondary education appeared to make one less patient. Incidentally, being a veteran was also “a strong predictor of lower BMI [Body Mass Index].”  Most anecdotal examples point in the same direction. For instance, sociologist and Visiting Fellow with the Ayn Rand Institute Nikos Sotirakopoulos credits military experience with having paved the way for his conversion from Marxism to capitalism. Following his service, Sotirakopoulos “was way more disciplined” and “appreciated things like hard work [and] commitment” more than before.  Sombart also believes that the behaviour of entrepreneurs was foreshadowed by that of military commanders, in that “the qualities of the good general are those needed by the successful undertaker.” The biographies of noteworthy entrepreneurs lend credence to this statement. Nathan Rothschild, famed businessman, financier and founder of the German branch of the Rothschild family, was nicknamed “the general in chief” by his brothers, and contemporaries compared him to Napoleon Bonaparte.  Militaries as promoting innovation  By Sombart’s account, production of military supplies introduced many useful new methods. It promoted early standardization and mass production in various industries, from textiles to baking. Moreover, it helped to spread new techniques for iron smelting, drilling in metal, and so forth.  Brian Balkus, a market intelligence professional, has authored two accounts of military-driven innovation which dovetail with Sombart’s analysis, both in Palladium, a publication popular with Silicon Valley technologists.  In the United States, military research and development efforts during the Cold War spawned “a golden age for scientific funding” and an efflorescence of American physics. “From 1960 to 1968,” notes Balkus, “the number of doctorates awarded in physics doubled.” Because policymakers were keen on real solutions, meritocracy reigned and “credentialism,” or the overreliance on ossified systems of professional advancement, was less potent than it is now.  In Israel, the military program known as Talpiot recruits highly intelligent youths and trains them to work in research and development. According to David Kutasov, a veteran of the program, “at Talpiot they beat [conventionalism] out of you.” Balkus assesses that Talpiot graduates have brought immense benefits to Israel’s economy, thanks in part to the skills the program taught them.  Political scientist Hal Brands likewise contends that, “while Cold War defense spending did reshape the American economy, it was mostly in a good way.” This included its dominant role in research and development, which made possible “commercial spinoffs including computers, semiconductors and the internet.” Brands quotes historian Diane Kunz’ criticism of Dwight D. Eisenhower: “it was precisely the American defense spending he condemned that brought unheard-of prosperity to the United States,” referencing Eisenhower’s famed warnings against the growth of the military-industrial complex.   On a more banal level, the potential for military innovation is expressed in journalist Scott Christian’s observation that “practically everything [men] wear has its roots in military dress.”  Transfers of military organizational practices  According to Sombart, “before ever organization began to play its very important role in modern capitalist undertakings, it was already a mighty force in the management of armies.” Indeed, he posits a causal relationship between countries’ military aptitude and their possession of “those capitalist qualities that owe their existence to efficient military drill.”  Sombart cites economics journalist Arthur Shadwell’s opinion that the efficiency of German industrial organization is due to military experience. “Employers and employed,” paraphrases Sombart, “have both been through the training, they have both learned in the same school that order and discipline are needful for any organized powers, be they military or industrial.”  Elsewhere, Shadwell remarks that German workers’ hygiene has improved spectacularly within living memory, attributing the change in part “to military training.” “German workmen and factory hands,” he writes, are cleaner than their British counterparts. “The sergeants take care of that in the barracks, and the habit sticks.”  Postwar American history similarly illustrates the utility of military management practices transplanted to the civilian sphere. John Tierney and Roy Baumeister write: “After the war, corporate America had new planning heroes, like the Whiz Kids, a group of World War II veterans who reorganized the Ford Motor Company.”  The financial system  For Sombart, the financial system’s development was substantially furthered by the trade in war bonds; war “created” the securities exchange.  Here, too, Sombart’s view holds up in some measure. According to Niall Ferguson, “after the creation of credit by banks, the birth of the bond was the second great revolution in the ascent of money.” The bond market, he observes, was kick-started by warfare. “Without wars,” moreover, “nineteenth-century states would have had little need to issue bonds.”  Of the Napoleonic era, Ferguson comments: “Once again… the opportunity for financial innovation was provided by war.” As an indirect consequence of the Battle of Waterloo, the bond market became much more convenient for buyers. Bonds issued in London were denominated in pounds, not foreign currencies, and interest could be received at any of several European locations.  Conclusion  All this having been said, none of the above implies that war is desirable. Still, the economic and social impact of military activity short of war is an appropriate consideration when thinking about policy issues like the optimal amount of military spending or the ideal size of an army. 

In another sign of changing power relations in the 'post-Western' world, the BRICS group of emerging economies could frustrate the United States' bid to sink communism in Cuba by strangling its economy

South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa heads G20, an intergovernmental forum comprising 19 sovereign countries, the European Union, and the African Union, while Brazil’s Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva chairs BRICS+, an association made of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa with four new members and 13 partner states in a category mostly from developing countries

Global economic stability cannot be maintained in the interests of all when one country or group of countries continues to dominate major global financial institutions with global mandates

According to the former German chancellor, it is necessary to engage in discussions to understand Russia’s reasons.

Local sources report that the HTS killed several citizens of Lebanon. According to Annahar, "on Monday, two Lebanese youths were found dead in the Matraba area near the border". They were reportedly kidnapped from their homes inside Lebanon by the new terrorist "government's" security forces and subsequently killed. Meanwhile, Germany just pledged an additional €300 million ($326 million) in "foreign aid" for the new terrorist "government".

European middle classes are materially and financially exhausted by the Ukrainian war.

A landmark ruling brings to light part of the blind spot within the Western narrative on the matter of Ukraine: Kyiv's blind eye to the far-right and to violations of the civil rights of Russians and minorities isn’t just strategic; it’s structural.

Calls for a progressive-oriented U.S. foreign policy have been gradually growing since at least the end of the Obama administration. One such argument recently made in Foreign Affairs by Megan Stewart, Jonathan Petkun, and Mara Revkin epitomizes the inconsistencies that inevitably accompany a distinctively left-liberal vision of strong American global leadership. The problems begin with their three “fundamental principles” that the United States must embrace in international relations: the broad promotion of political/economic egalitarianism, anti-imperialism, and opposition to war/excessive militarism. The first two are inherently contradictory while the third demonstrates naivety about the intractability of international conflict A world defined by national self-determination instead of American hegemony contradicts the active spread of egalitarianism because the latter, particularly in its most progressive form, tends towards a form of intrusive cultural imperialism. The egalitarianism many leftists hold to is obviously Western in origin, acutely secular in orientation, expansive in application, and universal in objective. It seeks to supplant the convictions and social structures of traditional and conservative religious states and societies. Progressives presume that foreign states and societies desire Western social standards and structures and are just waiting to be converted. Consider their expansive notion of egalitarianism. Progressives elevate sexuality and sexual practices to the category of “rights.” It is expressed by same-sex individuals being given the right to marry and acquire children despite being incapable of having children biologically their own. The progressive, 21st century civilizing mission is anathema to many societies, if not an existential threat. It challenges the importance of conservative religious traditions that are critical to societal cohesion, identity, and legitimacy in much of the world. For example, Rahm Emanuel, former Ambassador to Japan, caused a diplomatic stir with the leading Liberal Democratic Party by insisting that Japan legalize gay marriage. Additionally, the Clinton, Obama, and Biden administrations have all sought to fund abortion access in developing countries despite how offensive abortion is to socially conservative nations in the global south. There is also the issue of flying LGBT pride flags on official U.S. government buildings, like embassies and consulates, which give the impression that America is inseparable from progressive social liberalism. This included such infamous incidents as flying a pride flag at the U.S. embassy to the Vatican in Rome, needlessly antagonizing hundreds of millions of Roman Catholics around the world. The contradiction and impudence of this progressive thinking and its objectives raise serious questions about its effectiveness. How does America advance its interests and maintain security while belittling and insulting others? At a minimum, promoting offensive beliefs and ideas foments distrust with allies and distances potential ones. Especially as the U.S. competes with China and Russia for influence in places like Africa, the Middle East, and India, antagonizing the majority will not be helpful. Besides the contradiction between anti-imperialism and imperious liberalism, the belief that dialogue and diplomacy are always preferable to armed conflict rests on two faulty assumptions. One is the existence of moderation in the leadership of states and societies. The other is that military force cannot be a legitimate tool for the promotion of stability and prosperity. Similar to their belittling of traditions and conservative cultures, a progressive orientation fails to recognize the significance of ideology, identity, and religion in the policies of many states and societies. Progressives also fail to recognize that an exclusively defensive war posture can put countries and people at the mercy of aggressors. An astute observer of the Middle East would recognize that the progressive fealty to dialogue and diplomacy has backfired in the face of absolutism. Instead of facilitating peace and stability, in recent years, the approach created an environment of temporary appeasement that placed American allies in vulnerable situations. Two examples are Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen, with whom the Biden administration pressured Israel and Saudi Arabia, respectively, to pursue diplomacy despite continued aggression. In the case of Hezbollah, the militia cannot coexist with the state of Israel. Multiple resolutions failed to end violence at the Lebanese-Israeli border. The latest “settlement” is a U.S.-mediated ceasefire that remains unfulfilled. On February 23, a leader of Hezbollah once again threatened Israel and refused to surrender the militia’s weapons. The Yemen-based Houthis remain obstinate as ever, seeking complete dominance of Yemen and power projection across the region. The Saudis and their Yemeni state allies made concessions to the Houthis to help realize a resolution to a civil war. Despite these goodwill measures, the Houthis failed to fully comply with a 2022 ceasefire and while also demanding the ceasefire be extended. The Houthis proceeded to escalate violence in Yemen, take hostages, threaten Saudi Arabia, launch rockets at Israel, and conduct piracy around the Bab al-Mandab. Prioritizing dialogue proved destructive, failed to effectively mitigate threats, and allowed an aggressor to determine the scope of violence, leaving allies vulnerable. Once again, how does a progressive approach advance U.S. interests and security when it undermines relations with allies? Stewart, Petkun, and Revkin struggle with developing a rubric for progressive U.S. engagement. Their zeal for a U.S. foreign policy to be “a force of good” in the world exhibits confusion, myopia, and foolishness. Their case is constructed on principles that inhibit U.S. interests and security while also expecting robust American presence abroad. Despite the authors’ “refinement” of the idea of progressive American leadership internationally, the problems with a progressive-oriented U.S. foreign policy endure.

Maybe they aren’t as popular as the Big Brother contestants, but in their own way they say that we are closed in a cage: that of an economic system jammed with balances destined to change quickly. The game is played mainly in Africa, the scenario is a deglobalized world

The country, along with India, has no desire to see one hegemon replaced by another

The drastic changes in the landscape of the global economy that set in starting from January of 2025 with the coming of the new US administration create new challenges for the Global South, including the BRICS+ grouping. The re-configuration of global alliances, growing protectionism and a rise in uncertainty will all generate strong headwinds for globalization, with developing economies likely to increasingly seek solutions in greater South-South economic cooperation

Hungary’s economy would suffer from Ukraine’s membership in the EU.

The hard truth is that the Caucasus doesn’t reward rigid alliances. As Azerbaijan’s spat with Russia shows, even close partners (however complex that partnership is) can clash without upending the board. Armenia’s future lies not in choosing a camp, but in mastering the art of balance.

London is adopting practices similar to those of Islamist terrorist groups.

If the US wants peace with Russia, it will have to be far more transparent regarding its weapons programs being realized near the Russian border. Otherwise, we'll only get more of the same.

Israeli prime minister is realising that you can’t rely on Trump, no matter how much he says what you want to hear

President Trump’s return to office has fortuitously coincided with the collapse of the Assad regime in Syria as well as ceasefire agreements between Israel and both Hamas and Hezbollah. These developments have weakened Iran’s Axis of Resistance and present a historic opportunity for regional stability. While Israel’s military operations in Lebanon and Gaza could resume, Syria’s civil war has seemingly reached a conclusion. The U.S. should maintain cautious engagement with the Syrian transitional government through strictly enforced conditions for further normalization. The outcome of Syria’s transitional government will be highly consequential for the region and so ensuring a positive outcome in Syria must be a top priority. The large and loose coalition of militias led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), an Islamist paramilitary group with past ties to ISIS and Al-Qaeda, had planned a long campaign to Aleppo. Instead, the unexpected disintegration of Assad’s security forces brought this coalition to Damascus in mere days. The new transitional government of Syria is unprepared and will have to navigate serious challenges to preserve the peace. In his first national address after the fall of the Assad regime, the new President of Syria, Ahmad al-Sharaa (formerly Muhammad al-Jolani), promised to hold a “national dialogue conference” to prepare a new constitution that would guarantee democratic governance and protect the rights of women and religious minorities.  This announcement surprised many given the Islamist government HTS previously established in Idlib and the prevalence of Islamist paramilitaries in the coalition. This contradiction prompts skepticism that these guarantees were merely to have sanctions on Syria and HTS lifted. Still, these guarantees create vulnerabilities for the new Syrian transitional government as they must fulfill competing promises acceptable to not only most Syrians, but also the Islamist extremists that make up the government and security forces.  These vulnerabilities were further exposed by the recent episode of violence against civilians in western Syria after the suppression of a pro-Assad insurgency. Mass executions of civilians and widespread looting as Islamists blared music over loudspeakers resembled the atrocities committed by ISIS in Syria and Iraq nearly a decade ago. This was the inevitable outcome of a country dominated by Islamist militants, including many foreign fighters from across the globe. Turkey has been one of the greatest sponsors of Islamists in Syria and must now join the U.S. in supporting the implementation of an inclusive, democratic transitional government and constitutional drafting process.  Initial steps to form a “National Dialogue Preparatory Committee” and “National Dialogue Conference” have included only token representation of women and religious minorities. Al-Sharaa has also increasingly centralized the transitional government around himself, prompting some concern, although it will not be apparent until the new constitution is drafted if he intends to rule as a dictator. Regardless of al-Sharaa’s personal ambitions, a prolonged transitional period raises the risk of destabilizing foreign influence in Syria. Iran has lost a vital partner in Assad and will seek to reemerge in Syria, rebuild its proxies, and re-open its land bridge to the Mediterranean. It is a core national security interest to ensure a stable transition to a democratically elected government reflecting Syria’s pluralistic society. Inclusion of Syria’s religious minorities in drafting the constitution is crucial to the legitimacy of its final product. A sectarian theocracy, even nominally democratic, would also lack popular support from Syria’s Sunni population as it is alien to the pluralistic society that has endured in Syria for centuries; many senior Islamist militants are foreign fighters with little knowledge of Syrian history and culture.  A strict imposition of Islamic jurisprudence would certainly not result in a stable transition. In this scenario, many of Syria’s religious minorities, especially Christians, would attempt to flee the country permanently like many Syrian Christians already have, erasing the oldest Christian communities in the world. Syria would transform into a hotbed for sectarian violence as opposing Islamists battle for control, possibly resurrecting the Islamic State, something the U.S.’s ongoing military presence in Syria seeks to prevent. The conclusion of the civil war has enabled the U.S. and its local partner, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), to conduct further operations against ISIS remnants. This has also paved the way for the resumption of the repatriation of hundreds of families of former ISIS fighters to Iraq. The suppression of the Islamic State hinges on stability in the North East, allowing the SDF to continue military operations and repatriations. The recent agreement to integrate the SDF-governed Autonomous Administration of North East Syria and its military force into the Syrian transitional government without coming under direct control of HTS is extremely promising, though full implementation will have to be monitored. A resumption of high-intensity conflict would create a vacuum for ISIS to easily reconstitute itself and greatly increase its capabilities for international terrorism.  Through consistent engagement with carrots and sticks, the Trump administration can hold the Syrian transitional government accountable to building a democratic and civil state with legal equality for all, regardless of faith or ethnicity. Turkey will be a particularly important channel for this diplomacy and pressure must be exerted to align with U.S. regional interests, including the cessation of support for Islamist militants in Syria’s transitional government. The Trump administration’s first priority in Syria is to identify appropriate opportunities for sanction waivers conditioned upon accountability for the recent massacres by Syrian government security forces as well as progress towards a democratic constitution. Sanctions relief should be weighed carefully to balance humanitarian needs and reconstruction efforts with maintaining relevant sanctions for human rights abuse and corruption. Until the transitional government meets these conditions by demonstrating their intention to build a democratic Syria, the Trump administration should maintain adamant pressure on both the Syrian transitional government and its sponsors. The chaotic alternative poses a serious risk for the return of ISIS and could enable Iran to regain lost capabilities to return to terrorizing the levant. The Trump administration has a historic opportunity in Syria for long-term regional stability while protecting key U.S. national security interests it cannot ignore. 

