By Rameen Siddiqui* – Modern Diplomacy China was sending a message to Washington: we have influence with Iran that you need, and we are prepared to use it, on our terms, for a price to be negotiated in Beijing next week. Trump arrives in Beijing on May 14. The summit...

By Martin Di Caro* – Responsible Statecraft The goal of eliminating any potential or future threats, real or imaginary, will all but inevitably dehumanize and create new enemies. The most explosive allegation against Israel is also the most emotionally painful one. A state founded in 1948 as a refuge for...

By Peter Ongera* – Meer How debt, fossil fuels, and climate change intersect to deepen gender inequality across the continent. Editor’s note: this article is published posthumously in memory of Peter Ongera (1972–2026). He devoted his journalism to exploring the social realities and global connections of Africa. In recent years...

Inter Press Service* The Taliban have announced new laws that effectively legalise domestic violence against women and children. Afghanistan’s supreme leader, Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada, signed a decree introducing a new criminal code in January. It contains three parts, ten chapters, and 119 articles that legalise violence, codify social inequality, and...

By Tuhu Nugraha* – Modern Diplomacy The next cold war may not begin with soldiers crossing borders or missiles moving into position. The next cold war may not begin with soldiers crossing borders or missiles moving into position. It may begin with a completed acquisition being pulled back across geopolitical...