A newly released Bollywood spy thriller is winning praise and raising eyebrows in equal measure in India and Pakistan, over its retelling of bitter tensions between the South Asian neighbours. Sunk in a sepia tone, Dhurandhar, which was released in cinemas last week, is a 3.5-hour-long cross-border political spy drama that takes cinemagoers on a violent and bloody journey through a world of gangsters and intelligence agents set against the backdrop of India-Pakistan tensions.
Thailand's election commission confirmed on Monday that early national elections will take place on February 8. Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul last week triggered the vote amid a decades-old territorial dispute with neighboring Cambodia that has once again turned deadly. Dozens of people including soldiers and civilians have died on both sides as heavy combat over contested borders entered a second week. The country's parliament was dissolved on Friday after getting approval from King Maha Vajiralongkorn. Anutin claimed on Thursday that he wanted to "return power to the people." By receiving royal backing to dissolve parliament, Anutin avoided a no-confidence vote that could have swiftly ended his tenure. Some analysts say that the PM is capitalizing on a nationalist wave whipped up by the border conflict with Cambodia.
IN 2025, fascism is rapidly being consolidated in America. Along with gutting the rule of law, the military occupation of cities, unbridled violence and cruelty, the support of Palestinian genocide, overt racism, the suppression of dissent, and the shameless substitution of propaganda for truth, this US fascism relies on nationalism (including the division of society into those who belong as Americans and those who do not) and unquestioning patriotism.
The UK and Ireland are entering a dark time, according to the singer Joy Crookes, who said the influence of far-right ideology on mainstream politics was comparable to the 1970s when the National Front was at its peak. Crookes, who has just played two sold-out shows at the O2 Academy in Brixton, said the recent wave of nationalism and the far-right march through central London in September made her feel unsafe in the UK.
We are witnessing the restoration of patriarchy, nationalism, racism and capitalist individualism. It is the nostalgic fury of right-wing movements that want to return to an idealised past, one that perhaps never truly existed, and to re-establish hierarchical orders. We need to revive a Marxist analysis in light of the new social movements. We must commit to saying what we want to see realised, and not just complain about what is going wrong.
As tensions with the United States grow over the U.S. armed fleet deployed in the Caribbean Sea near Venezuelan territory, the Venezuelan regime is making a special effort to publicize in detail its anti-narcotics operations in the country's border and coastal areas, carried out by the Armed Forces and security agencies. Venezuela's narrative about responsibility in the fight against drug trafficking much more frequent now is accompanied by a vigorous nationalist
The vandalism appears to be a response to a St George's Cross having been sprayed on the same mini-roundabout in August, which had already been removed by the local council. The two acts of vandalism come as various mini-roundabouts around the country have become the focus for nationalist fervour as part of a controversial campaign to raise the St George's Cross and Union Jack flags around the country.
TAIPEI, Taiwan As Imperial Japanese soldiers scour the streets, a group of civilians in the eastern Chinese city of Nanjing seek refuge in a small photography studio. Developing photographs taken throughout the city, they uncover evidence of the horrific war crimes being committed by imperial invaders against their fellow Chinese citizens. Set during 1937's Nanjing Massacre, these scenes are from China's latest hit film Dead to Rights. Released in July, the movie has caused a stir among some in China.
The political conversation is becoming ever more focused on migration, with Reform UK leader Nigel Farage determined to make small boat crossings and asylum seekers the central domestic policy topic while parliament is in recess. The summer has witnessed a clear rise in nationalistic rhetoric with anti-migrant rallies outside hotels alongside a campaign to raise the flags of St George and the union jack.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro reaffirmed Colombia's claim to Santa Rosa Island in the Amazon River, asserting that Colombia does not recognize Peru's sovereignty over it.
In Sweden, the Migration Agency has toughened security checks on citizenship applicants, leading to a temporary freeze on processing applications, and is considering new language and civics tests.
War is always devastating, but what makes hostility in this region worse is that India and Pakistan are both nuclear powers. Despite a fragile ceasefire, tensions remain high.
