CELAYA, Mexico – The bodies of five university students were discovered on Sunday in a vehicle on a secluded road in northern Mexico, according to local authorities. The victims, all male students at Latina University of Mexico, were found outside Celaya, a city that has experienced ongoing violence from drug cartels in recent years. The identities of the victims have not yet been released. Guanajuato state governor Diego Sinhue Rodríguez expressed his condolences and vowed ... Read more

BAHAWALPUR, Pakistan — A man’s lifeless body was discovered inside a big cat enclosure at Sherbagh Zoo in Bahawalpur, Pakistan on Wednesday. The grim discovery was made by zoo staff during routine cleaning when they noticed a shoe in the mouth of one of the big cats. Zaheer Anwar, a senior government official in Bahawalpur, shared details of the incident with the media. He described how the staff became suspicious and eventually found the body ... Read more

All Global Research articles can be read in 51 languages by activating the Translate Website button below the author’s name (only available in desktop version). To receive Global Research’s Daily Newsletter (selected articles), click here. Click the share button … The post How Refined Sugar Fuels Cancer appeared first on Global Research.

All Global Research articles can be read in 51 languages by activating the Translate Website button below the author’s name (only available in desktop version). To receive Global Research’s Daily Newsletter (selected articles), click here. Click the share button … The post Canada’s Oil and Gas Industry: Imposition of “Greenhouse Gas Emission Limits” appeared first on Global Research.

All Global Research articles can be read in 51 languages by activating the Translate Website button below the author’s name (only available in desktop version). To receive Global Research’s Daily Newsletter (selected articles), click here. Click the share button … The post Faith Immune to Facts. Nobel Laureates Express Worldview Vaccinated from Reality. “Reaffirm Their Faith in the Covid-19 Vaccines” appeared first on Global Research.

A situação ucraniana entre os tomadores de decisões europeus parece cada vez mais complicada. Atualmente, não é mais possível ver o mesmo entusiasmo de apoio irrestrito a Kiev que se via antes. Os políticos locais estão a ser forçados a … The post Alemanha instável na sua posição em relação à Ucrânia. appeared first on Global Research.

Os estrategistas americanos estão cada vez mais preocupados com as circunstâncias do conflito ucraniano. A iminente vitória russa está a levar os especialistas americanos a aconselhar medidas urgentes por parte dos EUA para evitar o fim das hostilidades. Agora, estes … The post Moscou prepara “ofensiva diplomática” – ex-assessor de segurança dos EUA. appeared first on Global Research.

On November 19, 2023, soldiers from Yemen’s Ansar Allah movement, known as the Huthis, seized a cargo ship sailing in the Red Sea due to its part ownership by a wealthy Israeli. A few days earlier, Ansar Allah’s military leader had announced on Twitter/X that the Huthis would target ships with any Israeli connection. He

All Global Research articles can be read in 51 languages by activating the Translate Website button below the author’s name (only available in desktop version). To receive Global Research’s Daily Newsletter (selected articles), click here. Click the share button … The post New Catastrophic Plight in Gaza: Israel’s Attacks Leave More Than 5,000 Palestinians Disabled appeared first on Global Research.

At the start of 2023, Antonio Rosario was preparing for what was poised to be one of the largest strikes in US history. The Teamster of twenty-nine years had been a relatively new employee at the United Parcel Service (UPS) in 1997, the last time the union struck the company. That year, he saw then

DEFIANCE, Ohio – Three men in Ohio are under investigation after being accused of allegedly subjecting a 20-year-old student to deplorable conditions and physical abuse. The victim, who had come to the United States on a student visa to pursue an education, was reportedly held captive in multiple basements of homes owned by Venkatesh Sattaru across Ohio. According to the St. Charles County Police Department, authorities were called to conduct a wellness check at a ... Read more

Putin's balanced position in regard to the Israel-Gaza conflict certainly contributes to his popularity in the Arab world, but so does his firm stand in the face of NATO aggression, demonstrating time and again that Moscow has a geopolitical backbone.

All Global Research articles can be read in 51 languages by activating the Translate Website button below the author’s name (only available in desktop version). To receive Global Research’s Daily Newsletter (selected articles), click here. Click the share button … The post The Gaza War, “Big Money” and the Insidious Role of the World Economic Forum appeared first on Global Research.

FORT MYERS, Florida – A woman is in custody after allegedly assaulting her neighbor and demanding sex, while authorities continue to investigate a separate homicide case. Lori Leanne Quinn, 49, is charged with misdemeanor battery, but no arrests have been made in connection with the stabbing death of her neighbor’s girlfriend’s grandmother on Dec 5. According to the arrest affidavit, the male witness stated that Quinn, who lives across the street, approached him and requested ... Read more

All Global Research articles can be read in 51 languages by activating the Translate Website button below the author’s name (only available in desktop version). To receive Global Research’s Daily Newsletter (selected articles), click here. Click the share button … The post The Pearl Harbor Conspiracy and the Truth About the “Day of Infamy” appeared first on Global Research.

As stipulated by the guidelines, Russia takes over BRICS [Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa] from January 2024. With the heightening of geopolitical tensions, Russia’s priority focus is on the group’s possible enlargement to counter U.S. hegemony. It plans to push seriously for critical reforms in the international financial architecture and create a solidified platform for building an equitable multipolar world order

India and Russia can cooperate in building small floating reactors with the latter providing the nuclear heart (reactor) and the former taking care of the tow boat and electrical systems, said a top official of Rosatom

The generators have arrived in South Africa but will be officially received by Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa

While C.S. Lewis is famous for his fantasy and theology writing, it’s impossible to understand the Oxford don’s work without reference to the world scarred by the tragedies of the 20th century he inhabited. A survivor of WWI trench warfare, the Great Depression, and WWII, Lewis witnessed the immense tragedies of the 20th century. As a result, he never lost sight of the consequences of human sinfulness, even as he retained a sense of hope through his faith and the goodness he witnessed in his brothers-in-arms, neighbors, and fellow Christians. This hopeful view of humanity, even with our capacity for evil, can be seen in his view of democracy. For C.S. Lewis, representative government was the best form of government; not because of any virtues inherent in mankind or democracy itself, but because the fallen nature of mankind demanded that power be limited. C.S. Lewis did not see democracy as a natural law or a moral absolute. His political essays and novels are replete with warnings against technocrats and governments that would seek to use their powers to dominate the individual. However, his distrust of the few did not translate into the infallibility of the masses. In a letter to George Every, Lewis responded to the argument that supported democracy by relying upon the virtue of individual citizens saying, “There is a quite different possible defense of democracy. I am a democrat because I believe in the Fall and therefore think men are too wicked to be trusted with more than the minimum power over other men.” In other words, democracy should serve as a check on human nature. Lewis’ views on democracy were informed by his understanding of human nature and the Fall. Tending towards political realism, his views were in sharp contradistinction with more theoretical and utopian views on democracy. French philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau famously asserted that humans, if freed from the shackles of stultifying institutions like monogamy and traditional religion, would form a more perfect democratic society. The people’s expressed popular will (the “general will”), as an indicator of sentiments, is an absolute moral good unto itself. The perceived righteousness of democracy then becomes akin to a natural law, as in the French Revolution. Lewis viewed popular conceptions of democracy that emphasized the inherent goodness of mankind, or democracy’s intrinsic moral superiority, with great suspicion. In his mind, it was not based upon sound political or theological foundations. As he wrote in his 1943 essay to The Spectator: “I am a democrat because I believe in the Fall of Man. I think most people are democrats for the opposite reason. A great deal of democratic enthusiasm descends from the ideas of people like Rousseau, who believed in democracy because they thought mankind so wise and good that everyone deserved a share in the government. The danger of defending democracy on those grounds is that they’re not true. And whenever their weakness is exposed, the people who prefer tyranny make capital out of the exposure.” This exposure is explored in Lewis’ essay, “Screwtape Proposes a Toast”, a follow-up to The Screwtape Letters. In this essay, the arch-tempter Screwtape discusses manipulating humans through “democratic” language: “Democracy is the word with which you must lead them by the nose… It will never occur to them that Democracy is properly the name of a political system, even a system of voting and that this has only the most remote and tenuous connection with what you are trying to sell them.” This point is emphasized in another letter to Mary Van Deusen where Lewis contemplates the limits to democracy’s moral authority:  “If the Communists in this country can persuade the majority to sell into Russia, or even to set up devil-worship and human sacrifice, what is the democratic reply? When we said ‘Govt. by the people’ did we only mean ‘as long as we don’t disagree with the people too much’? And is it much good talking about ‘loyalty’? For on strictly democratic principles, I suppose loyalty is obligatory (or even lawful) only so long as the majority want it. I don’t know the answer. Of course, there is no question of it being our duty (the minority’s duty) to obey an anti-God govt. if the majority sets it up. We shall have to disobey and be martyred. Perhaps pure democracy is really a false ideal.” For C.S. Lewis, mankind is fallen, not uplifted—a flawed arbiter of goodness, not a perfect judge. Therefore, mankind and democracy should not be uplifted to idealistic heights. Given Lewis’ skepticism of mankind and his critique of moral democracy, why does he call himself a democrat? If mankind has fallen and democracy is a tool for governance rather than a moral law, why did C.S. Lewis believe in it? He believed in democracy because he believed that mankind was so sinful and fallen that no one was fit to rule: “I don’t deserve a share in governing a hen-roost, much less a nation. Nor do most people—all the people who believe advertisements,and think in catchwords, and spread rumours. The real reason for democracy is just the reverse. Mankind is so fallen that no man can be trusted with unchecked power over his fellows. Aristotle said that some people were only fit to be slaves. I do not contradict him. But I reject slavery because I see no men fit to be masters.” What politicians and Christians should learn from C.S. Lewis’ observations is that democracy and the popular will are not panaceas to human nature. They cannot eliminate sin or cleanse nations of their flaws. When democracy is saddled with idealistic expectations it can’t fulfill, the outcome will inevitably be disappointing and disillusioning. In the worst cases, this disappointment can drive nations towards extreme remedies. However, democracy is simply a means to the end of governing human societies because, in a fallen world, no one can be trusted with absolute power. This view requires considerable humility on the part of the citizen and in his dealings with others, for in Lewis’ words, “Democracy demands that little men should not take big ones too seriously; it dies when it is full of little men who think they are big themselves.” The post C.S. Lewis’s Defense of Democracy appeared first on Providence.

As the country’s immigration agency ponders a significant expansion of its vast, troubled immigrant surveillance regime, private prison companies are telling investors that the proposal could bring significant profits — and are deploying lobbyists to fight to fund it. In separate calls with investors last month, executives with two of the world’s largest private prison

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is asking BRICS countries to settle oil trade in local currencies and not the U.S. dollar. The Middle Eastern nation is aiming to diversify its economic partnerships by renewing payment methods for oil trade deals

Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said that Egypt is keen to make influential contribution to BRICS, as its membership will start next year

Russia’s BRICS trade extends to brewing and sales to Continental Africa

MIAMI, FLORIDA: A Miami woman is facing serious felony charges after allegedly setting her Tinder date and his car on fire in a disturbing incident that unfolded on November 25. The accused, identified as Destiny Lenai Johnson, met her date in person just once after connecting on the popular dating app, Tinder. According to an arrest report Johnson messaged the man at 5 a.m., asking him to meet her at her hotel. However, things quickly ... Read more

On November 16, the New Yorker published an article by resident humorist Andy Borowitz accompanied by the headline “George Santos to Spend More Time with Imaginary Family.” This, it seems, will tragically be the last entry of the venerable “Borowitz Report,” which has reportedly been dropped by the magazine amid a wave of cutbacks at

It's being reported that the man allegedly yelled 'Free Palestine,' though it's unclear if it was during the shooting or subsequently. The post ‘FREE PALESTINE’: Islamic shooter arrested near Albany synagogue appeared first on World Israel News.

It's being reported that the man allegedly yelled 'Free Palestine,' though it's unclear if it was during the shooting or subsequently. The post ‘FREE PALESTINE’: Islamic shooter arrested near Albany synagogue appeared first on World Israel News.

If and when a peace deal materializes, it remains to be seen how European leaders will conduct their policy pertaining to Ukraine and also to the strategic energy interests of the continent. One may expect many European voices urging the bloc to reconsider sanctions against Russia.

Three Democratic lawmakers claim Israel is engaging in 'war crimes' and genocide. The post Far-left ‘Squad’ accuses Israel of genocide appeared first on World Israel News.

Three Democratic lawmakers claim Israel is engaging in 'war crimes' and genocide. The post Far-left ‘Squad’ accuses Israel of genocide appeared first on World Israel News.

'Israel, as an occupying power, does not have that right to self-defense,' said the CAIR director. The post CAIR removed from national strategy on antisemitism by White House appeared first on World Israel News.

'Israel, as an occupying power, does not have that right to self-defense,' said the CAIR director. The post CAIR removed from national strategy on antisemitism by White House appeared first on World Israel News.

All Global Research articles can be read in 51 languages by activating the Translate Website button below the author’s name (only available in desktop version). To receive Global Research’s Daily Newsletter (selected articles), click here. Click the share button … The post Gaza: Starving Palestinians to Death. Restrictions on Humanitarian Aid Brings Palestinians to a Single Meal a Day appeared first on Global Research.

Palestinian journalists reveal the reason for Palestinians giving birth to so many children, it's so they can be pushed to sacrifice, death, and martyrdom. The post WATCH: ‘They have nuclear bombs we have offspring bombs’ appeared first on World Israel News.

Palestinian journalists reveal the reason for Palestinians giving birth to so many children, it's so they can be pushed to sacrifice, death, and martyrdom. The post WATCH: ‘They have nuclear bombs we have offspring bombs’ appeared first on World Israel News.

President Liz Magill's testimony to Congress suggested calling for the genocide of Jews would not necessarily violate her college's rules. The post UPenn loses $100 million gift following president’s refusal to condemn genocide of Jews appeared first on World Israel News.

President Liz Magill's testimony to Congress suggested calling for the genocide of Jews would not necessarily violate her college's rules. The post UPenn loses $100 million gift following president’s refusal to condemn genocide of Jews appeared first on World Israel News.

The Satmar Hasidim are an orthodox Jewish sect with tens of thousands of members in New York state. Their religious beliefs and practices are extremely conservative, but in many ways their approach to politics seems blandly centrist. Their leadership tends to see cultivating relationships with politicians as a pragmatic way to advance the community’s interests.

'We investigate who is linked to Hamas, and who isn’t. We arrest them all and interrogate them.' The post WATCH: Hamas terrorists surrender en masse to Israeli forces appeared first on World Israel News.

'We investigate who is linked to Hamas, and who isn’t. We arrest them all and interrogate them.' The post WATCH: Hamas terrorists surrender en masse to Israeli forces appeared first on World Israel News.

EDNA, Texas — A mother in Edna, Texas, is in anguish after discovering her 16-year-old daughter dead in their apartment on Tuesday. Lizbeth Medina, a cheerleader at Edna High School, was looking forward to participating in a Christmas parade with her team the same day. The Edna Police Department has not yet disclosed the cause of her death. Authorities responded to a call at the Cottonwood Apartments on Tuesday evening. Emergency Medical Services attempted to ... Read more

'This year we are lighting the first Chanukah candle in the knowledge that this light will never be extinguished.' The post At the Western Wall Netanyahu kindles the inaugural Chanukah candle appeared first on World Israel News.

'This year we are lighting the first Chanukah candle in the knowledge that this light will never be extinguished.' The post At the Western Wall Netanyahu kindles the inaugural Chanukah candle appeared first on World Israel News.

After Harvard's president refused to deem calls for Jewish genocide unacceptable on campus, a member of the school's antisemitism committee resigns in protest. The post Rabbi quits Harvard antisemitism board in protest over ‘evil’ campus ideology appeared first on World Israel News.

After Harvard's president refused to deem calls for Jewish genocide unacceptable on campus, a member of the school's antisemitism committee resigns in protest. The post Rabbi quits Harvard antisemitism board in protest over ‘evil’ campus ideology appeared first on World Israel News.

Over a thousand workers have simultaneously blocked four arms factories across the UK that provide components for arms used by Israel in its bombardment of Gaza. The workers, under the banner “Workers for a Free Palestine,” include teachers, health workers, hospitality workers, and others who are members of a wide range of trade unions, including

According to an investigation by the Foundation to Battle Injustice, the regime-led website may be related to many crimes against children.

'There remains a gap between what Israel said it would do to protect civilians and what we're seeing on the ground,' says US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. The post Blinken accuses Israel of failing to sufficiently protect Gaza civilians appeared first on World Israel News.

'There remains a gap between what Israel said it would do to protect civilians and what we're seeing on the ground,' says US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. The post Blinken accuses Israel of failing to sufficiently protect Gaza civilians appeared first on World Israel News.

“Death of a Hero” it said in big black letters across the front of the Daily Mirror, and if I hadn’t known already I’d have expected a story about a policeman or soldier in Northern Ireland. The media response to John Lennon’s death was overwhelming as what began as a series of private griefs was

Republicans want a hardline immigration policy on Mexico border in exchange for funding Ukraine.

17-year-old Israeli says her dog gave her the 'moral support' she needed to endure nearly two months in captivity. The post How a teen hostage managed to hide her dog from Hamas – while in captivity appeared first on World Israel News.

17-year-old Israeli says her dog gave her the 'moral support' she needed to endure nearly two months in captivity. The post How a teen hostage managed to hide her dog from Hamas – while in captivity appeared first on World Israel News.

'The Israelis had it worse,' Manee Jirachat told German broadcaster Deutsche Welle from his hometown in Thailand. The post Former Thai hostages – ‘We got medicine, the Israelis didn’t’ appeared first on World Israel News.

'The Israelis had it worse,' Manee Jirachat told German broadcaster Deutsche Welle from his hometown in Thailand. The post Former Thai hostages – ‘We got medicine, the Israelis didn’t’ appeared first on World Israel News.

There Never Was a “New Corona Virus”, There Never Was a Pandemic Prof Michel Chossudovsky, December 8, 2023 The Ben Gurion Canal to Replace the Suez Canal: ‘Israel’ Destroys Gaza to Control World’s Most Important Shipping Lane Richard Medhurst… The post This Week’s Most Popular Articles appeared first on Global Research.

Genocide: Israel’s Mass Starvation Campaign, Targeting Children By Global Research News, December 07, 2023 This video is the first major sign that I have seen that food will become a rare commodity and starving Palestinians with skin over bones … The post Selected Articles: Genocide: Israel’s Mass Starvation Campaign, Targeting Children appeared first on Global Research.

All Global Research articles can be read in 51 languages by activating the “Translate Website” drop down menu on the top banner of our home page (Desktop version). To receive Global Research’s Daily Newsletter (selected articles), click here. Follow … The post Fifth Generation (5G) Directed Energy Radiation Emissions In the Context of Contaminated Nanometal Covid-19 Vaccines with Graphite Ferrous Oxide Antennas appeared first on Global Research.

Ukrainian negotiators said that under their proposals, Kyiv would agree not to join alliances or host bases of foreign troops. The proposals, which would require a referendum in Ukraine. They have essentially agreed to to reject NATO membership. The post Sabotage of the Kiev-Moscow March 2022 Peace Agreement in Istanbul. The End Game is the Destruction and Privatization of Ukraine appeared first on Global Research.

The official story is that a dangerous new coronavirus was detected in Wuhan, PRC. It had not been isolated, it's identity had not been confirmed. And then in February, the name of the "new virus" was changed to SARS-CoV-2, a virus first detected 20 years in 2003. The post There Never Was a “New Corona Virus”, There Never Was a Pandemic appeared first on Global Research.

Magill said should have focused on the 'evil' of statements supporting genocide rather than looking at them in the context of protecting freedom of speech. The post Penn president regrets dodging questions about calls for Jewish genocide appeared first on World Israel News.

Magill said should have focused on the 'evil' of statements supporting genocide rather than looking at them in the context of protecting freedom of speech. The post Penn president regrets dodging questions about calls for Jewish genocide appeared first on World Israel News.

'I never imagined I would see such unspeakable barbarity against Jews in my lifetime.' The post Shoah Foundation Collecting testimony from October 7th survivors appeared first on World Israel News.

'I never imagined I would see such unspeakable barbarity against Jews in my lifetime.' The post Shoah Foundation Collecting testimony from October 7th survivors appeared first on World Israel News.

Hamas leader's son spent the equivalent of two years' salary for the average Gazan on jewelry. The post IDF-recovered receipts prove Hamas financial exploitation appeared first on World Israel News.

Hamas leader's son spent the equivalent of two years' salary for the average Gazan on jewelry. The post IDF-recovered receipts prove Hamas financial exploitation appeared first on World Israel News.

All Global Research articles can be read in 51 languages by activating the Translate Website button below the author’s name (only available in desktop version). To receive Global Research’s Daily Newsletter (selected articles), click here. Click the share button … The post Apartheid Israel’s Terrorism Against Gaza. A Fascist Zionist Plot appeared first on Global Research.

Las Vegas, Nevada – A college professor suspected to be the gunman responsible for a deadly shooting at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) has been identified as Anthony Polito, according to law enforcement sources. The shooting, which left three people dead and one injured, occurred on the campus of UNLV before the perpetrator was killed by police. Anthony Polito, 67, described himself as a “semi-retired university professor” on his LinkedIn profile. He had ... Read more

Netanyahu warns Hezbollah not to escalate conflict with Israel, hinting at possible ground campaign in southern Lebanon. The post Netanyahu threatens to turn ‘Beirut into Gaza’ after Israeli murdered in Hezbollah attack appeared first on World Israel News.

Netanyahu warns Hezbollah not to escalate conflict with Israel, hinting at possible ground campaign in southern Lebanon. The post Netanyahu threatens to turn ‘Beirut into Gaza’ after Israeli murdered in Hezbollah attack appeared first on World Israel News.

