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Geopolitics Israel-Palestine War

Anybody Special? Why Netanyahu Can’t Count On Trump Either

Talks for the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire — and with it, the release of hostages and prisoners — kick off today as the Israeli prime minister arrives in Washington. His meeting with Donald Trump tomorrow could be a turning point, deciding between peace or war in the months ahead.

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Economy Eyes on the U.S. special series Trump And The World

With New Tariffs, Why Trump Is Hitting Canada And Mexico Harder Than China

The American president had promised tariffs of at least 60% on all Chinese products. For now, it will be only 10%. Washington has other issues to negotiate with Beijing. Hitting old allies harder is part of a much different approach.

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Economy Geopolitics Ideas special series Trump And The World

War, Peace And A Plea For The Diplomacy Of Realism

The post-liberal world needs an added dose of cautious and realistic diplomacy, and the United States remains its natural promoter. Yet there is little evidence, for now, that the Trump administration has an interest in diplomacy to keep the collective peace.

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Economy Geopolitics

Cuba Joining BRICS Is A Quiet Warning To Trump

In another sign of changing power relations in the ‘post-Western’ world, the BRICS group of emerging economies could frustrate the United States’ bid to sink communism in Cuba by strangling its economy.

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Economy Geopolitics

Taiwan On Edge: Will Trump Sell Out The Island To Cut A Deal With China?

Donald Trump has spoken little about China since becoming president, leaving both Beijing and Taiwan’s leaders on edge. And Trump’s maneuverings on Greenland are not a good sign.

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Geopolitics

How Trump Cuts To Foreign Aid Could Play Right Into China’s Hands

The Trump administration sought to slash social aid in the U.S. but had to backtrack amid public outcry. However, it froze international humanitarian and development aid for 90 days, sparking confusion and panic in many affected countries and organizations. It is just the kind of narrative Beijing and Moscow are happy to spin across the world.

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Eyes on the U.S. Migrant Lives special series Trump And The World

Handcuffed And Deported: Donald Trump’s Brutal Message To The World

The White House has showcased images of deported migrants in shackles. This deliberate display of humiliation is part of a broader strategy that combines cruelty with political messaging, undermining both personal dignity and democratic values, writes Caterina Soffici for Italian daily La Stampa.

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Eyes on the U.S. Geopolitics special series Trump And The World

Trump vs. Denmark: Is Europe Too Weak To Stick Up For Its Own?

Europeans can never win if they face the relentless force of Donald Trump alone. With his sights fixed on Denmark, which controls Greenland, and the looming threat of tariffs, Trump is putting the rest of Europe to the test.

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Economy Future Green Green Or Gone Society special series

Cash, Freedom, Stress, Fumes: Is Life Better Or Worse When You Own A Car?

Having your own car means unlimited freedom. Right? A study shows that yes, it can increase life satisfaction. But freedom is a myth, and dependency on your vehicle will reduce overall happiness.

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Economy Future Geopolitics

The First DeepSeek Lesson: AI Is Not Just A Race For The Money

A Chinese startup is shaking the U.S. supremacy in generative artificial intelligence. Are we heading towards a collapse of barriers to entry accelerating the deployment of this technology? Could Europe offer a third way to the future?

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Geopolitics

What’s Reigniting War In Congo? Rare Minerals And Rwandan Genocide Ghosts

Rwanda is under scrutiny for the advance of M23 rebels in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and the capture of the regional capital, Goma. However, the international community remains powerless to halt the escalation of conflict in this mineral-rich region.

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Economy Eyes on the U.S. Future Geopolitics

DeepSeek: How China’s ChatGPT Alternative Took Silicon Valley By Surprise

DeepSeek has become the most downloaded free app in the U.S. just a week after it was launched. Its sudden rise has triggered shockwaves on Wall Street, where U.S. stocks dropped sharply on Monday. With equivalent performances to rival ChatGPT but at the fraction of the cost, the startup is threatening the aura of invincibility surrounding the U.S. technology industry.

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Eyes on the U.S. Geopolitics Migrant Lives

Will Pro-Trump Polish Community Be Hit By White House Deportation Roundups?

Trump’s politics of mass deportation have long been associated with migrants coming from Latin America and the Caribbean. However, as the first roundups begin in Chicago, home to the largest Polish community in the U.S., Warsaw-based looks at thousands of Polish immigrants who have been there for decades without proper documentation.

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Geopolitics Israel-Palestine War

Why Trump’s Gaza Plan Is Pure Ethnic Cleansing — And Could Happen Anyway

Donald Trump’s proposal to send Palestinians from Gaza to Egypt and Jordan has been embraced by the Israeli far-right but rejected by Palestinians and the countries involved. It amounts to illegal ethnic cleansing and revives an ugly history of Nakba. But it today’s world, it might even happen.

