Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
The decline in the prices of commercial residential homes in China’s 70 large and medium-sized cities continues to ease on a year-on-year basis in June, official data showed on Tuesday.
In the four first-tier cities, namely, Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen, new home prices dropped 1.4 percent from a year earlier, with the pace of decline narrowing by 0.3 percentage points from May, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
Notably, Shanghai, the country’s economic hub, recorded a 6 percent year-on-year increase in new home prices last month, the NBS said.
Second- and third-tier cities saw new home prices fall by 3 percent and 4.6 percent year on year in June, with the declines narrowing by 0.5 and 0.3 percentage points, respectively.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
China’s value-added industrial output grew at a faster pace in June, up 6.8 percent year on year, as the world’s second-largest economy stepped up efforts to support growth despite challenges both at home and abroad.
The growth accelerated from a 5.8 percent rise in May, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Tuesday.
In the first six months of this year, China’s industrial output increased by 6.4 percent compared to the same period last year, according to NBS data.
The industrial output is used to measure the activity of large enterprises, each with an annual main business turnover of at least 20 million yuan (about 2.8 million U.S. dollars).
A breakdown of the data showed that the manufacturing sector’s value-added output increased by 7 percent year on year during the January-June period, while that of equipment manufacturing and high-tech manufacturing expanded by 10.2 percent and 9.5 percent, respectively, according to the NBS.
The production of 3D printing equipment, new energy vehicles, and industrial robots surged 43.1 percent, 36.2 percent and 35.6 percent year on year during the period, respectively.
Tuesday’s data also showed that the country’s GDP grew by 5.3 percent year on year in the first half of 2025. Retail sales of consumer goods, a major indicator of the country’s consumption strength, expanded 5 percent year on year during the period, while fixed-asset investment rose 2.8 percent.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Power generation by China’s major electricity production enterprises increased 1.7 percent year on year in June 2025, official data showed Tuesday.
Total power output of these firms reached 796.3 billion kilowatt-hours last month, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
A breakdown of the data revealed that solar power output had soared 18.3 percent year on year, while that of nuclear power had expanded by 10.3 percent.
The output of thermal power and wind power increased 1.1 percent and 3.2 percent, respectively, year on year, NBS data confirmed.
In contrast, hydropower output shrank 4 percent year on year in June, the NBS data showed.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
China’s gross domestic product (GDP) grew 5.3 percent year on year in the first half of 2025, data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed Tuesday.
China’s GDP reached around 66.05 trillion yuan (about 9.24 trillion U.S. dollars) in the first half, NBS data showed.
In the second quarter, the country’s GDP expanded 5.2 percent year on year, according to the NBS.
The tertiary industry expanded 5.5 percent year on year in the first half, outpacing a 3.7 percent increase in the primary industry and a 5.3 percent increase in the second industry.
On a quarterly basis, China’s economy expanded 1.1 percent in the second quarter, according to the NBS.
Since the beginning of the year, China has accelerated the implementation of a more proactive macroeconomic policy. The economy has made steady progress despite pressures, with significant economic indicators performing better than expected, said Sheng Laiyun, deputy head of the bureau, at a press conference on Tuesday.
In the first six months of this year, China’s industrial output increased by 6.4 percent compared to the same period last year, with equipment manufacturing and high-tech manufacturing sectors posting rapid growth.
The consumer market maintained an upward trend during the period, with retail sales of consumer goods expanding 5 percent year on year in the first half. The pace is 0.4 percentage points faster than the growth recorded in the first quarter.
Fixed-asset investment continued to grow during the first six months, marking a 2.8 percent year-on-year increase. In particular, investment in the manufacturing sector saw notable growth.
The job market remained generally stable, with the surveyed urban unemployment rate averaging 5.2 percent in the first half, a 0.1 percentage point decrease from the first quarter.
The country’s per capita disposable income reached 21,840 yuan during the January-June period, marking a 5.3 percent year-on-year increase in nominal terms, or 5.4 percent after deducting price factors, according to the NBS.
Commenting on the economic performance in the first half, Sheng described it as “highly valuable,” marked by continued progress and a positive trend built on overall stability.
“This is a hard-won achievement, especially given the sharp changes in the international environment and increased external pressures since the second quarter,” Sheng added.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
China has stepped up efforts to develop technology, green, inclusive, pension, and digital finance to better support the real economy. During the first five months of 2025, outstanding loans in these five areas reached 103.3 trillion yuan (US$14.41 trillion), up 14% year on year, according to official data released Monday.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Xi meets heads of foreign delegations attending SCO council of foreign ministers meeting
Xinhua | July 15, 2025
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday met in Beijing with foreign ministers and heads of standing bodies of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) who are in China to attend the Meeting of the Council of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of SCO Member States.
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
RAMALLAH, July 15 (Xinhua) — Israeli troops killed a young Palestinian man near the northern West Bank town of Jenin on Monday, the Ramallah-based Health Ministry said.
“The Palestinian Authority for Civil Affairs informed us of the killing of 20-year-old Yousef Walid Abdullah Sheikh Ibrahim from the town of Kafr Rai as a result of Israeli shelling near Jenin,” the press release said. It noted that the Israeli military had taken away the body of the deceased.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on Monday that “IDF troops found an armed terrorist near the community of Maoz Zvi,” a settlement in the northern West Bank. “The soldiers opened fire on the terrorist and killed him,” the statement said. –0–
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
WASHINGTON, July 15 (Xinhua) — The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday allowed the Trump administration to move forward with its plan to dismantle the Education Department, staying a preliminary injunction issued by a U.S. District Judge in May.
In an emergency decision by a vote of 6-3, the Supreme Court overturned a district judge’s order reinstating the mass-fired employees.
On May 22, U.S. District Judge Meng Zong in Boston ordered the reinstatement of nearly 1,400 Education Department employees affected by the mass layoffs. –0–
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, July 15 — The cargo craft Tianzhou-9 successfully docked at the rear docking port of Tianhe, the core module of China’s space station Tiangong, on Tuesday, according to the China Manned Space Agency.
Such process was conducted at 8:52 a.m. (Beijing Time) after the Tianzhou-9 entered its orbit and completed its status setting, according to the agency.
The Shenzhou-20 crew members onboard the space station will enter the cargo craft and transfer the payloads as scheduled.
MOFA extends sympathies following severe flooding in central Texas
Date：2025-07-07 Data Source：Department of North American Affairs
July 7, 2025 No. 231
The central region of the US state of Texas was recently hit by catastrophic flooding, causing major devastation. More than 80 people are confirmed to have died, including dozens of children, while an unknown number of people remain missing. Flood warnings currently remain in place across certain parts of the region.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) promptly instructed the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in Houston to ascertain whether any Taiwanese nationals had been affected. It also instructed the office to convey condolences and sympathies to the government of Texas on behalf of the government of Taiwan and emphasize that Taiwan would be glad to offer assistance.
According to information currently available to TECO Houston, no Taiwanese nationals have been identified among the dead, injured, or stranded as a result of the flooding. MOFA and TECO Houston will closely follow developments, maintain contact with the relevant Texan agencies, and provide assistance if needed. (E)
Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung on July 7 attended the opening of the 2025 International Law Association-American Society of International Law Asia-Pacific Research Forum, where he addressed more than 50 noted international scholars from over 20 nations.
In his remarks, Minister Lin said that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had been promoting the policy of integrated diplomacy, which aimed to deepen partnerships with like-minded countries based on the values of freedom, democracy, and human rights. He explained that Taiwan had proactively leveraged its diplomatic strengths—consolidating diplomatic ties, expanding its alliance of friendly nations, and integrating the resources of the public and private sectors with the goal of having Taiwan continue to be a Taiwan of the world.
Noting the extreme turbulence of international relations and the severe geopolitical challenges facing the Indo-Pacific region, Minister Lin said that in recent years, China had repeatedly challenged the rules-based international order, gravely undermining democracy, the rule of law, human rights, freedom, and even fair trade. He observed that the world’s leading states had gone on alert and that an increasing number of countries had acted by sending warships through the Taiwan Strait, underscoring that the Taiwan Strait constituted international waters and demonstrating the great importance that they attached to the security of the Indo-Pacific region.
Minister Lin also pointed out that China had long sought to pressure Taiwan in the international arena, enacting the Anti-Secession Law in 2005 and 22 guidelines on punishing independence in 2024, among other legal warfare tools. He said that China had inappropriately distorted UN General Assembly (UNGA) Resolution 2758, seeking to weaponize the text and transform it into a tool to suppress Taiwan’s international participation and provide cover for an armed invasion. He stated that China had used the resolution as justification for its false claims that Taiwan was a part of China and that the Taiwan Strait was China’s internal waters, adding that such claims were clearly contrary to the facts and to democratic values.
Minister Lin noted that in response to China’s efforts to distort UNGA Resolution 2758, last year the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, the European Parliament, and the parliaments of Australia, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the Czech Republic passed resolutions clearly opposing China’s misrepresentations. He said that senior US officials had also publicly expressed a similar position and that the international community had gradually gained an accurate understanding of Resolution 2758—that it neither mentioned Taiwan nor precluded Taiwan’s international participation.
