Geopolitics & Policy
Geopolitics & Policy news today
56 stories from 6 sources in the last 48 hours, every one in English. Each links to its publisher.
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Winning Time: Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces and the New Dimension of War
War on the Rocks
In late 2023, Ukraine’s military leadership faced an institutional choice: establish a dedicated branch of the armed forces for unmanned systems or integrate drones into existing branches. Most senior officers I knew opposed the separate…
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Chinese investment in African manufacturing could change the world
South China Morning Post Tech
Africa is seeing a potentially historic transformation in its economic relationship with China. After two decades in which Chinese engagement was primarily associated with infrastructure construction, resource extraction and commodity…
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China puts yuan within easier reach of Africa, but adoption faces major hurdles: report
South China Morning Post Tech
China is making it easier for African countries to pay for Chinese-led infrastructure projects in yuan, but weak banking rules, high debt levels and historical dependence on the US dollar and euro continue to limit broader adoption of the…
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California billionaire tax measure defeated in contentious vote
South China Morning Post Tech
A billionaire tax that US Senator Bernie Sanders and other progressives championed as an antidote to economic inequality and a potential model for the rest of the country was defeated in California, US media projected on Monday. Proponents…
- Takaichi Sanae’s Policy Speeches and China
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M. John Harrison wins the Booker Prize for The End of Everything
South China Morning Post Tech
UK author M. John Harrison won the Booker Prize on Monday for his enigmatic novel The End of Everything, which echoes concerns about artificial intelligence in a darkly satirical depiction of post-apocalyptic Britain. Harrison, 81, became…
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France’s Macron welcomes judo star Teddy Riner’s entrance into the 2027 presidential race
South China Morning Post Tech
France’s five-time Olympic judo champion Teddy Riner announced on Monday he would run in next year’s presidential election, after expressing concern about the “rise of the far-right”. “My name is Teddy Riner and today, I am telling you…
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US judge denies Lindsay Clancy’s motion to dismiss charges in the deaths of her 3 children
South China Morning Post Tech
A Massachusetts judge cleared the way on Monday for Lindsay Clancy to be tried again on murder charges for killing her three young children at her home in 2023, saying a retrial would not unconstitutionally subject her to a double…
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At least 44 people killed in air strike near Yemeni capital, Houthi rebels say
South China Morning Post Tech
The death toll from air strikes near Yemen’s capital has increased to 44, most of them women and children, health authorities from the Iran-backed Houthi rebels said overnight. The strikes on the village of Al-Shariya, east of Sanaa…
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Suspect in 1994 Rwandan genocide deported from US
South China Morning Post Tech
A Rwandan man jailed in the United States for lying about his involvement in the 1994 genocide has been deported to his home country, the state prosecutor said on Monday. The Rwandan genocide began in April 1994, and over approximately 100…
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Hegseth calls Iran war necessary and waves off expected impeachment push
South China Morning Post Tech
Facing an expected impeachment resolution in Congress, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said he is eager to litigate the military actions that he and US President Donald Trump have taken against Iran, Yemen’s Iranian-backed Houthi rebels and…
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Stained Glass and Sacred Spaces: Symbolism Abounds in Ukrainian Media
War on the Rocks
Welcome to The Ukraine Compass, a weekly digest of Ukrainian commentary and analysis from across the political spectrum, only for War on the Rocks members. Each week, we bring you a curated selection of articles from Ukrainian media…
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Brazil’s Lula heads to Cop31 on first trip since re-election
South China Morning Post Tech
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva flew to Turkey to attend Cop31 on Monday, marking his first international trip since his surprise re-election two weeks ago. This year’s United Nations Climate Change Conference will take place…
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Meghan Markle pulls out of Brussels speech after dad’s arrest over child sex abuse images
South China Morning Post Tech
Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, has pulled out of making a joint speech with the Duke of Sussex in Brussels about online child safety because she is “not strong enough” after her father’s arrest. Prince Harry and Meghan had both been due to…
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Can Cash Transfers Empower Indian Women?
Cash transfers might offer immediate support, but lasting economic empowerment depends on women’s access to jobs, assets and productive resources.
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French officials accuse Iran of being behind fridge cyberattacks
South China Morning Post Tech
France on Monday said Iran’s Revolutionary Guards were behind cyberattacks on supermarket fridges in the country last month, vowing sanctions on a European level against Tehran over the first such large-scale cyber sabotage on French…
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Kazakhstan Offers Tajikistan Cooperation, Not a Substitute for Russia
Rahmon’s visit to Astana produced 14 agreements, including a fuel supply framework, but Kazakhstan’s deliveries this year show the limits of what it can provide.
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Why Did Mongolia’s President Visit Finland?
Although geographically distant, the two countries have more in common than it might seem at first glance.
