250 US Lawmakers in Israel: Power, Boycotts & Global Fallout
Upcoming Free to Join, Online Events
24 September 2025 @ 2:00–3:00 p.m. (GMT+1), Chatham House, United Kingdom
Can Brazil lead the BRICS to counter Trump?
This panel studies the responses of the BRICS formation and Brazil to President Trump's protectionist "America First" strategy and blanket tariffs. As renewed activism advocate Lula's Brazil, BRICS may come together behind multipolar options in trade, finance, and currency collaboration. The debate questions whether these initiatives provide a believable counterbalance against American leadership of the international economic order or whether the economic power of Washington dominates the terms of the international trading regime. For more information and to register for this online event, visit [Chatham House].
24 September 2025 @ 10:00-11:00 a.m. (GMT-4), Stimson Center, USA
AI for Public Good
This presentation convenes RAI Fellows to explore ways Global South nations strike a balance between economic development and moral standards for AI. As some nations seek "digital sovereignty" with the risk of authoritarian abuse, others focus on rights-based models boosting innovation through responsibility and confidence. The session discusses various national approaches to identify how AI may be used appropriately for public purposes, serving citizens, honouring socioeconomic realities, and enhancing governing for the public interest. For more information and to register for this online event, please see [Stimson Center].
25 September 2025 @ 2:00–3:00 p.m. (GMT+1), Chatham House, United Kingdom
Egypt’s response to regional conflicts and competition
This webinar examines how Egypt manages simultaneous regional crises threatening its security, economy, and diplomacy. As the war in Sudan and Libyan instability reach Egypt's western border, the Gaza war by Israel and Red Sea disruptions also test Cairo at every frontier. Panelists evaluate the Egyptian functions as a mediator, how it handles economic and political limitations, and how great power rivalry influences its own strategy. The webinar notes Egypt's changing leverage both in the Middle East and Africa. For more information and to register for this online event, visit [Chatham House].
25 September 2025 @ 10:00-11:30 a.m. (GMT+8), ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute, Singapore
Developing Low-Carbon Industrial Hubs in Southeast Asia: Insights from Malaysia and Indonesia
This webinar covers Southeast Asia's low-carbon industrial centres as the region's template for climate-compatible growth and competitiveness. Created from the bedrock of clean energy integration, resource efficiency, innovation, and green infrastructure, the centres use technologies like clean electrification, green molecules, and carbon capture. Panelists, using the case studies of Indonesia and Malaysia, will cover how partnership, innovative policy structures, and successful public-private partnerships transform industrial systems into scalable forms of decarbonisation and long-term economic resilience. For more information and to register for this online event, visit [ISEAS].
25 September 2025 @ 1:30-2:30 p.m. (GMT+2), Bruegel, Belgium
Digital platform regulation: are we all included in the digital economy?
This launch event introduces Digital Platform Regulation: Making Markets Work for People by Fiona Scott Morton, which examines how regulatory frameworks like the EU’s Digital Markets Act and US antitrust actions aim to address challenges in digital markets, including limited competition, high prices, and restricted innovation. The book explores how targeted regulation can promote fair access, dynamic markets, and better outcomes for businesses and users, drawing on insights from economics, law, and technology. For more information and to register for this online event, please see [Bruegel].
25 September 2025 @ 4:00-5:30 p.m. (GMT+2), European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), Germany
India after Trump: America’s Turn, China’s Challenge, and Europe’s Opportunity
This webinar examines how renewed tensions with the United States are shaping India’s diplomatic strategy, prompting a focus on hedging and “multi-alignment.” The discussion explores the drivers of India’s strategy, the impact of U.S.-China rivalry on its choices, and the role Europe may play as a stable partner in India’s search for diverse international relationships. For more information and to register for this online event, please see [ECFR].
26 September 2025 @ 12:00 – 1.30 p.m. (GMT-4), Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), USA
Rocket Dreams: Inside the New Space Race with Christian Davenport and former National Space Council leaders
The CSIS Aerospace Security Project hosts an evening with Christian Davenport for a presentation of his new book Rocket Dreams: Musk, Bezos, and the Inside Story of the New, Trillion-Dollar Space Race. Moderated by Chirag Parikh, Dr. Scott Pace, and Kari A. Bingen, this panel discusses the alliances and rivalries propelling the New Space Age, from exploration of the moon to innovation from the private sector and global rivalry. The evening ends with a book signing and reception. For more information and to register for this online event, please see [CSIS].
29 September 2025 @ 12:00 p.m. (GMT-4), Atlantic Council, USA
Former Senegalese President Macky Sall on Africa’s rising global role
the Africa Center at the Atlantic Council will host an #ACFrontPage interview with former president of Senegal and former chairperson of the African Union Macky Sall. Combining his new book Africa, Leading from the Heart, Sall will reflect on his own career and his thoughts about Africa's evolving role in global diplomacy. The forum will examine the continent's rising opportunities and great challenges amidst evolving geopolitics and a new US-Africa relationship. For more information and to register for this online event, please see [Atlantic Council].
