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

We know policing often harms sex workers. We need to talk about what it would take to change tack

                        Power Play The Future of Food   by Colin Todhunter     Power Play: The Future of Food © 2024 by Colin Todhunter is licensed under Creative Commons … The post Power Play: The Future of Food appeared first on Global Research.

Three Palestinian men reportedly consulted with Hamas, Hezbollah regarding how to murder National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. The post Shin Bet, police thwart Ben-Gvir assassination plot appeared first on World Israel News.

Three Palestinian men reportedly consulted with Hamas, Hezbollah regarding how to murder National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. The post Shin Bet, police thwart Ben-Gvir assassination plot appeared first on World Israel News.

Ze'ev 'Jabo' Erlich, 71, was a prominent researcher of Israeli geography and legendary Judea and Samaria tour guide. The post Civilian scholar killed during unauthorized Lebanon visit with IDF appeared first on World Israel News.

Ze'ev 'Jabo' Erlich, 71, was a prominent researcher of Israeli geography and legendary Judea and Samaria tour guide. The post Civilian scholar killed during unauthorized Lebanon visit with IDF appeared first on World Israel News.

Nearly one-third of Democratic Senators voted to ban arms exports to Israel. The post Bill banning weapons exports to Israel defeated in Senate appeared first on World Israel News.

Nearly one-third of Democratic Senators voted to ban arms exports to Israel. The post Bill banning weapons exports to Israel defeated in Senate appeared first on World Israel News.

As the Australian summer season approaches, residents are being cautioned about the increased activity of a dangerous spider species, the funnel-web spider. Known as one of the deadliest arachnids in the country, the funnel-web spider is entering its mating season. The recent rainfall and warmer temperatures provide the perfect conditions for these spiders to venture into residential areas in search of a mate. The Australian Reptile Park has issued a warning about the potentially fatal ... Read more

The tranquil suburb of Barrington was recently rocked by the tragic shooting of a highly respected physician, Dr. Emily Duchon, 42. Known for her unwavering dedication to her patients and her warm, insightful demeanor, Dr. Duchon’s sudden death has left the community reeling in shock and deep grief. When the unfortunate incident occurred, Dr. Duchon had just finished delivering a lecture to her fellow physicians. Her former patients and peers revered her as a life-saving ... Read more

This seemingly contradictory policy actually isn’t all that surprising if one takes the time to deeply reflect on it. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told Hurriyet in early November that he considers Turkiye’s approach to the Ukrainian Conflict to be … The post Turkiye’s Contradictory Approach to the Ukrainian Conflict. “Facilitating Peace Talks” While “Arming Ukraine against Russia” appeared first on Global Research.

Zelensky emphasized the 'mistake' was on a political level and that Ukraine 'always had good connections with Israeli society.' The post Zelensky said Israeli government ‘made a mistake’ not supporting Ukraine ‘because they are afraid of Putin’ appeared first on World Israel News.

Zelensky emphasized the 'mistake' was on a political level and that Ukraine 'always had good connections with Israeli society.' The post Zelensky said Israeli government ‘made a mistake’ not supporting Ukraine ‘because they are afraid of Putin’ appeared first on World Israel News.

Aparentemente, a alegada autorização de ataques de longo alcance por parte da Ucrânia está a ter um grande impacto negativo a nível interno dos EUA. Os líderes da oposição à administração Biden e até personalidades não relacionadas à política estão … The post Povo dos EUA reage negativamente à decisão de Biden sobre a Ucrânia. appeared first on Global Research.

A convicted Hamas terrorist said, 'You will end the war outside; we will start it in prison.' The post Convicted terrorists threaten to continue war against Israel inside prisons appeared first on World Israel News.

A convicted Hamas terrorist said, 'You will end the war outside; we will start it in prison.' The post Convicted terrorists threaten to continue war against Israel inside prisons appeared first on World Israel News.

To remedy the situation, Rabbi Margolin declared a six-month emergency period to implement measures to combat antisemitism. The post Jewish leader declares worst ‘antisemitism emergency in Europe since Kristallnacht’ appeared first on World Israel News.

To remedy the situation, Rabbi Margolin declared a six-month emergency period to implement measures to combat antisemitism. The post Jewish leader declares worst ‘antisemitism emergency in Europe since Kristallnacht’ appeared first on World Israel News.

A Connecticut woman was apprehended after allegedly leaving her four children, all under the age of 12, alone in a home filled with human waste and spoiled food. Lindsey Powell is accused of subjecting her three daughters and one son to deplorable conditions in their Vernon apartment, which she reportedly abandoned on November 8. The situation came to light when a concerned neighbor contacted the police. Upon arrival, an officer was greeted by Powell’s 11-year-old ... Read more

Hamas supporters were seen marching through the Jewish community of Flatbush waving Palestinian flags and shouting, 'Who's streets, our streets.' The post WATCH: Anti-Israel supporters march through Jewish community of Flatbush appeared first on World Israel News.

Hamas supporters were seen marching through the Jewish community of Flatbush waving Palestinian flags and shouting, 'Who's streets, our streets.' The post WATCH: Anti-Israel supporters march through Jewish community of Flatbush appeared first on World Israel News.

More than 10% of UNRWA principals and senior education staff in the Gaza Strip are members of Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad. The post UNRWA hires Palestinian terrorists, glorifies violence and terrorism appeared first on World Israel News.

More than 10% of UNRWA principals and senior education staff in the Gaza Strip are members of Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad. The post UNRWA hires Palestinian terrorists, glorifies violence and terrorism appeared first on World Israel News.

Is it any wonder that Gen Z men didn’t want to vote for a political culture that saw them as toxic? The post Men are no longer allowed to be fully human – opinion appeared first on World Israel News.

Is it any wonder that Gen Z men didn’t want to vote for a political culture that saw them as toxic? The post Men are no longer allowed to be fully human – opinion appeared first on World Israel News.

In the past 24 hours, the Israeli Air Force has conducted strikes on over 100 terrorist targets including launchers, weapons depots, and terrorist infrastructure. The post WATCH: IDF eliminates head of anti-tank unit appeared first on World Israel News.

In the past 24 hours, the Israeli Air Force has conducted strikes on over 100 terrorist targets including launchers, weapons depots, and terrorist infrastructure. The post WATCH: IDF eliminates head of anti-tank unit appeared first on World Israel News.

Harvard Hillel executive director Jason B. Rubenstein said there were five times as many participants at the event than protesters. The post ‘Zionists are not welcome here’: Anti-Israel Harvard students protest outside main campus Jewish center appeared first on World Israel News.

Harvard Hillel executive director Jason B. Rubenstein said there were five times as many participants at the event than protesters. The post ‘Zionists are not welcome here’: Anti-Israel Harvard students protest outside main campus Jewish center appeared first on World Israel News.

'As we stated many times before, we just can’t support an unconditional ceasefire that does not call for the immediate release of hostages,' a senior US official said. The post US vetoes UN security council resolution on Gaza ceasefire, says proposal must call for release of hostages appeared first on World Israel News.

'As we stated many times before, we just can’t support an unconditional ceasefire that does not call for the immediate release of hostages,' a senior US official said. The post US vetoes UN security council resolution on Gaza ceasefire, says proposal must call for release of hostages appeared first on World Israel News.

Moments before children were set to enjoy their midday recess, Hezbollah rockets struck the school playground, obliterating everything in the yard but, fortunately, causing no bodily harm to anyone in the school. The post WATCH: Hezbollah rocket destroys kindergarten in Akko appeared first on World Israel News.

Moments before children were set to enjoy their midday recess, Hezbollah rockets struck the school playground, obliterating everything in the yard but, fortunately, causing no bodily harm to anyone in the school. The post WATCH: Hezbollah rocket destroys kindergarten in Akko appeared first on World Israel News.

A camera warehouse used by terror groups and dozens of explosives were also destroyed. The post Israeli forces destroy bomb-making labs in Jenin as terror crackdown enters second day appeared first on World Israel News.

A camera warehouse used by terror groups and dozens of explosives were also destroyed. The post Israeli forces destroy bomb-making labs in Jenin as terror crackdown enters second day appeared first on World Israel News.

Israel has already warned the Iraqi government that unless it reins in the militias, it faces Israeli strikes on its territory. The post Israeli strikes in Iraq could be ‘imminent,’ US reportedly warns appeared first on World Israel News.

Israel has already warned the Iraqi government that unless it reins in the militias, it faces Israeli strikes on its territory. The post Israeli strikes in Iraq could be ‘imminent,’ US reportedly warns appeared first on World Israel News.

Moran Stella Yanai, from the city of Beva, revealed how her 12-year-old niece learned about her capture on TikTok and urged the protest leader to pursue a balanced view of the conflict. The post WATCH: Former hostage joins Mosab Yousef at UCLA event appeared first on World Israel News.

Moran Stella Yanai, from the city of Beva, revealed how her 12-year-old niece learned about her capture on TikTok and urged the protest leader to pursue a balanced view of the conflict. The post WATCH: Former hostage joins Mosab Yousef at UCLA event appeared first on World Israel News.

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

The last several years have been a disaster for the collective West’s political stability, with governments and shaky coalitions falling one after another. This political back and forth has made ruling parties in the vast majority of NATO member … The post Germany’s “Political Collapse”. Scholz Government Mulls Banning Its Second Largest Party (AfD) Ahead of Snap Elections appeared first on Global Research.

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

Introduction In this follow up interview, Peter and we discuss the fact that despite a leadership change with the Trump Presidency the technocratic transhumanist agenda continues. He gives updates on the fact that the geopolitical situation is not what is … The post Transhumanist Technocracy Continues – Truth, Science and Spirit appeared first on Global Research.

In August 2021, following the withdrawal of major U.S./NATO military forces from Afghanistan after two decades of occupation, Taliban forces took effective control over the country. In response, the United States seized the assets of Afghanistan’s central bank totaling around … The post Who Controls Afghanistan’s Sovereign Assets? appeared first on Global Research.

Since the formation of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) during 2023, the governments of France and the United States along with their surrogates have sought to undermine the political and economic objectives of these developing nations. When the military … The post Imperialism and the Destabilization of the Alliance of Sahel States appeared first on Global Research.

Dr. Fayez Abed from Al Awda Hospital in northern Gaza shares a harrowing account of the conditions faced by patients and medical staff under the ongoing threat of bombings. On October 20, 2023, we had spoken with the director of … The post Dr. Abed from Al Awda Hospital in Gaza: “We will continue to save what remains of our people.” appeared first on Global Research.

A House committee report revealed the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ $900 million “We Can Do This” COVID campaign was flawed and claimed COVID shots prevented transmission despite FDA stating there was no such evidence CDC’s shifting mask … The post The Most Devastating COVID Report So Far. Overstating Covid-19 Shot Efficacy, Targeting Children with Fear-mongering, Data Manipulation, Propaganda Campaign appeared first on Global Research.

The entering into force of Russia’s updated nuke doctrine, the purpose of which was analyzed here in late September, made headlines across the world because it coincided with a major escalation of the NATO-Russian proxy war in Ukraine. The US … The post What is the Objective of Russia’s Updated Nuclear Doctrine? “State Policy of Nuclear Deterrence” against NATO Aggression appeared first on Global Research.

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

The London-based literary quarterly Granta was founded by a group of Cambridge University postgraduates in 1979. It was born out of the shards of an old student magazine, the Granta, which was important in its own way for publishing the juvenilia of writers like Ted Hughes and Sylvia Plath. By the late twentieth century, the

Apparently, the reported authorization of long-range strikes by Ukraine is having a major negative impact on the US domestic level. Opposition leaders to the Biden administration and even non-political personalities are protesting strongly against the president’s decision, which indicates that … The post US People Negatively React to Biden’s Reported Decision on Ukraine appeared first on Global Research.

Did Biden Really Authorize Long-range Strikes Deeper Within Russia? NYT Quoting “Anonymous Officials” By Drago Bosnic, November 19, 2024 In the past 24 hours, a shockwave of panic was unleashed after reports emerged about the United States allegedly allowing … The post Selected Articles: Did Biden Really Authorize Long-range Strikes Deeper Within Russia? NYT Quoting “Anonymous Officials” appeared first on Global Research.

Here are more incredible letters of support from around the world. Why is Alberta Premier Danielle Smith doing this? God bless you all for your support. . . * Click the share button below to email/forward this article to your … The post Day 7: Alberta’s Premier Danielle Smith Seeks the Imprisonment of Dr. William Makis appeared first on Global Research.

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.

One of the very few good things coming out of the relentless nightmare happening in Gaza is that at long last the western world is getting a clear look at Israel. The real Israel. Not the Israel they teach you … The post The Real Israel appeared first on Global Research.

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is investing $9.4 million to develop a vaccine designed to reduce the number of methane-producing microbes in a cow’s stomach, Agriland reported. The funding comes from his Bezos Earth Fund, a philanthropy he established with … The post ‘A Little Dystopian’: Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates Bankrolling Methane Vaccine for Cattle appeared first on Global Research.

Leading expert in bioweapons & international Law, Dr. Francis Boyle, has authored a Bill of Impeachment Against Biden & calls on Americans to wield it in order to help stop WW3. . . . . If video above does … The post Video: Former Top UN War Crimes Prosecutor Dr. Francis Boyle Reveals Bill of Impeachment Against Biden in Order to Prevent WW3 appeared first on Global Research.

There was a 10,000 percent increased risk for a later subsequent autism diagnosis in children who got the Hepatitis B vaccine in the first 30 days. . . . . . Click here to watch the video * Click the … The post RFK Jr: Development of Autism Within 30 Days Following Hepatitis B Vaccine appeared first on Global Research.

Incoming Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) on Nov. 17 urged the Senate to impose sanctions against the International Criminal Court (ICC) if it continued to pursue arrest warrants for Israeli officials over the Israel–Hamas war in Gaza. In June, … The post Senate Leader-Elect Urges ICC to Drop Israel Arrest Warrants or Face Sanctions appeared first on Global Research.

After being warned not to flaunt his intellectual prowess during an upcoming event, fictional president Jed Bartlett — Nobel Prize winner in economics — quipped back to his press secretary, “Yes, God forbid that while speaking to 60,000 public-school students, the president should appear smart!” Moments later, Bartlett, portrayed by Martin Sheen, boasted that he

On Friday November 15, 2024, Washington, D.C. correspondent for Prensa Latina, Deisy Francis Mexidor, who writes for the Cuban news agency which is celebrating its 65th anniversary, was the special guest for a gathering at the Swords into Plowshares Art … The post 65th Anniversary of Prensa Latina:Detroit Reception Held for Cuban Photo Exhibit appeared first on Global Research.

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.

Ukraine has already begun using US-supplied long-range missiles in Russia, despite Putin’s warning that this exact sort of escalation will place NATO at war with Russia. This happens as Russia officially changes its nuclear doctrine to lower the threshold for … The post Who Is Authorizing Biden’s Nuclear Brinkmanship While the President’s Brain Is Missing? appeared first on Global Research.

The bill puts us at risk of coercion by family members, and doctors wrongly predicting that we are going to die

After spending unprecedented amounts of money to sway races up and down the ballot, the cryptocurrency industry is perhaps the biggest winner of the 2024 election cycle — to the potential detriment of consumers and the financial system. Just a decade ago, crypto was largely unheard of — but now the industry is worth more

The exuberant star-making performance of Mikey Madison (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Scream) in the title role of Sean Baker’s new film, Anora, is getting a lot of attention, as it should. But all the characters and performances are so vivid and lively, they make the whole movie an exhilarating experience. Writer-director Baker’s longtime

When Joan Williams appeared on my screen one gray Amsterdam evening a week after the US presidential election, she was “shocked and anxious” about Donald Trump’s victory. “But you guys have been here before,” she noted, referring to the election of Geert Wilders and the Netherlands’ first far-right government. Americans, too, had been here before

Elon Musk’s surrogacy of Donald Trump’s campaign was largely cringeworthy and humiliating, as was his self-proclaimed “first buddy” tour at Mar-a-Lago, which prompted Trump to quip that he “can’t get rid of him.” Even so, Musk’s participation in key meetings and planning sessions — which included a call with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, just weeks

The Hacker and the State offers an accessible yet comprehensive history of cyber conflict. By 2010, America’s adversaries acquired tools and talent to attack and pilfer digitized information—a reality that Reagan’s White House anticipated back in September 1984, two years before the 1986 infiltration of the Pentagon by the KGB-sponsored “Cuckoo’s Egg”—though cyber remained a subordinate domain till Sec. Robert Gates created Cyber Command in 2009. The book’s core premise holds that “[t]he chaotic arena of cyber operations that this book portrays is not what scholars and military planners had long imagined.” Though planners predicted “a kind of digital equivalent to nuclear war: devastating but rare,” the modern world is instead plagued with “low-grade yet persistent” operations by hostile actors. As early as 1999, when Dep. Sec. of Defense Hamre declared “we’re in the middle of a cyberwar,” events attest to Buchanan’s recounting.  The death of distance makes daily life vulnerable to both spies and criminals alike. Assailants in the past could never have dreamt of constant access to targets without the internet. But today, networked computing and constant connectivity broaden the range of possible targets and extend their vulnerability across time, as devices tend be mutually and continuously online. This dynamic disfavors defense as hackers see devices not only as potential targets but also as vectors through which to attack other devices.  While the book excels at explaining how cyber attacks have become ever more prevalent, its prescriptions for how to respond are less compelling.  The main constriction Buchanan places on cyber centers on how ill-suited this form of combat is to signaling a state’s broader posture and objectives: “[W]hile cyber capabilities are increasingly versatile tools for shaping geopolitics and seizing the advantage, they are comparatively ill-suited for signaling a State’s positions and intentions,” as cyber operations “lack calibration, credibility, and clarity.” Yet the book’s recapitulation of cyber operations against Iran, a marquee policy under Bush and Obama, does not fit this description. These operations worked well in buttressing American signaling of interests and resolve. Cyber operations are by definition calibrated “to the specifications of the systems” a government wants to attack. Secondly, credibility and clarity are easily inferable from past performance. For instance, the anonymous and covert deployment of Wiper, a virus tailored to Iranian petroleum operations shortly after Stuxnet, prompted a spokesman for Khamenei to publicly claim that Western powers conducted the operation to covertly constrict production of Iranian oil in tandem with overt sanctions that targeted its consumption. That assessment, however paranoid, was correct. Moreover, Iranian recognition of this did not stop their government from signing the JCPOA, which was the West’s aim.  Secondly, Buchanan is also mistaken that a lack of visibility on the part of the attacker is a major obstacle to signaling in cyber operations. In reality, many examples of cyber warfare meet this need. Brinksmanship defines “the art of modern statecraft” for Buchanan. It’s easy to imagine an American President advising an adversarial leader to concede some policy objective to avoid an internet-connected service or device being disrupted or taken offline (ideally one that directly relates to the objective), when the target is known to be imminently vulnerable to attack or has already been successfully attacked (such that the attack can be discontinued or drawn down).  The book’s detraction from signaling via cyber is more defensible yet difficult to rebut definitively since the nature of signaling is per se variable. It is “always easier to send signals than it is to interpret them.” While the vagaries of diplomacy are real, signaling via cyber can cut through the noise.  For example. if nation A consistently violates the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of nation B, reaping unjust economic gain and causing ecological damage with an armada of fishing boats, would it not send a clear message if nation C covertly interfered with the fleet’s navigation at-sea or re-fueling in port in tandem with diplomatic overtures with nation A vis-à-vis nation B? Even the most hard-headed Wolf Warrior would get the message. This demonstration would attest to nation C’s commitment to the law of the sea and the integrity of EEZs, especially nation B’s. The same operation could, at the invitation of nation B, be done overtly to counter via cyber what might not be preventable by nation B’s navy. Buchanan also provides a real example that undercuts this aspect of his thesis. Intrusion Truth, an anonymous group of hackers, published the tools and methods of Chinese state-backed hackers and announced “We are directly challenging this illegal and unfair activity by exposing those responsible, naming the hackers themselves and identifying the agencies that hide behind them.” This maneuver combines excellent infiltration with the clear signaling of a démarche. Thirdly, the book makes an unsound generalization when it asserts “cyber operations are poor for signaling [as they] do not lend themselves to predictable and easily calibrated force.” Cyber operations target particular sets of a device(s) in a defined area running given programming for a certain period of time. This means a mission’s parameters are predictable and yield as much force as the coders are instructed to inflict. While some actors may make an indiscriminately infectious virus, that does not preclude precise targeting from more scrupulous technicians. One White House official remarked that Stuxnet, one of the most powerful cyber campaigns yet in terms of physical damage and political effect, had so many built-in self-restraints that it “looked like a team of Washington lawyers wrote the code.”   Buchanan argues that “conventional tools of statecraft are much better at inflicting carefully chosen amounts of harm.” Events have overtaken this contention: In 2021, a group of hackers known as Predatory Sparrow advised ambulance drivers to fill up their vehicle’s tanks while they still could; not long thereafter, Iran’s gas stations would not recognize the Iranian government-issued coupon necessary for subsidized fuel. While this operation’s signaling is fuzzy beyond demonstrating cyber dominance and desire for regime change, the restraint shown by the hackers demonstrates a high level of calibrated harm. The hackers could have disabled any number of gas stations by blocking all transactions—which would ruin any economy and threaten mass harm in the affected areas—but instead opted to merely block the subsidy card so access to fuel became more expensive and inconvenient. The book’s final reservation on cyber signaling hinges on not just the clarity of one’s signal, but one’s “credible commitment” that underlies it which requires determination to meet it and demonstration of capacity to effectuate it. This claim does not cohere with Buchanan’s understanding of cyber conflict as a daily “digital melee” that forms a fundamental element for geopolitical standing and success, such that “hackers reshape the world,” since fighting this melee signals consistent commitment to an unending battle.  Recognition of the continual and iterative nature of cyber conflict impelled a shift in strategy in 2018 to favor proactive action rather than reliance on defense. Buchanan wrongly characterizes this shift in emphasis as “aggressive,” as aggression denotes attack, whereas the logic of persistent engagement in the 2018 NCS is rooted in the imposition of “consequences” like negating unlawful gain. The Bible charges us to be “shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves.” In the cyber realm, this duty obliges policymakers to protect our most immediate neighbors, one’s fellow citizens and their data first. Such an approach also demands the United States must be ruthless yet prudent in its pursuit for reciprocity, protection, and aim to narrow the confines of what targets are acceptable for civilized nations to hack during peacetime. To achieve this mission, the United States will need not mere cooperation from Silicon Valley, but loyalty. The US ought to remind Silicon Valley that they are American companies with a global presence, not cosmopolitan firms based in North America, and their existence stems from investment made by American taxpayers into ARPANET, the first draft of the internet. Silicon Valley is disloyal in that it only cooperates when it must and betray the US when convenient (e.g., according to a Reuters report, Amazon facilitated access to technology that certain Chinese firms are prohibited from; Since 2023, Nvidia has been in a cat-and-mouse game with US export controls on chips that not only aid China, but also their partners, Russia and North Korea). They must be made to render unto Caesar. 

