European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is facing renewed criticism from within the ranks of the very institution she leads, as former commissioner Nicolas Schmit publicly questioned her leadership style, strategic vision, and the broader direction of the European Union under her rule. Schmit’s remarks add to a growing chorus of discontent among former [...]

A London-based interior design company that faced the threat of forced closure over unpaid taxes donated £200,000 to Nigel Farage’s right-wing Reform UK party, despite reporting limited cash reserves and tax liabilities exceeding the value of its political contributions. Corporate filings and electoral records raise questions about the firm’s financial position, commercial activity, and the [...]

Obesity has emerged as one of the defining global public health challenges of the 21st century. Over recent decades, the prevalence of obesity has risen sharply across nearly every region of the world, transforming what was once considered a personal lifestyle issue into a systemic crisis with profound social, economic, and medical consequences. Today, nearly [...]

A London-based lobbying firm closely associated with the Labour Party is facing mounting scrutiny after details emerged suggesting it is offering corporate sponsors privileged access to senior government figures in exchange for payments running into tens of thousands of pounds.
According to documents reviewed by openDemocracy, businesses willing to pay up to £30,000 are being offered direct engagement with ministers, [...]

By any reasonable measure, the Indian Ocean has become one of the world’s most crowded strategic theatres. Sea lanes that carry the bulk of global energy supplies intersect with the ambitions of great powers and the anxieties of small island states. It is against this backdrop that Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu’s recent comments on the [...]

After nearly a year of uncertainty, brinkmanship, and tariff pressure, Washington and New Delhi have finally recalibrated their trade relationship. US President Donald Trump’s announcement of a reduced 18 percent tariff on Indian exports, down sharply from the punitive 50 percent rate imposed last year, marks a turning point not only for India’s economy but [...]

US President Donald Trump’s renewed denial of any meaningful association with the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has once again pushed one of the most politically radioactive scandals of the past decade back into the global spotlight. The controversy was reignited following the release of the final tranche of documents under the [...]

When European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen declared in New Delhi, “We did it, we delivered the mother of all deals,” her exuberance was more than diplomatic theater. It reflected a deeper geopolitical shift now underway. The finalization of the long-delayed India–European Union Free Trade Agreement (FTA), after nearly two decades of halting negotiations, [...]

There is something uniquely reckless about waging political war on your own country’s foreign relations while enjoying the protections of another’s. Sajeeb Wazed Joy has been doing exactly that. Sitting comfortably in the United States, the son of Bangladesh’s former prime minister has taken to public forums to smear Washington, insult its institutions, and poison [...]

For decades, many leading analysts and policymakers have described America’s global strategic doctrine as sophisticated, resilient, even foolproof. From Washington’s vantage point, its blend of military power, economic leverage, intelligence networks, and ideological messaging has been seen as the ultimate toolkit for shaping world affairs. Yet history tells a less flattering story. Again and again, [...]