Opinion

Mongolia’s President Khurelsukh Ukhnaa stands alongside other SCO heads of state in preparation for a group photo during the 2026 Bishkek Summit, Sep. 1, 2026. Credit: Government of Mongolia Mongolian President Khurelsukh Ukhnaa is attending the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Council of Heads of State in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan as the …

Dr. Ayesha Siddiqa, senior fellow in the Department of War Studies at King’s College London and author of “Military Inc.,” joins host Tushar Shetty to examine the Pakistan Army’s role in the country’s governance. They discuss the origins of the military’s dominance in the years after 1947, its influence over …

Leaders and Heads of Delegation at the 28th Micronesian Islands Forum. Credit: Clement Bermudes Jr. From August 17 to 21, leaders and heads of delegation throughout the Micronesian subregion convened for the 28th Micronesian Islands Forum (MIF). Held in Pohnpei – one of four states of the Federated States of …

Credit: Depositphotos Indonesia has been one of the most supportive countries in Southeast Asia when it comes to the rise of digital banking. In 2016, the Jenius banking app was launched by Bank BTPN (later acquired by SMBC). It was one of Indonesia’s first large-scale digital banking apps, and grew …

A BrahMos fired from INS Chennai during TROPEX 2017 Credit: Indian Navy In May 2025, the confrontation between India and Pakistan was limited to the land and air domains. In the naval domain the two sides took to signaling and positioning but did not engage in active combat. At the …

Credit: Shutterstock Across Asia, public interest media are turning to artificial intelligence (AI) to optimize under-resourced newsrooms. However, these outlets face a high-stakes reality: publishing AI-generated errors, factual inaccuracies, or “AI slop” risks undermining the public trust and credibility central to their legitimacy. At the same time, these media are …

Aerial view of the Karakoram Highway in Pakistan as seen in 2021. Credit: Wikipedia/Hunzagrapher With the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a critical node of the Belt and Road Initiative in Pakistan, entering its second phase, insurgent and terrorist networks in Pakistan are strategically positioning themselves in areas critical to …

Credit: Depositphotos Japan’s Ministry of Defense recently released its 2026 Defense of Japan white paper, once again drawing attention to China’s rapid advances in artificial intelligence and their implications for the regional security environment. Yet the most immediate danger to Japan may not come from AI’s application to conventional military …

Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff General Syed Asim Munir visits troops participating in a field training exercise near Narowal and Sialkot, Dec. 3, 2024. Credit: Facebook/ ISPR Pakistan’s National Assembly last week passed the Defense Forces of Pakistan Bill. The legislation is part of the ongoing broader set of reforms …

Credit: Shutterstock China’s influence operations are expanding across the Indo-Pacific. In Japan, disinformation circulated on social media during the House of Representatives election in February 2026 in what appeared to be a coordinated Chinese influence operation. Posts on X systematically spread memes promoting narratives such as “Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae …