Good morning, readers!

We need to point out one thing before covering today’s geopolitics news: The map below took ages to create and color because of all the small little island nations involved in today’s first story.

😔 Just needed to point that out…

Today’s geopolitics hotspots

Is the US too late to address the dragon in the room?

On Monday, Pacific island leaders kicked off a two-day Washington summit, where the US rolled out the diplomatic red carpet for two pint-sized Pacific nations, the Cook Islands and Niue—recognizing them as “sovereign and independent” states.

This isn’t just a polite nod to these island nations; it’s a strategic play to counter China’s rapid expansion of influence across the globe.

But is Biden’s move a little too late?

🌏 Geopolitical chessboard.

The Cook Islands and Niue, with their combined population of less than 20,000, might seem like small fish in the vast ocean of international relations.

But don’t let their size fool you—their strategic location in the South Pacific makes them more like whales in a pond.

Both are self-governing nations in “free association” with New Zealand, but their foreign and defense policies are tied to Wellington to varying degrees.

💰 Show me the money.

Biden also pledged to work with Congress to provide $200 million more in funding for projects aimed at:

• mitigating climate change,

• spurring economic growth,

• countering illegal fishing, and

• improving public health in the region.

The diplomatic recognition of the nations and the funding is aimed at maintaining a “free and open Indo-Pacific region,” according to the US president.

But there’s a bigger elephant (or should we say dragon?) the US wants to address.

🇨🇳 The dragon in the room.

The South Pacific has become an important arena for the rivalry between the US and China, with Beijing ramping up its economic, political, and military footprint in the region.

Take the Solomon Islands for example.

Even after the US reopened its embassy in the country earlier this year, it refused to attend the summit on Monday.

Can you guess why? It’s China of course.

They’ve been getting increasingly close to one another recently—as evidenced by their signing of:

• a security pact in 2022.

• a policing pact in 2023.

⏳ The future.

In the grand chessboard of geopolitics, is Biden a step behind, or is the US still holding the cards in the region?

A glimmer of hope for Biden: the 2023 policing pact is set to last until the end of 2025.

🌟 Today’s gem

Quick updates

Click the country's name for more.👇🏻

🇨🇺 Cuba:

Cuban Embassy attacked by Molotov cocktails.

Someone tried to set the Cuban Embassy in Washington, DC, on fire with Molotov cocktails but failed miserably.

• Luckily, no one was hurt and there was no significant damage to the building.

• The US Secret Service and the DC police are investigating the attack, but no suspect has been arrested yet.

✱ ALSO: This is not the first time the Cuban Embassy has been targeted by violence. In 2020, a Cuban asylum seeker shot at the building with an AK-47, leaving bullet holes in the walls and statues.

🇨🇦 Canada:

Former Nazi soldier gets standing ovation in Canadian parliament.

You read that right. A 98-year-old man who fought for a Nazi unit was hailed as a “war hero” by Canada’s speaker and lawmakers. This of course outraged Jewish communities and they condemned the move.

• The speaker later apologized, saying he didn’t know the man’s history. But the damage was done.

✱ ALSO: This happened after Zelensky gave a speech at the Canadian parliament. Given that Russia’s justification for its invasion of Ukraine is its “denazification,” this certainly doesn’t bode well for Ukraine.

🇲🇱 Mali:

Mali stalls elections again.

Mali’s hopes for a return to civilian rule have been dashed once again. The military junta that seized power in two coups has postponed the presidential elections scheduled for February 2024.

• No new date has been given.

Their reason? Due to “technical reasons.”

✱ ALSO: Mali has been drifting away from its former allies such as France and the UN, in their battle against Islamist militants, and instead, cozying up to Russia and its mercenaries.

🇩🇪 Germany:

Germany’s border crisis, because of Poland’s corruption?

Amidst asylum seekers flooding in from Poland and the Czech Republic, Germany is now considering temporary border checks.

• Germany’s Chancellor Scholz stirred the pot more by linking this crisis to Poland’s alleged visas-for-bribes scandal.

• Now, it’s not just about border control, but also about alleged corruption and diplomatic tensions.

✱ ALSO: Poland has parliamentary elections coming up on October 15—leading Polish PM Morawiecki to warn Scholz not to “interfere with Polish affairs.”