29 September 2025 @ 10:00-11:30 a.m. (GMT+8), ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute, Singapore
Understanding the Thailand-Cambodia Conflict: How Border Disputes Drive Domestic Political Crises and Vice Versa
This webinar examines the recent surge of violence between Cambodia and Thailand and how border conflicts frequently appear as reflections of Thailand's own internal political fissures rather than purely territorial issues. Presenters will outline impediments for a peaceful settlement, including rising ultra-nationalism, suspicion of the government by the citizenry, and the military's renewed influence in politics. The presentation will consider how these elements render ASEAN-led negotiation more problematic and what possibilities—if problematic—exist for a sustainable and peaceful termination of the struggle. For more information and to register for this online event, visit [ISEAS].
30 September 2025 @ 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. (GMT+1), Chatham House, United Kingdom
What’s next for Africa’s just energy transitions?
The webinar examines the future of Africa's Just Energy Transition Partnerships (JETPs) against the backdrop of changing global politics and uncertain climate finance. As US pullout from the war on climate raises questions over scaling up JETPs from South Africa and Senegal, speakers will review lessons from these experiences and strategies for continuing just transition. The webinar underscores the value of decentralised renewable energy, ambitious NDCs pre-COP30, and innovative solutions for making Africa's energy transitions work for all and remain sustainable. For more information and to register for this online event, please see [Chatham House].
30 September 2025 @ 9:30-11:00 a.m. (GMT+8), ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute, Singapore
The Role of Media, Disinformation and Political Propaganda in Indonesia’s 2024 Presidential Election and Singapore’s 2025 General Election
The hybrid seminar discusses the increasing contribution of social media and AI-generated news to the democratic elections of Southeast Asia. The speakers will provide research from national public opinion polls conducted in Indonesia and Singapore, which identify the extent of the impact made by disinformation, political propaganda, and deepfakes during the elections held between 2024 and 2025. The forum will delve into voter sentiment towards AI, the effects of online lies, and the consequences for online inclusion, media literacy, and the protection of democratic processes during the digital era. For more information and to register for this online event, visit [ISEAS].
30 September 2025 @ 2:45 a.m. (GMT-4), Atlantic Council, USA
2025 Transatlantic Forum on GeoEconomics
Transatlantic Forum on GeoEconomics, hosted by Atlantic Council and Atlantik-Brücke, takes place on September 30, 2025, in Brussels. Entering its fourth edition, the Forum will gather senior policy makers, corporate leaders, and intellectuals for furthering US-European collaboration at the nexus of trade, defence, and technology. In the face of pressures from the Ukraine war, trade tensions, and defence agitations, the agendas will include trade triangulation, AI and competitiveness, defence budgets, and the dollar and euro's future. For more information and to register for this online event, please see [Atlantic Council].
30 September 2025 @ 2:00-3:30 p.m. (GMT+2), European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), Germany
Beyond raw and refined: Mineral value addition in Africa’s Industrialisation
This webinar introduces the ECFR policy brief From ore to more: Mineral partnerships for African industrialisation by Theophilus Acheampong and Sarah Logan. The webinar discusses how Africa and Europe can deepen collaboration on key minerals by furthering local value addition and processing and draws on case studies from Zambia and Namibia. The speakers will evaluate the EU approach relative to other international great powers and how the EU and the regional governments of Africa can further align their strategy for purposes of accelerating industrialisation, job creation, and fruitful mineral partnerships. For more information and to register for this online event, please see [ECFR].
30 September 2025 @ 2:00-3:15 p.m. (GMT+2), German Institute for Global and Area Studies (GIGA), Germany
China's Influence in the Global South: Examining Familiarity, Resonance, and Nostalgia
With this online forum, China utilises familiarity, resonance, and nostalgia as a means of furthering its Global South reach. Lina Benabdallah explains how shared anti-colonial memories and affective convergences are deployed by means of memorials, narratives, and remade histories. The forum, centred upon the Ancient Silk Routes as well as fourteenth-century Chinese relations with the Afro-Indian Ocean communities, shows how these ancient frames get remixed for the purposes of reconceptualising the Belt and Road Initiative as a continuation of precolonial economic prosperity. For more information and to register for this online event, please see [GIGA].
Recent Book Releases
Steve L. Monroe, Mirages of Reform: The Politics of Elite Protectionism in the Arab World, Cornell University Press, 252 pages, published May 15, 2025. For a review, see [Foreign Affairs].
Alice Roberts, Domination: The Fall of the Roman Empire and the Rise of Christianity, Simon & Schuster UK, 432 pages, published August 28, 2025. For a review, see [The Guardian].
Christian Davenport, Rocket Dreams: Musk, Bezos, and the Inside Story of the New, Trillion-Dollar Space Race, Crown Currency, 386 pages, published September 16, 2025. For a review, see [The New York Times].
Joel Wuthnow, Phillip C. Saunders, China’s Quest for Military Supremacy, Polity, 256 pages, published March 10, 2025. For a review, see [Foreign Affairs].