… The post America’s “Humanitarian Wars” Against Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Libya, Palestine appeared first on Global Research.

President Biden has given Ukraine authorization to start using long range weapons to attack Russia. The timing of all of this is very interesting. . . . . * Click the share button below to email/forward this article to your … The post Video: “Putin will use weapons that will flatten Ukraine if NATO does this.” Former UN Inspector Scott Ritter appeared first on Global Research.

A former employee of a Colorado Topgolf, Victor Salazar-Guarache, 27, has been sentenced to 48 years in prison for the murder of his 22-year-old co-worker, Bryce Holden. Salazar-Guarache was also given an additional 20-year sentence for the attempted murder of another co-worker who survived the shooting. The incident occurred in the early hours of December 23, 2023, in the parking lot of the Topgolf facility in Thornton, a suburb of Denver. Surveillance footage captured the ... Read more

A Virginia woman, upset over an incorrect pizza order, allegedly incited her husband to stab and severely injure a restaurant employee, according to law enforcement officials. Catherine Harper, 45, reportedly called her husband, Corey Harper, 47, to “handle the situation” after a dispute with a 24-year-old worker at Mod Pizza, a fast-casual pizza chain. Court documents, as reported by local NBC affiliate WAVY, graphically detail the midday assault, which was allegedly triggered by a mistake ... Read more

In a heartbreaking incident in the Riverina region of New South Wales, a mother of four tragically passed away during an F45 fitness class. Lumepa Amiatu Laweloa was in the middle of a workout session in Griffith when she suddenly collapsed. Andrew Gamble, an F45 coach and close friend of Laweloa, confirmed the sad news through a GoFundMe page. Gamble described the shocking event, stating that it took everyone by surprise. Upon noticing Laweloa on ... Read more

[First published on  August 27, 2023. Slight change in the title of the article.] Author’s Update A NATO Summit Meeting in Montreal The smoking gun: Who Started the War. Was it Russia or US-NATO? The answer comes from the Horse’s … The post The Smoking Gun: Who Started the War? Was It Russia or Was It US-NATO? NATO Confirms That the Ukraine “War Started in 2014” appeared first on Global Research.

O recente telefonema entre Olaf Scholz e Vladimir Putin causou muita controvérsia na política ocidental. O líder alemão tem sido criticado pela sua postura relativamente diplomática, uma vez que a maioria dos políticos ocidentais acredita que Moscou deveria ser tratado … The post Scholz tenta desesperadamente evitar que a Alemanha seja vista como inimiga aberta pela Rússia. appeared first on Global Research.

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

In the culturally rich city of New Orleans, a day of joy and celebration was tragically disrupted by violence. Two separate incidents of gunfire erupted during a beloved second line parade, a community event deeply rooted in the city’s heritage. The shootings resulted in the unfortunate death of two individuals and left several others wounded. New Orleans is globally recognized for its second line parades, events that invite spontaneous participation from onlookers. The parade in ... Read more

John Jessup, a county commissioner from Hancock County, Indiana, recently admitted to charges of sexual assault in Nevada. This confession came shortly after he was elected to a new role. The Greenfield Daily Reporter reported that Jessup was initially accused of the crime in Las Vegas in January. Despite the accusations, he continued to serve as a commissioner and remained on the ballot for the November election for the Hancock County Council. During this time, ... Read more

If Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants a war with Iran, on the US taxpayers and voters expense, he had better attack quickly. On January 20, President Donald Trump takes office, and he was elected on an anti-war platform.  We … The post “Israel wants to make America go to war with Iran on its behalf.” Interview with Tarik Cyril Amar appeared first on Global Research.

A young man in Texas, aged 22, has admitted to the murder of his uncle, a police dispatcher for the Independent School District. The man, Antonio Guzman, was raised by his uncle and aunt as their own child. However, Guzman claimed he felt “unloved and unwelcome” by his uncle, which led to the fatal incident, as per the prosecutors’ statement. Guzman, who is the nephew of the victim’s wife, is alleged to have shot his ... Read more

In a recent development, Timothy Michael Scouton, a chief election judge from Badoura Township Precinct in Minnesota’s Hubbard County, has been indicted on two felony charges. The charges stem from allegations that Scouton permitted 11 unregistered voters to participate in the 2024 election without completing the necessary registration forms. Instead, he reportedly instructed them to sign “the back of a book,” a method not recognized as a valid form of voter registration in Minnesota. Minnesota ... Read more

Donald Trump just accomplished what neither Adolf Hitler nor Benito Mussolini ever achieved. The incoming president secured power through a clear, popular majority on November 5, 2024 — fair and square. That’s worth thinking about right now, since the 2024 election results will certainly reignite what’s been called the “fascism debate”— the persistent question raging

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.

Though his job is ostensibly to manage world football’s governing body, you’d be forgiven for assuming International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) president Gianni Infantino earns his $4.6 million annual salary exclusively for saying ridiculous bullshit. The Swiss administrator’s most recent eyebrow-raising remark saw him call Major League Soccer’s (MLS) Inter Miami “one of the

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.

At the New York Times, Adam Jentleson wrote a piece about what Democrats need to do to win elections. In the aftermath of election losses, these kinds of finger-pointing pieces are standard fare. I didn’t find Jentleson’s piece all that interesting overall, but it contains the following tossed-off line that started its own little discourse: By

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

The Democratic Party was drubbed in November. This after presiding over a historic wave of infrastructure spending and innovative new industrial policy mechanisms. This after the “most pro-union president” of our lifetimes provided a tight labor market and a friendly organizing environment for union activists. The Democrats, facing down a wave of inflation, failed even

“We had no electricity or water. They came, helped remove the mud, emptied their backpacks full of food, flashlights — everything they had — then left and came back the next day. Every single day since the very first day. We have to thank the volunteers.” These are the emotional words of Palmira, the owner

Over 100,000 Ukrainians have deserted the military.

The warning signs that the Democrats were in deep doo-doo on the economy were clear for years. In 2021, CNN described inflation as a “political nightmare for [Joe] Biden.” By the fall of 2022, the “Biden–gas price index” showed his popularity was moving in lockstep with the price of a gallon of gasoline. As gas

This past week, a number of students, professors, pastors, and policy experts gathered in Washington at Providence’s Christianity and National Security conference. Listening to the wide range of speakers, I noticed one theme that continued to stand out—the necessity for the United States to cultivate allies in order to counter our adversaries  Adjacent to this theme was the warning that those adversaries (namely China and Russia) seek to sow mistrust between nations within the rules-based order to weaken and contain American alliances. China recently signed agreements with Vietnam on security and economic cooperation despite continuing to violently harass Vietnamese fishermen in the South China Sea. Vietnam is not an American ally, but has committed to challenging China’s attempts to control disputed islands in the South China Sea. The United States and Vietnam have a common strategic interest in the region, but China has managed to convince Vietnamese leaders that cooperation with their northern neighbor, despite its bullying and bluster, is in their best interest.  China now possesses more warships than the United States and continues to build them at a much higher rate, making cooperation with China’s neighbors like Vietnam and the Philippines increasingly important as the PLA Navy escalates its military exercises around Taiwan. The United States must find a common set of values that China’s adversaries can agree on. Fortunately, the United States can look back at its own early history in the Pacific to see how building a common good between distant nations can protect mutual interests from an aggressive imperial power.  The history of the United States in Hawai’i is often only remembered for the coup and annexation brought on by American planters in the last decade of the nineteenth century. But long before the dreams of an overseas empire seduced Americans to violate Hawai’i’s sovereignty, the island nation and the U.S. enjoyed a friendly relationship dating back to the arrival of Congregationalist missionaries in 1820.   As part of a regular patrol to protect American merchants and whalers in the Pacific, the U.S. Navy sent a ship to Hawai’i every few years beginning in 1824. These Navy captains served as both military officers and diplomats, since the U.S. government lacked a formal diplomatic presence in the region. They cultivated a high trust relationship with the Hawaiian royal court by respecting national differences (the Hawaiian government was Christianizing its nation right as the United States had been disestablishing its various state churches), keeping American merchants in check in their efforts to exploit the Hawaiian government, and emphasizing mutual respect and protection for each nation’s citizens, especially through Hawaiian aid for shipwrecked American crews in the vicinity.  However, Hawaiian-U.S. relations soon provoked the ire of Great Britain and France. Hawaii’s strategic central location in the Trans-Pacific trade made it a haven for ships crossing the ocean and marked Hawai’i as a target for annexation. In 1838, a dispute between the established Church of Hawai’i and Jesuit missionaries gave the French a pretext to force Hawai’i into its sphere of influence, sending a warship to Oahu. Its captain demanded that the Hawaiian government legalize Catholicism, build a Catholic church in Honolulu at their own expense, and pay France a lump sum for its trouble or face a declaration of war. Without a U.S. warship in port, the Hawaiian government had little choice but to accede to French demands, though President John Tyler’s administration extended the Monroe Doctrine to Hawai’i in response to the French and British threat.  Capitalizing on Hawaiian military weakness, a British Navy captain used a property dispute between Americans and British in Hawai’i to forcibly annex the islands in for five months 1843. Britain sought not only to use Hawai’i as a base for their own operations, but also to deny the United States unfettered access to the islands for trade and resupplying. The fortuitous arrival of two U.S. warships enabled the enforcement of Tyler’s Hawaiian Monroe Doctrine. The British, not willing to risk a war over the islands, ended their occupation and Hawai’i remained independent.   The French returned in 1849 and briefly occupied Honolulu before withdrawing, demanding more favorable trade terms and better treatment for French nationals. Then, in 1851, they again attempted to extort the country, but this time the U.S. warship Vincennes was there. King Kamehameha III trusted U.S. goodwill so completely that he offered to allow the United States to annex the islands to prevent the French from making any further encroachments. The Americans agreed to a temporary annexation and proceeded to threaten the French with war if they persisted with their demands. The French backed down and no nation would again challenge Hawaiian sovereignty until the United States’ own policy changed decades later.  This historical example offers several lessons for American policy in the Pacific today. First, the presence of long-term diplomats interested in local affairs (missionaries and merchants, in this case) provided a baseline of trust between the two nations when crises arose. The U.S. foreign service is lacking numbers in many places in the Pacific where China is expanding its sphere of influence. An increased U.S. diplomatic presence would help build this needed trust.   Second, the presence of the U.S. Navy twice proved to be decisive in protecting Hawai’i from aggressive foreign imperialism. The U.S. Navy of this time was significantly weaker than its French and British counterparts, and war meant a very real possibility that these American sailors would not make it home. Nevertheless, the Navy called the Europeans’ bluff, knowing that no British or French officer would want to be responsible for starting a major war with another Western power.   The modern Navy’s status as the most powerful in the world should embolden U.S. policymakers to increase its presence in and around the South China Sea. The PLA Navy isn’t likely to assault Filipino or Vietnamese fishermen when U.S. warships are nearby. China is not currently prepared for a major naval confrontation with the United States. Establishing a hard line in the South China Sea will signal to all nearby countries that the United States is serious about contesting China’s claims and will further build trust with these nations.  The United States and Hawai’i forged a relationship based on mutual respect, protection for each other’s citizens, and freedom of navigation in the Pacific. In contrast, China’s Nine-Dash Line claim violates the sovereignty of Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, and Indonesia. That means the U.S. should be looking to build favorable ties and support these nations, both because it is in our national interest and because it is the right thing to do. 

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.

On Tuesday of last week, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) ruled that mandatory meetings in which employees are forced to listen to employer diatribes concerning their labor rights are unlawful. The mandatory meetings are often referred to as “captive audience meetings.” Designed to halt union organizing momentum and scare workers into voting against unions,

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.

By now, we all know the Democrats’ “defense of democracy” push for the presidential election fell flat. But why? One reason is that the talk of threats to democracy felt completely irrelevant to most people’s number-one concern going into the election: the economy, specifically the skyrocketing cost of living these past few years: groceries, housing,

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

Does Trump’s reelection mean that the US labor resurgence is over? Not necessarily. It’s true that the new administration is preparing major attacks against workers and the labor movement. And many union leaders will assume that the most we can hope for over the next four years is to survive through purely defensive struggles. But

Tunisian authorities have targeted civil society actors for ‘financial crimes’ and brutally deported refugees

Remember back in 2016 when Chuck Schumer confidently asserted that “for every blue-collar Democrat we lose in western Pennsylvania, we will pick up two moderate Republicans in the suburbs in Philadelphia”? If there was any doubt before, there is none now: Senator Schumer was wrong. All signs indicate that Donald Trump made substantial inroads among

Noel Conway wanted to die with dignity, yet he died slowly in pain. This month MPs can finally help others like him

In what was undoubtedly the most-watched combat sports event of all time, the streaming numbers of which are estimated to be roughly half of the Super Bowl’s, Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson failed to deliver much of a fight. Paul won in boring but decisive fashion, tepidly outstriking his retirement-age opponent to a unanimous-decision win.

Six months into the genocide in Gaza, a group of German civil servants wrote to Chancellor Olaf Scholz voicing opposition to his government’s support for Israel’s crimes against international law. His coalition’s policies, they explained, are in contravention of the German constitution. While they did speak to the press, over six hundred signatories and supporters

In my very first essay with Providence, I attempted to reframe the first seven verses of Romans 13 by articulating the philosophical and theological assumptions that undergirded Paul’s vision of the polis: God’s moral law applies not only to individuals but also to civil authorities. God institutes civil authority (including the power to tax) for the common good. What is good can be known and acted on. Government has a duty to prudentially work towards the common good and defend it from foreign and domestic threats, this being the only legitimate use of state-sanctioned violence. We have a duty to work towards, encourage and fulfill that good in as, and in cooperation with, civil authorities. While the focus of my previous piece was on the domestic implications of Romans 13 for democratic societies, it’s also worth asking: what are the implications of Paul’s political framework internationally? In a phrase: moral clarity. Implications for International Law Under a Romans 13 political framework, there’s no room for moral confusion in international law. Paul presumes that states, acting under the auspices of God’s sovereign authority, aim at real, objective goods and that leaders can be evaluated by whether or not they move their country domestically and internationally in the direction of those goods. Given that this represents the end of all just governments, states therefore have a duty to defend it. As applied to internationalism, Paul’s articulation of role of the state and its sword of justice implies a moral hierarchy that legitimizes state action, especially in the murky waters of international conflict, relevant to Just War Theory and Christian Realism more broadly. It is imperative for Christians to both recognize and act upon the truth that there is a universally recognizable moral law that both states and citizens are subject to. When states share a common understanding of that moral law and agree that it is conducive to human flourishing, they are far more likely to be aligned in national interests and political values. This is indeed the central claim of liberal international relations theory going all the way back to Immanuel Kant’s 1795 text Perpetual Peace. Not all states rule justly, however, nor do they all observe the moral law with equal reverence. The Tao, as described by C.S. Lewis in The Abolition of Man, does exist, but its status is contested in all lands and governments. At a state to state level, this creates friction and conflict. My own dissertation research indicated such pain points in diverging political cultures is a significant driver in modern international crises. This reality undermines the more utopian claims of liberal internationalism in IR, but it doesn’t actually support realist theories that tend to discount the role of international law and political culture in favor of raw power politics. Classic realism is often interpreted as an amoral framework that Niebuhr’s Christian realism sought to sanctify with a healthy dose of Christian anthropology and virtue. In instances of conflict, this affirmation of God’s moral law, sovereign rule, and the state’s wielding of the sword to reward good and punish evil should certainly affirm human dignity, the violation of which must not only be recognized but also punished. Indeed that is exactly one of Aquinas and Grotius’ criteria for a Just War.  Implications for National Sovereignty Any conception of international law that is framed, founded on, or subject to an objective moral law will also impact how we think about national sovereignty. This is highly relevant in an era of great power competition between democracy and authoritarianism, but more deeply it is a culture clash between opposing theories of the state and its role in advancing human flourishing. National sovereignty, as Russia and China seek to define it, is ironclad and sacrosanct. It is an inviolable principle that gives the state exclusive right to any means necessary for the sake of self-preservation within its borders. The state is not legitimate according to the degree to which it respects human rights and promotes flourishing. Instead, the mere perpetuation of the state is sufficient justification for such actions as the herding of large populations into concentration camps, as with the Chinese Uighurs. Are states seeking to uphold human dignity in international law under the auspices of God’s moral law therefore obligated to actively oppose the states that don’t? This would play right into the hands of authoritarian states like China and Russia that accuse the US of using “humanitarian intervention” as an excuse for imperialism. Are they right? Yes and no. Humanitarian intervention can be used as a smokescreen for imperial ambition, but the two are not equivalent terms. As Daryl Charles has already noted, the reality of the moral law absolutely undergirds humanitarian intervention, which is a category of Just War. However, just as citizens choosing to oppose an unjust government is acceptable as a last resort in domestic affairs, so too is it acceptable to override the principle of national sovereignty of another country under extreme circumstances, such as genocide. For just as God’s sovereignty has worked to place governments in authority over their citizens, his sovereignty has also worked to place states in right relationship to one another, which includes a degree of accountability to other states. Perhaps God’s sovereign placement of nations is to, in part, generate conflict for purposes known only to Him, as seems to be implied in many places in Scripture. The final relationship of people “from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages” in Revelation 7:9 is before the throne of Christ; but that is the “not yet” of the “here and not yet” of Christian theology. In the time between the present and Christ’s return, it stands to reason that the work of all nations should be towards pacific relationships as the norm.  The Hard Edge of Peace Living in a world where evil exists necessitates a will and readiness to defend/preserve peace. Peacemaking, it would seem, can have a hard edge, and this conclusion ties Paul’s vision of the state as wielder of the sword of justice domestically into Christian Realism’s vision of the state (or states) as a wielder of the sword internationally. Is a power like the US, then, supposed to rampage around the world righting every wrong and overthrowing every authoritarian government? To echo Paul in Romans 6, “May it never be!” The Just War framework demands a reasonable chance of success. A cause, no matter how just, will collapse into injustice should a war lead to greater destruction and suffering than what the status quo currently upholds. In the final analysis, though, Paul’s vision of the polis in Romans 13 views the sword affirmatively and anticipates its use. The challenge for Christians in the Western world in 2024 is to develop the wisdom to wield it wisely.

Suriname is a former Dutch colony in South America, best known for the pristine Amazon forests that cover 93 percent of the country and make it one of only three countries that absorb more carbon emissions than they produce. It has recently become more interesting to the rest of the world for two main reasons:

In a global year of elections, Japan’s long-serving Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has suffered its second-worst result on record. The snap poll on October 27 was intended to secure the mandate of Ishiba Shigeru, selected prime minister just a few weeks before. Instead, his party was trounced. The LDP lost 68 seats, reducing it from

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

In 2016 Robert Ford, U.S. Ambassador to Syria from 2011-2014, said the Obama Administration held a “myopic view of ISIS.” In his book, Degrade and Destroy (2022), Michael Gordon goes further, exposing just how persistent the myopathy around ISIS and counterterrorism was under Obama’s leadership. And with the same cast of characters back at the helm under Biden, it’s no wonder why chaos has once again enveloped the Middle East. Besides Gordon’s fascinating history of the American policy failures that contributed to the rise of ISIS, his book also provides insightful guidance for an impending second Trump Administration, describing important lessons that can be gleaned from the Obama-Biden team’s mistakes.  Gordon’s thorough accounting begins with the initial failure to counter ISIS in 2012, followed by a desire to minimize and obfuscate the magnitude of the threat through 2013 and 2014. As Obama’s second term went on, the genesis of ISIS revealed an absence of any coherent foreign policy strategy in conjunction with the suffocating micromanagement of the military by Obama and his staff. Of note, nearly all of Obama’s advisors described in the book returned under Biden, having been promoted to new heights in response to their failures.  The misadventure continues with the botched withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq in 2013, overseen by then-Vice President Joe Biden and then-commander of U.S. Central Command and later Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. On the heels of the troop withdrawal, Biden and his longtime aide, Antony Blinken, assured the White House that Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki was a reliable ally who would steward Iraq post-U.S. involvement. Maliki, a Shia, instead inflamed sectarian violence, thus swelling the ranks of ISIS with Sunni fighters while allowing rampant corruption to rot an Iraqi military the U.S. spent billions creating.  From 2012 to 2014, as ISIS rapidly conquered portions of Syria and Iraq, the Obama Administration refused to acknowledge the threat, regularly misleading the press. Obama infamously referred to the group as a “JV team” compared to al-Qaeda, Austin stated ISIS was simply a “flash in the pan,” and Blinken admonished the press for “misreporting” violence levels in Iraq.  Though the failure to stop ISIS early on could have been disastrous, total catastrophe was ultimately avoided due only to the heroic actions of the Kurds of northeast Syria and northern Iraq in addition to Iranian-backed militias arriving to fill the power vacuum left by the rapid withdrawal of U.S. forces. The lack of a long-term regional strategy allowed Iran to effectively take over southern Iraq, ISIS to dominate its western half, and the Kurds to fight unsupported in the north. Iranian influence exploded across the region while the Obama team worked on funneling billions of dollars to Iran through the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).   The result of American incongruity allowed ISIS affiliates to then proliferate around the globe while Europe became overwhelmed by a migration crisis that caused broader instability in the Middle East. Ultimately, this dynamic resulted in a wave of terrorist attacks in France, Germany, Belgium, and the U.K.  Caught flatfooted, the Obama Administration attempted to compensate for its lack of any coherent strategy by overusing U.S. and Iraqi special operations forces. As the terrorist attacks spread—most prominently the Bataclan theater massacre in Paris of November 2015—and the 2016 election loomed, the Obama team finally became more aggressive, though still lacking a cohesive plan of action. In the days after the Paris attack, special operations troops (SOF) were thrown into the fray without clear guidance, authorities, or direction. SOF became the catch-all solution to all military problems.  In late 2015 and into 2016, the Kurdish Peshmerga finally began to see American military advisors arriving, even as the Obama team was reluctant to arm them out of fear that it would upset the Iraqi government. They mistakenly viewed Iranian militias operating across Iraq as the lesser evil, not understanding that the Iranian Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) would work to drive a wedge between Iraq and America far larger than the rift that would have developed from arming the Kurds. This is proven by Trump’s decision to arm the Kurds with little blowback. Instead of cooperating with the Kurds to defeat ISIS, the Iraqi Counterterrorism Service (CTS) became the go-to hammer for every nail, overworking the small, specialized unit. On the Syrian side of the border, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) became the designated ally, even as the Obama Administration refused to supply them with arms until its last week for fear of upsetting Türkiye.  The Trump Administration encompasses the final third of Gordon’s book and has fared far better in hindsight. The Trump team decided to arm the Peshmerga and SDF within a week of being inaugurated, expanding the lethality of forces fighting ISIS while offsetting Iranian militias. Though less structured at times, the Trump team managed to push forward the efficient destruction of terrorist networks in Iraq and Syria while expanding the fight to Libya, Somalia, Yemen, and the Philippines. In contrast with their predecessors, the Trump Administration also worked aggressively to reign in Iranian influence in Iraq, culminating in the killing of Qassem Soleimani in 2019.  Degrade and Destroy leaves its reader with a sense of utter bafflement at the cognitive dissonance of the Obama Administration’s national security team, and particularly those in the orbit of then-Vice President Biden. When a Marine Staff Sergeant was killed and eight others wounded in Iraq in March 2016, the Obama team expended great effort arguing that the U.S. was not involved in combat on the ground. That such an argument over what exactly defines “combat” occurred nearly four years into the fight against ISIS poignantly illustrates America’s disastrously scrambled foreign policy under Obama.    Degrade and Destroy does a wonderful job detailing the rise of the Islamic State as well as the disjointed American response spanning two administrations. That ISIS is still around and has rebounded significantly over the past three years, is an even larger indictment of some of the principal actors in this story. It becomes clear that most (if not all) of Obama’s team, including Secretary of Defense Austin, Secretary of State Blinken, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, Special Envoy for Iran Robert Malley, and National Security Council Coordinator Bret McGurk should have been fired. Yet, years later, amid the disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal, they had all been promoted instead.  Gordon’s account makes clear that so many American failures in the Middle East stemmed from a handful of experts, with their mistakes continuing to endanger America and our allies to this day. Yet, as Degrade and Destroy shows, all is not lost if the new Trump Administration can learn from Obama and Biden’s missteps by advancing a decisive and effective Middle East strategy.  

Plus, what does the Democratic Party need to do to win in 2028?

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

Despite attempts at reform, the Kafala system in Gulf countries is still custom-built to exploit workers

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.

Nobody deserves to be treated like seasonal workers are, least of all the people keeping this nation fed

Over the last five years, geopolitical considerations have taken an unprecedented place on the European Union's agenda. Its foreign policy, long in its fledgling stages, is finally beginning to take shape, even if it is still subject to the unanimous decisions of its Member States

The 2024 BRICS Summit will attract worldwide attention for four reasons: First, 2024 is the first year of BRICS cooperation; Second, Russia, which is Mired in geopolitical conflicts, has become the rotating chair, which is the first time for Russia to host a major international multilateral conference in its own country

The BRICS Summit 2024 makes it clear that members must align their positions if they seek tangible outcomes

Macron and Keir Starmer are now making a last-ditch effort to get the lame-duck Biden administration to officially green-light long-range strikes using NATO-sourced weapons. Talks on the issue took place in Paris, with both the UK and France adamant to see the NATO-orchestrated Ukrainian conflict escalate, especially before Trump takes office, as he repeatedly made it clear that he has other priorities.

While Trump has named “outsiders” for key positions, the choice of Latin America hawk Marco Rubio seems to “balance” them. No one can be sure Trump will actually deliver a more restrained foreign policy, but he is attempting to tame the intelligence services. Problem is whenever a US President attempted to tame them, it never ended well.

According to local sources, Ukrainian commandos are giving instructions and special weapons to Islamist militants in Syria’s Idlib region.

The seasonal worker visa made the UK’s migrant agricultural workforce more vulnerable to exploitation

Elements of Zelensky’s “Victory Plan” piqued the interest of the president-elect.

Since winning reelection to the White House last week, President-elect Donald Trump has rapidly started to form his cabinet and fill senior White House positions. Notably, the administration has filled or selected nominees for several key national security roles, including National Security Advisor, Secretary of Defense, and United Nations Ambassador. The post of Secretary of State will go to Senator Marco Rubio, who during Trump’s first term was known as “a virtual secretary of state for Latin America” owing to his vigorous efforts to intensify American resolve against Venezuela. President Trump’s initial selections demonstrate a clear commitment to advancing US interests within a framework of peace through strength. America’s adversaries have every reason to be worried—and that’s for the best. Over the course of his presidency, President Biden’s foreign policy has been hamstrung by a technocratic approach that has resulted in excessive caution while also trying to cater to progressive constituencies at home.  For example, in the context of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the Biden Administration has pushed for enough aid to keep Ukraine in the fight but has repeatedly dithered over providing certain weapons or reducing barriers to using US-supplied weapons on Russian territory. Rhetorically, the Biden Administration has stated it is in the fight for “as long as it takes,” which is hardly a strategy. Biden thus both failed to deter the full-scale invasion and then, operating with a lack of decisiveness, has sent billions of dollars worth of US resources to a conflict for which it has no clear endgame. The incoming administration’s approach seems designed to take back control of the global landscape in the sense that rather than reacting to and managing cascading conflagrations, it will seek resolute action to enable the United States to focus on the severe challenge posed by China. This approach is evident in a recent piece for The Economist by incoming National Security Advisor and current Florida Representative Mike Waltz and the Atlantic Council’s Matthew Kroenig. Noting how the current administration’s foreign policy blunders and indecisiveness have redounded to China’s benefit and invited more aggression from adversaries, the two authors argue for leveraging US strengths to wind down conflicts on favorable terms. In Europe, this means unleashing US natural gas and cracking down on Russian oil sales to choke Russia’s economy. If more is needed to bring Vladimir Putin to the table, the United States could also provide a jolt to Ukraine with more weapons and fewer restrictions to increase costs on already war-weary Russian troops. Meanwhile, in the Middle East, Washington should restore pressure on Iran and support Israel’s effort to finish the fight against Hamas. For her part, incoming UN Ambassador and current New York Representative Elise Stefanik has been a staunch supporter of Israel and proponent of increasing pressure on Iran. President Trump’s Defense Secretary nominee, Pete Hegseth, has also expressed firm support for Israel while acknowledging the scale of the challenge posed by China. He has also been a staunch critic of progressive ideology emanating into the US military from the Pentagon and undermining American military strength. In a piece I wrote for Providence over the summer, I noted that it was a misnomer to characterize the now-Vice President-elect’s foreign policy toward Europe as isolationist. Senator Vance had called for improved burden-sharing with European allies and suggested it was a fool’s errand to think Ukraine would regain its full territory, but he had not called for abandoning US security commitments or letting Ukraine fall under Moscow’s shadow. With the benefit of seeing the president-elect’s burgeoning national security team, I think it is fair to say the isolationist canard can be readily dismissed as a gross misapprehension of the new administration’s foreign policy. A better understanding is to see the administration as poised to prioritize China while restoring effective deterrence in Europe and the Middle East. Put more bluntly: The incoming administration will look to quickly clean up the messiness of the global security environment over the past four years, reinvigorate US military strength, and redirect US resources across the Pacific to ensure America wins the growing confrontation with its most significant adversary since the Soviet Union.

Simply put, the majority of the world does not want or accept U.S. hegemony, and is prepared to face it down rather than submit to its dictates

There is a strong possibility of India-Russia bilateral trade attaining the $100 billion target by 2030, External Affairs minister S Jaishankar said

The Bank of Russia held a seminar for BRICS central banks in Brazil and presented possible areas of their cooperation in financing sustainable development

"There's one promise left that [Biden] could fulfill: being a transitional figure. He could resign the presidency in the next 30 days, make Kamala Harris President of the United States," Simmons said, adding: "Democrats have to learn drama and transparency and doing things that the public will want to see. This is the moment to change the entire perspective of how Democrats operate."

Despite his public change of speech, Rubio is unlikely to act in favor of peace with Russia.

Trump will take aim at Taiwan’s dominance in semiconductor production.

Deploying ‘anti-mafia’ tactics against migrants and those standing in solidarity with them is solving nothing

Most cultural indicators point to an increasingly secularized American society. As corollary, bringing religious convictions to bear in the public arena is becoming increasingly fraught. American citizens are thus pressed to confront a “sacred-versus-secular” divide as never before. What values can we expect the broader culture to hold without reference to religion? More importantly, what values should be held in common and advocated for in the public square? As it concerns the task of bringing religious conviction into the public arena, two opposite and extreme attitudes avail themselves that are unacceptable. One of these is the militantly secularist attempt to privatize religion so that it does not enter the sphere of public reasoning. This exclusionary perspective lies at the heart of John Rawls’ view of “public reason” in A Theory of Justice (1971). That method is to bracket controversial moral, philosophical, or religious issues and to exclude them because of their grounding in “comprehensive doctrines.” Insofar as religion constitutes a “comprehensive doctrine,” it is thought to be disqualified because it is not “neutral,” thus needing exclusion from public discourse and political debate. This attempt to exclude religiously grounded values from public discourse is what the late Richard John Neuhaus famously called the “naked public square” in his 1984 book of the same name. Neuhaus argued that most secularists are in deep denial about their own articles of faith and metaphysical presumptions. Even the Rawlsian approach to “public reason,” which is committed to excluding “comprehensive doctrines” from public debate and which is assumed by many (if not most) of our contemporaries, is itself a comprehensive doctrine. In the end, a so-called “naked public square” is a vacuum just waiting to be filled by the state. As Neuhaus rightly noted, a twisted notion of the disestablishment of religion invariably leads to the establishment of the state as “church.” Having cast out one devil, committed secularists unavoidably invite the entrance of seven devils more perverse and inhumane than the first.  At the other end of the spectrum is the misguided attempt to wed or conflate religion with politics, as in “Christian nationalism.” The problem with this posture is both its failure to see the relative autonomy of religion and government, and to recognize the unique and limited theocratic character of Israel as represented in the Old Testament. This view fails, then, on both political as well as theological grounds. A more balanced perspective is that of America’s founders who, despite their religious differences, saw the need for interaction between religion and the state in a way that neither coerces nor excludes. Such a posture facilitates a social and political environment in which a principled pluralism can flourish. After all, as George Washington insisted in his 1796 “Farewell” address, of “all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity,” religion and morality are “indispensable supports” for a self-governing nation. This is indeed true, just as a politicized faith is a perversion of genuine faith. In the Judeo-Christian moral tradition, which is underpinned by natural law thinking, no realm of human existence in the created order can be excluded from our care and consideration. This is surely the case for politics, since civil government itself was established by God for the ordering of human behavior. Jesus famously remarked that we should “render to Caesar what is Caesar’s” and “render to God what is God’s.” This statement suggests both ambiguity and engagement. On the one hand, the state is not divine because it has moral antecedents. On the other hand, we are not to be politically detached since the state is clearly owed some things, like our allegiance in a limited capacity and concern for its justice. Because any moral vacuum in society will be filled by the state, as Neuhaus warned, people of religious conviction cannot bracket their moral convictions. And as it is, the debates of today are profoundly moral, concerning beginning-of-life issues, human sexuality, and end-of life-issues. “Public reason,” at bottom, must be just that: accessible to all and reasonable. In that public process, we will need to appeal to justice (to each his due), the common good (as opposed to self-interest) and human dignity (over against moral perversion). By virtue of our public participation, we religious believers can expect to hear the continual accusation that we are “imposing” our morality and beliefs on others. Nevertheless, someone’s metaphysical viewpoint – someone’s morality – will be imposed through legislation. Political life and political community, from a natural-law perspective, presuppose virtue. We do good, and we avoid doing evil. For this reason the cardinal virtues – justice, prudence, courage, and temperance – are necessary as we seek the common good. A natural-law liberalism affirms the need for these virtues because it acknowledges the presence in human beings of both good and evil. Responsible social policy requires this type of moral realism. It is only in such a social environment that the language of “human rights” can thrive, since human dignity – and hence human “rights” – exist only where transcendent moral reality is affirmed and moral duties are acknowledged. Secularism, alas, cannot guarantee such basic freedoms which we take for granted. But the day of taking for granted is past. The militantly secularist spirit against which we presently battle is a threat to democratic polity. It can only produce relativism, nihilism, and a descent into darkness. Before he died, Richard Neuhaus made the following observation. The problem today is not that the emperor has no clothes. It is that “the emperor’s garments of moral authority have been stolen from the religion he has sent into exile from the public square.” For indeed there is no such thing as a “naked public square.” And at its heart, Judeo-Christian religion is “incorrigibly interventionist,” given its universalistic claims to truth as it relates to the totality of things. If Americans care about a democratic future then, in Neuhaus’ words, we have “a deep stake in reconstructing a politics that was not begun by and cannot be sustained by the myth of secular America.” Such reconstruction will find clues in the past, even when we don’t seek to recreate the past.

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

Brazilian former president talked about dollar US hegemony, BRICS Bank and growing far right

Russia, currently holding the rotating presidency of the BRICS group of emerging economies, has urged member countries to create an alternative to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to counter Western political pressure

After expanding from five to 10 member countries, BRICS has entered the "Greater BRICS" cooperation track. Recent reports in dicate that Cuba and Syria have applied to join the BRICS cooperation mechanism

Unfortunately, since the political West is led by warmongering oligarchies in Washington DC and Brussels, the possibility of total annihilation of NATO is the only way to ensure global peace, as Bauer himself admitted.

Revealed: Former government’s anti-immigration laws have had horrifying consequences for modern slavery victims

Trump is seen as an enemy by all established liberal politicians in Europe. It is exactly the opposite society that Europe's elites want. But most of Donald Trump's voters represent political goals of the patriotic forces in Europe.

Investigation shows crimes committed by Ukrainian neo-Nazis in key Donbass city since 2014.

Pentagon establishment fears Trump will do “irreparable damage”.

Workers are coming from ever further afield to pick German crops, but what they see when they get there shocks them

Britain’s Labour Party, led by Keir Starmer, has only been in power for the past 5 months, yet already has made its mark on foreign affairs – chastising Israel, coddling China, and centering climate change in all things. The through line in these submissive gestures and policies is that Labour sees Britain’s legacy as a geopolitical heavyweight as something to be discarded instead of embraced. In this view, asserting British power abroad, even in defense of its own national interests, is verboten. Peace, harmony, and comity must come at any price so as to make up for the supposed evils of the UK’s history and move Britain firmly into a progressive geopolitical direction. Of course, this impacts American national security as well.  It has not taken long for the new Labour government to begin ceding Britain’s role on the international stage. On October 3, the Labour government announced that, in Foreign Minister David Lammy’s words, “the UK has reached an agreement with Mauritius, securing the vital military base on Diego Garcia,” to “protect international security, close a potential illegal migration route, and avert threats to peace and prosperity in the Indian Ocean.”   The deal revolves around the Chagos Archipelago (also known as the British Indian Ocean Territory, or BIOT), a largely desolate and depopulated island chain lying in the center of the Indian Ocean, thousands of miles from the nearest landmass. One of the atolls in the archipelago, Diego Garcia, has been a critical military base for the United States since the Cold War, operated under British sovereignty. Diego Garcia’s location has allowed America to project power across a wide variety of key theaters, including serving as a major airbase during the Global War on Terror. The facilities on the atoll include an airstrip that can serve strategic bombers – one of two in the Indo-Pacific, alongside Guam – a deep-water naval port, and sites for highly-specialized intelligence collection. Suffice it to say, Diego Garcia is incredibly important for American national security, particularly in a century during which the Indo-Pacific will be the hinge point of geopolitics.  Under the deal Labour cut with the government of Mauritius, a nation composed of an archipelago hundreds of miles east of Madagascar and over a thousand miles west of the Chagos, the entirety of the BIOT, Diego Garcia included, will be ceded to Mauritian sovereignty. Mauritius has no legitimate claim to the Chagos, its only connection to the islands being that Mauritius and the Chagos were categorized under the same colonial department under the British Empire. The British government has stated that this cession will ensure the long-term security of the American military infrastructure, but this is highly doubtful. Apparently, the Biden administration “strongly supported” this decision, an inexplicable choice if one is tasked with promoting the American national interest. From a geopolitical perspective, the ceding of the Chagos to Mauritius is totally indefensible as a key part of America, and the West’s, apparatus of force-projection.   It’s hard to believe that Diego Garcia will remain secure as a critical part of American national security architecture owing to the increasing involvement of the Mauritian regime with the Chinese Communist Party. Over the past several years, the island nation has moved ever closer to China as part of the Belt and Road Initiative, engaging in free trade agreements, joint infrastructure projects, and increasing military and policing ties. Beijing has become the favored partner for the island nation, replacing India and Britain. Now, with Mauritius being granted control over the Chagos, including Diego Garcia, these ties have become far more dangerous for American security. Nothing would stop Mauritius from allowing China to build its own intelligence-gathering facilities or military bases in the archipelago, perfectly placed to spy on or disrupt American activities in one of our most crucial security installations. The Indo-Pacific is the key theater for 21st century geopolitics and China is our primary enemy; the ill-considered Labour surrender directly hurts our national interests.  America is always ill-served when our closest allies – not to mention the other half of the Anglo-American “special relationship” – are determined to self-immolate on the altar of progressive foreign policy. Ceding the Chagos Islands to Mauritius seems designed to serve a two-fold purpose of being an exercise in humiliation which also profoundly endangers American and Western interests and security. The deal should not be allowed to stand. Washington should heavily pressure London to renege on this agreement, promising diplomatic cover and support in international institutions. Regardless of whether Labour follows through, we must take the security of Diego Garcia into our own hands. That means increasing maritime and aerial patrols, hardening the military and intelligence infrastructure against outsider attack or espionage, and creating a large perimeter around the base in which non-allied nations should not be allowed to operate. Chinese-linked facilities must be opposed, regardless of what the Mauritian government thinks. And, if push comes to shove, America should be willing and ready to hold onto Diego Garcia by force.  None of these moves would be necessary had the British government not fully embraced progressive foreign policy and surrendered its rightful sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago. And this is only the beginning. Lammy, Starmer, and their ilk have held office for less than 6 months. The next several years could be utterly disastrous. America should make plans for our national security that do not rely on London. And that is a sad reality for a truly special relationship. 

In January 2024, BRICS, the influential bloc of emerging economies, expanded its membership by welcoming four new countries-Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE)-with Saudi Arabia also in the process of joining. The inclusion of Egypt and Ethiopia into the group marks a critical moment for Africa, as these two regional powerhouses are now poised to significantly shape not only the continent’s economic and political future but also their roles in global geopolitics

As the world closely watched the American presidential elections, the reason is clear: while around 240 million Americans have the right to vote, billions of people worldwide, who lack that right, are still affected by the election’s outcome

On paper, BRICS is a heavy hitter. But differing goals could make the road ahead bumpy

Despite signaling some degree of “restraint” in foreign policy, when it comes to Latin America, one should not expect from Trump’s new presidency anything other than the good old Big Stick approach.

