Global Power Shifts – Détails, épisodes et analyse

In our first episode of 2026, Jim Stenman speaks with Dr. Mohamed Hagi, Somaliland’s Presidential Advisor on Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, days after Israel became the first country to formally recognize Somaliland. Hagi argues recognition changes the operating reality of diplomacy, from trade and finance to security cooperation. We discuss what Somaliland says it wants from Israel, what Israel may gain in return, and how this recognition reverberates across the Red Sea corridor, from Yemen to the Horn of Africa. The conversation also covers Berbera port and the UAE’s footprint there, Ethiopia’s long-running push for sea access, and why Hagi says U.S. recognition remains the holy grail, including the roles of Donald Trump, Senator Ted Cruz, and Congresswoman Ilhan Omar.

In this episode:

• What recognition unlocks in practice
• Israel–Somaliland: interests on both sides
• Red Sea security and regional backlash
• Ethiopia, Berbera, and sea-access politics
• The Washington angle and diaspora politics

Authoritarian politics is rising, not just in the U.S., but across the West. In this episode, Jim Stenman and Suzanne Kianpour sit down with Saikat Chakrabarti, a Silicon Valley tech millionaire turned progressive strategist who is now running to replace Nancy Pelosi in San Francisco.

He is the son of an Indian immigrant who grew up in poverty, and he argues that the American Dream has been breaking for decades. His core claim is blunt: when democracy stops delivering a better life, voters start looking elsewhere, and that is where strongman politics thrives. He also makes the case that progressive politics is failing because it has not matched today’s affordability crisis with a big enough economic agenda.

We talk about what it would take to rebuild trust in democracy, how to regulate Big Tech and put AI to work for the public, and how to pair social justice with an economic program that can actually win. We also ask whether Zohran Mamdani’s win in New York signals a new opening for progressives, and what that could mean for the future of the Democratic Party.

Follow Global Power Shifts and subscribe on YouTube, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts.

Is traditional media dying, or is it simply undergoing a much-needed transformation?

This week, we explore the rise of content creators and the decline of trust in legacy platforms, as Donald Trump continues to attack the mainstream media and Elon Musk stirs fear on X. With affordable tech putting news in everyone’s hands, the lines between fact and fiction are blurring in an attention-driven economy, where misinformation is rampant. So, how do we navigate this new reality, and does truth even matter anymore?

Our guest, Jamie Angus, former BBC and Al Arabiya news executive, shares his insights on this shifting landscape. One thing is certain: the media genie isn’t going back in the bottle.
Join us as we discuss the future of journalism, the influence of social media moguls, and the battle for your attention.

This week, tech journalist Samuel Burke joins us to explore the innovation gap that’s holding Europe back in the AI race—while America and China seem to be thriving—and what it means for the future. In his latest article forFortune, the three-time Emmy Award-winning journalist, who spent years as a tech correspondent at CNN, examines how the EU and U.K.’s complex regulatory landscape is slowing AI adoption in Europe, while other regions race ahead. While Europe’s leadership in consumer protection, such as the GDPR’s global data privacy standards, is well recognized, some regulations come at a steep cost. These hurdles are delaying the latest AI technologies, with real-world consequences as the Fourth Industrial Revolution accelerates, risking Europe’s position in the global AI race.

In this episode, we welcome Charles Myers, Chairman and Founder of Signum Global Advisors, to discuss the potential implications of Donald Trump’s return as U.S. president and how it could reshape America’s foreign relations. With over 25 years of political and electoral experience, Myers brings unparalleled expertise to this critical conversation.

Key topics include:

• Trump 2.0 foreign policy: How would a second Trump presidency differ from his first term, and what would it mean for global diplomacy?
• Biden’s legacy: Analyzing Biden’s foreign policy achievements, from the Israel-Gaza ceasefire to his handling of international alliances.

