Jester West

The Jester Of Tonga

Maximilian Hess | Fence | 5th August 2023

Giving new meaning to the term "funny money", the late King of Tonga appointed a court jester who doubled as head of the Pacific island's sovereign wealth fund. An unusual skill-set was indicated: The fund-managing fool was "a proponent of orthopaedic magnetism, star financier, solar installation salesman, spiritual explorer, alleged fraudster, Buddhist devotee and saxophonist" (1,300 words)

From Middle East To West Asia

Chas Freeman | Responsible Statecraft | 15th August 2023

How the countries and peoples of the Middle East see and describe themselves. The term "Middle East" is falling out of favour in the region owing to its Western-colonial origins. "West Asia" is gaining ground. Peoples who once identified with pan-Arabism, Baathism, Judaism, Sunni and Shiite Islam and other transnational movements now identify primarily as citizens of nation-states (5,500 words)