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It is no secret that between US President Donald Trump and Dr. Mohammad Yunus, Chief Adviser to the interim Bangladesh Government, there is no love lost. Somewhat paradoxically, both men happen to share an unusual trait — their determination to trample on existing diplomatic norms/conventions if necessary, as they seek to achieve their goals in the shortest possible time.

The term disruption has undergone a significant transformation in meaning over the years. Traditionally, it carried a negative connotation, indicating disorder or interruption. However, in the contemporary technological setting, disruption is celebrated as a driver of innovation, progress, and problem-solving. Companies like Uber, Airbnb, and Tesla have all disrupted their respective industries, ushering in advancements that have benefited consumers and economies alike. Yet, in the political sphere, particularly in the context of President Donald Trump and his policies, disruption assumes a starkly different meaning—one that signifies regression, instability, and a retreat from established global norms.

NEW YORK: Trump labelled President Volodymyr Zelensky a “dictator” and called him out for not holding elections earlier this week. He said the Ukrainian leader only wants to “keep the gravy train” of U.S. money rolling in, and blamed him for starting the war with Russia.

In Bangladesh, more than six months after taking over as Chief Adviser to the interim Government, Dr Mohammad Yunus still struggles hard to prove his credentials as an effective leader. Back home from after meeting top US leaders and officials at Dubai, he firmly asserted that the country had entered into a new era of hope, as the first phase of his 'assignment' ended successfully.

Pete Hegseth, the US Secretary of Defence, left European defence ministers in shock during a meeting in Brussels on February 12, 2025, as he unequivocally stated that European security is no longer a primary focus of the United States. Hegseth’s blunt remarks reinforced what had already been evident for years—Washington’s strategic priorities were shifting, and Europe could no longer rely on the U.S. to guarantee its security as it had during the Cold War and its aftermath. This shift, however, is not an abrupt departure but rather the culmination of a long-term recalibration of U.S. foreign policy that has been years in the making.

LONDON: Confusion is the order of the day among Europe’s core capitalist powers. We should not let it run rampant in the working-class movement. It has been an epoch-shifting fortnight, with the US blindsiding the rest of NATO with an about-turn on Ukraine.

NEW YORK: Two years and ten days after a mob of his partisans invaded and trashed Brazil’s houses of government, the law has come for Jair Messias Bolsonaro. The former far-right president of Brazil stands accused, in concert with thirty-three of his closest allies, of leading a criminal conspiracy to carry out the “violent abolition” of Brazil’s democratic order, as well as planning the assassination of President LuizInácio Lula da Silva and Justice Alexandre de Moraes. If convicted, the sixty-nine-year-old could face more than forty years in jail.

With just two days left for the national elections in Germany scheduled for next Sunday, February 23, all opinion polls suggest a near ten point lead by the conservative CDU/CSU combo as against the far right AFD which is threatening to take over power in European Union’s richest economy with the open backing of the U.S. President Donald Trump and his accomplice Elon Musk.

NEW YORK: Senator Bernie Sanders spoke in the U.S. Senate last week warning of the “authoritarianism” of “modern day kings,” namely President Trump and Elon Musk. He highlighted violations of the U.S. Constitution and abuse of American workers.

February 2025 is not just the moment of truth for the European nations and NATO members but also time for reckoning for the Global Left and the peace movement which are still sizing up the dimension of the impact of U.S. President Donald Trump’s emergence as a peacenik to end the three year old Ukraine war after imposing a ceasefire (though temporary) between Israel and Hamas just on the eve of his inauguration as President for the second term on January 20 this year.