All Global Research articles can be read in 51 languages by activating the “Translate Website” drop down menu on the top banner of our home page (Desktop version). To receive Global Research’s Daily Newsletter (selected articles), click here. Visit … The post December 7, 1941: The Bombing of Pearl Harbor and Japan’s Early Conquests 82 Years Ago appeared first on Global Research.

Washington knew a Japanese fleet was on its way to Pearl Harbor, but welcomed the attack since a Japanese aggression would make it possible to “sell” the war to an anti-war American public. The post 82 Years Ago: The Pearl Harbor “False Flag” and The Wars of Corporate America appeared first on Global Research.

Due to the sealed borders and the minuscule passage of food, water medicine and fuel through the single Rafah crossing from Egypt, many Palestinians are already down to a single meal a day.  . But now, according to the Israeli … The post Genocide: Israel’s Mass Starvation Campaign, Targeting Children appeared first on Global Research.

Arábia Saudita, Catar, Egito, Turquia e Irã são potências regionais e, portanto, lideranças na região do Oriente Médio e entre os países de maioria islâmica. Contudo, a maioria desses países tem sido complacente com a humilhação imposta por Israel ao … The post Flagelados houthis humilham os vassalos dos EUA no Oriente Médio appeared first on Global Research.

Number of IDF soldiers killed in Gaza operation rises to 89 as former chief of staff Gadi Eizenkot's son killed in the line of duty. The post Son of Israeli minister, former IDF chief, killed in Gaza appeared first on World Israel News.

Number of IDF soldiers killed in Gaza operation rises to 89 as former chief of staff Gadi Eizenkot's son killed in the line of duty. The post Son of Israeli minister, former IDF chief, killed in Gaza appeared first on World Israel News.

All Global Research articles can be read in 51 languages by activating the Translate Website button below the author’s name (only available in desktop version). To receive Global Research’s Daily Newsletter (selected articles), click here. Click the share button … The post The ‘Greater Israel’ Scheme and Its Global Power Play: A Delusional Recipe for Armageddon appeared first on Global Research.

Featured image: A destroyed Vindicator at Ewa field, the victim of one of the smaller attacks on the approach to Pearl Harbor (Source: Wikimedia Commons). First published on December 4, 2017 December 7, 1941. Eighty-two years ago. incisive … The post Remember Pearl Harbor: Provoking Japan, Provoking North Korea appeared first on Global Research.

All Global Research articles can be read in 51 languages by activating the Translate Website button below the author’s name (only available in desktop version). To receive Global Research’s Daily Newsletter (selected articles), click here. Click the share button … The post The War In Ukraine Would Have Been Over in March 2022, if the U.S. Had not Sabotaged the Istanbul Peace Negotations. Washington Post appeared first on Global Research.

All Global Research articles can be read in 51 languages by activating the Translate Website button below the author’s name (only available in desktop version). To receive Global Research’s Daily Newsletter (selected articles), click here. Click the share button … The post “The US and the UK prefer a long war in Ukraine rather than peace,” Interview with Unver Sel appeared first on Global Research.

All Global Research articles can be read in 51 languages by activating the Translate Website button below the author’s name (only available in desktop version). To receive Global Research’s Daily Newsletter (selected articles), click here. Click the share button … The post How Israel Uses an AI Genocide Program to Obliterate Gaza appeared first on Global Research.

Está a emergir uma ala radical entre os militantes pró-UE. Numa declaração recente, um proeminente político alemão de alto escalão apelou à Europa para ter armas nucleares para “dissuadir” a Rússia. Além de irresponsáveis, as suas palavras soam verdadeiramente ingênuas … The post Político alemão anti-russo pede que a UE obtenha armas nucleares. appeared first on Global Research.

Ethiopia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which are set to become full members of the Brics economic bloc on January 1, 2024, committed to utilising the platform to enhance their all-round relations and cooperation

The Sino-UAE diplomatic relations, based on the spirit of collaboration and mutual respect, have notably strengthened over recent years, said Hussain bin Ibrahim Al Hammadi, ambassador of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to China

The impact of Western sanctions on Russia has inadvertently created a "window of opportunity" for Brazil, according to the country's ambassador, Rodrigo Baena Soares

The political West has been (ab)using hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians as cannon fodder against Russia while heavily exploiting their country. In addition, the weapons that were supposed to be "game changers" turned out to be nothing more than a ludicrous myth of the Western "technological superiority".

Following the collapse of the temporary pause in fighting, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed that Israel’s war against Hamas will continue until “total victory.” In conjunction with renewed violence in Gaza, there has been the continued, wild ramping up of ultranationalist fervor in Israel, and a clampdown on any and all calls for

Sitka, Kentucky – A 61-year-old father has been arrested in Johnson County, Kentucky after allegedly shooting his own son last week for disregarding his order to be quiet. Timothy L. Rivers faces charges of attempted murder, wanton endangerment, cultivating marijuana plants, contempt of court, and nonpayment of court fees or fines. The latter two charges are unrelated to the shooting incident. The arrest of Rivers came after deputies from the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office responded ... Read more

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is the often-hidden wound of war. Post-9/11 wars added hundreds of thousands of former service members to the patient rolls of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) — the nation’s largest public health care system — to get treatment for anger and depression, substance abuse, suicidal ideation, and past exposure to

This dank, unpleasant A24 comedy-drama starring Nicolas Cage is currently playing in theaters. But nobody is likely to break an ankle rushing out to see it. The film’s potentially funny premise about a dull, professionally thwarted professor and all-around mediocrity who suddenly starts turning up in many random people’s dreams, which brings him a strange

German officials have made contradictory statements about what the country's position should be regarding the Ukrainian conflict.

Ukraine sinks deeper into the abyss as the West loses interest.

The current Israeli onslaught is above all a war being waged against the civilian population of Gaza. But it is also a war on the very concept of objective reality and the language we need to describe it. It has generated two entirely separate worlds of discourse, one based on the true character of Israel’s

On New Year’s Eve 2021, I had, like many other New Yorkers, imbibed a bit. So when I awoke in the new year and took off for a trip to the Bronx, I quickly realized that the previous year wasn’t quite finished with me yet. I needed a bathroom, and quick. I frantically searched for

While there are countless angles from which to approach Tim Alberta’s incisive forthcoming book, The Kingdom, The Power, and The Glory, I determined the most honest starting point would be to follow Alberta’s example: by making it personal. I’m a neophyte in the world of Protestantism, with my wife and I deciding just this past spring to start attending a non-denominational church near our home in Virginia. I grew up Catholic in New England, born just a few years before The Boston Globe published its landmark investigation into clerical sex abuse that roiled my archdiocese for years to come. In middle school, I was baptized in the Latter-day Saint church before spending most of high school in a syncretic skeptical wilderness, marked by superficial forays into progressive Christian theology, Buddhism, and the like. My experience of Protestantism through the first two decades of my life was limited to email exchanges with the late theologian Marcus Borg and brief attendance at an Episcopal church adjacent to my hometown’s common. In college, I occasionally attended a Bible study organized by a friend who was active in Chi Alpha Campus Ministry, but my frame of reference for Protestantism was decidedly limited, with evangelical an abstraction confined to the South. I include this prologue for two reasons: First, to acknowledge that, despite joy in my new church family, I write this review as someone who still feels like an observer, slowly getting acquainted with a less familiar world. Second, I have wrestled with the extremes of how to relate faith to politics. In mid-college, I returned to the Roman Catholic Church. With convert zeal, I gravitated toward traditionalism and integration (“integralism”) of church and state, with the latter subordinate to the former, formally or informally. In its more simplistic form, this consisted of a longing for the mirage of halcyon days of Catholic monarchy; later, it manifested in a fascination with the rise of neo-integralism, which seemed to add intellectual heft to preexisting proclivities. Unlike the intermingling of evangelical Christianity and politics that Alberta recounts, I was not unflinchingly moored to a single party. And as one might expect of a college student, my own views on faith and politics were, retrospectively, mired in contradictions. Yet, despite my own unfamiliarity with Protestantism, I could not help but feel a kinship with the story Alberta tells: A faith writ large wrestling, consciously or not, with its own insecurities about the world at large. Alberta covers the moral failures of American Protestants in depth. His in-depth account of a conformist, fear-driven culture at Liberty University is poignant and cautionary, serving as an avatar of the broader issues confronting politically-infused evangelical Christianity. His account of the Southern Baptist Convention’s reckoning with sexual abuse is also penetrating. The book is at its best in shedding light on how American evangelicals have confronted – and continue to navigate – the relationship between faith and politics. Across his travels, Alberta recounts a colorful cast of characters and churches. This includes congregations that appear to be filled with more guns than Bibles; stages filled with hucksters and conspiracy snake oil salesmen selling anger on the cheap (or not so cheap, depending on the conference); and many others. Even if these examples can be dismissed as on the fringes of society, the fringes still matter. Alberta tells the stories of numerous pastors struggling to cope with a vocal minority of congregants aggressively pushing back on any perceived departure from conservative – or all too often, Trumpian – political orthodoxy. In other cases, pastors have embraced the political altar call as a marketing tool to grow their respective flocks. Churches are torn apart, congregants leaving en masse. While cautioning that this is not the story of every church in America, it is impossible to read Alberta’s account without being struck by the wake of destruction left in recent years. Stepping back, Alberta traces the story of the Religious Right from the latter half of the 20th century to today, highlighting those individuals, like Jerry Falwell, Sr., who grew increasingly convinced of the need for a politicized Christianity – a faith armed for a culture war. While criticism of Falwell Sr. (and Jr.) is a well-trodden path, there is a legitimate question at the heart of American Christianity which the Religious Right arose to answer: How should Christians engage the cultural and political landscape of the country at large that seems to be departing from Christian values? One response is to seek to leverage political power. But Alberta, both on his own and through his interviews, raises several objections. I’ll mention two. The first is the closing words of the book, a verse from Second Corinthians: “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” Broadly, the church has lost sight of the heavenly end to which it aspires, the victory which Christ has won, by turning politics – and more fundamentally, winning – into an end unto itself. The second is that politicized Christianity has won some battles, while losing the war. By shedding concerns about a president’s character, for example, the purveyors of politicized Christianity diminish the church’s moral witness. Indeed, Alberta cites a multitude of statistics on the erosion of American Christianity. In one interview, Alberta questions Pastor Robert Jeffress about how many evangelical leaders and congregants could rationalize moral compromises with politicians and other political actors. He offered two words in response: “Under siege.” This illuminates one of the central tensions of politicized Christianity, for both Protestants and Catholics: There is a strong temptation to harness political means for religious ends by using state power to push back against encroaching secular culture. Putting aside theological qualms, there is a practical difficulty with this modus operandi as Christianity declines – a decline that Alberta links closely with Christianity’s politicization. Put more bluntly: The logic of politicized faith is self-destructive, with the besieged culture warriors hemorrhaging numbers, further reifying a fear-based political faith. So, what is the answer to the legitimate question the Religious Right tried, and failed, to address? From where I stand today, I would eschew both Christian nationalism and integralism, but also quietism. The starting point, as Alberta suggests in his close, is to fix on those unseen, eternal things, confidently reasserting a Gospel-centered witness distinct from the things of this world. The post Review of Tim Alberta’s “The Kingdom, The Power, and The Glory: American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism” appeared first on Providence.

The late Tony Benn once observed that there always seems to be money for war, but never enough to meet people’s basic needs. “If we can find the money to kill people,” he argued, “we can find the money to help people.” Recent events in the European Union seem to be proving him right. The

Austin, Texas – A 34-year-old man has been arrested after a daylong shooting spree that resulted in the deaths of six people and injuries to three others in Austin and San Antonio.. The suspect, identified as Shane James Jr., has been taken into custody and charged with capital murder. The authorities believe that James also killed his parents in the San Antonio area. The victims in San Antonio were identified as Shane James Sr., 56, ... Read more

Las Vegas, NV – An active shooter situation unfolded at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, on Wed, resulting in the death of the suspect and three victims. Police responded swiftly to the incident, neutralizing the shooter and ensuring the safety of the community. The university issued a warning to students, instructing them to take cover while law enforcement personnel secured the area. The FBI has joined local authorities in their investigation. Las Vegas Metropolitan ... Read more

Move would see BRICS possess 80% of oil and 73% of gas global reserves

Late last year, eleven Hindu extremists walked free from a prison in India’s Gujarat state. Their crime: brutally gang-raping a pregnant Muslim woman and murdering fourteen members of her family in 2002, during one of the worst outbreaks of anti-Muslim violence in recent Indian history. They served just fourteen years in prison — but far

The BRICS New Development Bank (NDB) has approved a loan of 50 million U.S. dollars equivalent in RMB to the Bank of Huzhou for the Sustainable Infrastructure Project, marking its first non-sovereign loan in China, the bank announced

BRICS unites the efforts of countries seeking to overcome Western imperialist-economic hegemony on the path of strengthening economic integration and developing economic activities

Evgeny Morozov has spent more than a decade studying the transformations unleashed by the internet. He became famous with two internationally awarded books, The Net Delusion: The Dark Side of Internet Freedom (2012) and To Save Everything, Click Here: The Folly of Technological Solutionism (2013), before turning to study the connection between technology, political economy,

Caracas should tread carefully, as the wounded beast in Washington DC is desperate for a win after it made a historic mistake of taking on Russia, a resurgent superpower that has effectively defeated America's crawling aggression in Europe. The belligerent thalassocracy doesn't need much in terms of excuses for an invasion, especially so close to home.

Wilhelm Liebknecht died of a stroke on August 7, 1900. The night before, he had been working as usual in his office in the editorial rooms of the socialist newspaper Vorwärts until after midnight. His funeral five days later was attended by fifty thousand people. The mourners accompanied the procession from the middle of Berlin

Europe continues to suffer as it tries to separate from Russian gas.

According to John Bolton, the US must prepare to neutralize Russian diplomatic moves.

I remember the first time I ever heard a US politician publicly defend Palestinians. It was April 14, 2016, and I was watching a Democratic presidential debate between the handpicked successor to Barack Obama and this grizzled, self-styled democratic socialist that seemed angry about everything. The latter, Bernie Sanders, decided to do something unprecedented that

Whether it’s Proud Boys storming the Capitol or Shamed Men penning public apologies for egregious sexual misconduct, men aren’t always making it easy to rush to their defense. Nevertheless, two recent books by unlikely bedfellows, the first by feminist critic and essayist Jessa Crispin and the second by liberal political commentator Richard Reeves, do just

This summer, French environmentalist collective Earth Uprisings looked set to be banned — but it has now survived the attack by President Emmanuel Macron’s government. On November 9, France’s highest administrative court threw out an official decree to outlaw the movement, which has led campaigns against large infrastructure and land-development projects and boasts over a

Since the beginning of the Russo-Ukrainian war, a common concern has been that mission fatigue in the West could reduce support for Ukraine as the months and years of conflict drag on. On the other hand, the Russian regime could persist due to its stranglehold on the information space in its country, as well as through sheer indifference to popular opinion. However, contrary to the more common aforementioned narrative, the facts can be read differently to suggest that Western resolve is actually more resilient than Russian society’s support for the war. There is an argument to be made that Russia may perhaps be more threatened by fatigue than the alliance backing Ukraine, something worth considering as a counterweight to the more common perspective. In support of this more optimistic view, one can juxtapose two recent surveys. The first comes from the United States. On October 5, a new Reuters-Ipsos poll found that Americans favored sending arms to Ukraine at 41% versus 35% in opposition. This does mean that backing for the provision of weaponry had declined by five percentage points since May. However, it should be noted that support showed “a sharp rise” in June. If the figure can increase as well as decrease, that suggests that the issue is not simply fatigue which consistently depresses support for fighting Russia with time, but rather Ukraine’s sluggish battlefield performance in recent months. Therefore, a breakthrough, which may be heralded by the beachhead in Kherson or the arrival of F-16s, could reverse the decline. In any case, the data still show that a plurality supports arming Ukraine. Notably, the issue is more controversial in the United States than in most other Western countries. The second poll comes from Russia. Bloomberg reports that in a survey conducted among Russians in late October, 48% stated “it was time to negotiate a peace deal,” whereas only 39% were for “pressing on with the war,” showing a plurality favors a ceasefire. Support for negotiations was the strongest it had been since April 2022, when the organization which produced the poll on the invasion. Additionally, 58% of respondents were against a hypothetical further mobilization. This reporting should perhaps be qualified, as the same study yielded other, less encouraging results. For instance, it found that 52% of respondents opposed a “withdrawal of troops,” whereas 32% supported it. At times, the responses seem almost schizophrenic. Thus, 25% oppose “offensive operations” – a smaller share than supports withdrawing troops! A majority thinks Russia is moving “in the right direction,” but a large plurality thinks Russians’ well-being will deteriorate over the next one to two years. 56% think Russia is waging its invasion “successfully,” yet 74% say they would support a peace agreement signed by Putin “tomorrow,” with just 18% opposed. Interestingly, 50% distrust official accounts of the state of the war, as opposed to 44% who trust them. When one looks past the confusion, a whole array of measures suggests that support for the war has declined to the lowest level since its outset. Depending on which data points are considered more significant, one could argue that the results still show majority support for the war, but opinion polls in Russia do appear to be skewed by a fear of answering truthfully. In April 2022, a study designed to eliminate such bias indicated that 68% of Russians in the sample used claimed to support “[a]ctions of the Russian armed forces in Ukraine” when asked about that specific issue. However, the true figure was only 53%, as shown by a “list experiment” which asked the same question in a more roundabout way. If one assumes, rather unscientifically, that the same gap of 15 points applies to the new data, then true support for continuing the war could be at just 24%. It seems highly unlikely to be that low in reality, but the essential idea is that polls probably overstate how favorably Russians view the war. Russian Field, the company behind this poll, is linked to the Russian opposition, but its past findings seem to be reliable and consistent with those of other polling agencies. There are further indications that the Russian public may be souring on the war. The British Ministry of Defense’s intelligence update for November 20 focuses on the growing dissatisfaction among Russian soldiers and their families. This discontent is elicited by what seems to be “indefinitely extended combat deployments of personnel without rotation.” In early November, the spouses of Russian servicemen held an open demonstration in Moscow, an apparently unprecedented occurrence during this war, and called for their husbands to be given a break. Other anecdotal evidence likewise suggests that a substantial portion of the population is fed up with the Kremlin’s military actions, even sometimes taking mild risks to protest. In November, the governor of the Komi Republic, a province within Russia, grumbled that there were too few public expressions of support for the war, including on public transportation. According to him, the contractors responsible for public transport refused to hang up militarist inscriptions, citing concerns that such an action might provoke vandalism. This story may be indicative of popular moods in Russia. It is perhaps significant that the Komi Republic is largely peopled with ethnic Russians, though not as overwhelmingly as Moscow and Saint Petersburg. Accordingly, it is not among the regions where one would most expect protests to take place. Alexey Kovalev observes that casualties of the fighting in Ukraine have been disproportionately borne by Russia’s ethnic minorities. Moreover, the “ethnic republics” from which those soldiers are drawn are some of the country’s “poorest regions,” and the Russian Field survey finds lower enthusiasm for the war among poorer citizens. Even if Russians clearly favored ending the war in theory, that would not necessarily translate into insurmountable pressure on the government. However, as the authors of the list experiment argued, “popular support” is necessary for “actors from within the elite” to challenge a regime like Vladimir Putin’s. In this way, the common man’s opinions may be highly consequential for the Kremlin. An important aspect of Russian attitudes to the war is their implications for the prospect of future mobilization. As mentioned, a solid majority seems to oppose any further mass conscription. Yet such a measure may become increasingly necessary as tactical trends continue. Judging by the tidal wave of emigration occasioned by the first mobilization, this is a serious issue for the Russian public. Time will tell whether the Kremlin will continue to avoid drafting more men and risk compromising its military or choose mass conscription, potentially triggering backlash from the Russian population. Russia’s presidential elections in March are not meaningful like Western elections are, but nevertheless serve as a temperature check on the public’s mood; their results will likely inform Putin, and the West, of how much political capital Russia’s ruler still has to spend. The post Russia’s March Elections Will Tell Who Wants Victory in Ukraine More appeared first on Providence.

