Society

Stephan Richter and Uwe Bott Donald Trump has blown up any notion of the United States continuing to act as a benevolent hegemon to Europe and the so-called “free world”. Even before, that benevolence always came with significant commercial and financial benefits the country and its corporations derived …

While the world fixates on tariffs, sanctions, and military posturing, a quieter shift is reshaping international influence. At the World Economic Forum in Davos last month, Brand Finance launched its 2026 Global Soft Power Index and the results tell a story that runs counter to almost everything dominating …

Antonia Dimou Syria’s energy sector undergoes a transformative process after a decade of conflict, transitioning from severe damage toward a delicate recovery. The downfall of the Assad regime and the instatement of the transitional government in Syria revealed several challenges pertaining to the Syrian energy sector. The first …

Contrary to popular belief, colonialism did not end with the mid-century independence wave. Instead, it took on novel (‘neo’) and more subtle disguises such as financial institution control, labour exploitation and, perhaps most importantly, constant resource extraction. It is no secret that rare minerals are largely sourced from …

European Union leaders are meeting at Belgium’s 16th-century Alden Biesen castle for an informal “retreat” aimed at confronting a growing strategic concern: how to prevent the bloc from falling further behind the United States and China economically. The EU faces mounting external pressure from U.S. trade measures under …

Fareena Habib On 10 January, China, Russia, and Iran launched joint BRICS Plus naval exercises in the strategic waters of South Africa. It is being marked as a significant display of military cooperation among countries increasingly aligned against the policies of the administration of President Donald Trump. The …

The world faces an immediate strategic challenge because global energy demand currently rises at a faster rate than previously expected. The recent developments in Venezuela’s oil exports, combined with China’s changing energy consumption and the United States’ renewed control of heavy crude from Caracas, all point to a …

Gbriel Rhodes For three hours on January 28th, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio testified in front of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, responding to senators’ crossfire questions ranging from drug-busting actions in the Caribbean Sea to the American military operation in Venezuela that captured Nicolás Maduro …

Joshua Yaphe The Middle East conflicts that the administration thought it had resolved are still simmering, and without sustained US attention, these victories may be transformed into defeats. The Donald Trump administration has achieved notable successes in asserting American dominance on the world stage, and it is likely …