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In recent years, security cooperation between Japan and the Philippines has accelerated at an unprecedented pace. This development is commonly explained by China’s increasing assertiveness in the South and the East China Sea, and across the Taiwan Strait. In addition, there is uncertainty about the US's future involvement in this region.

In March 2025, Leonardo CEO Roberto Cingolani announced that Europe could soon have European-certified unmanned aerial vehicles through cooperation between Italy’s Leonardo and Türkiye’s Baykar (Daily Sabah 2026). The Italian Turkish partnership emerged in 2025 with the creation of Leonardo Baykar Aerospace Systems (LBA Systems), a balanced joint venture between the two companies. Its legal and operational headquarters were strategically placed in Italy, meaning that LBA Systems’ products may be certified for the European market.

Since the outbreak of the US-Israel war with Iran in late February 2026, the common narrative contends that Ukraine is among the strategic “losers” of the conflict. Rising oil prices have strengthened Russia’s war finances, Western political and military attention has shifted toward the Middle East, and critical air defence assets are being diverted or depleted at unsustainable rates.

The Abraham Accords, key to Donald Trump’s first-term Middle East policy, normalized relations between Israel and several Arab states. With Trump back in office, his administration aims to expand the Accords, targeting Saudi Arabia and Syria despite earlier shortcomings.

India’s development of a ballistic missile system is threatening the credibility of Pakistan’s nuclear deterrent. To regain its credibility, Pakistan is improving its nuclear arsenal, quantitatively and qualitatively, which might lead to an arms race. Additionally, a more developed Indian BMD system would incentivise both India and Pakistan to conduct a nuclear first strike during a conflict.

The impact of Brexit five years ago is difficult to fully analyse and further complicated by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it appears that it had significant negative effects on the British and European economies, although the trade disruption impacted the EU less.. Additionally, Brexit has proven unlikely to cause a domino effect of dissolution within the UK or the EU.

The rise of globalisation and the new mass society has coincided with the decline of left-wing parties in Western democracies. The left seems devoid of a distinct political trajectory to tackle the voters’ primary concerns, notably the economy, and immigration. Moreover, it has shifted away from its foundational struggles, advocating for civil rights while overlooking growing disparities in income and wealth distribution from labour to capital. This has paved the way for the resounding predominance of right and far-right parties, which have successfully attracted electors from traditionally left-leaning groups, such as unskilled and low-income workers. These trends will be examined by analysing the root causes of the political movement's decline and exploring potential avenues for its revival.

The Marea Verde (Green Wave) is a feminist movement that emerged in Argentina and spread across Latin America, addressing gender-based violence (GBV), femicide, and reproductive rights. Symbolised by the green handkerchief, it achieved key victories like the legalisation of abortion in Argentina (2020), Colombia (2022), and Mexico (2023), reframing women’s safety and autonomy as central to human security. The movement has influenced international policy, driving GBV recognition in the United Nations (UN) Universal Periodic Review and shaping gender-sensitive approaches to conflict resolution, such as Colombia’s 2016 peace agreement. Despite significant opposition from conservative forces, religious institutions, and state pushback, the Marea Verde continues to grow, proving the transformative power of collective action in challenging systemic inequality and advancing a more just, inclusive future.

The Russia-Ukraine war has taken a dangerous turn after North Korea decided to deploy troops alongside Russian forces to fight against Ukraine. Some argue that North Korean assistance to Russia will lead to North Korea’s development of more lethal missiles and nuclear capabilities in the future.