India’s Semiconductor Ecosystem Is Maturing—and ASML Is Taking Notice

Carnegie India | Konark Bhandari

ASML, the Netherlands-based manufacturer of semiconductor lithography machines, recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Tata Electronics to accelerate the setup of Tata’s semiconductor fab in Dholera, India. This partnership, alongside MoUs with Tokyo Electron, Merck Electronics, ROHM, and Intel, signifies a deliberate effort to build a comprehensive semiconductor ecosystem in India, which has achieved critical mass to attract major players.

Pakistan Has Never Looked So Important

Persuasion  |  Rashmee Roshan Lall

Pakistan has emerged as an indispensable intermediary, brokering the April 8 U.S.-Iran ceasefire and subsequent talks in Switzerland on June 21, 2026, leading to the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding. This diplomatic success has garnered significant international goodwill, positioning Pakistan closer to its founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah's vision of being "the pivot of the world."

Pressure Points Part 3: China in the Pacific and Indian oceans

Australian Strategic Policy Institute  |  Joe Keary, Dr Rajeswari (Raji) Pillai Rajagopalan, Linus Cohen

China's expanding defence and security presence beyond the First Island Chain, across the Southwest Pacific, Indian Ocean, and Australia's maritime approaches, has reshaped regional dynamics over the last decade. Using a growing bluewater navy, paramilitary forces, and policing cooperation, China aims for "normalisation," where its access is expected and influence embedded.

Fragmented Europe: Dealing with China as a technology and innovation power

MERICS  |  Bernhard Bartsch, Claudia Wessling

The EU's policy of "de-risking" in science and technology cooperation with China, driven by growing economic and research security concerns, currently suffers from fragmented implementation across member states. The European Think Tank Network on China (ETNC) report examines diverse national approaches to China as a technological power and research partner, highlighting a patchwork of sometimes competing interests.

An Overview of U.S.-China Life Sciences Competition and Cooperation

Asia Society | Brendan Kelly

U.S.-China economic and technology competition in the biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and broader life sciences sector intensified in 2026, after gaining attention in 2025. This sector presents significant national security concerns due to biotechnology's intersection with advanced AI, alongside supply chain vulnerabilities, market access barriers in China, and cross-border data sharing challenges.

A Chinese Supercomputer wins the Top500 Race

Sarcastosaurus  |  Benjamin Cook

A Chinese supercomputer recently won the TOP500 race, but this achievement is not considered groundbreaking due to evolving computational priorities. The TOP500 benchmark, focused on classical supercomputing, rewards precision-heavy tasks like solving dense systems of linear equations using 64-bit floating-point math, which are CPU-friendly. However, the more relevant computational 'races' are now in AI and Quantum computing, which demand different hardware and mathematical approaches.

‘Knowledge-Based’ Economy Facilitates Tech Transfers to Iran

Jamestown Foundation  |  Tuvia Gering

Iran's network of state-run "innovation houses" and trade platforms, particularly the Iran House of Innovation and Technology (iHiT) in Beijing, serves as a primary conduit for acquiring sanctioned dual-use technology from the People's Republic of China (PRC). This system, steered by Iran's Vice Presidency for Science, Technology, and Knowledge-Based Economy (VPST) and its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-linked arm, embeds Iranian firms within the PRC's military-civil fusion and united front systems, directing them towards military-linked suppliers.

To stop Chinese dual-use battery dominance, the United States and South Korea need to team up

Atlantic Council  |  Joseph Webster, Alvin Camba, Emily E. Kim

China's dominance in dual-use batteries poses a significant threat to US national security supply chains, impacting military hardware, robotics, and artificial intelligence. Alarmingly, China's growing footprint in the South Korean battery market, despite Seoul being the world's second-largest player, is evident as Chinese firms like BYD captured 30.9% of South Korea's EV registrations in Q1 2026 due to affordability.

Trump made more than $1bn from crypto in first year back in office

BBC News  |  Kali Hays, Peter Hoskins

US President Donald Trump made over $1.4 billion (£1.05 billion) from cryptocurrency business dealings in his first year back in office, according to his mandatory 927-page financial report. This income includes $635 million in royalties from Celebration Coins, linked to the $TRUMP meme coin, and over $500 million from World Liberty Financial, a firm founded by his sons.