Looking back on history, Minister Lin remarked that following the Second World War, the signing of the San Francisco Peace Treaty, which was binding under international law, had supplanted the political statements contained in the Cairo Declaration and the Potsdam Proclamation. He also pointed out that the People’s Republic of China had never governed Taiwan. He said that since the mid-1980s, Taiwan had experienced political liberalization and democratization, leading to the completion of its first direct presidential election in 1996. At that point, he said, the central executive and legislative representatives of government of the Republic of China were all elected by the people of Taiwan—and since then, the Republic of China government had been the sole legitimate government exercising effective rule over Taiwan and representing Taiwan internationally. He added that this underscored the cross-strait status quo that the Republic of China (Taiwan) and the People’s Republic of China existed as equals, with neither being subordinate to the other. He said that the Republic of China (Taiwan) had experienced three changes of governing party—in 2000, 2008, and 2016—that had consolidated the democratic system and helped create a clearer sense of national identity, reflecting the Taiwanese people’s pursuit of and desire for freedom and democracy.
Minister Lin went on to explain that, in response to dramatic changes in the international geopolitical landscape and the threat of authoritarian expansion, President Lai Ching-te had issued 17 national security measures. He said that China’s vaulting ambition had alerted the international community to the fact that Taiwan was not subordinate to the PRC. He observed that this had upended China’s cross-strait framework, making the issue of democratic Taiwan and authoritarian China not merely a regional matter, but a question the countries of the world must address together.
Minister Lin emphasized that the more secure Taiwan was, the more secure the world would be, and that the stronger Taiwan grew, the more secure the world’s democracies would be. He reiterated that Taiwan was a Taiwan of the world and said that the Republic of China (Taiwan), as a democratic nation and a force for good in the world, had demonstrated that it was part of the global village through the continued application of democratic processes and through its international participation.
Concluding his remarks, Minister Lin said that Taiwan would continue to be at the forefront of the global battle against authoritarian expansionism, adding that Taiwan would work with like-minded countries to defend the values of freedom and democracy and ensure regional peace, security, and prosperity. (E)
Foreign Minister Lin hosts welcome luncheon for Haitian Foreign Minister Jean-Baptiste
Date：2025-07-09 Data Source：Department of Latin American and Caribbean Affairs
July 9, 2025 No. 234
Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung hosted a luncheon on July 7 for a delegation from the Republic of Haiti led by Minister of Foreign Affairs Jean-Victor Harvel Jean-Baptiste and his wife. Minister Lin welcomed the delegation on behalf of the Taiwan government and expressed his anticipation that, based on the deep friendship between the two nations, bilateral exchanges and cooperation would continue to expand.
Minister Lin noted that Taiwan and Haiti had maintained diplomatic relations for 69 years and that the two sides had enjoyed fruitful collaboration in a wide range of areas, including food security, medical care, public health, and education. He added that such cooperation had benefited the people of Haiti and earned considerable recognition from the international community.
Furthermore, Minister Lin thanked the Haitian government for voicing support for Taiwan on the international stage, such as at the World Health Assembly and the Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. He said that the people and government of Taiwan deeply appreciated Haiti’s long-term and staunch backing of Taiwan’s participation in international organizations.
In his remarks, Minister Jean-Baptiste thanked Minister Lin for his warm hospitality. He also took the opportunity to express, on behalf of the people and government of Haiti, gratitude to all sectors of Taiwan for providing humanitarian and food assistance over the years and participating in projects that benefited women, children, and other disadvantaged groups in Haiti. Minister Jean-Baptiste said that he looked forward to gaining a better understanding of Taiwan’s political, economic, and social development during his visit so as to further deepen the close collaborative relations between the two countries.
Minister Lin, Minister Jean-Baptiste, and the other guests at the luncheon exchanged views on Haiti’s current political and social situation, as well as bilateral cooperation. Minister Lin expressed Taiwan’s willingness to continue to work with the Haitian government to help Haiti restore social stability, advance economic prosperity, and bolster national development. (E)
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Shannon Brincat, Senior Lecturer in Politics and International Relations, University of the Sunshine Coast
We’re just a few months into US president Donald Trump’s second term but his rule has already been repeatedlycompared to tyranny.
This may all feel very new to Americans, and to the rest of us watching on from around the world. But the threat of tyranny is an ancient one.
We can learn much from how people in ancient Greece and China dealt with this issue.
Where does tyranny come from?
The peoples of classical Greece were separated into city-states known as the polis.
A few of these, such as Athens and Argos, were democratic.
Others, such as Rhodes or Chios, had had democratic features such as civic participation in public life.
These city-states routinely faced external enemies but also the threat of tyrannical take-over from within.
Things came to a head in 510 BCE under the rule of an oppressive tyrant known as Hippias. He was ultimately expelled, leading eventually to the establishment of democracy through reforms made under an Athenian statesmen called Cleisthenes.
According to Plato, tyranny is the most degenerate political regime and emerges out of democracy’s excesses.
He argued that as democratic citizens become accustomed to living by pleasure rather than reason or duty to the public good, society becomes fragmented.
Demagogues – populist leaders who gain power by appealing to base desires and prejudices of the masses – promise the people more liberties. They turn citizens away from virtue and toward tyranny.
Aristotle, who was Plato’s student, defines tyranny as the corrupted form of monarchy. The tyrant perverts the constitutional order to bring about self-serving rulership – the rule of one. Tyranny, he argued, destroys law and justice, eroding all public trust.
The approach of Plato and Aristotle to combating tyranny was closely tied to their conception of the polis and the importance of citizenship.
For the classical Greeks, citizenship was a binding relationship of reciprocal duties and obligations owed to all other citizens. The law, they believed, was king.
It was these conventions that constrained political power, especially the arbitrary rule of one.
Civic education by participation in daily democratic life promoted virtue, they believed. All citizens and the ruler were subservient to the law – a bond that tyranny destroyed.
Aristotle said a strong middle class that could best prevent tyranny because they indicated a less unequal, and therefore more stable, society.
Plato’s view was more inward looking. He saw tyranny as a political manifestation of a disordered “enslaved soul” governed by appetites rather than reason. For him, philosophical guidance back to harmony was required for the tyrant and for the people.
Only through wisdom, he argued, could the people recognise and reject demagogues and populists.
Protecting democracy from tyranny
Some city-states learned from their institutional failings when tyranny had taken them over.
For example, after a coup of aristocrats overtook Athenian democracy in 411 BCE, Athenians began to swear the Oath of Demophantos. This was among the first attempts at a constitutional safeguard of democracy against tyranny.
It legally and morally obliged citizens to resist any attempt to overthrow democracy by force. The undertaking was a reciprocal duty; as other scholars have argued, each citizen could count on the support of all others to protect the democracy when a tyrant tried again.
This made it far more likely for people to take action against a would-be-tyrant; they knew every other citizen had sworn an oath to have their back.
The Greek historians of the time support these views. For example, Herodotus in the 5th century documented the rise of several tyrants across Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey). He blamed the political vacuum created by the decline of aristocratic rule. Here, the personal ambition and luxury of elites laid the path to tyrannical behaviour.
Another famous historian named Thucydides, writing at the same time, analysed the power and political corruption behind tyranny. He observed how times of crisis exposed vulnerabilities within Athens, leading to factionalism, instability, and the erosion of democracy.
Tyranny in classical China
In classical China we see a complementary, yet unique view of tyranny.
During the Warring States period (475–221 BCE), when the Zhou Dynasty was divided amongst several competing states, preventing tyranny was a central concern.
These states were mostly hereditary monarchies rather than democracies but they still emphasised accountability to the people.
Mencius, a 4th-century BCE Chinese philosopher and Confucian scholar, argued the people’s welfare was the foundation of legitimate rule.
There is, he argued, a responsibility to all under the Mandate of Heaven (天命, tiānmìng). This ancient Chinese doctrine asserted that heaven grants legitimacy to just rulers. If a ruler became despotic or failed to uphold harmony and virtue, the mandate can be withdrawn, justifying rebellion and dynastic change.
Mencius famously said a ruler who oppresses the people is not a ruler but a “mere man” who could be violently overthrown.
Xunzi, another Confucian philosopher writing in the late 4th to 3rd Centuries BCE, believed humans were inherently selfish and chaotic.
To fend off tyranny he emphasised ritual, education, and rule of law. He believed in formal ceremonies and structured practices such as court etiquette, family rites, and daily ethical conduct. These, he believed, helped cultivate virtue, regulate behaviour, and maintain social harmony.
Mozi, writing mostly in the 5th to early 4th centuries BCE, was a Chinese philosopher who opposed Confucianism and founded Mohism, offered a different view.
Opposing all hierarchies, he emphasised jiān ài(兼爱) – universal obligation or care to all others – as a core ethical and political principle.
According to Mozi, tyranny arises when rulers act selfishly – favoring their own families, states, or interests over the common good. He advocated for strong moral conduct and competence of leaders, rather than their lineage, wealth or status.
