If ASEAN is to take the lead on climate, it must break a paradox not through compromise but through change. By Mehmet Enes Beşer There is a stunning paradox at the core of the Southeast Asian model of development, a paradox more desperate with each climate summit, energy crisis, and investment diversion. The ASEAN bloc has subscribed formally to world ...

Rapid advancement of building a war state. By Aiko Fujimoto Following the crushing defeat in the Upper House election, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba announced his resignation on September 17, with the LDP leadership election set for October 4. During this period, opinion polls showed that while some believed “there was no need to resign,” more than “he should resign.” Multiple ...

On Trump’s aggression against Venezuela and interference into Brazil’s judiciary. The US aggression against Latin American countries is widening its scope. After Venezuela, the US navy has also targeted Colombian citizens in a boat while, the Presidents Trump and Petro are engaging in strong polemics. Simultaneously unsolved is the spat between Brazil and the US, which escalated when a Brazilian ...

Double standards, inability to take action and a lack of international legitimacy. By Erkin Feyyaz Eşli The International Criminal Court (ICC) exemplifies this issue. It was established in 2002 at the initiative of European countries. Over the years, it has repeatedly shown both ineffectiveness and bias. This is particularly evident in cases involving complaints against European states. ICC’s Double Standards ...

A Quest for Peace or a Quest for Strategic Balance? By Yıldıran Acar, Political Scientist Budapest has become the focal point of global diplomacy in recent weeks. One of the biggest reasons is the phone call between Putin and Trump on 16 October 2025, which lasted roughly two and a half hours. This conversation was not merely a “substantive and ...

When the strong cannot achieve their objectives, it is because they have been defeated, and when the weak cannot be defeated and resist, they have won. By Sergio Rodríguez Gelfenstein They say the war in Gaza ended after a ceasefire agreed upon between Hamas, representing all Palestinian organizations, and Israel. If the war ended, it’s valid to ask who won ...

China could play a significant role in resolving the situation in the long term, said the minister. By Özgür Altınbaş In recent days, both Pakistan and Afghanistan have suffered losses in clashes. Eventually, the two sides signed a ceasefire agreement in Qatar. The ceasefire deal was brokered by Türkiye and Qatar. China also expressed appreciation for the countries that contributed ...

Needed summit outcome so that the chair’s slogan—Inclusivity and Sustainability—will be more than a theme. By Mehmet Enes Beşer The year has conspired to make ASEAN’s end-October Leaders’ Summit in Kuala Lumpur unusually consequential. Malaysia, chairing under the banner of “Inclusivity and Sustainability,” must navigate a denser-than-usual thicket: renewed tariff salvos from Washington, the still-bleeding crisis in Myanmar, the slow-moving ...

How the Ceasefire Reshapes Regional Security Dynamics By Masoud Sadrmohammadi The recent ceasefire in Gaza, implemented under Donald Trump’s 20-point plan in October 2025 and involving prisoner exchanges, a partial withdrawal of Israeli forces, and the delivery of humanitarian aid, represents a turning point in Middle Eastern developments. This agreement, brokered by the United States, Türkiye, Egypt, and Qatar, has ...

Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, Iran, opportunism for Israel’s expansionist goals, and Netanyahu’s power impasse! By Adem Kılıç, Political Scientist/WriterThe war in Gaza has been temporarily halted by the show of force in Sharm el-Sheikh. However, it should be noted that this is not actually a peace agreement, but merely a ceasefire agreement. This is because, although US President Trump announced that ...