The Russia-Ukraine conflict, which broke out in February 2022, marked the latest episode of the use of warfare as a tool to accelerate change in the world order. But two other events disturbed Asia and the Middle East: U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan in August 2022 and the Israel-Hamas conflict, which broke out in October 2023. People began to worry about potential interplay across three war zones. Such a prospect has become more prominent in recent months, and may be worthy of note by historians.

Collaborating in various fields after expansion, BRICS members remain dedicated to coping with U.S. hegemony and sanctions, as well as reducing trade and investment barriers and accomplishing common development. The group’s influence is on the rise.

BRICS represents a major shift in how Global South states are approaching their international agenda, and the latest summit in Russia - amid conflict in Ukraine and changing winds in America - is an opportunity for member nations to play the part of a leader among their peers.

Francesca Giovannini is executive director of the Project on Managing the Atom (MTA) at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science & Internati

As U.S.-China relations face mounting tension and uncertainty, reflecting on the early days of cultural exchange in the 1980s reveals a simpler time of optimism, goodwill, and mutual curiosity. While today's challenges are formidable, the shared experiences of those who helped build these ties offer a reminder that, even in times of difficulty, there remains potential for collaboration and understanding.

The 2024 U.S. election is not just about democracy but about big media, big money and big defense. It is setting the stage for a new trade war and lethal geopolitics that could destabilize global economic prospects for years to come.

The pursuit of absolute security by individual nations, especially major powers like the U.S., risks destabilizing global peace as competing demands for dominance in areas like technology and economics grow. Smaller nations, particularly in the Global South, often find themselves caught in the struggle, with multilateral cooperation and inclusive dialogue essential to reducing the tensions that this competition creates.

A number of political, social and economic factors tend to put the brakes on the urge to widen a war or escalate a conflict. So far, the world has been lucky with respect to the Russia-Ukraine war, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the provocative assassination of a Hamas leader. The dog didn’t bark in the night — at least not yet.

If Vice President Kamala Harris is elected president in November, she will confront a range of severe challenges, including extremism, a Congress likely to be controlled by Republicans, a debt-ridden government, the decline of U.S. power and ongoing international conflicts. Change won’t come easy.

The multilateral trading system faces an existential challenge as Washington and Brussels look to continue, or even boost, protectionism. With the very survival of the WTO at stake, the world should stand up to the challenge.