Tyranny today
Viewed together, these traditions suggest preventing tyranny requires more than just moral leadership.
Rather, it requires a notion of reciprocity – of shared obligations between citizens – and systemic safeguards against the personal ambitions of rulers.
Ethical governance, civic education, legal frameworks, and shared responsibilities are essential.
Shannon Brincat does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
India’s benchmark indices opened higher on Tuesday, staging a mild rebound after four straight sessions of losses, as easing inflation and positive global cues lifted investor sentiment.
Consumer inflation dropped to a more than six-year low of 2.10 percent in June, providing a boost to hopes for future rate cuts and signaling macroeconomic resilience.
The Nifty 50 rose 36.30 points, or 0.14 percent, to 25,129.70, while the BSE Sensex added 85.48 points, or 0.10 percent, to 82,338.94.
The rebound offered some relief to investors following recent market volatility. Broader indices showed even stronger momentum, with the Nifty Midcap 100 climbing 0.57 percent and the Nifty Smallcap 100 gaining 0.82 percent. The Nifty 100 was up 0.29 percent.
Global markets also provided tailwinds. US equities eked out modest gains overnight, while Asian stocks advanced after China’s second-quarter GDP growth came in at a better-than-expected 5.2 percent, signaling underlying economic strength.
Ajay Bagga, banking and market expert, said, “Indian markets recovered from session lows on Monday, signaling that the four-day fall, the first since March, may be bottoming out. With CPI at multiyear lows, there’s now more room for rate cuts. The global outlook is resilient, and we expect Indian markets to show some strength here on.”
Sectoral indices on the NSE mirrored the upbeat tone, with all major sectors opening in the green. Nifty Media led the gains, rising 1 percent. Nifty Auto advanced 0.68 percent, Nifty IT added 0.31 percent, and Nifty FMCG edged up 0.22 percent. Nifty Pharma and Nifty PSU Bank also saw gains of 0.22 and 0.28 percent, respectively. The Nifty Realty index climbed 0.48 percent.
Despite ongoing uncertainty around potential US tariffs under Donald Trump’s policy rhetoric, markets appeared to take the noise in stride. Focus has now shifted to upcoming earnings from major US banks and key macroeconomic data.
The US Consumer Price Index (CPI) is expected to show a mild uptick in inflation, while the Producer Price Index (PPI), due Wednesday, may offer insight into the impact of supply chain disruptions and tariffs.
Meanwhile, safe-haven assets like gold and silver posted mild declines after recent gains, suggesting improved risk appetite among global investors.
Akshay Chinchalkar, Head of Research at Axis Securities, offered a technical perspective: “The Nifty held support at 25,000 on Monday, forming a large lower shadow candle, which suggests that the level is technically significant. However, unless the index closes above 25,340, bulls should remain cautious, as a drop into the 24,800–24,900 zone remains likely.”
Across Asia, indices were largely trading in the green. Taiwan’s Weighted Index rose 0.65 percent, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng was up 0.20 percent, and Singapore’s Straits Times edged 0.12 percent higher. South Korea’s KOSPI was the only major laggard at the time of reporting.
India’s benchmark indices opened higher on Tuesday, staging a mild rebound after four straight sessions of losses, as easing inflation and positive global cues lifted investor sentiment.
Consumer inflation dropped to a more than six-year low of 2.10 percent in June, providing a boost to hopes for future rate cuts and signaling macroeconomic resilience.
The Nifty 50 rose 36.30 points, or 0.14 percent, to 25,129.70, while the BSE Sensex added 85.48 points, or 0.10 percent, to 82,338.94.
The rebound offered some relief to investors following recent market volatility. Broader indices showed even stronger momentum, with the Nifty Midcap 100 climbing 0.57 percent and the Nifty Smallcap 100 gaining 0.82 percent. The Nifty 100 was up 0.29 percent.
Global markets also provided tailwinds. US equities eked out modest gains overnight, while Asian stocks advanced after China’s second-quarter GDP growth came in at a better-than-expected 5.2 percent, signaling underlying economic strength.
Ajay Bagga, banking and market expert, said, “Indian markets recovered from session lows on Monday, signaling that the four-day fall, the first since March, may be bottoming out. With CPI at multiyear lows, there’s now more room for rate cuts. The global outlook is resilient, and we expect Indian markets to show some strength here on.”
Sectoral indices on the NSE mirrored the upbeat tone, with all major sectors opening in the green. Nifty Media led the gains, rising 1 percent. Nifty Auto advanced 0.68 percent, Nifty IT added 0.31 percent, and Nifty FMCG edged up 0.22 percent. Nifty Pharma and Nifty PSU Bank also saw gains of 0.22 and 0.28 percent, respectively. The Nifty Realty index climbed 0.48 percent.
Despite ongoing uncertainty around potential US tariffs under Donald Trump’s policy rhetoric, markets appeared to take the noise in stride. Focus has now shifted to upcoming earnings from major US banks and key macroeconomic data.
The US Consumer Price Index (CPI) is expected to show a mild uptick in inflation, while the Producer Price Index (PPI), due Wednesday, may offer insight into the impact of supply chain disruptions and tariffs.
Meanwhile, safe-haven assets like gold and silver posted mild declines after recent gains, suggesting improved risk appetite among global investors.
Akshay Chinchalkar, Head of Research at Axis Securities, offered a technical perspective: “The Nifty held support at 25,000 on Monday, forming a large lower shadow candle, which suggests that the level is technically significant. However, unless the index closes above 25,340, bulls should remain cautious, as a drop into the 24,800–24,900 zone remains likely.”
Across Asia, indices were largely trading in the green. Taiwan’s Weighted Index rose 0.65 percent, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng was up 0.20 percent, and Singapore’s Straits Times edged 0.12 percent higher. South Korea’s KOSPI was the only major laggard at the time of reporting.
India’s benchmark indices opened higher on Tuesday, staging a mild rebound after four straight sessions of losses, as easing inflation and positive global cues lifted investor sentiment.
Consumer inflation dropped to a more than six-year low of 2.10 percent in June, providing a boost to hopes for future rate cuts and signaling macroeconomic resilience.
The Nifty 50 rose 36.30 points, or 0.14 percent, to 25,129.70, while the BSE Sensex added 85.48 points, or 0.10 percent, to 82,338.94.
The rebound offered some relief to investors following recent market volatility. Broader indices showed even stronger momentum, with the Nifty Midcap 100 climbing 0.57 percent and the Nifty Smallcap 100 gaining 0.82 percent. The Nifty 100 was up 0.29 percent.
Global markets also provided tailwinds. US equities eked out modest gains overnight, while Asian stocks advanced after China’s second-quarter GDP growth came in at a better-than-expected 5.2 percent, signaling underlying economic strength.
Ajay Bagga, banking and market expert, said, “Indian markets recovered from session lows on Monday, signaling that the four-day fall, the first since March, may be bottoming out. With CPI at multiyear lows, there’s now more room for rate cuts. The global outlook is resilient, and we expect Indian markets to show some strength here on.”
Sectoral indices on the NSE mirrored the upbeat tone, with all major sectors opening in the green. Nifty Media led the gains, rising 1 percent. Nifty Auto advanced 0.68 percent, Nifty IT added 0.31 percent, and Nifty FMCG edged up 0.22 percent. Nifty Pharma and Nifty PSU Bank also saw gains of 0.22 and 0.28 percent, respectively. The Nifty Realty index climbed 0.48 percent.
Despite ongoing uncertainty around potential US tariffs under Donald Trump’s policy rhetoric, markets appeared to take the noise in stride. Focus has now shifted to upcoming earnings from major US banks and key macroeconomic data.
The US Consumer Price Index (CPI) is expected to show a mild uptick in inflation, while the Producer Price Index (PPI), due Wednesday, may offer insight into the impact of supply chain disruptions and tariffs.
Meanwhile, safe-haven assets like gold and silver posted mild declines after recent gains, suggesting improved risk appetite among global investors.
Akshay Chinchalkar, Head of Research at Axis Securities, offered a technical perspective: “The Nifty held support at 25,000 on Monday, forming a large lower shadow candle, which suggests that the level is technically significant. However, unless the index closes above 25,340, bulls should remain cautious, as a drop into the 24,800–24,900 zone remains likely.”
Across Asia, indices were largely trading in the green. Taiwan’s Weighted Index rose 0.65 percent, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng was up 0.20 percent, and Singapore’s Straits Times edged 0.12 percent higher. South Korea’s KOSPI was the only major laggard at the time of reporting.
We’re just a few months into US president Donald Trump’s second term but his rule has already been repeatedlycompared to tyranny.
This may all feel very new to Americans, and to the rest of us watching on from around the world. But the threat of tyranny is an ancient one.
We can learn much from how people in ancient Greece and China dealt with this issue.
Where does tyranny come from?
The peoples of classical Greece were separated into city-states known as the polis.
A few of these, such as Athens and Argos, were democratic.