Women in the Army Are More Likely to Be Killed by Fellow Soldiers Than Enemy Combatants

The Intercept | Daniel Johnson, Austin Campbell

Active-duty Army women are more likely to be killed by fellow service members than enemy combatants, according to a first-of-its-kind analysis by The Intercept. From 2011 to August 2025, at least 41 women died by homicide in the Army, over half by other service members or veterans, indicating a higher per capita homicide risk for Army women than male soldiers, contrary to national trends.

Air University Press

Strategic Horizons  Fall 2025, v. 1, no. 1 

• Shadow Wars: Private Military Companies, Great-Power Competition, and the Struggle for Influence in Africa
• Seychelles at a Crossroads: Democracy, Development, and the Geopolitical Chessboard
• The Vajra Doctrine: America’s Thunderbolt Strategy in the South Asian Chess Match
• Ukraine’s Foreign Policy Role Conceptions: Self-Image of Independence in the Face of a Powerful Russia
• Articulating Smart Power: The Strategic Information Environment of the Northern Sea Route
• The Battle for Wake Island 2025: A Critical Assessment of Pacific Basing Strategy
• The Tenth Man: Japan Is the United States’ Next Asian Competitor
• China and “Deep Bench” Diplomatic Power
• Geoengineering and Security in the Indo-Pacific: Risks, Governance, and Strategic Imperatives
• Anticipatory Defense in the Arctic
• The Cost of Arctic Succession: Russia’s Militarization Demands a NATO Response
• Proposal for US–Greenland Integration: A Path to the Future
• Guatemala’s Security Challenges and the Government’s Response
• Optimizing Drone Selection for Initial Remote Piloting Training: A Multicriteria Decision Analysis Using the SWARA-MOORA-3NAG Method
• Proposal for the Creation of a Brazilian Space Force
• Jihad in the Jungle: An Examination of Hezbollah’s Financial Network in the Tri-Border Area
• The Strategic Importance of an Unlikely Relationship: Paraguay and Taiwan
• Integrated Deterrence and US Defense Strategy in NATO and AUKUS: An Analysis of Advanced Technologies and Multi-Domain Operations in Alliance Systems
• A Nuclear Economy: Proliferation Financing and the Fight to Stop Bad Actors

New MIT Sloan research suggests that AI is more likely to complement, not replace, human workers

MIT Sloan School of Management  |  Rigobon, Isabella Loaiza

New research from the MIT Sloan School of Management challenges the prevailing narrative that advanced technologies will displace human workers, instead highlighting areas where human expertise complements AI. The paper, "The EPOCH of AI: Human-Machine Complementarities at Work," introduces a framework of human-intensive capabilities and metrics to evaluate tasks across occupations.

Ukraine’s War Effort in Mid-2026: International Opportunities and Domestic Challenges

Strategic Studies Institute, U.S. Army War College  |  Timothy K. Blauvelt

Ukraine's innovations in hybrid asymmetrical warfare, including domestically produced long-range drones and the "Delta" battlefield transparency network, have significantly strengthened its military and geopolitical position by mid-2026. This technological edge has made 2026 the worst year for Russian forces since 2023, with casualties outpacing replacements and traditional Russian advantages diminishing.

What the Helicopters Did at Nova

FrameTheGlobeNews

Israeli forces, specifically a military helicopter, fired into the Nova music festival crowd on October 7, 2023, after Hamas fighters arrived, according to Israeli media investigations. Haaretz and Yedioth Ahronoth reported pilots struggled to identify Hamas militants among 4,400 civilians, "apparently" wounding some participants. Former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant confirmed Israel's controversial Hannibal Directive, authorizing heavy firepower even at risk to its own soldiers, was authorized in some areas during the attacks, though not explicitly linked to Nova.

The Reverse Centaur’s Guide to Life After AI by Cory Doctorow review – the real price of artificial intelligence

The Guardian | Dorian Lynskey

Public backlash against artificial intelligence is intensifying, with former Google CEO Eric Schmidt booed at a University of Arizona commencement address last month and most US voters opposing new datacenters, believing AI negatively impacts jobs, creativity, and human relationships. Cory Doctorow’s book, "The Reverse Centaur’s Guide to Life After AI," argues AI's negative public image stems not from the technology itself, but from a "rapacious elite" business model prioritizing investor excitement and stock value.

