At the JEF Summit in Helsinki, 26.03.2026 -- Stenbocki maja, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Biljana Vankovska The history of warfare shows that conflicts end either with a clear victory by one side or through negotiations when both face the exhaustion of resources and the will to continue sacrificing lives. There is also a third way: a silent ending of hostilities, the establishment of a ‘cold peace,’ and the freezing of the conflict without an explicit acknowledgment of

Humanitarian organizations invest in education to promote safety, resilience, and social cohesion, but researchers continue to debate its long-term impact on conflict and human well-being. By Chloe Bruce Humanitarian education refers to educational initiatives developed or supported by humanitarian organizations to reduce suffering, protect vulnerable populations, and help communities recover from conflict and disaster. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees define

Once one of the world’s most militarized frontiers, the Russia-China border along the Amur River Basin shows how a long-running territorial dispute can evolve from confrontation to integration. No. 41 Boundary Marker at China–Russia Border -- Ncysea, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons By John P. Ruehl Since the early 1990s, the Russian city of Blagoveshchensk, located on the Amur River, has steadily reemerged as one of Russia’s most important “border trade hubs.” Sitting dir

Russia’s challenge to prevailing IP and copyright norms is central to its pursuit of technological sovereignty. Global fragmentation and Western divisions have given Moscow space to test the system’s limits without fully abandoning it. General view of Red Square, 2025 -- Юрий Д.К., CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons By John P. Ruehl Taking an invention and claiming it as yours is called intellectual property, based on practices followed by US and European businesses. But what h

From vaccine hesitancy to conflict-zone rumors, false information is making it harder for humanitarian organizations to build trust, protect civilians, and save lives. mikemacmarketing, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Chloe Bruce In today’s post-truth era, where “objective truth” has lost influence in the public sphere, it is becoming increasingly difficult for humanitarians, who seek to preserve human life, to carry out their work. “The post-truth era has dramatic reper­

Automation has shaped governments for decades, but new AI-driven systems are taking on functions from warfare to welfare. Promising speed and efficiency, their growing influence over decision-making complicates political accountability and risks autonomous governance being beyond human control. Miami-Dade fully autonomous patrol vehicle -- image via news video screenshot By John P. Ruehl In April, the General Services Administration announced plans to automate 1 million work

By Biljana Vankovska China’s conduct in the UN Security Council often disappoints those who expect it to openly confront what they see as an unrestrained American imperial machine. This expectation was especially evident in China’s abstentions on two key recent occasions: UNSC Resolution 2803 on Gaza, which effectively enabled Trump’s ‘Peace Board’ experiment and even hints at bypassing the UN, and the latest vote on Iran ( Resolution 2817 ), which produced the distorted im

U.S. military action is disrupting key energy suppliers, putting China’s reliance on foreign sources to the test. Even as Beijing strengthens domestic capacity and diversifies imports, the crisis exposes the limits of its energy strategy. A tanker docked in the Chinese port of Qingdao -- Benlisquare, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Brittani Banks (WP User) and John P. Ruehl China’s energy security may be put to its first true test in 2026 with the seizure of Venezuelan

Washington’s unease is rising as Brazil’s Pix bypasses U.S.-dominated payment networks. The country’s digital payment revolution may soon be impossible to contain as other countries adapt their own models. By John P. Ruehl The Trump administration’s July 2025 decision to have the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) investigate Brazil’s “ attacks on American social media companies as well as other unfair trading practices ,” followed by the launch of 50 percent tari

A scene from the 2015 Victory celebrations in Beijing for the 70th anniversary -- http://www.president.go.kr/ , KOGL Type 1, via...

Donald Trump in July, 2025 -- public domain image By Biljana Vankovska It is entirely understandable that, after such a long and bloody...

Leaders photo at the NATO Summit, June 25 -- public domain image By Vijay Prashad By the end of the annual meeting of the North Atlantic...

89 seconds to midnight announcement, January 28, 2025 -- image via video screenshot By Biljana Vankovska In 2022, I was invited to...

By Biljana Vankovska As NATO’s next summit looms – against the backdrop of an escalating proxy war in Ukraine and a genocidal horror in...

May 10 in Ukraine -- Number 10, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Biljana Vankovska The past few days have felt like a decisive chapter...

Tech billionaires are embedding themselves in U.S. economic systems while experimenting with new ways to manage their fortunes. Lacking...

The resurgence of German militarism, Europe’s arms fever, and the war rhetoric from Washington all point toward escalation. But as...

Image from a Roger Waters concert, Portugal, 2023 -- Fronteira, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Roger Waters The following is a...

Putin and Trump in 2019 - Kremlin.ru , CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Vijay Prashad US President Donald Trump called Russian...

Macron, Starmer and Zelenskyy, March 2, 2025 -- Lauren Hurley / No 10 Downing Street, OGL 3, via Wikimedia Commons By Vijay Prashad The...