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This Year's El Nino Will Test Food, Trade, and Governments
The world is heading toward another major El Nino, and governments across Asia are already preparing for its consequences. Droughts could reduce crop yields in some countries, while heavier rains raise the risk of flooding in others. Food production, trade, and inflation are all likely to come under renewed pressure at a time when many economies are still adjusting to higher energy costs, supply chain disruptions, and geopolitical uncertainty. &...
Read More →Can Oil Production and Climate Goals Coexist? Oman Thinks So
The world is getting hotter, and scientists broadly agree that burning oil, gas, and coal is the main reason why. That leaves oil producing nations in an uncomfortable spot. They are most responsible for climate change but also among the ones with the most to lose if they stop. So what does a country do when the thing that pays its bills is also the thing the rest of the world wants less of? Oman's government thinks it has found a middle...
Read More →Malaysia-Norway Missile Fallout Sparks Global Defense Trust Crisis
Malaysia and Norway are in the middle of a major diplomatic dispute after Norway blocked the export approval for Naval Strike Missiles just days before they were scheduled to be shipped. The missile deal, signed in 2018 to strengthen Malaysia’s naval defense capabilities, had been years in the making, with Malaysia expecting delivery in July 2026. Norway’s last-minute decision has created frustration in Malaysia and raised co...
Read More →Egypt’s New Octagon Signals Cairo’s Bid to Shape Red Sea Security
Egypt has unveiled The Octagon, a vast new military command headquarters in its New Administrative Capital east of Cairo, marking another milestone in the country's effort to reshape its political and security landscape. Although its enormous size has drawn international attention, the project is about far more than architecture. Built during a period of growing instability across the Middle East, The Octagon reflects Egypt's effort to s...
Read More →A US-China Cold War Sounds Grim. The Alternatives Are Worse
For more than three decades after the Cold War, the world lived under a system shaped by one dominant power: the United States. That era is now ending. China’s rise, Russia’s assault on the post-Cold War order, and growing strains in the West all point to a world that is becoming more contested and more dangerous. The question is not whether the old order will survive. It will not. The real question is what replaces it. The w...
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