Israel Has a Hezbollah Drone Problem

Foreign Policy | John Haltiwanger

Israel's conflict with Hezbollah in Lebanon is significantly shaped by Hezbollah's extensive use of explosive first-person-view (FPV) drones, which have inflicted substantial damage and casualties on Israeli forces. Drawing lessons from the FPV drones in the Russia-Ukraine war, Hezbollah employs cheap ($300-$400), easily assembled FPV drones, particularly fiber-optic variants, which are immune to electronic jamming and evade Israel's Iron Dome system.

Why the Anthropocene Failed to Deliver on Its Promise

E-International Relations | David Chandler

The Anthropocene concept, initially intended to challenge modernist illusions of progress and highlight humanity's entanglement with environmental destruction, has paradoxically enabled new forms of governmental calculation and reproduction of capitalist modernity. For example, a recent UK report on "bycatch" revealed the "shocking" toll of industrial fishing on British marine life, including seabirds, porpoises, and whales, through sea floor dredging.

AI as Statecraft: How Asia Is Rewriting the Rules of Technology Power

E-International Relations | Mark Esposito and Bruno S. Sergi

Artificial intelligence has become a primary axis of geopolitical competition, with Asian economies and the European Union adopting fundamentally divergent strategies for its integration. Asian states frame AI as a coordination problem requiring state intervention to accelerate demand, while Europe views it primarily as a liability problem necessitating state management.

Why Rivalries Survive Shocks: Stability Ranges and Tipping Points

E-International Relations | Edwin Akpotu

Enduring rivalries between states persist for generations or transform into cooperation, a phenomenon explored by the "Rivalry Stability Range" framework. This framework addresses why similar shocks, such as wars or territorial settlements, yield different outcomes, contrasting the persistent India-Pakistan rivalry with the transformed Franco-German relationship. The author posits that rivalries can absorb pressure within a bounded range without fundamentally changing their character.

Britain unveils its new Ukraine-modeled armed forces

Politico Europe

Britain is implementing one of its largest armed forces shake-ups in decades, modeling its new Defence Investment Plan (DIP) on Ukraine's war experience against Russia. Prime Minister Keir Starmer is set to publish the DIP, which emphasizes "cheap systems destroying high-value targets and innovation cycles measured in weeks, not years," according to the Ministry of Defence.

The Next Hormuz Crisis Will Begin in Seconds

Real Clear Defense  |  Dennis T. Cosgrove

The Strait of Hormuz presents an operational environment where miscalculation can develop in seconds, a reality often underestimated by policymakers. Commercial traffic, naval vessels, and paramilitary forces operate under disparate authorities and without reliable real-time communication, making escalation from confusion a significant danger. The core issue is not a lack of military power or deterrence, but the absence of a durable operational framework.

The Broken Nuclear Umbrella: What Comes After Extended Deterrence

Foreign Affairs | Jennifer Lind and Daryl G. Press

The United States' extended nuclear deterrence system, which historically protected allies in Asia and Europe, is increasingly perceived as a bluff due to shifting geopolitical realities and a recalibration of U.S. foreign policy. During the Cold War, the high stakes made Washington's threat of nuclear war credible, even at catastrophic risk to itself, to prevent allied conquest.

Prioritize GPS or Risk Losing Future Wars

Real Clear Defense  |  Christopher Stone

The U.S. Global Positioning System (GPS) is foundational to American military power and critical societal infrastructure, yet its modernization is frequently underfunded despite daily Chinese and Russian attacks on its space, electromagnetic, and ground segments. The Architecture Evolution Plan (AEP) offers an operationally viable, incremental approach to modernize the GPS ground segment, supporting the GPS III constellation and proving more resilient than past monolithic acquisition failures like the Operational Control Segment (OCX) program.

Iranian Elites Are Not in Agreement About What to Do Next

Foreign Policy

Iran and the United States have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) ending their war after an April cease-fire and 70 days of indirect talks. This agreement led to a 60-day roadmap for a final deal, working groups on nuclear enrichment and sanctions, and reopened the Strait of Hormuz, causing the Iranian rial to gain over 15 percent against the dollar.

Iran is jealously competing with Oman as decision-maker over strait of Hormuz

The Guardian  |  Patrick Wintour

Iran views the Strait of Hormuz as its primary bargaining tool in negotiations with the US, leading to intense contention over its control. Under a June 18 memorandum of understanding with Washington, substantive talks on Iran's nuclear program are contingent on lifting the strait's blockade, which Iran is only required to use "its best endeavours" to achieve.

