By using dollar as the currency of political and economic sanctions US dares world to find an alternative
Over the past three weeks, I have been asking financial services executives, global investors and other experts in Asia and the United States how long they think the Americans can keep at it without meaningful blowback. Several of the sources requested anonymity to speak candidly about the situation.
EU election widens ideological fissures on back of radical swing as far-right births new political order
The centre-right European People’s Party (EPP) will be the biggest political family in the new legislature, gaining five seats to field 189 deputies, a centralised exit poll showed.
South Africa: ANC’s popularity drop points to Rainbow Nation’s slide into the unknown minus the joy and optimism of transition
The South African Human Rights Commission, one of several independent bodies set up by the government with a mandate to guard democracy, found in 2021 that 64 per cent of Black people in South Africa and 40 per cent of those with biracial heritage were classified as poor, but for white people that figure was only 1 per cent.
Weakened South Africa’s ANC says it’s in talks with five parties to form ‘national unity’ government
Analysts have warned that the ANC risks alienating some of its key, traditional base by going into a coalition with the three main opposition parties. Two of them, the Economic Freedom Fighters and the MK Party, were formed in 2013 and 2023, respectively, after their founding leaders broke away from the ANC.
Corruption bug bites ANC after sports minister is arrested for bribery as party shops for political coalition
Government corruption was seen as one of the issues that prompted a majority of South Africans to turn away from the ANC in the election. It received 40 per cent of the vote to lose its parliamentary majority for the first time and now needs to form a coalition or agreement with others.
Voters worldwide shun elections as democracy is bastardised, reduced to a vague dynastic idea
As half the world’s population votes in elections this year, voters are in a foul mood. From South Korea to Poland to Argentina, incumbents have been ousted in election after election. In Latin America alone, leaders and their parties had lost 20 elections in a row until this past weekend’s presidential election in Mexico, according to a tally by Steven Levitsky, a Harvard professor of government.
India PM Modi’s star dims despite victory in election in which Congress party rose from obscurity
Modi will need the support of other parties in his coalition – a stunning blow for the 73-year-old, who had hoped for a landslide victory. During campaigning, Modi said his party would likely win 370 seats and his allies another 30 seats.
Family wants Sikh separatist jailed 3,000km away from his constituency freed after winning seat in India’s election
Sikh separatism has made global headlines in the last year as Canada and the United States have accused India of being involved in assassination plots against Sikh separatists in those countries, charges New Delhi has denied.
US House passes Republican bill to sanction International Criminal Court over Israel
ICC prosecutor Karim Khan said last month – after more than seven months of war in Gaza – that he had reasonable grounds to believe that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu’s defence chief and three Hamas leaders “bear criminal responsibility” for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Biden unveils executive order that cuts down daily arrivals of asylum seekers via Mexico
While other border activity, such as trade, is expected to continue, the 1,500 threshold at which the border would reopen for asylum seekers could be hard to reach. The last time the daily average dipped to 1,500 encounters was in July 2020, at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.
