Indonesia’s Closing Window for a Demographic Dividend
Indonesia’s once‑large demographic dividend is nearing its end as the youth population peaks around 2030 and begins to shrink. While the working‑age cohort will still grow to over 200 million by 2045, manufacturing’s contribution to GDP has stalled, exposing a mismatch between labor supply and high‑productivity jobs. The country faces persistent skills gaps, low female labour‑force participation, and regional labor imbalances. To avoid a demographic drag, Indonesia must pivot from cheap‑labour growth to skill‑driven, technology‑enabled productivity gains.
Iran’s Nuclear Materials and Equipment by No Means ‘Obliterated’
U.S. and Israeli airstrikes in June 2025 damaged Iran’s nuclear sites but did not destroy the country’s stockpile of roughly 970 lb (441 kg) of 60 % highly enriched uranium stored in deep tunnels at Isfahan, Natanz’s Pickaxe Mountain and Fordow. The material, along...
The Korean Peninsula’s Role Between Two Cold Wars Was Pivotal
Between the Cold War’s end in 1989 and the emergence of a new Cold War around 2025, the Korean Peninsula acted as the testing ground for a hoped‑for peaceful order that never materialized. The United States, China and Russia formed...
Japan Deploys Upgraded Type-12 Missiles, Spiking China Tensions
Japan has quietly moved its upgraded Type‑12 surface‑to‑ship missiles to Camp Kengun in Kumamoto, extending strike range to roughly 1,000 km—four times the original capability. The deployment, accelerated to the end of March, gives the Japan Ground Self‑Defense Force a counter‑strike...
Iran War Showing How AI Speeds up Military ‘Kill Chains’
The ongoing US‑Israel war against Iran is being labeled the “first AI war,” with artificial‑intelligence tools compressing the military kill chain to seconds. Senior US Central Command officials confirm AI now sifts massive sensor data instantly, enabling strikes such as...
The Gulf’s Expat El Dorado Faces a Costly Recovery After the War
The Gulf’s expatriate‑driven economies face a sharp shock after the US‑Israel‑Iran conflict, with water desalination plants and key tourism infrastructure hit by Iranian attacks. The immediate fallout will hit tourism and aviation hardest, while financial services and data‑center projects risk...
Gulf Crisis to Strengthen, Not Weaken, China’s Industrial Edge
The escalating Iran‑Israel‑US crisis threatens to choke the Strait of Hormuz, pushing crude prices above $100 a barrel and adding up to 1.2% to global inflation. At the same time, worldwide electricity demand is surging, driven by AI‑intensive data centers...
Europe’s Hollow Iran War Outrage
Europe’s leaders issued sharp condemnations of the U.S.-Israeli strike on Iranian nuclear sites, yet offered no tangible response. The operation proceeded without meaningful NATO consultation, exposing a gap between EU rhetoric and strategic capability. The episode underscores the fragility of...
US Warned of China Rare Earth Curbs if Section 301 Tariffs Expand
The U.S. Trade Representative announced Section 301 investigations into 16 countries, including China, and separate probes into 60 economies over forced‑labor concerns. In response, Chinese officials warned they could reinstate rare‑earth export restrictions and halt soybean purchases if Washington proceeds with...
What if Iran’s Next Target Is the Gulf’s Water Supply?
Iran’s recent strike on a Qeshm Island desalination plant has raised the prospect of water‑infrastructure attacks on GCC states. The Gulf produces roughly 40% of global desalinated water, with nations like the UAE, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia relying on it...
China’s All-Nuke Sub Push May Trigger an Undersea Arms Race
U.S. Navy intelligence chief Rear Admiral Mike Brookes told Congress that China is transitioning from a diesel‑electric‑heavy submarine force to an all‑nuclear fleet, expanding shipyard capacity and developing a smaller Type 041 "Zhou‑class" attack sub. The plan includes next‑generation Type 095 SSGNs...
Iran Conflict Hardens North Korea’s Nuclear Posture
North Korea’s nuclear posture is hardening in response to the escalating Iran crisis, which follows the U.S.-Israel strikes and the death of Ayatollah Khamenei. With Iran now its only Middle Eastern partner after Syria’s loss, Pyongyang views the turmoil as...
Why China Won’t Hit Back over Indonesia’s US Trade Deal
Indonesia and the United States signed the Agreement on Reciprocal Trade (ART) on Feb. 19, imposing a 19% tariff ceiling and a clause to mirror U.S. restrictions on third parties, primarily aimed at curbing Chinese trans‑shipments. Beijing responded with its usual...
Claims Russia Helping Iran Target US Assets Are Credible
Recent reports suggest Russia is providing Iran with intelligence to locate U.S. warships and aircraft in the Middle East, a move seen as retaliation for American support to Ukraine’s operations against Russian assets. Although no public evidence has been released,...