India: Insidious Wave In Punjab

South Asia Terrorism Portal  |  Ruchika Kakkar

Punjab is experiencing an escalation in low-intensity terrorist activities orchestrated by Khalistani extremist networks, often in tandem with foreign-based gangsters and Pakistan-backed handlers. Since early 2026, the state has recorded at least eight low-intensity blasts, targeting critical infrastructure, political offices, military-linked sites, and increasingly, softer civilian targets like clinics and hospitals.

Why the Heart of India’s Indigenous Fighter Ecosystem Will be American for Several Decades to Come

The Diplomat  |  Dinakar Peri

India's military modernization efforts face a significant hurdle in achieving self-reliance due to persistent jet engine development challenges. Several reports indicate that negotiations between India and U.S. manufacturer General Electric for F414 jet engines, intended to power five prototypes of India's Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), have stalled.

Pakistan launches deadliest attack on Afghanistan in months

France 24

Pakistan launched its deadliest attack on Afghanistan in months, conducting air and ground operations that killed 29 militants according to Pakistan's information minister, Attaullah Tarar. These strikes, aimed at the Jamaat-ul-Ahrar splinter group of Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) blamed for a deadly weekend assault in Karachi, hit three eastern Afghan provinces.

Russia’s Warming Relations With The Taliban Pose New Challenges For US Strategy

Eurasia Review  |  Luke Coffey

Russia has become the Taliban's strongest international backer, formally recognizing its government and signing a military cooperation agreement in May 2026. This partnership, driven by Moscow's desire to counter ISKP, exploit the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, and build an anti-Western axis with Iran, China, and North Korea, poses significant challenges for U.S.

Malign Alignment: How China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea (CRINK) threaten the U.S. and our allies

George W. Bush Presidential Center  |  Joseph Kim, Igor Khrestin

The "Malign Alignment" series examines how China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea (CRINK) collectively threaten the United States and its allies across multiple domains. This collection of articles, authored by various experts, explores the multifaceted challenges posed by these nations, including their impact on national security, global economics, and human rights.

White Paper Promotes New World Order

The Jamestown Foundation  |  Arran Hope

The People's Republic of China (PRC) is actively building a new world order, as evidenced by a new white paper released by the State Council on June 6, titled “More Just and Equitable Global Governance: China’s Principles, Proposals and Actions.” This document presents Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s “Global Governance Initiative” (GGI) as a comprehensive framework for reforming international governance in Beijing's favor, aiming to displace the United States and the West.

Why AI models like Claude Fable and Mythos defy traditional export control frameworks

The Bulletin | Justin Sherman

On June 12, the United States government directed Anthropic to suspend foreign national access to its large language models, Mythos 5 and Fable 5, citing national security authorities. This order, reportedly prompted by a "jailbreak" vulnerability in Fable, aims to prevent foreign adversaries like China from exploiting these vulnerability-discovery-at-scale AI models for offensive cyber operations.

America’s AI Policy Is Truly Chaotic

Persuasion  |  Francis Fukuyama

Washington's artificial intelligence policy has become chaotic, marked by a rapid shift towards regulation following revelations about Anthropic's powerful Mythos 5 model. In February, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth declared Anthropic a "supply chain risk," citing political reasons. However, in June, Senator Mark Warner disclosed that Mythos 5 breached "almost all of our classified systems" in hours, prompting the national security community to recognize AI models as a "clear and present danger."

How Russia And China Learned To Love Their Border

Eurasia Review  |  John P. Ruehl

The Russia-China border along the Amur River Basin has transformed from a militarized frontier into a zone of deep economic cooperation, driven by new infrastructure and surging trade. Mutual trade between the two nations increased by two-thirds from 2022 to 2024, reaching $240 billion, with a 23 percent growth between January and May 2026.

Europe Will Never Be an AI Superpower

Foreign Policy  |  Thorsten Benner, Jakob Hensing

The U.S. government's recent imposition of sweeping export controls on advanced Anthropic AI models, Mythos 5 and Fable 5, has starkly highlighted Europe's dependence on leading U.S. artificial intelligence providers. Without a strategic change, Europe risks becoming a technological backwater, potentially leading to disastrous security and prosperity consequences.