Leon Hadar

Trump (right) welcomed Prince Mohammed with a formal arrival ceremony on the South Lawn that included a military flyover and mounted honour guards.

A reset in Riyadh’s favour: Trump welcomes Saudi crown prince back to Washington

The broader implications of the visit trouble those who believe US foreign policy should balance strategic interests with democratic values

The US dollar experienced its steepest first-half decline in over 50 years during 2025, dropping nearly 11% in the six months following Trump’s inauguration.

Is the Trump administration intentionally weakening the US dollar?

The greenback’s decline reflects the consequences of aggressive and erratic economic policies that have shaken global confidence in US leadership

Beijing’s non-interference principle resonates with South-east Asian governments wary of external pressure on domestic governance. The US struggles with consistency in the region.
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Is China winning the competition with the US in South-east Asia?

As Asean navigates great power rivalry, the bloc’s nations may well favour Beijing’s comprehensive approach

Global AI spending is projected to reach US$375 billion in 2025 and US$500 billion by 2026, fueling US GDP growth and market optimism. In the first half of 2025, AI-related capital expenditures contributed 1.1 per cent to GDP growth, outpacing the US consumer as an engine of expansion.
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AI boom is US’ economic counterweight

Technology investment is masking Trump’s economic challenges

The US Capitol in Washington, DC, US, on Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2025. Nearly one year after his electoral victory, President Donald Trump faces a striking political reversal driven by deteriorating economic conditions that threaten both his agenda and his party’s prospects in the 2026 midterm elections.
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Economic headwinds undermining Trump’s political capital

A growing class divide, among others, creates a partly difficult dynamic for a president who appeals to working-class voters

How Mamdani translates his electoral mandate into governance will shape both the city’s trajectory and the national conversation about urban progressive politics for years to come.

NYC mayoral election 2025: Historic shift in city politics

The first candidate in 56 years to surpass the million-vote threshold, Zohran Mamdani will also be the first Muslim mayor and the...

The US Supreme Court building. The dispute centres on whether the president can use the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to unilaterally impose sweeping tariffs without explicit congressional authorisation.

US Supreme Court finally asks: Who really has the power to tax?

In this high-stakes case, even conservative justices signalled scepticism towards Trump’s sweeping tariff authority

New York has reinvented itself repeatedly throughout its history, surviving fiscal crises, crime waves, and economic downturns while maintaining its position as America’s economic capital.

New York’s mayoral election could reshape financial capital’s global standing

The new mayor must steer New York out of its affordability crisis that threatens its economic vitality just as surely as high...

The Trump-Xi meeting represents successful crisis management rather than strategic reconciliation, says the writer.

Trump-Xi meeting: An economic truce born of mutual pain

The world’s two largest economies have discovered that neither can afford unlimited confrontation – at least for now

US President Donald Trump is pictured next to Malaysian national flags before he departs on Air Force One from Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang on October 27, 2025. (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP)
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US engagement at Asean Summit signals renewed focus on S-E Asia

Trump’s visit offers both validation and a reminder of Asean’s pivotal position in great power competition