The tradition of setting aside a particular day to honor American veterans extends back to the end of the First World War, which ostensibly concluded at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918. Then dubbed “Armistice Day,” it was an occasion to honor the veterans of that great conflict. In 1954, because the War to End All Wars didn’t, Congress amended the commemoration by changing “armistice” to “veterans” to honor all military personnel who have worn the uniform of the nation, whether in war or peace.  Veterans Day, of course, is just one of three major national holidays honoring American military personnel. Correctly distinguishing between them is important, if sometimes confusing. Definitions help. Per US Code, a “veteran” is one who served in the US military and was subsequently released on conditions other than dishonorable. The past tense is important. Armed Forces Day, probably the least well known of our martial holidays, honors those who are currently serving. Memorial Day, as the name ought to imply, is for remembering those Americans who gave their lives while serving the nation. Though Veterans Day carries a dimension of this memorial component in that it officially honors all veterans, whether living or dead, in practice the day is largely devoted to thanking living Americans for their previous US military service.  So, on this day, Americans of all faiths or none take a moment to remember that the many live under debt to the few. While the “few” we honor today are not specifically the fallen, everyone who has put on the cloth of the nation knows that in the performance of their duty they may be called to give that last full measure. If we’re right to believe there is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for a friend, then, clearly, the willingness to do so is not far off. Veterans Day, therefore, is an opportunity to fulfill, in a modest way, the obligation to pause, recognize, and reflect upon the fact that we are a free people free to enjoy the fruits of a free society because since the birth of our nation, some men and some women have willingly stood on freedom’s wall and fought and killed and risked death to keep us safe. In response to such service, gratitude is appropriate. To give to each what is owed to them is nothing less than a question of justice. On this Veteran’s Day, with potentially large-scale fights threatening on the horizon, I want to suggest that one way to celebrate and to properly remember our nation’s veterans is to not only look backwards in gratitude and memory but forward as well. It would be naïve and irrationally idealistic to hope that there are no new veterans to be made in America. Because our adversaries always have a vote, there will always be someone left to fight. It is seemingly clear that while we will do everything that ought to be done to avoid such fights, the future fights that threaten us are the kinds of fights we haven’t fought for some time. The past twenty-plus years of war against terror and insurgency will likely give way to peer-level fights against far more powerful enemies. In the past, responsibility for kinetic effects in war—responsibility for killing people and breaking things—was largely confined to a few warfighting communities within the military. The peer-fights ahead will see this responsibility far more widely distributed across our nation’s air, sea, land, undersea, space, and cyberspace warfighting communities. While there is work to be done in many of these communities to get them battle ready, there is little reason to doubt that should war prove unavoidable these communities will be ready to fight and win this nation’s fights by closing with and destroy those who mean us harm. But there another community in America that is likely presently unprepared for what might be ahead of us. For far too long, the American civilians have been able to outsource the defense of our nation to those few among us who enlist or commission. The concern we show for our nation’s veterans on holidays like today is proved hypocrisy if we are not concerned for our veterans on other days as well—including those days “left of boom” that precede conflict as well as those days that follow conflict—when tomorrow’s newly-made veterans come home. Abraham Lincoln knew that there must be a pact forged between our nation’s military and civilian communities. While the solider—to include, of course, sailors, airmen, marines, and guardians—is responsible to “bravely bear his country’s cause” at the pointy-end of the spear, the American civilian is responsible to care “for his brother in the field” and to serve “as he best can, the same cause.” Lincoln is exactly correct. While likely few Americans are conscious of it, there is an implied oath that America citizens take as American citizens. This is revealed in the naturalization oath that new American citizens take when they become citizens. In essential elements, it is almost identical to the oath our fighting men and women take when they enlist and commission: “I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty, of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform noncombatant service in the Armed Forces of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law; and that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help me God.” That new citizens overtly take this oath to become citizens implies that all Americans have taken this oath at least tacitly. It simply helps define what it means to be an American citizen. On the relationship between this oath of citizenship and citizen responsibility to our fighting men and women before, during, and after deployment there is much to say. This has much to do not only with how we expect—and prepare—our warfighters to fight our fights but also with the kinds of fights we expect them to fight. It may well be that America has to spend the lives our warfighters, but America must never waste them. This essay, of course, has nowhere near the space to make even a dent in what citizen responsibility to our warfighters fully entails. But I want to touch on one thing. And I will start to do so by turning to one of America’s greatest veterans. On June 15th, 1941, Gen. George Marshall delivered the commencement address at Trinity College, in Hartford. The great man drew a parallel between the role of Trinity College and that of the United States Army, both which provide in their own manner patriotic service to the nation. Trinity accomplished this, in part, by attending not simply to the technical academic preparation of its students but to the spiritual needs required of them to be participatory citizens of good character in distressing and unpredictable times. Of the Trinity student, Marshall noted, “Their period of development here not only vitalized the faculties of their minds but also aroused and intensified those latent forces of the soul that the ordinary educational process sometimes fails to reach.” In his own martial universe, the general noted, the word “soul” would be replaced with “morale”. Akin to the vocation of the university, Marshall continued, the War Department of the United States had an obvious and perhaps not-so-obvious dual concern. Instead of a University’s production of scholars, the War Department might easily be thought to be concerned only with the “development and perfection of … a war machine.” One thinks mainly of “the production of bombers, of pursuit ships, of tanks, howitzers, rifles and shells.” But, the General insisted, underlying “the essentially material and industrial effort is the realization that the primary instrument of warfare is the fighting man.” He continued: So we progress from the machine to the man, and much of our time and thought and effort is concentrated on the disposition and the temper and the spirit of the men we have mobilized; and we get back to the word “morale.”…Today war, total war…is a long drawn out and intricately planned business, and the longer it continues the heavier are the demands on the character of the men engaged in it…The Soldier’s heart, the soldier’s spirit, the soldier’s soul, are everything. Unless the soldier’s soul sustains him, he cannot be relied on and will fail himself and his commander and his country in the end. The effort to prevent this failure is not a martial task alone. Those public institutions charged with the moral formation of those young people from whom future warfighters are drawn—schools, faith communities, families, and the like—must take up their role as well. One way to do this, one way that this journal has striven since its inception to do this, is to reinvigorate in the minds of the men and women who fight our wars—and in the minds of the boys and girls who will grow into the men and women who fight them—the West’s moral philosophical and theological riches—drawn from our classical and Hebraic inheritance—that remind us that there are times when it is right to fight and ways to rightly fight those fights that are right to fight. Further, because this is true, there is nothing immoral about fighting such fights. It is essential, for what lies ahead, that our nation’s warfighters know that the martial vocation is a noble calling that can be completely commensurate with the most deeply held moral commitments commanded by the God of creation. Providence understands that this is both a force protection mechanism and a combat multiplier. It puts steel in the spines of our warfighters and shields their souls with Kevlar so that they can navigate the morally bruising battlefield without becoming morally injured. A good place to see this strategy in action is in Providence-friend Rebeccah Heinrichs’ recent Duty to Deter: American Nuclear Deterrence and the Just War Tradition, Heinrich’s moral and strategic defense of the nuclear triad. One reason Heinrichs wrote the book, she tells us, is to fortify “the consciences of those policymakers, military strategists, and operators charged with the responsibility to design and carry out plans for deterrence and to protect and prevail in a war if deterrence fails.” By grounding her defense of deterrence in the classic just war tradition—and its presumption for justice—Heinrichs’ gives those responsible for our nuclear triad the moral confidence of knowing that the just maintenance and deployment of that triad does not violate moral duties but instead manifests these duties to champion justice. Heinrichs goes on to demonstrate how such confidence both protects our forces and makes them more successful in carrying out their assigned missions. First, conveying doubts and a shaky political resolve about the morality of our nuclear arsenal can undermine our ability to successfully deter our adversaries. Further, moral errors in how we think about deterrence can lead to policymakers making unnecessary concessions in our deterrence posture, thereby inviting aggression from adversary nations who share few of our moral scruples. Secondly, and critically important to the day, moral confidence in our nuclear deterrent is essential in a Western cultural milieu that is increasingly uncertain about the morality of force. Heinrichs’ book provides moral philosophical and theological resources to give our warfighters the confidence that they can carry out their warfighting duties while remaining faithful to theological convictions. Much of this depends, of course, on getting those theological convictions right. This, too, has been the work of Providence. Because our warfighters will not get such theological or moral philosophical reflection in boot camp, they need to get it now. Before the first shots are fired. We cannot adequately be concerned for our veterans when they return home from conflict if we have not properly prepared them to go into it. The Western classical and Hebraic patrimony has much to commend to our nations present and future veterans. If I may be forgiven for refereeing to a Frenchmen in my closing statement, a confident moral grounding is the perfect complement to our brave and intrepid warriors. Because, as Michel de Montaigne, the great philosopher of the French renaissance, put it: “Valor is stability, not of legs and arms but of courage and the soul.” To all our nation’s veterans: Thank you for your service. And welcome home.

The involvement of numerous Polish airports and airbases in the Neo-Nazi junta's strategic airlift operations shows the extent of Warsaw's support. However, instead of worrying about the potential consequences of this, the political West is concerned about the "control of geospatial data and its impact on modern military operations".

However, such a plan leads the country to a military and strategic impasse.

Trump’s victory has Borrell worried about the future of support for Ukraine.

I was labelled a ‘smuggler’ and spent over two years in prison for touching the tiller on a dinghy. That’s not justice

The grouping has eventually evolved into an actual geopolitical bloc, with their governments meeting annually aimed at coordinating multilateral policies through formal Summits since 2009. Currently, bilateral relations among BRICS are conducted mainly based on non-interference, equality, and mutual benefit

The combined economic output of the BRICS+ countries is projected to surpass that of the G7 nations by 2045, according to a global economic forecast by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), the research arm of The Economist Group

The BRICS summit in Kazan triggered further waves of discussions on possible expansion as well as the key priorities of the bloc going forward. In this regard, it was particularly important this year to hear the voice of the population of the countries of the Global South on how BRICS is perceived and which of its initiatives are supported the most

A new lobby shop has close links to Starmer and his top team, while another firm is wooing junior journalists

Trump has emboldened anti-rights groups globally. African women will suffer as a result

The Harris campaign "blew through a billion dollars in a few months", the largest amount of which was wasted on celebrity concerts. Over the same period, the Trump campaign got $392 million and spent $345 million, meaning that it managed to save nearly $50 million and also win the election. In addition, the Democrats wasted another $1.1 billion on "aired advertising and associated reservations". The DNC's financial appetites are very well known, as evidenced by numerous scandals involving the funneling of the so-called "Ukraine aid".

According to Olaf Scholz himself, Ukraine aid was the main reason behind collapse of the government coalition in Germany.

Manpower shortages are at the heart of Ukrainian retreats and Russian gains on the front.

Three predictions on what a second Trump term could mean for US foreign policy

Trump’s ‘America First’ approach means shifting away from Biden’s ‘partnership’ rhetoric – but it could work for us

There's no smuggling 'kingpin' to take down. Instead, Labour’s security rhetoric risks putting more people in danger

Universal basic income and services get a lot of press these days. But does the evidence back up the hype?

In the Fall of 2022, I was five months pregnant with my second baby. Soon after learning that we were expecting a girl, my husband and I chose the name Olympia Benedicta in honor of two Catholic women we greatly admired: Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross and Blessed Olympia Bida. As the birth of our daughter neared, I unexpectedly realized that the lives of these two women revealed important truths about politics and faith that are as relevant today as ever.  Teresa Benedicta was born Edith Stein in Breslau, Germany in 1891. Her family was devoutly Jewish, but in her teens became an atheist. Edith possessed a brilliant mind, earning her doctorate in philosophy at a time when this was highly unusual for women. Her desire for truth matched her intellectual prowess; influenced by the example of some Protestant Christian friends and by St. Teresa of Avila’s autobiography, in 1921 Edith “discovered that truth had a name: Jesus Christ.” Soon after, she was baptized in the Roman Catholic Church.   For the next decade, she taught, spoke, and “pursue(d) scholarship as a service to God.” In 1933, her longtime desire to enter the Carmelite convent was fulfilled, and she took the name Sr. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross. Sr. Teresa Benedicta was transferred from Germany to a convent in the Netherlands to escape the persecution of the Jews in 1938. In 1942, she was arrested and taken to Auschwitz, along with many other Christians of Jewish descent, as punishment for the Dutch Catholic bishops’ denunciation of the Nazis’ treatment of the Jews. Inspired by her love of Christ, Sr. Teresa Benedicta refused offers of escape, choosing to suffer with and for her Jewish people. She died a martyr of the Christian faith in the gas chambers of Auschwitz on August 9, 1942.  Olympia was born Olga Bida in 1903 in what is now western Ukraine. She belonged to the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (a Byzantine rite church in full communion with the Roman Catholic Church). Olga entered the Sisters of St. Joseph at a fairly young age, taking the name Sr. Olympia, and became the superior of her religious community in 1938. In 1950, she was convicted of “anti-Soviet activities” and sent to the Gulag in Siberia. Olympia remained steadfast in her faith, continuing to act as superior for her fellow sisters in the Gulag, ultimately dying a Christian martyr in 1952.  In their early years, Edith Stein – a German Jew – and Olga Bida – a Ukrainian Catholic in what was then the Austro-Hungarian Empire – appeared to have little in common. Nonetheless, Teresa Benedicta and Olympia both ended their lives as Catholic nuns martyred under totalitarian regimes. Reflecting on both the uniqueness and similarities of their stories yields three important insights.  First, the political spectrum is circular, not linear. Olympia gave her life for Christ under the persecution of a leftist regime (the Soviet Union). Teresa Benedicta was killed for her Jewish heritage and Christian faith by a right-wing regime (Nazi Germany). While the language of left and right suggests opposites, the martyrdom of Teresa Benedicta and Olympia reminds us that politics, whether left or right, end in the same place when straying too far from the laws of God and nature. This is not to say that the ideal social order is necessarily politically neutral or “centrist”; rather, it is a reminder that simply claiming the mantle of “left” or “right” does not guarantee alignment with Christian morality, and both political tendencies have the capacity to descend into totalitarianism. In our highly polarized political climate, it is easy to excuse the errors of those on our “side of the aisle” or to become complacent in our political identities. The martyrdom of Teresa Benedicta and Olympia are a stark reminder that political systems in opposition to human dignity, whether “left” or “right,” ultimately oppose Christ. We must have the courage to correct and reject errors, even within our own political affiliations, and to vigilantly guard against the devolution of political philosophy into political ideology.   Second, the conflicts and hatreds of today have deep historical roots. My husband and I chose the name “Olympia” for our daughter in part to honor the Ukrainian people as they fought for their lives and freedom; at the time, we could not have imagined that “Benedicta” would soon take on heightened significance, as Teresa Benedicta’s beloved Jewish people became the targets of the October 7 terrorist attack and a worldwide outbreak of antisemitism. As the wars in Ukraine and the Holy Land continue to rage, “alternative” historical accounts that demonize both Ukrainians and Jews, denying their past persecution, have become increasingly fashionable in the West, even among some Christians.  As the lives of Teresa Benedicta and Olympia demonstrate, however, the Nazi persecution of the Jews was very real, as was the Soviet persecution of Ukrainians. This persecution often overlapped with persecution of Christians, as the Nazis targeted Christians of Jewish descent, while the Soviets tried to destroy the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and force the faithful to convert to state-sponsored Russian Orthodoxy.  Third and finally, Sr. Teresa Benedicta and Sr. Olympia remind us that the ultimate Christian response to injustice and totalitarianism is not political activity, but Christ-like self-sacrifice. It can be tempting to think that the solution to bad politics is simply good politics, and this is true to a certain extent. As both Teresa Benedicta and Olympia knew from harsh experience, politics matters, and Christians are called to be part of building a just political order. Yet, Christ taught that His Kingdom is not of this world. By His Passion and death on the Cross, He demonstrated that the Christian mission is not primarily political (much to the chagrin of those hoping for a Messiah who would be a military leader or earthly king). Teresa Benedicta perfectly articulated this truth when she said: “Human activities cannot help us, but only the suffering of Christ. It is my desire to share in it.” Both Olympia and Teresa Benedicta responded to the evils of totalitarianism by sharing in the suffering of Christ, reminding us that the Cross is the only true solution to the world’s problems and that all Christians are called to embrace that Cross.  In a world that feels like it is spinning out of control, it is worth telling these stories together, for doing so reminds us that “the cross is steady while the world is turning.” God does not expect all Christians to become literal martyrs, but He does ask all of us to embrace suffering for His sake and place our faith not in human ideologies or endeavors, but in the Cross. Only by clinging to the Cross, as Olympia and Teresa Benedicta did, can we remain steady – both in our political activities and in our faith. 

Tensions in the Himalayas have been high since 2020. This latest deal is a step forward

At the forefront of the geoeconomic war of supply chains, economic corridors and trading routes is the dedollarisation movement spearheaded by the Brics collective

It is no wonder then that many countries have called for a reform of the UNSC, seeking to add India, Germany, Brazil, Japan, and South Africa as permanent members. This would provide greater representation and diversity in global decision-making, and would be a step towards a more democratic and inclusive system

If you can bear to see how Trump would implement Project 2025, look to Argentina – a lab for the global far right

While many of his deranged supporters in the political West are fuming, Zelensky chose a completely different strategy. Namely, he congratulated Trump "on his impressive election victory", sharing "fond memories" of their September meeting, when they "discussed in detail the Ukraine-US strategic partnership, the Victory Plan, and ways to put an end to Russian aggression against Ukraine". However, these outbursts of "Trumpism" are quite distasteful to most people, including Trump himself, particularly after Zelensky effectively endorsed Kamala Harris during his last visit.

The Bush-Clinton era lasted at least 28 years. Any illusions aside, in all likelihood Trump will be no match for his predecessors in terms of war-mongering, genocide and nation-destruction - and this should be good news.

Zelensky’s friendly message will not deter Trump’s plan to wind back aid to Ukraine.

Unable to solve its internal situation of chaos and political polarization, Washington tries to blame external actors.

The economy must provide sustainable welfare to stay within planetary boundaries. UBI and UBS show us the way

Every Sunday around the world, millions of Christians recite a creed that includes the following proclamation of truth about Jesus: He “suffered under Pontius Pilate.” This Apostles’ Creed, likely going back in some form to the second century AD, has held Jesus’s crucifixion at the direction of Pontius Pilate as a key historical truth and an unquestioned part of the events of Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection.   And yet, in his wide-ranging book, The Innocence of Pontius Pilate: How the Roman Trial of Jesus Shaped History, David Lloyd Dusenbury traces a concomitant nearly two-millennia-long tradition that has questioned Pilate’s guilt—and argued, instead, for his innocence in Jesus’s crucifixion. In the process, Dusenbury consults an impressive array of historical, theological, literary, and artistic sources from antiquity to the twentieth century. How did different people make this argument for Pilate’s innocence? Why did they do it? And why does it matter now? Dusenbury explains:   “The thesis of this book is that what we now call the ‘secular’ is not a Roman (pre-Christian) inheritance, or a late modern (post-Christian) innovation. On the contrary, the ‘secular’ is constituted by Christian philosopher-bishops, legal theorists, and polemicists… I am inclined to think that the term-concept of the ‘secular’ owes incalculably much (1) to a single utterance in the Roman trial of Jesus as it is narrated in the fourth gospel: ‘My kingdom is not of this world’ (John 18:36); and (2) to a singular interpretation of this utterance in the early fifth century by a formidable African bishop, Augustine of Hippo, in his Homilies on the Gospel of John.”  The book proceeds chronologically, running through ancient attempts to defend Pilate—like the two theories that Lactantius popularized in the late third and early fourth centuries AD. The first of these held that Pilate refrained from making any judgment and thus cannot be considered guilty for Jesus’s death. And second, it was the Jews, not the Romans, who executed Jesus—an argument that also gets Pilate, a representative of the empire, off the hook. Another theory ascribes the judgment not to Pilate but to Herod.   In yet other traditions, including Islamic ones, Pilate is not guilty for a more creative reason: Jesus never was crucified himself. As in the best action flicks, the lead actor used a body double for this most daring stunt. Sounds creative, but there are other such stories in ancient mythology. One could note the alternate myth about Helen never going to Troy, but spending the Trojan War in Egypt, while the heroes at Troy fought over her phantasm. And there is the alternate myth of Iphigenia, in which her father did not sacrifice her, but the goddess Artemis whisked her off to become her priestess at Tauris. For unbelieving readers in pagan contexts, in other words, there were plenty of inspirations for highly creative readings of the Jesus-Pilate drama in lieu of accepting the crucifixion narrative at face value.  But the continued interest in the question of Pilate’s innocence on the part of Jews, Christians, and over time, Muslims and much later, agnostics and atheists too shows that something significant is at stake. It is, at the end, not just a debate over the justice of one isolated trial, but over justice in a larger sense: If Jesus, supposedly the perfect, if not divine man was executed, can true justice exist on this earth? Dusenbury points out the significance of Byzantine Emperor Justinian’s (482-565) Institutes for such conversations. The Institutes, which open his magisterial collection of Roman law, begin with the dedication: “In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ…” In other words, the sanctity of Justinian’s law code relies on his veneration of an innocent man whom the Roman legal system executed—and considered it justice. Is this a paradox? Or a restoration of true justice by a Christian emperor, wisely versed in both the Law of Rome and the Gospel of Christ?   Legal history and the pursuit of justice are tricky, of course, and two millennia of twisting and reimagining of terms whose modern meanings we take for granted muddy up the waters. So it is with a term of particular significance to the stories of Pilate and Jesus: “secular.” In common parlance, we simply take this to mean the opposite of “religious.” Except, that’s not what it meant originally.   Its Latin roots are obvious—saeculum for Romans designated the measure of a human life; a generation. Marking the end of one saeculum and the beginning of the next were opulent Secular Games, honoring the Roman gods for their protection of the city. Augustus celebrated these games in 17 BC, and the poet Horace composed a hymn, Carmen Saeculare, which still survives. Its very first line is an invocation to the god Apollo and his twin sister Artemis. So much for “secular” as “not religious.”   Descended from this Latin term is the modern French word siècle, which designates the more precise meaning of saeculum—a century. The problem is, as Dusenbury reminds, with both the legal terms he uses and the history that shaped them, European law has always been “common and civil—sacred and secular—old and new—Greek and Roman.”   But there’s another key part of the linguistic puzzle here; the lynchpin that makes it all click. In the Latin Vulgate, whenever Jesus refers to “this age,” the term used is saeculum. Likewise in the Vulgate, Paul uses saeculum to describe “this age” and its antipathy to Christ—e.g., in 1 Corinthians 2:6-8. The key to understand—and Dusenbury returns to this in his conclusion—is that in antiquity, again, there was no separation of religion and state, or sacred and secular (in the modern sense). But Jesus, with his brief statement about the nature of his kingdom at his trial before Pilate, made that very separation, between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of the saeculum.  In Homily 115, Augustine returns to Jesus’s defense statement at his trial, that his kingdom is not of this world—a sentence that, crucially, uses mundus for “world” rather than saeculum. Augustine interprets it, though, in light of the saeculum, the current age of this world, in which the innocence or guilt of someone like Jesus or his followers doesn’t matter—and Jesus knew it. Humans judge humans and do so imperfectly. There is no hope for true justice in this age, the saeculum—or, one could say, no hope in justice which is secular. Both the condemnation of Jesus and the various theories exonerating Pilate of guilt simply reiterate this. At the same time, without Jesus’s renunciation of secular power by his statement—a reading that Dante and others adopted—the modern concept of the secular and secularity would not have come to be.   Reading this book felt at times akin to unraveling a complex whodunit. Dusenbury introduces deep micro-study after micro-study of complex thinkers and texts from Origen to Dante to Rousseau and many more. The reader reaps the rewards of paying attention, as all the different pieces of the puzzle come together in the concluding half of the book—sort of. The lack of an overly neat connection between all the strands he is tracking actually makes the analysis more convincing. Dusenbury is not trying to force the evidence, but the different ways in which thinkers kept trying to defend Pilate’s innocence and (as in the case of Rousseau) even proposed Jesus’s guilt, shows how the flourishing of modern secular philosophy came to be.   In other words, as historian Tom Holland argued in Dominion, this is the world Christianity has built. We just live in it.

According to the latest forecasts of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the world economy is set to rely more on the BRICS to drive growth over the next five years, and China alone will contribute 22% of global growth, bigger than all the G7 countries combined

The much-awaited BRICS heads of state meeting in Russia's Kazan did not disappoint. The multilateral institution has finally brought bite and substance to many of the global financial and political conundrums that have long-challenged a genuine reshaping of the global order

The creation of the BRICS “partnership belt” during the BRICS summit in 2024 is in some respects no less significant than the expansion in the BRICS core during the 2023 BRICS summit in South Africa. While it may be too early to discuss the exact ramifications of the BRICS expansion associated with the “partnership belt”, in sheer quantitative terms the near doubling of BRICS core membership in 2023 was followed by a more than doubling of the circle of developing economies associated with BRICS/BRICS+ in 2024

Russia continues to gain valuable experience in Ukraine while the US sits on the sidelines.

Attempts to denigrate the jet have been quite persistent, but these PR "victories" have lately become more of a burden than any real advantage. Either way, trash-talking will in no way hamper the Su-57, while its missiles will certainly trash any NATO target in Ukraine or beyond.