Others, such as Rhodes or Chios, had had democratic features such as civic participation in public life.
These city-states routinely faced external enemies but also the threat of tyrannical take-over from within.
Things came to a head in 510 BCE under the rule of an oppressive tyrant known as Hippias. He was ultimately expelled, leading eventually to the establishment of democracy through reforms made under an Athenian statesmen called Cleisthenes.
According to Plato, tyranny is the most degenerate political regime and emerges out of democracy’s excesses.
He argued that as democratic citizens become accustomed to living by pleasure rather than reason or duty to the public good, society becomes fragmented.
Demagogues – populist leaders who gain power by appealing to base desires and prejudices of the masses – promise the people more liberties. They turn citizens away from virtue and toward tyranny.
Aristotle, who was Plato’s student, defines tyranny as the corrupted form of monarchy. The tyrant perverts the constitutional order to bring about self-serving rulership – the rule of one. Tyranny, he argued, destroys law and justice, eroding all public trust.
The approach of Plato and Aristotle to combating tyranny was closely tied to their conception of the polis and the importance of citizenship.
For the classical Greeks, citizenship was a binding relationship of reciprocal duties and obligations owed to all other citizens. The law, they believed, was king.
It was these conventions that constrained political power, especially the arbitrary rule of one.
Civic education by participation in daily democratic life promoted virtue, they believed. All citizens and the ruler were subservient to the law – a bond that tyranny destroyed.
Aristotle said a strong middle class that could best prevent tyranny because they indicated a less unequal, and therefore more stable, society.
Plato’s view was more inward looking. He saw tyranny as a political manifestation of a disordered “enslaved soul” governed by appetites rather than reason. For him, philosophical guidance back to harmony was required for the tyrant and for the people.
Only through wisdom, he argued, could the people recognise and reject demagogues and populists.
Protecting democracy from tyranny
Some city-states learned from their institutional failings when tyranny had taken them over.
For example, after a coup of aristocrats overtook Athenian democracy in 411 BCE, Athenians began to swear the Oath of Demophantos. This was among the first attempts at a constitutional safeguard of democracy against tyranny.
It legally and morally obliged citizens to resist any attempt to overthrow democracy by force. The undertaking was a reciprocal duty; as other scholars have argued, each citizen could count on the support of all others to protect the democracy when a tyrant tried again.
This made it far more likely for people to take action against a would-be-tyrant; they knew every other citizen had sworn an oath to have their back.
The Greek historians of the time support these views. For example, Herodotus in the 5th century documented the rise of several tyrants across Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey). He blamed the political vacuum created by the decline of aristocratic rule. Here, the personal ambition and luxury of elites laid the path to tyrannical behaviour.
Another famous historian named Thucydides, writing at the same time, analysed the power and political corruption behind tyranny. He observed how times of crisis exposed vulnerabilities within Athens, leading to factionalism, instability, and the erosion of democracy.
Tyranny in classical China
In classical China we see a complementary, yet unique view of tyranny.
During the Warring States period (475–221 BCE), when the Zhou Dynasty was divided amongst several competing states, preventing tyranny was a central concern.
These states were mostly hereditary monarchies rather than democracies but they still emphasised accountability to the people.
Mencius, a 4th-century BCE Chinese philosopher and Confucian scholar, argued the people’s welfare was the foundation of legitimate rule.
There is, he argued, a responsibility to all under the Mandate of Heaven (天命, tiānmìng). This ancient Chinese doctrine asserted that heaven grants legitimacy to just rulers. If a ruler became despotic or failed to uphold harmony and virtue, the mandate can be withdrawn, justifying rebellion and dynastic change.
Mencius famously said a ruler who oppresses the people is not a ruler but a “mere man” who could be violently overthrown.
Xunzi, another Confucian philosopher writing in the late 4th to 3rd Centuries BCE, believed humans were inherently selfish and chaotic.
To fend off tyranny he emphasised ritual, education, and rule of law. He believed in formal ceremonies and structured practices such as court etiquette, family rites, and daily ethical conduct. These, he believed, helped cultivate virtue, regulate behaviour, and maintain social harmony.
Mozi, writing mostly in the 5th to early 4th centuries BCE, was a Chinese philosopher who opposed Confucianism and founded Mohism, offered a different view.
Opposing all hierarchies, he emphasised jiān ài(兼爱) – universal obligation or care to all others – as a core ethical and political principle.
According to Mozi, tyranny arises when rulers act selfishly – favoring their own families, states, or interests over the common good. He advocated for strong moral conduct and competence of leaders, rather than their lineage, wealth or status.
Tyranny today
Viewed together, these traditions suggest preventing tyranny requires more than just moral leadership.
Rather, it requires a notion of reciprocity – of shared obligations between citizens – and systemic safeguards against the personal ambitions of rulers.
Ethical governance, civic education, legal frameworks, and shared responsibilities are essential.
Shannon Brincat does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
We’re just a few months into US president Donald Trump’s second term but his rule has already been repeatedlycompared to tyranny.
This may all feel very new to Americans, and to the rest of us watching on from around the world. But the threat of tyranny is an ancient one.
We can learn much from how people in ancient Greece and China dealt with this issue.
Where does tyranny come from?
The peoples of classical Greece were separated into city-states known as the polis.
A few of these, such as Athens and Argos, were democratic.
Others, such as Rhodes or Chios, had had democratic features such as civic participation in public life.
These city-states routinely faced external enemies but also the threat of tyrannical take-over from within.
Things came to a head in 510 BCE under the rule of an oppressive tyrant known as Hippias. He was ultimately expelled, leading eventually to the establishment of democracy through reforms made under an Athenian statesmen called Cleisthenes.
According to Plato, tyranny is the most degenerate political regime and emerges out of democracy’s excesses.
He argued that as democratic citizens become accustomed to living by pleasure rather than reason or duty to the public good, society becomes fragmented.
Demagogues – populist leaders who gain power by appealing to base desires and prejudices of the masses – promise the people more liberties. They turn citizens away from virtue and toward tyranny.
Aristotle, who was Plato’s student, defines tyranny as the corrupted form of monarchy. The tyrant perverts the constitutional order to bring about self-serving rulership – the rule of one. Tyranny, he argued, destroys law and justice, eroding all public trust.
The approach of Plato and Aristotle to combating tyranny was closely tied to their conception of the polis and the importance of citizenship.
For the classical Greeks, citizenship was a binding relationship of reciprocal duties and obligations owed to all other citizens. The law, they believed, was king.
It was these conventions that constrained political power, especially the arbitrary rule of one.
Civic education by participation in daily democratic life promoted virtue, they believed. All citizens and the ruler were subservient to the law – a bond that tyranny destroyed.
Aristotle said a strong middle class that could best prevent tyranny because they indicated a less unequal, and therefore more stable, society.
Plato’s view was more inward looking. He saw tyranny as a political manifestation of a disordered “enslaved soul” governed by appetites rather than reason. For him, philosophical guidance back to harmony was required for the tyrant and for the people.
Only through wisdom, he argued, could the people recognise and reject demagogues and populists.
Protecting democracy from tyranny
Some city-states learned from their institutional failings when tyranny had taken them over.
For example, after a coup of aristocrats overtook Athenian democracy in 411 BCE, Athenians began to swear the Oath of Demophantos. This was among the first attempts at a constitutional safeguard of democracy against tyranny.
It legally and morally obliged citizens to resist any attempt to overthrow democracy by force. The undertaking was a reciprocal duty; as other scholars have argued, each citizen could count on the support of all others to protect the democracy when a tyrant tried again.
This made it far more likely for people to take action against a would-be-tyrant; they knew every other citizen had sworn an oath to have their back.
The Greek historians of the time support these views. For example, Herodotus in the 5th century documented the rise of several tyrants across Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey). He blamed the political vacuum created by the decline of aristocratic rule. Here, the personal ambition and luxury of elites laid the path to tyrannical behaviour.
Another famous historian named Thucydides, writing at the same time, analysed the power and political corruption behind tyranny. He observed how times of crisis exposed vulnerabilities within Athens, leading to factionalism, instability, and the erosion of democracy.
Tyranny in classical China
In classical China we see a complementary, yet unique view of tyranny.
During the Warring States period (475–221 BCE), when the Zhou Dynasty was divided amongst several competing states, preventing tyranny was a central concern.
These states were mostly hereditary monarchies rather than democracies but they still emphasised accountability to the people.
Mencius, a 4th-century BCE Chinese philosopher and Confucian scholar, argued the people’s welfare was the foundation of legitimate rule.
There is, he argued, a responsibility to all under the Mandate of Heaven (天命, tiānmìng). This ancient Chinese doctrine asserted that heaven grants legitimacy to just rulers. If a ruler became despotic or failed to uphold harmony and virtue, the mandate can be withdrawn, justifying rebellion and dynastic change.
Mencius famously said a ruler who oppresses the people is not a ruler but a “mere man” who could be violently overthrown.
Xunzi, another Confucian philosopher writing in the late 4th to 3rd Centuries BCE, believed humans were inherently selfish and chaotic.
