Author: M Barbu

Egypt hopeful after Russian return to Ukraine grain deal

Russia’s return to the agreement on grain exports from Ukraine will help North African countries secure their wheat needs, as they heavily rely on the two warring countries for their imports.

Russia’s Defense Ministry announced Nov. 2 that Moscow was rejoining the deal to allow the export of grains from Ukraine via the Black Sea. Russia had suspended its participation in the agreement in October after it accused Kyiv of carrying out drone attacks on its naval fleet stationed in the Crimean Peninsula.

Biden’s Chance With China

How Meeting With Xi Can Redefine a Dangerous Rivalry

As Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Joe Biden sit down for a rare face-to-face meeting in Bali, Indonesia, on November 14, both leaders are confronting acute challenges at home. Despite his newly confirmed third term as China’s top leader, Xi faces far-reaching economic challenges. He is grappling with how and when to loosen the draconian zero-COVID policies that have angered Chinese citizens and battered investor confidence. Adding to the pressure are the country’s flagging growth and ambitious modernization targets, which have been further challenged by a new U.S. ban on advanced semiconductor exports to China. For his part, Biden faces a difficult domestic political environment, despite better than expected results in the U.S. midterms: with high inflation and potential loss of control of the House of Representatives, he now confronts the prospect of strengthened opposition to his administration and its policies.

The Dangerous Nexus: Russia and Iran’s Mullahs

The Iranian regime, which has long argued that it is not seeking to develop nuclear weapons… has lately changed its tone and is boasting that it currently has the ability to build a nuclear bomb.

Biden’s new nuclear deal, if reached, will also allow Russia to cash in on a $10 billion contract to further expand Iran’s nuclear infrastructure.

The Weakness Behind China’s Strong Façade

In late October, Chinese leader Xi Jinping kicked off the Chinese Communist Party’s 20th Party Congress—a twice-a-decade, agenda-setting conclave of the party’s key leaders—with a report that touted China’s achievements and laid out a vision for the years ahead. In a move that was widely expected, Xi extended his own rule. But he surprised even the closest China watchers by unveiling a roster of leaders in which his confidants now occupy all the top positions within the party and state apparatus. Using direct and forceful language, Xi consolidated his hold on power and projected a strong and ambitious China to the world.

Will Xi take a new economic direction? China has trillions at stake.

As Chinese leader Xi Jinping kicks off his third term as general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), the economy that greets him today is vastly different than the one that saw him ascend to his role a decade ago. The decisions he makes during this new term risk reducing the Chinese economy by as much as five trillion dollars over the next five years, with potentially devastating effects for global growth.

Erdogan’s nationalist ally supports talks with pro-Kurdish party

MHP leader Devlet Bahceli’s decision to back negotiations with the HDP over a constitutional amendment hints at an election strategy for Turkey’s ruling alliance.

When Turkey’s ultra-nationalist leader Devlet Bahceli rose to address his lawmakers in parliament this week, many expected signs of a split in his party’s alliance with the governing Justice and Development Party (AKP).