Leon Hadar

Based on YouGov statistics, a staggering 69% of Americans – including a majority of Republicans – believe tariffs are raising prices rather than protecting workers.
THE BOTTOM LINE

Trump’s economic promises meet political reality

The 2026 midterm elections loom as a potential disaster

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's (left) meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping yielded a trade deal that signals Ottawa's strategic realignment.

Canada’s China gambit: Navigating a new geopolitical triangle

The trade deal between Ottawa and Beijing offers an early test of whether middle powers can chart their own course in an...

For East Asian allies, the Greenland crisis reveals a fundamental shift in how the US approaches alliance commitments.
THE BOTTOM LINE

The Greenland crisis is a warning for East Asia

Implications of Trump’s Atlantic ambitions extend towards the Pacific

Iranians attend a pro-government rally in Tehran, Iran, January 12, 2026. Stringer/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS PICTURE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY

Why the US ‘rescue’ of Iran could backfire

The Trump administration risks strengthening the regime it seeks to unseat

Under a spheres-of-influence system, countries like Ukraine risk losing agency over their own futures, forced to accept domination by larger neighbours.
THINKING ALOUD

Is Trump’s embrace of great power politics tenable?

While the liberal international order has clear flaws, the alternative carries significant risks to smaller nations’ autonomy and long-term global stability

The new Chinese-funded Chancay megaport in Peru exemplifies China's strategic infrastructure approach in Latin America.

US-China rivalry in Latin America: a race for influence

The region’s challenge lies in extracting value from both powers while avoiding the pitfalls of excessive dependence on either

The Cardon oil refinery in Punto Fijo, Venezuela. The country sits atop the world’s largest proven oil reserves, with an estimated 303 billion barrels.

Venezuelan crude: The prize beneath the chaos

As Trump pivots from hunting narcoterrorists to promising oil profits, the fate of the broken Latin American nation is being rewritten

Beyond domestic constitutional questions, the operation represents a flagrant violation of international law.

Trump’s Venezuela operation: a dangerous precedent

His administration’s approach echoes past interventions that began with confidence and ended in quagmires

The median home price has increased from roughly three times median household income in the 1980s to nearly six times today
THE BOTTOM LINE

The American affordability crisis: Competing diagnoses, divergent remedies

Finding workable solutions will require moving beyond ideological commitments to evidence-based evaluation

A screen reads 'AI' in reference to artificial intelligence as attendees gather during Rivian's first Autonomy and AI Day, showcasing developments in self-driving technology, in Palo Alto, California, U.S., December 11, 2025. REUTERS/Carlos Barria
THINKING ALOUD

2025: The year AI came of age – and the questions ahead for 2026

The technology has moved from boardroom curiosity to balance sheet necessity