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Eyes on the U.S. Geopolitics Russia-Ukraine War War in Ukraine

How A Russia-Ukraine Ceasefire Could Play Out Under Trump

As a candidate, Donald Trump promised to end the war in Ukraine within his first 24 hours in office — a deadline the US president has now missed. Even so, negotiations to end the three-year conflict are expected to accelerate. What are Russia, Ukraine and the United States’ current positions? And what do experts think will happen?

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Economy Eyes on the U.S. Geopolitics special series Trump And The World

It’s Complicated: The Evolving Trump-MBS Love Affair

Donald Trump’s relationship with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman dates back to his first term as president. After his second inauguration, his first phone call was to the prince, who has pledged $600 billion in investments in the United States during Trump’s presidency.

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Geopolitics Ideas

Another 1933? Germans Are Comparing Today’s Far Right Surge To The Nazi Takeover

With the global rise of the far-right, many Germans are afraid that the past is about to repeat itself. German writer Florian Illies explains the trap about such analogies — even as other dangers lurk.

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Society

Birkenstocks To Barefoot Leguanos: Are “Health Shoes” Actually Good For Your Feet?

Birkenstock shoes are more popular than ever, selling some 30 million pairs in 2023. The German brand, founded in 1897, and others — from Dr. Scholl’s wooden sandals to barefoot shoes by Leguano, Joe Nimble or Vivobarefoot — have an aura of being healthy and good for your feet. But does the science support this clog craze?

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Eyes on the U.S. Geopolitics special series Trump And The World

Donald Trump’s America Is One With No Allies

The bulldozer approach Donald Trump has deployed since his inauguration on Monday discards an American foreign policy approach in place since 1945. Who will survive, particularly in Europe, a purely transactional U.S. President?

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Eyes on the U.S. Ideas special series Trump And The World

Elon Musk’s Nazi Salute And The Grim Reality Of Attention Politics

To the German author, watching Elon Musk stretching his right arm out at a Trump political rally could mean only one thing. The Neo-Nazis agree. But what is the billionaire’s real game? A view from Die Zeit on the Hitler Salute outrage.

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Economy Eyes on the U.S. Geopolitics Ideas Society

Fact-Checking Is Dead, Long Live Fact-Checking! A Brazilian Takedown Of Mark Zuckerberg

Natalia Viana, of Brazil’s leading investigative platform Agência Pública, writes that Zuckerberg’s attack on fact-checkers may be cynical and vile, but the practice is here to stay, and gets at the core of maintaining a healthy democracy.

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Eyes on the U.S. Geopolitics Ideas special series Trump And The World

Death Of The American Dream? How Trump’s Citizenship Decree Looks From Abroad

On his inauguration day, President Donald Trump signed the decree abolishing the law that grants U.S. citizenship to anyone born on American soil. For Italian writer Mattia Feltri, America was born from the idea that anyone could come, live freely, pursue their happiness. That dream is dead.

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Economy

Precious Haven: Why Gold Is An Investor Choice That’s Here To Stay

The precious metal is the asset of choice for cushioning market shocks and navigating uncertain geopolitical times. But that’s not the only reason analysts are forecasting an ounce at $3,000 within the next year or two.

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Economy Eyes on the U.S. Geopolitics special series Trump And The World

Trump’s Return Will Reignite U.S-China Rivalry — And The Rest Of Asia May Get Burned

None of the major heads of state on the Asian continent has a direct link with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, who regularly calls on America’s Far Eastern allies to “pay more” for their defense. Philippe Le Corre, professor of geopolitics, explains that military risk is a major concern in a region with many hotbeds of tension.

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Eyes on the U.S. Geopolitics

Trump’s Power Play: 100 Hours Of Executive Decrees To Shock The World

Just hours after taking office, Donald Trump signed his first presidential decrees, the well-known Executive Orders, swiftly advancing parts of his ultra-conservative agenda on issues like the Mexican border, immigration, and climate policy. His goal: to make a strong impression and neutralize any opposition.

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Geopolitics

How Tehran’s Defeats Abroad Are Starting To Boomerang Back To The Home Front

Iranian officials have been unnerved by the Assad regime’s collapse, with one top general admitting the country was “defeated very badly” in Syria. A shaky ceasefire in Gaza follows 15 month of war in which Tehran’s proxy Hamas was decimated. Will unrest in the region spill over to Iran, where problems — both foreign and domestic — are piling up for the regime?

