Geopolitics & Policy
Geopolitics & Policy news — Monday 26 October 2026
28 stories from 5 sources, every one in English. Each links to its publisher.
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New levy on non-EU parcels kicks in on Sunday in a bid to curb the influx from China
South China Morning Post Tech
The European Union will from Sunday slap a €2 (US$2.25) handling fee on packages from outside the 27-nation bloc in a bid to curb the influx from China. The new levy – coming just weeks before the Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Christmas…
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Mecca pact countries in Iran in bid to stop war restarting
South China Morning Post Tech
Senior officials from Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan held talks with Iran in Tehran on Monday in an attempt to stop the Middle East war from reigniting. Officials from the three Mecca pact countries flew to Iran as part of efforts to…
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Tensions Rise
War on the Rocks
Welcome to The Adversarial. Every other week, we’ll provide you with expert analysis on America’s greatest challengers: China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, and jihadists. Read more below.***IranIndications of a return to direct hostilities…
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Burnham rules out UK return to EU free movement without referendum
South China Morning Post Tech
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said he would not return the UK to EU freedom of movement rules without a referendum, after ruling out the prospect of Britain rejoining the bloc within this parliamentary term. It comes after his…
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6 US citizens sue Trump, saying media ban deprives them of news as audience stakeholders
South China Morning Post Tech
In the increasingly bitter legal stand-off between US President Donald Trump and media outlets whose reporting he dislikes, a new and crucial third party has emerged: citizens who watch and read the news and need it to do their jobs. A…
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Are Critiques of Zelensky a Side Effect of Societal Exhaustion?
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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Ebola patient evacuated from Nigeria to Switzerland
South China Morning Post Tech
A woman infected with the Ebola virus and her husband, a Swiss diplomat, were flown from Nigeria to hospitals in Switzerland on Monday, Swiss authorities said. The Ugandan-born wife of the diplomat, based in Abuja, was being treated at…
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Daughter of ex-FBI director Comey was unlawfully fired as federal prosecutor, judge rules
South China Morning Post Tech
Maurene Comey, the daughter of former FBI Director James Comey, was unlawfully fired from her job as a federal prosecutor in New York last year, a federal judge ruled on Monday. Judge Jesse M Furman said Comey, who was an assistant US…
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Walter Koenig, Star Trek’s original Pavel Chekov, dies at 90
South China Morning Post Tech
Actor Walter Koenig, who played Ensign Pavel Chekov, the youthful Russian navigator on the Star Trek television series and several films, has died. He was 90. Koenig died on Monday at his home in the North Hollywood neighbourhood of Los…
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Thousands of observers expected at polling places to monitor the vote on US election day
South China Morning Post Tech
Democrats and outside watchdogs are planning a massive presence at the polls on US election day driven by concerns that US President Donald Trump will further leverage the vast resources of the federal government to interfere with a…
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Anthropic’s IPO filing shows explosive growth, risks and staggering costs
South China Morning Post Tech
Anthropic disclosed steep losses and explosive revenue growth on Monday as the Claude parent moved closer to a potentially record-breaking IPO, betting on AI’s ability to reshape the global economy. The listing is shaping up to be a major…
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France’s Macron promises ‘strong measures’ to ease protests
South China Morning Post Tech
French President Emmanuel Macron promised on Monday that his government would announce a package of measures in response to weeks of street protests over a broad set of grievances, while acknowledging the risk of more unrest ahead. His…
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Jordan arrests 3 relatives over deadly church attack after shoot-out
South China Morning Post Tech
Jordanian security forces arrested two brothers and their brother-in-law after a shoot-out on Monday over a church attack that killed nine people, and the suspects appear to have no ties to other cells, senior government security…
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US singer Chris Brown avoids jail after guilty plea in UK nightclub incident
South China Morning Post Tech
US singer Chris Brown was spared an immediate prison sentence in Britain on Monday for attacking a producer with a tequila bottle in a London nightclub in 2023, with his fans cheering as the musician walked free from court. Brown, 37, was…
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Europe can still shape the rules of AI
South China Morning Post Tech
In October, two technology executives offered Europe similar advice. In Turin, Alibaba Group Holding chairman Joe Tsai urged European companies to use open-source models and their proprietary industrial data to build AI capabilities. In…
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The Daily Roundup
The Wire China
October 26th, 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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Ready Player Wan: 10,000 Talents of Gaming
ChinaTalk
Charlotte Bullard is a recent graduate of Johns Hopkins SAIS, where she focused on China and tech policy. She writes the Substack PandaMonium . In this article, Charlotte shows how China’s gaming industry is a microcosm of a recurring…
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Lula secures surprise win to retain Brazil presidency
South China Morning Post Tech
Brazilian leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva staged a surprise comeback to secure a fourth term in office, extending a presidency that has overseen deepening ties with China and sporadic clashes with the United States. With almost all of the…
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Lessons for Pentagon Procurement from the Special Operations Enterprise
War on the Rocks
As the Pentagon races to buy hundreds of thousands of unmanned systems, acquisition professionals have turned to the special operations community to learn about how to buy commercial technologies fast. Cara Teeter, deputy assistant…
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The Importance of the Battle of Bailén
War on the Rocks
Early on the morning of July 16, 1808, Captain-General Francisco Javier Castaños of the Army of Andalusia launched a surprise attack against the divided forces of Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte’s Army of the Gironde. After three grueling days…
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Trial by Fire: The 2025 Thai-Cambodian Border Clashes and the Royal Thai Air Force
In two outbreaks of war last year, the RTAF underlined its status as one of the region’s most effective and professional air forces.
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Saudi coalition intercepts missile as Houthis claim new attack on Riyadh airport
South China Morning Post Tech
The Saudi-led military coalition fighting Yemen’s Houthis struck several of the group’s missile launchers and storage facilities, a spokesman said on Monday, while the Iran-backed group claimed a new attack on Riyadh’s international…
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Myanmar War Crimes Survivors Look to Denmark for Justice
The country's legal system may provide one of the few remaining means of bringing Myanmar's generals to justice.
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Indonesia Reduces Gas Supply to Singapore, Citing Domestic Energy Needs
Energy Minister Bahlil Lahadalia said last week that Jakarta would prioritize its own needs, and might cut off supplies to nations that did not respect Indonesia.
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US visits to China decline, Turkish rare earth deposit: 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. China carries out in-depth…
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The Strategic Logic Behind Pakistan’s Defense Pacts
Last week, Pakistan signed the Badr Pact with Türkiye, Qatar, and Indonesia, the latest in a string of defense-related agreements with key partners.
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Indonesia Seizes More Than 2 Tons of Narcotics in Major Anti-drug Operations
In recent years Indonesian waters have become an important route for the trafficking of Golden Triangle drugs to Asian and global markets.
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Lula pulls off Brazil’s first-ever run-off comeback to beat Trump ally Flavio Bolsonaro
South China Morning Post Tech
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva won re-election on Sunday in a dramatic comeback after trailing in the first round, extending the rule of a government that has overseen record Chinese investment. The Superior Electoral Court…