WORLD - The African Mirror

May

29

2026

India is a ‘country of countries’ – NZ business needs a regional strategy to make the trade deal work

WORLD

THE recently signed free trade agreement between New Zealand and India has so far been discussed and debated in very broad terms: the size of the Indian market, opportunities for exporters, and implications for immigration. Much of this is understandable. Preferential access to a market larger than the European Union and ASEAN countries combined, with purchasing power forecast to grow exponentially by 2050, is indeed an opportunity. Realising that opportunity, however, is another matter entirely. The real test for New Zealand businesses lies in how they now approach the regionally complex and dynamic Indian market. While the free trade agreement…

May

28

2026

By SHANNON BOSCH

Taunting and degrading civilians in armed conflict is a clear violation of international law

WORLD

IN a video posted by Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir on Wednesday night, detained activists from dozens of countries are shown kneeling on the ground with their foreheads on the floor and hands zip-tied behind their backs. Some of the activists, who had been intercepted by Israeli forces on a flotilla in the Mediterranean Sea, are then pushed and dragged by Israeli personnel. Ben-Gvir is seen waving an Israeli flag and taunting them. The video on his X account had a simple message in English: “Welcome to Israel”. The video sparked widespread international condemnation. Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong…

May

28

2026

By FARHANG MORADY

Methanol, pistachios, and cement: the other Iranian exports being choked by the war

WORLD

THE war between Iran, the US, and Israel has escalated into a major global crisis, with consequences that are reaching far beyond the Middle East. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which around 25% of the world’s oil ordinarily passes, has rattled global energy markets. This has only been worsened by the US naval blockade of Iranian ports, which was imposed on April 13 in an attempt to restrict Iran’s ability to export its oil. In early May, the US Defense Department estimated that Iran had been denied nearly US$5 billion (£3.7 billion) in oil revenue due to…

May

28

2026

By RICHARD NIMIJEAN

Why Mark Carney is pushing ‘Fortress North America’ amid deep Canadian distrust of the U.S.

WORLD

PRIME Minister Carney recently said that “like Mexico, Canada remains open to deeper integration, including options for Fortress North America in (certain) sectors.” He added that “offers are on the table,” though he did not specify what they were. Even with a review of the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) on the horizon, Carney is surely aware that it’s politically risky to advocate for closer ties with the United States when the country under President Donald Trump is considered a threat to Canadian sovereignty. There is historical precedent for Canadian politicians to face backlash after calling for deeper integration with the U.S.…

May

27

2026

By JAMES HORNCASTLE

Trump’s ‘largely negotiated’ truce with Iran exposes a deeper crisis in U.S. strategic thinking

WORLD

UNITED States President Donald Trump has announced via social media that a peace deal with Iran has been “largely negotiated.” While Trump and his allies have been trumpeting the agreement for days, details are vague, and Iranian authorities insist the two parties have yet to reach a formal deal. In fact, it appears much more negotiation is still required between Iran and the U.S. The confusion likely stems from one of Trump’s fixations: that the U.S. is winning the conflict, an assertion that’s at odds with the actual evidence. Insisting the U.S. is winning Trump, in his various statements on…

May

27

2026

By CZESLAW TUBILEWICZ

Is Beijing the world’s ‘living room’? China is enjoying the global stage, but there are limits to its influence

WORLD

IN recent weeks, the back-to-back state visits to Beijing by Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump have put China in the global spotlight. For some international analysts, the summits showcased China as a “stabilising force capable of hosting two major rivals within days”, a “broker between the big powers” and a “pillar of global stability”. To others, the visits highlighted how China is becoming an “indispensable global power” and President Xi Jinping a “world leader to be reckoned with and courted”. Chinese analysts, meanwhile, noted that over the past six months, numerous other world leaders have visited…

May

26

2026

By The African Mirror

Russia’s ‘civic death’ plan seeks to erase exiled critics, Human Rights Watch says

WORLD

RUSSIA is moving to punish dissent far beyond its borders, with a draft law that Human Rights Watch says would amount to a “civic death” sentence for exiled critics. The proposal would strip targeted Russians of basic legal, financial, and consular rights, deepening what HRW describes as a widening crackdown on dissent. Human Rights Watch says the measure is designed to punish Russians abroad who have already been convicted under repressive laws used to silence political speech. Those laws include charges such as “discrediting” the armed forces, cooperation with “undesirable” organizations, calls for sanctions, and alleged attacks on territorial integrity.…

May

25

2026

By OWN CORRESPONDENTS

On the knife’s edge: a Hormuz deal that could unlock the world

WORLD

THE world may be hours - or weeks - away from the most consequential diplomatic agreement since the Abraham Accords. Three months after the United States and Israel launched a war on Iran that upended global energy markets, shattered the fragile post-pandemic economic recovery and plunged hundreds of millions of people from Lagos to Lahore back into fuel poverty, a peace framework is close. Tantalisingly, maddingly close. United States President Donald Trump confirmed on Saturday that Washington and Tehran had "largely negotiated" a memorandum of understanding, brokered by Pakistan, that would end the fighting, reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and…

May

26

2026

By GRACE PANETTA

Tulsi Gabbard is the latest woman to leave Trump’s Cabinet

WORLD

TULSI Gabbard, the nation’s chief intelligence official, is the latest woman to leave President Donald Trump’s Cabinet. Gabbard is resigning to care for her husband, Abraham, who has been diagnosed with “an extremely rare form of bone cancer” and “faces major challenges in the coming weeks and months,” she said in her resignation letter, which was first reported by Fox News. This story was originally reported by Grace Panetta of The 19th. Meet Grace and read more of their reporting on gender, politics and policy. “At this time, I must step away from public service to be by his side…

May

25

2026

By The African Mirror

From Iran to Ukraine, lasting ceasefires remain elusive

WORLD

MEDIATORS in both the Iran and Ukraine wars have struggled to achieve meaningful ceasefires. Although the US and Iran reached an initial two-week truce on April 7, brokered by Pakistan, the agreement has been fragile from the beginning. By May 11, Donald Trump had declared that the ceasefire was “on massive life support” and has threatened to resume military action on numerous occasions. Meanwhile, the latest temporary ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine from May 9 to 11 seemed over before it had begun – a now familiar pattern in the four years since Russia’s full-scale invasion. Ukraine accused Russia of…