To fend off tyranny he emphasised ritual, education, and rule of law. He believed in formal ceremonies and structured practices such as court etiquette, family rites, and daily ethical conduct. These, he believed, helped cultivate virtue, regulate behaviour, and maintain social harmony.
Mozi, writing mostly in the 5th to early 4th centuries BCE, was a Chinese philosopher who opposed Confucianism and founded Mohism, offered a different view.
Opposing all hierarchies, he emphasised jiān ài(兼爱) – universal obligation or care to all others – as a core ethical and political principle.
According to Mozi, tyranny arises when rulers act selfishly – favoring their own families, states, or interests over the common good. He advocated for strong moral conduct and competence of leaders, rather than their lineage, wealth or status.
Tyranny today
Viewed together, these traditions suggest preventing tyranny requires more than just moral leadership.
Rather, it requires a notion of reciprocity – of shared obligations between citizens – and systemic safeguards against the personal ambitions of rulers.
Ethical governance, civic education, legal frameworks, and shared responsibilities are essential.
Shannon Brincat does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
We’re just a few months into US president Donald Trump’s second term but his rule has already been repeatedlycompared to tyranny.
This may all feel very new to Americans, and to the rest of us watching on from around the world. But the threat of tyranny is an ancient one.
We can learn much from how people in ancient Greece and China dealt with this issue.
Where does tyranny come from?
The peoples of classical Greece were separated into city-states known as the polis.
A few of these, such as Athens and Argos, were democratic.
Others, such as Rhodes or Chios, had had democratic features such as civic participation in public life.
These city-states routinely faced external enemies but also the threat of tyrannical take-over from within.
Things came to a head in 510 BCE under the rule of an oppressive tyrant known as Hippias. He was ultimately expelled, leading eventually to the establishment of democracy through reforms made under an Athenian statesmen called Cleisthenes.
According to Plato, tyranny is the most degenerate political regime and emerges out of democracy’s excesses.
He argued that as democratic citizens become accustomed to living by pleasure rather than reason or duty to the public good, society becomes fragmented.
Demagogues – populist leaders who gain power by appealing to base desires and prejudices of the masses – promise the people more liberties. They turn citizens away from virtue and toward tyranny.
Aristotle, who was Plato’s student, defines tyranny as the corrupted form of monarchy. The tyrant perverts the constitutional order to bring about self-serving rulership – the rule of one. Tyranny, he argued, destroys law and justice, eroding all public trust.
The approach of Plato and Aristotle to combating tyranny was closely tied to their conception of the polis and the importance of citizenship.
For the classical Greeks, citizenship was a binding relationship of reciprocal duties and obligations owed to all other citizens. The law, they believed, was king.
It was these conventions that constrained political power, especially the arbitrary rule of one.
Civic education by participation in daily democratic life promoted virtue, they believed. All citizens and the ruler were subservient to the law – a bond that tyranny destroyed.
Aristotle said a strong middle class that could best prevent tyranny because they indicated a less unequal, and therefore more stable, society.
Plato’s view was more inward looking. He saw tyranny as a political manifestation of a disordered “enslaved soul” governed by appetites rather than reason. For him, philosophical guidance back to harmony was required for the tyrant and for the people.
Only through wisdom, he argued, could the people recognise and reject demagogues and populists.
Protecting democracy from tyranny
Some city-states learned from their institutional failings when tyranny had taken them over.
For example, after a coup of aristocrats overtook Athenian democracy in 411 BCE, Athenians began to swear the Oath of Demophantos. This was among the first attempts at a constitutional safeguard of democracy against tyranny.
It legally and morally obliged citizens to resist any attempt to overthrow democracy by force. The undertaking was a reciprocal duty; as other scholars have argued, each citizen could count on the support of all others to protect the democracy when a tyrant tried again.
This made it far more likely for people to take action against a would-be-tyrant; they knew every other citizen had sworn an oath to have their back.
The Greek historians of the time support these views. For example, Herodotus in the 5th century documented the rise of several tyrants across Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey). He blamed the political vacuum created by the decline of aristocratic rule. Here, the personal ambition and luxury of elites laid the path to tyrannical behaviour.
Another famous historian named Thucydides, writing at the same time, analysed the power and political corruption behind tyranny. He observed how times of crisis exposed vulnerabilities within Athens, leading to factionalism, instability, and the erosion of democracy.
Tyranny in classical China
In classical China we see a complementary, yet unique view of tyranny.
During the Warring States period (475–221 BCE), when the Zhou Dynasty was divided amongst several competing states, preventing tyranny was a central concern.
These states were mostly hereditary monarchies rather than democracies but they still emphasised accountability to the people.
Mencius, a 4th-century BCE Chinese philosopher and Confucian scholar, argued the people’s welfare was the foundation of legitimate rule.
There is, he argued, a responsibility to all under the Mandate of Heaven (天命, tiānmìng). This ancient Chinese doctrine asserted that heaven grants legitimacy to just rulers. If a ruler became despotic or failed to uphold harmony and virtue, the mandate can be withdrawn, justifying rebellion and dynastic change.
Mencius famously said a ruler who oppresses the people is not a ruler but a “mere man” who could be violently overthrown.
Xunzi, another Confucian philosopher writing in the late 4th to 3rd Centuries BCE, believed humans were inherently selfish and chaotic.
To fend off tyranny he emphasised ritual, education, and rule of law. He believed in formal ceremonies and structured practices such as court etiquette, family rites, and daily ethical conduct. These, he believed, helped cultivate virtue, regulate behaviour, and maintain social harmony.
Mozi, writing mostly in the 5th to early 4th centuries BCE, was a Chinese philosopher who opposed Confucianism and founded Mohism, offered a different view.
Opposing all hierarchies, he emphasised jiān ài(兼爱) – universal obligation or care to all others – as a core ethical and political principle.
According to Mozi, tyranny arises when rulers act selfishly – favoring their own families, states, or interests over the common good. He advocated for strong moral conduct and competence of leaders, rather than their lineage, wealth or status.
Tyranny today
Viewed together, these traditions suggest preventing tyranny requires more than just moral leadership.
Rather, it requires a notion of reciprocity – of shared obligations between citizens – and systemic safeguards against the personal ambitions of rulers.
Ethical governance, civic education, legal frameworks, and shared responsibilities are essential.
Shannon Brincat does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
We’re just a few months into US president Donald Trump’s second term but his rule has already been repeatedlycompared to tyranny.
This may all feel very new to Americans, and to the rest of us watching on from around the world. But the threat of tyranny is an ancient one.
We can learn much from how people in ancient Greece and China dealt with this issue.
Where does tyranny come from?
The peoples of classical Greece were separated into city-states known as the polis.
A few of these, such as Athens and Argos, were democratic.
Others, such as Rhodes or Chios, had had democratic features such as civic participation in public life.
These city-states routinely faced external enemies but also the threat of tyrannical take-over from within.
Things came to a head in 510 BCE under the rule of an oppressive tyrant known as Hippias. He was ultimately expelled, leading eventually to the establishment of democracy through reforms made under an Athenian statesmen called Cleisthenes.
According to Plato, tyranny is the most degenerate political regime and emerges out of democracy’s excesses.
He argued that as democratic citizens become accustomed to living by pleasure rather than reason or duty to the public good, society becomes fragmented.
Demagogues – populist leaders who gain power by appealing to base desires and prejudices of the masses – promise the people more liberties. They turn citizens away from virtue and toward tyranny.
Aristotle, who was Plato’s student, defines tyranny as the corrupted form of monarchy. The tyrant perverts the constitutional order to bring about self-serving rulership – the rule of one. Tyranny, he argued, destroys law and justice, eroding all public trust.
The approach of Plato and Aristotle to combating tyranny was closely tied to their conception of the polis and the importance of citizenship.
For the classical Greeks, citizenship was a binding relationship of reciprocal duties and obligations owed to all other citizens. The law, they believed, was king.
It was these conventions that constrained political power, especially the arbitrary rule of one.
Civic education by participation in daily democratic life promoted virtue, they believed. All citizens and the ruler were subservient to the law – a bond that tyranny destroyed.
Aristotle said a strong middle class that could best prevent tyranny because they indicated a less unequal, and therefore more stable, society.
Plato’s view was more inward looking. He saw tyranny as a political manifestation of a disordered “enslaved soul” governed by appetites rather than reason. For him, philosophical guidance back to harmony was required for the tyrant and for the people.
Only through wisdom, he argued, could the people recognise and reject demagogues and populists.
Protecting democracy from tyranny
Some city-states learned from their institutional failings when tyranny had taken them over.
For example, after a coup of aristocrats overtook Athenian democracy in 411 BCE, Athenians began to swear the Oath of Demophantos. This was among the first attempts at a constitutional safeguard of democracy against tyranny.
It legally and morally obliged citizens to resist any attempt to overthrow democracy by force. The undertaking was a reciprocal duty; as other scholars have argued, each citizen could count on the support of all others to protect the democracy when a tyrant tried again.