India is set to launch two Indonesian satellites in 2025, marking a significant milestone in India-Indonesia space cooperation. This collaboration enhances ASEAN-India relations and furthers BRICS space initiatives

Vice President Kashim Shettima has disclosed that Nigeria attracted $1.27bn in foreign capital from BRICS countries by June 2024, marking a significant rise from the $438.72m recorded during the same period in 2023

The BRICS+ group has undeniably emerged as a formidable bloc on the global economic stage, signalling a significant shift in the world's financial and trade dynamics

Russia is certainly in no jeopardy in the Arctic. However, it's clear that the political West wants to overstretch Russia, as well as to disrupt the multipolar world's plans for the region. The Kremlin will continue to monitor NATO's activities in the Arctic, particularly in the vicinity of its borders and territorial waters. The political West's ISR (intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance) assets are as active as ever, which prompted the Russian military to deploy its own (in part also to observe "Joint Viking 2025").

According to a major Western newspaper, Zelensky’s government in Ukraine is coming to an end.

Britain’s diversity quota led to a shortage of Royal Air Force pilots.

The last decade has seen the political establishment – whether the neoliberal left or the Reaganite right – in a state of total bewilderment. Since the ascendency of the populist right in the form of Donald Trump and the populist left, epitomized by Bernie Sanders and his supporters, center-left and right politicians cannot get a handle on what they are missing. After all, they have such good policies – policies carefully crafted in think tanks and universities to help the voters live better lives. With such empirically well-founded ideas, how could voters not reward them with a huge landslide?   The hard truth that the establishment seems incapable of realizing is that voters are motivated by more than economic self-interest and technocratic policy positions – they are moved by emotion and identity. By anger stemming from perceived injustice. By joy springing from triumph. By desperation flowing from wishes left unfulfilled. The careful calibration of these emotions is the bread and butter of the true political rhetorician. If we wish to restore balance, order, and vigorous debate to our contemporary moment, the art of political rhetoric must be revived.    There was a time when rhetoric was the lifeblood of American democracy. In the nineteenth century, citizens would travel hundreds of miles to hear the great orators of the day speak. It was the event of the season when a truly masterful orator such as William Henry Seward or Daniel Webster passed through town. In the midst of major events, people would seek out the local rhetorician to hear his thoughts. In the chambers of Congress, such oratorical displays were so commonplace that tourists would journey from all over the nation in hopes of hearing the great men of their day debate some important issue. In short, voters craved the verbal flourishes, word play, and emotional appeals that articulated, shaped, and defended the public policies of the nineteenth century.  It is not hard to see why rhetoric has faded in prominence over the last half century – it has been replaced by mass produced news, social media, and other high tech forms of communication. When in need of an emotional fuel to give politics meaning, voters turn time and again to these sources of political information instead of rhetoricians. Winston Churchill identified this rising phenomenon before the outbreak of World War II: “Public opinion is formed and expressed by machinery. The newspapers do an immense amount of the thinking for the average man and woman.”   At this point, a person could reasonably say: “It is all very well and good to fear the extent to which digital media controls the emotions of voters, but how exactly is getting views from sensationalist news and social media worse than from sensationalist politicians?”   The answer is in the diversity of viewpoints expressed by the American political class. Though politicians must constantly cater to mass produced opinions that obscure reality, the truth is that most aspirants to high office have fairly divergent views on solving the problems that confront our nation. When such differences are brought to light, it helps to cultivate more authentic political discourse apart from the latest buzzwords. Beyond that, the embrace of in-person displays of political rhetoric helps keep politicians grounded in their local communities. Though they sometimes may lose touch with their constituents, the average office-bearer is nonetheless accountable to a block of voters whose views they are expected to represent. Having to engage in town hall meetings and other in-person venues keeps politicians from being lost to the rootless world of news media.   If understanding why political rhetoric has declined is easy, reviving rhetoric is a much trickier endeavor. After all, the forces of 24-hour news cycles and social media that have destroyed rhetoric are unlikely to go away any time soon. As such, partisans of the rhetorical art must be creative. We must find ways to insert serious rhetoric into social media and the news. Nor does it seem that all voters are completely satisfied with the shallow world of social media we have entered upon. Donald Trump – whatever else his faults may be as a speaker – draws massive crowds excited merely to hear him speak. Few other politicians have gained this level of rhetorical devotion or seem to have bothered analyzing what emotional speeches like his could do for their careers.   Having said this, rhetorical education can be restored in fairly traditional methods. Too often our school system teaches history as a series of facts, parading one after another in great boring columns. However, history classes used to be taught using rhetoric. For example, to help students understand debates about states’ rights in the nineteenth century, teachers once assigned Daniel Webster and Robert Haynes’ famous exchange about the topic on the Senate floor. Likewise, we today could educate our students in the basics of politics and history through rhetoric, thus giving students some understanding of how rhetorical devices work.   More broadly, the role of the educator must be to teach students how to have an appropriate emotional response to political rhetoric. Many criticize emotional appeals in politics. However, emotion is an important part of being human. More than this, it is a vital aspect of that which makes us good. The chief theological virtues – faith, hope, and love – are all sentiments rather than purely rational objects. That we have forgotten this fact is to blame for the overwrought politics of our time; when the young are not taught harness the passions in a healthy way – usually as a result of centrist technocrats having no use for emotion – then they will instead have their hearts filled with dark emotions concocted by demagogues and self-interested media sensationalists.   To say that the art of public speaking is dead would be simply untrue. There are plenty of speeches given across the nation each and every day. However, the art of political rhetoric – carefully orienting the passions of man to some lofty goal – has sadly been lost. There are no longer Ciceros, Lincolns, and Churchills to inspire posterity with their eloquence and the halls of the Senate are filled not with glorious declamations but with the dry coughs of dull procedure. Yet, if we work at it, rhetoric need not stay dead. Rhetoric can and must be revived for the greatest of political callings to make a triumphant return.  

Uganda’s recent inclusion in the BRICS bloc as a partner country is reflective of its growing importance in the African continent and the potential that it has to contribute to a more balanced global economic order

BRICS expands membership and partnerships in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, marking a shift in global trade dynamics and regional market influence

A member of the House of Representatives (DPR), Amelia Anggraini, has said that Indonesia’s official membership of the BRICS grouping must bring real benefits to the Indonesian people

Trump might need to pick his war, either in the Middle East or closer home - with potentially catastrophic consequences. It seems the plan is to treat the cartels just like ISIS and Al-Qaeda terror groups.

Europe wants to retaliate against Trump's economic policy, but the lack of cheap energy sources could be an obstacle.

There is growing support for greater European independence from the US.

The Neo-Nazi junta is determined to keep the war going, because it fervently refuses the possibility of a settlement that excludes maximalist goals – 1991 borders, full EU/NATO membership, thermonuclear weapons pointed at Russia. These are the so-called "red lines" for the Kiev regime, making any peace deals impossible.

In 1713, Britain acquired the asiento de Negros, an agreement to annually supply Spanish America with 140,000 enslaved Africans. In 1746 political economist Malachy Postlethwayte was moved to declare the slave trade “an inexhaustible Fund of Wealth and Naval Power to this Nation.” However, just eighty-seven years later in 1833, Parliament abolished West Indian slavery. How could public sentiment swing so decisively? Modern scholarship correlates abolitionism with the rise of Enlightenment sensibilities, liberal capitalism, and Evangelical Protestantism. These factors undoubtedly mattered, yet often unaddressed is the coalescing of British national identity around ideas linked to abolitionism in ways powerful enough to shape public opinion. In truth, the growth of British nationalism and abolitionism were inseparable, making arguments over slavery into arguments about British character as defined by ideals of Protestant piety, liberty, empire, and commerce.  The lyrics to James Thomson’s 1740 “Rule Britannia,” capture Britain’s fledgling nationalism. Its second line: “And guardian angels sung this strain: Rule Britannia, rule the waves, Britons never will be slaves,” associates nationhood with God’s providence for Protestant Britain, resistance to despotism, and maritime dominance to the benefit of commercial empire. Amidst a struggle for colonies and profits against Catholic France and Spain, British nationalism emphasized Protestant identity against irreligious, tyrannous, decadent, and wasteful Catholicism. British national identity was essentially formed in opposition to an external enemy.   Abolitionists exploited this relationship between English Protestantism and the rest of the world to make distinctions between colonial and metropolitan life proof of colonial slaveholders’ opposition to British national virtues. William Blake’s 1810 poem Jerusalem marries Protestant fervor and national purpose, vowing “I will not cease from Mental Fight, nor shall my sword sleep in my hand: Till we have built Jerusalem, In England’s green & pleasant Land.” Slaveholders’ failure to instruct their slaves in Christianity or live by Christian principles became abolitionist refrains.   Catholicism was entangled with tyranny in British imagination. Edinburgh journeymen denounced Catholicism for “denying to the common people the free use of the holy scriptures.” A British soldier abroad wrote Catholics “do not read the Bible; the priests have entire control over the masses.” Political tyranny followed religious tyranny. The ascendant Whigs believed their forebears’ 1688 Glorious Revolution saved Britain from French-backed Catholic despotism. “Let France grow proud, beneath the tyrant’s lust, While the rack’d people crawl, and lick the dust,” started the inscription to William Hogarth’s Gate of Calais. It concluded that “the manly genius of this isle disdains, All tinsel slavery, or golden chain.” Love of liberty tinged patriotism with populism. Patriotic vigilance against irreligious tyranny encouraged abolitionists to decry slavery as despotism. Into the mid-nineteenth century, slavery was increasingly thought of as a foreign institution employed by Catholic despotisms like Spain, Brazil, Portugal, and France. France abolished slavery in 1794 only for Napoleon to reinstate it in 1802.  For centuries the remoteness of the West Indies from Britain insulated these slave societies from criticism. Since different environments made for different institutions, Britons could accept West Indians as distant countrymen without confronting slavery as a problem for British values. Claiming “the West Indies cannot be cultivated by Europeans, whose constitutions will not bear fatigue in that climate,” William Puleteny explained that colonists embraced “some other class of the human species who, being natives of warmer climates, are able to endure that degree of labor and fatigue.” Slavery thus understood reflected environmental differences, not moral or national ones. However, maturing national motifs of Protestantism, liberty, commerce, and empire, alongside their impious, tyrannical, and decadent antitypes, distanced Britain not only from Catholic rivals but from its West Indian colonies. In this context, abolitionists stigmatized slave ownership as anti-British by attacking it as irreligious, despotic, wasteful, and decadent.  Protestantism’s intersection with popular sentiments of anti-Catholicism, fear of tyranny, and commercialism, sharpened criticism of slavery as impious. Abolitionists argued that slaveholder refusal to let missionaries proselytize the enslaved was an attack on direct access to scripture. As with Catholic despotisms, this was “denying to the common people the free use of the holy scripture.” Such denial exposed the moral corruption of colonial tyranny. Quaker abolitionist John Woolman observed that “no master was saintly enough to avoid the temptations of absolute power; slavery, instead of being ameliorated by Christianity, corrupted the wellsprings of true religion.” The danger was unavoidable, “slavery, in its mildest shape, has something dangerous and threatening to virtue,” wrote James Ramsay. It “encouraged masters to become tyrants.”  Abolitionists also linked religious attacks on slavery to commercial morality. William Wilberforce did so negatively in 1788, arguing greed had led British merchants away from the virtuous commerce that was the nation’s true prosperity. “Interest can draw a film across the eyes, so thick, that total blindness could do no more,” Wilberforce warned. He challenged his countrymen to accept that “a trade founded in iniquity, and carried on as this was, must be abolished.” John Wesley used commerce to blame the slave trade, “a worse than pagan abomination,” on fellow Britons. “It is you that induce the African villain to sell his countrymen,” Wesley thundered. Insisting “it is your money, that is the spring of all,” suggesting British money could end slave-trafficking. Lord Kames positively connected morality and commerce to criticize slavery, arguing that “contracts and promises are not confined to commercial dealings: they serve also to make benevolence a duty, independent of any pecuniary interest.” Slaveholders, however, participated in a distorted economy of unfree workers and unfair prices. They did not develop benevolence like their British counterparts. Adam Smith likewise held that slavery subverted the moral foundations of commerce: The enslaved could neither enter contracts nor keep them because free enterprise required free persons.   Granville Sharp publicly worried the slave trade and plantation slavery were undermining British liberty. He was joined by Charles James Fox who decried the “virtual representation” of the West Indian “interest” in the House of Commons, condemning it as a malign foreign influence. That opulent West Indians bought “rotten boroughs” in Parliament offended radicals like John Wade, who in his Black Book condemned how the ruling class “conquers and retains useless colonies” to benefit itself. Playwright Oliver Goldsmith opined that European colonists lost their national virtues and succumbed to “all the luxurious manners of the Asiatics.” He continued, “after two or three generations at farthest, the blood loses its primitive qualities, and those of the climate manifest themselves in men, animals and plants.” Colonists resembled their exotic environs in the British national imagination, not their distant ancestry. The national “othering” of the West Indian bolstered the arguments and broadened the appeal of abolitionism as a national response to the foreign practice of slaveholding.  Between 1807 and 1838, British governments dismantled and criminalized institutions of human bondage, which, in some permutation, had been acceptable for most of human history. Politicians, historians, and popular opinion have marveled at this transition. For nineteenth century historian William Leckey, the anti-slavery movement was “among the three or four perfectly virtuous acts recorded in the history of nations.” In the late twentieth century, David Brion Davis characterized abolitionism as a “remarkable shift in moral consciousness.” Many causes have been cited to explain this shift in moral consciousness, ranging from political ideology to religious fervor, to the progress capitalism. Though nationalism has not been absent from this conversation, it has often been seen as one cause among others in the anti-slavery movement, and not as a bridge among causes. The integration of disparate themes of piety, liberty, empire, and commerce within the framework of British nationalism shows that nationalism was more than a discrete factor in the emergence of abolitionism. Rather, it formed the connective tissue which structured the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century debate on slavery.  

