| Hi, everyone, and welcome back to the Daily Review. | Today at WPR, Freddy Deknatel explains why the Gulf states’ image of stability may be the biggest casualty of the Iran war. And columnist Charli Carpenter looks at the broader significance of Lebanon’s recent accession to the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Treaty. | Scroll down for more on those items. But first, here’s our take on today’s top story: |  | Gold bars stacked in a vault at the United States Mint, in West Point, N.Y., July 22, 2014 (AP photo by Mike Groll) |
| Central banks around the world are repatriating their gold reserves and diversifying their third-country storage locations, according to the Financial Times, citing an annual survey by the World Gold Council. The study—which was answered by 76 central banks between February and May—also found that governments are increasing their gold holdings as a share of reserves overall, the result of both a dramatic spike in the precious metal’s price and a shift away from the dollar as a proportion of reserve holdings. | Leading the way are France and India, which over the past few years have repatriated massive amounts of gold from the U.S. and U.K., respectively. But 19 percent of the survey’s respondents have also increased the share of their gold holdings stored domestically or else diversified their foreign storage locations over the past year, up from 7 percent in 2025. While New York and London remain the two main storage locations for the world’s gold reserves, fewer central bankers report storing their gold in both cities than last year. | If rapid outflows of investment represent the market registering immediate country risk, these kinds of shifts in central bank reserve holdings signal … | | | | | Upgrade to a Premium Subscription Today | This story doesn't have to end here. Access the full version of every story, complete audio editions, archive access, and more. | | Less than $7/month. Billed annually. |
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| | Amid a regional war in which its civilians have been attacked and displaced by Israel, Lebanon has done something that flies in the face of expectations: On May 1, it acceded to the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Treaty, also known as the Ottawa Convention. Charli Carpenter explains why that decision is not as surprising as it seems, and why it highlights the enduring strength of humanitarian norms against indiscriminate weapons. | | | The Gulf’s petrostates have spent decades cultivating an image of stable modernity, but the Iran war has shattered that image, exposing the fragility beneath it. Now that Iranian missiles and drones have punctured the region’s reputation of being a regional oasis, governments are scrambling to protect both their economies and the carefully crafted narrative of stability, writes Frederick Deknatel. | | | Kenya: President William Ruto announced a $15 million reparation program for nearly 2,000 victims of protest-related human rights abuses, a rare national compensation program outside the judicial system. | The payouts—which start next week after being vetted by the state-funded human rights commission—follow years of violent protests that were triggered by a proposed tax hike but morphed in a broader rejection of Kenya’s political elites. Dozens of people died, hundreds of others were injured and millions of dollars in property was destroyed in the process. | According to Ruto, while the initiative is meant to acknowledge the suffering of victims, it is not an admission of government culpability. But Kenya’s National Commission on Human Rights said that recognizing those experiences is essential to the country’s healing after repeated cycles of political violence. | In April, Liam Taylor profiled some of the Kenyan activists who spearheaded the massive uprising that rocked the country in 2024. Read his report for WPR on their efforts to translate the energy of the street into broader political power. | | Uganda: Prominent opposition figure Erias Lukwago was detained by armed soldiers after attempting to serve court papers on Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, Uganda’s army chief and son of President Yoweri Museveni. Kainerugaba, a controversial figure who is … Purchase your premium subscription now to make sure you don’t miss important news and analysis. | Poland: Authorities are investigating the execution-style killing of Robert Kuzovkov, better known by his pseudonym Semyon Skrepetsy, a Russian artist and vocal critic of President Vladimir Putin. Prosecutors said he was … Purchase your premium subscription now to make sure you don’t miss important news and analysis. | China, Myanmar: Chinese leader Xi Jinping reaffirmed support for Myanmar’s military-backed government a state visit to Beijing on Tuesday by Min Aung Hlaing, the country’s president and former army chief. The two leaders pledged … Purchase your premium subscription now to make sure you don’t miss important news and analysis. | | More from WPR | | Read all of our latest coverage here. |
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Welcome to my geopolitics blog site. This is a Hawaii Island news site focusing on geopolitical news, analysis, information, and commentary. I will cite a variety of sources, ranging from all sides of the political spectrum.