Immanuel Wallerstein was a creative thinker who believed that conventional social science represented the interests of the powerful. Born in New York City in 1930, the place he would later identify as the capital of the world economy, Wallerstein spent his life challenging dominant social-scientific and cultural views of global capitalism. By the time he

Come this February, it will be two years since the Russian invasion of Ukraine.  History teaches us that, while no conflict can last forever, some can still drag on far longer than others.  At the conclusion of any war, amidst so much suffering, the supposedly noble ends it was fought over may come to seem dubious.  History also teaches that war has been the standard practice of nations since time immemorial; trying to take measure and advantage of enemies and striking at the opportune moment.  The injustice of war has so thoroughly permeated the justice of war, that in the aftermath one is left with a confusing sense of which is greater:  the cause for which one fought, or the tragic bloodshed and tears spilled in that pursuit.  Imagining a just end to the Ukraine war becomes an obligation not only for those claiming to be Christian, but to any person with the slightest feeling of humanity.  How then, will the Ukraine war end, and what will be gained or lost by it?  Four scenarios to be explored come to mind. No. 1, The Capitulation of Ukraine:  No doubt, Vladimir Putin bit off a bit more than he expected to chew by attacking Ukraine.  Putin’s generals likely predicted a speedy resolution, just as Yeltsin’s generals predicted a swift victory in what would become known as the First Chechen War from 1994-96.  Yet the original Chechen campaign was not successful, and the Second Chechen War was more horrible still.  Given his experience with costly wars, Putin must be wondering how he can sustain his current invasion.  Mostly likely he is gambling on Biden losing power after the election and our new President and Congress choosing to capitulate in our responsibility to Ukraine.  If NATO and the West fail to back Ukraine, this loss of support will translate into a loss of potency and resolve.  Russia will then encroach further into Ukrainian territory.  A victory for Putin would embolden other nations to follow suit, taking what they desire according to the ancient Loi du plus fort.  If we really want international law to govern, however, this would be tragic defeat for democracy and justice. It is no cosmic mystery what Putin wants.  Annexing parts of Ukraine, as much as he can, secures more total access to the warm waters of the Black Sea.  Everywhere else Russia is blocked off by icy oceans, often subject to Western or NATO influence.  Seaside access is still a vital power in a world of trade and war, and by briefly studying a map of Russia you can see why this southern region has geostrategic interest.  Yet, if Putin captures his desired territory, it will be clear “W” for authoritarianism, and an “L” for the proponents of international justice.  In sports that matters little, but in the world in which we live it means everything. No. 2, Quagmire and Status Quo:  Another possible resolution for the Ukraine conflict is a protracted war, much as like World War I, with no real territorial gain.  In this case, the war will grind to a halt somewhere near the current fighting lines, give or take some territory here or there.  The Yugoslavian War was such a case, where a nation was destroyed, and a new political reality was established.  In this case, a rump Ukraine would be maimed and injured, its soldiers discouraged and humiliated that they fought a conflict without a satisfying resolution.  Yet it would at least be an end to the war, and a possible chance to pursue a new peace and world order.  Zelensky and Ukraine will not settle for this end, of course.   Nonetheless, if the war grinds on too long, and Western or other aid is insufficient, Ukraine may be forced to this negotiating table with no prospect of a better end. No. 3, 2022 Boundaries Restored:  The most just end to this war would roll back the borders to the point prior to where Putin’s 2022 aggression began.  It would reset the borders to that time and stop the shooting.  This is the best scenario in the eyes of morally realist observers, but Putin’s will is set against it, and Zelensky’s ambitions run a bit further.  Unless Ukraine scores dramatic battlefield victories, which usually compel warring parties to negotiate for peace, they may find this outcome difficult, and the prior one more likely.  Clearly, however, Ukraine demands more.   No. 4, Rolling back Russia Completely:  Zelensky has pledged that Ukraine will not remain idle. Indeed, he hopes that Russia’s armed forces will be rolled back completely and that even Crimea, lost in 2014, will be retaken.  From the standpoint of international justice and Western interests, this may seem like the best-case scenario, but it is also the one which entails the greatest possible hazard.  It risks a brinksmanship that pushes a nuclear power to the limits of its own patience.  So far, Putin’s nuclear saber-rattling has proven to be just bluster.  But if Putin feels himself threatened or another man of even less moral resolve comes to power, who knows what ugly end might come?  Rolling Russia back may well be a just and rewarding endeavor, but dare we back the nuclear-fanged cat too far into the corner?  As much as a just, democratic, and Christian mind supports Zelensky in this maximalist approach, a realist must anticipate the unpredictable hazards of an extended war.             Most will agree that the first of these options – capitulation – is the worst.  The second one is not as satisfactory as the third, but the fourth maximalist approach that Zelensky has espoused also entails much risk.  Something between the second and third option seems the most probable, with the third clearly being more just.  Pensively sitting in his chair, this writer is blessed with peace and security.  For the sake of those fighting on the front lines in Ukraine, however, we need to start imagining the most satisfactory yet realistic conclusion to the war.  Without a decisive Ukrainian victory on the battlefield, which might force a change in Putin’s resolve, bringing that just diplomatic resolution is still very difficult.  That Russia withdraws to the pre-February 2022 borders is a just expectation, and beyond that there will be wrangling over the status of Crimea.  That wars have long been the standard of international business does not mean they should be.  Wars kill, disrupt, and render homeless countless civilians.  They turn children into orphans and wives into widows.  The proper use of diplomacy has always been a time-honored way to end wars.   The question is the price tag for peace, which in blood has already claimed hundreds of thousands of lives.  Who will find the right words and ideas, so that sabers can again be sheathed? The post Four Endings to the War in Ukraine appeared first on Providence.

Throughout history, the preservation of peace and stability among nations has been of paramount concern to leaders whether city-states, empires, or nations as we have today. In the past, nations formed alliances as a means of preserving and protecting states. With the coming of the First World War, former alliances were seen as ineffective

"As the Foreign Ministry, we will continue working toward Bolivia’s joining BRICS as a full-fledged member as well as activating new mechanisms of financial integration between countries of the Global South which would reduce dependence on the dollar," Celinda Sosa said

Brazil has high expectations for Russia’s BRICS presidency in 2024, the country’s Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira said in a message

The objective would be to protect Europe from Moscow, which is naively seen as a "threat" by pro-Western European politicians.

Although it may seem ironic to many Ukrainians, their only chance for survival is Moscow. As evidenced by the changes occurring in former Ukrainian regions that joined Russia, this is the only way to ensure that the political West's brutal occupation ends.

Nearly half of Americans think the US is spending too much on Ukraine aid - AP-NORC poll.

> Nigeria hopes to become a member of the BRICS group of nations within the next two years, a report by Bloomberg has disclosed

China is willing to continue strengthening dialogue and cooperation with Brazil within the frameworks including the World Trade Organization, G20 (the Group of 20) and BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa), said a senior government official

Ethiopia’s entry into BRICS is one of the great moments the country has achieved in its modern diplomacy, Foreign Affairs State Minister Misganu Arga said

All the latest developments indicate that the West see no other alternative for Ukraine other than a land for peace deal.

Faced with imminent defeat on the battlefield, Western leaders are starting to admit they were wrong about Ukraine.

De-dollarisation accelerates in response to Western financial aggression.

It's important to note that Moscow is in no hurry. On the contrary, the time is working against the Kiev regime that's now facing an increasingly disillusioned populace, both at home and abroad, with many in the political West talking about the so-called "Ukraine fatigue".

In the early 1950s, as Russia recovered from WWII, two same-named baby boys were born in Leningrad. One would rise to infamy—Vladimir Putin—while the other, though more obscure, would nonetheless have an impact as my father. Their stories, converging early on but sharply diverging later, humanize what otherwise seems like a uniform and difficult history of Russia and its dwellers. This tale of two Vladimirs also highlights the way our loves orient and shape our character. One of the Vladimirs always placed the love of power first while the other ordered his life around love of family and scientific research. Originally—and now again—named St. Petersburg, the two Vladimirs’ birthplace was the city of Peter the Great, the Tsar who modernized Russia in the early eighteenth century. In proper authoritarian manner, he claimed sovereignty even over the great northern swamps by the Neva River. Workers draining the swamps and building the city died in droves, but Peter’s dream was complete: a glorious city like no other, dubbed the Russian Venice. The city was the focal point of the Bolshevik Revolution and was duly rechristened as Leningrad, in honor of Russia’s new leader. The next quarter century was not an easy time for the city or Russia, as it lived through bloody purges first at the hands of Lenin, then those of Stalin. Then there was the Great Patriotic War, known to the rest of the world as World War II. During that war, Leningrad was blockaded by the Germans for 872 days, from fall of 1941 to early winter of 1944. An estimated 1.5 million people died during this siege, many from starvation. But by the early 1950s, the city was on the upswing and the arrival of the two Vladimirs must have seemed a tangible reminder of the renewal of life for their respective families. The similarities between the two Vladimirs’ life trajectories highlight and exemplify the standardization of Soviet life experiences for most citizens. Yet, their stories also bring forth the significance of individual choices in shaping one’s life and character. Vladimir Putin was the youngest of three, but both his brothers had died before his birth. The first perished as an infant before WWII, while the second died of starvation during the siege of Leningrad—part of that horrific statistic of 1.5 million dead. The other Vladimir was the younger of two boys born in quick succession to two research scientist parents. The fathers in both families served in the Red Army during the war and survived while the mothers in both families had withstood starvation during the blockade of Leningrad, even as it killed so many friends and relatives all around them. The death of Stalin in March 1953 ushered in a new, slightly gentler Communism. No more purges and executions in the dead of night. The Gulags, while continuing in some form, were less brutal and widespread. Still, we would be remiss to not note the highly anxious world the two Vladimirs imbibed growing up. My father spent some of his childhood away from Leningrad, in Sverdlovsk, where his parents worked at a top-secret research facility. But, by the time college rolled around, they were back in Leningrad. And so it was that the two Vladimirs were students at the same time at Leningrad State University, where Putin studied law while my father studied nuclear physics. It is here that each of them made a decision that would shape the course of his life thereafter. Putin would join the Communist Party while my father quietly refused. Following graduation, Putin was recruited by the KGB; the first of many steps leading over the course of the following quarter century to promotion after promotion into higher and higher echelons of Soviet and post-Soviet leadership. My father, on the other hand, became a scientist in the Leningrad Institute of Nuclear Physics. Within just a couple of years of each other, each of the two Vladimirs got married and bought the same first car: the Zaporozhets, a cheap and readily available car named after its production facility in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, a city that made the news over the past year and a half because of Russian attempts to take over its nuclear reactor. In retrospect, several salient pivotal points are apparent in the lives of both Vladimirs; obviously significant to us in hindsight, yet undoubtedly more ambivalent at the time for these young men. The decision to join or forgo the Community Party is one such choice. But another was each Vladimir’s choice of a spouse. While Putin married a fellow Russian, my father married a Ukrainian Jew, most of whose family perished during the Holocaust. His decision to abstain from the Party and to marry a Jew likely negatively affected my father’s potential for career advancement in Russia. Though he wrote a doctoral dissertation, he was never allowed to defend it. Neither was he allowed to travel for conferences outside the country. Both of these “prizes” were the purview of Party members alone—indeed, Vladimir Putin both defended a (probably plagiarized) PhD dissertation of his own (in Economics) and had traveled abroad, working for a time in Germany in the 1980s, still a time of closed borders. 1991, however, proved to be the year of greatest divergence for the two Vladimirs. It was in that year, a time of open borders shortly before the Soviet Union collapsed, that my father immigrated with the rest of my immediate family to Israel—a choice made possible by my mother’s ethnic identity. My father’s work subsequently brought him—and the rest of us—to the United States in 1996, and we have been here ever since. For the other Vladimir as well, 1991 was a momentous year, one fraught with peril. For many prominent Communists, after all, the fall of the Soviet Union was a moment of despair and danger, existential as much as physical. Such is, indeed, the story of Svetlana Alexievich’s masterful and heartbreaking Secondhand Time: The Last of the Soviets. But Putin managed to turn what seemed to be poison lemons for some of his peers into the most potent lemonade imaginable. First, he became interim president following Boris Yeltsin’s resignation in 1999. Promptly elected to an official first term of his own in 2000, he has been de facto in charge of Russia ever since. That which we love shapes us, and this is true of every individual, famous, infamous, and obscure alike. We all begin lives just the same—as tiny, fragile, powerless infants. So it was with the two Vladimirs. We forget sometimes that every tyrant, every monster in the eyes of history, once entered the world like this. But a lifetime of little daily decisions and circumstances shapes us into who we are seven decades later. And so, a lifetime of pursuing power and loving it more than anything else has shaped Putin into who he is today—someone with no pity or mercy for any person or nation. None of our souls is capable of resisting the pull of evil amidst mounting daily decisions to put power first instead of love of God and neighbor. The evil of Communism undoubtedly also played a role in desensitizing Putin and other apparatchiks to the evil around them; we can never forget the evil Lenin and his ilk chose to unleash upon Russia and the world for generations to come. Yet, even if Russian society was designed to malform Russians according to the dictates of Marxism, not all assented so willingly to the corruption of their souls. My father chose not to be complicit, or at least be less complicit, in the evils of Communism even as it hurt his career and minimized his place in Soviet society. Human beings are partially but not entirely the products of their environments. As our examination of the lives and loves of the two Vladimirs has shown, we are all capable of choosing good or evil when the time comes. The post A Tale of Two Vladimirs appeared first on Providence.

For people under 60 years of age, Henry Kissinger has loomed large their whole lives.  Already a prominent thinker on global statecraft and nuclear weapons starting in the 1950s, he effectively managed Richard Nixon’s foreign policy from 1969 as National Security Advisor and eventually as Secretary of State, which he continued under Gerald Ford until 1977. Beyond any other Secretary of State in history, much less National Security Advisor, Kissinger was a superstar.  After his shuttle diplomacy between Israel and Arab capitals during and after the 1973 Yom Kippur War, he became known as “Super K.” His reputed romantic life with Hollywood stars, supposedly suggested by Nixon to make him appear human, was much reported.  He was declared the “sexiest man alive” based not on his short and pudgy looks but his brilliant mind. In fourth grade at my Virginia grade school in the mid-1970s, we were required to write public figures to award them our “good guy of the month” award.  I wrote Kissinger, receiving back his signed photo, which was pinned to the class bulletin board.  There were good natured jokes about him among my grandmother’s church friends. I don’t recall the details, but something about the “smartest man” in the world jumping out of a crashing plane with a gunnysack instead of the last parachute.  Everybody in the 1970s, whether supportive or horrified, was intrigued by Kissinger.   The fascination with Kissinger did not end with his departure from public office when Ford was defeated for reelection.  For the last 46 years, as a senior statesman, Kissinger remained the premier global strategist.  In 1978, everybody awaited with bated breath his testimony on President Carter’s SALT II treaty with the Soviets.  His ambivalence, suggesting support but only with large military spending increases, helped to kill ratification. In 1980 he endorsed Ronald Reagan by visiting him for a photo op at a Virginia country estate. Originally a close advisor to New York governor and sometimes presidential candidate Nelson Rockefeller, Kissinger offered counsel to every president from JFK through Joe Biden, which surely has no precedent. Even at the end, Kissinger noted that he could phone either Putin or Xi Jinping and they would likely answer. Kissinger’s counsel was usually received respectfully and even appreciatively, despite his being despised by critics on the left and right. The Left disdained him for the Vietnam War, especially the bombing of Cambodia, for his support for Indonesia when seizing East Timor, for Pakistan’s brutal effort to retain Bangladesh, and for Pinochet’s overthrow of Allende in Chile. The Right despised him for “abandoning” southeast Asia, for détente with the Soviets, for SALT I and the ABM Treaty, for his opening to and lifelong ties to Communist China, for his perceived amorality in favor of realpolitik. Kissinger was ostensibly Machiavellian. Supposedly he modeled himself on Metternich, the cleverly opportunistic early 19th century Austrian diplomat.         Metternich was indeed a model for Kissinger for having helped orchestrate the “concert of Europe” after Napoleon, which kept an approximate European peace for several decades. Kissinger acknowledged America’s Wilsonian and Puritan impulses for a better world governed by law and safe for democracy, with peace as the goal. But he saw his goal as not seeking total victory or total peace but forestalling the worst alternatives. There could be relative wins, and relative peace, but there is always another struggle. He eschewed excessive idealism. Kissinger wanted to keep America safe and strong. Unlike Reagan, who strove to defeat the Soviet Union and end the Cold War (“They lose, we win.”), he wanted at least to keep the Soviets at bay. Kissinger was managing America’s weakness in the 1970s. The Vietnam War, which had divided America, was deemed unwinnable, but there had to be a fighting retreat to avoid complete humiliation, with its strategic consequences. Kissinger partly camouflaged this retreat by the opening to China, sealing China’s break with the Soviets and effective alignment with America. He negotiated arms control with the Soviets partly due to America’s growing antipathy towards military spending and overseas commitments. He felt constrained to support unsavory rightist allies, in Chile, Indonesia, Pakistan, Iran and Greece, because the U.S could not afford to lose further ground to Soviet proxies. He sought to contain Soviet adventurism in Africa by supporting proxies fighting the new Marxist regime in Angola (which Congress blocked), effectively aligning America with apartheid South Africa. For Kissinger, these alignments were far preferable to Soviet advances. He was playing for time, especially after Watergate and Nixon’s fall weakened the presidency. An actual Cold War victory was not on Kissinger’s radar. He was a master strategist, not a visionary. His family were Jewish escapees from Nazi Germany, so Kissinger had no illusions about the world’s depravities. He was not, to my knowledge, religious, although he was respectful of religion. Reportedly in recent years, if only bemusedly, he evinced interest in Roman Catholicism. Metternich, after all, in his later years negotiated with the Catholic Church over his possible return to its fold. Kissinger always appreciated diplomatic drama. When Kissinger spoke to the 1980 Republican Convention there were fears that Reagan’s supporters might boo him. In 1976, Reagan had made opposition to Kissinger’s and Ford’s foreign policy a centerpiece of his campaign. But Kissinger was treated respectfully, although his speech was dry and professorial, lacking in convention hoopla, of course, as he did not do hoopla. And Kissinger was largely accepted as an occasional unofficial advisor for Reagan.   In the early 1980s, I was a college intern at a group advocating for anti-ballistic missile defense, which was widely called “Star Wars,” and which Reagan endorsed as his Strategic Defense Initiative.  To the surprise of many, Kissinger, despite having negotiated the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty under Nixon, favored SDI and opposed negotiating it away, as many advocated. The leader of our missile defense group, called High Frontier, expressed surprised delight. But he said we could not openly celebrate Kissinger’s endorsement, since the conservative donors would be aghast at any positivity towards Kissinger.  Conservative distaste for Kissinger, especially as the Cold War ended successfully, eventually receded.  William Buckley, a personal friend to Kissinger, always defended him for having been on the right side for the big issues. The triumphalist years after the Soviet Union’s collapse, when American power and democracy surged, seemed somewhat of a rebuttal to Kissinger’s darker realism. But more recent years, with the rise of China and Putin’s aggression, among other unpleasantries, vindicated Kissinger’s perspective.  He was always ready for dark days, through which he usually saw a path for negotiation, from strength, with coexistence.       Kissinger was frequently called more European in his outlook than American.  He was immune to soaring Yankee optimism.  But as a former refugee, Kissinger was always a dedicated patriot committed to American strength and resolve. Participating in the liberation of a Nazi concentration camp while in the U.S. Army in 1945, Kissinger knew the dark alternatives to American and Western democratic power. “At an early age I have seen what can happen to a society that is based on hatred and strength and distrust,” Kissinger recalled at his appointment as Secretary of State. “America has never been true to itself unless it meant something beyond itself. As we work for a world at peace with justice, compassion and humanity, we know that America, in fulfilling man’s deepest aspirations, fulfills what is best within it.” As to his humanity, which critics doubted, Kissinger revered his mentor, military strategist Friz Kraemer, an anti-Nazi German who served during WWII in the U.S. Army, where he discovered young Kissinger as a brilliant protege. During the 1970s, the fiercely anti-communist Kraemer ended contact with Kissinger, disdaining his détente with the Soviets. For years Kissinger pleaded for reconciliation, which Kraemer refused. At Kraemer’s 2003 funeral at Arlington Cemetery, with the family’s permission, Kissinger tried to speak but repeatedly convulsed into tears. It was testimony enough. Hopefully Kraemer and Kissinger are now reconciled. The post Kissinger, America & Humanity appeared first on Providence.

Pakistan has submitted a request to become a member of the BRICS group of nations in 2024, with the expectation of receiving support from Russia throughout the membership application process

It's yet another push towards dedollarization as countries attempt to wean off use of the greenback

Russia could become a significant BRI-style investor in the global south

While it can certainly be argued that what Belgrade has done with the Cypriot Mi-35P gunships is a positive development for Moscow, it's questionable it did so because of its desire to aid Russia. The Eurasian giant is simply too big and powerful to need Serbian assistance. Even in the case that these helicopters ended up in the Kiev regime's hands, their usability would've been limited at best, as Moscow has already destroyed dozens of such aircraft.

Russia has been criticized for engaging with Hamas, especially after October 7, however the recent developments have shown that this approach is rational and fruitful.

The string of murder attempts, calls for resignation, cancelling of elections, character assassinations and much more point to a major fight for power in Ukraine.

London exacerbates the crisis in the Middle East by sending military ships to the Gulf.