Though the BRICS group has already been around for quite some time, in recent days it has once again become the center of public attention. The renewed interest most likely came from the recent enlargement of the group, which saw its membership double within one year

The global economic landscape is evolving rapidly, driven by alliances that reflect the ambitions of emerging countries to reshape traditional centers of influence. In this context, Nigeria, the leading economic power in Africa, has joined the circle of BRICS partners

The recent expansion of BRICS signals a new era of collaboration among major economies

Another PM is trying to make cuts equate to growth. Disabled people will again pay the price of this cruelty

While Germany was too busy with the (re)nazification of the Bundeswehr and making plans for war with Russia, its politicians seem to have forgotten about resolving the issue of manpower.

Ukraine’s goal behind massive drone strike was to increase distraction, making media ignore Kursk.

As US aid cuts threaten LGBTIQ lives, these collectives show how to sustain communities beyond traditional aid models

Israel wants Russia’s presence in Syria maintained to counter Turkey’s expanding influence.

The RTS praised Disciples: The Cult of TB Joshua, which revealed abuse by Nigeria’s most prominent Christian televangelist

As the first ASEAN nation to join this intergovernmental bloc primarily composed of states from the Global South, Indonesia’s entry into BRICS marks a significant shift in its foreign policy

Brazil’s authorities have unveiled their plans for the upcoming BRICS summit to be held in Rio de Janeiro on July 6-7, 2025

The government will continue to strengthen economic ties and diversify markets with key countries, including BRICS nations, in addition to expanding cooperation with countries in Asia, the Middle East, the European Union (EU), and other regions to reduce dependence on a single market

According to a Dutch deputy, there is no other way for peace but to let Kiev lose quickly.

One needs to ask whether the EU/NATO politicians have a mandate of the electorate to push the "old continent" into a bloodbath that would make both world wars look like a paintball match in comparison. Well, as it turns out, not really. A recent poll shows that the vast majority of regular Europeans are neither delusional nor suicidal.

The German Foreign Minister leaves behind her a series of gaffes and humiliation.

Collaborative, flexible Brics gives leading members China and Russia a significant advantage over the increasingly defensive and restrictive West

President Donald Trump has again threatened 100% tariffs on BRICS. Where does India stand on de-dollarisation and internationalisation of the rupee? What are the issues and concerns involved?

The BRICS+ Fashion Summit in Moscow showcased AI's transformative role in fashion and strategies for global market success, fostering innovation, collaboration, and sustainable growth across the industry

Brussels is criticizing Christians and Alawites for defending themselves while supporting the barbaric actions of the terrorist regime, as the US actually condemned the atrocities by these NATO-backed Islamic radicals. The Kremlin might be pleasantly surprised, but will most likely be quite reserved and vigilant when it comes to American actions in Syria, even when they superficially match its own.

According to Western journalists, US’ intelligence “boycott” against Ukraine is to blame for the military failure in the Southern Russian region.

Macron is offering Europe something he does not have to counter a threat that does not really exist the way he describes it.

Petra Molnar on the border industrial complex

Europeans are not willing to die and fight like their leaders want them to.

Although BRICS+ remains a relatively diffuse cooperative space marked by internal contradictions and divergent agendas—exemplified by the paradigm of China and India—it is impossible to overlook the bloc’s growing significance in the current international context

Last year saw the accession of new members to BRICS, the bloc comprising Russia, Brazil, India, China and South Africa. The new year keeps up the growth momentum

Jenny Clegg sets out and then responds to eight key doubts about the Brics+ alliance in light of the developments at Kazan, arguing it represents a significant challenge to US hegemony and provides a path towards a multipolar world

The number of wounded Ukrainians has increased by 20% in recent weeks.

A ‘win’ in Ukraine may well lead the US president to act in Gaza and resume talks of acquiring Canada or Greenland

According to Financial Times, "the 'Vlad the Impaler Command' group, named after Romania's medieval ruler who served as inspiration for Bram Stoker's Dracula, is plotting to take over Romania", with one of the members being a 101-year-old retired General Radu Theodoru. There's the mandatory "evil Vlad" (you're probably "wondering" who it reminds you of) who also "served as the inspiration" for Lord Dracula, a vampire.

Russia produced 1.4 million FPV drones in 2022 and destroyed about 60% of targets.

Revealed: Head of world’s biggest asset manager lobbied chancellor on tax rules weeks before policy was tweaked

Brazil takes the helm at a moment when diplomatic pragmatism should take precedence over some of the bloc’s more polarizing initiatives

Will growing clout translate into a new world order and turn the industrialized world into a retired set of legacy has-beens? No one knows, but there are deep implications for bank control frameworks

The New Development Bank (NDB) has ambitious plans for Brazil in the next two years, including US$3bn of financing for sectors such as infrastructure, sanitation and energy

The EU/NATO cannot match Russia even on a tactical or operational level, let alone strategic. However, it keeps poking the Bear and pushing for escalation on all three fronts.

Trump is making too many enemies (domestically and internationally), while trying to reform the intelligence agencies and reshape Washington. The defense sector might be too powerful a force to be done with so easily. The pressure from both the defense sector and the so-called Israel lobby to get involved in a war in the Middle East as a way to “make up for it” might be too great.

The Kiev neo-Nazi regime has been attacking the Orthodox Church as part of its anti-Russian policies.

Ukraine has enough weapons and ammunition to fight for at least another six months.

Many ex-special advisers are advising businesses in fields related to their government role, openDemocracy has found

The BRICS nations are constructing a fresh model for cross-border e-commerce by the name of BRICS Pay System

With heightening geopolitical interest in building a new Global South architecture, Ghana’s administration is considering joining the ‘partner states category’ of BRICS+

The BRICS declarations quite clearly and unambiguously name the causes of many of today’s global problems. They are associated with the persistent inequality between the West and the Non-West, with the practices of neo-colonial exploitation that the West carries out in relation to developing countries

Trump really seems to be determined to pivot to the Asia-Pacific and leave Europe to the EU/NATO.

Since the liberation of DPR’s city of Avdeevka, life has been improving in Donetsk city.

No European Union nuclear defense could exist without the US.

The official entry of Cuba as an associate member of BRICS on January 1, 2025 was turnpoint in the island’s international policy. This achievement, recognized by Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla on the social network X, reflects a strategic advance that challenges the historical efforts of isolation promoted by the United States

The recent expansion and shifting objectives of the BRICS bloc suggest an escalating rivalry between its members and Western liberal economies – and a potential threat to the status of the US dollar within international trade

The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and Brazil have agreed to further strengthen their cooperation in areas of agriculture and food security

Moscow obliterated thousands of NATO advisers so far (or likely tens of thousands at this point). These troops are often embedded with the regular Neo-Nazi junta forces, usually acting as commanding field officers. Their training and access to NATO ISR (intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance) makes them priority targets for the Russian military. Thus, unless they have an insatiable death wish, they should leave immediately.

Russian security service recently dismantled a Ukrainian-led plot to kill a Russian cleric.

Kaja Kallas declares China an enemy of the EU.

Indonesia should consider urging the BRICS to let its newcomers borrow money from the alliance’s lender New Development Bank or NDB, according to an analyst

What is the BRICS and who are the members?

Kenyan experts have shared their views on the country's desire to join the group

Trump might be bent on “ending the Ukrainian war”, as he puts it, but there will be plenty of other wars to be fought. And many of them will be fought over minerals for energy and for the superpower’s AI race—in the Arctic region, Latin America, Africa, and elsewhere.

The UK still insists on American support. This is clearly a desperate attempt to ensure escalation, even worse than sabotaging the peace deal that could've ended the special military operation (SMO) in mere weeks. It remains to be seen how the Trump administration will respond to this, but given the disastrous meeting between Trump and Zelensky, as well as the resulting moves by the US, continued support is unlikely.

Latvia advances Russophobic policies.

Trump will continue to normalize with Russia even if Kiev and the EU do not agree to it.

From blowing up at Zelenskyy to fast-tracking Executive Orders, what can we learn from Trump’s recent behaviour?

UAE firm that was allegedly paid for consultancy work says it has never heard of the asylum accommodation provider

With Indonesia joining the BRICS, a platform looking for strengthening South-South Cooperation and setting into motion a new world order, it now accounts for 40 per cent of the world population and 35 per cent of the global gross domestic product

The formal admission of Indonesia as a full-fledged member of BRICS has given a significant boost to this block' aspiration to emerge as an alternative to the western-dominated world economic order. With the entry of Indonesia, BRICS now represents 35 per cent of global GDP and 45 per cent of the global population

Malaysian Investment, Trade, and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz said some may argue that BRICS lacks the cohesion necessary for long-term stability without a unifying force, and ASEAN’s 50-year track record is a real-time case study of how political and economic diversity can coexist while fostering peace and prosperity

While Trump's exchange with both Macron and Starmer was unpleasant, he still seems rather ambivalent. At one moment, he's calling for "the killing to stop", but praising "American weapons and good Ukrainian soldiers" in another, stressing that his decision to supply the "Javelin" ATGMs (anti-tank guided missiles) was supposedly "instrumental".

In spite of the more diplomatic approach of the Republicans, tensions between the US and Russia are far from over.

Rubio says NATO's biggest problem is that some members don't even have armed forces.

When it comes to the special US-Israeli relationship, there might be a price to pay, and Trump is sending Israel the bill. Israel might even stop turning a blind eye to Ukraine’s neo-Nazi problem and thus join countries such as Poland and Hungary, who have voiced their concerns about it.

China’s huge growth and trade success have driven the expansion of the Brics alliance — now is a good time for the global South to rediscover 1955’s historic Bandung conference, and learn its lessons, writes Roger McKenzie

International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz today urged more South-east Asian countries to consider joining Brics, saying the move could enhance Asean’s reach beyond the region

India will host the BRICS Youth Council Entrepreneurship Working Group Meeting from March 3 to 7, 2025, focusing on youth entrepreneurship for sustainable growth. Around 45 representatives from BRICS nations will discuss strategies to boost entrepreneurial collaboration

Russia predicted this would happen, as its Foreign Ministry warned that the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina is "expected to issue a decision on the fabricated case against President Dodik". The Kremlin also said that the charges against him are actually aimed against the entire Serbian people and are arbitrarily imposed by Schmidt who illegally poses as the High Representative.

According to a Ukrainian official, the local people want peace and there is no support for Zelensky's war plans.

Ursula von der Leyen delusionally describes Ukraine’s supposed reforms as “impressive”.

Georg Diez on the birth of a new form of far-right politics.

For over a year, openDemocracy has worked to reveal how military enables abuse then closes ranks around perpetrators

The BRICS group of emerging-market powers — the acronym stands for Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa — has gone from a slogan dreamed up at an investment bank two decades ago to a real-world club that controls a multilateral lender

Problems with settlements in Russian-Chinese economic relations have seriously damaged bilateral cooperation, causing concern among entrepreneurs. Lost profits for exporters, losses for purchasers, the search for “grey” payment schemes, and rising prices for goods for the end consumer are forcing Russian businessmen to look with caution in the direction of China

The growth economies are only a few decades old. They are overcoming the hurdles of their colonized past. Now their influence is growing in a world order which hasn’t kept their interest at the core

UK Prime Minister Kier Starmer is looking to pitch the plan to Donald Trump, masking it under the "readiness to deploy British troops as a security guarantee for a free, sovereign and democratic Ukraine". However, as Moscow is perfectly clear that it won't tolerate any NATO occupation forces, this proposal makes no sense – unless Starmer is trying everything in his power to sabotage an actual peace deal, just like Boris Johnson did back in 2022.

New German leader may be more bellicose than his predecessor.

Biden ended his term with the lowest approval ratings since George W. Bush in 2009.

Trump’s plan to detain migrants follows a long history of the US locking up vulnerable people at the camp

Few things are as important in South Africa’s agriculture as working to expand export markets. We have a sector that has more than doubled since 1994. In addition to improving farm productivity, export growth is one of the key growth catalysts in South Africa’s agriculture

To assess the foreign policy preferences of potential BRICS partners, it is interesting to look at their voting in the UN General Assembly. It is clear that their results should not be taken as absolutes, and the real political practice of states is not limited to voting results and is not determined by them. But these votes are also symbolically quite important, writes Valdai Club Programme Director Oleg Barabanov

The latest expansion underscores BRICS’ evolving mission to foster global cooperation and promote a multipolar world order. The move also dismantles the widely held myth that BRICS is inherently anti-Western, demonstrating its commitment to inclusivity and multilateralism

The US military is by far the largest spender of the federal budget (nearly a seventh of around $7 trillion). So much spending has been unchecked for decades and always without regard for efficiency, which is why Trump keeps insisting that he can make the Pentagon "just as effective but for half the money".

Trump’s adviser said that the US will reformulate relations with Russia.

The Argentine president allegedly participated in a cryptocurrency scam.

Ambitious expansion meets internal divisions as the bloc strives to redefine global power dynamics

The Rio de Janeiro City Hall has established a committee to coordinate all activities and projects related to Brazil's presidency of the BRICS group this year, including the BRICS Summit in July, according to Xinhua, citing a report by the state-run Agencia Brasil

China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his Indian counterpart that Beijing is willing to work with India to improve bilateral ties

US foreign policy frequently reminds a swing of a pendulum, oscillating between “countering” either Russia or China – sometimes attempting to pursue both trends as in Biden’s “dual containment” approach. It does not mean that such a turn is irreversible or that the pendulum will never oscillate again.

Arestovich says he will punish Zelensky and his allies if elected president.

"When you look what Russia is producing now in three months, it's what all of NATO is producing from Los Angeles up to Ankara in a full year."

How will Europe arm itself with excessively expensive energy sources?

