Asia-Pacific
CICA summit in Baku admits Laos as a member and adopts the Baku Declaration
Leaders at the 7th CICA summit on 15 October approved Laos as a new member and adopted the Baku Declaration,…
Desk
News
All the latest international news and verified developments in geopolitics, defense and diplomacy, organised by region.
Asia-Pacific
INS Samarthak: India commissions its first Multi-Purpose Vessel, the first major warship built by a private yard
The Indian Navy commissioned INS Samarthak on 16 October 2026, the first of a new class of Multi-Purpose Vessels, built…
Asia-Pacific
Taiwan: Thunder Tiger has delivered all 1,520 drones of the Pentagon’s Drone Dominance first order – targeting phases 3 and 4
Taiwan's Thunder Tiger said it has completed delivery of all 1,520 drones in the first order of the US Defense…
Asia-Pacific
Philippines: Marcos to summon Chinese ambassador over “if we wanted to use force, we would win easily” – Beijing warns on the South China Sea
Philippine President Marcos will discuss with Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan his remark that China “would easily win” if it wanted…
Middle East & North Africa
Iran to Saudi Arabia: “We reject every claim of a role in Yemen’s operations” – and offers new mediation
Iran rejected Saudi Arabia's accusation that it encourages the Houthis' escalation against the kingdom, while repeating its offer of good…
Middle East & North Africa
Trump: “Israel has helped Saudi Arabia a lot” – normalisation under the Abraham Accords on the table “maybe more than ever”
Trump said he believes Saudi Arabia would accept Israel's offer of help against the Houthis and that normalisation under the…
Politics & Diplomacy
Trump enforces and “freezes” the Graham Act’s Russia sanctions and tariffs on the same day – “in the national interest”
Trump signed an executive order implementing the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 and, in the…
Asia-Pacific
US Navy commissions Seabee Training and Evaluation Unit 1 to certify Pacific construction forces
The new unit at Port Hueneme will train and validate Pacific Fleet Naval Construction Force commands before they deploy to…
Europe
EU tells UN First Committee the NPT is the ‘cornerstone’ of non-proliferation, warns on New START expiry and Russian nuclear rhetoric
Speaking for the EU and its member states, Klemen Polak urged the US and Russia to keep New START limits,…
Middle East & North Africa
Netanyahu: a “very short and very blunt” conversation with al-Sharaa – the first public contact between Israeli and Syrian leaders, and Damascus’s reply
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu revealed he spoke by phone with Syrian President al-Sharaa during the July 2025 clashes in Sweida.…
Politics & Diplomacy
Starshield: the order to “slow down” service to Ukraine came from the White House, Reuters reports – Trump: “It wasn’t me” – Zelensky: speeds not yet restored
Reuters reports that the order to limit SpaceX's Starshield service for Ukraine's military came from inside the White House. Trump…
Land Forces
US Army activates 11th Airborne Division Sustainment Brigade (Arctic) in Alaska
The Army activated the 11th Airborne Division Sustainment Brigade (Arctic) at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson on 16 October, with a new…