While Destined for War (2017), a study of Sino-America rivalry through the lens of Athenian-Spartan competition by Graham Allison, professor at Harvard Kennedy School, is particularly about how to manage a relationship between reigning world powers and their emerging rivals, the lessons in it are relevant not just for foreign policy experts; anyone interested in the art of balancing powers and maintaining relationships across complicated histories and competing interests will have something to learn. A marriage, family, and child therapist might find the book as useful as an ambassador or secretary of state. If you know nothing about China, the United States or world history, Destined for War will shore up your education. The book includes: an account of how the two behemoths see the world and each other, a brief history of major conflicts in world history, and, of course, a good study of Thucydides and the devastating Peloponnesian War. Professor Larry Radway of Dartmouth first acquainted me with the greatness of Thucydides, particularly his account of the Athenian ambassadors’ cynical abrogation of the right of self-determination for Melos, a Greek island in the Aegean that had remained neutral between Sparta and Athens until that point. One might think that pure national self-interest, the dog-like attention to defending your own turf, might work well in a dog-eat-dog world. Yet, despite the claims of so-called “realists,” such a strategy works neither in a family nor international relations, or at least not for very long.  So Christian Realism advises.   According to Thucydides, the Greek father of history, Athens and Sparta went to war after decades of rivalry punctuated by occasional cooperation. Sparta, the traditional land power and stronger of the two, feared being outflanked and outspent by the rising naval power, Athens.  Each had built up a network of allies designed to strengthen and protect them from one another, but the network ended up embroiling the whole of the Greek peninsula in a war that was disastrous for all concerned, rather like mountain climbers linked up for protection who occasionally go over the brink together.   Not long after this Greek civil war, Phillip of Macedon invaded and took over the whole Greek peninsula by 336 BC.  This marked the end of what’s typically thought of as Classical Greece, often described as having begun after the Greco-Persian Wars at the dawn of the 5th century BC. Did famed historian and author of The Guns of August Barbara Tuchman read Thucydides?  I’m sure she did.   The conflict most on Professor Allison’s mind back in 2017 was the one between the US and China.  Of course, China was a great economic and military power long before the United States ratified our Constitution.  Their relationship began only some 250 years ago when an American privateer, retrofitted and renamed The Empress of China, arrived in Canton in 1784.  It returned to New York with a cargo of porcelain, from which George Washington purchased several fine pieces.  Although diplomatic relations were not formalized with an exchange of ambassadors until 1935, the United States sent official representatives beginning in 1844.  China has undergone a very difficult period from about the time of the arrival of that ship, and thousands of ships like her, until fairly recently.  While the US was at the beginning of its rapid rise, China simultaneously continued a steep decline.   Aside from the Korean War, during which American and Chinese troops were de facto at war, relations between the two countries have been peaceful and mostly amicable, with the US being a defender of Chinese independence both during late 19th Century European colonialism and during the Japanese invasion in the 1930s.  It was this support of China that caused America to impose an oil and steel embargo on Japan when its government refused to withdraw from China. When the Japanese realized it would be impossible to sustain their empire without securing natural resources from across East Asia, they attacked Pearl Harbor, hoping to cripple the US Navy long enough to seize and fortify a vast swathe of the Western Pacific.  After World War II and the triumph of Mao’s Communist Party in China’s Civil War, the wheel of fortune turned remarkably quickly.  No one on earth in 1950 expected China to become a superpower within such a short period of time, if ever. Thus, these two powers have already traded places, come into armed conflict once, and are now in a position of relative parity.  One would think that their chances of avoiding the Thucydidean Trap are pretty good.  Both countries are at the top of the world’s economic heap and very risk-averse.  Both have much to gain from their relationship and much to lose if it breaks down, as does the rest of the world. A major shooting war between the two countries would be a disaster for both and for the world at large, an even greater disaster now than it would have been a few years ago because of the major shooting war in Ukraine.  China (rather quietly) backs the Russian invasion.  The US and most of Europe are sending military aid to Ukraine.  The conflict is leading to a major upset of the world economy.  China can certainly weather this storm, but it cannot be happy about the effect on the world economy and is apparently in no mood to bail out Russia with substantial aid.  This brutal and clumsy invasion will certainly not make China’s intended digestion of Taiwan any easier.  The chance of the Taiwanese voting to become part of China now looks more remote than ever.  Professor Allison details how conflict between smaller allies tripped off the Peloponnesian War, so two small countries, one ally of the US, one ally of China, seem the likeliest places for this conflict to get out of control. Taiwan is an island of only 23 million people, whose GDP amounts to a rather minor drop in the bucket of the Chinese or American GDP.  There is no material reason to go to war over this island.  Yet the Beijing government considers Taiwan an integral part of China.  The island is likewise important to China’s neighbors, many of whom are aligned with the US because they do not wish to be dominated by China.  Some, like Vietnam, have a long and bitter history with China.  China has never controlled Japan, but it is not for lack of trying; though, given Japan’s history of exploiting China in the 20th century, the Chinese may suffer from recency bias.    In this situation, what is a realist, Christian or otherwise, to do?  What does Professor Allison (certainly a realist) recommend?  Drawing especially on his study of the Cuban Missile Crisis, when President Kennedy and Premier Khrushchev reached an accommodation, Professor Allison’s many ideas and recommendations come down to four: 1.  Clarify your vital interests.  Keep the list short.  You cannot have 100 vital interests.  Three or four will do. 2.  Understand what your counterpart is trying to do.  What are your adversary’s vital interests?  Do your best to work around them. 3.  Have a strategy.  Rank order your favored procedures.  Keep this list short also.   4.  Keep your own house in order.   Especially in light of the past five years since this book came out, this last recommendation seems the most important for both the US and China.  Neither country is in a full-blown domestic crisis at this point, but both countries, as most countries at this point, are highly stressed by the after-shocks of Covid, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and the recent outbreak of violence in the Middle East. Hopefully, somewhere in Washington or Beijing, some Chinese and American diplomats are meeting informally, over drinks perhaps, to ask each other what they can do to end the war in Ukraine; what they can do to rein in the leader of North Korea; how to manage the Taiwan Strait; what they can do to keep the world economy going.  A worldwide recession leading to further domestic unrest is not in either country’s interest. The post China, America, and Thucydides’ Trap appeared first on Providence.

In the last year, Brazil has launched a diplomatic offensive to position itself as a leader in global governance, especially climate. Amid deepening cleavages between the world’s most advanced economies and the Global South, Brazil defends multilateralism and dialogue with historically Western-dominated international institutions while highlighting the grievances of the poorest countries

The BRICS nations didn't end up announcing a new currency at their meeting this year. But Jim Rickards believes it's still in the cards — and it could be backed by gold

The government is set to take up its first New Development Bank-funded project to ensure safe water supply for Dhaka residents

Although the Serbian media generally underreport Tamara's activities, all in order to hide her unpopular behavior, the news travels through the grapevine, prompting protests and angry rebukes from patriotic organizations and political parties.

Baltic states criticize Russian Federation’s participation in a European security conference and irresponsibly try to boycott the OSCE.

How would NATO deliver F-16s and where exactly would they be based? Neighboring Poland and Romania both operate these jets and already have the necessary infrastructure, making them the likeliest candidates for stopgap basing. In addition, Slovakia and Bulgaria are in the process of acquiring F-16s and are rapidly building similar infrastructure, meaning they too are able to do the same or at least they will be soon. However, will Russia really tolerate this, considering that F-16s using NATO airbases would make them a party to the conflict?

Russian energy still keeps the Czech Republic warm during winter.

Aleksander Solzhenitsyn was the greatest Russian of all time. This is not difficult. There are many great Russians. Solzhenitsyn alone moved the world only with an idea, with his words.  Historian John Lukacs knew this. Lukacs (János Adalbert) had an extraordinary insight into Solzhenitsyn. Young Lukacs had been in Budapest in 1945 when the Red Army came in. He noted his fellow Hungarians had spread rumors that the Big Three at Yalta had consigned Eastern Europe to the Soviet sphere, but they were unconcerned. We are Central Europe, they reassured themselves. Apparently not from a British or, even more, an American vantage point.  Lukács wrote in his book, 1945: Year Zero, that the most powerful thing in the world that year was not the atomic bomb then in development. Instead, it was the idea developing under one particular furry shapka hat, with its Red Star emblem. That fur cap was worn by a young Red Army artillery office, Aleksandr Isaevich Solzhenitsyn. The idea genesis’d within the warm confines of that distinctive Russian headwear was that one day the Soviet empire, built on the bones of untold millions, could collapse. It would take 46 years for Solzhenitsyn’s vision to be realized, but he was a prophet before his time. The world did not know what the “GuLAG” was. Solzhenitsyn made it a word in every language on earth. Glavnoye Upravleniye Ispravitelno-Trudovykh Lagerey, is so boring, so bureaucratic a designation it elicits none of the horror of the word Auschwitz. Still, if we view Waiting to be Shot, a painting by Nikolai Getman, a zek (prisoner) who survived the GuLAG,  we can feel the fear and despair of the victims. As they kneel in the snow, they see the NKVD agent wearing sky blue shoulder boards as he prepares to take their lives. They are among 159 men arbitrarily taken out in the middle of the night to be shot in the base of their skulls, the signature of the NKVD, later KGB.  Solzhenitsyn describes the moment he had been seized by NKVD in January, 1945. He had fought through East Prussia and had seen all the squandering of his comrades’ lives by a heedless ruler. As many as 20,000 Red Army soldiers die each day.  Gen. Eisenhower had met with Red Army chieftain  Zhukov. Ike was stunned by the casual admission by the Soviet that he paid no attention to German minefields. He simply ordered his enlisted men to run their way through, taking heavy casualties and pressing on to Berlin.  Young Aleksandr Isaevich thought he was too obscure as a low ranking Captain, an artillerist, to attract the attention of the NKVD. (Millions in the GuLAG thought the same.) He was caught writing to a high school friend about the Plowman. It was not a subtle reference to Stalin, who was then plowing under millions of Russian boys.  He wrote: “You are the center of your world and your world ends when they seize you and hiss: I take you under arrest!” (Ya beryu vas pod arryessst!) The NKVD read the letter and arrested Solzhenitsyn, ripping off his shoulder boards, the symbol of his hard-earned status as an officer. They will do all they can to degrade him. He will be marched 8,000 miles into captivity in the Siberian GuLAG.  Once, he was required to guide his NKVD captors around the great Moscow department store GUM (pronounced goom). They had never been to the capital city. He later explained why it never occurred to him to try to escape by disappearing into the crowds who milled about in the cavernous shopping center. Everyone there would turn an escapee in, and that would cost him his life.  Those NKVD officers wore their sky blue shoulder boards. They were a sign of their power and menace. Wearing such, they could command any Soviet citizen to assist their re-capture of any zek. Humiliation was part of his open captivity in the shopping mall. His epaulets’ flapping empty on his shoulders were a signal of his disgrace. This was an “enemy of the people” said his garments. All in GUM shun him.  Solzhenitsyn’s novel, The First Circle, shows how even one of the USSR’s rising young stars can be brought down. A junior Foreign Ministry official is detected for having made a phone call to the U.S. Embassy. He had tried to warn the Americans that Stalin had the atomic bomb and would soon set off a powerful test. Once arrested, the young Russian is taken into the Lubyanka, the main prison in Moscow. Its doors are called The Gates of Hell.  Within, the junior official is stripped naked and shorn of all his body hair by an older woman. As if not enough, he is thrust face-forward into the stone walls and raped. It is not clear that if the NKVD officer raping him, with his sky blue shoulder boards, is homosexual, but the attack is.  When I met Aleksander Solzhenitsyn at Stanford University, he had come to study at the Hoover Institution’s unparalleled resources of the Bolshevik Revolution and its aftermath. I was expecting to come face to face with a bent, gray, wizened survivor of combat on the Eastern Front and that long march to Siberia. He had lived though eight years in the GuLAG, stomach cancer, and a final arrest in 1974 by the KGB.  I wore the crisp white Coast Guard uniform I had worn for my recent confirmation at San Francisco’s St. Paulus Evangelical Lutheran Church. My hosts knew that I wanted to thank Solzhenitsyn for having led me to Christ. When he appeared before me, I was stunned into silence. Far from the broken figure I had expected, he was tall, broad, the picture of robust health. He had a ruddy complexion, piercing blue eyes and a graying red mane of hair. This was Aslan! He had an aura, a radiance about him such as we see in Rembrandt paintings. Struck dumb, I could only silently offer him my own sky blue shoulder boards. He smiled as if to show he understood what I meant. He accepted my gift with grace and offered to autograph the copy of The GuLAG Archipelago I carried. My meeting with Aleksander Solzhenitsyn lasted only a few minutes. It was in Stanford’s tower on June 4th, 1976, but it remains as vivid in my memory as if etched in gold.  The post Solzhenitsyn’s Shoulder Boards… And Mine appeared first on Providence.

The BRICS’ Johannesburg II Declaration simply states that “the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) and BRICS cooperation presents opportunities for the continent to transition away from its historic role as a commodity exporter towards higher productivity value addition

Is there really a Russian-Chinese partnership in the Arctic? What is China’s role in the Arctic and how far does it go beyond climate change and environmental protection? These are some of the most hotly debated questions in Arctic security studies

A workshop discussing measures to exploit the potential of the Việt Nam - China - Russia international intermodal rail transport route was held in Moscow

Attacking Iran seems to be a very tempting prospect for Washington DC, as it would effectively "kill two birds with one stone" by making both SCO and BRICS+ look "weak" and unable (or even unwilling) to defend their new members. The US very likely believes this could be a deadly blow to the rapidly emerging multipolar world that will inevitably dismantle the existing "rules-based world order".

The Western military bloc clearly does not want to allow Kiev access, but it does not admit this publicly.

Biden’s popularity continues to decline as Trump rises.

Matthew Continetti is on the money when he argues that today’s global tide of violence is, in a way, all part of the same broader assault on the Western rules-based order. The attacks on Ukraine and Israel are part of the same “vast international effort.” “The rabid dogs,” he notes, “are Russia, Iran, and North Korea. Holding the leash is Communist China.” Though thorough, Continetti’s article mentions only a few of the connections between those four states and two wars; many more examples could be cited. As John Hardie explains, Moscow is collaborating with Hezbollah, such as Russia’s Wagner Group likely transferring a Russian-made Pantsir-S1 air defense system to the Islamist organization. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian people have shown a level of sympathy for Israel unmatched in many Western countries. A global struggle is unfolding between the free world and the Chinese-led counter-Western alliance, including larger nations like Russia and Iran as well as smaller ones like North Korea and Syria. Despite the seeming formidableness of this authoritarian league, this struggle looks very winnable for the free world. All of the hostile powers appear fragile and, if one of them were to collapse, the others would be further weakened. Iran While the attacks of September 11th, 2001, inflected US foreign-policy thought towards greater emphasis on non-state actors, today we are reverting to regular old state-versus-state conflicts. There must be a keener awareness of the continued centrality of states, which are the main pillars of non-state terrorism. “Without Pakistani support,” Michael Rubin avers, “the Taliban would be nothing.” Iran is, if anything, an even more prominent sponsor of terrorism than Pakistan. Iran’s proxies, according to Danielle Pletka, include “Hezbollah, Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the Houthis, Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Units, the Assad Regime, and too many others live on Iranian largesse and support.” This complex of problems, notes Pletka, would be greatly alleviated by a fall of the Iranian government. Such a fall is not unrealistic, and would be far more probable with a different strategy by the US government. As successes achieved under the last administration underscore, it is misguided policymaking rather than a lack of means that keeps the United States from dealing more damage to the clerical dictatorship. Powerful social trends within Iran push for the regime’s collapse, and they will not vanish anytime soon. A 2020 survey suggests that only four in 10 Iranians consider themselves Muslim, with adherence to religious rituals having declined immensely since the Islamic Revolution. In the big picture of history, it seems a bit of an aberration that Iran ever became a Muslim country at all. More than any other nation in the area, if not the whole Islamic world, Persia had possessed a glorious record of statehood long before Islam. The political underdevelopment of most populations that accepted Islam partly explains the notorious weakness of the nation-state in the Islamic sphere. “For Islam,” as Steven Grosby remarks, “there is an overt opposition to recognizing as legitimate these [national] attachments.” This is another pattern Iran breaks. In an effort to qualify his verdict, Grosby scrapes together a few examples of nationalism from Islamic history, and the only impressive ones come from Persia. Even “Iran’s adoption, under the Safawids, of Shi’ism [occurred] in opposition to the Ottoman Empire’s Sunni beliefs.” The country’s deep national identity is an abiding challenge to so anti-national a creed as Islamism. “[R]egime officials,” wrote Anya Caraiani for the Institute for the Study of War this March, “may assess that historical Persian nationalism still poses a major ideological threat to the regime.” In addition to depriving religious terrorism of its main support, the Iranian regime’s collapse could prompt a broader abandonment of theocracy in the Islamic world. Iran’s Islamic Revolution was the founding event of the Islamist wave which continues to this day, much as the Russian Revolution – a similarly mythologized event – kicked off the global communist movement. When the Soviet Union disintegrated, the disillusionment with its ideology was ubiquitous. As David Priestland has written, “the world seemed to lose interest in Communism.” Perhaps a similar shift away from Islamism will follow Iran’s democratization. Russia Russia’s position in Ukraine is perilous as well. This is reflected in a gloomy assessment by Igor Girkin, a respected Russian nationalist, military commentator, and luminary of Putin’s intellectual circles. Girkin apparently wrote on October 26th that the Ukrainians could soon “be successful in breaking Russian forces exhausted by months of combat” and that “Russia has exhausted [its] recruitment potential” barring another mobilization. On the Ukrainian side, Ukraine’s top military commander Valerii Zaluzhnyi set off a flurry of alarmist reporting when he stated in an interview that the war had reached a “stalemate.” That is not quite what he said, but even if one accepts the simplification, the general stressed that the situation resulted from “parity” with Russia. Considering the baked-in advantages that Russia has enjoyed since the start of the war, it is already an immense achievement to have brought Ukraine onto an equal footing with its numerically superior enemy. And, if Ukraine has already gone from being outmatched to achieving parity, there is no obvious reason why its capabilities cannot be boosted further. Zaluzhnyi did not just note the problem, but identified perfectly feasible measures to solve it, like expanding Ukraine’s drone arsenal. Days later, it was reported that Ukroboronprom, a Ukrainian government company that produces weaponry, had begun an expansive project of manufacturing drones. Meanwhile, Putin seems intent on delaying its next mobilization until after the Russian presidential elections in March of 2024, despite the military necessity to mobilize more men. Even if this does not itself inflict major setbacks on the Russian military in Ukraine, it indicates that the Kremlin fears how the public might react to a new wave of conscription. This may be a clue as to how Russians will respond to the mobilization when it does happen. A Russian defeat in Ukraine would in all likelihood mean a major reduction of Russian meddling in other countries’ affairs. This May, American intelligence already suggested “that it could take up to 10 years for [Russian] forces to recover” from the war. Even the overthrow of the Putin regime by popular discontent would be possible, though Western appeasers who argue Putin needs to save face in front of the Russian public seem to ignore said public’s nearly bottomless willingness to submit to autocratic rule. China While not as vulnerable as the two other states, China finds itself in a tricky predicament as well. With slowing economic growth, opines an article in the Financial Times, China’s “so-called social contract is no longer clear.” This “social contract” refers to the implicit agreement between the Chinese people and the CCP that, as long as living standards consistently improve, the Chinese people will tolerate a repressive state. Moreover, the communist giant’s population has already begun to contract. Unemployment among Chinese youth has especially been a thorn in the country’s side. Some have argued that internal troubles could prompt the Chinese leadership to go on the offensive abroad, but political scientist M. Taylor Fravel contends that this would be anomalous behavior for the Asian titan. At China’s current level of power, Fravel also observes, war with Taiwan “would be costly, and the result uncertain.” Conclusion The current historical moment seems to be a culmination of hostilities between the free world and a set of dictatorships united by authoritarian solidarity. While there is potential for calamity in such a situation, it could also result in a momentous defeat of the dictatorial camp and consequent stabilization of international affairs. Though as a united front, the West’s enemies seem difficult to defeat, when considered individually they are far from invulnerable. The post Russia, Iran, and China are Weaker Than They Appear appeared first on Providence.

Argentinian president-elect Javier Milei's team in charge of international relations is reportedly weighing up whether Argentina should proceed with joining BRICS or not. This, according to experts the team has consulted, represents "an opportunity rather than a risk" for the country

Chinese Perspective on the Arctic and its Implication for Nordic Countries

Ranking diplomats from Iran and Russia weighed plans for closer cooperation between the two states within the framework of BRICS, which Iran will officially join in January 2024

If hostilities begin in any other country, it will certainly not be on Russian initiative, but by NATO itself, which has repeatedly shown interest in internationalizing its aggression against Russia, involving new territories in the war.

The EU has definitely exposed its role long before the SMO. Officially an economic alliance, the loose bureaucratic superstate demonstrated that it's nothing more than a geopolitical pendant of NATO, and by extension, of the US. The EU "broke the ice" last year by officially sending weapons to the Kiev regime and hasn't stopped doing so ever since. Its de facto unification with NATO structures is effectively over and the belligerent alliance is now simply looking for ways to make it de jure, which would give its forces free rein over the entire continent.

Germany will face deindustrialisation if sanctions on Russian energy continue, warns CEO.

Though the phrase “in the interest of national security” may be a ubiquitous sound bite, national security is anything but a superfluous talking point for Americans.  Liz Cheney, Mitt Romney, or President Joe Biden may claim that it is in the interest of “national security,” to financially aid Ukraine and support our ally Israel against Hamas.  Yet in the past, “national security” has been used to justify quite a few things of dubious benefit to American citizens. When politicians say something is necessary for national security, is it really for our immediate safety?  Or, are we just defending political and economic powers that are indifferent to our personal lives? America has long been a very secure nation, and we still are in many ways. Bordered by oceans and unthreatening Mexico and Canada, we feel safe.  With the largest military budget in the world, and a nuclear arsenal at our disposal on land and at sea, we no doubt feel some immunity.  Events like Pearl Harbor and 9/11 have shocked our collective system, yet even the pain of the latter has slowly faded.  Bin Laden is dead, ISIS is nearly defunct, and though the Taliban unfortunately still exists, they seem far away and easy to ignore.  It is easy to climb into our SUVs, get the Starbucks coffee, watch an entertaining net flick, and just pretend that things like “national security” are only a concern for fictional characters like Jack Ryan.  This is but an illusion, as the recent Hamas terrorist attacks have shown.  Even so, many Americans take our sense of safety at home for granted, including prominent politicians. The victims of the Hamas attack did not know that they were being sized up for a brutal assault.  Some were, ironically and tragically, attending a peace celebration when they were murdered.  Only those working in the national security apparatus know the full measure of invisible eyes watching us, and whether the threat is more pressing internationally or domestically.  Yet it is real, and we must take it seriously for several good reasons. Our security is a subset of national interest.  National security is the safety of all our citizens, here or abroad.  It is the fight for a stable, free, and just political order; the attempt to realize a peaceful climate in which those Starbucks are plausible.  That people can travel safely, enjoy free exchanges of culture and experience, and live in a world free from strife and conflict is not an abstraction; it is the best dream we have yet to realize. Yet, in a world where Putin can invade Ukraine and Hamas can wreak havoc in the Middle East, we have clearly not realized that dream.  The basic safety and security of our citizens and allies who embrace freedom and democracy, is necessarily a paramount concern.  It is the attempt to make a secure footing for our national interest. And what is our national interest?  Perhaps Abraham Lincoln said it best at Gettysburg: “that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom — and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”  There is still a war for the idea of God-given human rights and democracy yet unsettled, at home and abroad.  Domestically, the biggest threat to this idea may be Donald Trump.  Internationally, there is autocracy in Russia and China, among other governments across the world that do not recognize the sacred idea of living with freedom and virtue.  We take these freedoms for granted when we have them.  They are not an abstraction but rather the very ground beneath our feet.  But, if we lack the commitment to fight for them, these freedoms may wither before our own eyes.  If humankind could be governed by philosopher-kings, the crown of reason would guide every action with wisdom and justice, and we would have no need to fight. As it is, however, a sinful, imperfect world, we still have need to stand up for just causes.  Modern tyrants use reason as a tool to justify their own will-to-power.  Reason is not a crown which education can bestow upon the head of a ruler forever.  Tyrants still have contempt for the idea of a God-governed world where justice should be the norm we expect.  A world where the law of love governs and guides the hand of reason more steadily.  Christ showed us that it is the crown of love, and sacrificial giving to uphold justice that must rule, and not tyranny. Our national interest is the cherished idea of free world, ruled by just and democratic government in a lasting peace.  It is the same idea which Lincoln gave voice to over 160 years ago at Gettysburg.  Yet, in our forgetful habit of isolationism, we pretend that our revolution and civil war were only about America as opposed having consequences for all of humanity.  Those painful struggles gave a gift to the whole world which yearns for similar freedom.  This was the reason soldiers from our country gave their lives to help defeat Nazi aggression in Europe.  Sadly, the legacy of Cold-War authoritarianism is not yet ended, despite the best wishes of many in Eastern Europe.  Should we then capitulate, turn away from Ukraine, make support for Israel conditional, and in essence balk at the sacrifice in blood which so many have given?   To do so would be sheer hypocrisy.  Was our recent failure to ultimately bring order to a land controlled by warlords in Afghanistan not enough to shock us into reconsidering our role in the world?  For America to proclaim God-given human rights and democracy and then refuse to support these values internationally is both hypocritical and counterproductive to our national interest.  It is the surest way to multiply our enemies. No one wants wars.  No one wants to whip the nation into a belligerent fervor.  Sometimes, however, we must recollect the sad, sinful reality of the world we inhabit.  The reality of our history is that the American Revolution, Civil War, and WWII, all did happen, and were at their core about a just and free world.  Has America always been just?  No.  But our dream has never been falsified, nor is our national security just an abstraction.  To say that national interest does not matter is to forget what it actually means.  It means the ongoing historical battle for freedom, justice, and democracy.  Unless I woke up in a different world this morning, that struggle remains ongoing and America still has a leading role and a moral obligation to promote it, not just for ourselves, but for the world about us.  Hopefully, as 2024 approaches, we can make it a more peaceful world, but above all we should hope that our role in it is a more active, just, and realistic one. The post National Security is Not an Abstraction appeared first on Providence.