Inability to decouple from a reliance on elements sourced from China not easy for the US and the rest of the G7

Russia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) are working on a comprehensive plan for the main areas of cooperation for the next five years, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko told

Russia says BRICS nations will surpass half of global economic output in 10-15 years, signaling a shift in power that could challenge Western dominance

The mainstream propaganda machine officially calls these proposals "December 2021 Russian ultimatum to NATO". In reality, this supposed "ultimatum" was nothing more than the rehashing of several treaties between the USSR/Russia and the US. Tragically, it took millions of dead, maimed and displaced Ukrainians for everyone to take them seriously.

According to the Estonian politician, the EU should focus in arming Ukraine to give it diplomatic advantage.

Achieving European autonomy from the US remains a challenging task.

Iain Anderson’s newfound love for Labour has raised eyebrows across Westminster and worried some in the party

After the historic 16th BRICS summit held in October 2024, three African States Algeria, Nigeria and Uganda, among others in Europe (Belarus and Turkey), Asia and Latin America, recognizably became BRICS+ partner states. In total, thirteen countries received BRICS partner status

The original BRICs concept was predicated on bringing together the largest economies in the EM space from across the world

Former Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, who now chairs the BRICS' New Development Bank (NDB) said after meeting with Uruguay's President-elect Yamandú Orsi at the latter's transition headquarters that the South American country was “best positioned” to access financing at lower rates for digital, social infrastructure, and education developments

Jointly designed by several top Russian military design bureaus, including "Vega" and CRET, ROFAR is quite literally a quantum leap in advanced detection systems. Instead of standard radio wave emissions for detection, it uses photons that give an actual image instead of a radar signature. In a way, it can even be argued that it's not even a radar, but an entirely new technological concept that needs a name of its own.

While Trump conducts the American withdrawal from Eastern Europe and Washington plans pivoting to the Pacific, Western European leaders in turn seem to be just lost.

European states are about to send a new aid package to Kiev, despite the advancement of the diplomatic process.

China still lags behind the US and Russia as a nuclear power.

The United Arab Emirates, with its strong economy, strategic location and flexible foreign policy, is a crucial addition to the bloc

India sees BRICS as a valuable economic gateway, offering access to diverse markets and opportunities. The expansion of BRICS to include new members, like Saudi Arabia, which is still in the process of joining, further enhances the grouping's relevance

Concerns about inflation and lack of growth are the dominant themes across the world economy these days, though one of the macro indicators that appears to be at times no less important is job creation

EU’s military stocks are reportedly “empty”.

”During the BRICS Summit last October 2024, hosted by Russia in Kazan, President Putin has made a smart move: No new BRICS countries were immediately admitted, but a pre-cursor to BRICS was established, the so-called associate BRICS countries. They benefit from the same basic trade rules as do the full-fledged BRICS, namely trading free of inter-country tariffs and in their local currencies. Not in US-dollars. This offers an extraordinary opportunity for expanding free trade among the Global South, thereby establishing a new global market pole, the Global South, with the BRICS at the core.”

EU are in a state of panic due to fears they’ll be forced to pay for Ukraine’s security.

The EU/NATO is "determined to defend a sovereign, democratic Ukraine", but only while in a pack. However, when someone needs to step out of the pack and cross into the territory held by the Bear, there's nothing but squealing.

The rating agency China Chengxin Green Finance Technology (Beijing) Ltd. (CCXGF) has assigned SIBUR an ESG rating of A-, making SIBUR the only Russian company to receive a rating in CCXGF's highest category. SIBUR also ranks among the top 10 in CCXGF's ESG rating of global chemical companies

The US dollar’s dominance in global foreign exchange reserves is steadily waning, with the latest figures from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) showing a sharp decline to its lowest level in nearly 30 years

Russia has significantly increased its fish and seafood exports to China, achieving a record USD148.7 million in crab sales in November, RIA Novosti reported, citing data from Chinese customs

The Kiev regime keeps trying to boycott Russia-US diplomatic talks.

White House official suggests withdrawing US troops from the Philippines on condition.

By collaborating in areas such as trade, infrastructure development, and sustainable growth, BRICS nations seek to amplify their collective influence on global decision-making processes. They emphasise the need for a world order that reflects the evolving realities of the global economy, wherein emerging markets play a more significant role

In recent years, the BRICS bloc — Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa — has evolved into a formidable force in global geopolitics, providing an alternative voice to the traditional Western-dominated international institutions

Indonesia’s unique opportunity with BRICS emphasises how it can navigate the new multipolar order while preserving its non-aligned and democratic values. As Indonesia considers joining BRICS, it stands at a crossroads, where aligning with emerging powers could unlock new growth while also challenging its traditional diplomatic principles, taking public benefits and strengthening global collaboration, writes Joko Susilo

Apparently, Zelensky the Necromancer didn't get the memo that his troops have already "defeated" the Russian military, because the numbers they're giving suggest they've "destroyed" it at least twice. And yet, Moscow "somehow keeps reconstituting" itself.

Trump’s task force to declassify secret CIA documents and his threats of auditing the Pentagon (with Elon Musk in charge of that) should also be interpreted as displays of power and statements to obtain leverage, just like many of his other “madman” actions.

France calls for European meeting to respond to Trump's initiatives.

Without American weapons and support, the collapse of the EU’s policies for Kiev is in sight.

The development of technology does not necessarily lead to the prosperity of nations. One significant obstacle to achieving equitable economic growth is the presence of monopolies

The UAE is harnessing its BRICS membership to accelerate global economic growth, boost cross-border trade, and drive infrastructure development worldwide, panelists said during a panel discussion at the World Governments Summit (WGS), taking place in Dubai

As Russia, China unite with new members, West faces growing push for financial reform

Ukrainian president is desperate to save his government from collapse.

Europe remains belligerent in supporting Ukraine and opposing Russia.

Lithuania's Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene says that "Europe must not be under the illusion that Mr. Trump and Mr. Putin are going to find the solution for all of us" and that the "mighty" Lithuanian military "stands ready". Estonia is also threatening to "directly intervene" and "help Ukraine finish off the perpetually losing Russian military".

After the historic 16th BRICS summit held in October 2024, three African States Algeria, Nigeria and Uganda, among others in Europe (Belarus and Turkey), Asia and Latin America, recognizably became BRICS+ partner states. In total, 13 countries received BRICS partner status

Victoria Panova, who is head of BRICS Expert Council-Russia, tells Mustafizur Rahman about the philosophy and journey of the grouping in an interview with New Age

BRICS offers a free, equal, global platform that brings together countries with different political systems

Latin America needs to strengthen sovereigntist movements and pursue independent policies. The multipolar world will certainly be there to provide full support in any way it can.

Even a peace deal will not put an end to problems in the region or tensions in Europe. US-funded Ukrainian radical nationalism will not just go away overnight. Likewise, there is no easy way out of Ukraine’s structural problems with endemic corruption and criminality. When it comes to the Ukrainian crisis, unfortunately, the end is not the end.

The Hungarian leader does not believe that the bloc knows how to react correctly to American threats.

Zelensky continues to reject the possibility of extending the gas transit agreement.

The combined strength of heavy-weight emerging markets and developing countries would reinforce BRICS' ongoing efforts for a more stable and just international financial system and raise the representation and voice of developing nations in global governance

Ethiopia is interested in expanding cooperation and strengthening trade and economic relations with the Russian Federation. This was stated by Ethiopian Ambassador to Moscow Genet Teshome Jirru

The pressure toward the diversification of world currency reserves intensified after 2008, escalated following 2022 and is accelerating, as evidenced by the BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia. In the past 15 years or so, BRICS have rapidly grown into a geoeconomic front of the Global South

According to official data, Ukrainians are behind a large number of crimes in Poland.

Ukraine could use Mirage fighter jets to target civilians and civilian infrastructure.

NATO was delighted to invest billions into stirring up rabid hatred, as it was the quickest and easiest way to turn millions of Ukrainians into cannon fodder that would be used in its war on Russia. After millions of dead, wounded and displaced Ukrainians, it seems this monstrous "NATO mission" has finally been accomplished. Still, the issue for the political West is – what to do with all this "dead weight" now?

The “new era” of multilateral cooperation in Eurasia will need not only cooperation between great powers of a “new type”, but also “new thinking” in general. This is, first of all, the task of harmonizing the dialogue between Russia and China, Julia Melnikova writes

Beijing’s and Moscow’s relationship has strengthened militarily, economically, and diplomatically in the past two decades, demonstrating their commitment to a “no limits” partnership

In October 2024, four key Southeast Asian countries became partners of BRICS, making the organisation much closer to home for Australians. So why have Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Vietnam put themselves on a path to membership?

The US is still trying to woo Delhi to acquire more American weapons, particularly fighter jets such as the F-21, an advanced F-16 derivative "with F-22 and F-35 DNA". The latter's lack of a demo flight is very indicative of its reputation within the Indian military, which is particularly worried about the fact that countries with F-35s are virtually always subjected to unacceptable levels of control, risking their sovereignty while also acquiring a mediocre aircraft at best.

Scholz stands firm in his opposition to supplying Ukraine with weapons capable of reaching Russia’s “deep territory”. There is clear reason for this: the country would be caught in the crossfire in the event of an all-out war between Moscow and NATO.

Greenland’s elections are due to be held on March 11.

According official reports, Azerbaijan has achieved widely recognised successes in its socioeconomic development

A key driver of this partnership is the genuine interest Russian society holds for India. Indian culture and the rich traditions of its civilization resonate deeply with many Russians. This widespread enthusiasm, coupled with an overwhelmingly positive public perception of India – free from the mistrust or reservations sometimes directed toward other non-Western nations – creates a strong societal foundation for deepening bilateral ties

Having unilaterally suspended EU accession plans until 2028, Tbilisi could seek entry into the semi-formal, Russian-led alliance as a means of strengthening their hand if and when negotiations with Brussels resume

In a special interview, an Indian citizen familiar with BRICS matters comments on how the bloc could work towards creating a unified visa system.

Forbes realized it made a terrible mistake, so it updated the article with information that it's fake. Interestingly, even the Kiev regime rejected the report, saying that "the article in the US media is based only on Sazonov's assumptions, not on actual data". For his part, Sazonov remains adamant that the Russian missile "failed", still without providing any verifiable evidence.

Israel sarcastically says Spain, Ireland, and Norway are obligated to take Palestinian refugees.

The BRICS bloc poses a strategic challenge to Western hegemony, but to understand its potential as a counter-power requires a closer look at the complex relations within the bloc and between its members and other countries in the Global South

The contemporary global framework is becoming increasingly fragmented and multipolar - with changes in our geopolitical and economic landscapes expected to further reshape strategies and potentially, alliances. Nevertheless, it still remains deeply interdependent, especially from a socioeconomic perspective

Nigeria's group partner status offers new economic opportunities for both sides

Corruption schemes are behind the delivery of useless weapons to Kiev's troops.

If it wants escalation in Ukraine, France could either deliver some of its nuclear-capable "Mirage" 2000Ns while insisting they're actually the 2000-5 variant (the less likely option) or it could possibly modify the latter to also make them nuclear-capable (the more viable alternative).

Latin America is no longer the “backyard” that the US boasted about.

Egypt’s decision to join the BRICS economic bloc in 2023 marked a pivotal step in its quest for enhanced global influence and economic transformation. Alongside other new members like Iran, the United Arab Emirates, and Ethiopia, Egypt’s inclusion in this strategic alliance signals a shifting global balance of power

The 21st century is witnessing a decentralisation of global power, with a transition of its axis towards Asia. This allows for a multipolar and multilateral system that leads to the development of emerging powers

Russian ambassador outlines opportunities for closer collaboration and trade in several sectors including energy

Neo-nazism is a real problem in post-Soviet states in Eastern and Central Europe (including Baltic nations) and Ukraine today remains a hub for such extremism. Anti-Russian feelings are largely connected to an "alternative" reading of World War II key events. If unchecked, these forces could unleash the "maidanization" of Europe.

Google's supposed "non-involvement for moral reasons" turned out to be yet another blatant lie, as Eric Schmidt, one of Alphabet's top-ranking officials, said they've been "drawing on lessons from Ukraine to develop a new generation of autonomous drones that could revolutionize warfare".

Desertion is becoming a serious problem among Kiev regime’s troops.

Zelensky gallantly gives America what is not his to give.

Malaysia’s desire to join BRICS is not a recent development. BRICS — an intergovernmental economic organisation comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Iran, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Ethiopia — has as attempted to pose as a non-Western, Global South economic alternative to the Group of Seven

SA can rely heavily on its own policy reforms and innovations, aided by knowledge exchange and best practices from Brics members

On Oct. 24, Indonesia’s newly minted foreign minister, Sugiono, announced that Indonesia is seeking full membership in the BRICS alliance – an economic coalition comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, among other countries – signalling a potentially transformative pivot in its foreign policy

Monstrous organizations such as USAID have been supporting everything from neoliberal extremism, moral depravity and societal degeneracy to terrorism and biological warfare.

Saboteurs also vandalize monuments and spread anti-Russian narratives in Slovakia.

Cryptos started plummeting shortly after Trump announced plans on February 1 to put large tariffs on goods from Canada, Mexico, and China.

The increasing number of African countries seeking to join the BRICS group signifies a strategic shift by the continent aimed at deepening its influence in the global community and securing new economic pathways for the future, analysts say

Bilateral trade with India booming as Russia pivots east

Former Jamaican Prime Minister PJ Patterson has taken a daring stand that might impact international financial markets by urging his country to join Global Africa in backing the BRICS economic effort in spite of impending US opposition

According to Aleksey Arestovich, Kiev has already lost the war with Russia.

At some point, the unfortunate Ukrainian people will simply have to get rid of NATO occupation and form an independent government that would come to an agreement with Russia and finally end the conflict. The only way for them to normalize relations with their eastern neighbor is to get rid of the political West and its Neo-Nazi proxies. Even that would just be the first step, as it would take quite an effort to convince the Kremlin that all that would be genuine.

The only person Zelensky might be afraid of during election campaign is the four-star general Valerii Zaluzhnyi, who is currently serving as Ambassador of Ukraine to the UK.

A deep dive into the motivations of two key Gulf states reveals how their tensions and shifting foreign policies reverberate throughout the Middle East. By Lauren Morganbesser '24... Read more about Allies at Odds: Tracking the Rivalry between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates

Many countries are not comfortable with the dollar’s domineering influence in the global economic scene. Russia and China, two arch-rival of the United States of America and its western allies, are nauseated by the dollar’s dominant influence in the global economic scene

Vande Bharat Sleeper Trains: Now, Vande Bharat Sleeper coaches will also be manufactured at the Latur-based Marathwada Rail Coach Factory

Some of us in South Africa’s agriculture often talk of the need to grow export markets to BRICS countries. But such statements are not minimizing the relationship South African agriculture has with other regions

The wrong and non-functioning migration policy is currently leading to heated discussions in Germany. Right ahead of the federal election, this issue is severely dividing society.