BRICS Summit failed to announce alternative to US dollar-dominated global payment system as Global South still deeply dependent on US markets

China's approach to smart city development offers valuable lessons for countries in the Global South

The agenda of the Youth Council’s meeting of the association includes the implementation of the Kazan Declaration of the BRICS Summit for the young generation

The exemptions are related to energy and include gas, oil, "other products capable of producing energy" (specifically coal, wood or agricultural products used to manufacture biofuels), "uranium in any form", as well as the "development, production, generation, transmission, or exchange of power, through any means, including nuclear, thermal, and renewable energy sources".

The West can very quickly turn against India as happened with Russia and China.

The opposition did not recognize Sandu’s victory due to many cases of violation against basic democratic standards.

Macron’s foreign policy turn, using the recognition of a disputed territory as a kind of quid pro quo, has further aggravated local tensions, as has Donald Trump’s decision on the same matter. From a Global South’s point of view, it is hard to describe both leaders’ decisions as anything else as Western arrogance.

The Hungarian Prime Minister's last visit to Vienna opens a new chapter in the history of the EU. From now on we will work on reforming this political construct.

The Polish government immediately reacted by suspending the very concept of so-called "military aid" and downgrading it to what Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski called a "defense loan". Namely, in an interview with Polsat News, published on November 1, Sikorski stated that the Kiev regime could "buy weapons from Polish factories on credit".

What is happening now is just the beginning of a long moral crisis that will at some point certainly lead to the collapse of the Kiev regime.

Moscow doubts Trump’s election will change much in Ukraine.

Azerbaijan’s announcement to formally apply for membership in the BRICS bloc promises mutual gains for both the oil-rich nation and the group of developing economies. It also highlights Azerbaijan’s rising influence as a pivotal player in regional trade networks bridging the West and Asia

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune said his country intends to buy shares in the BRICS New Development Bank (NDB) for $1.5 billion

“One of the pillars of BRICS is politics and security. It is one of the potential areas that we will look into with our cooperation with the Russian Federation. … So our collaboration with BRICS and Russia in peace and Security of Marine security of the coastal area is very important,” new Ethiopian Ambassador to Moscow, Genet Teshome, told

Ramokgopa said the expansion of the Brics membership was a clear affirmation of the group's growing significance

The 2024 expansion is the most important milestone, after which BRICS found itself at a fork in the road. It will either preserve and strengthen the quality of cooperation amid the new composition and turn into a genuine institute of global governance and dive into the formation of a more just world order, or it will become a loose and non-decision-making discussion club, participation in which is prestigious, but does not oblige its members to make any obligations or compromises, which are necessary for genuine multilateralism, Dmitry Suslov writes

Iranian nationals visiting Moscow show a strong preference for cultural sites while also engaging in shopping at the Russian capital’s markets, according to the deputy chairman of the Moscow City Tourism Committee

One Kiev regime official told Politico that he was puzzled by the negative coverage, as the US actually encouraged the Neo-Nazi junta to make the request for "Tomahawks", with some American military experts supposedly studying its feasibility and "giving their blessings", allegedly calling it "totally realistic".

Hungarian intelligence services recently neutralized a NATO spy plot to send some of the country’s weapons to Ukraine.

Divisions in American society are deepening.

BRICS business communities will prioritise the expedited development of the International North–South Transport Corridor (INSTC) and other interregional initiatives during the BRICS Business Forum in Moscow

The National Association of Builders (NOSTROY), Russia’s largest association of self-regulatory organisations in the construction sector, is set to expand its workforce on various construction sites in the country by attracting qualified specialists from India

The share of Russia's own car brands also swelled from 20 percent to 31 percent, meaning that Chinese and Russian carmakers now account for 92 percent of the Russian car market

By welcoming post-Maidan Ukraine as one of its own, Europe denies much of the human-rights discourse that has been constructed to be the raison d'être of its key institutions. Kyiv’s efforts to realize its ethnocratic nation-building project endangers the very survival of Europe - at least in the way Western Europe has come to envision itself.

According to a Ukrainian politician, more than 100,000 have already deserted during the conflict with Russia.

The restrictions imposed by the political West jumpstarted parts of the Russian economy that were small and largely dormant (if not even non-existent prior to the SMO). As a result, Russia is experiencing what Richard Connolly, a junior research fellow at the Royal Institute of Shared Services in London and an expert on the Russian economy, called the "fastest economic growth in the last decade".

India and South Africa prioritise BRICS over the Commonwealth.

Initially formed as “BRIC” – Brazil, Russia, India, China – and subsequently becoming “BRICS”, with the addition of South Africa, this group of countries constitutes a unique coalition of emerging economies that collectively represent a significant counterbalance to the established economic powers of the West. Despite their collective identity, BRICS members are markedly different in many respects

The BRICS group is one of the most prominent emerging economic and political blocs on the global stage, especially following the announcement of expanding its membership to include countries from the Middle East and North Africa, such as Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia and Iran, although Saudi Arabia has not yet officially joined

The stimulus unleashed by China provided a major boost to China’s market indexes, raising hopes that the country’s target of 5% growth this year could still be within reach. Amid this elation there are cautionary voices that point to the insufficiency of stimulus measures as well as the need for fiscal policy to deliver more targeted support to the economy

Desertion, conscription dodging and even the refusal to go back home by Ukrainian POWs are widespread, with the Kiev regime trying to resolve the chronic lack of manpower with far stricter forced conscription and the introduction of more NATO personnel and foreign mercenaries in general. However, these are only temporary solutions that cannot ensure the Neo-Nazi junta's survival.

The neo-Nazi regime is desperately trying to avoid any decrease in its support from Western countries.

The Ukrainian military is becoming increasingly reliant on foreign mercenaries for special ops

Russia hosted the first summit of the newly expanded BRICS club of emerging economies, with leaders agreeing a set of common projects ranging from a grain exchange to a cross-border payments system

Responding to the Principal and Vice-Chancellor’s call for partnerships and the institution of working relations through memoranda of understanding with Brazilian universities, a Unisa delegation led by the Executive Dean of the university’s College of Science, Engineering and Technology recently set out on a collaboration visit to Universidade de São Paulo in Brazil

The Prime Minister’s office announced this plea on Monday, September 23, 2024, during a meeting with the Russian Ambassador to Burkina, Igor Martynov

If hundreds of millions of Americans and Europeans knew what was actually going on, they'd certainly be against the policies their unelected bureaucratic oligarchies are imposing, both at home and abroad. Precisely this is why knowing the truth is all the more important. Unfortunately, it can indeed be dangerous to think and speak freely at this time, and we can only expect more censorship and more "thought criminals", as any deviation from the official narrative is "dangerous for our democracy".

Western mercenaries participated in Kiev’s incursion attempt against Russia’s Bryansk region.

Most Americans believe Harris will mostly continue Biden’s policies.

Global summits are about performing diplomacy and politics for domestic and international audiences

The recent Brics summit in the Russian city of Kazan was less notable for what happened at the meeting than for what happened before, on the margins, or not at all. Among the notable things that did not happen was another expansion of the organisation

The expansion of BRICS into countries that are close to the West shows how many states are hedging their bets on this non-western group of powerful economies

Controversy aside, Brazil has shown that it is possible to force BigTech into compliance. Moreover, the topic has prompted a larger national conversation on having a national social media platform - or, for that matter, a national engine search. Ultimately it is about digital sovereignty - and BRICS needs a #BricsStack too.

The current political division in European societies has created forces on the right and left. There is a lot that separates these parties, but they also have a lot in common. This situation opens up new perspectives for cooperation.

Both Turner and Kirby suggested that "if they deploy to fight against Ukraine, they’re fair game". Neither specified what exactly the Pentagon would do (much less how), but if they were indeed suggesting direct military action, the only logical conclusion is that the warmongering oligarchy in Washington DC is more out of touch than previously thought.

According to John Healey, the UK's Defense Secretary, the previous British administration affected the defense capacities of the country.

Orban blasts EU’s support for Zelensky’s “Victory Plan” and says they want to replace him.

Short of war, defamation is the Deep State's last-ditch effort to (ab)use the Trump derangement syndrome, although it seems extremely unlikely this will work. Regardless of the outcome of the upcoming election, next week will surely be the most faithful in recent memory, as the warmongers, war criminals and plutocrats are desperately trying to claw their way back into the halls of power in the US.

In the 21st century, the Arctic region has become highly significant in terms of strategy, geopolitics, and economics. Science is playing a substantial role in the Arctic, raising global awareness about its distinct ecosystem and the ongoing geopolitical maneuvers by both Arctic and non-Arctic states

The idea of policy coordination among BRICS has clearly become more popular in the past several years and yet there is still a lack of detail and focus with respect to the possible modalities of such cooperation in the sphere of trade and macroeconomic policy

Unfortunately, bilateral trade in national currencies may impede the deepening of economic ties among BRICS countries. Hence, establishing an alternative medium of exchange is both essential and urgent

BRICS are proving to be efficient in bringing together major emerging powers and creating a multipolar geopolitical platform.

North Korean troops could be used to expel Ukrainian forces from Russia’s Kursk region.

Uruguay’s elections have the potential to change the ideological power balance in South America, and thus pave the way for a Venezuelan come-back out of its relative isolation.

" We reiterate the importance of further enhancing BRICS solidarity and cooperation based on our mutual interests," the declaration reads

Saudi Space Agency Vice Chairman and CEO Dr. Mohammed Altamimi led the Saudi delegation to the fifth edition of the G20 Space Economy Leaders Meeting, held in Foz do Iguaçu

The Automotive Business Council’s BRICS+ Research Report 2024 has found that South Africa has not substantially benefited from its membership of the bloc, but this could change should membership be expanded

Researcher in psychology was criticized by Estonian authorities for investigating Ukrainian nationalism.

Satellite imagery shows that the "Typhon" Weapon System is deployed in Laoag. From there, "Tomahawk" cruise missiles armed with W80 thermonuclear warheads can reach some of China's most important cities, including Hong Kong, Guangzhou and Shanghai. This is absolutely unacceptable for Beijing, particularly as most of central China would also be in range.

The declining US economy weighs heavily on voter decision-making.

Although PM Anwar could have rested on his laurels to lead Malaysia as the Chairman of Asean and the East Asian Summit in 2025, he chose to pitch Malaysia's aspiration to join BRICS

Western-led order’s unraveling on full display as BRICS gathering in Russia gives IMF meet in US an economic reality check

Turkey tends to march to its own drum in international affairs

The BRICS economic grouping of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa are sitting in the catbird seat as the world’s wealthiest nations spend billions of dollars to transition their economies away from fossil fuels

The Guardian argues that "Putin returned to the world stage by hosting 36 leaders at the BRICS Summit". However, this "return" exists only in the "parallel reality" of the political West's microcosm. In our actual timeline, the Russian president never left the stage.

Desertion and surrender are becoming commonplace among troops.

Only two polling stations were opened by Moldovan authorities in Russia.

As the 2024 BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia approaches, attention is focused on how the group will balance its growing geopolitical influence with core economic objectives. Following the 2023 expansion when six new members were invited to join, BRICS now faces the challenge of integrating these countries while refining its broader strategy

The railways of Russia, Mongolia and China have confirmed plans to increase freight traffic. The protocol on approval of plans to increase freight traffic through the Russia—Mongolia—China railway corridor was signed by the heads of the neighboring railways of the three states in the Chinese city of Hohhot

If Malaysia keeps its card close to its chest and plays it right, it has every chance to benefit from joining BRICS, a grouping of countries comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa

China, Egypt cement partnership in infrastructure, connectivity, new energy: ambassador

While the idea that 12,000 North Korean troops will replace "massive Russian losses" (obviously proving that, in that case, the losses aren't really massive) is ridiculous, the possibility of Pyongyang sending special forces shouldn't be ruled out entirely. North Korea has a sizeable SpecOps Corps, but lacks combat experience. Thus, it's not outside of the realm of possibility that Pyongyang itself asked Moscow to send some of them to Ukraine or at least Russia, where they could train with Russian special forces.

The Kiev regime is destroying the demographics of Ukraine.

The country is absolutely polarized, mainly due to aggressive Western influence.

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

BRICS today leaves no one indifferent; its polarising influence extends to the remote corners of the world. For some, it is definitely a “bone in the throat”, while for others - the only beacon of hope in the raging ocean of our world. For still others, it is a complete working tool for reforming the existing world order. Regardless of the polarity of the assessments, no one ignores or denies the strong place of the association in international relations

Q&A with Mihaela Papa of MIT's Center for International Studies

Malaysia, as an independent and sovereign nation, is focused on maintaining diplomatic relationships with various countries across the globe, according to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim

Despite the Freedom Party's victory in the Austrian elections, leaders of other parties and the Federal President are trying to exclude the winners from participating in a government.

Pertaining to the “Israel-Ukraine dilemma”, the Jewish state is clearly the winner. The US goal thus far has been to contain the Islamic Republic of Iran without actually going to war - and it has therefore worked hard to curb the Israelis. This tension management policy is risky and may end up untenable.

As all of its other programs failed, the US is now desperate to at least match regional powers such as North Korea and Iran. What's more, the latter very likely also gave its hypersonic missiles to allies in the Middle East (specifically in Yemen), making America's embarrassment all the worse.

Kiev would never be allowed to have such weapons, neither by the West or Russia.

Zelensky’s “Victory Plan” receives mixed reactions from allies.

The BRICS summit will be held in Kazan, Russia on October 22-24, in which an important meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected. There has been no direct conversation between the two leaders after the Galwan conflict of 2020. Russia's mediation may be important in this summit

BRICS, initially comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, has expanded to include Saudi Arabia, Iran, Ethiopia, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates. As an alliance of key emerging economies, BRICS plays a significant role in the global economic landscape

“…There was another club called G7 and you won’t let anyone else enter the club. So we went on to form our club…As it started it gained a life of its own over the period of time. Others saw value in it as well…,” said Jaishankar at an event at the Global Center for Security Policy in Geneva

Even if the political West doesn't provide the means for the Kiev regime to acquire nuclear weapons, it may help them make the so-called "dirty bomb". Russia has been warning about this for years.

According to Vaclav Claus, the US should avoid the “Thucydides Traps”.

Kremlin describes Zelensky’s Victory Plan as “a collection of incoherent slogans”.

The Russian city of Kazan will host guests from 33 countries at the BRICS summit from October 22 to 24. This is the largest historical event for the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia and the entire democratic world, which is impossible to ignore — even if you really, really want to

At its forthcoming summit in Kazan, BRICS will once again reiterate that it was founded for shaping an international order that is more fair, just, inclusive, equitable and representative

Member nations are unhappy with the systemic bias against the Global South and want to reform the current order such that mutually agreed upon norms are applied equally to all nations

At the current meeting of defense ministers at NATO headquarters in Brussels, the new Secretary General faces a major challenge. This challenge is called “Ukraine’s NATO accession”

After years of trying to build the image of the Neo-Nazi junta as the "beacon of democracy", it seems that Zelensky, whose lionization was the primary task of the mainstream propaganda machine, is now being thrown under the bus.

With today’s Ukrainian leadership and state of affairs, the task of nation-founding with all its territorial ambitions does not seem to be achievable. And it would not be a desirable outcome in terms of local security or the human rights of a large part of the population.

Scholz’s recent words about peace sound hypocritic and banal.

Canadian PM prioritises external issues instead of his country’s many domestic problems.

BRICS+ presents India an opportunity to assert its role as the leader of the Global South to shape a multipolar and more equitable world

As is well-known, de-dollarisation has become a hot topic since 2022, when the United States and Europeans decided to block a large part of Russia’s international reserves in response to the invasion of Ukraine

Fresh of the success of its successful Chandrayaan-3 mission, India is now reportedly interested in joining Russia’s lunar nuclear power plant project. The initiative, spearheaded by Russian state nuclear energy firm Rosatom, is part of Moscow’s bigger project of building a base on the Moon in partnership with China. But what do we know about the proposed power project?

Closer ties are being built in the cases of Russia-China, Russia-North Korea and China-North Korea. This is very reminiscent of the way the Entente was formed in decades and years before WWI, when Russia, France and the UK agreed to keep the then-nascent German expansionism in check. If the pathologically Russophobic London was able to find common ground with Moscow (or, to be precise, St. Petersburg back then), imagine the ease with which Russia, China and North Korea could form an Entente-like alliance.

Amid current tensions with Russia, Western countries are launching a major nuclear exercise, putting local security at significant risk.

The EU is slipping from being considered a great power like the US or China.

Interest countries show in bloc signals vote of confidence in it

Baku’s strategic position and aspiration to diversify its economy aligns with Beijing’s vision for Eurasian connectivity

In a move aimed at strengthening ties and boosting tourism and trade, India is prepared to introduce direct flights from Russia to two of its most popular destinations – Goa and Mumbai

As Russian forces keep advancing, they're finding evidence of war crimes by the Neo-Nazi junta. Perhaps the most concerning is the disappearance of around 1000 locals. The Kremlin has issued a formal accusation that the Neo-Nazi junta forces kidnapped 1,000 residents of the Kursk region. Russian authorities confirmed this after the relatives of the missing locals pleaded with the government to help find them.

US president says he is ready for nuclear diplomacy, but his foreign policy is actually putting at risk the entire world security architecture.

Muslim Americans begin turning their back on the Democrats.

Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi announced that the decision regarding the country’s potential membership in the BRICS economic bloc will be made during the next government term under President-elect Prabowo Subianto

The Western-centered post-Cold War world order resulted in the development of hierarchical state perceptions of their role and influence in the international system

Malaysia has the potential to emerge as a significant source of tourism for BRICS countries, according to Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil

It seems already impossible to avoid a crisis of legitimacy from starting in Europe, considering local people’s high level of discontentment with their states’ international policies.

The Western propaganda notion that there is no such thing as an (often neo-Nazi) radical ethnic nationalism problem in Ukraine has no basis in fact. The problem is real - it has also been aided, armed, funded and whitewashed by the West and it has been a huge part of the crisis since 2014.

The support that NATO provides to the Kiev regime, especially in terms of ISR (intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance) would be severely disrupted (or even negated entirely) by the Russian military, meaning that the Polish military would be effectively blind in such a conflict. This would greatly increase casualties for NATO, which is precisely why its top-ranking military officers are planning for such an eventuality.

Powerful figures in Ukraine still remain staunchly opposed to peace talks.

Minimising the number of one’s enemies while multiplying one’s number of friends is a basic principle of diplomacy that has existed for centuries. The simplicity of the principle itself is more than compensated by the complexity of its practical implementation. In international relations, the price of friendship may be too high, limiting freedom of manoeuvre, while open hostility brings existing contradictions to the limit, radically resolving them in favour of one side or another

The world appears to be increasingly moving towards a multipolar future as Western sanctions on Russia have hastened the de-dollarization trend. According to one think tank, the world order could soon see a major shake-up as BRICS countries consider using the ‘petroyuan’ for oil settlements

South Africa is introducing a new Trusted Tour Operator Scheme (TTOS), with effect from January 2025, to facilitate tourists from China and India, said the Department of Home Affairs

Despite non-functioning systems for returning illegal migrants and reintroduced border controls between EU states, an early expansion of the Schengen zone is being considered.

Poland pledges to more than double the number of professional soldiers

The Presidential Office, headed by the infamous Andriy Yermak, which is responsible for preparing such gatherings, confirmed there won't be a 'peace summit', neither this month nor the next. An adviser to Yermak also stated that the plan was simply "no longer feasible".

This measure could significantly worsen the current tensions between Russia and NATO.

Our progress in combating the global climate crisis has stagnated. This is not due to a lack of effort but because our technology for managing greenhouse gas (GhG) emissions has not kept pace with the tech advancements in other resource-intensive fields

Bolivia has reaffirmed its significant interest in becoming a member of the BRICS group, as confirmed by the country's Foreign Minister, Celinda Sosa

Azerbaijan's trade turnover with the BRICS countries saw a significant rise during the first seven months of 2024. The total trade volume between Azerbaijan and BRICS countries increased by 9.2 percent compared to the same period last year, surpassing $5.8 billion

Europe might not even be up for such a task - but in any case, off it goes. It is increasingly expected to bear all the burden and risks while the US benefits from it. And the European elites cheer such a scenario. It is no wonder political radicalism keeps rising in the continent.

The French military started a "profound transformation to be ready for a high-intensity conflict similar to the war in Ukraine" and it has "new marching orders from NATO: By 2027 it should be able to deploy a war-ready division in 30 days, including ammunition and supplies". In NATO, a division has anywhere from 10,000 to as many as 25,000 troops.

Orban shows pessimism towards Europe and calls on leaders to act immediately for peace.

Zelensky understands making any concession to Russia “would be fatal for him”.

Recently, more countries, including Azerbaijan, Malaysia, and Thailand, have applied to join the BRICS bloc, which represents the leading emerging economies worldwide. The growing prominence and appeal of this group are attracting significant attention, especially from nations in the Global South, as the BRICS Summit is set to take place at the end of October

The five BRICS nations have signed an MOU that sets up conditions for a partnership between the members of the block to establish joint carbon markets projects and targets

As geopolitical tensions escalate and new security challenges emerge, the upcoming 16th BRICS Summit in Kazan promises to be a critical turning point

Military sources indicate that Pyongyang is now building its first nuclear-powered submarine, an unprecedented development for a small country. North Korea has already accumulated significant experience in operating all sorts of submarine types, including conventionally powered ones, but armed with nuclear-tipped SLBMs.

In a recent statement, Kamala Harris emphasized she will not support any kind of dialogue with Russia without Ukrainian direct participation.

UK’s migrant numbers top those of Germany, Spain, Italy and France.

According to media reports, the German federal government is significantly reducing its economic expectations for 2024. Economics Minister Habeck expects a decline of 0.2 percent.

UAE strengthens energy ties with BRICS, driving global collaboration and sustainable growth in emerging markets

Officials from China and Africa gathered in Shanghai to launch a new initiative aimed at accelerating green development and combating climate change

Bloc set to discuss expansion at summit in Russia in October

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico promised not to accept Kiev in NATO as long as he stays in office.

For years, the mainstream propaganda machine has been reporting that Iran is a "week, month or year away from acquiring nuclear weapons". Back in July, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that "instead of being at least a year away from having the breakout capacity of producing fissile material for a nuclear weapon, [Tehran] is now probably one or two weeks away". Such speculation is so common that most people simply don't pay attention to it.

Milei contradicts Argentina’s efforts to reclaim the Falkland Islands.