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The U.S.–China AI Competition: Two Paths to Artificial General Intelligence
CSET Georgetown
Executive Summary The United States has a substantial lead in the computing resources and models driving today’s AI boom. Yet measuring the competition with China solely by the performance of large language models (LLMs) risks overlooking…
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UK’s Russell Brand sentenced to 10 1/2 years’ jail for rape, sexual assault
South China Morning Post Tech
British comedian and TV star Russell Brand was Monday jailed for more than 10 years for a string of sex offences including rape, as the judge told him he had been a “sexual predator” whose fame had protected him. Brand, 51, showed no…
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Xi Jinping’s Paradox of Political Control
There is an unresolved tension between Xi’s growing ability to punish dissent and continued problems of political unreliability.
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WarTalk: Lame Duck War, Pete on Notice, Team Yankee
ChinaTalk
Welcome to WarTalk, post-midterms edition. There’s fallout for everything we cover. We’re going to talk about the Iran war, the future of the Pentagon, Congress and defense, and whether we’ll still have a Secretary of War for the next two…
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After the Midterms, Seoul and Washington Need a North Korea Policy That Outlasts Elections
A bipartisan line toward Pyongyang matters more than matching parties in Seoul and Washington.
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French PM brings forward minimum wage hike to calm protesters
South China Morning Post Tech
French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said on Monday he was bringing forward a planned hike in the minimum wage to December from January, as he sought to defuse a cost-of-living crisis that has sparked some of France’s worst civil…
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India’s Theater Commands: A Never-ending Debate?
The way forward lies in a phased approach that combines the interests of all three services and that requires a strong political will.
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Turkey steel factory blast kills 6
South China Morning Post Tech
An explosion ripped through a steel plant in western Turkey on Monday, killing 17 people, with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowing to find out who was responsible. The blast occurred around midday at the HABAS steel factory about 60km…
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The Daily Roundup
The Wire China
November 9th, 2026 | Welcome to The Wire’s daily news roundup. Each day, our staff gathers the top China business, finance, and economics headlines from a selection of the world’s leading news organizations. The post The Daily Roundup…
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Britain must stop moving the goalposts for Hongkongers on BN(O) scheme
South China Morning Post Tech
The announcement of stricter rules for migrants wishing to settle in Britain has ended a lamentable period of anxiety and uncertainty for former Hong Kong residents forging a new life in the country. When the plans were first proposed in…
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Why Aung San Suu Kyi Is Still the ‘Perfect Hostage’
Aung San Suu Kyi’s fate is inextricably linked to the legitimacy of Min Aung Hlaing’s new government.
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Police detain brother of Hungary’s ex-PM Orban
South China Morning Post Tech
Hungarian police took nationalist ex-leader Viktor Orban’s brother into custody on Monday, according to a press report shared by Prime Minister Peter Magyar. Pro-EU conservative Magyar won a landslide election victory in April to end 16…
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The Record Budgets and Missing Suppliers Shaping America’s Munitions Ramp
War on the Rocks
The Pentagon is sending a record demand signal for munitions, but turning it into deliveries depends on suppliers several tiers below the primes, many of which disappeared over the last two decades. Marc Andersen (Army assistant secretary…
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Rethinking Strategic Stability with China: From Coercion to Constructivism
War on the Rocks
Every administration since the Cold War has been looking for a significant foreign policy breakthrough with China. Spanning containment and normalization to opening and reform, U.S. policymakers have long hoped that China would fulfill its…
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Cop31 leaders urge world to accelerate fight against global warming
South China Morning Post Tech
Leaders of the Cop31 climate summit urged the world to accelerate the fight against global warming as rising temperatures and an increasing number of climate-driven disasters threaten lives and the global economy, as the annual meeting…
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UBS’ Sergio Ermotti on the crises that shaped the bank and navigating regulatory webs
South China Morning Post Tech
In late March 2023, Sergio Ermotti’s telephone rang. Then, he was serving as chairman of Swiss Re and set to renew his term, comfortably ensconced in what appeared to be a dignified, settled chapter of an illustrious banking career. On the…
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Gunman who killed 6 in Polish city square dies in hospital
South China Morning Post Tech
The 24-year-old with far-right views who killed six people and wounded 15 others in a shooting in a Polish city square died in hospital on Monday, police said. The attacker, wearing military-style clothing and a bulletproof vest, drove…
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Pakistan Considers Panda Bonds Amid Evolving US Legislative Dynamics
With friction between the White House and the US Congress likely to increase, financial commitments to Islamabad could face greater congressional scrutiny.
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Homeward Bound: Rohingya Refugees Trek Back From Bangladesh to Myanmar’s Rakhine State
Families are fleeing overcrowding and intimidation at refugee camps in Bangladesh.
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China’s torpedo tech, defects at Hong Kong MTR station: 5 weekend reads you missed
South China Morning Post Tech
We have put together stories from our coverage last weekend to help you stay informed about news across Asia and beyond. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Chinese engineers reduce cargo ship…
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The Next Step for APEC in Shenzhen
Turning risk diversification into value creation under the U.S.-China rivalry.
