Paul Collier

As French Protests against Macron’s rollback of socialist handouts continue, their new Prime Minister, Sébastien Lecornu, seemingly has little hope of lasting much longer than his predecessor did. The “Let’s Block Everything” movement is already causing economic stress for the nation, as well as triggering increasing acts of civil disobedience.

No honeymoon period for France’s new PM as protests erupt – CNBC

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Saudi Arabia has announced a new defensive partnership with Pakistan, a nation Saudi Arabia has long had economic and religious ties to. The fact that Pakistan is a nuclear power is what makes this pact so significant. The pact means that Saudi Arabia is now under Islamabad’s nuclear umbrella. The pact is a further check on nuclear-aspirant Iran’s already ebbed power.

Saudi Arabia signs mutual defense pact with nuclear-armed Pakistan after Israeli attack on Qatar – InformNNY.com
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 Saudi Arabia and nuclear-armed Pakistan have signed a mutual defense pact that defines any attack on either nation as an attack on both — a key accord in the wake of Israel’s strike on Qatar last week.

The kingdom has long had close economic, religious and security ties to Pakistan, including reportedly providing funding for Islamabad’s nuclear weapons program as it developed. Analysts — and Pakistani diplomats in at least one case — have suggested over the years that Saudi Arabia could be included under Islamabad’s nuclear umbrella, particularly as tensions have risen over Iran’s atomic program.

But the timing of the pact appeared to be a signal to Israel, long suspected to be the Middle East’s only nuclear-armed state, which has conducted a sprawling military offensive since Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel stretching across Iran, Lebanon, the Palestinian territories, Qatar, Syria and Yemen.

The United States under the Trump administration has signaled no chance it would approve any deal with the Palestinians that would see Israel surrender its claims to sovereignty over the West Bank. The region is home to 3.3 million Palestinians. It also happens to be the heart of ancient Israel, Judea and Samaria.

The U.S. ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, told the Jerusalem Post when questioned about how the U.S. views the West Bank, “We respect Israel as a sovereign nation. We are not going to tell Israel what it can and cannot do any more than we would expect Israel to tell us what we can and cannot do.”

Washington respects Israeli sovereignty in West Bank, rejects Palestinian state’s recognition, says US ambassador – The Indian Express
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Mike Huckabee, the US ambassador to Israel, has hinted that Washington would not oppose the annexation of the Occupied West Bank if the country decides to do so. Huckabee said that it was Israel’s sovereign decision and the US would not dictate terms to Jerusalem.

The CCP-infiltrated Democrat Party that recently overcame a rightful counter-revolutionary coup is now looking to move the country towards reintegration in the de facto CCP empire. The regime is now changing the name for North Korean defectors who later resettled in the South to “promote social integration.”

The current name, “talbukmin,” which means “people who escaped from the North,” has understandably negative connotations. The regime hopes to create a new term after a commissioned study is completed by the end of this year. The move is seen by intelligence analysts as another strong signs the current regime is preparing the South for reintegration with the North, but under favorable terms for China.

South Korea wants people to stop using term ‘defectors’ for those who flee North Korean regime – The Independent
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South Korea is planning to change the term “defectors” to describe North Koreans who flee the country to resettle in the South, as the word carries “negative connotation”.

South Korea’s Ministry of Unification, a government body responsible for inter-Korean relations, has commissioned a study to review the names and change them to a new name by the end of this year.

The South Korean name for defectors, “talbukmin”, which literally means “people who escaped from the North”, would be changed to an alternative term to “promote social integration”, Yonhap reported, citing ministry officials.

The Gen Z movement that started off as a reaction to Nepal’s draconian social media ban and ended with the government being upended is making China’s regime nervous that something similar in their country might be brewing. Signs of Gen Z disenfranchisement with the CCP are everywhere. One anonymous social media post pointed out “The protests are no longer simply a fight for internet freedom, but a deeper generational awakening. Young people are not satisfied with merely restoring social media, but are demanding transparency, accountability, and real political reform.”

For the most part, Beijing’s response has been seemingly intentionally tone-deaf, with Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian responding to the overthrow said that his government “expressed hope that all parties in Nepal can properly address domestic issues, and restore social order and national stability as soon as possible.”

China Reacts to Nepal Protest Movement– chinadigitaltimes.net
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The “Gen Z” protest movement that toppled Nepal’s government last week has sent shockwaves around the region. Fueled by longstanding grievances over government corruption and social inequality, Nepalese youth took to the streets on Monday, September 8 to protest a government ban on 26 social media apps (including WhatsApp, Signal, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, X, LinkedIn, Reddit, WeChat, and others). Amid escalating clashes, security forces shot and killed 19 protesters. Mass outrage ensued. By Tuesday, numerous government buildings had been set ablaze and the prime minister and four other ministers had resigned.

On Chinese social media, prominent nationalist accounts argued that the U.S. was behind the protests, while others pushed back against these claims. One WeChat article, later censored, described the source of youth discontent: “The protests are no longer simply a fight for ‘internet freedom,’ but a deeper generational awakening. Young people are not satisfied with merely restoring social media, but are demanding transparency, accountability, and real political reform.” Another article, published by “Global Citizen Jin Jianguo” on Baidu’s Baijiahao platform, dismissed claims that the unrest was a “color revolution” incited by foreign forces. The author argued instead that resistance is instinctive and a natural product of social injustice:

Conversely, if we subscribe to the “color revolution” narrative, history becomes untenable. [It implies that] the Wuchang Uprising, the Xinhai Revolution, the May Fourth Movement, and even the national independence movement that swept the globe after World War II were nothing more than upheavals fomented by “foreign forces.” No longer is world history a story of war, politics, economics, or culture, but a litany of incitement.

An overview of mass movements, both in China and abroad, reveals that all have their own internal logic. While sometimes influenced by external ideas and forces, all spring from an accumulation of discontent and damaged interests. This is true in the U.K., Poland, the Arab world, and even Nepal.

In other words, you can’t just chalk up mass movements in Asian countries to incitement, while claiming that similar movements in Western countries represent “the People’s choice.” Are all Asians puppets, while only Westerners are considered intelligent citizens?

Admit it: people will always be willing to fight for their own interests. It’s basic human instinct, and doesn’t require anyone to “incite” them—unless of course, they don’t consider themselves human. [Chinese]

Following the playbook of the DNC-CCP and its affiliate partner, Lula’s Brazil, Romania hopes to use lawfare to neutralize its anti-globalist opposition. The government has announced coup charges for the frontrunner of the cancelled Presidential election, Călin Georgescu. He could face up to 20 years in prison if found guilty.  Georgescu is pro-Russian in addition to being anti-globalist, a fact that features as the main focus of the attacks against him.

Romania charges ex-presidential candidate Călin Georgescu over coup attempt– www.euronews.com
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Romanian prosecutors charged ultranationalist politician and the frontrunner in last year’s cancelled presidential election Călin Georgescu on Tuesday with attempting to stage a coup.

According to the charges, Georgescu and 21 other people were planning to endanger national security and the country’s constitutional order after the pro-Russian candidate’s first round election victory in November was ruled invalid.

In an interview with Euronews Romania, Romania’s former Prosecutor General Augustin Lazăr said Georgescu could face up to 20 years in prison if found guilty.

One of the other suspects is Horațiu Potra, a mercenary who organised a paramilitary group following a meeting with Georgescu on 7 December, according to prosecutors.