China’s Missile Reach Forces Japan Back to Iwo Jima
Japan’s Defense Ministry is studying a major upgrade of Iwo Jima, including runway extension, port enhancements and a floating pier, to host JSDF fighter jets permanently. The move seeks to close a Pacific‑side surveillance gap and provide a redundant air hub...
Taiwan Ramps up Space-Defense Drive Amid Beijing Threats
Taiwan is fast‑tracking a government‑led space‑defense program to counter growing Chinese threats. The Taiwan Accelerator Plus (TAcc+) initiative, managed by ITRI and funded by the Ministry of Economic Affairs, has supported 42 startups developing satellites, rocket engines and geospatial tools...
Muted Iran War Stance Fits Concerned Onlooker China’s Priorities
China’s response to the US‑Israeli strike on Iran was deliberately muted, reflecting its doctrinal opposition to regime‑change interventions and a focus on protecting Chinese nationals. Beijing issued a UN Security Council appeal and condemned the attacks, but paired diplomatic protest...
The US Is Unlikely to Curtail China’s Critical Minerals Dominance
The United States convened a critical‑minerals summit to curb China’s overwhelming role in battery and electric‑vehicle supply chains, but China still controls over 80 percent of global lithium‑ion battery production and 90 percent of grid‑scale storage. Washington has taken minority stakes in...
Khamenei’s Killing Is Neocolonialism’s Final Gambit
The United States and Israel carried out a drone strike that killed Iran’s spiritual leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, marking a rare state‑sanctioned assassination of a foreign head of state. The attack, framed as a response to Iran’s nuclear program, instead...
Why Iran Isn’t Attacking America’s Bases in Turkey
Iran has launched strikes against U.S. bases in the Gulf States, citing their role in the U.S.-Israel campaign, yet it has refrained from hitting the two American installations in Turkey. Tehran views the Gulf nations as militarily weak and economically...
China’s Undersea Great Wall Targets US Sub Supremacy
China is constructing a multi‑layered undersea warfare system, dubbed the "Underwater Great Wall," to counter U.S. submarine dominance and protect its nuclear deterrent. The People’s Liberation Army Navy now operates more than 60 submarines, including Shang III SSGNs with 24‑cell VLS...
Bettors Profit Hugely From Suspiciously Timed Wagers on Iran War
Bettors on the prediction platform Polymarket earned roughly $1 million by wagering that the United States would strike Iran on February 28, 2026, the same day President Donald Trump announced the attack. Bloomberg identified six newly created accounts that bought shares at...
Before Trump Bombing, Oman FM Called US-Iran Deal ‘Within Reach’
Hours before President Donald Trump announced air strikes on Iran, Oman's foreign minister Badr Albusaidi appeared on CBS's Face the Nation and declared a U.S.-Iran nuclear deal within reach. He said Iran had pledged zero stockpiling of weapons‑grade material and...
Kim’s Daughter Is a Princess – but Not Necessarily Crown Princess
South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) says Kim Jong Un has identified his roughly 13‑year‑old daughter as a possible successor, citing recent public appearances in matching leather jackets at the Workers’ Party Congress. The agency also cautions that a male heir...
A Revitalized US Indian Ocean Strategy Cannot Ignore Africa
The article argues that the United States’ Indo‑Pacific strategy is incomplete because it largely ignores the western Indian Ocean and Africa, where China has established a growing military footprint, notably its base in Djibouti and expanding ties in Mauritius and...
US Missile Deliveries to Philippines Are Pointless and Escalatory
The United States announced plans to deploy additional advanced missiles in the northern Philippines, positioning them as a deterrent against Chinese aggression near Taiwan and the South China Sea. Washington argues that mobile, land‑based systems complicate any Chinese offensive and...
Myanmar’s Resistance Winning Ground but Losing the Narrative
The Myanmar military has turned its information operations into a decisive battlefield, deploying state media, Russian cognitive‑warfare expertise, and costly U.S. public‑relations firms to portray the National Unity Government (NUG) as corrupt and fragmented. Domestically, propaganda attacks the NUG and...
Trump’s ‘Pro-Israel’ Policies Are Israel’s Biggest Liability
Donald Trump’s tenure produced headline‑grabbing pro‑Israel actions, including the Abraham Accords, the Jerusalem embassy move, and the killing of Qasem Soleimani, which were celebrated as diplomatic victories. Yet the article argues that his maximalist, transaction‑focused style has created strategic liabilities for...
With Three Contestants, the Globe’s New Great Game Is On
Analysts label today’s geopolitical rivalry a "New Great Game" pitting the United States against a China‑Russia alliance. The contest spans Central Asia, the Middle East, the Arctic and the Indo‑Pacific, driven by competition for fossil fuels, rare‑earth minerals and strategic...