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Trump says ‘only kidding’ about naming UFC’s Dana White as press secretary
South China Morning Post Tech
US President Donald Trump on Sunday said he was “only kidding” when he suggested UFC CEO Dana White could become his next White House press secretary, after a social media post a day earlier stirred speculation about recruiting his feisty…
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Israel’s President Herzog gives Gadi Eisenkot the first chance to form the next government
South China Morning Post Tech
Israeli President Isaac Herzog formally gave opposition politician Gadi Eisenkot the first chance to form the next government Sunday evening. Complex coalition negotiations still lie ahead, but it marked a significant step in the former…
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Attack on Iraq gas complex disrupts supply to region’s power plants, authorities say
South China Morning Post Tech
An Emirati-owned gas complex in Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan region was attacked on Sunday, disrupting the gas supply to the region’s power plants, local Kurdish authorities said. “At 11pm (2000 GMT), the Khor Mor gas field came under a…
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China Is Defanging the Dollar, Not Dethroning It
The Wire China
China’s renminbi-based trade with countries such as Russia and Iran is less about de-dollarizing the world economy and more about de-weaponizing the dollar. The post China Is Defanging the Dollar, Not Dethroning It appeared first on The…
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Chinese Big Pharma’s Growing Pains
The Wire China
China’s pharma industry has become adept at innovation, but developing companies to challenge the big multinationals is proving even harder. The post Chinese Big Pharma’s Growing Pains appeared first on The Wire China .
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Company in the News: Hengli Group
The Wire China
With major operations in petrochemicals and shipbuilding, the family-run Hengli has propelled its founders to China’s rich list. The post Company in the News: Hengli Group appeared first on The Wire China .
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The Diffusion Rule
The Wire China
Plus, the Chinese pharmaceutical industry and Robert Kaplan on America’s most influential China Hands. The post The Diffusion Rule appeared first on The Wire China .
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King Charles and Prince Harry mark Remembrance Day separately
South China Morning Post Tech
Prince Harry attended a Remembrance Sunday event in a small English town, far away from Britain’s main ceremony to honour the country’s war dead led by his father, King Charles. Ceremonies are held at war memorials across Britain on the…
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Police make arrest in deadly shooting at North Carolina university
South China Morning Post Tech
Authorities on Sunday arrested a man in a shooting during homecoming weekend at Winston-Salem State University in North Carolina that left one person dead and at least one other person injured. Winston-Salem police said officers who were…
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Media industry still has a problem with sexual abuse, UK culture minister says
South China Morning Post Tech
Britain’s culture minister, Lisa Nandy, said on Sunday there was still a problem with sexual abuse in the media industry after Russell Brand, once a high-profile comedian and actor, was convicted of raping a woman and sexually…
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Pope Leo leaves Uruguay and heads to most fraught stop of his tour in Milei’s Argentina
South China Morning Post Tech
Pope Leo on Sunday urged Argentina to safeguard its democracy in a closely watched speech to President Javier Milei, a close ally of US President Donald Trump, during the second stop of a 12-day South American tour by the Catholic leader…
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Iran executes 3 more men over January protests, judiciary says
South China Morning Post Tech
Iranian authorities executed three men on Sunday on charges linked to January 2026 protests, the judiciary said, after what rights groups described as an unfair trial. Norway-based Iran Human Rights (IHR) said the hangings at dawn of…
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Tens of thousands of Dutch protesters take to Amsterdam streets to support Palestinians
South China Morning Post Tech
Tens of thousands of people dressed in red thronged the streets of Amsterdam on Sunday to denounce ongoing violence against Palestinians in Gaza, carrying signs reading “Stop the Genocide”. Organisers said some 20,000 people attended the…
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Train collision in Egypt kills 4, injures 88
South China Morning Post Tech
Two trains collided south of the Egyptian capital on Sunday, derailing several carriages, killing seven people and injuring more than 100 others, according to the authorities. Egypt’s railway authority said a train travelling from Giza to…
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Donald Trump elected 45th president of the United States in 2016 – from the SCMP archive
South China Morning Post Tech
This article was first published on November 10, 2016. Trump reaches out for unity by Shi Jiangtao Donald Trump called for national unity and promised to work with all nations in a triumphant victory speech yesterday (November 9, 2016)…
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Saudi Aramco building in Riyadh damaged in attempted attack
South China Morning Post Tech
Windows were blown out across several floors of Saudi oil giant Aramco’s corporate office in the heart of the financial district of the capital Riyadh on Sunday by what the energy ministry said was debris from an attempt to attack the…
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China in the Cyberpocalypse
ChinaTalk
Chang Che is a writer and contributor to the New Yorker . In August, researchers at a California security firm used an OpenAI model to find a software bug in PHP, a programming language that undergird some seventy per cent of the world’s…