COMMENT
— Trump’s second-term diplomacy reveals bluster, not bargains. From stalled talks on Iran and Ukraine to empty proposals for Gaza, his ‘deal-making’ record looks more like bluff and retreat than strategic mastery.
Rashmee Roshan Lall
Journalist by trade & inclination. World affairs columnist.
COMMENT
— The Equal Earth map reclaims geographic truth, correcting the Eurocentric distortions of Mercator’s legacy by showing Africa’s true scale and restoring balance to global perspectives.
COMMENT
— Farage’s Reform Party surges past Conservatives in polls after sweeping local wins, echoing Portugal’s far-right Chega party rise. Britain’s political centre wobbles as 2029 looms. Illusion or inevitable realignment?
COMMENT
— King Charles’ historic move to open Canada’s parliament subtly rebukes Donald Trump’s grandiosity, contrasting regal restraint with populist bluster while showcasing Britain’s deft diplomatic symbolism.
COMMENT
— Donald Trump’s second 100 days have devastated America’s global standing — from deportations without due process to wrecking alliances, undermining education and economy, and shattering faith in U.S. democracy.
COMMENT
— America’s MAGA-fuelled transformation evokes China’s Cultural Revolution — Trump’s reign sees fear-driven loyalty, state reshaping, and cult-like displays of devotion, as institutions bend to one man’s will.
COMMENT
— Three ex-US diplomats drew a sharp parallel between Donald Trump and Liz Truss — warning that turmoil in US Treasuries may signal a loss of safe-haven status, echoing Britain’s 2022 market meltdown.
COMMENT
— Donald Trump’s presidency revives Turkey’s EU ambitions as European leaders, driven by security concerns, reconsider Ankara’s value — armed with NATO’s second-largest F-16 fleet and strategic leverage.
COMMENT
— Trump’s coalition faces brewing civil war: economic nationalists pine for industrial revival, while techno-elites chase AI utopia. Ideological clashes loom in a paradoxical anti-elite elite. Bannon versus Musk.
Canada-US Relationship
— The Washington Post cautiously parallels Trump’s hostility toward Canada with Putin’s aggression in Ukraine — while hedging its stance. This equivocation highlights a troubling media reluctance to confront Trump’s aggressive intentions directly.
COMMENT
— A satirical take on US-Russia diplomacy under Donald Trump, proposing a ‘merger’ of their foreign services to cut costs. With Marco Rubio echoing Sergei Lavrov’s rhetoric, why not streamline the messaging?
German Politics
— Alice Weidel, leader of Germany’s far-right AfD, presents a paradox. A multilingual, Swiss-based ex-banker with a diverse family, she once embraced conservative moderation but now champions anti-immigration rhetoric. Opportunism or conviction?
COMMENT
— John le Carré’s The Tailor of Panama eerily foreshadows today’s geopolitical landscape, echoing Trumpian rhetoric. If ex-spy le Carré saw the future, could ex-KGB Putin possess a similar prescience?
COMMENT
— Washington’s political chaos mirrors a high-stakes video game, with Donald Trump and Elon Musk as key players, Rashmee Roshan Lall writes. Reality blurs as theatrics, power moves, and dramatic proclamations dominate the scene.
COMMENT
— Donald Trump embraces a ‘world king’ persona, influencing global politics with imperial ambitions. His return energises Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro, despite legal troubles, but can Trump’s influence truly reshape Brazil’s political future?
COMMENT
— Donald Trump’s 2025 inauguration sparks unsettling parallels to dystopian fiction, with his “manifest destiny” rhetoric, Mars ambitions, and frontier ideals raising troubling questions about America’s expansionist and divisive past.
