What’s new? Middle Eastern states are accelerating their competition for allies, influence and physical presence in the Red Sea corridor, including in the Horn of Africa. Rival Gulf powers in particular are jockeying to set the terms of a new regional power balance and benefit from future economic growth. Read Here – International Crisis Group
Grandeur, however, has been denied the former Gaullist Jacques Chirac, who died this week. In the cascade of eulogies following his death, the man who not only served twice as president of France but also as prime minister and mayor of Paris, was rarely called a great man. This is not a matter of ideology […]
The Federal Reserve’s old moniker of “lender of last resort” is no longer relevant. Its policy of holding its federal funds rate above levels seen anywhere else in the developed world and borrowing near these rates has made it the “borrower of first resort.” This is problematic. Read Here – The National Interest
Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to India next month might look like a landmark moment in the warming of relations between the two countries. But look a little closer and one seemingly intractable obstacle remains: Xi’s signature Belt and Road Initiative. The plan remains a thorny issue in relations. Read Here – South China Morning […]
Between US President Donald Trump’s zero-sum disputes with China and Iran, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s brinkmanship with Parliament and the European Union, and Argentina’s likely return to Peronist populism, the fate of the global economy is balancing on a knife edge. Any of these scenarios could lead to a crisis with rapid spillover effects. […]
Terrorist groups are increasingly using 21st-century technologies, including drones and elementary artificial intelligence (AI), in attacks. As it continues to be weaponised, AI could prove a formidable threat, allowing adversaries — including non-state actors — to automate killing on a massive scale. The combination of drone expertise and more sophisticated AI could allow terrorist groups […]
The term “dark patterns” does draw attention to maliciously intentioned organizations that hoover user data, counter to their users’ needs. Most of these regulatory proposals, however, fail to recognize that dark patterns are only a subset of opinionated design that guide users toward a goal in a particular way. Most good design is opinionated. Read Here – […]
President Donald Trump urged Ukraine’s president to work with Attorney General William Barr on a potential investigation into Joe Biden, according to a White House readout of a July call, adding a damaging new dimension to the scandal that is engulfing Trump’s presidency. Read Here – Politico Also Read: Why Trump Relishes The Upcoming Impeachment Battle And: […]
Beijing is expanding its ability to influence societies around the world through its exercise of soft power. This is best exemplified by its Belt and Road Initiative, but there is another, more stealthy effort occurring along-side it that has potentially profound implications for Chinese foreign policy—Beijing’s growing influence in the Western press. China’s state-run media […]
US President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi exchanged warm words of friendship in Texas at a rare mass rally for a foreign leader. Around 50,000 people gathered for what Mr Trump called a “profoundly historic event” on Sunday in Houston. The “Howdy, Modi!” event was billed as one of the largest ever […]