From April 19 to June 1, India conducted its general elections to select 543 Lok Sabha members. These elections, regarded as the world’s largest festival of democracy, involved 969 million eligible voters, approximately one-eighth of the global population. India is the fifth-largest economy and a rising global power, so its polls carry significant global importance

We have extensively covered the BRICS expansion as well as its key implications for the world economy, most notably from the viewpoint of which categories of countries would benefit the most from the enlargement of the BRICS core. One aspect, however, of this expansion that has not received sufficient attention in the discussions was the rise in the consolidated share of the expanded BRICS grouping in international organizations such as the IMF

The development of the Northern Sea Route (NSR) is currently one of Russia’s key strategic projects for the Arctic region. Given its scale and significance, developing the NSR also requires expanding international cooperation and participation in the project. Russia has been actively attracting Indian partners to find areas where the two can work together to expand the project

Already out of office, Stoltenberg finally feels free to say what he really thinks about the current war with Russia.

Turkish attempts to project itself as a regional leader (as the “voice of humanity’s conscience”, in the words of its Foreign Ministry) are part of larger ambitions that have been described as a Neo-Ottomanist agenda. Such has always faced opposition in the Middle East and beyond.

The fact that the S-70 'Okhotnik-B' was lost during a covert strike mission involving a Su-57S shows that this UCAV justified the very purpose of its existence – it's a far more expendable aircraft than a manned jet, a sentiment shared by prominent military analysts. And while the drone was lost, it provides the Russian military with invaluable combat experience that will allow the implementation of various improvements to the design before it truly enters mass production (a rather unnerving prospect for the Neo-Nazi junta).

Stoltenberg says Kiev should consider recognising the reality of territorial losses to Russia.

The volume of sunflower oil exports from Russia to India in 2024 could increase to 40% of the total import volume of this product by India. This was stated by the President of the International Sunflower Oil Association, Sandeep Bajoria

South African state logistics group Transnet agreed a 5 billion rand ($283.53 million) loan from the New Development Bank set up by the BRICS group of emerging economies

'During the meeting, both sides signed a working plan of the commission which will be implemented during 2025-26'

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

Estonia and Finland are planning to blockade the Gulf of Finland against Russia shipping, amid an increase on NATO activity in the Baltic Sea.

Leaked documents show that several high-ranking American officials and at least one think tank took part in planning the Neo-Nazi junta's attack. Apparently, former US Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul had his email hacked, revealing "peculiar" papers on the Kursk oblast incursion. Along with former US ambassador to Uzbekistan and Ukraine John Herbst, McFaul was invited to take part in a wargame organized by the Atlantic Council, a rabidly warmongering think tank based in Washington DC.

Zelensky once again called on NATO for an increase in the military assistance program.

Yet the Kiev regime claims that it is the Kremlin who is not opening to negotiations.

South Africa, as a key player in the global economy, has been a member of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) bloc since its inception in 2009 hence the acronym BRICS

India and Russia discussed utilizing space monitoring technologies for risk forecasting and emergency response at their joint commission meeting on emergency management in Moscow. They signed a working plan for 2025-26, focusing on disaster management cooperation, including training rescue specialists, and agreed to intensify joint efforts for enhanced early warning systems and capacity building

With its packed agenda and new initiatives, Russia’s BRICS Chairmanship has set the stage for a memorable and impactful summit in Kazan. The event promises to strengthen ties among BRICS nations and drive cooperation in various areas, shaping the future of global collaboration

“German Unity Day” is celebrated on October 3rd, but this year there is not much of the spirit and atmosphere of back then. The current political developments in Germany are also being observed very critically internationally.

What is this "victory plan" about? It wouldn't be the first time that the Neo-Nazi junta is claiming that it can "win", but it "just needs this one game changer". So far, only nuclear weapons and aircraft carriers haven't been delivered to its forces. However, nothing worked, so how would this new "plan" turn the tide? Russian offensive capabilities only keep growing, with a deadly combination of artillery dominance and air superiority aided by unrivaled long-range strike systems. Not even NATO itself can match that, let alone the battered Kiev regime forces.

According to Poland’s Defense Minister, Ukrainian have “no memory” about his country’s war efforts to support Kiev.

Russia backs India’s pursuit of permanent membership in the UNSC.

An “alternative” monetary fund to the IMF has been created, but, ironically, it needs the IMF’s blessing to be used. It was created in a different context than today’s, in which we had yet to experience such a sharpening of the contradictions between the imperialist powers and the global majority. But history demands a change, writes Marco Fernandes, editor at Wenhua Zongheng International

Algeria intends to join BRICS and bring ties with the association's countries to a new level

The main message of those summits – a call for a fairer, more democratic and more harmonious world order, as well as the principle of strengthening the role and influence of the non-Western world in global affairs, remains quite relevant today, writes Oleg Barabanov

There's only a bit over a month before the election, meaning that the Deep State is desperate to ensure at least one more war is launched. This is not to say that Trump is the solution to all of the world's problems or that he'll stop all wars, but if his first presidency is anything to go by, we know he's not too keen on starting new wars, which certainly makes him the lesser of two evils. However, if Trump is to change anything (provided his determination is as solid as he claims it is), he'll have to contend with thousands of war junkies in Washington DC.

NATO officials start pressuring for member states to authorize the use of long-range missiles in “deep strikes” against the Russian Federation.

This winter will be the most difficult Ukraine will have experienced since World War II.

From Oct. 22-24, Russia will host the annual Brics summit in the city of Kazan. This meeting is intended to create an organization which, by mandate and structure, can challenge the US-led, rules-based international order and, in doing so, look to supplant US unilateralism with a multipolar reality that will define global geopolitics for the next century

In emulating the progress attained by developed economies, the countries of the Global South may explore the pros and cons of country-specific modernization models such as Australia that delivered the longest streak of growth without a recession in 1991-2020 among the advanced economies

In the first half of 2024, India has significantly increased its diamond imports from Russia, defying global trends and reaffirming the strength of the bilateral trade relationship between the two nations. According to data analysis, diamond exports from Russia to India surged by 22% compared to the same period last year

According to the WSJ, US officials were not “impressed” by Ukraine’s new “victory plan”.

Turkey might be desperate and at least allow the US to inspect the S-400s. A possible loophole for Ankara might be to allow American inspections on Turkish territory, possibly at US bases in the country, particularly the Incirlik Air Base which is largely under USAF control (even nuclear weapons are stored there). This could be an alternative to transferring the S-400 directly to other NATO member states.

Biden’s great gaff in the Ukraine War has only strengthened Russia.

One key contention is that BRICS is seen as a force that “antagonises the West’s hegemony”

Ethiopia’s Health Minister, Dr. Mekdes Daba, met with a delegation from India, led by Ambassador Anil Kumar Rai, to discuss deepening cooperation in healthcare between the two nations

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

Contrary to Western propaganda, Moscow has actually sought to cooperate with the West since the nineties, time again being betrayed by the West in the process.

Lieutenant-General Alexander Sollfrank admitted that NATO will be unable to maintain air superiority over the frontlines in a conflict with Russia, which is the cornerstone of the political West's military strategy. He explained how it would be completely different from the illegal NATO invasions in Afghanistan and Iraq.

International organizations are becoming unable to keep humanitarian assistance due to prolongation of the conflict.

Even if the FPÖ does not enter government, the party has a strong opportunity to do a good job in parliament. It can now continue to build up its structures and will also have good position in the regional elections.

Zelensky insists on pushing the delusional 10-point “peace” plan.

During January-July 2024, Azerbaijan's trade turnover with BRICS countries amounted to USD 5 billion 837,895 million, according to calculations made by APA-Economics based on the report of the State Customs Committee of Azerbaijan

India is paying increasing attention to the Arctic region, as evidenced by the discussion of Arctic issues during the talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin when Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Russia in early July

Flight HU765 departed from Haikou Meilan International Airport in Haikou City, south China's Hainan Province, marking the launch of a new air route linking the Chinese city with Moscow

US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell is whining about Sino-Russian ties and laments about drones and unmanned technologies in general, saying that "we see the role of UAVs [unmanned aerial vehicles] and other capacities that are penetrating the Ukrainian airspace", insisting that "much of that has been supported surreptitiously by China" and that this "raises serious concerns". Obviously, the US and NATO nearly causing thermonuclear war is "far less concerning" than Beijing selling FPV drones.

In a recent interview with local journalists, the Ukrainian Defense Minister accidentally admitted that Ukraine's war situation is absolutely unviable, given the high level of foreign dependence.

Controversy over lifting restrictions on the use of weapons supplied to Kiev divides the West.

In recent years, the BRICS coalition-comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa-has garnered significant attention from the Global South. Countries from various regions, particularly in Southeast Asia, Africa, and Latin America, are increasingly expressing interest in joining this bloc

Yevgeny Primakov’s idea of India, Russia and China playing a balancing role in the post-Cold War era was ahead of its time. But as recent moves show, it’s worth revisiting now

Chile's government has expressed willingness to join BRICS

Poland is angered over Ukrainian offensive attitudes towards the topic of Volhynia massacre victims and burial. Post-Maidan Ukraine is already a far-right regime while Poland is undergoing its own nationalist revival and once again this ideological factor is bound to cripple Ukrainian-Polish relations.

Only when it's faced with the prospect of complete annihilation, the political West starts behaving in a somewhat less barbaric way.

The entire EU is in a situation of absolute dependence on the US which in turn does not seem interested in helping its European “partners”, but in making them even more geopolitically vulnerable.

Waves of sanctions have failed to halt trade with Russia.

Way back in 2012, Zbigniew Brezezzinski wrote about “the receding West” in his book Strategic Vision and argued that “the long-lasting political domination of the world by the West has been fading for some decades.”

Over the past several years, we have observed an increasing rapprochement between Russia and Iran in different areas - political, geostrategic, military, economic, trade and transport. It is not only notable at the level of rhetoric; it is also being expressed in concrete steps. However, we see that a series of visits by Russian delegations to Tehran have produced limited results. What could this be connected with? How can one explain the distance that still exists between the two countries?

The New Development Bank (NDB) plays a pivotal role in global trade and Africa’s development, Independent Media chairman Dr Iqbal Survé said in an interview with IOL ahead of the NDB’s annual meeting in Cape Town

Although the Green Party is involved in the German federal government, it is losing more and more votes. And despite the fact that the party benefits from current media issues such as climate change, it does not achieve any democratic success.

NATO already suffered a crushing and humiliating defeat in Afghanistan after 20 years of truly unprovoked aggression. As it can't defeat Russia in Ukraine, it's desperate to achieve at least one victory and tiny Serbia seems like the perfect target. This is hardly surprising, as NATO is largely composed of vultures and cowards who'd never dare to directly attack a near-peer adversary.

Due to the invasion of Ukrainian products, Bulgarian poultry market is collapsing, threatening the stability of many farmers and their families.

Pennsylvania is set to be the most important state in the race for the White House.

Malaysia’s participation in BRICS will underscore the country’s potential as a gateway for economic activities in Asean countries, said an economist

The recent summit between Indian PM Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir [Putin] on July 8-9 was a strong reiteration of the strong and strategic partnership between India and Russia which has survived the test of time since the Cold War era of 1971 (then USSR)

The concept of BRICS stems from a group of nations or economic bloc aiming to join forces—Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa—to facilitate trade and financial transactions within its member states

Problems with filling board positions in a timely manner and a poor reputation since the beginning of the Ukraine conflict show the OSCE's weak points. International developments will also influence the future of this organization.

Donald Trump is virtually always hailed as the enemy of the Deep State, even according to his own statements. He said repeatedly that he'll dismantle it and make sure there's peace. When it comes to the NATO-orchestrated Ukrainian conflict, Trump insists he'll end it in a single day. While such efforts would certainly be commendable, the question arises, how likely is it?

After his joint visit to Kiev, UK Defense Secretary started pressuring NATO partners to change current policy limiting the use of long range missiles.

Ukrainian president says he’s open to negotiating with Russia but continues to delay.

A Brics+ reserve currency will not be easy to create, says Indian External Affairs Minister, Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, citing the need for numerous protocols to align it with the different fiscal and monetary policies of member states

Despite the scepticism and disquiet cast by detractors in the early years of its inception, BRICS has finally, in recent years, institutionalised into an official geopolitical bloc

When the current dynamics of China-Russia relations is discussed, the conversation often boils down to the concept of a "senior-junior partnership."

According to its Scholz, "Germany has made a clear decision" and insists that "this decision will not change". What's Scholz speaking about is delivering the "Taurus" KEPD 350, a Swedish-German air-launched subsonic cruise missile with a stated range of over 500 km. The Neo-Nazi junta has been "begmanding" this weapon for years, insisting it would be a "game changer".

Western efforts to mask the tragic situation in Ukraine do not seem to be enough for the Kiev regime.

The Kiev regime is deepening Ukraine’s servitude to the West.

NATO faces difficulties in disseminating its narrative among non-Western countries.

After the BRICS expansion in 2024, the alliance officially accounts for 42% of the global oil and gas reserves. If that wasn’t enough, BRICS now accounts for the majority of the rare-earth metals reserve totaling to 72%. This gives the alliance an added advantage in global trade in the oil and rare-earth metals sectors

Western leaders who are currently condemning Russia are losing popularity and legitimacy both internally and externally, as demonstrated in the recent European Parliament elections. Concurrently, the so-called "global majority" has been assuming an increasingly prominent role in crucial issues of international security. These developments have prompted a reflection on why the pursuit of support from the Global South has become central to the maintenance of the conflict in Ukraine and, moreover, why these countries do not support Western efforts to destabilise Russia and China through a proxy war in Ukraine

From October 22 to 24, 2024, a BRICS summit will be held, with a key agenda discussing the potential use of a gold-backed common currency

It's in both NATO's and Zelensky's interest to keep the war going for as long as possible, only for very different reasons. The world's most vile racketeering cartel needs it because it can't fight Russia directly, while the Kiev regime frontman knows he'll stay relevant only for the duration of the NATO-orchestrated Ukrainian conflict. However, in order to achieve its goals, the political West doesn't really need him and can easily place another figurehead to continue his "work".

The US uses EU’s irresponsibility to test Russian patience.

Azerbaijan wants to join BRICS, the issue is being worked out. This was stated by the Ambassador of the Republic in Russia Polad Bulbul oglu

In a recent report by TASS, a major state-owned news agency in Russia, Valentina Matviyenko, the Speaker of Russia’s Federation Council, announced significant progress on the BRICS digital payment platform, an initiative that could potentially revolutionize global financial transactions

Malaysia's participation in BRICS, alongside India's established presence in the intergovernmental organisation, presents significant opportunities for both nations to deepen their economic collaboration through this influential trade platform

US Ambassador categorically says there has been no explicit support for Brazil to join UNSC.

According to Le Figaro, Western officials now see the diplomatic solution as the most appropriate for the conflict with Russia.

The American grip over Europe is colonial in nature and it is about time to acknowledge that.

On September 4, a precision strike was launched at the positions of NATO personnel in the city of Krivoy Rog. Upwards of 250 soldiers (French and Polish mercenaries among them) were neutralized. The Neo-Nazi junta and the mainstream propaganda machine tried hiding this with claims that the Arena Hotel in the city was "packed with civilians" and that "the attack damaged a civilian facility, injuring 5 people, including one child".

Under the Modi regime, India's foreign policy has seen considerable changes in geopolitical strategies, economic development, and power shifts in the global arena

Economy minister Rafizi Ramli says it will not affect its international relations as Malaysia practices neutral principles in dealing with global issues

The BRICS group of emerging-market nations will discuss deepening the use of local currencies in trade between member states at a summit in South Africa next week, the nation’s ambassador to the bloc said

However, the (acting) SS Director and the failed assassin aren't the only ones pushing for WW3. Namely, the outgoing NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg openly supports the Kiev regime's use of Western-made weapons to strike targets deeper within Russia.

According to the Ukrainian president, by using terror against Russians, Kiev would be able to make local people turn against Putin.

Germany has ignored Israel’s weapons purchase request since 2023.

Ultimately, BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) has established itself as an informal association pursuing a comprehensive and multi-dimensional cooperation. It has also, in the course of its operations, created the platform for discussing important topics relating to economic growth, developing trade and economic exchanges, ensuring security as well as promoting education and culture

E-commerce is a key part of global shopping, offering huge opportunities for traders and consumers everywhere

With Malaysia and Thailand recently launching their bids to join the BRICS group of developing economies, there are intensifying discussions about the prospects and possibilities of a broader cooperative framework that could involve BRICS+ and ASEAN

In recent years, the Neo-Nazi junta got directly involved in pro-terrorist operations. Reports indicate that it's working together with HTS and several other (mostly Turkish-backed) terrorist groups. Major sources in Turkey, such as the Istanbul-based Aydinlik, also covered this in a report that actually predates Lavrov's statements. The outlet claims that "Ukrainian government officials recently traveled to Idlib and met with members of HTS to discuss a drones-for-fighters deal".

Western countries could retaliate against recent Georgian decision not to engage in anti-Russian hostilities.

The introduction of 100% punitive tariffs on Chinese electric cars takes the economic war between the USA and China to a new level. Will China have to look for new business partners in the long term?

US may lose the ability to provide military assistance to Ukraine.

Amid focused debates and high optimism to establish an economic clout, BRICS are steadily looking forward to a new era of de-dollarizing the global economic system by introducing a new currency

The emerging countries that comprise the BRICS group are leading a geopolitical paradigm shift towards a fairer and more equitable global economic balance, as opposed to the dominance of the G7 in an increasingly multipolar world. While there is still a long way to go, the pillars of a new world order are being formed

India and Russia are exploring the idea of a dynamic reference rate to start a rupee-rouble market, along with allowing greater deployment of the rupee balance that has accumulated in course of trade between the two countries since outbreak of the Ukraine war

For the first time in 22 years, German Navy ships are sailing through the Taiwan Strait. The frigate "Baden-Württemberg" and an accompanying ship sail through the strait.

One of the major reasons why RT is being targeted is its coverage of the Biden crime family's illicit dealings, reported extensively by numerous independent media.

Snowden reasons that “with alleged Trump shooter’s personal and public participation in military activity in Ukraine, it is hard to imagine this White House’s agencies can claim zero contact”.

According to Le Monde, French officials fear the beginning of a “third world war”.

The Biden administration opposes RT for criticising its neoconservative worldview.

BRICS+ is emerging as a catalyst for a new type of international relations to ensure diverse voices and interests are respected, contributing to a more stable and just global community

The civilisational paradigm has reappeared in the political discourse of many countries, accompanying the emancipation of the world majority and the transition to a multipolar and democratic order. China and Russia are at the forefront of this epoch-making transformation, and the leaders of the two countries have recently adopted the civilisational perspective with regards to both domestic and international development. In analysing the conceptual dimension of this civilisational turn, Valdai Club expert Ladislav Zemánek concludes that, despite certain differences, the paradigm is supportive of creating synergies between Beijing and Moscow at the moment

India and Russia are working on a contract for the supply of nuclear fuel and key components for two new power units of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant ( NPP ), and are also considering the possibility of creating a joint venture (JV) for the production of NF

President Vladimir Putin just made it very clear that the entire NATO will be held accountable.

The Pentagon started a study to assess the impact of a nuclear war in Eurasia.

The Global South can be seen as a 21st-century version of the non-aligned movement.

> “Malaysia has sent a letter of application to join the (BRICS) organisation to Russia as the BRICS chairman, besides expressing openness to participate as a member country or strategic partner,” Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced

The IV Eurasian Women's Forum (EWF) will be held in St. Petersburg from 18 to 20 September

Imagine a world where five powerhouse nations are redefining the global economic landscape. BRICS—an acronym for Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa—is not just a coalition of emerging markets; it is a formidable alliance shaping the future of global finance and investment

Democrats particularly have, among other things, consistently funded and armed the far-right in Ukraine, and thus have poured gasoline on the fire, which is rather ironic, considering how the Democrat Party is fond of throwing accusations of Nazism as a political weapon.

The neo-Nazi junta is desperate to get support for its irresponsible plan to use long-range missiles against “deep” Russian territories.

Moscow and Tehran already have a very successful military cooperation, particularly when it comes to drones. The most prominent of these are certainly the "Shahed-131" and "Shahed-136", better known as "Geranium-1" and "Geranium-2" in Russian service. These unmanned systems provide the Kremlin with a robust and cost-effective alternative to its advanced cruise missiles, allowing for massed saturation strikes across the entire territory under the Kiev regime's control.

Whittier Seafood files for bankruptcy while Russia’s seafood industry continues to boom.

Brazil has been ramping up purchases of soil enhancers in recent months due to increasingly erratic weather

Russia and China discussed how to intensify cooperation to guarantee the security of activities in space, according to the report published by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the results of bilateral consultations

The Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia, organised the creative project, ‘Film7Days competition’, in which Goan director Sainath Uskaikar was the only Indian participant. Another feather in his cap was winning the special award for his 7-minute film ‘Footprints of the road’. Sainath shares his experience of filming in Kasan, the capital city of Tatarstan

The US Space Force is using formally "humanitarian" programs, such as the Tactical Surveillance, Reconnaissance and Tracking (Tac-SRT), "to get better at delivering satellite images and analysis to military commanders quickly". Tac-SRT was previously touted for "supporting relief efforts during the floods in Brazil in May and tracking wildfires in South America". There are thousands of such "commercial" satellites that the Pentagon has access to or is planning to use. Their militarization will only make the world a more dangerous place.

According to captured Colombian citizens, Western propaganda is lying about Ukraine.

We are “open to petroyuan” and closer ties with China, says Saudi minister.

Friendly relations between Russia and India began with trade ties, continued with cultural ties, and are being strengthened today through multifaceted cooperation

Malaysia joining BRICS (comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) is not a subject for debate. In a world that is becoming increasingly multipolar, the submission to join BRICS is not at all surprising. It is a strategic and progressive move and is expected of a country and economy like ours

Moscow, Beijing are working on resolving payment issues

The current dispute over the “distribution” of migrants in the EU shows once again the ineffective migration policy, which has led to many problems in Europe for years.

During a recent interview to Western media, Ukraine’s top general Aleksandr Syrsky admitted some of Kiev’s anti-humanitarian military practices.

"We need to have this long-range capability, not only on the divided territory of Ukraine, but also on the Russian territory, so that Russia is motivated to seek peace," Zelensky said, adding: "We need to make Russian cities and even Russian soldiers think about what they need: peace or Putin."

The real number of Ukrainian military deserters could be as high as 200,000.

