The Global Mood: Restless and Unsettled

The Sun of Political Stability

Japan’s political landscape shifted dramatically on 8 February 2026, as Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi secured a historic landslide victory in the snap general election, giving her Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) a two-thirds supermajority in the 465-seat Lower House. With 316 seats for the LDP and an allied 36 seats for the Japan Innovation Party, the ruling coalition now commands 352 seats, the largest lower house majority since the party’s founding in 1955.

Takaichi, Japan’s first female prime minister, called the early election, only months into her premiership, with bold promises on tax cuts, fiscal stimulus and national security. Her campaign resonated with voters across regions, delivering a significant defeat to the newly formed centrist opposition and consolidating conservative power. Amid heavy snow on polling day, turnout increased to about 56 percent, underscoring popular engagement in what had been a risky political gamble.

Strategically, the victory strengthens Takaichi’s hand in foreign policy too. With a unified lower house, she is poised to pursue a more assertive stance toward regional security challenges, particularly vis-à-vis China, while reaffirming alliances with the United States (US) and like-minded partners. The supermajority even opens the door, politically if not immediately, to discussions about constitutional amendments, including aspects of Japan’s pacifist post-war framework, a move sure to stoke debate at home and abroad.

The Idea of America

This week’s Super Bowl LX halftime show, headlined by Puerto Rican megastar Bad Bunny, became a global cultural moment, and a flashpoint in debates over identity, belonging and what “America” really means. Viewed by an estimated 135 million people, his performance blended high-energy music with powerful symbolism, celebrating Puerto Rican culture while explicitly reframing the concept of “America” beyond the United States.

Bad Bunny opened with a vibrant set that paid tribute to life in Puerto Rico, from sugar-cane fields to La Casita, a symbolic representation of community life, and featured stars like Lady Gaga and Ricky Martin. In a climactic moment, he held a football emblazoned with “Together We Are America” and recited the names of countries across North, Central and South America, spotlighting a pan-American identity rooted in shared history and cultural diversity rather than political borders. Flags from across the hemisphere trailed behind dancers as the message of unity hit home.

But the show wasn’t without controversy. President Donald Trump, blasted the performance as “absolutely terrible, one of the worst, EVER!” while influencer Jake Paul sparked debate by calling Bad Bunny a “fake American,” comments he later walked back amid backlash. The polarized reaction underscores how symbolic performances can become proxy battles over national identity, immigration and cultural politics.

Fragile Diplomacy

This week saw a dramatic shift in one of the 21st century’s most fraught rivalries, as indirect US–Iran talks resumed in Oman in an attempt to avert wider conflict and address Tehran’s contested nuclear programme. Representatives from Washington and Tehran met in Muscat on 06 February 2026, the first substantive engagement since tensions sharply escalated following Iran’s deadly crackdown on domestic protests and a substantial US naval buildup in the region. Both sides described the talks as positive start underscoring cautious optimism even as deep disagreements remain.

The American side was represented by Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, and Admiral Brad Cooper. While the Iranian side was led by Foreign Minister Abbas Aragahchi. US officials, while characterizing the discussions as constructive, made clear that Washington wants future talks to address broader issues, including ballistic missile limitations and Iran’s regional proxy activities, alongside the nuclear file. President Donald Trump, striking a dual tone of diplomacy and pressure, has reiterated that “consequences are very steep” if negotiations fail, and has signalled that the United States is “in no rush” while continuing to project military strength in the Gulf.

Araghchi told Iranian media that the negotiations clarified positions and identified areas for potential progress, and both sides agreed to consult with their capitals on how to move forward. Tehran stressed that any deal must uphold its right to enrich uranium and include tangible economic benefits, particularly sanctions relief, for the Iranian people.

While regional mediators including Egypt, Turkey and Qatar have been engaged, the core diplomatic friction remains: Iran demands respect for its sovereign nuclear rights and substantive sanctions relief, while the US pushes for obligations that extend beyond strictly peaceful nuclear activity.

The backdrop to these talks is not just diplomatic chess but a region under strain, with Iran grappling with mass protests, internal repression and economic crisis, and the United States balancing pressure with dialogue. Whether this round of negotiations leads to further engagement or collapses under mutual suspicion, it marks a critical moment in US–Iran relations, one with implications far beyond nuclear issues, influencing the stability of the broader Middle East.

Written by Sarthak Ahuja
February 12, 2026