Geopolitics

In October 1962, the world came frighteningly close to a nuclear war. The event is remembered as the Cuban Missile Crisis, one of the most dangerous moments of the Cold War. The usual story is familiar, the Soviet Union placed nuclear missiles in Cuba, the United States discovered them, President John F. Kennedy confronted Nikita Khrushchev, and the Soviet Union finally removed the missiles. The crisis is often presented as a clear American victory.

The conflict between U.S. President Donald Trump and the AI company Anthropic represents a high-stakes clash between national security priorities and ethical AI development. This dispute, which escalated dramatically in February 2026, centers on Anthropic's refusal to remove safety restrictions on its AI model, Claude, for U.S. military use. What began as negotiations over a potential $200 million Pentagon contract has evolved into a broader confrontation involving government bans, threats of legal action, and industry-wide repercussions. The feud highlights tensions in the AI sector, where companies like Anthropic prioritize "responsible AI" amid growing demands from governments for unrestricted access to advanced technologies.

Central banks from BRICS countries cumulatively purchased 663 metric tonnes of gold worth approximately $91 billion in the first nine months of 2025, according to the World Gold Council. The buying spree, which continued even as gold prices reached historic highs, signals an intensifying shift away from dollar-denominated reserves among emerging economies.​