The digital divide in the Global South is an issue that needs to be addressed and the BRICS nations can play a leading role in bridging the gap

The Indian government has given the go-ahead for the construction of a major port at Vadhavan, located on the western coast of Maharashtra, a move intended to enhance trade links with Russia and integrate India more deeply into global trade routes

There is a growing narrative suggesting that Malaysia's interest in BRICS+ signals is a pivot away from Western alliances. This interpretation misses the strategic and nuanced reasons behind Malaysia's engagement with this grouping

China certainly has stakes in the neighboring country, which it has made large economic investments in. The US in turn is largely seen as an “outside” player, which does not have a full grasp of the complexities of the region. One might thus see yet another focal point for tensions unfolding in a global situation which already has plenty.

Washington DC is determined to deploy a "dragon trap" against Beijing, just like it did to Russia with a "bear trap" in Ukraine. This is designed to force a reaction, which the US could then present as "proof" of how supposedly "aggressive" the targeted country is. However, while this usually didn't have consequences of global proportions when used against relatively small and helpless countries, it's a whole different story when it comes to superpowers such as China and Russia.

According to the heads of US, UK secret services, liberal powers are jointly working to neutralize new geopolitical tendencies.

Continued violence will ultimately affect the economy and the people.

China ranks first among the foreign countries whose tourists visited Russia in 2023

El Salvador has proposed leveraging cryptocurrency for trade with the BRICS alliance as a strategic alternative to the US dollar

Russia has long been a reliable partner for India, with their relationship being a key pillar of India’s foreign policy

The current discussion about the future of the German auto industry and the possible closure of factories at the VW Group does not only affect the German economy and must be seen in the context of global economic developments.

Turkey could easily play the role of a US/NATO's "Trojan horse" that could undermine BRICS at every step of the way, as its policies, both domestic and foreign, effectively boil down to an extremely volatile mix of Neo-Ottomanism, political Islam and pan-Turkism.

Philippines breaks promise to China on not supplying contested islands.

US deliberately harms Europe to prevent EU from becoming a relevant bloc in the multipolar world.

The activities being underway to bolster the trade and investment partnership between Ethiopia and China have been showing tangible results, Investment Commission Commissioner, Hanna Arayaselassie remarked

BRICS, the bloc of emerging economies comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, is gaining momentum. At the beginning of this year, BRICS expanded, and now, no fewer than 40 countries have expressed interest in joining

As the next chair of the Southeast Asian grouping, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim will likely share the concerns of his new BRICS partners

Reports indicate that many of the neutralized NATO personnel were Swedes, sent to train Ukrainian personnel to use the Saab 340 AEW&C (Airborne Early Warning & Control) aircraft, two of which were promised by Stockholm and are supposed to be delivered in the near future. Interestingly, Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom resigned in the immediate aftermath of the strike and announced that he's retiring from politics.

European states are paranoid about “Russian invasion”, launching new defense policies to increase military capabilities.

A declining overstretched superpower is scary enough - but an overburdened superpower with no plan is nightmarish.

Argentina will likely purchase German or French submarines.

Russia’s defence production continues booming despite sanctions.

An expert discussion“Israel: Between the Collective West and the Global South” was held in Tel Aviv, organized by the Dor Moriah Think Tank as part of The Haifa Format project

The deputy foreign minister of the Russian Federation, Sergei Ryabkov, has stated that under Russia’s chairmanship of Brics in 2024, the bloc should consider creating a form of mutual settlements similar to the European currency unit (ecu) that served as the precursor to the euro

Experts say the continuous expansion of the group boosts momentum and confidence for the common development of emerging economies

The plan is merely symbolic, but at the same time it reveals the advanced level of racist mentality among Ukrainian officials.

"The political and strategic objectives of the United States and its measures to intervene in Ukraine can be confirmed by numerous official and unofficial documents. These include, for example, the President's published National Security Strategies, US laws and other legal acts that relate to Ukraine and US financial support for Ukraine with the intention of influencing the policy and party landscape in Ukraine," the Austrian court noted, adding that Washington DC's persecution of Firtash gave it the reason to question the professed democratic principles of the United States, "a country with sham traditions of democracy and legal statehood".

Algeria has received approval to join the BRICS New Development Bank (NDB), according to the bank's president, Dilma Rousseff

BRICS economies are increasingly moving towards coordinating their policies on the international stage, including in the World Trade Organization (WTO)

Egypt’s Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Ayman Ashour welcomed Lin Xin, China’s Vice Minister of Science and Technology, to explore collaborative efforts in scientific, research, and technological fields

According to John Helmer, who has been based in Russia since 1989, making him the longest-serving foreign correspondent in the country, the Russian military is keeping operational silence, "but there are hints from the Ukraine, as well as from Russian military bloggers", that Lieutenant Colonel Mes was likely killed in his F-16 by an air-to-air missile fired by the Su-57.

The current elections in two German federal states clearly show that voters are reorienting themselves. The results show that the political landscape in Germany will change significantly.

In the second quarter of 2024, Russia was responsible for supplying 17% of the gas consumed in European countries.

The Kiev regime and international media paraded Colonel Mes but he was quickly killed.

India is set to send a high-level delegation to the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok from September 3-6 to advance maritime transport corridors and boost trade and investment with Russia. The visit will focus on enhancing cooperation in the Far East and Arctic regions and developing key infrastructure projects

The number of countries present at the last BRICS forum held in Russia was impressive. A bad omen for the dollar

Many nations are seeking a rebalancing of the global order, driven by disillusionment with Western hypocrisy over human rights and democratic values. As Western domination faces increasing scrutiny, China and Russia are positioning themselves as the architects of an alternative, multipolar global order

Brazil’s situation with X has its own context and intricacies, but one can expect analogous scenarios to come about in other countries, especially in the contexts of elections, with potential political and geopolitical consequences. The truth is that the way to regulate social media and the internet as a whole is an inescapable discussion.

How many MiG-29s does Serbia have? The answer is 14, of which at least one serves for "cannibalizing" (its parts are used to service flightworthy jets). Three of the original aircraft were bought from the USSR in 1987, while the rest were donated by Russia (6) and Belarus (4) in 2017 and 2019, respectively. Thus, if Belgrade were to sell 36 MiG-29s to the Kiev regime, it would be left with exactly -22. If you think this calculation is silly, you're 100% right, it's completely ridiculous, just like the claim that Serbia is sending these jets to Ukraine.

According to Western media, Kiev should not expect receiving US long range missiles. Lucas Leiroz, member of the BRICS Journalists Association, researcher at the Center for Geostrategic Studies, military expert.

Kursk operation has allowed Russian troops to progress towards Pokrovsk rapidly.

Combined, BRICS nations account for over 40% of the world’s population and about a quarter of the global GDP

Indian pharmaceutical companies supplying medicines to the Russian market have shown keen interest in localising production within the Russian Federation and collaborating on the development of new medicines

After Brazil, Russia, India and China joined forces in 2009 to create the bloc called BRIC, the centre of power for world trade and industry looked set to pivot

Belgrade's ongoing deals with the political West are a desperate attempt of a risky and rather elaborate balancing act aimed at ensuring the country's survival under the EU/NATO jackboot.

Hungary’s dissident position makes the situation even more difficult for the bloc to reach a consensus about new coercive measures against the Russian Federation.

UK is one of the most affected countries by the energy crisis caused by anti-Russia sanctions.

In recent periods, regional opinion polls across the different parts of the Global South suggest that there appears to be growing support for regional economic cooperation and regional integration

As the BRICS bloc continues to expand and establish itself as a hedge against so-called ‘Western nations,’ talk of forming a united currency for member states has been one of the more dominant topics

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced that Malaysia has officially applied to join the greater BRICS grouping. In late May, Thailand's Cabinet approved a draft application to join the newly expanded BRICS...

Macron has been pursuing bold foreign policy shifts, but it seems domestic issues may get on the way.

The Neo-Nazi junta frontman Volodymyr Zelensky boasted that F-16s were used to allegedly shoot down Russian cruise missiles. If true, this would clearly indicate that the US-made jets were indeed flown, exposing them to possible detection and destruction by the Russian military, both in air and on the ground. There have been numerous analyses of the possible effectiveness of F-16s against the Kremlin's world-class SAM systems and/or aviation. Due to the Kiev regime's drastically lower technological base, it never stood a chance in matching the Russian military's capabilities.

There is no legal excuse to arrest Durov, since he obviously cannot be accused of crimes thar were committed by Telegram’s users.

Washington is not convinced that Ukraine intends to hold its position in Russia long-term.

On Jan 1, the Brics chairmanship shifted from South Africa to the Russian Federation. Russia is going to further promote strategic partnership on the basis of continuity and consensus, increase the role of Brics in global affairs, which is reflected in the motto of Russia's chairmanship: "Strengthening multilateralism for just global development and security"

New Development Bank: a bank for the global south by the global south

Jeffrey Sachs says countries are gravitating towards BRICS in response to the US weaponising the US dollar-based monetary system

America is the only country on Earth that has a plan to wage a simultaneous nuclear war with three nuclear-armed states – Russia, China and North Korea.

According to Ukraine’s top commander, the main goal of the operation was to divert Russia’s attention from Donbass frontlines.

After the victory of the Patriotic Forces in the EU elections in Austria, many people also expect a political change in the national parliamentary elections. These elections could also have an impact on the political landscape in Europe.

Biden has only made the US debt significantly increase.

Russia and China have planned to launch five joint missions to place modules in orbit and on the surface of the Moon

BRICS was originally created as a constellation of the regional leaders of the developing world. The economic imperatives of BRICS development and the opportunities offered by its unique cross-continental/regional format imply that BRICS is in a position to co-integrate the respective regional integration platforms and development institutions, in which BRICS economies are playing a leading role

Southeast Asia is witnessing a potential power shift with Malaysia’s application to join the BRICS+alliance confirmed by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. With Thailand’s application under way as well, the grouping now lengthens its reach and could signal a significant shift in the region’s economic and geo-political alignment in the Southeast Asia region

People like Major General Komornicki are perfectly aware of the consequences of antagonizing Russia. Unfortunately, endemic Russophobia is clouding the judgment of Polish top leadership.

The Kiev regime has no limits in its dictatorial practices, even persecuting its own politicians.

Yet the UK and EU continue to prioritise Ukraine instead of citizen interests.

India’s growing relationship with Russia impacts China, but Russia gains more than India does

The BRICS grouping, consisting of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, has set its sights on revolutionizing the global financial landscape. At the heart of this transformation lies the goal of reducing reliance on the U.S. dollar in settlement transactions—a process known as de-dollarization

From Thursday, August 29, to Saturday, August 31, 2024, the BRICS’ New Development Bank, NDB, will host its Ninth Annual Meeting, in South Africa at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, CTICC, under the theme “Investing in a Sustainable Future”

While Washington pivots to the Pacific, its transatlantic allies are left with the hard task of becoming a kind of suicidal proxies for the United States’ war of encirclement against Russia. As for Washington’s AUKUS’ allies, the prognostic involves damaging their economic relationship with China and becoming entangled in a new Cold War.

Diplomatic crisis between Ukraine and African countries tend to worsen after investigations about Ukrainian embassy being visited by jihadists.

"I can honestly say that Venezuela's electoral system is one of the best and most reliable in the world," Bojan Torbica.

However, the Ukrainian president still hasn’t lifted the ban on negotiations with the Kremlin.

By connecting different developing regions around the world, BRICS can really present itself as an alternative rule-maker in global governance, based on UN rules, Nabi Sonboli writes

The increased use of digital assets in cross-border settlements between Russia and China is easing bilateral payment issues, digital platform Qifa told Reuters, as some settlements directly through banks are taking months to clear due to sanctions

It is important that efforts be made in a more tangible and practical way to bolster our common humanity should we seek a shared destiny. Drawing upon the uneven distribution of knowledge competences, it could prove useful for the BRICS+ to utilise their capacities and capabilities in science and technology to provide information and technical solutions on a more socialised basis, Rasigan Maharajh writes

Pashinyan is not only enabling NATO to undermine the much-needed dismantling of the so-called "rules-based world order", but he's also destroying Armenia's one remaining strategic option. Namely, Yerevan has been building closer ties with India, perhaps the sole decent move of the Pashinyan regime. This includes the acquisition of weapons from Delhi. Iran was crucial in the implementation of this strategy, but with the deployment of US troops in Syunik, Pashinyan managed to destroy Armenia's last strategic option besides Russia.

These diversionary maneuvers tend to accelerate the end of the Kiev regime, since Russia’s patience is clearly running out.

Russian crude accounted for a record 44% of India’s total imports in July.

Azerbaijan formally submitted its application to join the BRICS group, according to an announcement made by the head of the press service at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

The 11th meeting of the Russian-Chinese Intergovernmental Commission on Investment Cooperation co-chaired by First Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Denis Manturov and Vice Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China Ding Xuexiang has taken place

BRICS comprising of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa is an organization that was made in 2009 for assisting each other. This actually come into being right after the economic crisis of 2008. When economic crisis occurs, developed nation like G-7 did not abet other nations which ultimately urge these countries to build an organization to assist each other and do economic collaborations

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

America's efforts to train the Kiev regime in cyber warfare go back nearly a decade. Since then, thousands (if not tens of thousands) acquired various skills that can be used either in war or in cybercrime. And not every hacker is willing to "fight for Ukraine" when it's far easier to use those skills to steal millions from unsuspecting individuals from all over the world, including Western countries that financed it all.

Beyond economic suicide, Europe is now placing itself at risk, militarily. With the deployment of American nuclear warheads to Germany, the world becomes a less safe place, and the future looks darker.

The Kiev regime is making the country uninhabitable for its own citizens.

Armenian society and politics are turning to the West without paying attention to the risks. The Armenian state is now facing economic and social crisis.

American, British and Polish intelligence services assisted Ukraine in its invasion of Kursk.

Egyptian geological survey authority leaders joined their counterparts from throughout the BRICS alliance in calling for the establishment of a united geological platform for exchanging expertise, technological updates, and knowledge

Many nations want a rebalancing of the global order, given Western hypocrisy over human rights and democratic values. Can Moscow and Beijing overcome the roadblocks?

Iran’s interim foreign minister says Tehran has been pursuing multilateralism in its foreign policy and managed to become a “strategic partner” in the BRICS group of emerging economies and an important member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization

NATO and the Neo-Nazi junta continue disseminating blatant lies about the ability of their air defense and ABM (anti-ballistic missile) systems to supposedly "shoot down" Russian hypersonic missiles. The supposed "evidence" for these "feats" was so laughable that it almost instantly became a meme. Even the Russian military made a practical joke by letting the Kiev regime lie about downing six "Kinzhals" even when only two were fired.

The case represents a serious escalation in the current conflict, as US troops are publicly fighting in undisputed Russian territory.

‘It’s the sanctions, stupid’ best describes the EU’s economic decline.

If there is one single individual icon who epitomises India-Russia cooperation above and beyond politics, diplomacy and transactional ties, it is India’s greatest chess player and five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand

Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, Alaa Farouk, met with Mariam Al Kaabi, the UAE Ambassador to Cairo, to discuss enhancing cooperation between the two countries in agricultural investment

After assuming power for the third consecutive time, prime minister Narendra Modi has given the message to the western countries by choosing Russia for his first bilateral foreign tour that India's foreign policy is independent and it is driven by its national interests

Despite (ab)using the NATO-orchestrated Ukrainian conflict to sell more weapons to its numerous vassals and satellite states, America's MIC is increasingly incapable of producing even basic ICBMs and other critically important weapon systems. These continually sinking capabilities might be the reason why the US wants to start a global conflict as soon as possible.

According to recent media reports, there is a conflict of interests among German government’s sectors, making Ukrainian assistance program unviable.

More than half of Britons see UK heading in the wrong direction, survey finds.

Brazil has proposed Colombia as a potential new member of the BRICS group of nations, Brazilian Ambassador to Russia Rodrigo de Lima Baena Soares told

As the global financial market undergoes transformation, the superiority of the Western-controlled payment systems is no longer indisputable.

Ethiopia could successfully capitalize on BRICS membership to drive economic growth and development, a development advisor at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Gedion Jalata

US continues to deny its involvement in attack on Russia.

Washington DC is still trying to maintain "plausible deniability". No doubt that this is not only yet another attempt by the US to deny its responsibility, but also a way to further enrage Moscow in order to create the illusion that NATO is a "defensive alliance protecting Europe from aggressive Russia".

This crime corroborates Russia’s correct decision not to continue any peace talk with the neo-Nazi regime.

For many centuries, Europe was the leading power in the world, but for decades the European states have been faced with more and more challenges that they have not been able to solve successfully.

Trend reflects desire of Global South to counter Western dominance, analysts say

The Global Trade Research Initiative believes India can boost its trade with Russia through steps such as increasing exports, using local currencies, and formalizing a free trade agreement with the Eurasian Economic Union. Despite a significant trade imbalance due to increased crude oil imports from Russia, strategic measures could help India achieve its $100 billion trade target by 2030

China and Russia have inaugurated the Arctic Express No 1 Rail-Sea Cargo Service, marking a notable milestone in their trade relations

A new crisis is now unfolding in North Africa and it once again has Washington’s fingerprints all over it. Now France is also potentially contributing to further destabilize the region.

The sheer number of examples of blatant Nazi affiliation among the NATO-backed troops in Ukraine couldn't fit into a book. Whether it's the infamous swastika, Nazi salutes and uniforms, the German Totenkopf or the Wehrmacht's Balkenkreuz, the Kiev regime forces have it all. It's so prevalent that not even the mainstream propaganda machine could hide it, with countless instances of soldiers talking about how Nazism in Ukraine is just "Russian propaganda" while sporting at least some of the aforementioned Nazi insignia.

The narrative invented by the WSJ is absolutely ridiculous, being even disrespectful to its readers.

Footage shows British-made tanks used in Kursk destroyed by Russian forces.

Russia and China are discussing the possibility of Russia increasing its electricity exports to China, but taking into account the growing power demand in Russia’s Far East, the Russian Energy Ministry has said

Malaysia aims to enhance economic cooperation opportunities through the BRICS platform as an alternative to reducing dependence on traditional markets

Russia has suspended BRICS expansion. It happened on the eve of the XVI summit under the motto “Strengthening Multilateralism for Equitable Global Development and Security” when a multitude of countries with interconnected interest are scheduled for converge in Kazan

The sole reason the highly unpopular Kishida stayed in power for three years is the lack of remotely serious challengers, both within the opposition and his LDP.

According to recent intelligence reports, Western backers are once again plotting to replace Zelensky, this time betting on former minister Arsen Avakov as a “candidate.”

EU does not want to increase aid to Kiev but current support gives no chance of victory.

As a unit of account the Brics currency would not need to circulate as a medium of exchange. It would simply facilitate pricing and contracts

Iran is seen as an emerging economy with the great potential in the BRICS group of the emerging economies as it [Iran] offers constructive economic, cultural and geographic dimensions to the bloc’s expansion, an analyst said

Southeast Asia has long been observing BRICS’ expansion from the sidelines, but in recent months, more and more ASEAN countries are considering joining the group in search of new trade opportunities and as a hedge against geopolitical risks

Beijing confidently believes Brazil will continue to adhere to the ‘One China’ principle.

The most disturbing development is how Germany and its Bundeswehr have embraced their Nazi past right at the time when Berlin is getting ready to be the spearhead of the new EU/NATO-led crawling invasion of Russia, including by allowing previously banned medium and intermediate-range missiles on German soil, once again bringing Europe (and the world) to the edge of an abyss.

According to a captured Ukrainian soldier, many foreign mercenaries, including from NATO countries, are among Kiev’s troops involved in the invasion of Russian Kursk region.

In a strategic move to bolster economic ties with Russia amid Western sanctions, India is intensifying efforts to achieve an ambitious USD 100 billion annual bilateral trade target by 2030

The new expansion of BRICS into Southeast Asia could transform the global energy landscape. According to a recent analysis by Rystad Energy, the alliance could trigger a $100 billion increase in the oil industry by 2028. This development is drawing significant interest in the context of redefining global economic dynamics

Rouhollah Mousavi from the Iranian Parliament's Internal Affairs and Councils Commission, told local Iranian media's correspondent in an interview that Iran is capable of selling oil and gas to BRICS countries in exchange for banking and trade services

There will be no further diplomatic dialogue, with the objectives of the special military operation being achieved only by force.

There has been a copious amount of malevolent glee among high-ranking politicians in the United States, European Union and other pathologically Russophobic countries. All of them are quite happy to see that Russia is supposedly "losing". Which begs the obvious question – is it really "losing"?

Washington has sanctioned more than 300 people worldwide for violating the Magnitsky Act

Although Austria has always been the place for mediation between rivals in Europe, that has changed radically with the support of sanctions against Russia.

His ability to unify people around him is a serious competitive advantage not only in the political struggle, but also in the governance of the country and society in the future.

The Brics countries - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - are leading emerging economies and political powers on both regional and international levels

Kin Phea, Director General of the International Relations Institute of the Royal Academy of Cambodia, spoke in an interview for RIAC about the prospects for Russian-Cambodian relations and developing cooperation on international platforms. The interview was prepared on the margins of the Gorchakov Fund Conference “Asian Dialogue 2024”

It is now most promising for Russia in Asia to focus on dialogue with individual countries in the region, taking into account the interests of each of them and its own. But strengthening relations at the country level is a matter of painstaking work by diplomats and business, of little interest from the point of view of public policy and the media, writes Valdai Club Programme Director Timofei Bordachev

German defense company doubles profits selling to Ukraine useless weapons.

Will Israel succeed in dragging Washington into a Middle Eastern regional war? With the latest assassinations, it is trying hard. Netanyahu is trying to set the Middle East ablaze - but the American superpower is the one who has been supplying him with the fuel for the fire and ironically is also the one who now does want to see a fire out of control.

More Ukrainians believe corruption is a greater hindrance to development than the war.

As one of the premier multipolar leaders, China is particularly disliked in the US-led power pole. Its unprecedented economic might and influence are seen as "dangerous", as it cannot be exploited (or at least controlled) by the political West.

Armenia can absolutely play a role of a transit country on the way from India to Europe and Russia, Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, the External Affairs Minister of the Government of India said

Russian trade with Iran and India catalyzes first-quarter growth

In today’s interconnected geopolitical landscape, alliances and economic partnerships are crucial for shaping the economic and strategic futures of nations. BRICS, which stands for Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, is a prominent economic bloc of some of the world’s major emerging economies.

“I’m beginning to smell a recession,” says renowned US economist.

