On 14 September, Chinese leader Xi Jinping embarked on a three-day trip (Sept. 14–16) to Central Asia, where he is visiting both Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. During his trip, he will attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in the southeastern Uzbekistani city of Samarkand and meet with his Russian counterpart, President Vladimir Putin, write Jianli…
“Putin’s war” will be won or lost in Brussels, writes Giles Merritt. Whatever the military outcome on the killing fields of the Donbass, it’s the solidarity of the European Union that will eventually determine whether Russia’s President Vladimir Putin is defeated or victorious. That in turn will depend on whether the EU and its member…
The global community is confronting a number of unprecedented crises: from the ongoing challenge of COVID-19 variants and stalled efforts on climate change, to supply chain disruptions and Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, writes Jaushieh Joseph Wu. Now more than ever, China’s increasing rhetorical and military intimidation is jeopardizing regional peace and stability. All these…
One of the many key decisions facing political leaders – especially new ones like Liz Truss – is when and where to make official visits. Some leaders and their choices have been wiser than others, writes Philip Bushill-Matthews. Recently in the UK there were two state visits in relatively quick succession. In 2015 under David Cameron’s premiership the Queen accorded a full state visit…
This autumn, work will commence on the new garden of the Rubens House. A new museum gallery, albeit one without a ceiling, is set to be added to the master’s house. It is an opportunity to enjoy colour 365 days a year, thanks to Dries Van Noten, who helped choose a colour scheme and plant…
Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has established a new political and military reality in Europe. But the continent faces other challenges in the Western Balkans, the Middle East and Africa. Meanwhile, China poses increasing problems for the EU and NATO. NATO’s Strategic Concept confirms the alliance’s revival, and sharply orients it on deterrence and defence against…
Over the first weekend of UK school holidays in late July, there was chaos at the port of Dover with traffic backed up for miles, closely followed by gridlock in nearby Folkestone. After weeks of delays in UK airports because of shortages of baggage handling and border control staff there was a hope that travelling…
After the Russian invasion of Ukraine on 24 February, the Russian invading army has continuously violated the basic norms and principles of international and humanitarian law, including the general provisions of the Geneva Convention on the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, writes Bogdana Bondarenko According to the Convention, its application is envisaged…
French President Emmanuel Macron is committed to creating a ‘European Political Community’, distinct from the EU. European states not in the EU – including the UK – should take the concept seriously, writes Charles Grant. Speaking to the European Parliament in Strasbourg on May 9th, Emmanuel Macron called for a ‘European Political Community’ (EPC), a…
The world is on the verge of a paradigm shift that will affect every family and every home, writes John Buchan. What life principles should a self-made man be guided by in order to build a multi-million dollar business, become a leader in the global crypto market and successfully conquer countries and continents? Volodymyr Nosov,…