BRICS and SCO play a vital role in challenging the western-based international order and its established hegemony. They were established to replace the developed West and serve as the foundation for joint Chinese and Russian efforts to reshape the international system

The launch of the Belt and Road Initiative a decade ago marked another milestone in China's development journey. The question is: What is the Belt and Road Initiative's role in international relations, particularly China's relations with other countries and organizations now and in the future?

Chairperson of the National Assembly’s portfolio committee on international relations, Supra Mahumapelo, believes China’s relationship with South Africa and the continent will grow over the next few years, given the level of investment

Rather than expecting Ukraine to adapt to European norms and values, it would seem Europe is changing in such a way that post-Maidan Ukraine will just feel at home if its accession ever materializes.

According to the Ukrainian parliamentarian who headed Kiev's diplomatic team in Istanbul, Russia was willing to halt military actions, but Western pressure prevented Ukraine from accepting a mutually beneficial agreement.

Greek shipping companies that were forced to stop transporting Russian oil operate more than 100 tankers capable of handling nearly all oil exports from Russia's European ports (roughly 2.4 million barrels per day). For the time being, Moscow is dealing with this by relying on its shipping companies and other firms from around the world. However, any additional tightening of the sanctions could eliminate a large portion of its massive oil exports, resulting in further skyrocketing of the price of critical commodities, creating an artificial crisis that would affect the entire world.

US artillery shell deliveries to Ukraine have dropped over 30% since Hamas attacked Israel.

At the 15th BRICS Summit in South Africa, Algeria’s candidacy was not retained to join the 5-member grouping; six out of 23 candidates were chosen: Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. While politically, Algeria is the ideal candidate, its economic standing might not have been attractive enough, at least not yet. The pause before eventual membership in the BRICS at a later date should entice Algeria to accelerate long-overdue domestic reforms, reflect, innovate, and bolster efforts to position itself as an indisputable player on the global stage

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said Ethiopia's membership in the BRICS mechanism is advantageous as the group promotes the South-South cooperation framework

A host of South African Chambers of Commerce and trade organisations have welcomed an offer from the Indian Consulate in Johannesburg to use the various initiatives started by the government of India to boost mutual trade

Washington has funded, supported and white-washed far-right violence and even neo-Nazism in Ukraine for years. So this time it might just try to find a way to get rid of Zelensky, as it often does with its allies, and proxies. And a former far-right activist Alexey Arestovich might be just the right man for the job.

The process of training Ukrainian pilots for some of the most basic F-16 variants is already taking too long. Retraining them for a modernized version would take even longer and that's without taking into account the time and resources needed to upgrade the existing F-16s slated for the Kiev regime forces. What's more, there's also the question of training the ground crews that are supposed to conduct maintenance, repairs and other logistics, further exacerbating the issue.

The Zionist state was forced to make a temporary ceasefire deal due to the difficulties on the battlefield.

Kiev and Athens clash over transportation of Russian oil.

They will host their biggest-ever summit in 2024

The rapid rise of the BRICS is transforming the global economy, with the group’s share of world gross domestic product (GDP) in terms of purchasing power parity (PPP) set to rise well beyond of that of the Group of Seven (G7) major advanced economies

The eagerness of the Indonesian government to join the board thus brings out the presumption that Jakarta now is deviating from its sanctified foreign policy of “active and free”

The allegations are yet to be substantiated and hopefully will soon be disproven, but Moscow's distrust towards the Pashinyan regime can hardly be considered unreasonable. However, if the reports turn out to be true, the damage to Russian-Armenian ties could be irreparable.

Foreign mercenaries in Ukraine will lose morale over the winter.

Neo-Nazi forces want to put an end to the escape of citizens while advance an ethnic cleansing plan in Transcarpathia.

At a time when turmoil rises from multiple corners of the world with tensions fueling an ever complex international landscape, South African Ambassador to China Siyabonga Cyprian Cwele (Cwele) shared his views on the collective strength of the Global South in dealing with global hotspot issues and Western hypes

148 institutions from India have made it to the QS World University Rankings. With this, India has left China behind. This ranking has been released for the institutions of Asia

The fourth meeting of the cooperation council between the upper and middle reaches of the Yangtze River and the Volga Federal District took place in Nanchang, China's Jiangxi Province

The US is expanding its military presence in the Philippines, Guam and elsewhere in the region. This includes the deployment of "Tomahawk" missiles by the US Army and Marine Corps (USMC), while the Navy already has numerous sea-based "Tomahawk" launch platforms. All this clearly indicates a concerted effort to surround China with hostile military bases and infrastructure that would force it to respond accordingly.

According to the words of a Ukrainian official, the regime is willing to continue its policies of apartheid and ethnic persecution.

Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar denies reports Pakistan sold weapons to Ukraine.

In an era defined by rapid technological advancements, the impact of digitalization on global trade cannot be overstated. This is particularly evident in the burgeoning relationship between Russia and India, where the integration of digital technologies is shaping the landscape of bilateral trade

In a significant development at the 2023 World Travel Market London, South Africa and Brazil formalized a trade and marketing agreement aimed at enhancing collaboration in their tourism sectors

Diana Mondino, the candidate for the Argentine Foreign Minister, relays to Sputnik after the elections that Argentina will not be joining BRICS

The damage control that American diplomats have been trying desperately since last week will accomplish nothing. During his visit, President Xi tried his best to ensure good relations between the two countries. The message he conveyed to the CEOs of America's largest corporations was one of peace and economic cooperation, but alas, Biden had other plans.

Fewer and fewer foreign citizens are willing to fight for Kiev's neo-Nazi regime.

Biden’s approval drops to a staggeringly low 40%.

The Council’s 2021-2030 Strategic Plan states that it is working towards making the Arctic a region of “peace, stability and constructive cooperation, that is a vibrant, prosperous, sustainable and secure home for all its inhabitants, including Indigenous Peoples, and where their rights and wellbeing are respected

The current economic situation in Kenya is in dire need of a turnaround. In 2021, the Kenyan economy staged a strong recovery, growing at 7.5 percent although some sectors, such as tourism, remained under pressure

The BRICS countries initiate billions worth of trade deals in transactions for crude oil, gas, and other goods and services. Trade between BRICS members increased by 56% between 2017 to 2022 among the existing five countries

James Stavridis, former NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe, thinks the “lessons of South Korea” can be applied to Ukraine.

In addition to the losses afflicted during combat with Hamas, Israel has been under attack on the sea.

Zelensky's attempts to hold his grip on power are affecting cohesion in the military, whose high-ranking officers feel increasingly alienated. On the night of November 18, this even resulted in one high-ranking pilot defecting to Russia.

“Sanctions don’t hit us as they should,” says Peskov.

The term BRIC was coined by British economist Jim O’Neill in 2001 to describe four emerging economies: Brazil, Russia, India, and China. He did not envision them as a political bloc that would challenge the West’s dominance. He was only interested in their investment potential

BRICS has growing currency leverage despite internal divisions

Russian energy firm Gazprom signed an agreement with China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC) and PipeChina on the design and construction of a pipeline section in the Far East, which will be used to deliver Russian gas to China

According to a recent report by Bloomberg, the US is secretly sending additional military supplies to the Zionist state.

Those who are loyal to the Kiev regime are exempt from conscription, as well as those who can afford to pay hefty bribes to military medical commissions (MMCs). Thus, sons of numerous corrupt oligarchs get the chance to live their lavish lifestyles abroad (all at the expense of the Ukrainian people), while pregnant women are sent to war. What's more, recently released combat footage shows some have already been captured by the Russian military.

11 children in Donetsk treaded on Ukrainian mines from February 2022 to September 2023.

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

The 10th China-Russia Engineering and Technology Forum, also known as the 2023 China-Russia Digital Economy Summit, was held in Harbin, Heilongjiang province

There are opportunities for growth in supplies via the North-South ITC using multimodal logistics schemes

The LGM-35A "Sentinel" is most likely inferior to the already existing Russian equivalents such as the RS-24 "Yars", which boasts a depressed flight path and limited maneuvering capabilities. In addition, Russian Strategic Missile Forces already possess 150-160 of these ICBMs, 90% of which are road-mobile, meaning that they have a much higher survivability than the LGM-35A "Sentinel" which will be entirely confined to silos. All this is without even considering hundreds of other strategic weapons in Moscow's unrivaled arsenal.

An anti-Russian hardline politician, she has been involved in a major scandal over family business with Russia.

Zelensky works in opposition to his own generals.

The New Development Bank Bill, 2023 was passed in parliament to welcome funds from the lending arm of BRICS

The inclusion of the Middle East countries, set to come into effect in January 2024, is slated to significantly boost their economies and trading opportunities. For startups, it presents an opportunity to tap into some of the world’s largest and most dynamic markets with easier trade regulations

Modi has taken lead in championing trade and investment links with the continent

The situation reveals the high level of institutional crisis and disunity among the neo-Nazi regime’s top officials.

Despite the March data published by the Swedish SIPRI which claims that the US share of global arms exports rose from 33% to 40%, while Russia's supposedly fell from 22% to 16% during the 2013-17 and 2018-22 period, respectively, the portfolio of orders of Rosoboronexport is stable and currently stands at over four trillion rubles (roughly $45-50 billion).

Islamabad justifies its order to deport millions of Afghans on increased terrorism.

New Development Bank's (NDB) $10 billion loan benefitted 400 million people in its founding member countries of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa and successfully helped them in its COVID-19 economic recovery programmes

Preparation for a guest route for the BRICS Summit started in Kazan

The African continent is one of the fastest growing energy markets in the world. This is due to the growing economic and demographic potential of African countries, as well as the efforts of many of them to combat climate change

Despite all the problems the country is facing, the German government plans to "massively" expand its aid to the Kiev regime.

The Republican-dominated Congress doesn't think Kiev equals in importance to Israel and is unwilling to pledge hundreds of billions more to support a failed investment. This is further exacerbated by the endemic corruption that not only undermines the effectiveness of US "aid", but also serves as a way to funnel that money straight to the coffers of the GOP's political opponents.

Profiteering rather than fighting is the Ukrainian military’s main priority.

With the most important multilateral groupings of the last few decades dominated by advanced Western economies, the propulsion of BRICS to the forefront of global influence seems to portend a seismic shift in the international economic order

Are we moving towards de-dollarisation of the global financial system?

The Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) has secured ¥7 billion ($956.61 million) from the state-run China Development Bank under a loan agreement

In order to pursue its enlargement geopolitical goals, the West seems to be ready to let go of any concerns with minority rights (with Neo-Mccarthyist being on the rise in Europe itself) and even to turn a blind eye to far-right nationalism and neo-Nazism.

These remarks tend to create problems for Israel among Western public opinion.

It's without a doubt that Moscow knows who attacked its pipelines and that the Neo-Nazi junta had no capacity to conduct such an operation. However, if Washington DC is seeking an exit strategy that would accelerate the ending of the war on terms favorable to Russia, why wouldn't the Kremlin simply "play along"?

Trump leads Biden in all recently published polls.

As a geriatric news junkie, I watch a lot of news and commentary on the international channels, specifically Al Jazeera, BBC and CNN. Recently they were full of reports on the BRICS conference in South Africa. Surprisingly, it was largely ignored by the NZ media

In an era of rapid technological advancement, the educational landscape is changing. Online education, once a niche alternative, has become a cornerstone of learning, breaking down geographical barriers and enabling unprecedented access to knowledge. This article provides a comparative analysis of online education in two influential nations, China and Russia

As stipulated by the guidelines, Russia takes over the rotating chairmanship of BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) from January 2024. There are high hopes a lot more will change, especially towards widening its numerical strength and increase support for the Global South

Middle Eastern stormy waves reach the Horn of Africa and beyond - thus the European continent’s industrial, economic and energy crises remain deadlocked - and so do emerging North African power aspirations towards becoming key energy providers, as the current Middle-Eastern conflict risks spilling across the Red Sea.

The case shows very clearly how the neo-Nazi regime is militarily desperate, resorting to terrorism.

Both countries are taking steps to ameliorate the negative impact of the latest EU tax, but are not hiding their contempt for it. They see it as a sinister way to at least slow down their economic development.

US and Europe reportedly urging Kiev to open peace negotiations with Moscow.

The need for a new world order is a recurring theme in the era of an emerging multipolar world. For the US, the current global hegemon, it involves adjusting to the reality of a shifting balance of power, which the US must come to terms with

Russian-Indian strategic cooperation has been successfully developing for many decades. The USSR was one of the key countries that provided assistance and support to the young Indian republic in its formative years. Over the years of development of bilateral relations, Moscow has made significant efforts to develop India’s economy, industrial sector and education system, and actively developed military-technical cooperation programmes

At the BRICS Summit in Johannesburg on 24 August 2023, the bloc’s five members — Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa — announced the invitation of six new countries — Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Effective 1 January 2024, BRICS countries will represent almost half the world’s population

The Zionist regime is using its ability to control Gaza’s borders as a weapon to blackmail countries that do not support war on Palestine.

The activities of US forces in the region only contribute to unnecessary tensions and destabilization. This stands in stark contrast to China's plans, as Beijing maintains a strong partnership with everyone in the region.

Russia comfortably deflected G7 attempts to impose a price cap.

Economist and managing director of High Economic Intelligence, Salomo Hei, says the market space provided by the Brics group of countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) could be a conducive destination for Namibian products

A joint venture with Emirati logistics company DP World is the latest sign that Russia is looking for new partners to push ahead with the development of its Arctic shipping routes. At the same time, new forecasts suggest Western sanctions may negatively impact shipping volumes on the Northern Sea Route

According to the IMF, in 2022 the BRICS bloc GDP was worth $26 trillion

The American objective with its cooperation with Armenia is to keep it militarily weakened and vulnerable to Azerbaijan's actions, so that the Armenian government is forced to request military intervention and "peacekeeping mission" from NATO to "protect the Armenians".

The surrendering Ukrainian POWs had more than enough time to see how the Russian people and military still see the Ukrainian people, despite everything that has been going on in the last nearly a decade. Millions of Ukrainians are hostages of the regime the political West installed nearly a decade ago and their only chance for freedom comes from the supposed "enemy" that happens to be their closest kin.

Former US Army officer compares Zelensky to Hitler for “denying reality”.

The possibility of joining the bloc offers Iraq the chance to boost both its economy and international stature. However, there are numerous obstacles to becoming a part of the club

Loan proceeds would fund infrastructure, renewable projects

It appears that Brics Pay has now been launched as a new financial settlement platform. It is hoped and seen as a vehicle that will change the volume of trade and the volume of financial transactions between the BRICS members by making payments easier

Zionist regime’s official admits considering the possibility of using nuclear weapons in Palestine.

Mere days after the spat, the Kiev regime's top commander's aide was killed when an "unknown explosive device" detonated inside a birthday present. Some Neo-Nazi junta officials suggested that the explosion was supposedly "an accident", but the timing suggests otherwise. Although it may seem farfetched at this moment, the fact that this looks exactly like the SBU's modus operandi is another giveaway.

Meanwhile, Polish-Ukrainian economic war deepens.

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

In August 2023, the BRICS summit ended very successfully. Starting January 1, 2024, Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia, the UAE, Egypt and Iran will officially join the association. Together with the founders of BRICS, these states comprise almost half of the world's population

Grappling with the financial repercussions of ... Western sanctions, Russia’s second-largest lender is turning to China for lucrative opportunities to offset losses – and they have even floated the idea of building ships together

Construction of the Mongolian portion of Russia's planned new Power of Siberia-2 gas pipeline to China may start in the first quarter or first half of 2024

The West has been turning a blind eye to Ukraine actions endangering the power plant as well as its record of provocations.

According to US President Joe Biden, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will not last for a long time in his position.

Western experts and politicians keep blaming Moscow for the ongoing escalation, even though it was precisely Russia that offered multiple peace treaties, none of which were accepted by the political West. Worse yet, back in August, the US suggested that it could resume live nuclear weapons testing. Moscow has been warning about it for months, but this is usually decried as the mythical "Russian disinformation".

Italy has already sent more than €1 billion to Ukraine.

Following the BRICS expansion efforts, Jim O’Neill, the economist who coined the acronym, has predicted just what may be the key to dethroning the US dollar. Specifically, O’Neill recently discussed the aforementioned expansion in an opinion piece. There, he affirmed the detriment of international reliance on the greenback while assuring that there is one vital thing that could be done to combat it once and for all

HWNM owns and operates a refinery with an annual capacity of 4.8 million tonnes of metallurgical grade calcined alumina

BRICS is set to add six new member states at the start of 2024, raising questions about the expansion of the group’s growing economic power. With its new entrants, the bloc will represent over $30 trillion in GDP or around 29% of the world’s GDP

In November last year, classified plans of the Bundeswehr detailing a potential war with Russia were leaked, clearly showing that Germany never gave up on the idea of "Drang nach Osten". And yet, not even this was enough, so the German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock just had to say the quiet part out loud and almost officially declared war on Russia. On October 29, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius effectively reiterated the threat.

To "please" the Western and Zionist elites, the UN remains passive in the face of a massacre in Gaza and a wider conflict in the Middle East that can quickly escalate to a global level.

The average age of a Ukrainian soldier is around 43 years.

China and Russia are working closely under the Belt and Road Initiative, and the growing markets in energy sector and e-commerce industry have attracted more enterprises to explore business opportunities, Russian experts said

Ida Yasin says the BRICS currency would also be backed by gold, while Firdausi Suffian sees difficulties in the Islamic gold dinar breaking the US dollar’s dominance

Since its inception in 2013, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has transformed ideas into actions, from a vision into reality, and from a general framework into concrete projects. Evaluating the BRI’s accomplishments over the last decade raises questions. How has the BRI advanced policy coordination, infrastructure connectivity, unimpeded trade, financial integration, and closer people-to-people ties?

Israel is increasingly isolated internationally over Gaza, and the costs of US full support of it shall keep rising as the superpower remains overstretched.

Tel Aviv’s actions in Gaza will have serious consequences for Palestinian civilians.

The S-400–A-50 teams are organized in a way that allows battlefield information to be directly transmitted between them so that the enemy fighter jets and/or other aircraft essentially can't even detect the incoming missiles, resulting in high casualties among Ukrainian pilots.

Ukrainian commanders are refusing orders directly from Zelensky’s office.

Amidst challenging times for Armenian society, this new political force stands out among the existing players in the Armenian political system.

Dhaka's refusal to stop strategically important projects for the sake of getting a pointless "pat on the back" infuriated Washington DC, but the belligerent thalassocracy was powerless to stop it. Still, this didn't prevent the US from trying to make the lives of Bangladeshi people more difficult.

For the first time in my memory there was serious discussion of a new trading currency to supplant the dollar, which currently represents 85% of global cross border trade. This is important because if BRICS became a cohesive trading entity it would have serious heft, with a third of global GDP and a combined $387bn trade surplus compared to the EU’s $467bn trade deficit

In a recent meeting on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, India and Russia explored the potential development of new transport corridors, including the Northern Sea Route (NSR) and the Eastern Maritime Corridor (EMC) connecting Vladivostok and Chennai

The New Development Bank (NDB) and the Federative Republic of Brazil singed the Loan Agreement for Brazil Emergency Assistance Program for Economic Recovery Project

However, Israel is undoubtably fomenting antisemitic sentiments abroad with its racist policies in Gaza Strip.

The Ukrainian military has suffered more than 90,000 casualties since the counteroffensive began.

It is difficult to assess what an expanded Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (BRICS) grouping will mean for South African trade fortunes and broader economy amid the shifting global power dynamics between North and South, East, and West.

A list of new BRICS+ candidates will be presented at the next meeting of the group, in the Russian region of Kazan summit in 2024, Pavel Knyazev, Russia's Foreign Ministry ambassador-at-large

Russia has wasted no time in developing its new BRICS relationship with Addis Ababa

Armenia increasingly turning away from Russia and CSTO, much to no avail, as Azerbaijan and Turkey benefit from new geopolitical developments.

