Headlines

After Pakistan judge killing, a fight over who claims it

Modern terrorist attacks no longer end when the shooting stops. Increasingly, a second battle begins immediately afterward: the struggle over who receives credit. In an era of encrypted communications, instant messaging and digital propaganda, attaching an organization’s name

Asia

EU adopts 21st package of sanctions against Russia

The European Commission welcomes the adoption by EU member states of the 21st package of sanctions against Russia. The package further restricts Russia's ability to fund its illegal war and to carry out attacks on Ukrainian civilians and civilian infrastructure. Russia's

The South China Sea consensus no ASEAN chair can move

The Philippines came into the 2026 ASEAN chairmanship with the strongest possible hand on the South China Sea. It held the pen on the communique. It had built new domestic legal infrastructure and secured bilateral partner commitments. The ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM)

Asia

Why Vučić is stepping down

Aleksandar Vučić (pictured) has been the undisputed gravity centre of Serbian politics for over a decade. Serving as prime minister from 2014 to 2017 and subsequently as president, Vučić has crafted a highly centralized, dominant-party system built around his Serbian

China’s zero-tariff play aims to lock in African loyalty

China’s expanding zero-tariff access for 63 lower-income countries — 53 of them African — is far more than a developmental courtesy or a technical adjustment of customs schedules. It is a deliberate geostrategic lever in Beijing’s long-term competition with the United States

Asia

France is right to ban social media for children

France has joined Australia and the United Kingdom in moving to restrict children’s access to social media. By banning under-15s from holding accounts, it will become the first European state to introduce such a policy, writes Dr Helena Ivanov, Associate Fellow, The Henry