• Ukraine and NATO: Can the war in Ukraine be resolved, and what are the implications for NATO and European defense?
• China and Taiwan: Exploring Beijing’s economic struggles, looming tariffs, and Taiwan’s central role in global geopolitics.
• Geopolitical rhetoric: Trump’s controversial statements about Canada, Greenland, and the Panama Canal — are they bold strategies or political bluster?
• Iran’s changing role: How recent events have weakened Iran’s proxy networks and reshaped its regional influence.
• Domestic oligarchy: Biden’s critiques of big tech and influential billionaires like Elon Musk as he nears the end of his term.

Join us for an insightful discussion on the future of American foreign policy and its ripple effects on global stability. Don’t miss this episode filled with expert analysis and thought-provoking perspectives.

Eritrea is often described as “Africa’s North Korea” – a closed dictatorship where indefinite conscription, disappearances and repression push people to flee, feeding one of the world’s most desperate migration routes.

In this episode of Global Power Shifts, Jim Stenman and Suzanne Kianpour sit down with Vanessa Tsehaye, a Swedish Eritrean human rights activist, founder of One Day Seyoum, 2025 Magnitsky Award winner, and former Amnesty International campaigner and Al Jazeera journalist. Vanessa’s uncle, a photojournalist, has been imprisoned in Eritrea for more than two decades, and that personal story runs through her work. She explains the country’s human rights crisis, how it connects to migrant journeys across the Sahara and Mediterranean, and how Eritreans are still fighting for accountability – and quietly preparing for life after Isaias Afwerki.

Exiled Venezuelan politician Armando Armas joins Suzanne Kianpour and Jim Stenman to talk about life after a brutal attack that nearly killed him — raids, arrests, and a family split across borders. He traces Venezuela’s slide from oil boom to repression, the networks propping up Maduro, and the personal cost of opposition. Armas still backs peaceful resistance, and he spells out what meaningful outside support should look like now.

Getachew Reda, Tigray’s former president and Ethiopia’s Minister of East African Affairs, joins host Jim Stenman (formerly CNN and Reuters). They discuss Tigray’s fragile peace after Pretoria, tensions inside the TPLF, Eritrea’s role, the push for Red Sea access, and the GERD’s regional impact. A grounded look at what comes next for Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa.

In this special episode of Global Power Shifts, Jim Stenman and co-host Suzanne Kianpour sit down with Lithuania’s former Foreign Minister, Gabrielius Landsbergis, to explore how a small nation on NATO’s eastern flank is navigating an uncertain era.

Born under Soviet occupation and shaped by his family’s role in Lithuania’s fight for independence, Landsbergis guides us through:

•⁠ ⁠The echo of Kremlin tanks rolling through Vilnius — and the enduring lessons of that history

•⁠ ⁠Russia’s war in Ukraine as a true wake-up call, and how the Baltics are shoring up resilience

•⁠ ⁠The future of NATO under Trump 2.0 — can Article 5 still deter aggression?

•⁠ ⁠Europe’s Western-centric blind spots, the EU’s eastern dimension, and whether Brussels can adapt before it’s too late

Tune in to discover why the Baltics matter for us all — and what’s at stake if NATO fails to uphold the post-Cold War security order. If you enjoy the episode, please leave us a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts — it makes a world of difference.

🎙 This week on Global Power Shifts, we turn our focus to one of the world’s most overlooked yet strategically vital regions: the South Caucasus.

Our guest is Emil Avdaliani — Georgian analyst, university professor, Oxford graduate, and contributor to the Carnegie Endowment and TRENDS Research. He specializes in Eurasian connectivity and the evolving role of Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan in a shifting global order.

From Georgia’s EU aspirations to the tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Emil argues that this narrow corridor between Europe and Asia is no longer just a post-Soviet borderland — it’s becoming a case study in 21st-century multipolarity.

We explore:

• Why the post-Soviet label no longer fits

• How Russia’s regional influence is being tested

• The role of China, Turkey, and the West in shaping the Caucasus

• What Georgia’s future tells us about global power realignment

If you want to understand how big power politics are playing out in smaller, critical places — this episode is for you.

Hosted by Jim Stenman and recorded on May 17, 2025, in Tbilisi, Georgia.
🎧 Subscribe for more conversations decoding the new world order.