IDF and US special units seem unable to neutralize Hamas without a prolonged war of attrition.

The American military is providing advanced ISR (intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance) assets to the IDF, so it's very difficult to imagine that neither knows the whereabouts of the Hamas leadership or at the very least their high-ranking officials and commanders. Targeting them directly would've certainly brought the conflict to a halt instead of a perpetual escalation. Interestingly, it's precisely the US that has been directing these attacks by providing the necessary ISR data.

Orban: It is absolutely clear that the Ukrainians won't win.

Western leaders use ethnic pride to justify hatred and genocide.

Jakarta weighs up its options as it has decisions to make in early 2024

“Rest assured, BRICS is a great benefit to our country and it’s an association that we are very proud of and that we intend to continue with.” These were the words of President Cyril Ramaphosa as he fielded questions in the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) on the benefits of South Africa being part of the BRICS group of countries

Bilateral trade between China and Brazil exceeded $100 billion in the first eight months of this year, setting a new record for the period, according to Brazilian Ministry of Development, Industry, Trade and Services

The Gaza conflict sent Turkish-Israeli rapprochement and cooperation back in the freezer.

Thanks to years of the so-called "woke" extremist, ultra-liberal policies and ideological brainwashing, those Americans who otherwise would've been interested in military service have felt increasingly estranged as the Pentagon and the government tried to appeal to the so-called "nontraditional" groups that included quite literally anyone but heterosexual men.

Sources claim Tel Aviv is about to use gas in Hamas’ underground tunnels.

Ukraine is facing a catastrophic demographic and economic decline.

It is predicted that the economies of the BRICS emerging superpowers would collectively dominate the global economy by 2040

Critical systems of the upcoming third and fourth 1,000 MW nuclear power plants at Kudankulam were tested by Russia’s integrated atomic power player Rosatom State Corporation in Russia with representatives of Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd

The NUST Institute of Policy Studies (NIPS) organised a high-level roundtable on “Expanding BRICS and the New Alignments.” Moderated by Amir Yaqub, Director NIPS, the roundtable witnessed multinational participation consisting of senior diplomats, academics, veteran state officials, think tank experts, scholars and students

Without guarantees from the West, Moscow needs to test its combat capabilities.

The claim that Russia "stole" hypersonic technology from the US under the Obama administration is completely illogical, given that Washington DC is the one significantly lagging behind Moscow, not vice versa. It's also impossible to just "give" someone such advanced technology as if it were a physical object that one loses the moment they part ways with it. This laughable claim has been parroted by many US officials in an attempt to support the myth of America's supposed "technological superiority".

Hamburg Commercial Bank economist warns EU faces recession in the second half of this year.

The classic model of the “Asian paradox” in the current conditions is not applicable for Russia’s interaction with all major countries in the region. Moreover, Asia itself and the balance of power in the region have undergone changes, taking into account the active rise of China and India and a number of regional and global trends, Alexander Korolev writes

BRICS has struggled to make concrete achievements but expansion plans have given the bloc new momentum and prospects

Following an initial high-level meeting between Indian and Russian officials in India in March of this year, representatives from two countries now met in Vladivostok to further discuss a deepening of cooperation in Arctic shipping and related economic activity

The French president's irresponsible attitude only worsens tensions in the Middle East and does nothing to achieve regional peace.

The background of the deal almost certainly has much more to do with the pressure exerted by the United States, rather than any "concerns" for the human rights of Kurds living in Sweden.

EU leaders will decide in December whether to launch formal membership negotiations with Kiev

At the 20th Annual Meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club our session is called “A World Beyond Hegemony: BRICS as a Prototype of a New International Architecture”. The theme is vast and ambitious. Ambition is appropriate. Without ambition, nothing much is achieved

Increasing capacity comes as Russia’s trade with China and India booms

As the USA and many world leaders continue the pursuit of “unreliable electricity”, from wind turbines and solar panels, that can only generate intermittent electricity at best from available breezes and sunshine, Russia, China, France, and Finland have emerged as the leaders in nuclear power generation to achieve continuous uninterruptible, affordable, and zero emission electricity

Information clearly shows how the US is behind all the moves made by Ukrainian intelligence, including its crimes.

The latest data shows that 29% of adult Americans have "not very much" trust in the media. However, another 39% of them have "none at all". This is the highest percentage of US citizens with "zero trust" ever recorded and is 12% higher than it was in 2016.

Conscription in Ukraine is deeply corrupt and discriminatory.

Bloc partners have been useful in terms of finding ways of linking young people with potential employers and investors

Iran views its BRICS membership as a foreign policy success, however, whether this move will translate into long-term benefits remains to be seen

Explore how the BRICS coalition, along with new members, is redefining global geopolitics and challenging Western dominance in a rapidly evolving world

US deploying new air defense system to “protect” Israel aimed alleged Iran’s “escalations”.

Post-Soviet and post-Yugoslav states (be they fully recognized or not) must secure the rights of religious and ethnic minorities, who otherwise might become the target of ethnic retaliations.

Hamas operates no weapons that would require the deployment of the much-touted "Patriot" and even less so when it comes to THAAD. In fact, despite its massive arsenal of missiles and rockets, even the Lebanon-based Hezbollah doesn't operate weapons that would require the use of the aforementioned air defense/ABM systems. However, Iran does and the belligerent thalassocracy seems to be determined to get Tehran involved, one way or the other.

The Ukrainian president was further humiliated after even his Cypriot counterpart visited Israel.

Heralding the commencement of tourism season in Goa, the first charter flight landed at Dabolim airport. Aeroflot SU236 arrived from Moscow with 240 passengers

The Central Bank of Egypt will begin activating the exchange agreement between the pound, the Chinese yuan, and the UAE dirham by early 2024, helping provide foreign exchange liquidity to Egypt

First shipment of more than 300 containers with lumber will be delivered to Shanghai along the Northern Sea Route

While there is geopolitical turmoil in the Middle East, Israel concerns also extend to the South Caucasus.

Russia says it will work with Palestinians and Israelis to stop the war.

The Kiev regime will simply have to sacrifice the protection of important administrative buildings, as well as military and energy infrastructure in order to provide air defense coverage for the new ad hoc airbases housing the Western-made jets.

According to a prominent Western journalist, the IDF plans to cause a scenario of destruction in the Gaza Strip similar to that of a nuclear explosion.

In the mid-term, nuclear power plants are considered by some experts to be the most efficient transitional solution for achieving global climate goals. Criticism is though levelled at the largely unresolved question of final storage and potential safety risks

The 15th BRICS summit has kicked off in Johannesburg, South Africa, on August 22, and the following year will bring the summit to Kazan, the capital of Russia’s Tatarstan region

Evgeniy Griva, the Deputy Trade Commissioner of the Russian Federation in India said that Moscow is highly interested in widening India-Russia trade, including the Indian exports

US assets are a threat to Russian forces deployed in the area, as well as to Moscow's allies, particularly Syria. It should be noted that the forces Washington DC sent so far are absolutely unnecessary against Hamas. In fact, US President Joe Biden himself stated that Israel has "one of the finest fighting forces" and that it's more than capable of dealing with Hamas. This leaves Russia, Iran and other countries in the Middle East with only one logical conclusion – the newly arrived US forces are there for other reasons.

Ukraine might provoke a serious nuclear leakage incident in civilian areas near ZNPP just to blame the Russians and demand more money and weapons.

Republican opposition to Ukraine aid grows stronger.

In the past several months it has become fashionable to talk up the theme of China’s economic demise and the ascendancy of India as the main growth engine of the Global South. Mass media, academic gurus, fund managers and corporates are starting to argue in favor of re-directing financial flows away from China to India

The Deputy Chairman of Sberbank's executive board reveals a fivefold increase in the monetary value of settlements conducted in national currencies between Russia and India compared to the preceding year

Treasury Cabinet Secretary Njuguna Ndung’u told the National Assembly that Kenya is banking on BRICS countries namely; India, China, Saudi Arabia, and Russia together with non-BRIC member Malaysia to end the dollar crisis in the country

Instead, disapproval of the Russian draft resolution prevented ceasefire negotiations.

The Biden administration is mulling the unification of its "aid" packages for Israel and the Kiev regime. This would accomplish at least two things. First, the government would get on the good side of the US Congress, which is virtually unequivocal in its support for Israel. And second, the US Congress is much less likely to reject the "aid" package if the proposal also includes Israel.

Netanyahu rejected Zelensky’s request to meet when other world leaders are preparing to visit.

Emiratis expertise set to fuel collaborative growth in BRICS countries

Around 40 countries expressed their desire to join BRICS. Among them are Argentina, Bolivia, Cuba, Honduras, and Venezuela

The increase in attractiveness and the economic position of BRICS with about 26% of the area and about 42% of the world’s population and strengthening of the economic and financial cooperation of BRICS has caused Buenos Aires to be eager to join the group

In his new book, Weatherhead alum Asad L. Asad demonstrates that rather than hiding in the shadows, undocumented immigrants in the US are selectively engaging with authorities to build their credentials as deserving members of society.  by Michelle Nicholasen... Read more about The (Un)Documented Immigrant

In a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin (the first since the conflict started), Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Israel would proceed with the Gaza offensive despite Moscow's warning that it would lead to massive casualties and possibly cause a strong reaction of the Muslim world, particularly Iran and its allies. Putin urged Netanyahu to engage in talks on the peaceful settlement of the conflict.

Apparently, US “hawks” are looking for new war opportunities in the Middle East.

Beijing calls for the “historical injustice” in Palestine to “end as soon as possible”.

Jaishankar’s comments came in the wake of criticism from segments in the US about India’s position on the war in Ukraine where he has refused to condemn or criticise Moscow directly

MIT political scientist Taylor Fravel examines the potential and limitations of a bigger BRICS group of countries — and what it means for the U.S.

"The BRICS we knew for almost 15 years is now gone. From that moment on, we will be dealing with a new BRICS. Currently, it is unclear how the new BRICS will operate, how states will interact with each other within the bloc, and what the role of BRICS will be in the international arena"

The US debt-to-GDP ratio is nearly 130%, but Washington DC keeps raising the debt ceiling. Namely, in January 2023, the belligerent thalassocracy hit its debt limit and by June 2023, it was forced to suspend it to avoid default.

Despite being militarily stronger, the Zionist State will suffer heavy losses if it begins a war of attrition against the Palestinian Resistance.

Scholz popularity continues to decline in Germany.

In the face of growing global energy demand and environmental concerns, countries worldwide are reevaluating their energy strategies. Two of the world’s largest nations, Russia and China, have been navigating a complex energy landscape, balancing their reliance on traditional fossil fuels, such as coal, with their ambitions in nuclear energy

Five years and twenty chapters later, it’s a pleasure to have officially launched the The BRICS in Africa: Promoting Development?’ The launch took place at Exclusive Books, V&A Waterfront, where two of the book’s editors participated in a panel discussion

Cairo and Moscow have held initial talks on work in BRICS and plan a more detailed discussion soon

Western defence companies will not risk being bombed by Russian forces.

In 2024 alone, Russian defense spending will increase by nearly 70% and will officially be 10.8 trillion rubles (approximately $110 billion). As a result, the portion of the entire state budget allocated to the military will be over 25% or 6% of the country's GDP. This is the first time since the unfortunate dismantling of the Soviet Union that Russia is spending so much on defense.

Reports show that Kiev's first lady spent more than one million dollars during her recent trip to the US.

The BRICS+6, consisting of six of the world's top oil producers and four of the world's top natural gas producers, will play a key role in geopolitics surrounding energy, writes Jordan Mc Lean

In the recent 15th BRICS Summit, the grouping took a major step in expanding its reach and influence with the announcement that six more nations have been invited to join as new members. Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have received invitations to become full members of BRICS starting from January 1 of the upcoming year

Russian oil producers supplied their first cargoes of CPC Blend crude to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in August and September, opening up a new export route as Moscow looks to find new customers and skirt Western sanctions

Arab and Muslim countries support Palestine while the US and its proxies back Israel.

Zelensky is worried that global attention will now focus on Israel.

It's a big question whether Hamas would've ever dared to attack the IDF had it not been so heavily armed. Thus, it can be said that the Neo-Nazi junta now also has the blood of thousands of Israelis and Palestinians on its hands. However, the responsibility equally lies with its principal backers, NATO and the US.

China is taking advantage of Russia’s shift to the East and continues to expand its energy imports, particularly liquefied natural gas (LNG) and crude oil from the Arctic. In 2022, Russia surpassed Saudi Arabia as China’s largest supplier of oil, with China spending $58 billion on oil imports from Russia. Additionally, China purchased $8 billion of LNG primarily from the Yamal LNG plant in the Arctic

On 24 August 2023, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo attended the 15th annual BRICS Summit in Johannesburg in Indonesia’s capacity as ASEAN Chair. The BRICS – a grouping of five major emerging economies including Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – recently announced they were expanding to include six more countries

China-BRICS trade has overtaken China-United States trade

Hamas' attack was not a "false flag", but a result of Israeli weakness and arrogance.

Israel has been instrumental in Ankara's major military modernization programs. When combined with massive Israeli arms shipments to Azerbaijan, it's naive (to say the least) to even think that Turkey would ever ditch Israel for Palestine.

US Senator calls for all resources intended for Ukraine to be redirected to Israel.

Israel and the West use Hamas attack as an excuse to foment war and famine.

Uber-hawk senator Lindsey Graham stated that "it is long past time for the Iranian terrorist state to pay a price for all the upheaval and destruction being sown throughout the region and world". If we didn't know the context, we'd probably think he's talking about the US.

Former advisor to Ukrainian President warns Ukrainians that US weapons and budget support will inevitably end.

The geographical balance of the new additions to BRICS clearly illustrates this intention. However, just like the original group and the currently expanded BRICS+, they present heterogeneities and asymmetries that will likely pose challenges in the future for consensus-building, Andrés Serbin writes

Given the geopolitical tensions between Russia and Western countries, Moscow has actively sought to diversify its economic relations and reduce its trade dependency on the West. Strengthening ties with financial centers in Asia, including Hong Kong, offers a potential avenue for this diversification

BRICS no longer exists: the time of BRICS+ has come. But to make this informal forum into a structured reality, one capable of withstanding bumps and games, a radical rethinking of its purposes and its current skeleton is needed, writes Emanuel Pietrobon

India emerges as the crown jewel of the BRICS alliance, targeting an ambitious growth of 10.5%

All parties are expected to mutually benefit from the opening of Saudi markets to their trade and vice versa. Overall, Saudi Arabia is the most important trading partner of BRICS members in the Middle East

Russia's United Oil- and Gas-Chemical Co. (ONGK) and China's Xuan Yuan Industrial Development have agreed to jointly invest 5 billion yuan ($686 million) in construction of a transshipment oil complex in Russia's far east

If the fighting in Gaza ends up becoming a stalemate, Israel will need a constant supply of artillery munitions, which isn't a very good prospect for the Neo-Nazi junta forces.

The conflict in Palestine could lead to a severe decrease in US aid to Ukraine, in addition to a coalition of Islamic groups against Tel Aviv.

Berlin keeps aiding the American proxy attrition war in Ukraine, while German authorities and opposition leaders demand that the Nord Stream criminal explosion be investigated.

Much global attention will start shifting from Ukraine to Israel.

Precisely this determination to preserve "his chair" is the main reason for the tragedy of Artsakh. Had Pashinyan ever put the national interests of the Armenian people before his political career, he would've never even been in power in the first place.

The UAE will have to balance its allegiance to BRICS with its established security and investment partnership with the US

Members of the BRICS have decided to establish an “AI study group” to create and oversee AI governance frameworks

BRICS, an association of developing nations including Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, is now expanding to the Middle East, with countries like Iran on the invite list

In an article published on NATO's website, a former American high-ranking official called on the alliance to prepare to fight a "limited" nuclear war with the Russian Federation.

Dutch defence minister describes Ukrainian conflict as “very cheap way” to contain Russia.

Russian intelligence determined that there's a possibility that the Neo-Nazi junta will use newly established bases to receive F-16s directly from Poland and Romania, with civilian airfields in Lvov, Odessa and Nikolayev being the most likely candidates.

The Azerbaijani victory over Armenia, besides being a humanitarian catastrophe, has the potential to tremendously complexify the already delicate balance of power in the South Caucasus, not to mention Russian-Turkish relations.

In the past month or so, the world has witnessed two summits convened by major global economic forums — the Group of 20 (G20) and Brics (named after its five core member states: Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa). The goal of each of these summits was to shape the global economic, political and security environment to best meet the needs of their respective memberships

The expansion of BRICS from five to 11 countries presents an opportunity for all South African winemakers to market their products amid an ever-growing demand for the quality that is recognised in locally manufactured wines

Following the expansion of the BRICS group, investors discuss which constituents offer the best opportunities

Germany’s economy is set to hit a slump in 2023.

French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna stated that "Armenia needs to be able to defend itself", although it's highly questionable how much France cares, given that the fledgling economy of the South Caucasus country will hardly ever be able to afford French or any other Western arms shipments, especially not enough of such weapons to match Azerbaijan.

Several disagreements have damaged ties between Kiev and Tel Aviv, despite the pro-Western alignment of both countries.

BRICS is now a powerful economic and political force, with India as one of its founding members. India has benefited from being part of this alliance. This article discusses India’s benefits from being part of the BRICS nations

Bank of China (BOC), one of China's four biggest state-owned commercial banks, opened its first branch in Riyadh, capital of Saudi Arabia, which will further expand the use of the yuan in finance and trade

The expansion of BRICS to 11 nations will strengthen the shift to a multipolar order and challenge Western dominance

Keir Giles, a British writer obsessed with Russia and, as of October 2, a self-exposed Nazi apologist, argued in Politico that the Hunka scandal is effectively "Russian propaganda" and that SS "did nothing wrong". According to Giles, the history of SS "Galizien" is supposedly "complicated" and this "can be a gift to propagandists who exploit the appeal of simplicity".

In another provocative statement against Russia, Annalena Baerbock said that the EU will expand “to Lugansk”.

Hungarian FM: World does not understand and does not share Europe’s position on Ukraine.

The BRICS International School is a unique scientific and educational program aimed at training young experts specializing in BRICS studies in political, economic, humanitarian fields and other relevant areas of interaction within the five countries and those who are interested in BRICS

In the wake of its imminent membership in the BRICS group of emerging economies, Iran is exploring the possibility of adopting the group’s electronic banking communication system, “BRICS PAY,” as an alternative to the SWIFT system, the speaker of the Parliament said

Former World Bank executive Rogerio Studart denied any conspiracy theories about BRICS being a Cold War-type confrontational bloc

According to Ben Wallace, Kiev is “winning” in its counteroffensive, but it needs to “finish the job” by recruiting more young people.

In order to reduce the number of casualties on both sides, the Russian military has even set up special communication channels for Ukrainians willing to surrender. This has been giving results for several months already, particularly since the start of the much-touted counteroffensive of the Neo-Nazi junta troops.

Rampant disease will contribute to Ukraine’s economic woes.

Grant Shapps’ alleged plan to send military instructors to Kiev could generate a serious escalation.

South Africa has formally joined the China-led ILRS project to establish a permanent moon base

A BRICS technical meeting on disaster management in Durban resolved that a plan of action was needed for all the countries involved to deal with the potential devastating impact of climate change on their citizens

When Ethiopia gained admission into the prestigious BRICS bloc, a wave of jubilation resounded across the country. This monumental event signals a coming of age for Africa’s second most populous nation on the global stage

Back in 1971, the US vehemently opposed the independence of Bangladesh and provided full support for Pakistani occupation forces that brutalized millions of people in the South Asian country. And while relations have improved since then, even this proved to be largely superficial, as the US is extremely hostile to the idea that Bangladesh wants to exercise the right to choose its own foreign policy framework.

Meanwhile, Canada doubles down on its denial and apologia of Nazism and Khalistan.

There is no easy alternative to oil globally as the world needs Iranian and Russian oil.

The Armenians have excluded themselves from dialogue with Russia and relations only tend to get worse.

The unflattering fate of Saakashvili should serve as a stark warning to Pashinyan. Perhaps he should take some lessons from one of Saakashvili's more successful successors, namely Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili who correctly understood that NATO expansion in the former Soviet Union is invariably aimed against Russia and that the countries the political West uses against Moscow in this process are seen as acceptable collateral damage (that is, mere pawns).

With the world entering a post-COVID environment, each country is struggling to deal with severe economic challenges. Alongside these are the possibility, if not probability, of enhanced friction between nations due to insecure regional and global environments

The proposed expansion of the BRICS group has prompted alarm among some western commentators. Three of the six new states invited to join, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt, are key US allies in the Middle East who will now enter an economic bloc with Washington’s geopolitical rivals

The 15th BRICS Summit, hosted by South Africa in Johannesburg from 22 to 24 August, culminated in the widely anticipated announcement of a soon-to-be expanded BRICS bloc, with the admission of six new member countries to this economic grouping as from January 2024

Poland calls for the extradition of Ukrainian Nazi from Canada.

Artsakh’s local government announces dissolution of the state institutions for the next year, ending decades of claims for sovereignty.

Ukrainians are better soldiers than Americans, says US combat veteran.

Armenia’s new developments signal a potential Western shift which would be detrimental to the country’s interests.

The countries of the Global South are increasingly asserting their own values and points of view, whether through the BRICS organization or otherwise

A Chinese expert called for the further promotion and implementation of the Brics agricultural cooperation mechanism to better address current global food security issues at the ongoing 2023 China International Fair for Trade in Services (Ciftis) in Beijing

The UAE’s inclusion in the BRICS bloc of emerging economies – should it accept the group’s invitation – is expected to open new business avenues and investment opportunities, providing the country with greater leverage globally, according to forecasts from a business setup company in the Gulf region

The possible sale of upgraded Danish aircraft (equivalent to the somewhat newer C/D variant) to Argentina means that the Kiev regime won't be getting them. The Danish Air Force has just over 40 F-16A/B MLU fighters, half of which were promised to the Neo-Nazi junta.

