Geopolitics & Policy
Geopolitics & Policy news — Wednesday 30 September 2026
32 stories from 7 sources, every one in English. Each links to its publisher.
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Woman told Cornell police 2 years ago she was 100% sure she was raped, transcript shows
South China Morning Post Tech
A woman who filed a lawsuit saying she was sexually assaulted by seven men at a Cornell University fraternity house told police weeks after the incident that she could “say with 100 per cent confidence I was raped”, according to a report…
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Trump defence chief says US slashed number of generals and admirals by 20%
South China Morning Post Tech
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on Wednesday that the United States has slashed the number of its generals and admirals by 20 per cent, in a move he said is aimed at “accountability”. Hegseth suggested the cuts targeted…
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Triumph or Procrastination? Experts Split on the Trump-Xi Summit
CSET Georgetown
CSET’s Sam Bresnick shared his expert insight in an op-ed published by War on the Rocks . The article examines President Donald Trump’s three-day summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Washington, focusing on high-stakes issues…
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Will the AI accord have any meaningful impact? Panel weighs in
CSET Georgetown
CSET’s Helen Toner shared her expert insight in an interview with NewsNation’s On Balance . The interview discussed a new binding agreement between President Trump and AI developers to regulate the development and use of artificial…
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Israel PM hails Indian pilot wounded in diverted flydubai flight
South China Morning Post Tech
Israel’s leader credited the Indian pilot of a Dubai-Tel Aviv flight, as well as the aircraft’s passengers, with averting catastrophe on Wednesday after the man was attacked by his co-pilot, sparking a fight for control of the aircraft and…
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UK accuses China of using academics to spy on AI and other tech research
South China Morning Post Tech
Britain’s MI5 spy agency issued an unprecedented alert on Wednesday to warn that a Chinese organisation was involved in funding academic research into topics such as AI on behalf of Beijing’s state security service. In its “Espionage…
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Triumph or Procrastination? Experts Split on the Trump-Xi Summit
War on the Rocks
Over the better part of three days, President Donald Trump hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping in Washington for a summit that drew international attention for its high-stakes agenda, from trade and AI to Taiwan. While some experts saw the…
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UK-France deal targeting migrants crossing English Channel is scrapped
South China Morning Post Tech
A pilot programme between the UK and France that aimed to curb the number of migrants crossing the English Channel in small boats has been scrapped, Britain’s government said on Wednesday. In a statement, the Home Office said the so-called…
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UK PM says ‘strong indications’ Iran involved in bomb scare at US-run airbase
South China Morning Post Tech
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham on Wednesday said there were “strong indications” Iran was involved in suspicious activity at a UK airbase that triggered a major security incident this weekend. “There are strong indications that Iran…
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US Tennessee’s first execution of a woman in 200 years halted
South China Morning Post Tech
A US appeal court on Wednesday halted the execution of death row inmate Christa Pike in Tennessee, less than two hours before she was scheduled to become the first woman that state has put to death in more than 200 years. The 6th US…
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France and Spain welcome idea of UK rejoining EU after Burnham’s speech
South China Morning Post Tech
The European Union would embrace the UK if it ever decided to rejoin the bloc, the leaders of Spain and France said shortly after new UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham floated the possibility. “Welcome back,” French President Emmanuel Macron…
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Who Is Russia’s New Ambassador to North Korea?
What can Andrei Podelyshev’s appointment tell us about North Korea-Russia relations?
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Russia sends nuclear warning to Nato over its Kaliningrad enclave
South China Morning Post Tech
Russia has warned Nato it would be ready to resort to nuclear weapons if the Western alliance attempted to cut off Kaliningrad, a Russian exclave that borders the Baltic Sea. In a document sent to Nato and seen by Reuters, Moscow accused…
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The Geopolitics of AI in the Asia-Pacific
Insights from Jouko Ahvenainen.
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Australia Launches Bid for a UN Security Council Seat
If Australia is successful in returning to the council in 2029, it will be under significantly different circumstances than when it last held a seat.