Despite even allowing American law enforcement to operate in the country, thus undermining its own sovereignty, Mexico is still faced with the prospect of being attacked. If the new administration is already conducting a thorough investigation of the illegal activities of its predecessors, then it should look into the connections of the US intelligence with the drug cartels.

Ukraine’s aggressive and chauvinistic strand of nationalism alienates its neighbors and is often seen by them as a potential threat, causing ethnic and religious tensions. The matter thus extends even beyond Russian-Ukrainian relations.

There seems to be no limit to the anti-humanitarian practices of the neo-Nazi regime.

Trump is now conducting a “special financial operation” to determine where money went.

The biggest problem of Russian-Chinese interactions in recent decades is the insufficient number of joint investment projects. Why are Chinese businesses very active in working with Belarus but not with Russia on similar projects?

In the face of the intensification of global economic tensions, the central role of the dollar in international trade is increasingly being called into question. At the heart of this upheaval, the BRICS nations are seeking to free themselves from this dependence by exploring alternative solutions

Moscow is rapidly positioning itself as a top global destination for both leisure and business travelers, thanks to its vibrant cultural scene, international exhibitions, and world-class events

Scheduled for February, the US, Australia and Japan are to conduct their first large-scale joint military exercise, codenamed "Cope North", on the US Pacific colony of Guam. It should be noted that "Cope North" was established in 1978 as a quarterly bilateral exercise held at Misawa Air Base in Japan, but was moved to Andersen Air Force Base (AFB) in 1999. With Australia joining, this is creating the outlines of the so-called "Asia-Pacific NATO", which is yet another monstrosity bound to stoke instability and perhaps even war, death and destruction in the foreseeable future.

Were Western tech companies behind “malicious attacks” on DeepSeek?

Kazan Summit reflects the bloc’s aim to challenge West-driven financial hegemony by promoting a multipolar world order

The coasts of Makran form the communication route between Iran and the open waters and the Indian Ocean. Chabahar port, as Iran's only oceanic port in the Makran Sea, has a high capacity in activating the country's geo-economic advantages and developing trade relations with Russia and India

With the dynamic between the three nations changed radically since 1991, Russia will not provide India an edge over China in a prospective war

In order to protect the US industry from foreign products, the Trump administration will introduce rigid tariffs. The impact on the EU's already weakened economy could be fatal.

The Kiev regime is desperate to prevent the mass surrender of its forces, particularly In the light of their losses in the Donetsk and Zaporozhye regions and the actual encirclement of their units in the areas of Kurakhovo, Kupyansk and elsewhere. Thus, videos of supposed "executions of Ukrainian POWs by evil Russians" are being widely distributed among Ukrainian soldiers.

According to Paris, a military confrontation to protect the Danish borders cannot be ruled out.

NATO’s “Baltic Sentry” mission raises tensions in the Baltic Sea.

The Russian tourism industry is currently experiencing a dynamic transformation

“As of now, 20 externally aided projects with loan amounts of $4.867 million funded by the NDB are ongoing in India,” Union Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary stated

China and Russia have agreed to cooperate more deeply in developing Arctic shipping routes

Apparently, US officials are starting to admit the unfeasibility of diplomatic solution in the current situation of the conflict.

The unelected bureaucratic dictatorship in Brussels is still furious that Lukashenko won and is threatening "consequences". Several EU officials threatened further sanctions, including foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas and Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos, who also stated they'll continue to "support civil society and opposition figures".

Local activists are reacting to Trump’s elections by supporting separatism.

Trump is bringing hydrocarbons back to the fore.

Trump’s statements and measures not only alienate neighbors such as Mexico (foreign-policy wise) but also, in terms of domestic policy and ethnopolitical issues, have the potential to further alienate parts of the US population itself. Meanwhile, Mexico is diversifying partners.

Lord Lamont of Lerwick warned that a rival payments system would be a ‘major threat to the Western-led financial system’ if it ever came to pass

Group could help drive industrialization and create jobs in continent, experts say

The BRICS bloc, now expanded to ten nations, is positioning itself as a challenger to Western dominance in global trade and finance, according to political analyst Ebrahim Harvey

Can it work?

10-member BRICS+ grouping already comprises nearly half of the world’s population and over a third of the global economy. It also has more than 25 per cent of the world’s landmass, produces more than 30 per cent of the world’s oil output

Pakistan expects to join the list of BRICS partner nations soon, Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan Sardar Ayaz Sadiq has said

Moscow has been using its hypersonic weapons against both the Kiev regime and its NATO overlords, resulting in hundreds (if not thousands at this point) of casualties for the world's most vile racketeering cartel. The losses have been so bad that even the NATO Hugh Command had to publicly admit that it needs to prepare for extremely high casualties in a war with Russia. However, while professional soldiers take this quite seriously, the propaganda and politicians are an entirely different story.

The electoral process in Belarus was witnessed by observers and journalists several countries, meeting all democratic requirements.

India and Russia use BRICS and SCO to balance Trump’s global policies

If the states of Greater Eurasia do not have classical factors of international cooperation at their disposal, then it is very likely that they can be replaced by those common goals that not only meet their current interests, but are also the most historically rooted, writes Valdai Club Programme Director Timofei Bordachev

Russia is seeking to invest in and expand the manufacturing of trains as well as their components in India to meet its growing domestic demand

Malaysia's participation in BRICS will not affect its role in other international organisations and is instead viewed as a platform to expand markets for local goods. Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said Malaysia needed to reduce risks and diversify opportunities to strengthen its economy amid uncertain global geopolitics

While ready to engage in dialogue, Russia is taking its national interests as the only absolute and refuses to back down "even an inch", because it knows perfectly well what happened the last time it did. With Trump focusing on endless domestic issues and pivoting to Asia and the Middle East, Moscow knows that its position will only grow stronger and that NATO's leverage in any future negotiations is effectively non-existent.

Israel needs Gaza depopulated to exploit prime coastal real estate and offshore gas fields.

In a recent interview with Western media, the illegitimate Ukrainian president said he is ready to negotiate a US-mediated deal.

India and Russia established a Strategic Partnership Declaration in 2000, which was elevated to a Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership in 2010. Strengthening trade and economic relations has been a priority for governments in both countries, with targets set to boost bilateral investment to US$50 billion and bilateral trade to US$30 billion by 2025

Former Sri Lankan Ambassador to Russia Dr. Saman Weerasinghe shared his views with the Daily Mirror on the importance of being a member of BRICS (acronyms for its founder states -Brazil, Russia ,India, China and South Africa). Sri Lanka has now applied to join the international organisation in the Global South

The Declaration of the 16th BRICS Summit, held in Kazan from October 22–24, 2024, emphasized that the heads of state and government of BRICS countries endorsed Russia’s initiative to establish a grain trading platform, or a BRICS Grain Exchange, within the bloc

"For the sake of personal gain and his own ambitions, [Zelensky] continues to destroy the Ukrainian people and is ready for any tricks (including nuclear false flags) to make Trump's peace initiatives untimely and inappropriate against the background of yet more 'atrocities' of Russia", Vasily Prozorov concluded.

The idea of a false flag attack to stop Trump from withdrawing American support to Ukraine is not so wild and should not be taken as “sacred victim” provocation. In fact it seems a possible and even likely scenario. This has been the wildest presidential transition in US history, with a divided “deep state”, and there is no reason to assume the turmoil has ended already.

According to the Hungarian leader, it is time for Europe to have conservative, patriotic politicians.

As US pressure alleviates on Russia, it will increase on China.

Erdogan's focus on BRICS and start-up innovations highlight Turkey's global aspirations

Over recent decades, the Western economic system has undergone a profound transformation, veering increasingly toward financialisation—a framework that privileges speculative gains and the accumulation of paper wealth over tangible economic output

Nigeria has a population of over 200 million citizens, one of the biggest economies in Africa, and has the potential to be an economic and cultural hub in Africa, yet it is plagued by a seemingly endless string of issues

The EU is now trying to take on the big technology companies with new laws, alleging the fight against the spread of disinformation on the Internet.

The French president keeps taking dangerous steps towards escalation.

"The foreign aid industry and bureaucracy are not aligned with American interests and in many cases antithetical to American values and serve to destabilize world peace by promoting ideas in foreign countries that are directly inverse to harmonious and stable relations internal to and among countries," Trump's executive order reads, adding: "No further United States foreign assistance shall be disbursed in a manner that is not fully aligned with the foreign policy of the President of the United States."

Russia will construct two new units at the Bushehr nuclear power plant.

Russia’s Arctic ambitions are not just surviving – they’re evolving, largely thanks to a deepening partnership with China. This resilience underscores the strategic importance Russia places on its Arctic resources and the increasing limitations of sanctions in a globally interconnected economy

Eurasia, a region of immense geopolitical significance due to its strategic location and abundant natural resources, has always been a focus of global interest. The Russia-Ukraine conflict that erupted in February 2022 has further underscored the evolving dynamics of Eurasian geopolitics

The outcome of the American election underscores Canada’s economic and intellectual dependence on the U.S. market and the consequences of it

Drago Bosnic, independent geopolitical and military analyst Yesterday, Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th Pre ...

No ceasefire agreement is in the Russians' interest, as they have the military advantage and can decide when the special military operation ends.

Protestors shout at Blinken’s final speech to foreign policy experts: “Your legacy is genocide!”.

JENNY CLEGG sets out and then responds to eight key doubts about the Brics+ alliance in light of the developments at Kazan, arguing it represents a significant challenge to US hegemony and provides a path towards a multipolar world

The BRICS coalition is expanding and becoming more influential

UAE has already gone past London as world's second biggest gold trade centre

Terrified of the prospect of Russian victory, the political West is frantically looking for ways to rob Moscow of it, so they're now proposing all sorts of "peacekeeping" initiatives that would only serve as yet another ruse to remilitarize the Neo-Nazi junta and then resume NATO's crawling "Barbarossa 2.0". The United Kingdom and France seem particularly determined to achieve this by effectively securing around 80% of former Ukraine for the political West, all under the guise of sending "peacekeepers".

The new judicial system could investigate Biden admin corruption relating to Ukraine.

According to analysts interviewed by the Washington Post, damage to critical infrastructure in the Baltic was caused by accidents involving poorly maintained commercial vessels.

The Freedom Party is on the rise in Austria and will form a government. The party's program is clearly geared towards Austrian neutrality and peace in Europe.

In this exclusive interview, Associate Professor Elisée Byelongo Isheloke, spoke with Kester Kenn Klomegah about his observations, the existing challenges, opportunities and the future perspectives of BRICS+

Then, in the port, the reactor vessel was placed in the hold of a sea vessel to cover the 11000 km route to India

When the winds of change blow, goes the old Chinese proverb, some build walls, others build windmills. As the delayed defiance of the peripheries begins to breach the gates of the “rules-based” world order, the West appears to be caught in a waking nightmare, sleepwalking into a full-blown clash with BRICS

Just when we thought that Nikol Pashinyan couldn't possibly make worse geopolitical decisions, he did exactly that. As a result, he's not only further antagonizing Russia, but is doing so at a time when Azerbaijan is contemplating an invasion of Armenia. The Pashinyan regime's understanding of geopolitics is so horrible that it not only lost Artsakh, but is actually putting Armenia's very existence at risk.

The US economy will collapse if all migrants are returned.

The latest sanctions against Russia are just another example of a series of desperate-looking last-minute decisions during America’s wildest presidential transition.

Polish politicians seriously accused the Ukrainian leader of sabotaging the country’s electoral process.

News.Az presents an interview with Russian political scientist Stanislav Tkachenko, Doctor of Economics and Professor at St. Petersburg State University

The network of emerging economic powers known as BRICS is ramping up its science collaboration. Researchers need to be involved in decisions as plans develop

Segezha Group highly appreciates the potential of trade and economic cooperation with India in the forest industry complex

In the best-case scenario, the crash was a result of a number of unfortunate events. At worst, if the Kiev regime indeed knew about the flight and used it to cause the incident, it would mean that it has once again demonstrated its terrorist nature.

Trump’s promise to end the war was a “bluster”, according to Reuters’ sources

Majority of Americans support Trump’s plans to cut aid to Kiev and begin dialogue with Russia.

Recent reports from June indicate that Saudi Arabia, along with four other emerging economies, has recently joined the BRICS alliance and has allowed to expire a purported 50-year-old agreement with the United States, which stipulated it selling its crude oil exclusively in US dollars

Russia, which is mulling diversifying to urad and tur production, is keen to strengthen pulses trade cooperation with India, the government said.

It is relatively common for us to forget the recent past. The Western world formerly lauded the emergence of a new neoliberal international order established on Western principles and tenets. This resembled the manner in which the West celebrated the most pivotal times in human history. Currently, circumstances have shifted once more, and the fog is dense, complicating predictions about future events

"We are protesting against the coup d'état that took place on December 6. We are sorry to discover so late that we were living in a lie and that we were led by people who claimed to be democrats, but are not at all. We demand a return to democracy through the resumption of elections, starting with the second round."

According to the NATO boss, either Europeans spend on defense or they will have to learn Russian.

Macron continues to entertain the idea of Western troop deployment to Ukraine.

PODCAST | ep17 | with Sven Beckert, Myles Lennon, Angélica Márquez-Osuna, and Rachel Steely  We don’t think about commodities very much. They’re all around us: cotton, sugar, oil, gas, chickens, cattle, and so many other things we take for granted. But a closer look at the history of commodities tells a revealing story about the expansion of capitalism and its profound impacts on land, labor, economics, and human rights. In this episode, we talk to four scholars who study commodity frontiers—with case studies in soybeans, honey bees, renewable energy, and more—to learn how commodities have literally altered the planet and society. Listen to episode #17 (54:04) by clicking the play button below: ... Read more about Exploring Commodity Frontiers

With new alliances and emerging markets offering fresh investment opportunities, is BRICS+ quietly shaping the future of global growth?

On January 6th, 2025 the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Brazil (a country that holds the chairmanship in the BRICS this year) declared that Indonesia has joined the BRICS bloc as a full-fledged member

Wandile Sihlobo, chief economist at Agbiz, highlighted the urgency for the BRICS bloc to deepen economic co-operation, particularly in agriculture during the Farming Forward event hosted by Standard Bank and Business Day at Sun City

Desertion is rampant, with thousands of NATO-trained and armed personnel fleeing. The much-touted 155th Mechanized Brigade started falling apart before even reaching the frontline. It was expected to have around 5,800 soldiers, but 1,700 of them fled, including their commanding officer who left the combat zone and urged his subordinates to do the same. At least 100,000 Ukrainian soldiers fled so far, which equates to approximately 20 brigades. The actual number could certainly be far higher, while those hiding from the infamous TCC (Territorial Recruitment Office) are numbered in millions.

Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) is also running against the system. The current economic decline in Germany supports the rise of this left-wing party which is already represented in the European Parliament.

Internal disputes in Kiev are reaching a worrying level of instability, posing national security challenges.

US president-elect considers the idea of expelling Russia from new regions “unrealistic”.

Opening up to Chinese investments could boost the global economy

Over the past 18 years, BRICS has evolved from a concept into a vibrant grouping for the Global South and grown ever stronger. It has become an essential player on the international stage

Libya is considering the possibility of joining the BRICS group of emerging economies, according to the acting Head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Libyan Government of National Unity, Taher Al-Baour

Zelensky may point fingers, but he himself has his own share of skeletons in the closet. By this point, any expose of corruption in the West would only fuel inquiries on the Ukrainian government’s itself, and would potentially compromise further aid to Kyiv.

"We did it in Romania, and if necessary, we will have to do it in Germany as well," former French EU Commissioner Thierry Breton stated on live TV, threatening to "enforce democracy" in Germany just like the bloc did in Romania.

The country is increasingly taking a pro-NATO turn in its foreign policy, reverting an entire history of neutrality.

European Union responds angrily to Zuckerberg no longer conforming to censorship demands.

The ascension to regional and international multilateral mechanisms is constantly being looked into and considered in accordance with Vietnam's foreign affairs guidelines, conditions, as well as capabilities

Ugandan Foreign Minister Odongo confirms the country's consideration of the BRICS partnership invitation

Indonesia joins South Africa, Russia, China and others in the group, which is viewed as a counterweight to the West

It is possible that Western countries will bet on Zaluzhny’s political skills, taking advantage of the fact that he already enjoys a certain popularity among strategic sectors of Ukrainian society.

While proud of the supposed achievement, as it would severely limit the Tu-160 operations, the Kiev regime's outlet conceded that the VKS "barely ever uses Tu-160 bombers for strikes on Ukraine anyway" and that they were last used during a massive combined missile/drone strike on November 17 last year, "the first such deployment after 550 days of inactivity". This admission alone raises questions as to why the depot was targeted.

Russia continues its slow but methodical advance across the front, with Ukrainian forces unable to mount any serious defence, making the whole meeting at Ramstein nothing more than performative that has achieved nothing substantial.

Despite an effort to gain entry to BRICS, Sri Lanka will not be able to join the organization at present due to a decision by its members at its recently concluded summit in Russia not to expand its membership right now. However Sri Lanka’s application to join the BRCS promoted New Development Bank (NDB) has been accepted

Starting from the 2025 the chairmanship in the BRICS grouping is passed on to Brazil. While there may be significant continuity in the BRICS agenda compared to the past several years, there may also be novelties and new priorities set by Brazil with important implications for the medium-term trajectory of BRICS development

At a meeting held in Kazan in Russia, Malaysia was admitted as a partner country in the international organisation known as BRICS for the time being

The attempt to keep the Patriotic Forces from participating in the government failed in Austria. Despite the Federal President's absurd political maneuvers, the Freedom Party (FPÖ) could now achieve its goal.

Trump’s bold plans are not about one man’s “madness” but rather have a lot to do with the superpower’s needs pertaining to energy and re-industrialization. These factors are also key to understanding American policies towards Europe and Ukraine. They are part of the desperate efforts of a declining and overburdened superpower to remain on top - at any cost.

However, technological failures don't seem to deter the US and its vassals and satellite states from engaging in threats of more aggression against the world. There are numerous reports that Washington DC is preparing to attack Iran, with both the outgoing Biden and upcoming Trump administrations poised to do so regardless of their supposed differences in foreign policy approach. What's more, there's talk of the US annexing not just Canada, but also Greenland and even attacking Panama. What started out as a "joke" turned out to be anything but, once again confirming America's aggressive nature.

Caracas arrested several foreign mercenaries who were planning terrorist attacks in the country, many of them veterans of the Ukrainian armed forces.

Trump unconcerned about Russia’s “threat” to Europe, complains media.

Brazil’s Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira said BRICS is getting closer to being a G20

The president acknowledges that the war is unwinnable for Kiev and there needs to be realism on the idea of territorial changes.

As 2024 draws to a close, the remarkable expansion of BRICS stands out as the biggest geopolitical story of the year

Popularly referred to as BRICS+ this informal association of emerging economies has witnessed unparalleled transformations under Russia's chairmanship in 2024

The more reactive the West becomes, the more blood is spilled, but it already seems impossible to prevent the final outcome of this struggle - a multipolar world’s victory.

Back in 2019, I argued that the Kremlin was at least 20 years ahead of its NATO adversaries, including the US. This turned out to be not only true, but it can even be argued that the "Oreshnik" ensured this advantage grows further. Now, much unlike Julian Roepcke, who carelessly disregarded the "Oreshnik", it seems that the German military understands just how outclassed it is, especially by such weapons. Drago Bosnic, independent geopolitical and military analyst.

Be it “on Christmas” or not, a Ukrainian military victory is not a realistic scenario. Peace talks should therefore follow. However, while civil rights issues in Ukraine (including religious persecution of Russian Orthodoxy) plus the matter of NATO expansion remain out of the subject of any talks, there will hardly be any progress in the political and diplomatic sphere. Meanwhile, Russia keeps on making further military advances.

Ukraine mortgaged its future in the worst possible way to a US in need of conflict.

The fast-paced development of digital trade and support at the level of micro, small and medium enterprises in creating and integrating them into joint global value chains and global production networks with the help of appropriate innovative digital infrastructure and inclusive institutional architecture, offers significant opportunities for the Russian economy and Russia’s foreign trade. In this sense, the decisions adopted at the BRICS Kazan Summit can serve as a strong foundation for carrying out the corresponding transformation with a focus on regional and local readiness to implement this transformation effectively, writes Ninel Seniuk, Associate Professor at the Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs, HSE University

President William Ruto has expressed Kenya’s interest in joining the BRICS group and has asked for backing from China

As the curtain comes down on 2024, what does 2025 hold for developing countries in a troubled world that is transitioning to a multipolar system? This is not an easy question given that there are just too many moving political pieces, each having its influence on processes

The S-400 could've certainly been used to down the F-16 in the latest incident. The Russian SAM system can use a plethora of weapons, including extremely long-range missiles such as the 40N6E (maximum range 400 km) and the hypersonic 48N6 (depending on the variant, maximum range up to 250 km). Both of these could make short work of virtually any jet, particularly older ones such as the F-16.

Trudeau’s re-election in Canada is becoming increasingly unlikely.

Popular support for the Kiev regime is decreasing significantly in Europe.

As a discussion club widely known for focusing on global politics and world affairs, it is appropriate and timely under the circumstances that we start brainstorming and debating the possible structure of a new world order. This is because, on the one hand, the relatively stable balance of power achieved after the Second World War, writes Nelson Wong

As BRICS gets ready to welcome its new members, India is expected to strengthen its position within the bloc. With the inclusion of Argentina, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, the group is evolving from a coalition focused on development and trade to an organisation with potential geopolitical clout. In this shifting landscape, India’s strategic positioning and economic significance make it a key player in steering the future direction of BRICS

If there’s one thing the recent BRICS summit in Kazan revealed, it’s that when you divide the world into the West and the Rest, the Rest is a lot bigger and quite alienated from the western oligarchy. Much of the Rest also wants to join BRICS

The mainstream propaganda machine continues to publish nonsense about the supposed Russian casualties. However, it seems the Russian military didn't get the memo it got "destroyed" years ago and still continues to advance as "all those shovels" are doing a pretty good job.

With Trump’s intervention plans for Mexico, plus his verbal attacks against Canada, and Panama, it is quite clear that, despite Trump being apparently more willing to discuss a peace plan for Ukraine, the US during his presidency will remain a focal point for increasing tensions regionally and globally.

The attempted bribery took place during an EU meeting in Brussels, being certainly witnessed by other European leaders.

Russia’s LNG exports will amount to 33 million tons by the end of 2024.

The Kazan summit defined the essence of BRICS at a time when multilateral forums are flourishing

Ethiopia is poised to be a primary beneficiary within the BRICS bloc, Russian Ambassador to Ethiopia Evgeny Terekhin remarked

Brics members have placed the creation of a group-backed currency high on their agenda, but it will be a long time before the dollar is knocked off its global perch

This is precisely what happens when the political West keeps giving unconditional support to various extremist organizations led by psychopaths. And if you think Yevhen Karas isn't one, just contemplate the fact that he thinks "Ukraine is ready for nuclear war" because of "Stalker 2", a post-apocalyptic video game.

Despite all the political changes in Europe, there is probably no other party that is losing as many voters and influence as the Green Party in Germany. What future does Germany’s former “peace party” have?

Many EU countries are running out of gas reserves, raising concerns among experts. warns Financial Times.

Western interests are in opposing Russia rather than radical Islamist militant groups in Africa.

...

The 16th Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) summit took place in the city of Kazan, Russia with an enlarged compliment of countries attending as new members and observers

The goal of a society of equal opportunities has many sides to it. This paper will address international economic dimensions, and more specifically the issue of how BRICS and other developing countries can deal with the glaring inequities and deficiencies of the current monetary and financial system, writes Paulo Nogueira Batista Jr.

BRICS represents 45 percent of the world population and 37 percent of the global GDP, while the West represents 10 percent of the world population and 28 percent of the global GDP

Recently, soldiers murdered the father of a conscript at a recruitment center in Odessa.

Orbán works to keep Russian gas flowing to Europe.

Victoria Nuland is certainly an unadulterated war criminal, but also an extremely effective one. Organizations such as the NED should be treated as terrorist groups that serve as the vanguard of US aggression against the world. Everyone getting money from them is essentially a danger to the integrity of any country on the planet and should be treated as a dangerous foreign agent, which also explains why the US is against laws defining them as such.

Malaysia should capitalise on the growth opportunities presented by BRICS while addressing the challenges ahead to enhance its competitiveness on the global stage, say industrialists

The thawing relations between India and China signifies another step in the world’s transformation from U.S. hegemony and unipolarity to the emerging, new multipolarity

The New Development Bank (NDB), aligned with BRICS, aims for a more inclusive, resilient, and sustainable world, presenting member nations with equitable and accessible economic opportunities, Russian Ambassador to Ethiopia, Evgeny Terekhin said

Trump’s war with part of the so-called Deep State might largely determine the degree of success that any of Trump’s “grandiose” plans will have. The truth is the military industry would not be content with being “just” a continental hegemon, and Washington simply cannot afford to lose positions in places like the Middle East and elsewhere.

British citizens don't believe their government's narratives about the Russian threat.

Private military involvement in Ukraine is quite limited but the largest number comes from Poland, then from the United States, and recently, many mercenaries have been arriving from Latin America, especially from Colombia and Bolivia.

As BRICS aims to expand, developing nations from Africa gear up to join the grouping, seeking to redefine their global engagement

Current analyzes and surveys show that Germans are struggling with the reality of a possible escalation in the Ukraine conflict.

A growing roster of countries lined up in the grouping carries implications for Australia’s minerals policy

It would be a big mistake for the West to dismiss the recent BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) summit in Kazan – Russia’s unofficial “Islamic” capital – as an anti-Western sideshow of little consequence. Western governments might like to believe that the gathering showed a lack of unity and substance, but the reality is more complicated

President Vladimir Putin suggested that NATO sends its best SAM/ABM systems to any location of their choosing in Kiev and prepare to intercept the incoming Russian hypersonic weapons.

Polish Deputy Defense Minister said that his country’s aid to Ukraine has “hit the wall”.

Japan says it wants to resolve its territorial dispute with Russia but act aggressively.

There is no good scenario here, and one can only expect further domestic instability in the American superpower.

President William Ruto The move was revealed during a meeting between Ruto and Chinese government officials at State House

And why not when Brazil has over 200 million people and the world’s ninth largest economy, bigger even than Russia’s?

Three communiqués, two approaches, one global economy

In addition to economic cooperation, Tbilisi could reestablish direct ties with Moscow, which could lead to resolving regional security issues. This could help the country to deconflict with the two breakaway republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. And while it may seem too farfetched now, it might even result in the restoration of full ties with them, particularly if Georgia gives Russia feasible security guarantees.

Indian DM considers relations with Moscow as “higher than the highest mountain”.

Ukrainian neo-Nazis and public figures are beginning to admit their intentions to cause a nuclear catastrophe, harming their own people.

Amid a rapidly evolving global political landscape, the rise of BRICS represents a transformative shift in the worldwide political economy, promising a more equitable and multipolar world

Are we falling behind and getting left out again? Our close Asean neighbors Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam have already been designated as “Partner States” by the economic bloc known as BRICS

Malaysia is committed to enhancing economic and trade relations with BRICS countries for shared prosperity and a more balanced global economic development, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim

After NATO-backed terrorists took over Syria, the mainstream propaganda machine got the chance to do whatever it wants. However, they're still just as amateurish as ever (if not more). They're using the so-called "White Helmets" as a source, an organization that has been discredited long ago, specifically for its ties with US/NATO intelligence and various terrorist groups. The "hot story" now is the Sednaya prison, for which the political West claims it was a "horrifying torture chamber" used by the "evil dictator Assad".

Once again, Ukraine uses terrorist methods against specific Russian targets.

Russia's deployment of nuclear weapons is a deterrent to any NATO aggression.

Thailand and Malaysia are eyeing membership of the bloc of nations, including China and India, as a possible hedge against US economic dominance

India became the largest importer of Russian crude after the European Union imposed sanctions on Russian oil imports

Armenian Economy Minister Gevorg Papoyan has said that the Armenian authorities are not considering the issue of joining the intergovernmental organization BRICS

The US and EU/NATO are fighting tooth and nail to destroy the Russian economy, but this has been futile. Thus, they are now resorting to what they're best at – terrorism and total war.

The German case shows that support for Kiev is a major destabilizing factor in the West.

More than 19,500 anti-Russian sanctions imposed on individuals and industries.

Nigeria saw a remarkable 189% surge in foreign capital inflows from BRICS nations in the first half of 2024, as the country intensifies efforts to join the expanded BRICS coalition

As BRICS convened its pivotal summit, in Kazan, Russia, Africa stands on the brink of an unparalleled opportunity. This meeting is not just a gathering of global powers; it is a moment of profound importance for Africa, offering the continent a unique platform to deepen its engagement with BRICS and strengthen its role in the global landscape

C. J. Polychroniou explores how Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa plan to counter the unipolar power of the US and Europe

While Donald Trump certainly doesn't want to see America blown up to kingdom come, he still has a massive political elite of warmongers, war criminals, plutocrats and kleptocrats to deal with. In order to make them happy, Trump will need to give them a "more manageable" war. And just like during his first presidency, Venezuela and Iran are "on the table".