Kiev regime was forced to relocate defense industry facilities due to Moscow’s intense high precision strikes, according to Ukrainian officials.

Meanwhile, Russia’s economy is performing much better than predicted.

Scientists from Russia and India have developed a method for improving the production of biodiesel from the seeds of a poisonous tropical shrub

"BRICS is where the most powerful countries come together with the most impoverished countries because they join forces to fight poverty and hunger," Ortega said

Russia remains China's number one fish importer, with the volume of products sold growing by 7.3% to over 617,000 tonnes in the first six months of 2023

The Hungarian government issued an ultimatum to Kiev regarding the situation of ethnic Hungarian citizens on Ukrainian territory.

Poland could simply decide to take whatever it's interested in and then completely cut off any support for the Neo-Nazi junta, demanding it to renounce its dark roots first. Obviously, Warsaw is perfectly aware this is impossible, as the Kiev regime effectively created a cult following for its Nazi forefathers. Hence, Poland gets to keep the gains while ensuring an exit strategy for itself.

Washington panics as there are only a few weeks of funds available for Ukraine.

It was inevitable that the West-dominated order would, at some point, face a challenge. As China challenges the West, it’s a repeat of history

BRICS may not offer Turkey what it expects. The only reason Turkey might join BRICS is as a result of deteriorating relations with the West

The 2023 BRICS summit has clearly been one of the most historic and transformational BRICS summits on record – a major expansion was unleashed by the bloc, with six new members forming part of the BRICS core starting from January 1, 2024

M1 "Abrams" MBTs were lost to much less capable opponents in the Middle East, including the Islamic State's rag-tag militias. The idea they will survive against the Russian military is far more ludicrous.

Washington shows once again its intention to escalate and prolong the hostilities.

US admits to sharing intelligence on India to Canada.

Many Nigerians and members of the international community were surprised that Nigeria, the largest economy in Africa, was not invited as one of the new members of the regional economic bloc BRICS

GDP share of the six new members, being added to the five-member BRICS grouping of emerging economies from January, will be just 11 per cent, with Saudi Arabia's contribution the highest at 4 per cent, an analysis shows

The recent invitations to six countries to join BRICS indicates a will to reshuffle the global order and pursue economic interests as a bloc, with MENA players seeking to extend their influence in a multipolar world

Polish role as a strategic Ukrainian partner can no longer be taken for granted, as anti-Ukrainian feelings are on the rise in Poland.

US officials believe that Zelensky is "exhausting his political capacity rapidly." So, for Western officials, the best way to solve this problem is to hold elections and help another candidate to win - which will allow "renewing" the public image of the regime, thus legitimizing the continuation of the war efforts against Russia.

Having the Neo-Nazi junta do all the heavy lifting and dying for "a NATO mission" while the belligerent alliance collects battlefield data is perfect for the political West, but only as long as they can maintain plausible deniability of involvement. However, as Moscow is losing patience for this sort of insolence, the conflict that is still largely limited to Ukraine could inevitably escalate, as Russia can decide to legally redefine what constitutes direct involvement.

All the former leaders of Armenia conducted a balanced foreign policy by increasing the number of allies and limiting the number of enemies as much as possible. Now, under Pashinyan, there is a crisis in Armenian-Russian relations, and all signals point to Azerbaijan extending its aggression until the Zangezur Corridor is opened.

The conflict between Russia and NATO will take a long time to end. Moscow has the strength to strike back at any external threat at any time. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about the currently weakened and demoralized Armenia.

Only Russia and Iran have any interest in preserving an independent Armenian state, as it prevents the formation of a pro-NATO pan-Turkic bloc, but Sorosites in Yerevan keep antagonizing both Moscow and Tehran. This could cost Armenia its very existence.

BRICS countries, a grouping of emerging economies, agreed to facilitate the recognition of academic qualifications among members to ensure the mobility of skilled professionals, academics and students

BRICS has received an impulse to make a real transition to a new, more just world order. The ability of the new BRICS to fully realize itself and fulfill the mission of the transition depends on how our descendants will remember the 21st century, Viktoria Panova writes

It is only natural that opposing camps would lock in a heated debate over the ramification of non-induction of Bangladesh into the BRICS club. When Ethiopia and Argentina have received the green card as part of expansion of this bloc set up mainly to serve the development of member countries with particular emphasis on eco-friendly projects and sustainable growth, Bangladesh's qualification for the multilateral platform is beyond question

US activities only serve to create conditions for conducting more effective dual-use "biological research", the purposes of which are beneficial not only to the interests of the Pentagon, but also the so-called Big Pharma. All of the aforementioned pathogens (in addition to numerous others) are a deadly biohazard that endangers the lives of not only millions of Nigerians, but billions of people in Africa and around the world. The question is – cui bono?

The West is precisely the most interested side in generating chaos and instability in the Caucasus, which is why integration with NATO is "suicidal" measure on Yerevan's part.

Trump’s popularity continues to rise despite a concocted media effort to tarnish his image.

The fifteenth BRICS summit has gone further than any other in the recent past to modernize and galvanize the grouping. It has sent a strong signal that the post–World War II order should accept the multipolar reality and change with the times

The announcement of 2023 BRICS Summit in Johannesburg to embrace Ethiopia as its mentorship was phenomenal to the country. Ethiopia was warmly welcomed into the steadily expanding bloc. This monumental event signals a coming of age for Africa's second most populous nation on the global stage

The decision of the G20 economies to admit the African Union as a permanent member at the Group’s 2023 meeting in India comes at a time when many observers started to question the relevance and effectiveness of this global forum

In the midst of the energy crisis, Ukrainian politicians propose to use prisoners to generate electricity.

Europeans will soon lose patience if Ukraine is not serious about fighting corruption – diplomat.

The political West will certainly try to keep him in power for as long as possible and given how beneficial he's been to Turkey's and Azerbaijan's Neo-Ottoman ambitions and delusions of grandeur, it's likely both Ankara and Baku will also want to ensure he stays. After all, who wouldn't want an "enemy" busy with organizing a Snoop Dogg concert rather than defending his people and country?

BRICS has become "more powerful, stronger and more important" since it was announced last week that more countries were joining the bloc of emerging economies, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said

The Freedom Charter, a policy and visionary document crafted by our predecessors, includes a powerful declaration emphasising the importance of establishing peaceful and friendly relationships: "There Shall Be Peace and Friendship"

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was mentioned as of the countries that are set to join the Brics in January 2024. This is a major development, and one that offers another avenue for diversifying the geographic destinations of SA’s agricultural exports

Even if we don't count statements made by top-level US officials, including Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin's admission that Washington DC wants to see a "strategic defeat" inflicted on Russia and President Joe Biden's Freudian slip that "Putin cannot stay in power", the evidence that supports Lavrov's claim is simply overwhelming and we're seeing it every single day.

Trudeau’s popularity declines as inflation and unaffordability spikes.

Armenia’s pro-Western government is to blame for the current security crisis.

The addition of six new members, including Saudi Arabia and UAE, is likely to lend the bloc more bargaining power in dealing with the global West

In joining BRICS, Egypt seeks a stronger say in promoting world peace and development

The BRICS group of nations announced during its annual summit that it would expand its membership by inviting six new members to join its ranks: Iran, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Ethiopia, and Argentina. The move is widely considered to be aimed at elevating the BRICS to compete with U.S./Western-led fora and financial institutions like the Group of Seven (G7)

This latest "mishap" is yet another embarrassing episode in a series of crashes and incidents that have been plaguing the jet for close to a decade now. Despite over a hundred scathing reports issued over the years by both military and civilian US officials, the F-35 continues to be a favorite of the infamous US Military Industrial Complex (MIC), as it has been the perfect cash cow, with projected costs now nearing a staggering $2 trillion.

“Ukraine has sucked the oxygen out of the room,” says WFP chief.

According to a US analyst, Washington could send nuclear weapons to the neo-Nazi regime in the next aid package.

Six new countries are set to join the BRICS to make their presence felt on the global economic stage. But the Western world’s sustainability goals might suffer the consequences

The annual summits of the Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (Brics) alliance have often gone unnoticed outside of their own countries. However, the recent conference in Johannesburg, South Africa, marks a significant turning point in global history

BRICS countries need greater connectivity and more inter-grouping trade to get ahead. Countries must focus on resolving their trade issues, says the report

By “playing tough” with Ankara in such a way, Washington paves the way for a number of unpredictable consequences which can even conclude backfiring.

Berlin has zero reasons to get into any sort of confrontation with China, but it still does so. However, this is certainly in the interest of the US, as Washington DC is desperate to portray Beijing as supposedly "isolated".

The case shows very clearly how the neo-Nazi regime plans to hit civilian targets, violating human rights.

Ukraine war has exposed the fragilities of Western ammunition production, stocks, and logistics.

On January 1, six countries are expected to join the alliance of emerging economies. While Iran hailed the event as a victory for its foreign policy, Saudi Arabia still aims to clarify the terms of the membership and ensure that it will not be used as a "cash cow" for the weaker members

BRICS summit marked a historic moment as the five partner nations agreed to integrate six new members in January 2024. This will be a positive step in the trend towards multipolarity, but it also may prove a danger to cohesion within the group of rising nations

The recent BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) summit has dominated the global news headlines for weeks because of its growing membership and bold visions. Obviously, for developing countries, the summit’s discussions and outcomes were treated as a historical development, which could shape a completely new world order

For Russia, engaging with North Korea is also about balancing US-Japanese-South Korean influence in Asia.

Washington is allegedly assessing the use of electronic warfare techniques in Ukraine.

These harrowing figures, which will only be catastrophically worse by the time the next US presidential election rolls around in November 2024, will undoubtedly become a central discussion point that the Republicans will use to criticise the Democrats.

American weapons are not exactly groundbreaking for the Russian military that possesses far more potent missiles, but the real issue comes from the fact that the political West is providing the necessary ISR data. This is a significant force multiplier that can make even a relatively mediocre weapon such as the ATACMS more dangerous.

In a rapidly globalizing world, international cooperation in the field of education has become paramount. Nations are realizing the importance of fostering educational ties with other countries to enhance knowledge exchange, promote cultural understanding, and develop a globally competitive workforce

There is no doubt that Egypt's membership in the BRICS group opens up promising prospects for cooperation with the economies of its members, increasing the opportunities for trade exchange, bolstering the competitiveness of the Egyptian economy, and aiding in the attraction of more investments to the competitive business environment in Egypt

Brics wants to enlarge its sphere of influence in the global economy. Hence, apart from the addition of six new members – Argentina, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Ethiopia and the UAE – the summit’s broad aspirational goals and decisions are signalling a potential new era for Brics in the years ahead

According to top Zelensky aide, Chinese and Indians have “low intellectual potential”.

The ICC's sole motivation for the indictment was an attempt to tarnish Putin's (and by extension Russia's) reputation. As we all have gotten accustomed to by now, this not only failed miserably, but has also backfired. Namely, the kangaroo court is now faced with an unprecedented loss of jurisdiction around the world, as countries are considering effective legal nullification of the Rome Statute that established the ICC.

As US elections are looming and Ukraine cannot win the war, the Biden administration needs to shift the blame and is pinning it directly on Ukraine.

Malaysia would profit economically from the expansion of the BRICS coalition of states to form "BRICS Plus" by leveraging its international relationships, according to Juwai IQI co-founder and group chief executive officer Kashif Ansari

In an era where global alliances are becoming ever more important, BRICS’ recent expansion to include Ethiopia is a testament to the evolving dynamics in international politics. The inclusion not only marks a strategic alignment for the coalition but also highlights Ethiopia’s growing prominence in regional geopolitics

Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia, and Iran were announced as new permanent members of BRICS. The announcement was accompanied by a promise to define criteria for future new memberships

"Our party and state still identify Russia as the most important strategic partner in defense and security," the leaked Vietnamese document posits.

Germany is going through a serious situation of economic and social crisis, the effects of which will worsen severely in the near future.

Ukraine lost 71,500 servicemen since the beginning of the counteroffensive whilst Westerners are losing patience with even the slightest inconveniences caused by the war.

Challenges notwithstanding, the mantra for India’s transition from balancing to leading power entails developing comprehensive national power: economic development, diplomacy and deterrence are its three pillars, writes RPS Bhadauria, VSM (Retd), Director of the Centre for Strategic Studies & Simulation (CS3) at the United Service Institution of India, New Delhi

>"This bloc（BRICS）will have an enormous influence on multilateral organizations like G20 and South-South cooperation," Dr. Farhana Paruk, head of Client Engagement at Gordan Institute of Business Science (GIBS) at the University of Pretoria and a former fellow at the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs at Harvard University, shared her views

Ethiopia's entry into the BRICS mechanism is expected to facilitate the country's economic growth, and help forge strong and lasting political cooperation with the BRICS family, Ethiopian experts have said

Busy with trying to present recent historical events as a success for the world's most aggressive alliance, NATO Secretary General probably isn't even aware that the remarks he made have been repeatedly decried by the mainstream propaganda machine as "Russian disinformation" and "parroting Putin's talking points".

The regime is allegedly planning to change rules in order to allow people suffering from certain medical conditions to enroll in military service.

Zelensky promised to regain all territory lost to Russia, including Crimea. Since this will not be achieved, the Ukrainian president can be used as the perfect scapegoat by the military.

Citing calculations based on 2022 OPEC oil exports and production data, the InfoTech news outlet reported: The BRICS is going to change the power balance in the global energy market

Business Leadership South Africa (BLSA) CEO Busisiwe Maviso says the expansion of BRICS could substantially boost South Africa’s trade

Many Nigerians were expressing what they called “worry” and “sadness” that Nigeria was not admitted into BRICS, the grouping of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa that just ended its summit meeting in Johannesburg

Because political actions often have economic repercussions, adding further across-border militarization into this complicated dynamic could have quite unpredictable and escalating consequences.

Not wanting to cause escalation that could turn into a world-ending thermonuclear conflict is certainly commendable – if that's what actually happened. However, Musk's close cooperation with the Pentagon casts serious doubts on the claims that he's trying to "save the world".

A recent survey carried out by RD-DeutschlandTrend showed that 52% of the country's citizens are against sending long-range weapons to the neo-Nazi regime.

Armenia is strengthening NATO influence in the Caucasus by hosting exercises with US

Such will determine countries own paths to peace and security

Russia and South Africa were discussing joint projects in the energy sector, including the construction of a gas power plant and supplies of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) for new generating capacities

In a world where global governance structures are evolving, BRICS’ significance as a potential dominant economic bloc has greatly improved

The reasoning behind Washington DC's enmity towards Kolomoisky is that he's an absolute opportunist, meaning that he wasn't exactly ready to follow the belligerent thalassocracy's orders to the letter, as Zelensky does. What's more, he even tried to appease Russia on several occasions.

Kiev’s admission does not seem to be possible, considering the proxy conflict with Russia.

Kuleba proudly boasts that no American lives are at risk as Ukrainian casualties mount.

The on-going US proxy attrition war has already exhausted the country.

With the addition of six more countries to BRICS during the group’s recently concluded summit in Johannesburg, the big question now is whether the Philippines and its Asean partners are keen on being a part of the emerging economic grouping that could alter the global economic landscape

The bloc was dismissed by many in the beginning, with some arguing that it does not hold sufficient power to change anything, let alone contend with the global hegemons. But BRICS is not about challenging anyone. It is about fostering cooperation and collaboration to find solutions for global challenges and achieve a shared future in which development is enhanced and accessible to all who seek it, Mikatekiso Kubayi writes

Culture authorities from Russia and Brazil are discussing the possibility of reaching an agreement on joint film production

The US is running out of conventional weapons to provide Kiev, which is why it has recently started sending banned weapons, such as cluster munitions, and now even radioactive ones, such as DU.

According to Pashinyan's "logic", France will get into a confrontation with Turkey, one of its NATO allies, for the sake of Armenia, a country nearly 3,500 km away that can reach Yerevan only through neighboring Georgia. This is without even taking into account the troubles Paris is going through as its neocolonial system in Africa is faced with unprecedented unraveling.

Ukrainian forces have lost more than 66,000 soldiers since the start of the counteroffensive.

The BRICS bloc of developing nations convened in Johannesburg under the theme of “BRICS and Africa.” As this group, constituting a quarter of the global economy, contemplates its potential transformation into a geopolitical force against the West and its progress toward de-dollarizing its internal trade, the anticipated decision regarding expansion emerged from the summit

Brazil is looking forward to scaling up its trade with Russia, Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira said in an interview with Russian media

Russia will first present a detailed proposal to India for possible collaboration at the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) summit next year

The drills were held in Michigan, involving approximately 7000 soldiers from both sides. Although most Americans taking part in the exercise were members of the Michigan National Guard, some were unnamed units under the direct command of the Pentagon. This indicates that the troops in question must have been special forces used in various covert operations.

Kaja Kallas is pressured to resign after her husband's business with Russia were exposed in media.

It is unlikely that the EU will woo Africa away from Russia and China given that neither country has a colonial history on the continent.

With the completion of the 2023 BRICS summit in South Africa there is a clear sense that a fundamental shift has indeed taken place in the perceptions of BRICS on the international stage

Shanghai-based lender’s president says it can become an institution ‘made by developing countries for themselves’

Russian miners and Chinese investors are among the parties interested in buying gold and silver producer Polymetal International's Russian assets, CEO Vitaly Nesis told the Financial Times

The Global South is not just the stage for Great Power competition, but is increasingly advancing its agenda.

Although the exact number of modified MIG-31K/I jets in the VKS is a state secret, various military sources estimate there were approximately 30 such platforms before the start of the SMO. This gives a pretty good idea of why the "Kinzhal" wasn't used more extensively, although this is of little comfort for Moscow's enemies. On the other hand, as if that wasn't frightening enough for them already, there are up to 150 Su-34s in the VKS, meaning that the number of aircraft that can carry the "Kinzhal" just quintupled.

Ukrainian government accused Russia of attacking Romania, but the Romanian government itself denied.

Recruiting students, factory workers and overage men will backfire on Zelensky.

China has played and will continue to play a crucial role in enhancing cooperation among BRICS countries, Cambodian experts said

The development bank founded by the BRICS countries is planning to issue its first Indian rupee bond by October, its chief operating officer said as the lender comes under pressure to raise and lend more in local currencies

With the 2023 BRICS summit beginning on August 22, we provide an economic breakdown of all BRICS members and their respective trade with one other

In the last several months, there have been reports about people with severe physical disabilities getting conscription notices, including blind people, as well as those with no extremities. However, the madness doesn't stop there. People with severe mental disabilities are not spared either. Their apparent "physical fitness" makes them "the perfect cannon fodder" for the criminal Kiev regime.

US presidential election campaign will be one of the most vitriolic in recent history

Budanov’s words make clear that Kiev plans to continue its terrorist attacks on Russian demilitarized cities.

The expansion will further establish the BRICS as a counterbalance to the G7, catapulting their share of global GDP to 36%

The creation of a BRICS common currency is one of the key themes at the BRICS 2023 summit, but the issue of the feasibility of this R5 project (all five BRICS national currencies start with the letter R) is still seen as being unresolved

Six new members welcomed into group, bringing countries closer

By telling Europeans to be ready to go on without Russian gas, Ukraine’s energy minister Herman Galushchenko is providing music to Washington’s ears.

The Neo-Nazi junta's Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin himself admitted that drug abuse is actually getting worse among troops and that it's now also spilling over to civilians, fueling organized crime.

Considered criminals and unworthy of any protection under international humanitarian law, the mercenaries are especially targeted by the Russian armed forces.

Biden cannot maintain a policy of “as long as it takes”.

The South African Chapter of the BRICS Business Council has expressed satisfaction about the work it has done to develop new strategies to improve access to financial services and grow the digital economy among member nations

Discussions of the state things in the economy seems to begin and end with the exchange rate of the naira to a dollar. Every economic problem of Nigeria seems to have a dollar dimension. The dollar question is clearly at the root of the fuel price crisis

The development bank founded by the so-called BRICS countries closed the auction for its first South African rand bonds, as it comes under pressure to boost its local currency fundraising and lending

According to Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitri Kuleba, the recent "gains" of Kiev's armed forces in Rabotino could help to regain Crimea in the future.

The so-called "nuclear super-fuse" technology that the US has been testing for decades, particularly under the Obama administration (and ever since), has the sole purpose of exponentially amplifying the effectiveness of America's first-strike capabilities, meaning that the belligerent thalassocracy is contemplating a direct attack on Russia.

Orbán warns attack on Russian gas routes will be considered grounds for war.

The 2023 BRICS summit is over and it is clear that it is one of the most historic and transformational BRICS summits on record

India is planning to launch a BRICS startup forum this year in order to foster collaboration and knowledge sharing among investors, incubators, and aspiring entrepreneurs

Including Iran and Saudi Arabia in BRICS+ will increase China’s clout in the Middle East

However, these planes will be useless for Ukraine in this war, considering that, after learning English before flying, a pilot can only learn to take off, land, and some basic functions in half a year of training.

Despite the martial law and the Ukrainian opposition being neutralized by the regime's dictatorial policies, Western sponsors plan to hold presidential elections for another candidate to win.

The logic of many African countries is rather sound – it's better to give "Wagner" a single mine (or even several) than have the political West perpetually exploit them while maintaining a semblance of "independence".

We explored the BRICS economy—an alliance of emerging market economies comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. Now, we shift our focus to examine BRICS’ potential impact on the global financial system. As global economic and political dynamics change, we’ll explore what this means for developing countries like Zambia

Country remains focused on strengthening economic relations with other major partners around the globe

The creation of a BRICS currency has become throughout the past year one of the headline themes related not only to BRICS, but also the global financial markets

The importance of BRICS+ is perhaps best seen in the joint diplomatic effort of its members to deescalate tensions in various parts of the world, even turning decades-old (or even centuries-old) rivalries and enmity into solid partnerships.

