USA

Canada’s strategic crossroads: navigating between Washington and Beijing

The environment that supported Canadian foreign policy since the end of the Cold War is fragmenting, with power politics returning to the centre of international relations and economic policy increasingly tied to strategic competition. Prime Minister Mark Carney’s speech at the World Economic Forum (WEF) reflected this assessment, arguing that the global governance framework is [...]

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Is the EU at war with the US or with itself?

The claim that the EU is “at war” with the US sounds hyperbolic at first glance. Washington remains Europe’s principal security guarantor, its largest external trading partner and (through NATO) the backbone of continental defence. Yet, beneath the formal architecture of alliance, a more corrosive dynamic has emerged. Policy choices taken in Brussels and several

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ARC and the powers determined to stop it

For the first time since the end of the Cold War, the world’s three largest powers (the US, Russia and China) are showing signs of drifting into a pragmatic triangular balance. It is not an alliance, and it is not ideological. It is, instead, the product of converging interests. Quiet US-Russia communications on energy and

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Japan, US: a golden age?

When Sanae Takaichi was elected as Japan’s first female prime minister on 21 October, many observers were quick to raise scepticism and criticism. But taking a step back from the usual negative-narrative lens reveals a number of real indicators that Japan might be entering a much more dynamic era; one in which strong leadership, a

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Supply Chains and Sovereignty: the rising trend of localisation vs globalisation

In the past, the logic behind global supply chains was deceptively simple: source components where they were cheapest, assemble products where production was most efficient/ economical, and sell where demand was strongest. This model, refined over decades, essentially prioritised cost and scale above nearly all other considerations. Yet, in recent years, geopolitical pressures, technological competition

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Scandium Stockpiling: the new minerals arms race

Scandium has quietly shifted from an obscure industrial input to a geopolitical bargaining tool. In mid-2025, Beijing brought it under its export licensing system, meaning buyers now wait longer and face tougher approvals. The EU reacted in July with a formal resolution criticising the move, underlining how even minor minerals are being pulled into bigger

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Laos, China and the Corridor

Since the China Laos Railway (CLR) began service in December 2021, Laos has shifted from a land-locked cul-de-sac to a viable overland bridge into China and, by extension, East Asia and Europe. Throughput is climbing with the line moving close to 3 million tonnes in the first half of 2025, up 8.8% year-on-year, indicating deeper

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Building Blocks – Suriname’s Emerging Offshore Oil Sector

Suriname is moving from frontier to pre-producer. TotalEnergies and APA’s October 2024 Final Investment Decision (FID) on Block 58 means it planned to start producing first oil in 2028, shifting attention from exploration to execution risk and market access. Staatsolie’s role and consolidation, reinforced by TotalEnergies’ entry into Block 53 in mid-2025, provide scale and

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A Geothermal Gold Rush – how East Africa converts heat into industry

East Africa’s Rift Valley holds high-enthalpy geothermal resources that provide steady, 24/7 power. This reliable output can support energy-intensive uses such as industrial parks, data centres, desalination and, in time, green hydrogen. Kenya has converted its geology into grid strength. About 80% of its electricity now comes from renewables, with geothermal supplying around 45%, the

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Energy, Politics and Power: Guyana’s High-Stakes Ascent

ExxonMobil’s deepwater discoveries in Guyana’s Stabroek Block have transformed the country from a marginal player to one of the most promising oil frontiers globally. The block holds over 11 billion barrels of recoverable reserves, placing Guyana among the largest new offshore producers. Since 2022, Guyana’s GDP growth has been the fastest in the world, averaging

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