Merz faces a leadership challenge without a challenger

Subscribe now with a one-month trial for only $1, then enjoy the first year at an exclusive rate of just $99. Germany’s CDU is entering a leadership crisisDiego Faßnacht reports that German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is facing a deepening leadership crisis as the CDU’s firewall strategy against the AfD breaks down. With no obvious successor ready to replace him, Germany may be left with a weakened chancellor surviving by default. Bank of Japan rate hike exposes cracks in Bessent’s façadeWilliam Pesek reports that the BOJ’s latest rate hike was driven less by Scott Bessent’s pressure campaign than by Japan’s own inflation problem. The move exposes the limits of Bessent’s attempts to steer Tokyo policy as yen weakness, fiscal strain and bond-market skepticism persist. BRICS summit strengthens Moscow’s position in the Global SouthJames Davis reports that the Bishkek BRICS summit strengthened Moscow’s diplomatic position, with key partners signaling they will preserve trade and energy ties despite Western pressure. Meanwhile, Trump’s Ukraine diplomacy and sanctions strategy struggle to change Moscow’s calculations. Okinawa election flags new post-pacifist era in JapanScott Foster reports that Okinawa’s anti-base movement has suffered a decisive defeat, signaling a broader shift toward economic pragmatism and support for Japan’s rearmament. The result aligns with Tokyo’s plans for drones, missiles, and a much larger defense buildup.