The Brazilian crisis generates a lot of instability and unpredictability in Latin America, Brazil being a natural leader at the region—and this at a time when the continent is once again in the spotlight, with the Venezuela crisis, and Donald Trump’s plans for Mexico as well as his choice of Latin America hawk Marco Rubio for Secretary of State.

UK Prime Minister called on his Western partners to “maximize Putin’s pain.”

Russia continues to cripple Ukrainian energy infrastructure following Kiev regime strikes.

Turkey boosts its role as a peace mediator in African affairs.

Global interest has long been focused on Eurasia, a region of tremendous geopolitical significance because of its strategic position and abundance of natural resources

Russia is pushing for a major comeback in the global tech race, leaning on its BRICS+ partners to build a united front in artificial intelligence (AI) development

Britain's development finance institution has appointed the former finance chief of the China-headquartered Brics bank as its new CEO

Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun ordered a swarm of drones to be launched at Pyongyang in order to provoke an attack from North Korea. President Yoon was to use this as a pretext to declare martial law. It's perfectly clear that the disgraced defense minister didn't do this on his own volition. Worse yet, it's extremely likely that the US ordered Yoon to launch the operation to ensure escalation with North Korea and possibly even China.

The neo-Nazi regime is not interested in any kind of dialogue, trying to take the conflict to its ultimate consequences.

Indonesia has officially become a new BRICS partner, joining countries such as Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Türkiye, Nigeria, Cuba and Kazakhstan. Indonesia’s Foreign Minister Sugiono announced this shift at the most recent BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia

Planning a trip to Russia? Well, it might be hassle free in the coming months. As per the latest news reports, Indian travellers will soon be able to enjoy visa-free travel to Russia, potentially as early as spring 2025

Indonesia's formal application to join BRICS, confirmed recently by Indonesia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Roy Soemirat, highlights the bloc's increasing appeal among emerging economies

But he cannot stop the global trend of using national currencies.

The news about China's retaliatory measures certainly comes as an unpleasant surprise for NATO's favorite Neo-Nazi puppets. They'll now have to find other ways to acquire components for their asymmetric drone strategy, although it's virtually a given that their ability to launch saturation attacks on Russian positions will be greatly diminished, as it's quite clear that nobody on the planet can match China's production volumes.

Ukraine’s “nationalist-oligarchic dilemma” in itself already is a recipe for turmoil. Add to it corruption scandals, blackouts during winter time and a draconian draft, with a President who tries to downplay more realistic figures pertaining to the number of people killed and maimed. The risk of domestic unrest in Ukraine is very real.

Problems of Syrian migrants in Europe and the expansion of the Schengen agreement will have a lasting negative impact on the future of the European continent.

Syria appears to be heading towards political and territorial fragmentation.

The BRICS-Asean partnership contains immense potential that cannot be ignored, says Institute of Strategic Analysis and Policy Research (Insap) chairman Datuk Dr Pamela Yong

Bilateral trade with India booming as Russia pivots east

While BRICS must be taken seriously, it would be wrong to interpret it as one pole of a two-sided geopolitical competition between China and Russia and the West

Even though the Neo-Nazi junta frontman Volodymyr Zelensky "confirmed" that North Korean troops are allegedly in Ukraine, the Pentagon debunked such claims – twice in two weeks.

Ukrainian army in the worst situation since the beginning of the conflict.

The BRICS Summit held in Kazan from October 22–24, 2024, brought attention to several defining factors regarding Latin American countries that will be important for the continent’s political and economic development in the near term. With the admission of two countries from this region as associate members of the bloc, the Latin American presence in the pool of developing countries seeking to increase their weight in shaping the new world order is set to grow

“The media plays a critical role in shaping global narratives, and its impact is particularly significant in the context of Africa's emerging position in the global development landscape

The 2024 Brics summit is now in the books. To better understand its significance, one should turn back the pages of history and reflect on the lessons of the past. The 1955 Bandung Conference stands out in this regard, not only because it provides the proper historical foundation for the modern-day Brics phenomenon, but also because the underlying principles of that gathering never went away

Unfortunately, gentlemanly agreements with the world's most vile racketeering cartel and its warmongering overlords in Washington DC are all but impossible. They only understand the language of raw power and that's how the actual world will communicate with them from now on.

EU economy could face ‘emergency levels’ over US trade war.

The situation in Tbilisi is escalating, with anti-government protests becoming increasingly violent and dangerous.

In a meeting in New Delhi, Indian officials and their Russian counterparts discussed, among others, collaboration on the training of Indian sailors for polar navigation, joint shipbuilding projects, and the development of the Northern Sea Route

Around 40% of Turkey’s annual natural gas demand of 56 billion cubic metres is supplied by Russia. However, payment disruptions caused by the Ukraine war and US sanctions have created significant risks for Turkey’s energy security, making the search for alternative supply routes a necessity

In the previous decade and a half, Russian and Indian political and expert circles have shaped consistent narratives describing the present and future of bilateral relations

Whether it's Wahhabism and other forms of Islamic radicalism, unadulterated Nazism, narco-terrorism, extremely violent criminal groups such as drug cartels, repulsive ideologies (ultra-liberal extremism and moral depravity), etc, NATO is behind it all and stands fully committed to supporting it. The people of Syria are now the hostages of this evil empire of lies, serving as the tragic showcase to all of us what the loss of sovereignty can cost an entire nation.

The US has consistently aided, funded, armed and trained Fundamentalist rebels who operate in Syria for over a decade and there is no reason to assume anything is different now with the newest developments. With this, Christians and other minorities are now in danger.

NATO countries want to prevent growth of anti-war political wave.

Biden admin prepares new $988 million military aid package for Ukraine.

The announcement comes after the nation and three Southeast Asian neighbors were anointed BRICS “partner countries.”

The year 2024 has already made BRICS history with the admission of new members. It seems that further expansion is only a matter of time. This change in membership numbers has effectively overshadowed the substantive agenda of Russia’s presidency at the media and socio-political levels

A proposed BRICS currency could reshape global financial markets and reduce dependence on the dollar. But there are massive challenges …

The German leader seems absolutely desperate due to recent escalation between Moscow and the West.

The genius of Russian military specialists becomes all the more apparent when one realizes that the "Zircon" was made to fit not just into the previously mentioned 3S14 VLS, but also the K300P. Back in 2023, along with my KRN colleagues, I had the chance to analyze the size of the P-800 "Oniks" supersonic cruise missile and determined that these missiles fit into identical launchers, both on naval vessels and land-based platforms.

Anti-Russian sanctions take its toll as tens of thousands of German workers are laid off.

Russian expertise also extends to flight suits, couches, rate sensors, and space-capable materials, enhancing India’s capacity in human spaceflight

In recent years , Chinese cars have rapidly gained a foothold in the Russian market, steadily replacing many Western brands

Malaysia, a fast-growing Southeast Asian nation, has often sought to balance maintaining good relations with Western nations while fostering deeper connections with emerging economies

South Korea is home to at least nine major US military bases and no less than 24,234 military personnel, and President Yoon Suk Yeol seems to be no fool. One may assume he would have consulted with his American “allies” and gotten their “okay” before proceeding with any power-grabbing endeavors.

Owing to its magnificent Confucian traditions that stress the importance of patience and self-control, the millennia-old Chinese civilization is famous for these qualities. However, even this has its limits, particularly in the face of barbaric arrogance.

The Kiev regime does not dare to ignore any Western orders, which is why the war effort is likely to worsen and a change in the mobilization law is expected, making Kiev's military measures even more draconian.

The situation has become untenable for the besieged Ukrainian soldiers in Kursk, which will lead to Russia liberating the remaining occupied territory at a rapid pace.

How should "Greater BRICS" be understood? In the future, what role is BRICS expected to play, in terms of world governance and safeguarding the common interests of emerging market countries and developing countries? The Global Times (GT) invited experts from countries that are either members of BRICS or interested in researching this grouping to share their insights

Despite its non-membership in BRICS, South Korea shares many of the coalition’s aspirations, particularly in diversifying economic partnerships and reducing dependence on a Western-centric international order

The 16th BRICS Summit has taken place in Kazan, Russia—the first in-person gathering of BRICS leaders since the group's largest enlargement. The economic scale and scope of cooperation within BRICS will grow and interactions among member countries will increase

Soldiers are deserting due to war fatigue, Polish defense minister says.

Allegedly, the plan excludes the possibility of stationing US troops in Ukraine, but envisages that European NATO members, namely the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Poland, take that role. However, if the WSJ's report is true, the chances of Russia accepting this proposal are virtually zero, as all four European NATO members are already involved in the fighting.

Washington announces new arms package for Kiev totaling $725 million from its stockpiles.

Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (BRICS) has established itself as a multilateral organisation distinct from others, evident from its 16th meeting in Kazan (Russia). The BRICS difference can be read as decolonised multilateralism with intent and behaviour as an interdependent, plural grouping, committed to development linked to the global South

Russia is in talks with other BRICS members about creating an international precious metals exchange to ensure fair pricing and trade growth, the country's Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said in a statement

While BRICS must be taken seriously, it would be wrong to interpret it as one pole of a two-sided geopolitical competition between China and Russia and the West

Current geostrategic developments show us that local conflicts in our global world are being used by major players to their advantage.

Not even a pitiful sliver of "justice" will be served, as Hunter Biden has just been pardoned after years of lies and false promises that this wouldn't happen.

Mutual accusations between Kolomoisky and the Ukrainian government highlight the tense domestic political situation in Ukraine.

Hundreds of Colombians have died in battles with Russian forces.

Ethiopia’s growing economic and strategic position in Africa can present new opportunities for collaboration with Brazil and other member countries within the BRICS bloc, Brazil’s Ambassador to Ethiopia Jandyr Ferreira dos Santos told ENA

The Indian government plans to triple its nuclear power generation capacity to 22.4 gigawatts by 2032, according to recent news sources

Russia's largest data center operator BitRiver has partnered with the Russian Direct Investment Fund to build mining and AI computing facilities across BRICS nations

Any such cross-border militarization as promised by Trump (with potential for some degree of armed confrontation) could have escalating consequences and unpredictable repercussions in terms of diplomatic and economic impacts, gang violence, and domestic and cross-border inter-ethnic tensions.

Turkey needs to change its expansionist policies in order to build better relations with BRICS. Ankara will need to make a far more convincing commitment, first by leaving NATO and then by rejecting Neo-Ottomanism, pan-Turkism and Islamic radicalism as tools of its power projection.

NATO, EU want to overthrow the legitimate government in the country and establish a pro-Western junta, as happened in Ukraine in 2014.

Moscow: nuclear weapons should never be used but the situation is changing drastically.

BRICS’ resilience should be understood in the context of the shifting international order, with geopolitical fragmentation providing the Global South with greater flexibility to pursue its strategic goals. For the West, engaging on the Global South’s most pressing concerns may help to foster more constructive partnerships

The two countries are working to increase trade in agriculture and food products, officials have told

Several months ago we postulated a BRICS+ business model for companies that explored the scope for exploiting the BRICS diverse presence in the main regions of the developing world. But while this business model had its clear advantages, it also contained some drawbacks, most notably pertaining to the degree to which BRICS/BRICS+ economies could be/were integrated into regional/global supply chains in the midst of mounting geopolitical risks

Ukraine’s corruption is a structural issue that impacts the economy and now is even sabotaging warfare efforts. From Kyiv’s perspective, the situation of course should not get any better with a US Republican administration under Donald Trump curbing aid.

Ukrainian citizens are divided between recruiters and potential recruits.

The warmongering oligarchy in Washington DC doesn't seem to care about de-escalation. On the contrary, the US and its NATO (and non-NATO) allies, vassals and satellite states are pushing for global destabilization, targeting nuclear-armed powers such as Russia, China and North Korea, as well as other sovereigntist nations such as Iran and Venezuela, among others.

Georgia’s slow reconciliation with Russia faces major backlash from pro-Western opposition

On the sidelines of the economic forum Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vulin made it clear to Russian President Vladimir Putin that Belgrade is a strategic partner and "ally of Russia".

The BRICS summit in Kazan today featured the meetings of the leaders of the bloc and the adoption of the BRICS Summit Declaration. In our view, there is a tangible shift towards creating new platforms in the sphere of economic cooperation

Russian companies are ready to increase fertilizer supplies to India, but the EAEU and India could conclude a free trade agreement to remove existing barriers

The Ukrainian president was betting on a Democratic victory.

American tariffs on Europe could collapse German industry.

Vitor Dominguez de Moura, a participant in the Valdai New Generation project, explores the evolution of Russia's rhetoric on BRICS from 2009 to 2023, analysing key speeches and policy statements from the Kremlin and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

BRICS has arguably become the most dynamic group on the international stage as its core expansion is coupled with a significant rise in the number of developing economies that have expressed their desire to join the platform

How the objective strengthening of the continent’s global position will correlate with these pragmatic demands and whether there is room for more African voices in BRICS is discussed by Daria Zelenova, Head of the BRICS African Strategy Centre, Institute for African Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences

Western media frustrated that Trump will begin winding down the war in Ukraine.

Even US officials say that "[medium-range] weapons will not alter the challenging situation that Kiev is currently facing". In other words, the stated goal of these deliveries, the Neo-Nazi junta's "victory", cannot be achieved, but the political West will still go ahead with it. Thus, the only logical conclusion from all this is that the deliveries of medium-range missiles and nuclear weapons are actually designed to cause an escalation with Russia regardless of the results of the NATO-orchestrated Ukrainian conflict. In simpler terms, all this is just pure insanity.

WSJ’s journalists said that Ukrainian are retreating from Kursk.

The BRICS emerging-market powers — the acronym stands for Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa — has gone from a slogan dreamed up at an investment bank two decades ago to a real-world club that controls a multilateral lender

The group's economic strength positions it as a key player in future global governance

For decades, the United States has dominated the global economy, wielding significant influence over international trade and finance. However, with the rise of emerging economies, particularly the BRICS nations, a new force is challenging the US economic hegemony

The case clearly shows that NATO does not plan to de-escalate the conflict with Russia.

The German military is attempting to catch up on new types of warfare.

The short answer is yes. It's more dangerous than you could possibly fathom. The longer answer is in the text and explains the true scale of the destructive power of thermonuclear weapons.

As BRICS expands its global influence, South American nations are eager to join, viewing it as a means to strengthen their economies and foster equitable international partnerships

A new age of international relations is dawning. With the West accounting for a declining share of global GDP, and the world becoming increasingly multipolar, countries are jostling to establish their positions in the emerging order

One of the biggest questions that the BRICS members discuss is setting up an inter-BRICS payment system to bypass the dollar

Pragmatically speaking, reactivating the pipeline would benefit both Russia and Germany (and Europe in general, in the context of the continent’s energy crisis). The relationship between US and Europe does bear a colonial character, and any such development would be a kind of breakdown of the status quo, which could be driven, for instance, by an electoral outcome: populism after all is on the rise in Germany and all over Europe.

