Geopolitics

Geopolitics: wars, alliances, sanctions, trade and the decisions between governments that shape the world.

1265 articles · page 16 of 27

Geopolitics

Philippines Rejects Chinese Claim to ‘Sovereign Rights’ Over Waters Off Batanes

The Philippine government today rejected China’s assertion of sovereign rights and jurisdiction over waters off Batanes, the country’s northernmost province, after the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) drove away a Chinese research vessel that had been loitering in the area for four days. The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said it “firmly and strongly rejects” the Chinese claims, marking the opening of a new front in the long-running maritime dispute between the two nations.

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Geopolitics

Kyiv mayor says Russian strikes 'tearing city apart' after bridge attack and data centre hits

Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko has warned that intensified Russian drone and missile strikes are "tearing Kyiv apart", describing a "very dramatic situation" as the capital's critical infrastructure, logistics and housing come under sustained attack. His warning followed a crisis meeting of the city's defence council after a Russian drone struck cables on the Pivdennyi bridge, suspending all metro and automobile traffic on the key crossing, and recent strikes on data centres causing internet outages.

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Geopolitics

MI5 warns UK academics over research links to Chinese spy agency

MI5 has issued a rare public espionage alert warning that more than 100 UK-linked academics contributed to research projects funded by an organisation with 'very strong ties' to China's Ministry of State Security. The Security Service named the China General Technology Research Institute (CGTRI) and said its primary purpose is to fund academic work that directly improves China's technical espionage capabilities. Universities and researchers who continue collaborations risk committing offences under the National Security Act 2023.

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Geopolitics

Ukraine defies Trump with continued strikes on Russian oil refineries

Ukraine pressed on with strikes on Russian oil refineries overnight, defying President Trump who blames the attacks for worsening a global diesel shortage and pushing up fuel prices. Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on social media that Kyiv struck an oil facility in Russia's southern Samara region, along with a Russian vessel in the Black Sea and a launch and storage site for attack drones in the Oryol region.

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Geopolitics

China Opens First Overseas Air Force Base in Laos, Sparking Regional Concerns

China has inaugurated a joint military logistics and training center at Ban Keun Airport in Laos, marking its first overseas air force base and the expansion of its military footprint in mainland Southeast Asia. The opening has drawn analytical attention to Beijing's growing ability to project power in a region long dominated by US influence, with neighboring Vietnam expected to be the most concerned.

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Geopolitics

MI5 warns UK universities to sever ties with Chinese state-owned front company accused of research theft

Britain's domestic security service issued a rare public espionage warning on Wednesday, telling researchers and academics to cease all work with the China General Technology Research Institute (CGTRI), also known as the China Academy of General Technology (CAGT), which MI5 described as a 'significant threat' and a front for Chinese intelligence operations stealing vital UK research.

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Geopolitics

Russia's largest attack on Ukraine's energy grid since spring kills five, triggers emergency power cuts

Russia has launched its largest combined attack on Ukraine's energy infrastructure since the spring, striking power facilities around Kyiv and across 11 regions overnight and forcing the first emergency power cuts since the end of the last heating season. At least five people were killed, with President Volodymyr Zelensky saying a child was among seven dead. The attack damaged the Trypilska power station, the largest supplier of electricity to Kyiv.

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Geopolitics

Red Cross says settler violence in West Bank 'untenable' after mob attack on Palestinian family

The International Committee of the Red Cross has declared that Israeli settler violence has made everyday life for Palestinians 'untenable', after a mob of more than 100 militant settlers overwhelmed Israeli security forces early Tuesday to attack a Palestinian family attempting to reclaim their homes in the West Bank village of Jalud, setting two houses on fire and injuring three Israeli security officials.

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Geopolitics

Five arrested near RAF Fairford as Rubio alleges foreign actor behind suspected bomb plot

Five suspects have been arrested near RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stating that a foreign actor was “clearly” behind the alleged plot. Labour’s deputy leader, Lucy Powell, expressed trust in British police after Rubio and former US president Donald Trump questioned the decision to bail some of the suspects. Iran’s embassy in London has strongly rejected any speculation linking the country to the arrests.

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Geopolitics

Researchers find common themes in leaders' speeches that precede genocide

New research from Australian National University and the University of Sydney has identified common threads in the speeches of leaders before genocides, including the repeated framing of the target group as an imminent threat. The pilot analysis of 13 speeches from eight genocide cases between 1956 and 2000 found that references to the danger posed by the target group were more frequent than direct incitement to violence.

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Geopolitics

Pakistan declares 'open war' on Afghan Taliban after cross-border strikes

Pakistan launched air and missile strikes on three Afghan border provinces on February 21, 2026, targeting camps of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Islamic State of Khorasan Province, triggering a retaliatory attack on Pakistani border posts and a declaration of 'open war' by Pakistan's defense minister. Months of strikes and counter-strikes have followed, straining a 30-year alliance between Islamabad and the Afghan Taliban.

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Geopolitics

China Conducts Military Exercise Near Scarborough Shoal After Philippine Resupply Confrontation

China’s military conducted a joint air and naval exercise around Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea on September 28, two days after the Philippines accused Chinese coast guard vessels of obstructing a resupply mission to troops at Second Thomas Shoal. The People’s Liberation Army Southern Theater Command said the drill was a necessary response to actions by “certain countries” that it said had undermined regional peace and stability.

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Geopolitics

South Korea's Lee Asks Trump to Help Restart North Korea Talks During UN Meeting

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung asked US President Donald Trump to help revive stalled talks between the United States and North Korea during an unannounced meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly on September 22, according to the Blue House, South Korea’s presidential office. The Blue House reported that Trump reaffirmed his willingness to engage with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during the 30-minute encounter.

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Geopolitics

China Reveals AI Dialogue and Iran Talks Among Trump-Xi Summit Outcomes

Beijing has disclosed further details from last week's Trump-Xi summit, revealing agreements to launch an AI dialogue, establish a communication channel for AI incidents, extend the existing trade truce by two months, and hold behind-closed-doors discussions on Iran. The disclosures, released by China on Monday, provide the first concrete outcomes from a meeting that otherwise produced no joint statements and little public breakthrough.

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