Power
The world’s next decade is being decided in rooms most Western readers never see. These are the elections, alliances, and military standoffs across Asia-Pacific — and what each one costs the West.
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Jun- 2026 -16 June
Sri Lanka became a scam hub by leaving its doors open
Chinese-run networks fleeing Southeast Asian crackdowns have relocated to Colombo, exploiting tourist visas and weak SIM registration to target Western victims with forged investment schemes.
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15 June
Iran and America both claim victory. That’s the problem.
The ceasefire text halts a war that closed the Strait of Hormuz, but Tehran and Washington describe the deal so differently that neither side admits what it conceded.
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14 June
Thailand’s throne succession is now live. The law forbids discussing it.
Princess Bajrakitiyabha's death leaves a 21-year-old half-brother as presumptive heir, but a century-old Palace Law gives the king sole power to name his successor—and Section 112 criminalizes public debate about…
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14 June
Trump pursues Iran deal with Netanyahu locked out of the room
The Israeli prime minister faces an ICC arrest warrant in France, but his exclusion from G7 talks signals a deeper shift: Washington is negotiating Iran's future without the leader who…
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13 June
Indonesia’s rupiah crisis is forcing Prabowo to choose early
Student protests in Jakarta on 12 June demanded spending cuts and an end to military roles in civilian posts, echoing the 1998 movement that toppled Suharto as the rupiah weakened…
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12 June
Trump claims a deal while US Navy kills Indian sailors
Three Indian nationals died when American forces struck merchant vessels off Oman in four days, even as the president announced he had cancelled further Iran strikes and expected a settlement…
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11 June
Indonesia convicted four officers. The investigation found thirteen.
A Jakarta military court sentenced the men who attacked activist Hendry Yulius to 1.5–3 years, while Indonesia's human rights commission identified at least nine other suspects never charged.
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10 June
Japan is quietly becoming Asia’s third power pole
Tokyo committed to doubling defense spending to 2% of GDP by 2027, making it the world's third-largest military spender while building a network of security partnerships across Southeast Asia and…
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10 June
New Zealand stops trusting America. China and Japan fill the gap.
A survey of 2,300 residents found 43% now see China as a friend, up from 38%, while US favorability collapsed from 61% to 39% in a single year, driven by…
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9 June
China just abandoned denuclearization. North Korea noticed.
Xi Jinping's first visit to Pyongyang since 2019 omitted any mention of nuclear weapons, signaling Beijing now accepts a permanent arsenal as the price of regional leverage against Washington.
