https://apnews.com/article/myanmar-president-min-aung-hlaing-military-c263b2d6175b82c5868e24496c975ff8 Myanmar’s military junta took another step in its long campaign to launder authoritarian rule into the appearance of legitimate governance this week, as parliament elected Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, the architect of the 2021 coup, as the country’s new president. He won 429 of 584 votes in a parliament where military-backed parties and army-appointed members hold a commanding… Read more »
https://apnews.com/article/south-korea-indonesia-defense-lee-subianto-supply-chain-5d634cee1e7a78f45a0bccc7e2f29652 As the Iran war continues to send shockwaves through global energy markets and supply chains, South Korea and Indonesia announced a sweeping expansion of their strategic partnership this week following a summit in Seoul between President Lee Jae Myung and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto. The two governments pledged deeper cooperation across defense industries, critical mineral supply chains, energy security,… Read more »
https://apnews.com/article/cook-islands-new-zealand-china-security-deal-a48cfa5347704092dd0a2a5dd73a4f1e In a diplomatic development that punches well above its demographic weight, New Zealand and the Cook Islands signed a landmark defense and security declaration this week, formally resolving over a year of tension stemming from Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown’s decision to sign a comprehensive strategic partnership with China in February 2025 without first consulting Wellington. The agreement,… Read more »
By Finn Brooks https://apnews.com/article/australia-social-media-ban-children-58c50c845d96057b39529e988bd778bc Australia made history on December 10, 2024, when it became the first country in the world to legally ban children under 16 from holding social media accounts — and the opening months of enforcement have been anything but smooth. According to the Associated Press, Australia’s eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant released the country’s first compliance report… Read more »
By Finn Brooks https://apnews.com/article/macron-takaichi-japan-france-iran-minerals-security-1447dc4946d795fe62c84eb616837b3a As the fallout from the Iran war continues to ripple across global markets and shipping lanes, French President Emmanuel Macron touched down in Tokyo this week for talks with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi — and the meeting was about far more than pleasantries at the Akasaka Palace. The two leaders issued a joint call for… Read more »
by Finn Brooks https://apnews.com/article/china-party-chief-ma-xingrui-xinjiang-investigation-fd5b0b312c7c059e1935c5f9dda0fd60 The machinery of Chinese Communist Party discipline has claimed another senior figure. According to the Associated Press, Ma Xingrui — the former party secretary of Xinjiang from 2021 to 2025 — has been placed under investigation by the CCP’s Central Commission for Discipline Inspection for suspected violations of discipline and law. The charges remain unspecified, as… Read more »
