Key Takeaways: A country can be militarily strong and still easy to interrupt. Limited attacks—such as drones on Saudi Arabia’s East-West Pipeline and earlier Houthi strikes—can force rerouting, shutdowns, and delays whose cost exceeds the physical damage, including UNCTAD’s estimate that avoiding Bab el-Mandeb can stretch a Yanbu-to-South Korea crude …

Key Takeaways: U.S. retail diesel averaged $6.29 a gallon as of Sept. 14, 2026—the highest nominal price in EIA’s series since 1994 and the highest inflation-adjusted level since 2022—lifted by crude prices plus a wide diesel crack spread (wholesale diesel minus crude). Global distillate is tight because of weaker refining …

In August 2026, the Ethiopian government declared Sam Fabrizi, the Italian ambassador, persona non grata. Rome chose to remain silent. This incident is not merely a diplomatic incident, but a striking example of the new balance of power between Africa and the former colonial powers. It is significant that, on …

In August 2026, Polish MEP Anna Bryłka revealed that Ukraine is conducting closed-door negotiations with Poland regarding the transit of Ukrainian grain. Ukrainian Ambassador to Poland Vasyl Bodnar stated that the issue of grain transit “should not be public” and should first be handled at the expert level before becoming …

Pakistan should honor its defense commitments to Saudi Arabia through strictly defensive cooperation and protection of maritime commerce, while avoiding offensive military action against the Houthis that could drag Islamabad into a wider Middle Eastern conflict, alienate Iran, and deepen its domestic and strategic vulnerabilities. Pakistan should honor its defense …

From Human Limits to Political Futures Transhumanism is often presented as a hopeful philosophy — one that imagines humanity transcending its biological limits through science and technology. Artificial intelligence, genetic engineering, neural implants, longevity research, and cybernetic augmentation are framed as tools of liberation, promising longer lives, enhanced intelligence, and …

Key Takeaways: On 10 August the U.S., Armenia, and Azerbaijan marked one year after the White House summit and restated work on TRIPP—a corridor from Azerbaijan to Nakhchivan across Armenia. The route is not built. Armenia’s Constitutional Court hears the U.S. framework on 15 September; a new Armenian constitution and …

A group of Russian military and commercial vessels arrived at the port of Tartus (Syrian coast), marking the first Russian resupply operation for the Tartus and Hmeimim facilities since Moscow and Damascus reached an understanding on the future of Russia’s military presence in Syria, according to Reuters. Reuters said a …

Tehran will likely double down on missiles and drones—its most effective weapons during recent conflicts—creating path dependencies that could become critical vulnerabilities if U.S. and partner countermeasures improve further. In two wars waged over the past year and a half, the United States and Israel have inflicted massive damage on …

Key Takeaways: The author rejects “why Arabs can never be democratic” as Orientalist essentialism (Said). Ask instead which institutions, rents, and power balances have so far blocked transitions—without treating 22 unlike states as one culture. Bellin and Sadiki are used to put discourse and coercive institutions ahead of an “Arab …