Global Policy Pulse

Middle East Blockade and Diplomacy

• 🔥 China Defies US Blockade: China’s Defense Minister warned the US not to meddle as Chinese vessels continue...

Trump's preference for quick fixes dooms high-stakes talks:

• VP missions lack credibility: Serious negotiations start with SecState after...

Key risks in Hanoi's deepening ties with Beijing amid $256B trade and surging investments:

• Economic illusion: US exports (30%+ of total) rely on...

Geopolitical shocks like wars, trade stand-offs, and disruptions are redesigning global supply chains.

Key shifts:

• Reliability over speed: Firms...

Markets mixed on blockade: USD index steady at 98.39 near lows, set for 7th drop amid diplomacy hopes; gold hits $4,777 on USD weakness from Fed...

Key US commitment in action: Commissioning of Kaabong General Hospital Laboratory, following $2.3B MOU on health cooperation.

• Embodies America First...

Key China developments signaling geopolitical edge:

• Military tech surge: $1,500 infrared chips now $5; containerized hypersonics at $95,000; first...

Hormuz Blockade and Oil Surge

• 🔥 Oil Prices Top $100: Oil prices jumped above $100 a barrel with Brent at nearly $102 and WTI at $104 after...

Fragile ceasefire cracks alliances as Pakistan mediates failed US-Iran talks in Islamabad, leveraging ties with both sides.

• Trump launches Hormuz...

Israeli strikes on Hezbollah persist amid a fragile US-Iran truce, showing ceasefires manage symptoms, not causes.

Key limits:

• Shia...

Middle East conflict ripples hit global economy hard:

• IMF/WB Spring Meetings in D.C. overshadowed by war's shadow, with slower growth and higher...

US-Iran Talks Collapse

• 🔥 No Breakthrough on Key Issues: Iran-US talks ended with no agreement amid disputes over the Strait of Hormuz, Iran's...

• UNCLOS Framework: Governs territorial seas (12nm) with innocent passage rights, but allows temporary suspension for security.
• Hormuz Specifics:...

Diplomatic impasse in Islamabad after 21 hours: no deal on Strait of Hormuz control or uranium enrichment, Iran blames US "excessive...

The global order fractures as outdated US assumptions meet China's patient rise:

• Post-Cold War illusion crumbles: America acts like power is...

US and China wage an information war through media to sway Africa's young, media-savvy demographic, pushing narratives that denigrate each other.

Markets Rally on Iran Ceasefire

• 🔥 Wall Street Recoups Losses: Wall Street recouped much of the losses over the last few weeks, with the Dow...

Short-term relief fuels market rebound, but analysts flag long-term oil risks amid fragile ceasefire.

• Investor cheer: Dow surges 1,412 points...

US war in Iran erodes great power edge as rivals exploit distractions:

• Pacific assets redeployed, creating "strategic space" for Beijing; carriers,...

Mid-powers like Canada and South Korea must build structured cooperation amid interconnected global crises:

• Overlapping shocks from Taiwan, North...