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Why Is Brazil So Interested in ASEAN?
With its traditional markets less reliable, Brazil sees immense potential in Southeast Asia's growing economies.
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What Will Indonesia Do With Its New Aircraft Carrier?
The KRI Sriwijaya is a small aircraft carrier and may be better understood as an amphibious support ship.
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Goodbye, ‘China Plus One’: The Real Change in US China Policy
Beneath the pageantry, here's the change that matters: Washington has stopped talking about leaving China.
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The Daily Roundup
The Wire China
September 30th, 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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Norway’s ministers questioned in parliament over Epstein ties
South China Morning Post Tech
Norway’s parliament began hearings on Wednesday of current and former ministers to examine practices in the diplomatic service, following revelations about ties between late US convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and senior Norwegian…
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Logan Wright on Broken China
ChinaTalk
Is the Chinese economy well and truly broken? Will China be stuck in low growth for a decade or more? And what would that mean for the industries we cover on ChinaTalk, for China’s military power, and for policymakers around the world? To…
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AI companies want to embed safety evaluators, but countries need their own
Rest of World
The growing number of instances of artificial intelligence agents hacking the websites of governments and other institutions is a warning to countries using American models to do their own safety... © Rest of World/iStock
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India’s Javelin Deal: The Unending Loop of Procurement
The deal is one of the earliest defense deals between India and the U.S. It is also the one that dragged on the longest.
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US ends troop mission in Iraq, Baghdad to celebrate Sovereignty Day on October 1
South China Morning Post Tech
A US-led coalition deployed in Iraq more than a decade ago to fight jihadists concluded its mission on Wednesday, a move celebrated by the country’s leaders, but which some fear will embolden pro-Iran armed factions. Coalition troops…
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FlyDubai flight to Israel diverted to Saudi Arabia after incident in cockpit
South China Morning Post Tech
Passengers on a Flydubai flight reached Israel safely on Wednesday after customers and crew foiled a co-pilot’s attempt to crash the aircraft, Israeli officials said, in a struggle that began when he stabbed the pilot and sent the jet…
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Rated Ready is Not Ready: What America’s Korea Exercises Actually Measure
War on the Rocks
“We want to stop the North Koreans as far from Pusan as we can. Block the main road as far north as possible. Contact General Church. If you can’t locate him, go to Taejon and beyond if you can. Sorry I can’t give you more information…
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Writing the Playbook: A Strategy and Doctrine for American Economic Security
War on the Rocks
In January, this article series opened with a blunt question: Economic statecraft is back, but is America ready?Driving the question, in part, was the fact that the United States had not yet articulated (at least overtly) a strategy for…
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There’s been buzz around Carney for a prize long coveted by Trump
South China Morning Post Tech
Mark Carney built a global profile in 2026 by standing up to US President Donald Trump. If some prediction-market traders and prominent admirers are right, the Canadian prime minister could end the year with the Nobel Peace Prize and Time…
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Pentagon picks Boeing to build new carrier fighter jet to replace F/A-18
South China Morning Post Tech
The Pentagon has chosen Boeing to build the US Navy’s next-generation fighter jets in a contract valued at US$20 billion, officials announced Tuesday. The contract is to produce F/A-XX aircraft or “strike fighters” under the “Next…
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US Supreme Court lets Trump resume deportations to third countries
South China Morning Post Tech
The US Supreme Court on Tuesday let President Donald Trump’s administration continue swiftly deporting people to countries other than their own for now, while the justices consider whether the policy is legal. The apparent 6-3 order…
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Somali pirates kill 5 crew on hijacked tanker before rescue by security forces
South China Morning Post Tech
Somali pirates killed five crew members of the hijacked MT Honour 25 petroleum products tanker before it was rescued by security forces, Somalia’s semi-autonomous state of Puntland said on Tuesday. Puntland’s authorities said they also…
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The Future of Shipbuilding in Southeast Asia
There are significant opportunities – and risks.