Events of the past few days mean all of a sudden we find ourselves in a very different strategic environment, one in which the great powers rule supreme. It now appears inevitable that countries around the world will need to increase defence spending, either to appease or attempt to defend themselves from one or more great powers.

That increase will need to be offset by either additional revenue or cuts elsewhere. In the case of the UK, the government has elected to cut the budget for international aid in favour of increasing defence spending. Was that the right thing to do?

In the past few days several of New Zealand’s leading politicians have weighed in on the ‘State of the Nation’. Here’s my two cents worth.

In the last ten days Oxfam has released two fascinating reports relating to inequality, one of which also considers how it impacts climate change. Today also sees the inauguration of a billionaire US President who was bankrolled by the richest man in the world.

Former US President Jimmy Carter died on 29 December 2024 at the age of 100 and his state funeral will take place in Washington D.C. today. Although he may not be remembered as one of the greatest US Presidents, nonetheless, he will go down in history as a great statesman.

He also made an outsized impact in clean energy - given the realities of a warming world we face today, Carter’s presidency offers a tantalising taste of what might have been.