Category: Geopolitics

Canada, Europe, Geopolitics, Military, NATO, UKLeave a comment

Kate Forbes: SNP can no longer afford to duck the defence debate

Colin Henderson

 Summarize Kate ForbesSaturday October 10 2026, 8.24pm BST, The Sunday Times ​ With warnings over Russia growing louder, Scotland must use its industrial strengths and confront hard questions on military readiness and nuclear deterrence Saturday October 10 2026, 8.24pm BST, “When you go home, tell them of us and say, for your tomorrow, we gave our today.” Those words are inscribed on the Kohima war memorial — the scene of one of the bloodiest engagements of the Second World War where the Allied forces halted the Japanese invasion of India. The memorial is dedicated to the soldiers of the 2nd British Division, including the Cameron Highlanders. The … Continue reading Kate Forbes: SNP can no longer afford to duck the defence debate

Geopolitics, Middle EastLeave a comment

Deep Dive Abdul Malik al Houthi

Colin Henderson

Abdul Malik al-Houthi had never met an international diplomat as he waited patiently outside his modest house in Yemen’s isolated north. It was April 2011, as Yemen was on the brink of all-out civil war with anti-government protests spreading across the Middle East. The United Nations envoy to the country at the time, Jamal Benomar, eventually arrived to meet the little-known commander of the Houthis, dismissed by many as ragtag militia. “The guy you meet is a gentleman, speaks with a soft voice, extremely polite,” recalled Benomar, who said he was the only diplomat known to have met al-Houthi in person. Fifteen years later, he … Continue reading Deep Dive Abdul Malik al Houthi

AI, AI_research, Economy, Geopolitics, Innovation, sociology, UKLeave a comment

Leading in the Age of AI: How to Build an AI-Enabled State

Colin Henderson

 Summarize Tony Blair https://institute.global/insights/politics-and-governance/leading-in-the-age-of-ai-how-to-build-an-ai-enabled-state?utm_medium=email&utm_source=salesforce&sftoken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpYXQiOjE3OTAyODY1MTIsImV4cCI6MTc5MDI4NjU3MiwiaW5kaXZpZHVhbElkIjoiMDBRU3EwMDAwMGZmc2xKTUFRIiwidGVuYW50SWQiOiJhMzYwL3Byb2QxMy80YTJiMjQ0ODA1YzA0MDUzODA5NTRkYjRjOGFmMDU4ZSIsImNvcmVUZW5hbnRJZCI6ImNvcmUvcHJvZC8wMERkMzAwMDAwMlp4akpFQVMifQ.DSEi6U6fhKW8KflQAEEOS0axalMt3OoxG_MImqN8Xrs Foreword The question leaders should be asking themselves is not whether AI is a good thing or a bad thing. Rather, it is simply the thing: the defining technological reality of our age. Their task is to understand it, shape it and ensure that their countries have the mechanisms to both harness and control it.  AI is often compared with the Industrial Revolution, but even that comparison risks understating the scale and speed of what lies ahead. The previous revolution transformed our world over generations; AI will do so within a decade. The speed is without … Continue reading Leading in the Age of AI: How to Build an AI-Enabled State

Canada, EU, Geopolitics

EU Proposes Canada Become the Bloc’s First ‘Associate Member’

Colin Henderson

 Summarize ​ By Jorge Valero, Andrea Palasciano, and Katharina Rosskopf September 16, 2026 at 3:57 AM EDT European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed Canada becoming the first associate member of the European Union.  She offered the invitation during her state of the union address in Strasbourg, France, Wednesday, with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in attendance.  “In this new world, we must urgently re-imagine our partnerships and build global coalitions for our resilience and democracies,” von der Leyen said. “I would like to work with you on opening the door for Canada being the first associate member of the European Union.” Carney warned earlier this … Continue reading EU Proposes Canada Become the Bloc’s First ‘Associate Member’

briefing, Geopolitics, Military, NATO
Colin Henderson

IN THE BASKET: CROATIA & SOUTH KOREA With Europe growing wary of Trump, South Korean defence sales are skyrocketing In the basket: 18 Hanwha K239 Chunmoo multiple-rocket launchersWho’s buying: CroatiaWho’s selling: South KoreaPrice: €544.1mDelivery date: 2026 to 2029 Big hit: South Korea makes another arms deal with Europe Croatia’s rocket-launcher capabilities are unquestionably due for an overhaul. The country’s army is still largely making do with the M-92 Vulkan and BM-21 Grad, which are both so ancient that they were designed and built by nations – Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union, respectively – that disintegrated several decades ago. Its choice of replacement – 18 K239 Chunmoo multiple-rocket launchers from … Continue reading