This made it far more likely for people to take action against a would-be-tyrant; they knew every other citizen had sworn an oath to have their back.
The Greek historians of the time support these views. For example, Herodotus in the 5th century documented the rise of several tyrants across Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey). He blamed the political vacuum created by the decline of aristocratic rule. Here, the personal ambition and luxury of elites laid the path to tyrannical behaviour.
Another famous historian named Thucydides, writing at the same time, analysed the power and political corruption behind tyranny. He observed how times of crisis exposed vulnerabilities within Athens, leading to factionalism, instability, and the erosion of democracy.
Tyranny in classical China
In classical China we see a complementary, yet unique view of tyranny.
During the Warring States period (475–221 BCE), when the Zhou Dynasty was divided amongst several competing states, preventing tyranny was a central concern.
These states were mostly hereditary monarchies rather than democracies but they still emphasised accountability to the people.
Mencius, a 4th-century BCE Chinese philosopher and Confucian scholar, argued the people’s welfare was the foundation of legitimate rule.
There is, he argued, a responsibility to all under the Mandate of Heaven (天命, tiānmìng). This ancient Chinese doctrine asserted that heaven grants legitimacy to just rulers. If a ruler became despotic or failed to uphold harmony and virtue, the mandate can be withdrawn, justifying rebellion and dynastic change.
Mencius famously said a ruler who oppresses the people is not a ruler but a “mere man” who could be violently overthrown.
Xunzi, another Confucian philosopher writing in the late 4th to 3rd Centuries BCE, believed humans were inherently selfish and chaotic.
To fend off tyranny he emphasised ritual, education, and rule of law. He believed in formal ceremonies and structured practices such as court etiquette, family rites, and daily ethical conduct. These, he believed, helped cultivate virtue, regulate behaviour, and maintain social harmony.
Mozi, writing mostly in the 5th to early 4th centuries BCE, was a Chinese philosopher who opposed Confucianism and founded Mohism, offered a different view.
Opposing all hierarchies, he emphasised jiān ài(兼爱) – universal obligation or care to all others – as a core ethical and political principle.
According to Mozi, tyranny arises when rulers act selfishly – favoring their own families, states, or interests over the common good. He advocated for strong moral conduct and competence of leaders, rather than their lineage, wealth or status.
Tyranny today
Viewed together, these traditions suggest preventing tyranny requires more than just moral leadership.
Rather, it requires a notion of reciprocity – of shared obligations between citizens – and systemic safeguards against the personal ambitions of rulers.
Ethical governance, civic education, legal frameworks, and shared responsibilities are essential.
Shannon Brincat does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
We’re just a few months into US president Donald Trump’s second term but his rule has already been repeatedlycompared to tyranny.
This may all feel very new to Americans, and to the rest of us watching on from around the world. But the threat of tyranny is an ancient one.
We can learn much from how people in ancient Greece and China dealt with this issue.
Where does tyranny come from?
The peoples of classical Greece were separated into city-states known as the polis.
A few of these, such as Athens and Argos, were democratic.
Others, such as Rhodes or Chios, had had democratic features such as civic participation in public life.
These city-states routinely faced external enemies but also the threat of tyrannical take-over from within.
Things came to a head in 510 BCE under the rule of an oppressive tyrant known as Hippias. He was ultimately expelled, leading eventually to the establishment of democracy through reforms made under an Athenian statesmen called Cleisthenes.
According to Plato, tyranny is the most degenerate political regime and emerges out of democracy’s excesses.
He argued that as democratic citizens become accustomed to living by pleasure rather than reason or duty to the public good, society becomes fragmented.
Demagogues – populist leaders who gain power by appealing to base desires and prejudices of the masses – promise the people more liberties. They turn citizens away from virtue and toward tyranny.
Aristotle, who was Plato’s student, defines tyranny as the corrupted form of monarchy. The tyrant perverts the constitutional order to bring about self-serving rulership – the rule of one. Tyranny, he argued, destroys law and justice, eroding all public trust.
The approach of Plato and Aristotle to combating tyranny was closely tied to their conception of the polis and the importance of citizenship.
For the classical Greeks, citizenship was a binding relationship of reciprocal duties and obligations owed to all other citizens. The law, they believed, was king.
It was these conventions that constrained political power, especially the arbitrary rule of one.
Civic education by participation in daily democratic life promoted virtue, they believed. All citizens and the ruler were subservient to the law – a bond that tyranny destroyed.
Aristotle said a strong middle class that could best prevent tyranny because they indicated a less unequal, and therefore more stable, society.
Plato’s view was more inward looking. He saw tyranny as a political manifestation of a disordered “enslaved soul” governed by appetites rather than reason. For him, philosophical guidance back to harmony was required for the tyrant and for the people.
Only through wisdom, he argued, could the people recognise and reject demagogues and populists.
Protecting democracy from tyranny
Some city-states learned from their institutional failings when tyranny had taken them over.
For example, after a coup of aristocrats overtook Athenian democracy in 411 BCE, Athenians began to swear the Oath of Demophantos. This was among the first attempts at a constitutional safeguard of democracy against tyranny.
It legally and morally obliged citizens to resist any attempt to overthrow democracy by force. The undertaking was a reciprocal duty; as other scholars have argued, each citizen could count on the support of all others to protect the democracy when a tyrant tried again.
This made it far more likely for people to take action against a would-be-tyrant; they knew every other citizen had sworn an oath to have their back.
The Greek historians of the time support these views. For example, Herodotus in the 5th century documented the rise of several tyrants across Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey). He blamed the political vacuum created by the decline of aristocratic rule. Here, the personal ambition and luxury of elites laid the path to tyrannical behaviour.
Another famous historian named Thucydides, writing at the same time, analysed the power and political corruption behind tyranny. He observed how times of crisis exposed vulnerabilities within Athens, leading to factionalism, instability, and the erosion of democracy.
Tyranny in classical China
In classical China we see a complementary, yet unique view of tyranny.
During the Warring States period (475–221 BCE), when the Zhou Dynasty was divided amongst several competing states, preventing tyranny was a central concern.
These states were mostly hereditary monarchies rather than democracies but they still emphasised accountability to the people.
Mencius, a 4th-century BCE Chinese philosopher and Confucian scholar, argued the people’s welfare was the foundation of legitimate rule.
There is, he argued, a responsibility to all under the Mandate of Heaven (天命, tiānmìng). This ancient Chinese doctrine asserted that heaven grants legitimacy to just rulers. If a ruler became despotic or failed to uphold harmony and virtue, the mandate can be withdrawn, justifying rebellion and dynastic change.
Mencius famously said a ruler who oppresses the people is not a ruler but a “mere man” who could be violently overthrown.
Xunzi, another Confucian philosopher writing in the late 4th to 3rd Centuries BCE, believed humans were inherently selfish and chaotic.
To fend off tyranny he emphasised ritual, education, and rule of law. He believed in formal ceremonies and structured practices such as court etiquette, family rites, and daily ethical conduct. These, he believed, helped cultivate virtue, regulate behaviour, and maintain social harmony.
Mozi, writing mostly in the 5th to early 4th centuries BCE, was a Chinese philosopher who opposed Confucianism and founded Mohism, offered a different view.
Opposing all hierarchies, he emphasised jiān ài(兼爱) – universal obligation or care to all others – as a core ethical and political principle.
According to Mozi, tyranny arises when rulers act selfishly – favoring their own families, states, or interests over the common good. He advocated for strong moral conduct and competence of leaders, rather than their lineage, wealth or status.
Tyranny today
Viewed together, these traditions suggest preventing tyranny requires more than just moral leadership.
Rather, it requires a notion of reciprocity – of shared obligations between citizens – and systemic safeguards against the personal ambitions of rulers.
Ethical governance, civic education, legal frameworks, and shared responsibilities are essential.
Shannon Brincat does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Hong Kong cinema is taking centre stage at this year’s New York Asian Film Festival (NYAFF) with the “Hong Kong Panorama” series, a curated showcase of 10 dynamic films being presented with support from the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in New York (New York ETO).
A star-studded award presentation was held prior to the North American premiere of “Last Song For You” this evening (July 14, New York time) at the esteemed Film at Lincoln Center. The film’s lead actor, Ekin Cheng, was honoured with the prestigious Star Asia Award, recognising his legendary contributions across film, television, and music, as well as his enduring impact on Hong Kong’s popular culture.
Cheng’s co-star Natalie Hsu received the Screen International Rising Star Award, highlighting her breakout performances and her bright future on the global stage.
The New York ETO hosted a special reception before the award presentation in honour of the visiting Hong Kong film talent participating in this year’s Festival. Among them are actors, directors, and creatives whose work is helping to shape the next chapter of Hong Kong cinema.
Speaking at the reception, the Director of the New York ETO, Ms Maisie Ho, highlighted the lineup for this year’s Festival. “This year we’re proud to showcase 10 diverse Hong Kong films, from romantic comedies and crime thrillers to powerful action dramas. Over half of them are having their North American premieres right here at NYAFF – proof that Hong Kong cinema continues to innovate, inspire, and resonate across borders,” she said.
