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On Geopolitics

Taiwanese President William Lai (center), flanked by other top officials in his government, discusses plans to propose a $40 billion supplemental defense budget during a news conference in Taipei on Nov. 26, 2025.
On GeopoliticsDec 4, 2025
Taiwan Report Highlights Evolving Security Orientation

The 2025 Taiwan National Defense Report reflects Taipei's growing intent and tactical capabilities for deterrence by denial against a Chinese invasion, but it also highlights persistent challenges that contribute to a continually rising risk of conflict through 2028.

Hamas militants arrive to secure the area as Egyptian and Red Cross workers search for the bodies of the last two remaining hostages from under the rubble of the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza on Dec. 1, 2025.
On GeopoliticsDec 1, 2025
Hamas and Israel Evolve the Gaza Conflict

In this phase of the conflict, Israel and Hamas aim to break one another's political will not through widespread violence but through attrition and exhaustion.

European Council President Antonio Costa and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrive for a meeting of the European Council on Oct. 23.
On GeopoliticsOct 27, 2025
Europe's Dual Challenge From China and Russia

The EU pursuit of geopolitical independence is being severely tested by Russia's direct security aggression, China's control over critical raw materials and competing economic pressures from the United States.

President Donald Trump delivers remarks in the Oval Office of the White House on Oct. 6, 2025.
On GeopoliticsOct 10, 2025
The Risks of the Trump Administration's Campaign of Retribution
An antique map showing the area around modern-day Israel and the Palestinian territories.
On GeopoliticsOct 8, 2025
A Palestinian 'Half-State' Could Reduce Violence, but Deepen Israel's Isolation
Protesters gather at the Singha Durbar, the main administrative building for the Nepal government, in Kathmandu on Sept. 9, 2025.
On GeopoliticsOct 7, 2025
Political Instability Roils South Asia

Widespread discontent with corruption and economic mismanagement is fueling movements that demand greater accountability across South Asia.

U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu participate in a press conference in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 29, 2025.
On GeopoliticsOct 2, 2025
'A Little Sparta': Why the U.S.-Israeli Relationship Is Destined To Change
A mosque in March 2025 in Herat, Afghanistan.
On GeopoliticsSep 16, 2025
The Future of Islamism in the Middle East

Whether Islamism revives as in the Levant, evolves pragmatically through parties with Islamic values as in Turkey, or changes beyond all recognition remains up in the air.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Sept. 7 in Brasilia, Brazil.
On GeopoliticsSep 15, 2025
Lula's Old Playbook Meets a New Political Reality

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's failure to acknowledge changes in Brazilian society and power dynamics is making it difficult for him to resonate with voters.

A portrait of former U.S. President Ronald Reagan is seen in the background as U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., on April 22, 2025.
On GeopoliticsSep 3, 2025
The Visible Hand: Trump's Interventionism Reshapes American Capitalism

In just seven months in office, the Trump administration has pursued a series of highly unconventional economic policies that, taken together, amount to the deepest government interventionism into the U.S. economy of any president since the Reagan era.

A person holds a smartphone showing an interface introducing OpenAI's new GPT-5 model in the ChatGPT app in front of a blurred OpenAI logo on Aug. 9, 2025, in Chongqing, China.
On GeopoliticsAug 18, 2025
GPT-5 and the Evolution of AI

Despite users' disappointment with the lack of conversational improvements, GPT-5 signifies a shift in AI development from basic chatbots to more advanced agentic systems, capable of complex, multi-step tasks.

Shipping containers are offloaded from a vessel at Berbera Port in Somaliland on Aug. 31, 2021.
On GeopoliticsAug 13, 2025
The UAE's Long Game in East Africa
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