Diplomacy, Geopolitics

Swiss to Reject Stricter Neutrality in Vote Russia Wants to Sway

Colin Henderson

 Summarize ​ Bastian Benrath-WrightAugust 18, 2026 at 11:00 PM EDTSwitzerland’s long-entrenched neutrality is a key part of its identity.Photographer: Pascal Mora/Bloomberg Swiss voters are set to reject an initiative to strengthen the country’s neutrality in a ballot next month that Russia has tried to sway with jibes about the country’s actions during World War II. About 62% will probably or definitely vote against the proposal, according to a poll published Wednesday by newspaper group Tamedia/20 Minuten. Just 36% support the measure, which will go to a national vote on Sept. 27. Switzerland’s long-entrenched neutrality is a key part of its identity, … Continue reading Swiss to Reject Stricter Neutrality in Vote Russia Wants to Sway

EU, Europe, Geopolitics, US

Pentagon transfers leadership of Ukraine assistance mission in Germany to another NATO member – Politico

Colin Henderson

Khrystyna Bondarieva ,  Roman Petrenko  — 1 August, 12:08 The Pentagon is stepping down from leading the Security Assistance Group-Ukraine (SAG-U), based in Germany, and will hand it over to another NATO member state. Source: Politico; European Pravda Details: According to a US official and three people familiar with the plan, command of SAG-U – which has played a central role in equipping and training Ukrainian troops since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion – will ultimately be taken over by another NATO member. This move means the US will no longer help shape what Ukraine’s future armed forces will look like. Advertisement: … Continue reading Pentagon transfers leadership of Ukraine assistance mission in Germany to another NATO member – Politico

Geopolitics, Middle East, Saudi

Why the Saudis Attacked Iraq Despite Cordial Ties

Colin Henderson

 Source Bloomberg ​ Lisa BeyerJuly 29, 2026 at 2:42 PM EDTA general view of damaged structures at the site of a strike in Bartalla in the northern Iraqi Nineveh province on July 29.Photographer: Zaid Al-Obeidi/AFP/Getty Images A new line of fighting in the war in the Middle East opened up on July 28 when Saudi Arabia launched an attack on Iraq, with which the kingdom has generally cordial relations. The strike, carried out in conjunction with US forces, targeted Iranian-backed militants in Iraq who, the Saudis said, had fired drones at Saudi oil facilities two days in a row.  Who are the Iraqi … Continue reading Why the Saudis Attacked Iraq Despite Cordial Ties

Diplomacy, Geopolitics, Russia, US

The Self-Destruction of American Power

Colin Henderson

  Fareed Zakaria July/August 2019 Published on June 11, 2019 ​ Washington Squandered the Unipolar Moment Sometime in the last two years, American hegemony died. The age of U.S. dominance was a brief, heady era, about three decades marked by two moments, each a breakdown of sorts. It was born amid the collapse of the Berlin Wall, in 1989. The end, or really the beginning of the end, was another collapse, that of Iraq in 2003, and the slow unraveling since. But was the death of the United States’ extraordinary status a result of external causes, or did Washington accelerate its own demise through … Continue reading The Self-Destruction of American Power

Geopolitics, South America, US

Why the two Americas diverged

Colin Henderson

A combination of blood, faith, character and luck drove development in North and South America at a staggeringly different pace, resulting in today’s bifurcated hemisphere.ANTHONY DEPALMAJULY 3, 2026 On the same September morning that terrorists slammed hijacked airliners into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, the foreign ministers of 34 North, Central and South American nations had gathered in Lima, Peru, to sign the Inter-American Democratic Charter. The Charter was considered a critical step towards forming a Free Trade Area of the Americas that would usher in unprecedented economic progress for the entire region and narrow the yawning development … Continue reading Why the two Americas diverged