China’s Missile Reach Forcing US Pacific Air Power Reset
China’s expanding missile and surveillance capabilities are turning U.S. forward airbases in the Pacific into high‑value targets, prompting the Air Force to abandon its Cold‑War‑era expeditionary model. A Hudson Institute report warns that without a three‑tiered “Edge‑Force, Pulsed‑Force, Core‑Force” redesign,...
Architect of Botched Doha Agreement Angling for a Comeback
Zalmay Khalilzad, the former U.S. special envoy who crafted the 2020 Doha Agreement, is signaling a return to Afghan diplomacy under a prospective second Trump administration. The Doha deal, widely blamed for the rapid Taliban takeover and the chaotic U.S....
China’s Submarine Surge Testing Pacific’s Undersea Balance
China’s nuclear‑submarine production has accelerated dramatically, with the Bohai shipyard launching more hulls in 2021‑25 than the entire previous decade and overtaking the United States in annual launches for the first time. The yard now produces roughly two Type‑093B attack...
China Gives Lithuania Punishing Silent Treatment over Taiwan
In 2021 Lithuania permitted a Taiwanese representative office to use the name "Taiwan" rather than "Taipei," directly challenging Beijing's One‑China policy. China answered not with public sanctions but with a silent diplomatic freeze, withdrawing embassy staff and removing Lithuania from...
Defunding the Taliban without Starving the Afghan People
The U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved the bipartisan No Tax Dollars for Terrorists Act, aiming to prevent American taxpayer money from funding the Taliban or affiliated terrorist groups. The legislation follows a SIGAR report indicating that roughly $3.83 billion of...
How Japan Should Respond to Trump’s Project Vault
The Trump administration’s Project Vault earmarks about $12 billion to create a U.S. Strategic Critical Minerals Reserve, a public‑private partnership that purchases, stores and manages a diversified portfolio of essential raw materials. Japan’s current METI‑JOGMEC approach evaluates projects individually, which could...
MQ-9 Drones Sharpen US Eye on China’s Pacific Moves
The United States is deploying and upgrading MQ‑9 Reaper drones across the Indo‑Pacific, stationing them at bases in Japan, South Korea, the Philippines and other locations. The expansion creates a persistent ISR web that allies such as Japan, Taiwan and...
What’s Behind UK-China Border Security Deal?
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced a UK‑China border‑security agreement aimed at disrupting the supply of engines and equipment used for small‑boat crossings of the English Channel. The pact builds on a network of similar deals with Turkey, the Balkans,...
Trump’s Diego Garcia Fears Miss the Strategic Point
On February 5 President Trump said talks with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on returning the Chagos Archipelago to Mauritius were productive. The pending May 2025 agreement would transfer sovereignty to Mauritius while granting the UK a 99‑year lease of Diego Garcia to...
AI Is the Future of Warfare and US Is in the Lead
Artificial intelligence is reshaping modern warfare, with the United States far ahead in funding, infrastructure, and operational deployment. The Pentagon now spends at least $2 billion annually on AI‑enabled weapons and billions more indirectly through procurement, while private investment tops $109 billion....
Japan Hands Philippines Radars to Keep Closer Eye on China
Japan officially handed over five coastal radar systems to the Philippines under its 2023 Official Security Assistance program. The equipment, which includes surveillance, communications and support components, is designed to enhance the Philippine Navy’s maritime domain awareness and support ISR,...
Maritime Divide: Why the Philippines Is Failing Its Seas
Philippines’ maritime governance remains fragmented, leading to severe fisheries losses, safety failures, and costly logistics. Overfishing and weak enforcement cause an annual loss of about 45 million kilograms of fish, while ferry disasters like the MV Trisha Kerstin 3 highlight systemic safety...
Growing Cracks in the BRICS+ Wall
The 2026 Davos forum highlighted a widening rift between President Trump’s hyper‑transactional Board of Peace (BoP) and the consensus‑driven BRICS+ alliance. While the BoP can mobilise billion‑dollar initiatives within weeks, BRICS+ remains mired in slow multilateralism, hampered by its recent...
China’s US Treasurys Exit Could Limit Japan’s Military Spending
China is directing state‑owned banks to cut U.S. Treasury holdings to roughly $750 billion by 2025, halving its 2010 peak. The reduction removes a major buyer from the market, shifting the financing burden toward Japan, the world’s largest foreign‑reserve holder. Japan’s...
Will Donroe Doctrine Really Cut China’s Western Hemisphere Clout?
The Trump administration’s new National Security Strategy introduces the “Donroe Doctrine,” a modernized Monroe Doctrine that seeks to bar non‑hemispheric powers, especially China, from controlling strategic assets in the Western Hemisphere. It pledges to push out foreign infrastructure firms and...
US Containerized Drone Swarms No Silver Bullet vs China
The Defense Innovation Unit has issued a solicitation for a Containerized Autonomous Drone Delivery System (CADDS) that can store, launch, recover and service large numbers of unmanned aerial systems from a single container on land or sea. CADDS is designed...