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Eyes on the U.S. Geopolitics

Trump Has Real Plans To Remake The World Order — We Underestimate Him At Our Peril

Donald Trump declares a shift in the world order established in 1945, prioritizing force over law and rejecting multilateralism. This marks a significant upheaval for the rest of the world, particularly for America’s allies, starting with a severely weakened Europe.

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Economy Eyes on the U.S. Geopolitics special series Trump And The World

Why Trump Is So Popular In China — And With The Chinese Diaspora

Donald Trump’s reelection has sent shockwaves through much of the world. Yet, surprisingly, many overseas Chinese — and even citizens within China — have openly celebrated his comeback. How does such admiration align with his openly anti-China rhetoric?

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Society

A French Eye On Hollywood’s Surprising Return To Eroticism

After the Cannes Palme d’Or winner “Anora”, Luca Guadagnino’s “Challengers” and Haline Reijn’s “Babygirl”, sexual themes and scenes are making a comeback in the movies after years of veritable chastity. An L.A.-based French writer deciphers this unexpected phenomenon.

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Eyes on the U.S. Geopolitics

How Trump’s Revival Of The Monroe Doctrine Looks From Latin America

In the past, the Monroe Doctrine has pushed the United States to meddle in hemispheric affairs to strangle Soviet and communist subversion. Will incoming President Donald Trump revive this 19th-century U.S. foreign policy position to keep China out? And what would that mean for other countries in the Western Hemisphere.

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Eyes on the U.S. Geopolitics special series Trump And The World

What A U.S. Tech Oligarchy Means For The Rest Of The World

In his final address to the nation, just days before his departure, U.S. President Joe Biden warned against the emergence of a “tech-industrial complex” that threatens democracy; a charge against tech barons, including Elon Musk or Mark Zuckerberg, who have pledged allegiance to incoming President Donald Trump.

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Geopolitics

Qatar, The New Standard Of Soft Power Will Be Key To Middle East Peace

Qatar was crucial to the ceasefire negotiations in the Middle East. It proves that you don’t need a large army or nuclear weapons to play an important role in the world.

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Geopolitics Ideas Israel-Palestine War

What Political “Realism” Says About The Gaza War

Beyond the moral component, the realists in international affairs believe that support for Israel does not serve the U.S. interests. They also believe that Israel’s violations against the Palestinians are not in Israel’s interests either.

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Eyes on the U.S. Geopolitics special series Trump And The World

To Europe, Trump’s America Looks As Threatening As Putin’s Russia

Will America become revisionist, unilateralist and expansionist under Donald Trump’s second term? In the early 1970s, French philosopher Raymond Aron spoke of the United States as an “imperial republic,” Now, in 2025, there is potentially much less “republic,” and much more “imperialism.”

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Eyes on the U.S. Geopolitics Ideas

Donbas, Greenland, Mars: Times Of Peril When Men Draw New Maps

Greenland, Canada and Panama: Why is Donald Trump using maps for his politics? And what does Elon Musk’s Nazi-loving grandfather have to do with mapped utopias?

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Eyes on the U.S.

After Biden Appeasement, Iran Braces For Trump’s Wrath — Or Deal

The incoming Trump administration will likely abandon its predecessor’s efforts to persuade the Iranian regime to change its disruptive and violent policies. Yet for ultimate survival, Tehran may be counting on an unexpected factor: Trump’s erratic mindset.

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Society

Parenting Is Also About Those Sudden Moments Of Life-Shaking Fear

Moments of terrifying anxiety for a father and – no need for superfluous suspense here — a happy ending.

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Eyes on the U.S. Geopolitics In The News

“Trusk & Moi” — Is Europe Ready To Face The Trump-Musk Assault?

Europeans expected to deal with the return of Donald Trump, but now face both Trump and Elon Musk, who continue to make provocative statements. Yet the EU is divided, with Italy’s Giorgia Meloni going her own way and positioning herself as Trump’s main interlocutor in Europe.

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Eyes on the U.S. Geopolitics

Syria Like Afghanistan? Why The U.S. Is So Bad At Judging Islamist Threats

The United States, which was stung twice in Afghanistan, recently warned Syria’s new administration against adopting hardline policies like the Taliban. While HST leader Ahmed al-Sharaa has said that he did not want to turn Syria into a copy of Afghanistan, doubts remain over the former al-Qaeda member’s assurances and pledges.

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Geopolitics Ideas

Alice Weidel, The Moderate? Why Even Elon Musk Shouldn’t Trust Germany’s AfD Leader

Elon Musk is hosting Alice Weidel in an interview on X, having tried to convince the American tech billionaire she’s not an extremist. But who is Weidel, really? She’s described the Germans as “slaves” of the U.S. and quotes the infamous text of a nationalist philosopher that is a dog-whistle for the far right in Germany.

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