Ms Ho added that four of these films are marking directorial debuts. They are: Jill Leung’s “Last Song For You”; Jack Lai’s “Possession Street”; Trevor Choi’s “Smashing Frank”; and “Valley of the Shadow of Death” by Jeffrey Lam and Antonio Tam.
“Three films, ‘Last Song For You’, ‘Papa’ and ‘Possession Street’, were made possible with support from the Hong Kong Film Development Fund. It’s this mix of rising talent and strong institutional backing that keeps our film industry vibrant, evolving, and ready for the world stage,” she added.
Ms Ho went on to extend warm congratulations to the honourees. She praised Cheng for his 37-year career and for helping shape the cultural DNA of Hong Kong entertainment, and lauded Hsu as a gifted and dynamic artist representing the bold future of Hong Kong cinema.
To further honour Cheng’s legacy, the NYAFF held a special retrospective screening of his iconic film “Young and Dangerous”, celebrating the blockbuster’s 30th anniversary and its enduring impact on a generation of filmmakers and audiences.
In addition to Cheng and Hsu, a stellar delegation of Hong Kong filmmakers are attending this year’s NYAFF. They include actor George Au actress Hedwig Tam, directors Oliver Chan, Trevor Choi, Jack Lai, Jeffrey Lam, Jill Leung, Antonio Tam, Adam Wong, and composer Chan Kwong-wing – all showcasing the creative talent propelling Hong Kong cinema into the future.
Adding to this year’s celebration, acclaimed Chinese-American actress Lisa Lu was presented with both the Trailblazer Award and the Star Asia Lifetime Achievement Award, honouring her groundbreaking career and indelible contributions to cinema across the United States, and Greater China including Hong Kong.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Hong Kong cinema is taking centre stage at this year’s New York Asian Film Festival (NYAFF) with the “Hong Kong Panorama” series, a curated showcase of 10 dynamic films being presented with support from the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in New York (New York ETO).
A star-studded award presentation was held prior to the North American premiere of “Last Song For You” this evening (July 14, New York time) at the esteemed Film at Lincoln Center. The film’s lead actor, Ekin Cheng, was honoured with the prestigious Star Asia Award, recognising his legendary contributions across film, television, and music, as well as his enduring impact on Hong Kong’s popular culture.
Cheng’s co-star Natalie Hsu received the Screen International Rising Star Award, highlighting her breakout performances and her bright future on the global stage.
The New York ETO hosted a special reception before the award presentation in honour of the visiting Hong Kong film talent participating in this year’s Festival. Among them are actors, directors, and creatives whose work is helping to shape the next chapter of Hong Kong cinema.
Speaking at the reception, the Director of the New York ETO, Ms Maisie Ho, highlighted the lineup for this year’s Festival. “This year we’re proud to showcase 10 diverse Hong Kong films, from romantic comedies and crime thrillers to powerful action dramas. Over half of them are having their North American premieres right here at NYAFF – proof that Hong Kong cinema continues to innovate, inspire, and resonate across borders,” she said.
Ms Ho added that four of these films are marking directorial debuts. They are: Jill Leung’s “Last Song For You”; Jack Lai’s “Possession Street”; Trevor Choi’s “Smashing Frank”; and “Valley of the Shadow of Death” by Jeffrey Lam and Antonio Tam.
“Three films, ‘Last Song For You’, ‘Papa’ and ‘Possession Street’, were made possible with support from the Hong Kong Film Development Fund. It’s this mix of rising talent and strong institutional backing that keeps our film industry vibrant, evolving, and ready for the world stage,” she added.
Ms Ho went on to extend warm congratulations to the honourees. She praised Cheng for his 37-year career and for helping shape the cultural DNA of Hong Kong entertainment, and lauded Hsu as a gifted and dynamic artist representing the bold future of Hong Kong cinema.
To further honour Cheng’s legacy, the NYAFF held a special retrospective screening of his iconic film “Young and Dangerous”, celebrating the blockbuster’s 30th anniversary and its enduring impact on a generation of filmmakers and audiences.
In addition to Cheng and Hsu, a stellar delegation of Hong Kong filmmakers are attending this year’s NYAFF. They include actor George Au actress Hedwig Tam, directors Oliver Chan, Trevor Choi, Jack Lai, Jeffrey Lam, Jill Leung, Antonio Tam, Adam Wong, and composer Chan Kwong-wing – all showcasing the creative talent propelling Hong Kong cinema into the future.
Adding to this year’s celebration, acclaimed Chinese-American actress Lisa Lu was presented with both the Trailblazer Award and the Star Asia Lifetime Achievement Award, honouring her groundbreaking career and indelible contributions to cinema across the United States, and Greater China including Hong Kong.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Hong Kong cinema is taking centre stage at this year’s New York Asian Film Festival (NYAFF) with the “Hong Kong Panorama” series, a curated showcase of 10 dynamic films being presented with support from the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in New York (New York ETO).
A star-studded award presentation was held prior to the North American premiere of “Last Song For You” this evening (July 14, New York time) at the esteemed Film at Lincoln Center. The film’s lead actor, Ekin Cheng, was honoured with the prestigious Star Asia Award, recognising his legendary contributions across film, television, and music, as well as his enduring impact on Hong Kong’s popular culture.
Cheng’s co-star Natalie Hsu received the Screen International Rising Star Award, highlighting her breakout performances and her bright future on the global stage.
The New York ETO hosted a special reception before the award presentation in honour of the visiting Hong Kong film talent participating in this year’s Festival. Among them are actors, directors, and creatives whose work is helping to shape the next chapter of Hong Kong cinema.
Speaking at the reception, the Director of the New York ETO, Ms Maisie Ho, highlighted the lineup for this year’s Festival. “This year we’re proud to showcase 10 diverse Hong Kong films, from romantic comedies and crime thrillers to powerful action dramas. Over half of them are having their North American premieres right here at NYAFF – proof that Hong Kong cinema continues to innovate, inspire, and resonate across borders,” she said.
Ms Ho added that four of these films are marking directorial debuts. They are: Jill Leung’s “Last Song For You”; Jack Lai’s “Possession Street”; Trevor Choi’s “Smashing Frank”; and “Valley of the Shadow of Death” by Jeffrey Lam and Antonio Tam.
“Three films, ‘Last Song For You’, ‘Papa’ and ‘Possession Street’, were made possible with support from the Hong Kong Film Development Fund. It’s this mix of rising talent and strong institutional backing that keeps our film industry vibrant, evolving, and ready for the world stage,” she added.
Ms Ho went on to extend warm congratulations to the honourees. She praised Cheng for his 37-year career and for helping shape the cultural DNA of Hong Kong entertainment, and lauded Hsu as a gifted and dynamic artist representing the bold future of Hong Kong cinema.
To further honour Cheng’s legacy, the NYAFF held a special retrospective screening of his iconic film “Young and Dangerous”, celebrating the blockbuster’s 30th anniversary and its enduring impact on a generation of filmmakers and audiences.
In addition to Cheng and Hsu, a stellar delegation of Hong Kong filmmakers are attending this year’s NYAFF. They include actor George Au actress Hedwig Tam, directors Oliver Chan, Trevor Choi, Jack Lai, Jeffrey Lam, Jill Leung, Antonio Tam, Adam Wong, and composer Chan Kwong-wing – all showcasing the creative talent propelling Hong Kong cinema into the future.
Adding to this year’s celebration, acclaimed Chinese-American actress Lisa Lu was presented with both the Trailblazer Award and the Star Asia Lifetime Achievement Award, honouring her groundbreaking career and indelible contributions to cinema across the United States, and Greater China including Hong Kong.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Tuesday met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing as part of a delegation of foreign ministers attending the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting.
In a post on X, Jaishankar said, “Called on President Xi Jinping this morning in Beijing along with my fellow SCO Foreign Ministers. Conveyed the greetings of President Droupadi Murmu & Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Apprised President Xi of the recent development of our bilateral ties. Value the guidance of our leaders in that regard.”
This marks Jaishankar’s first visit to China since the Galwan Valley clash between Indian and Chinese troops in June 2020. He is in the country to participate in the SCO Council of Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (CFM), being held in Tianjin.
On Monday, Jaishankar held a series of high-level meetings on the sidelines of the CFM.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Jaishankar met Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi for bilateral talks.
The two leaders reviewed the current state of India-China ties, acknowledging recent progress in stabilizing and rebuilding relations. Both sides emphasized the importance of people-centric engagement and agreed to enhance cooperation to mark the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations.
Jaishankar expressed appreciation for China’s support in resuming the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra and discussed expanding people-to-people exchanges, including improved travel access and direct flight connectivity.
Stressing the need for peace and tranquility along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), Jaishankar reiterated India’s commitment to de-escalation and effective border management.
“He underlined the need for cooperation on trans-border rivers, including resumption of provision of hydrological data by the Chinese side. He also took up restrictive trade measures and roadblocks to economic cooperation,” the MEA said in a statement.