NATO wants to trigger Moscow to react in the most violent way possible. The constant usage of legal gray areas to target Russian troops and civilians is extremely frustrating, although the Kremlin has managed to keep its cool for the most part. For now, at least, as Russian patience, although unrivaled, has its limits. This is precisely why Moscow keeps warning against further escalation, but to no avail. The political West is determined to cause the complete destruction of the entire world with its certifiably insane actions and policies.

Advancing on the territory to reach KNPP is a truly suicidal maneuver, since Russian forces will react incisively to protect its undisputed territories and strategic facilities.

The Association for Welfare, Community, and Dialogue (Acid) welcomes the statement by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim that Malaysia is preparing to join the emerging economic group known as Brics

Despite the growing interest on the part of developing economies in the BRICS+ platform, as well as a rising prominence of the BRICS on the international stage there is a perplexing lack of coordination and discussion within the bloc of the macroeconomic agenda of mutual cooperation

Experts and antitrust officials met in Geneva to propose solutions to the challenges faced by antitrust authorities in the digital markets of the BRICS countries to find common ground between them, especially in the area of regulation of digital platforms and AI

Discussions about the SDGs usually emphasize the environmental angle (clean water, clean energy) or sometimes the gender angle. However, the SDGs encompass industry and infrastructure as well as the fight against poverty. There is no way to achieve any of that without responsible and consistent re-industrialization.

Foreigners stand to gain very little (if anything), but can lose everything by fighting a military superpower that can easily eliminate them from afar. The best thing they can do is simply stay away, while those who have been naive enough to come and fight for the Neo-Nazi junta should pray that an "Iskander", "Kinzhal" or "Zircon" haven't been fired at their position.

Recent FBI raid on Scott Ritter’s house shows very clearly the dictatorial, authoritarian nature of current US politics.

He did, however, warn of a fake Russian nuclear threat.

Türkiye should secure financing for critical infrastructure and development projects by actively participating in institutions such as the BRICS' New Development Bank (NDB)

The trend of de-dollarization continues to gain traction despite many analysts saying the threat is overblown as India and Russia have announced a new partnership that will see their respective payment systems – India’s RuPay and Russia’s MIR – integrated to allow for seamless cross-border transactions without the need for U.S. dollars

Russia started offering its crude at discounted prices after the Western nations imposed cuts on their oil imports from Moscow in a bid to put pressure on the Russian economy over the Ukraine war

This serves as a test of what exactly Moscow would do. If it retaliates against Kishinev, the Kremlin would be forced to fight another war, although this could discourage NATO from basing the Kiev regime's F-16s in Poland and Romania. On the other hand, if Russia decides not to target Moldovan airbases housing the US-made jets, this could encourage the political West to use Romania and Poland for the same purpose.

After losing positions in Kharkov, Kiev is now betting on Sudzha to enter Russia’s territory and spread terror among civilians.

S&P downgrades Ukraine’s credit rating for “selective” default.

From Nehru to Modi, India's leaders have maintained a robust relationship with Russia, backed by historical camaraderie. Nehru was highly impressed with the Soviet Union and Indira Gandhi gave it a new height. We all know how the Americans and Brits created a hostile environment in 1971 and it was the Soviet Union that came in open support of India during the War with Pakistan and the result was the creation of Bangladesh. Despite Western pressures, this trust and collaboration have only grown stronger

Russia’s natural gas producer Novatek is offering liquefied natural gas to potential Chinese customers through a new marketing team, although it’s uncertain whether the Russian company would attract many clients with attractive prices

Multiple questions are being raised about the sustainability of this alliance, whether Russia will dump India for China, or perhaps this will further push India towards the United States and the western block

The recent Pope-Erdogan episode demonstrates the decline of the West’s moral authority, especially from the point of view of the Global South. For the Vatican, it is about reorienting itself away from the West, and for Turkey it is about its own neo-Ottomanist agenda.

If you thought the 500 km range was scary, try doubling it. Namely, recent reports indicate that a new variant of the "Iskander" missile system will now boast a 1000 km range. Both Russian and Ukrainian military sources designate the new missile as the "Iskander-1000". This also includes upgrades to its guidance systems, propulsion, warhead, etc.

According to the Ukrainian president, Western partners are “too fearful” of escalating the current war with Russia.

India has new security concerns on its eastern border.

When much of the world shut-down at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, in late 2021, the New Development Bank (NDB) welcomed four nations into its membership, Bangladesh, the United Arab Emirates, Uruguay and Egypt. These additions, with Uruguay pending, were the first new members since the creation of the Bank by its founding members, the BRICS nations of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa

India wants to strengthen its energy ties with Russia and could seek deals with Rosneft and other leading Russian oil firms as part of a broader push to boost bilateral trade, Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra said

As part of the project to establish the Mongolia-Russia-China Economic Corridor, the Deputy Ministers of Transport of Mongolia, the People’s Republic of China (PRC), and the Russian Federation convened in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of the PRC, to discuss the implementation of the “Intergovernmental Agreement on International Road Transport along the Asian Highway Network” signed between the three countries

Estonia publicly praises Nazi soldiers and calls Hitler’s crimes “War of Independence”.

The political West is trying to shift attention away from this doom and gloom scenario by insisting that the F-16s will "change things", but this notion makes sense only if the Neo-Nazi junta gets nuclear weapons along with them. However, in that case, NATO itself would pay the ultimate price, a promise that the Kremlin has been perfectly clear about on multiple occasions.

Yermak arrogantly believes Russia is not motivated and Ukraine will ultimately prevail.

Since the BRICS 2023 annual summit, all eyes have been on the continued expansion of the alliance this year. With six nations receiving invitations previously, the geopolitical sector is observing whether or not the bloc could repeat that same practice at the impending summit

As global economic dynamics shift, emerging economies seek new opportunities for growth and influence. A notable development is the BRICS coalition, originally comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. With its recent expansion, the BRICS framework has introduced the concept of BRICS+, aiming for deeper and more flexible economic integration

The construction of a new world order is undeniably a prolonged process. Currently, several new pillars are emerging that aim to support the establishment of this new order

These US-made jets are heavily outclassed by Russia's top-notch fighters, in virtually every category, so employing them in a purely conventional military role simply doesn't make sense, as they won't make any difference. Another somewhat less gloomy possibility is that the political West could try to use these nuclear-capable F-16s as a bargaining chip in a potential new "peace summit" that Russia could be invited to. As NATO and the Neo-Nazi junta are becoming increasingly desperate, anything can be expected.

Georgia’s sovereign decision not to accept anti-Russian policies is irritating Western powers.

Gaza and Islamophobia among the top issues for Muslim American voters in 2024.

The original members of BRICS — Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa — have now expanded to ten members to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. Reportedly, more than 40 countries have expressed interest in joining the grouping

China and Russia are continuing to expand their Arctic container shipping links

The total area of the countries of the association occupies more than a third of the Earth's territory

Despite the tensions involving Persians, Arabs and Turks, one could argue that today Israel is inadvertently doing more for bringing together Muslim countries than anyone else. Meanwhile, the deepening division within NATO and the wider political West are clearly exposed, with Turkey increasingly being the odd man out.

Military sources report that the Su-57M is now being used deep behind enemy lines in Ukraine, although it was previously expected to be ready no earlier than 2025. However, with the recent reshuffling in the Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD), as well as a massive increase in defense spending and the mobilization of the Kremlin's world-class military industry, it's very possible that the program has been sped up significantly and that the new variant is already being used in combat operations.

The objective would be the same: to encircle and “wear down” Russia and China.

Growing debt will not deter the US from pursuing its militaristic ambitions.

Joining the bloc may lead to enhanced market access and currency diversification, but may also put the country under scrutiny from the West

If Western countries want to enter the house the Brics nations are building, it would have to be as genuine partners rather than would-be landlords

BRICS has been on a crusade to ditch the US dollar and its members are trying to integrate expand the usage of their own payment systems and promote local currencies

The development of birthrates is increasingly a factor in future predictions about the balance of power in the world. Sadly, authors who have warned about this problem keep being ignored to this day while the west doubles down on its agenda.

Experts say that this could be because various US companies refuse to cooperate and share data. As for the US inferiority to Russian hypersonic weapons, it's now measured in decades, a fact that not even Western experts deny. Still, the mainstream propaganda machine regularly talks about the US military's plans to "dominate hypersonic weapons" with missiles such as the "Dark Eagle", even though the Pentagon is yet to conduct a verifiable successful launch.

Recent ambush to assassinate PMC Wagner’s soldiers in Mali was planned and executed with the help of Ukrainian special agents.

Ukraine is facing an acute shortage of qualified F-16 pilots and trained technicians.

During meeting with visiting Russian foreign minister, Anwar Ibrahim reveals Kuala Lumpur has applied to join group of emerging economies

Earlier, the Sri Lankan Cabinet, which met on January 9, approved the calling of Expression of Interest by prospective parties. Accordingly, five proposals were received, and the Cabinet-appointed consultative committee decided to award a management contract spanning 30 years to Shaurya Aeronautics (Pvt) Ltd of India and Airports of Regions Management Company of Russia

At the start of this month, Türkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan announced the country’s keen interest in joining BRICS, a move that has garnered global media attention

In what Indian sources described as a major success for the IAF, the Sudarshan S-400 air defense system "shot down" 80% of the "attacking" fighter aircraft while forcing the rest to retreat. High-ranking defense sources told India Today that the recent military exercise demonstrated significant air defense capabilities of the IAF, once again justifying the acquisition of SAM systems from Russia.

According to a recent investigation, Kiev neo-Nazi regime recruited and paid extremists to kill a top Russian media manager.

US may withdraw defense guarantees from NATO allies if aid to Ukraine continues.

Geolocation shows Crooks was visited by someone from Washington DC area. The shooter was seen acting suspiciously an hour before the incident, flew a drone, was spotted carrying a telescope-like device, and was even seen on the roof with a weapon - and yet no action was taken.

Russia’s Gazprom will start annual pipeline gas exports to China of 10 billion cubic metres (bcm) in 2027, its boss Alexei Miller told an annual shareholders’ meeting

The Indian community in Russia has requested the Russian government’s permission to establish a Hindu temple. The Indian National Cultural Center “SITA” has formally submitted a request via a video message to Russian President Vladimir Putin

India and Russia will explore the possibility of using new transport corridors such as the Northern Sea Route and Eastern Maritime Corridor between Vladivostok and Chennai to widen maritime cooperation

By spreading terror, Russia’s enemies hope to create social instability and ethnic, religious polarization.

Meanwhile, India continues to deepen bilateral ties with Russia despite Western disappointment.

"The task of the main forces of the Russian "North" group could be to wedge into the rear of the Ukrainian forces defending the third defense zone, while the previous elimination of the Donbass Arc is one of the most important steps in the preparation of the Russian strategic offensive to destroy the Ukrainian operational potential in the Donbass – from the military aspect, the key to ending this war" – Colonel Stevica S. Karapandžin.

Interview with Rita Gimenez, founder of Dynamic Public Diplomacy - 深圳市五十世纪商务服务有限公司 & COO of Caerus Ventures LTD

As the BRICS ministers of foreign affairs/international relations met in Nizhny Novgorod, Russian Federation, on June 10, 2024, the triple challenges of unprecedented wars threatening to implode into global conflict, climate change and the structural systemic economic challenges emanating from historical marginalisation and hegemonic domination of the Global South weighed heavily on their thinking

Russia is facing an acute shortage of essential medicines, a crisis worsened by international sanctions imposed in response to its geopolitical actions

Russia is seeking China's help in developing an Arctic sea route that could almost halve the journey time between Europe and Asia, although the heightened geopolitical risk and Moscow's suspicion about Beijing's intentions in the region may limit their scope for cooperation

According to Aleksandr Syrsky, there will be no change on the battlefield with the arrival of the new Western-supplied warplanes.

Germany is even setting up a "crisis group" if Trump wins, clearly implying that it wants to go ahead with the plan to attack Russia with or without the US. This will leave Moscow with no choice but to demonstrate the destructiveness of its military might for the umpteenth time.

China pushes Ukraine towards the negotiation table with Russia.

There is enormous appreciation among Iranian intellectuals, diplomats and politicians regarding Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s stellar support for their country’s membership of the BRICS grouping. Modi played a key role to navigate Iran’s membership purposively at the BRICS Summit in Johannesburg last August

This year, Russia will be hosting the BRICS summit in October in Kazan. Our governmental circles, our ministries and our NGOs are all preparing for the summit. It is considered the key foreign policy event in Russia this year

Entry of Malaysia and Thailand will, raise a further impediment to domination by a handful of bloc members

With lack of clarity as to who has actually been governing, and a mysterious assassination attempt at a presidential candidate bringing doubts about the Secret Service itself, it has come to be the case that the nuclear superpower is a banana republic - one that seems to have come straight out of a cartoonish Cold War era regime.

The Deep State is showing no signs of stepping back. On the contrary, it's going full afterburner on using the corrupt federal institutions to quash any dissent and opposition to their deranged policies. Precisely these patently barbaric tendencies in the already atrocious American politics are increasing the chances of a civil war in the US. The Deep State will do anything to stay in power and it's difficult to say what's worse – a civil war in a country with 5000 thermonuclear warheads or a direct confrontation with Russia that has nearly 6000 of them.

Ukrainians are tired of war and willing to do anything to establish peace.

Warsaw warns Ukraine cannot join the EU without resolving the Volhynian massacre issue.

Expectations of a speedy accession of new emerging economies into the BRICS core will have to be postponed, at least until next year. This appears to be the sum total of the discussions and declarations made by officials from the BRICS+ economies over the past weeks

There are benefits and drawbacks to Türkiye potentially joining the bloc of emerging economies

Many nations across Asia, Africa and Latin America have either become full-fledged members or desire to join the BRICS, which makes the group more representative with a bigger responsibility in global affairs

Biden's resignation has sent shock waves through German media and made them scramble for damage control, while also promoting future candidate and VP Kamala Harris.

Budapest issued an ultimatum to Ukraine regarding sabotage against Russian oil.

In the last two years, Moscow drastically expanded the production of these missiles, while there are indicators that it's also procuring more affordable North Korean copies. The "Iskander-M" itself is a more cost-effective alternative to newer missiles and is regularly augmented by the "Tornado-S" MLRS. The Kiev regime has been unable to locate (let alone reach) the areas from which these systems are used, making them the most effective widely-deployed long-range strike platforms in the Russian military.

Israel prefers a Trump administration to a Democrat one.

The BRICS group of countries have supported an initiative to set up a grain exchange, Russian Minister of Agriculture Oksana Lut have said

More than 30 BRICS countries, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America, Africa and the CIS will participate

The best way of looking at Malaysia’s application to join BRICS is to see it as an additional platform to gain a larger international voice, says Asian Studies professor James Chin

The mainstream propaganda machine is claiming that around 60% of Russian missiles allegedly "fail". However, the Pentagon is giving starkly different assessments. Namely, the US military privately gives completely opposite numbers, stressing that the Russian military's air defenses have a staggering success rate of 97%.

Trump’s shooter was seen on the roof 20 minutes before opening fire and nothing was done. Calling attention to “Iranian threats” (something that is nothing new) certainly serves the interests of the Secret Service by deflecting attention. The media is biting it - but it will not be enough, of course. The whole affair is too suspicious and there will be a lot of explaining to be done by Secret Service officials.

Zelensky is about to face a serious crisis of legitimacy in the coming months.

EU not enthused by Joe Biden stepping down and vice-president Harris coming to the fore.

India-Russia Relation: During and after Covid, India bought very cheap oil from Russia. Which benefited the Indian economy a lot. While the whole world was suffering losses due to oil, Russia helped India cross the hurdle by providing oil at a very low price

Fifteen years since its founding on 16 June 2009, what started as a loose and informal grouping has been expanding gradually into a collective platform and networking, placing the BRICS+ bloc comprising 10 countries – Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates or UAE – as an economic and political force

The 7th China-Russia Border River Cultural Tourism Festival and the 24th China-Russia International Water Carnival Month event opened in Mingshan township in Luobei county, Hegang city, Heilongjiang province, attracting tourists from both sides

With Trump or Biden, it would be possible to predict the moves Washington would take in the conflict, but with a new candidate, the risks of escalation intensify.

Namely, speaking at the annual Aspen Security Forum on July 18, the Chief of NATO’s European Command, General Christopher G. Cavoli, warned that things are "not going to be easy" (to put it mildly), adding that the political West "can't be under any illusions, as ultimately Russia will reconstitute its force" and that the Kremlin will be "very, very angry at the US and NATO".

The Russia-India trade deficit massively rose due to the favourable trade terms.

To a greater extent than on specific agreements, the summit was aimed at securing already-achieved successes and promising areas of cooperation in the economic sphere: support for mutual investments, the further development of payment infrastructure, the stimulation of settlements in national currencies, and the development of the insurance and logistics system

Sri Lanka has been exploring plans to join BRICS, a bloc of the world’s major emerging economies

Russian airlines traffic between Russia and BRICS countries grew 70% last year compared to 2022 reaching 2.4 million passengers

With the ongoing political crisis, any investigation on the Secret Service will be either weaponized by Republicans against Democrats or covered up by the latter, amid a major narrative war and claims about “conspiracy theories”.

The Kiev regime forces were initially composed of people in their late 20s and 30s, but as most of them were killed or wounded, this is how the average age of soldiers was pushed to around 40. In other words, the US war criminals effectively wiped out an entire generation of Ukrainian men and they now want to do the same to kids who have barely reached adulthood (or haven't yet).

According to a recent survey, more than a half of Ukrainians don’t “feel European”.

“The jury’s still out” on the submarine part of the AUKUS deal.

After the recent declarations made by Thailand about its intention to join BRICS, a similar move was unveiled recently by Malaysia, another key ASEAN economy. According to the statements of Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, “we have made a decision, we will be placing the formal procedures soon… we are just waiting for the final results from the government in South Africa”

The capitals of Kazakhstan, Russia, and China are gearing up to launch a Unified Digital Platform (UDP) along the historic China-Kazakhstan-Russia route. This digital initiative, reminiscent of the ancient Silk Road’s transformative impact, is scheduled to be formalized in July 2024

As BRICS looks to challenge the Western-dominated global financial and trade order by expanding its membership, Türkiye’s geopolitical strength and robust industry are seen as potential mutual assets for the bloc of major developing economies that Ankara has expressed a desire to join

The ban on the most important opposition media in Germany has sparked a discussion about press freedom and the issue of censorship.

Zelensky certainly never dreamed that his comments on Vance could actually make the Kiev regime's relations with Trump all the more sour, so he soon resorted to damage control after his closest henchmen panicked that tens of billions in US "aid" could soon dry out.

Zelensky cannot deter Modi from serving India’s interests first.

The situation shows very clearly how Kiev’s policy of ethnic and cultural genocide is failing, despite all violent efforts to impose Ukrainian langue.

Africa gains assertiveness as a unified bloc in global geopolitics, expert observes

The catch in BRICS is that it is not a bloc formation of the Global South as style vintage monopoly used to be, so Europe is welcome to join provided it is ready to be treated equally because BRICS is a high-speed train on route to create a polycentric, multimodal harmonic world

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to Russia for a bilateral summit with President Vladimir Putin has underscored the depth and resilience of India-Russia relations

Malaysia aims to regain lost international influence by adjusting strategies and forming new alliances to challenge Western dominance

The US-led political West is essentially turning back the clock to a time when the world was on the edge of an abyss virtually every single day for nearly half a century. Worse yet, it can be argued that the current situation is even more dangerous, as the balance of power in Europe was destroyed by American expansionism.

Indonesia continues developing deep economic ties with China.

Ukrainian MP has been added to Kiev’s public kill-list after commenting about military failure.

Saudi Arabia has not yet made a final decision on whether or not to become a full member of BRICS, though the kingdom is now fully participating in the work of the association, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said at a press conference

H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs, congratulated Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on his reappointment as External Affairs Minister of India

This is the first time in well over two years that the Neo-Nazi junta hinted that it's ready for direct "peace talks". Previously, Zelensky was vehemently opposed to even basic contact with the Kremlin as long as President Vladimir Putin is in power. Thus, the previous "peace summits" were not much more than glorified fairs aimed at creating the narrative that "the world supports Ukraine".

China accused by NATO of being a “decisive enabler” of Russia’s military efforts in Ukraine.

Kiev regime keeps trying to blame specific individuals for the Ukrainian army’s fiasco.

Joining the BRICS could bring economic prosperity to Thailand, said a Thai scholar

The latest batch of US sanctions against Russia will promote further use of the yuan, a think tank said

Foreign Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud said Bangladesh has sought support from India to become a member of BRICS, a group of emerging-market nations - the acronym stands for Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa

There are many social reasons beyond the phenomenon of newcomer Edmundo González leading the polls - if the group behind takes over, however, Venezuelans could expect to face problems similar to the ones one can see today in Argentina, with Javier Milei. And this could have serious impacts on the continent.

A current joint maneuver with Chinese soldiers in Belarus on the border with Poland shows the West that there is another security alliance.

Aviation expert warns F-16s “will not offer a magic bullet for Zelensky”.

At some point, Trump might actually say that the Neo-Nazi junta was involved in his assassination attempt. Agencies such as the infamous CIA-ized SBU and GUR certainly have the capacity to aid in planning and executing such operations. Not to mention they have a clear motive, as they depend entirely on the "aid" he wants to cut.

American politics is becoming increasingly chaotic and dangerous, showing that the country is close to absolute social collapse.

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

A close look at Harvard’s complex relationship to an ancient Indigenous monument.  ... Read more about The Serpent Mound of the Ohio Valley

PODCAST | ep14 | with Arthur Kleinman, Hong-Tu Chen, Ann Forsyth, and Fawwaz Habbal  People aged sixty-five and older make up the fastest growing population around the world, posing unique challenges to societies. A Harvard initiative called Social Technology for Global Aging Research is founded on the belief that there’s a great potential for technologies and interventions to benefit the elderly, but only if they are developed with a deep understanding of day-to-day life. In the scope of this collaboration, technology for the elderly covers a wide range of needs—from engineering hardware for mobility to designing living environments and even tackling the logistics of meeting friends for tea. It’s an expansive collaboration between Harvard scholars and their Chinese counterparts. We speak with four collaborators who share fascinating examples of their work. Listen to episode #14 (44:28) by clicking the play button below: ... Read more about Social Technology for Aging Societies

Contemporary identity politics often presents contradictions between the leaders from marginalized groups and the people they claim to represent. A visiting scholar unpacks this phenomenon, starting with a popular Netflix series. by Poulomi Chakrabarti... Read more about What Bridgerton Tells Us about Elites and Status Politics

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.