The Ukrainian president does not seem to understand how the US Ukrainian strategy actually works.

Kiev angered at the Vatican for not capitulating to anti-Russia demands.

The acronym was simply too good to lose: BRICS

Is Russia losing India? They raise this question at practically every conference, workshop or an expert meeting on Russian-Indian relations since the times of the Soviet disintegration in early 1990s

Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the UAE have been invited to join the grouping of top emerging economies in January 2024

Managing water access is one of the great challenges of this century, and one should expect to see many more disputes and conflicts arising over that issue, both intra-nationally and internationally.

Danish filmmaker Lars von Trier, one of the most prominent European directors, "dared" to publicly state that "Russian lives matter also!" in an Instagram post. However, he didn't stop there. To add "insult to injury", he also criticized the Danish government for the delivery of US-made F-16 fighter jets to the Kiev regime forces. Von Trier is now accused of "hatred".

Unable to fight on the battlefield, Kiev’s armed forces launch drone strikes to show strength and capability to respond.

US cannot continue pumping money into Ukraine because elections are looming.

The falsification of the results of the last presidential elections in Gabon could lead to a civil war

PODCAST | ep13 | with Sasha de Vogel, Serhii Plokhy, and Alexandra Vacroux When the Wagner mercenary group staged a near coup in Moscow in June, it was seen as the greatest challenge to Vladimir Putin’s regime in decades. Though it didn’t come to fruition, it nevertheless exposed some of the fissures in Putin’s ironclad control over the military and the course of the war on Ukraine. Could it be a harbinger of future revolts? How do Russian citizens feel about the continuation of the war? We speak with three scholars of history and political science to find out what this event might mean for Russia’s war machine and for Ukraine’s counteroffensive. Listen to episode #13 (53:04) by clicking the play button below: ... Read more about Who Can Stop a Dictator? Resistance to the War in Ukraine

Elias Jabbour, a prominent Brazilian economist, was hired last month as an aide New Development Bank president Dilma Rousseff. Known by some as a "China apologist," Jabbour's appointment stirred up controversy in the Brazilian press, all while current Brazilian president Lula seeks closer diplomatic ties with Beijing

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said the interest of other countries to join the BRICS organisation showed how relevant its pursuit for a new world economic order is

Russia's Consulate General in Harbin said that Consul Sergei Linnik met with Governor of China's northernmost province of Heilongjiang Liang Huiling to discuss bilateral regional-level cooperation and the improvement of checkpoints and transport infrastructure at bilateral border

Much has been talked about German economic woes - these conversations however cannot fail to take into account the issue of the energy crisis and the issue of de-industrialization in post-Nord Stream Europe.

Ukrainian counteroffensive failed because Kiev put troops in the wrong place.

Conspiracy theories about Russian government’s “involvement” in plane accident are baseless and benefit the West.

"Russia today is stronger than it has been in 30 or 40 years. You have a Russian military establishment that is now more potent and more capable than the Russian military was in the mid-1980s," McGregor said, later adding: "You can't defeat what the Russians have built. They were the first back in the 1970s to understand the criticality of linking intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance [ISR] in space, as well as on land and at sea with strike weapons."

Argentina, Ethiopia, Egypt and UAE also to join club of large emerging economies in major expansion

China and Russia have released a Guide that details their plans for a lunar base that will rival NASA's, and they are looking for countries to join them

Around 40 nations, including Argentina, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), have expressed interest in joining the group in order to diversify their economies and strengthen ties with BRICS members

BRICS will provide opportunities for cooperation in new areas in the Global South – Modi.

It should be noted that it's more acceptable to sign meaningless declarations that are absolutely inconsequential for Russia than impose sanctions, an unprecedented move that could end up being a political suicide for the current government.

The neo-Nazi leader may be spending the money his country receives through humanitarian aid in luxury.

The BRICS countries will use the summit taking place in Johannesburg to bolster trade in their local currencies to gain greater independence from the dollar, rather than launching a common currency

A summit of the BRICS group—Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa—began yesterday in Johannesburg. At least 30 of the more than 60 heads of state and government invited to join the meeting were from Africa

The trends towards greater regionalization of the world economy are becoming increasingly pronounced as reflected in the growing prominence of regional integration projects in the developing world such as AfCFTA or RCEP. What if these trends were to persist? How would the landscape of global economic governance be transformed?

South Africa has for the longest time managed strategically and politically to finely balance the tightrope between the West and the East, so to speak. Dr Oscar van Heerden asks why it seems we have failed in continuing this balancing act

Echoing the “Ostpolitik” principle, Austrian official criticized attempts at “cancelling” and “isolating” Russia.

The US was able to manipulate millions of Ukrainians into hating their own kin, both within Ukraine itself, as well as those in Russia, creating the pool of manpower necessary to fight Moscow. However, this pool is draining fast and there's no one to replace it.

Duda uses “patriotism” to deepen Poland’s vassalage to Washington.

The 15th BRICS Summit of Emerging Economies has kicked off at the Sandton Convention Centre today

Since the BRICS+ format was re-launched by China in 2022 a radical change took place with respect to BRICS on the international stage

The BRICS confederation, which includes the developing countries of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, seen as the pioneer of an economic system that is an alternative to the US dollar-dominated financial system

After World War II, several bilateral and multilateral agencies (IMF, WB, ADB, WTO, WHO, Paris Club, etc.) were created to rebuild the aftermath of war destruction, mostly in Europe

At the moment, it's estimated that up to 15,000 soldiers, several hundred tanks, artillery and missile systems, and several thousand combat vehicles are deployed in areas close to the Belarussian border. This also includes the redeployment of military aircraft and airborne troops, both of which are considered offensive assets.

New evidence shows that Western officials plan to choose a new leader for the neo-Nazi regime.

Ukraine is running out of possibilities for a counteroffensive - The Washington Post.

The BRICS summit meeting on August 22-24 in Johannesburg will be the most demanding international meeting that South Africa has accepted to host

For a long time there has been a process of reorientation of Russia’s trade flows from the West to the East. The Asian market is huge; it has great growth potential and the population has high purchasing power. Trade cooperation with the BRICS countries, ASEAN, the Arab countries, as well as Africa and Latin America is expanding, writes Anastasia Stepanova

The August 2023 Brics summit in South Africa unfolds against a backdrop of an attempt by the Western media to project it as a divided club

It's clear that the consequences of Germany's rapid deindustrialization are showing earlier than anyone in its leadership could've ever imagined. As Berlin's economic unraveling accelerates, it's now faced with a much more powerful Russia, whose economy has eclipsed Germany's for the first time in over three decades, becoming the largest one in Europe.

According to experts interviewed by the Financial Times, Washington does not have enough tactical ballistic missiles to help Kiev in its “counteroffensive”.

Short training missions make no difference to Ukraine’s war effort as the undertrained soldiers are only fed to the Russian meatgrinder.

As South Africa anticipates hosting the eminent 15th BRICS Summit in Johannesburg, the world awaits with bated breath to witness the unfolding of this influential alliance on the global stage

Expansion should be gradual and based on how new countries would contribute to mutual complementarities

According to a Russian expert, the addition of African Muslim countries to the BRICS could transform the group into a global leader of the South

Beijing is planning, with Latin American partners, to increase Atlantic-Pacific connectedness, as part of its Great Power competition with the US and that may revolutionize not just trade but also the geopolitical landscape of the 21s century.

After the SMO started, NATO believed that it could defeat the Eurasian giant and even force it to give up Crimea. After it became obvious that would never happen, the alliance simply decided to take as much as it can with as little effort as possible.

For Nicolas Sarkozy, it is necessary for Europe to deal rationally with Russia, since both need each other mutually.

“Ukraine’s military potential is practically exhausted,” Shoigu says.

The forthcoming summit holds significant implications for global geopolitics, with its central agenda revolving around the launch of a common currency among the BRICS nations

BRICS digital economy cooperation should rise above obstacles to gain new ground

The upcoming BRICS summit, with 69 invited leaders, aims to discuss de-dollarization and the promotion of national currencies in international trade

Beijing is particularly important for Belarus, as it's Minsk's main trading partner, with Chinese goods, services and technologies being of crucial importance to allow it to weather the storm of a combined Western sanctions warfare and subversion attempts.

British intelligence agency is allegedly involved in move to neutralize pro-Russian wave in African countries.

Russia and China deepen military ties and conduct more exercises.

The BRICS countries are asserting themselves in global politics, aiming for greater representation and influence. They have the potential to drive global economic growth and innovation, particularly through investments in education and emerging technologies. The development of a consolidated and constructive global governance model and potential trade using a common currency could further enhance their global influence and solidify their position as a powerful force in global leadership, writes Nivedita Das Kundu

The global financial landscape is on the verge of an outbreak as the BRICS nations – Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa – boldly announce their plan to disrupt the long-standing dominance of the US dollar

Expectations about the role of the BRICS in world affairs are shaped independently of the will of the participants in this group: they become the product of the evolution of the entire international order in a direction whose main features we have yet to witness, writes Valdai Club Programme Director Timofei Bordachev

Weatherhead Center Fellow and Directorate-General Taxation and Customs Union, EU Commission, Juan José García Sánchez argues that there’s a better way for the US to compete with China other than its current protectionist strategy. by Juan José García Sánchez... Read more about American Protectionism: Can It Work?

Biden is urged to stop “sending more money into the fog of war”.

American experts continue to blame "slow" Western assistance for the Ukrainian military disaster, when in fact the counteroffensive would certainly fail regardless of military equipment.

"The numbers of war dead are a secret in Ukraine, but it is possible to get an impression of the scale by visiting the rapidly expanding military cemeteries that feature in every town and city," the Economist reports.

Ron Paul condemns Biden’s plan to send $24 billion in assistance to Ukraine while the Hawaiian people suffer from the disaster in the Maui region.

The upcoming BRICS summit in South Africa is set to reveal the criteria as well as possibly the composition of the next wave of BRICS members and/or members of the expanded BRICS+ alliance

The head of Russia’s space agency suggested Moscow’s partners in the BRICS group – Brazil, India, China and South Africa – could build a module for its planned orbital station

Twenty two nations have formally applied to become members of the BRICS economic bloc, a South African diplomat said

Since banning poppy cultivation in April 2022, the Taliban brought down poppy cultivation to less than 1,000 hectares in Helmand, prompting farmers to start planting actually useful crops, like wheat, slowly eliminating the famine created by Western sanctions. The Taliban also banned ephedra cultivation, leading to a mass shutdown of the previously extensive network of ephedrine labs across the country, effectively dismantling the methamphetamine industry.

Former US security adviser accuses West of failed Kiev counteroffensive.

The BRICS group of major emerging economies - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - will hold its 15th heads of state and government summit in Johannesburg this month

Russia and Brazil are two nations whose economic power cannot be underestimated. Brazil is Russia's main trading partner in Latin America and the Caribbean, accounting for a third of trade between Moscow and the region

BRICS expansion is set to become the main topic of discussion at the BRICS summit in South Africa and as with so many actively discussed matters there is enormous confusion about what this expansion actually means

The cable is another blatant instance of American “alignmentism” and its cold war mentality - an approach that can only further alienate potential partners and allies, especially in the Global South.

Eurosceptic politician condemns sanctions against Moscow and calls Russian gas a "blessing".

In yet another futile attempt of belittling Moscow's power, the United Kingdom keeps claiming that trees, shrubs, grass and other greenery are effectively "helping" the Russian military by "slowing down" the Neo-Nazi junta forces.

Poland considers extending grain dispute with Ukraine to include fruit and poultry.

Around twenty countries from around the world have applied to join the BRICS group, which currently consists of five nations, and an equal number of other countries have expressed an interest, South Africa, which is hosting its next summit, said

Russia is sending a rare cargo of crude oil through the Arctic Sea to China, a move that will fan environmental concerns even if it means cheaper delivery costs for the nation’s petroleum

Since 2022 the theme of the creation of a common BRICS currency has become one of the most important BRICS-related topics in the global agenda

In recent years, the warhawks have become so overconfident that they don't even consider the possibility of engaging in actual diplomacy with countries that have the means of bringing all the "freedom and democracy" the US "exports" back to it. This includes not only "pocket superpowers" such as North Korea, but also geopolitical giants such as Russia and China, the two only near-peer adversaries to the United States.

Mainstream media outlets try to explain the counterattack’s failure and make new “predictions” about the conflict.

The more the US uses its economic leverage as a weapon to bully other nations, the greater the motivation to seek alternatives against the American order. The very logic of economic war-gaming is yet another potential vulnerability for the US itself.

Biden keeps throwing US taxpayers' money at the Ukrainian financial blackhole.

The BRICS have emerged as a powerful alliance of emerging-market economies over the course of the 21st century. Comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa as their acronym alludes to, the group has increasingly become the bricks and mortar which supports the global economy

South Africa is keen on strengthening collaboration with BRICS nations in the field of vaccine manufacturing, the hydrogen economy as well as the marine sciences, a minister said

When the BRICS was initiated, it was an organisation meant to express a new geopolitical will as against the Western geopolitical order. Meanwhile, it has become expression of hopes and desires for economic development, progress, representation in international fora and the need to contribute and play a role in defining the global agenda and finding solutions to global issues

Ukrainian PoW captured by the Russian forces said he and his colleagues learned about the counteroffensive through videos on TikTok.

As if the Kiev regime's involvement wasn't bad enough, the US Department of Justice (although its relation to actual justice is purely lexical) recently removed child sex trafficking information from its website. According to the Epoch Times, the updated version of the webpage completely erased all three sections that previously showed the data which was added during Donald Trump's presidency.

The controversial comments follow on from a Kiev official wanting “the maximum killing of Russians”.

Likely to lead to increased Russia – China – India – Brazil Cooperations

The nearing of the 2023 BRICS summit is expectedly generating all sorts of controversies around which candidate economies are to accede to the BRICS core or form a “circle of friends” of the grouping

China has launched additional expeditions to the Arctic and the Antarctic as it seeks to expand its foothold in the polar regions

Brazilian president stresses that Zelensky “cannot want everything”.

Despite escalating and prolonging the conflict, US’ increase in military assistance to Kiev is unlikely to have any relevant results.

On one hand, the "woke" obsession is certainly dangerous when people with obvious mental illnesses are placed in high-ranking positions (particularly those involving nuclear tech). On the other hand, disincentivizing participation in US aggression against the world is actually a net positive for everyone, including Americans themselves.

Many saw this group as a symbol of economic hope and optimism for developing countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Global South. At the time of inception, the economies of Brazil, Russia, India and China were experiencing significant growth which raised eyebrows and attracted attention regarding their impact on the global economy

Western sanctions on Moscow cast shadow on dollar hegemony

After the end of World War II, India's African policy was centred on two key themes. First, financial and political support for anti-colonial liberation movements and the struggle against apartheid regimes in states in the south and east of Africa, particularly South Africa and Namibia. At UN meetings, India has repeatedly drawn the attention of world powers to cases of discrimination and genocide in African countries

The newly released information revealed that Russia is now the largest economy in Europe and also the world's fifth for the very first time since Soviet times. In doing so, it overtook Germany, and is now behind China, the US, India and Japan, standing at a staggering $5.51 trillion.

While defending NATO’s interests, Estonia faces serious domestic problems.

The Wall Street Journal admits that targeting the Russian economy has been a “failure”

Interview with Ashley Otu, Founder and researcher at IDCOOP

Chinese experts predict that efforts by countries to replace the US dollar in international trade will intensify as BRICS nations discuss the feasibility of introducing a common currency at a summit in South Africa later this year

The country is looking to Chinese infrastructure expertise as it struggles with energy blackouts and stubbornly high long-term unemployment rates

Drone attacks on civilian infrastructure are absolutely irrelevant to Russian military operations in Ukraine, meaning they are either an act of desperation or the United States is simply trying to launch a total war against Russia, as its economy has proved to be virtually impervious to political West's unrelenting sanctions warfare.

6000 Russian in Latvia will receive order to leave the country.

Biden’s popularity would be even lower if the whole truth about Ukraine were revealed.

Emerging economies to jointly fix 'imperfect Western-dominated order'

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said that he supports more countries joining the BRICS group of large developing nations, which currently includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa

The New Development Bank, which was founded by BRICS countries in 2015, has announced that it will finance projects that are aimed at addressing electricity transmission capacity in South Africa

The Nigerian Political Science Association (NPSA) has called on the Nigerian Government to follow in the steps of other countries and join Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) alliance

American fiscal decline and its huge war-fueled debt is part of a larger societal and civilizational crisis.

It now seems Zelensky will have to learn how to share the "aid" for "freedom and democracy". On the other hand, this spells doom for the unfortunate people of China's breakaway island province, as America's increased interest in "freedom for Taiwan" certainly doesn't bode well for its fate. This effectively means that the TTLU could soon become TTLT (to the last Taiwanese) or perhaps more honestly – TTLS (to the last semiconductor).

As Politico insists that Sweden and Finland joining NATO also means that the belligerent alliance will increase presence in the Arctic, "a region increasingly strategic to both Russia and China", as it stated, it's quite indicative that NATO expansion in this area has nothing to do with the security of either Stockholm or Helsinki, but with the strategy of so-called "containment of Russia and China".

Russia launches the new digital ruble as part of de-Dollarization process.

Criminal networks act in the midst of the conflict with the support of neo-Nazi forces, exporting children on the black market.

With the decision made a month before the upcoming BRICS summit in Johannesburg, the initiative has attracted the attention of numerous countries eager to join this influential bloc

As the August 2023 BRICS summit draws near, there are more and more alarm bells ringing from various parts of the academic community regarding the “excessive ambition” coming from BRICS attempts to change global governance

Robert Kiyosaki said the dollar will meet its end as dedollarization efforts ramp up among BRICS nations

Russian military exercises in Baltic Sea show that Moscow has force enough to defend its interests in the region.

Terrorist attacks on Russian cities will again prove to be another situation where Zelensky overplayed his hand.

Albert Ondo Ossa is the most rational candidate for the leadership of Gabon. This was stated by the President of the Foundation for the Development of Modern Diplomacy Amram Petrosian in his comment on the course of the presidential election campaign in the republic

Bolivian President Luis Arce will attend BRICS summit in South Africa as the South American country looks for stronger partnerships and investments to help boost commodities exports and develop its emerging lithium industry

What joining BRICS might entail for Bangladesh

Russian energy giant Rosneft has appointed a former Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) director to its board in signs it may be looking at boosting trade links with India

The confidence Americans have in their military is the lowest since 1997.

If Paris doesn't intervene, the uprising in Niger could lead to a complete collapse of the neocolonial system it left in place in the 1960s. The dilemma inevitably results in a geopolitical catch-22, as leaving things as they are could also encourage others to revolt against Western neocolonialism elsewhere in Africa and possibly beyond.

In a sensational article, a leading Western newspaper claimed that Kiev has a secret plan if the Ukrainian president is killed.

The BRICS bloc, which comprises the five major emerging national economies of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, is expected to make a decision on new members at the 15th BRICS Summit in Johannesburg in August

The New Development Bank, a financial institution created by the BRICS bloc of emerging markets, doesn’t have any immediate plans for the group to create a common currency, its vice president and chief financial officer said

BRICS’ development-focused diplomacy allows India to pursue a broader agenda than the Quad – and one more focused on the concerns of developing countries

Third parties are reselling arms to both sides and precisely this is being used for political purposes, as the US is desperate to cause disagreements between Moscow and its allies.

Ukraine is already a financial blackhole for the West, as seen by the vast resources poured into the country while recent drone attacks on Russia indicate Ukrainian desperation.

According to the President of Burkina Faso, terrorists in Africa are using NATO weapons that should be in Ukraine.

Weatherhead Fellow and former engineering economist for Saudi Aramco Jenny Spalding addresses the evolution of the US-Saudi oil-for-security bargain and its effect on global energy security. by Jenny Spalding... Read more about The Deal That Keeps the Oil Flowing

PODCAST | ep12 | with Ahmet Akbiyik, Andrew O’Donohue, and SZ The presidential election in Turkey this spring is shaping up to be the most consequential in decades. Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has led the country for twenty years, is facing the staunchest opposition in his career in the form of an unprecedented coalition of six parties, called the “Table of Six.” Their presidential candidate, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, has been widely described as low-key, bland, and uncharismatic. But could he be the perfect person to unseat Erdogan? To get us up to speed on this exciting election, we speak with three Graduate Student Associates whose research takes us into the governance, politics, and culture of Turkey—past and present. Listen to episode #12 (31:15) by clicking the play button below: ... Read more about Can Erdogan be Unseated?

If China attempts reunification with Taiwan, how will the US meet its obligations to defend it? Two visiting fellows and officers of the US Air Force insist that the US must improve its preparedness for a new type of conflict. by Ken Fann and Charles Bursi... Read more about Protecting the Porcupine: Why Taiwan Matters

How a nation sees its relationship to refugees can have a profound impact on social services and even infrastructure, as shown in new research on Uganda’s unique refugee-hosting model. By Yang-Yang Zhou... Read more about Refugees are Brothers and Sisters in Uganda, Strangers in Tanzania

PODCAST | ep11 | with Dustin Tingley, Jeff Colgan, and Aleksandra Conevska  Green technology has come a long way, to the extent that it can, in theory, be scaled up to solve the world’s energy problems. If this is true, then why does the US lag so far behind in transitioning away from fossil fuels? This episode addresses the politics of climate change by looking at the sources of public distrust. To frame the discussion, three scholars investigate the nature of major economic transformations, the youth movement, and what we can learn from other countries. Listen to episode #11 (52:08) by clicking the play button below: ... Read more about What Is Holding Up the Transition to Green Energy?

As part of the British Commonwealth, Canada has a complex relationship with the monarchy. A Canadian scholar examines the British Crown’s reliance on religious and military symbolism to invoke its authority, especially with regard to upholding treaties with Indigenous peoples. By Pamela Klassen... Read more about Remembering the Queen of Canada

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.