The two ministers also exchanged views on regional and global developments, with Jaishankar affirming India’s support for China’s current SCO presidency.
“The discussions were constructive and forward-looking. The Ministers agreed to remain in touch, including through bilateral visits and meetings,” the MEA said.
Earlier in the day, Jaishankar called on Chinese Vice President Han Zheng and met Liu Jianchao, Minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China.
“Good to meet IDCPC Minister Liu Jianchao in Beijing. Discussed the changing global order and the emergence of multipolarity. Spoke about a constructive India-China relationship in that context,” Jaishankar said on X.
Founded as a regional security bloc, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation is a permanent intergovernmental organisation comprising India, China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Iran and Belarus. The SCO’s agenda spans counterterrorism, security, economic cooperation, and regional connectivity.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Tuesday met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing as part of a delegation of foreign ministers attending the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting.
In a post on X, Jaishankar said, “Called on President Xi Jinping this morning in Beijing along with my fellow SCO Foreign Ministers. Conveyed the greetings of President Droupadi Murmu & Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Apprised President Xi of the recent development of our bilateral ties. Value the guidance of our leaders in that regard.”
This marks Jaishankar’s first visit to China since the Galwan Valley clash between Indian and Chinese troops in June 2020. He is in the country to participate in the SCO Council of Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (CFM), being held in Tianjin.
On Monday, Jaishankar held a series of high-level meetings on the sidelines of the CFM.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Jaishankar met Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi for bilateral talks.
The two leaders reviewed the current state of India-China ties, acknowledging recent progress in stabilizing and rebuilding relations. Both sides emphasized the importance of people-centric engagement and agreed to enhance cooperation to mark the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations.
Jaishankar expressed appreciation for China’s support in resuming the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra and discussed expanding people-to-people exchanges, including improved travel access and direct flight connectivity.
Stressing the need for peace and tranquility along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), Jaishankar reiterated India’s commitment to de-escalation and effective border management.
“He underlined the need for cooperation on trans-border rivers, including resumption of provision of hydrological data by the Chinese side. He also took up restrictive trade measures and roadblocks to economic cooperation,” the MEA said in a statement.
The two ministers also exchanged views on regional and global developments, with Jaishankar affirming India’s support for China’s current SCO presidency.
“The discussions were constructive and forward-looking. The Ministers agreed to remain in touch, including through bilateral visits and meetings,” the MEA said.
Earlier in the day, Jaishankar called on Chinese Vice President Han Zheng and met Liu Jianchao, Minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China.
“Good to meet IDCPC Minister Liu Jianchao in Beijing. Discussed the changing global order and the emergence of multipolarity. Spoke about a constructive India-China relationship in that context,” Jaishankar said on X.
Founded as a regional security bloc, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation is a permanent intergovernmental organisation comprising India, China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Iran and Belarus. The SCO’s agenda spans counterterrorism, security, economic cooperation, and regional connectivity.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Tuesday met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing as part of a delegation of foreign ministers attending the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting.
In a post on X, Jaishankar said, “Called on President Xi Jinping this morning in Beijing along with my fellow SCO Foreign Ministers. Conveyed the greetings of President Droupadi Murmu & Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Apprised President Xi of the recent development of our bilateral ties. Value the guidance of our leaders in that regard.”
This marks Jaishankar’s first visit to China since the Galwan Valley clash between Indian and Chinese troops in June 2020. He is in the country to participate in the SCO Council of Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (CFM), being held in Tianjin.
On Monday, Jaishankar held a series of high-level meetings on the sidelines of the CFM.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Jaishankar met Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi for bilateral talks.
The two leaders reviewed the current state of India-China ties, acknowledging recent progress in stabilizing and rebuilding relations. Both sides emphasized the importance of people-centric engagement and agreed to enhance cooperation to mark the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations.
Jaishankar expressed appreciation for China’s support in resuming the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra and discussed expanding people-to-people exchanges, including improved travel access and direct flight connectivity.
Stressing the need for peace and tranquility along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), Jaishankar reiterated India’s commitment to de-escalation and effective border management.
“He underlined the need for cooperation on trans-border rivers, including resumption of provision of hydrological data by the Chinese side. He also took up restrictive trade measures and roadblocks to economic cooperation,” the MEA said in a statement.
The two ministers also exchanged views on regional and global developments, with Jaishankar affirming India’s support for China’s current SCO presidency.
“The discussions were constructive and forward-looking. The Ministers agreed to remain in touch, including through bilateral visits and meetings,” the MEA said.
Earlier in the day, Jaishankar called on Chinese Vice President Han Zheng and met Liu Jianchao, Minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China.
“Good to meet IDCPC Minister Liu Jianchao in Beijing. Discussed the changing global order and the emergence of multipolarity. Spoke about a constructive India-China relationship in that context,” Jaishankar said on X.
Founded as a regional security bloc, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation is a permanent intergovernmental organisation comprising India, China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Iran and Belarus. The SCO’s agenda spans counterterrorism, security, economic cooperation, and regional connectivity.
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
ISLAMABAD, July 15 (Xinhua) — At least six people were killed and 27 others injured in a road accident in Pakistan’s eastern Punjab province on Sunday night, traffic police spokesman Saqib Waheed told Xinhua.
According to him, the bus with 41 passengers on board overturned and fell into a ravine. Five people, including four women, died on the spot, and another died in hospital. The injured were hospitalized, seven of them are in critical condition. The investigation showed that the accident occurred due to the driver’s negligence on a road slippery from the rain, S. Wahid noted.
Road accidents in Pakistan have become a worrying problem, with both their frequency and severity increasing significantly in recent years.
The main reasons for the high accident rate are careless driving, poor road conditions and poor vehicle maintenance. –0–
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Brazil manager Carlo Ancelotti has hailed the performances of the country’s clubs and individual players at the FIFA Club World Cup in the United States.
The Italian said he was impressed by Fluminense while also praising the feats of Palmeiras, Flamengo and Botafogo, saying they showed Brazilian teams could challenge Europe’s best.
Everaldo (R) of Fluminense vies with Tosin Adarabioyo of Chelsea during the semifinal match between Fluminense FC (Brazil) and Chelsea FC (England) at the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 at the MetLife Stadium, New Jersey, the United States, July 8, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Ming)
“Fluminense had a great campaign, reaching the semifinals, and Botafogo beat PSG,” Ancelotti told the Brazilian Football Confederation’s official website.
“Palmeiras and Flamengo also proved they can compete with the best European teams,” he added.
Brazilian players also caught the attention of the 66-year-old, who was appointed Brazil manager in May after leaving Real Madrid.
Among those singled out were Chelsea’s Joao Pedro and Andrey Santos, Real Madrid’s Eder Militao and Palmeiras’ Chelsea-bound teenager Estevao.
“They played very well,” Ancelotti said. “Individually, Estevao put in a great showing. Joao Pedro was decisive in the semifinals and final. Andrey Santos played an important role for Chelsea and Militao came back strong [from injury]. He will be an important player for the national team in the next year.”
Ancelotti was present at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium for Sunday’s final, in which Chelsea beat Paris Saint-Germain 3-0. He said the Premier League club deserved to win the first edition of the expanded global tournament.
“Chelsea deserved it for the consistency they showed throughout the competition,” he said. “They showed that they have high-quality young players, like Cole Palmer and Joao Pedro,” he concluded.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Brazil manager Carlo Ancelotti has hailed the performances of the country’s clubs and individual players at the FIFA Club World Cup in the United States.
The Italian said he was impressed by Fluminense while also praising the feats of Palmeiras, Flamengo and Botafogo, saying they showed Brazilian teams could challenge Europe’s best.
Everaldo (R) of Fluminense vies with Tosin Adarabioyo of Chelsea during the semifinal match between Fluminense FC (Brazil) and Chelsea FC (England) at the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 at the MetLife Stadium, New Jersey, the United States, July 8, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Ming)
“Fluminense had a great campaign, reaching the semifinals, and Botafogo beat PSG,” Ancelotti told the Brazilian Football Confederation’s official website.
“Palmeiras and Flamengo also proved they can compete with the best European teams,” he added.
Brazilian players also caught the attention of the 66-year-old, who was appointed Brazil manager in May after leaving Real Madrid.
Among those singled out were Chelsea’s Joao Pedro and Andrey Santos, Real Madrid’s Eder Militao and Palmeiras’ Chelsea-bound teenager Estevao.
“They played very well,” Ancelotti said. “Individually, Estevao put in a great showing. Joao Pedro was decisive in the semifinals and final. Andrey Santos played an important role for Chelsea and Militao came back strong [from injury]. He will be an important player for the national team in the next year.”
Ancelotti was present at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium for Sunday’s final, in which Chelsea beat Paris Saint-Germain 3-0. He said the Premier League club deserved to win the first edition of the expanded global tournament.
“Chelsea deserved it for the consistency they showed throughout the competition,” he said. “They showed that they have high-quality young players, like Cole Palmer and Joao Pedro,” he concluded.
