https://apnews.com/article/north-korea-russia-bridge-troops-ukraine-3358c993c68da2dd4ab287c3fd98adba North Korea and Russia have begun the construction of the first road bridge to connect the two countries over their shared river border. This is a huge advancement for North Korea as it gives them an easier route to trade with Russia. In 2023, 97% of North Korea’s trade was with China. This is risky for North Korea because… Read more »
Link to article: https://thediplomat.com/2025/05/solomon-islands-pm-avoids-no-confidence-vote-but-is-potentially-weakened/ Solomon Islands Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele survived a no confidence vote on Tuesday, keeping his spot in office. He was elected just one year ago, taking the place of Manasseh Sogavare, who elected to step down due to his unpopularity in favor of being Manele’s finance minister. This arose after he started recognizing China over Taiwan… Read more »
Link to article: https://apnews.com/article/new-zealand-philippines-status-of-visiting-forces-agreement-b695ff83f5021e1569b2245229dfe4d3 The Philippines have signed a military pact with New Zealand. This allows the two countries to hold joint military exercises in both countries as well as other cooperative activities. The Philippines did this to bolster its alliance portfolio as tensions continue to rise with China over the South China Sea. There was a ceremony in Manila… Read more »
Link to article: https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/indonesia-parliament-set-ratify-sea-boundary-with-vietnam-lawmaker-says-2025-05-01/ Indonesia and Vietnam are set to agree on new sea boundaries in the highly-contested South China Sea. Indonesia signed this deal in an effort to reduce the number of Vietnamese fishers in its waters, which has caused tensions between the two countries over the years. This agreement broadcasts to the world that they are ignoring China’s… Read more »