🌍 Top Stories of the Week 10/9 - 16/9
17 September
🇺🇳 🇵🇸 🇮🇱UN says Israel is committing Genocide in Gaza: “UN is deeply alarmed by this and will be observing this matter very closely”. [Source]
🇺🇸 🇬🇧 Trump is welcomed in Britain with Epstein posters. [Source]
🇪🇸 🇮🇱 Spain's prime minister wants international sports ban for Israel. [Source]
🇪🇺 🇭🇺 🇷🇺 EU plans to unlock €550mn for Hungary to secure Russian energy sanctions. [Source]
18 September
🇬🇧 🇺🇸 Following the cold welcome of Trump yesterday, protests are riling against him with banners of Trump and Epstein together. [Source]
🇺🇸 Federal Reserve cuts interest rates by 25bps. S&P 500 all time high📈. [Source]
🇬🇧 🇵🇸 Britain will recognise Palestinian state this weekend. France, Canada etc are also expected to recognise by end of this month. [Source]
🇵🇰 🇸🇦 Pakistan and Saudi Arabia sign MILITARY PACT. Agreement explicitly states ‘aggression against either country shall be considered an aggression against both’, Pakistani PM Sharif says. [Source]
🇺🇸🇮🇱 250 US lawmakers in Israel. “50 states, one Israel” the largest delegation of US in a foreign country! Although international media is not covering it… [Source]
By Netanyahu this was described as “the largest-ever bipartisan delegation of American lawmakers to ever visit the Jewish state”. But why is this so important and wasn’t covered in international news?
According to the source above, the reasoning for their visit was to pass anti BDS (boycott, sanctions, divestment) laws in their state. These anti-BDS laws make it difficult to discourage boycotts against Israel (to date 38 states in America have adopted this).
Sa’ar stated that this was an action to combat the many “enemies” of Israel that have turned to “propaganda, political, legal and economic warfare,”.
🇨🇳 China puts Chinese companies first by banning tech companies from buying Nvidia’s AI chips. This will support domestic suppliers with economic incentives, aiding the transition without a cost to the Chinese tech companies. [Source]
19 September
🇺🇸 🇹🇼 Trump blocked a $400 million U.S. military aid package to Taiwan so that China doesn’t get angry. [Source]
A few weeks ago, Trump blocked Taiwan’s President from entering the USA in fear of China.
🇪🇺 🇷🇺 EU unveiled its 19th sanctions package against Russia, targeting energy, banking and crypto. [Source]
USA, India, China, Mid-E will benefit.
Russia, EU countries will face losses.
EU will rely more on US suppliers.
EU is considering using Russian frozen asset.
🇦🇫 Taliban ban books written by women from Afghan universities. [Source]
🇮🇱 🇵🇸 Gaza City under ‘heaviest wave’ of Israeli attacks since war began. [Source]
One day after the anti-boycott laws were put into action. It seems this grand scale attacked was anticipated given the arrival of the 250 US lawmakers.
20 September
🇺🇸 🇮🇱 Trump administration is planning $6B in US-funded arms sales to Israel. [Source]
🇪🇪 🇷🇺 Russian jets enter Estonia's airspace in latest test for NATO. [Source]
🇵🇱 🇷🇺 Russian jets also violated safety zone of drilling platform in Baltic sea. [Source]
🇺🇸 Boeing Closing In on 250-Jet Order as Trump to Host Erdogan. [Source]
21 September
🇺🇸 $100,000 charge on H-1B visa. 76% were Indians, few Chinese. Its a risky experiment. Innovation will slowdown in US which is good For China. Indians will lose job opportunities in USA. If US tech companies doesn’t consume $100,000 fee and that is every year. [Source]
The idea is to give more jobs to ‘Americans’. The fee will only apply to new H-1B visa applicants and not existing holders or renewals.
🇬🇧 🇵🇸 The United Kingdom will officially recognise the State of Palestine today. [Source]
🇨🇦🇵🇸 Following the UK, Canada officially recognises Palestine as a State. [Source]
🇫🇷 🇵🇸 France recognises Palestinian state. [Source]
🇵🇹 🇵🇸 Portugal recognises Palestinian statehood. [Source]
🇦🇺 🇵🇸 Following the statement from Albanese a couple of weeks ago, Australia formally recognises Palestinian statehood. [Source]
🇮🇱 🇵🇸 Israeli politician and lawyer, Ben Gvir, he will propose immediate West bank takeover. [Source]
22 September
🇱🇺 🇲🇹 🇲🇨 🇦🇩 🇧🇪 Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Andorra and Belgium have formally recognised a Palestinian state at the 80th session of the General Assembly (UNGA). [Source]
🇮🇳 Modi's tax cuts will give India a festive spending boost. “Consumption tax on small cars, television sets and air conditioners will drop from 28% to 18%”. [Source]
23 September
🇺🇸 White House Says Doctors May Be Exempt From $100,000 H-1B Fee. [Source]
🇳🇴 Norway says Russia violated its airspace three times in 2025. [Source]
🇺🇸 🇫🇷 New York police stopped Macron’s motorcade to let Trump pass. Macron got out of the car, called Trump, and asked him to “clear the way”. Is this happening because Macron recognised Palestine? [Source]