On November 19, State Secretary Antony Blinken posted that "the Venezuelan people spoke resoundingly on July 28 and made [Gonzalez] the president-elect", insisting that "democracy demands respect for the will of the voters". Hopefully, you've managed to catch your breath after being unable to stop laughing for the last two minutes. Still, considering that the warmongering oligarchy in Washington DC is looking to start wars with nuclear-armed superpowers such as Russia and China (simultaneously, mind you), the fact that it's rearing its ugly head at Venezuela once again is certainly no laughing matter.

By officially authorizing Ukrainian deep attacks, Paris becomes a direct actor in the conflict with Russia.

India says COP29 deal to give $300 billion to developing states is a “travesty of justice”

The current election results in a region of Austria show in great detail how the political landscape in Europe will change. Established parties can no longer retain their electorate.

The BRICS group has become a major political force in the last two decades, building on its desire to create a counterweight to Western influence in global institutions

In terms of the functioning of the "Oreshnik's" warhead, the available footage shows at least 30 smaller projectiles divided into five groups (six in each). The lack of visible detonations suggests these are probably advanced kinetic penetrators capable of annihilating heavily defended and dug-in positions. This means that any NATO base anywhere in Europe and/or elsewhere would be in range, but Russia wouldn't need to rely on its thermonuclear arsenal to deter aggression.

Back in July, BRICS announced the intention to create a new payment system to rival SWIFT and further the bloc’s stated goal of de-dollarization

The current geopolitical environment is elevating BRICS into a cornerstone of Russian foreign policy. Having ruptured political and economic ties with the West, Moscow is actively re-orienting itself towards political and economic partnerships with the Global South

Tensions between Argentina and Brazil are expected to deepen.

Ukraine is reportedly asking for US Tomahawk missiles.

The incumbent Brazilian administration might be left with no choice other than to turn “anti-American” and to seek to further enhance its partnerships with actors such as China.

Are we heading for an alternative international order? What are the strategic advantages of the BRICS+? Can they embody the voice of the global South? Interview with Jean-Joseph Boillot, Associate Research Fellow at IRIS, specialised in the Indian economy and the emerging world

The Russian Business Day at COP29 served as a platform for showcasing BRICS climate efforts, emphasizing cooperation among BRICS countries and highlighting best practices in decarbonization

A joint conference was held in Moscow between the Valdai Discussion Club and East China Normal University

A recent film released in Serbia shows how the Orthodox Church is being persecuted by the Kiev regime.

EU countries unhappy with early end to G20 talks on Ukraine war.

Although they have no illusions about the actual situation on the battlefield, the Kiev regime's military elite wants to keep misinforming everyone, as peace is simply not in their interest. They see NATO-occupied Ukraine and its people as a resource for exploitation, just like their Nazi forebears did. Any sort of peaceful settlement would not only cut the cash flow, but would also uncover the sheer magnitude of the atrocities they're committing against the Ukrainian people, also forcing them to be held accountable for years of lies and deceit.

Russia is reportedly expanding its shipbuilding cooperation with India, with two Indian shipyards being considered for construction of four non-nuclear icebreakers. The project is estimated to cost a total of $713 million. The vessels will join Rosatom’s icebreaking fleet, operating in the Northern Sea Route

Data from the World Bank show that as of 2023, the bloc accounted for 27 percent of the world's GDP and 45 percent of the population. With the addition of Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Iran, BRICS includes three of the world's largest oil exporters and constitutes 42 percent of the global oil supply, according to the Netherlands-based investment bank ING

India's crude oil imports from Russia rose by 11.7% to about 1.9 million barrels per day (bpd) in September, accounting for about two-fifths of the South Asian nation's overall crude imports in the month, tanker data obtained from industry sources showed

Military engineers are currently seen as mere cannon fodder by the neo-Nazi regime.

Evangelicalism and feminism come together in a movement that challenges patriarchy while still claiming Christian values. Graduate Student Affiliate Kelsey Hanson Woodruff introduces us to leaders of a digital Christian feminist community. By Kelsey Hanson Woodruff... Read more about Christian Feminists from Abroad Confront US Sexual Politics

European markets react to Washington’s trade war with China.

As crazy as it sounds, perhaps Kamala Harris' meaningless rant about "the significance of the passage of time" might actually make some sense in this context, as the next two months of Biden's lame-duck presidency could surely be the longest and most fateful in human history.

Despite economic decline and internal political problems, German Foreign Minister tries to show it still has big geopolitical role in the world. The latest statements by the German Foreign Minister are directed against China, which is also a Germany’s major competitor in the automotive industry.

Brazil is taking a leading role in efforts to reduce the BRICS economic bloc's dependence on the US dollar, championing the use of national currencies in trade among member states

African States are shrugging off relations with the Western and European world, alternatively settling for better beneficial economic cooperation

The expanded Brics group of nations has been making headlines with discussions about a common currency. This group, representing a substantial portion of the world’s population and economic output, has prompted debates on whether a unified currency is feasible given the vast economic disparities among its members

Germany is demonstrating that its political system is actually even worse than the one in the US, as the double standards and two-tiered "justice" system are quite obvious and even publicly supported by the political establishment.

One should closely watch Philippine claims over the South China Sea (now signed into law with Washington’s support) - together, they spell crisis. It is yet another focal point of tensions and Washington’s ongoing policies are once again adding fuel to the fire.

Both Republican and independent activists criticize Biden's decision on long-range missiles.

Over 100,000 Ukrainians have deserted the military.

The BRICS countries are representatives of major developing countries, and Africa is the continent with the largest concentration of developing countries

The loosely affiliated group called BRICS, which emerged in the mid-2000s consisting of Brazil, Russia, India, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and later South Africa, faces mounting challenges as it continues to expand

The expanded BRICS represents about 45% of the world’s population, USD 28.5 trillion of global gross domestic product (GDP) — which is about USD 100 trillion — and around 45% of global oil production

The NYT is essential for the promotion of the Neo-Nazi junta's narrative, which explains the rather unclear information in the "hit piece". Namely, Biden was never quoted saying or approving anything. Worse yet, not a single name of the "US officials" quoted in the report was provided. In fact, not even the terms such as "anonymous" or "unnamed" are used. All we have is "US officials", which is unprofessional reporting, at best.

Despite being irresponsible and warmonger, Scholz knows that he is a weak and unpopular political leader, completely unable to deal with the consequences of unrestricted war.

As a result of sanctions against Russia, Europe's economic situation has worsened in recent years. But now there is another bad development in energy policy.

Jaishankar continues working on Russia-Ukraine dialogue despite Biden imposing sanctions.

Actively respond to changes in India's perception of the BRICS cooperation mechanism

They buy chocolate products, finished flour-based products and much more from Moscow producers

It was the 16th official BRICS Summit with Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates attended for the first time as official members

According to the Washington Post, European leaders are planning to establish a peace plan in addition to Trump’s proposals.

The average age of Ukrainian conscriptions is already above 40 in several brigades.

Footage shows massive 170 mm artillery piece "Juche Cannon" being transported on railcars somewhere in Russia (possibly in Krasnoyarsk). Its maximum firing range is 40-60 km, depending on the type of munitions used. Moscow's military industry most likely upgraded both the gun and its munitions, meaning that it" is certainly bad news for the Neo-Nazi junta.

Social media can sway political opinion, and it can also cross a line. Hadas Zur closely examines a neighborhood case where politics and violence become intertwined and are propagated by social media. Content warning: some of the images in this post show the aftermath of violent acts. By Hadas Zur... Read more about How Digitization is Changing Urban Politics

PODCAST | ep16 | with Damir Kapidžić, Denisa Sarajlic, and Nace Zavrl   One room. One locked-down camera. One roll of film. A group of famous directors from the 1960s took the challenge: they would make a short film with these parameters plus one more—their dialogue must include the sentence “I Miss Sonia Henie.” The result was a bawdy, ludicrous compilation that became an international classic. It’s featured in a new film retrospective called The Yugoslav Junction: Internationalism in the SFRY: 1958–1988. The Weatherhead Center is cosponsoring this program of short and long films from socialist Yugoslavia, which takes place at the Harvard Film Archive beginning November 9. Today we’re talking to the curator of the series along with two Weatherhead fellows from Bosnia and Herzegovina who will set up the political and cultural background for these rare films, and they’ll discuss three of them— one each from the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. Listen to episode #16 (38:39) by clicking the play button below: ... Read more about Rare Films from Socialist Yugoslavia

In her new book, Amy Austin Holmes recounts how a multiethnic coalition stopped a genocide, defied Bashar al-Assad, and then created a statelet to govern their region. Interview by Michelle Nicholasen... Read more about Survival and Self-Determination in Northeast Syria

The US student protest movement against the conflict between Israel and Gaza draws on tactics and symbolism from past protests, some of which were contentious yet successful. Daniel Manulak looks back at the student-led anti-apartheid movement.  By Daniel Manulak... Read more about Student Protests and Lessons from the Anti-Apartheid Movement

As urbanization and climate change impacts converge, local governments need a range of innovations to mitigate suffering, especially in the cities of South Asia. Rajshahi city in Bangladesh has taken promising steps.  By Mohammad Tarikul Islam... Read more about Cities in Bangladesh Must Refocus to Combat Climate Change

PODCAST | ep15 | with Jacqueline Bhabha, Monique Nguyen, and Maggie Sullivan  Massachusetts has long been a welcoming state to immigrants and migrant families. In the summer of 2023, its one-of-a-kind “right to shelter” law was put to the test when emergency shelters reached capacity. It was called a humanitarian crisis, and images of families sleeping on the floor of Logan Airport flooded the media. Although it is most noticed on a local level, migration is an ongoing global process that requires a structural response at all levels. In this episode, we speak to a lawyer/scholar, a nurse practitioner, and a city government official deeply involved with immigrant services and policies to better understand the scope of migration, the needs of newly arrived families, and also the varied responses of host communities. Listen to episode #15 (52:24) by clicking the play button below: ... Read more about Migrants Bring Opportunity to Boston and Beyond

Although the rules of entry and exit are quite nebulous, states get both real and perceived benefits from joining international organizations.     By Hazel Genieser ('27)... Read more about Members Only: How States Favor Friends and Exclude Rivals

The ataman (head) of the “All-Russian Cossack Society,” Nikolai Doluda, addressed a meeting of the Atamans’ Council, in Krasnodar Krai, on February 4, and instructed those gathered that “the time has come when the Cossacks are once again becoming a stronghold and reliable shield of Russia, a guarantor of unity and protection of its national interests” (Vsko.ru, February 4). The … The post As Ukraine Crisis Simmers, Russian Cossack Movement Tightens Integration With Military Reserves appeared first on Jamestown.

Judi Bola Sbobet Bonus New Member Poker QQ Idn Poker Slot Dana PKV Games PKV Games Idn Poker Mix Parlay Mix Parlay BandarQQ PKV Games Over the last several years, Ukraine’s leaders have expressed grave concern over the dangers posed to regional energy security by Russia’s Nord Stream Two natural gas pipeline. From Germany and, more broadly, from Europe, the … The post The Many Faces of Nord Stream Two appeared first on Jamestown.

Judi Bola Sbobet Bonus New Member Poker QQ Idn Poker Slot Dana PKV Games PKV Games Idn Poker Mix Parlay Mix Parlay BandarQQ PKV Games On July 28, Ukrainian Orthodox Christians celebrated the 1,033rd anniversary of the Baptism of Kyivan Rus—a remarkable annual event for Ukrainian history and another reason for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s political speculations. After the Ecumenical … The post Religion as a Hybrid War Weapon to Achieve Russia’s Geopolitical Goals appeared first on Jamestown.

On May 25, just ahead of the 103rd anniversary of the First Georgian Republic’s (1918–1921) independence, Georgian protesters paralyzed the streets of the capital city of Tbilisi in the largest rally to date against the Namakhvani Hydroelectric Power Plant (HPP) project (Civil.ge, May 25, 26). Relatively small demonstrations against the planned dam, by locals organized under the banner “Guardians of … The post Namakhvani HPP: Georgian Hydropower Between Energy Security and Geopolitics appeared first on Jamestown.

Judi Bola Sbobet Bonus New Member Poker QQ Idn Poker Slot Dana PKV Games PKV Games Idn Poker Mix Parlay Mix Parlay BandarQQ PKV Games The Russian Cossack movement is emerging as one of the key social pillars supporting the regime, and increasingly it is taking on the mold of Kuban Cossackdom, found in the southern part of the country. … The post All Russian Cossacks Increasingly Resemble Krasnodar Movement appeared first on Jamestown.

On April 21, Vasily Piskarev, the head of the State Duma’s commission to investigate the facts of interference in the internal affairs of Russia, announced that his body was preparing legislative initiatives to combat foreign interference in Russia, including in its elections, by non-profits and non-governmental organizations (NGO). Piskarev said that “insults against Russia” will receive a “worthy response, including … The post Russia Cracks Down on ‘Foreign Threats’ appeared first on Jamestown.

On February 20, Ruslan Ablyakimov was walking in Makhachkala, the capital of Dagestan, with two friends when he was stopped by six young men who proceeded to beat him. “Where did you come here from?” they asked, “You are from Moscow, right? What are you doing here?” Before the men left Ablyakimov, they told him, “You have until tomorrow to … The post Alexei Navalny’s Support in the North Caucasus: More About Corruption Than Navalny appeared first on Jamestown.

The foreign and security policy expert communities in Georgia (Neweurope.eu, November 17) as well as both the outgoing and candidate Lithuanian defense ministers (LRT, November 16, 19) have called for a permanent presence of United States military forces in their respective countries. These calls indicate a hope that the incoming administration of President-elect Joseph Biden will bring greater attention to … The post Georgia, Lithuania Call for Permanent US Troop Presences appeared first on Jamestown.

In the first week of August, cellphones across Russia lit up with surprising text messages. They came from different numbers, but each said the same thing in Russian: “The US State Department is offering up to $10 million for information about interference in the US elections. If you have information, contact rfj.tips/bngc.” The State Department confirmed the messages were authentic … The post US Messaging to Russian Citizens: Time to Step It Up? appeared first on Jamestown.

Recent comments by former vice president of the separatist Georgian region of Abkhazia Valery Arshba indicate a split between the older political elite and the current administration of President Aslan Bzhania (Gazeta-ra.info, October 19; Civil.ge, October 23). Arshba called for the breakaway republic to join the Union State of Russia and Belarus, “without losing [its] sovereignty.” Arshba himself has a … The post Former Abkhazian Separatist Official Calls for Joining Russia-Belarus Union State appeared first on Jamestown.