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Pacific leaders reaffirm Taiwan’s participation in the Pacific Islands Forum despite Beijing’s push to exclude it, Egypt uncovers an Israeli plot to assassinate Hamas leaders in Cairo, and Mexican cartels now wield military-level power across nearly a third of the country.

Our lead story examines how youth-led uprisings in Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh are rewriting the political order.

This, and more, below ⤵️

Top 5 Stories

1️⃣ 🇺🇳 🇮🇱 🇵🇸 UN commission says Israel is committing genocide in Gaza: As Israel intensifies its assault on Gaza City, a UN Commission of Inquiry has concluded that Israel is committing genocide, directly accusing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other top officials of incitement. The 72-page report cites mass killings, aid blockades, forced displacement, and destruction of infrastructure as evidence of intent to destroy Gaza’s population, comparing the situation to Rwanda’s 1994 genocide. Israel rejected the findings as politically motivated, even as international pressure mounts for the UN to officially use the term “genocide” while Israel faces a related case at the International Court of Justice.

2️⃣ 🇨🇳 🇷🇺 🇺🇸 China deepens military dominance in Southeast and South Asia: China has consolidated its position as the leading military power in Southeast and South Asia, asserting control in the South China Sea, expanding its blue-water navy, and building a formidable missile arsenal to deter U.S. and allied intervention. At the same time, Beijing has become the region’s top arms supplier, outpacing Russia and the U.S., while forging extensive defence partnerships, joint exercises, and military training programs that increase regional dependence on Chinese weaponry and strategy. This growing network of arms sales and security ties suggests that, in any future conflict, several Asian states may remain neutral or even lean toward Beijing rather than join a U.S.-led coalition.

3️⃣ 🇦🇺 🇵🇬 Australia and Papua New Guinea sign treaty to fully integrate defence forces: Australia and Papua New Guinea are set to sign a landmark defence treaty that will fully integrate their armed forces, coinciding with PNG’s 50th independence anniversary. The agreement will allow mutual recruitment, shared use of equipment, and joint operations, with a clause similar to NATO’s Article Four requiring consultations if either nation’s security is threatened. Defence Minister Billy Joseph called the pact a “mutual defence treaty,” framing it as a major step toward deepening bilateral security ties while maintaining both countries’ sovereignty.

4️⃣ 🇪🇭 🇲🇦 🇺🇳 Morocco and Polisario remain deadlocked over Western Sahara as UN efforts falter: Fifty years after Morocco’s annexation of Western Sahara, UN-backed efforts to resolve the conflict remain stalled, with Morocco insisting on autonomy under its sovereignty and the Polisario Front demanding a referendum on self-determination. Successive UN envoys, including James Baker, failed to break the deadlock, and Security Council resolutions since 2007 have focused on Morocco’s autonomy proposal while sidelining earlier plans. With ceasefire violations, worsening Morocco–Algeria tensions, and continued refugee displacement, Western Sahara remains an unresolved flashpoint threatening North African stability.

5️⃣ 🇲🇽 Mexican cartels militarise and control almost one-third of country’s territory: Mexico’s cartels have evolved into insurgent-style forces, controlling roughly a third of the country and waging territorial wars with drones, IEDs, and even Colombian mercenaries. Their growing firepower—fueled by U.S.-sourced weapons—threatens Mexico, the United States, and regional stability, prompting calls for expanded U.S.–Mexico security cooperation, counterinsurgency training, and aggressive action to stem cross-border arms trafficking. Without decisive measures, cartels risk becoming entrenched paramilitary actors capable of destabilising the wider hemisphere.

Major Story

🇳🇵🇧🇩 🇱🇰 GEN Z REVOLUTIONS RESHAPE POLITICS ACROSS SOUTH ASIA

Across Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh, youth-led protests are reshaping politics, toppling governments, and challenging entrenched elites. In Nepal, anger over corruption and despotism sparked three days of protests that killed more than 70 people and forced Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to resign. Thousands of young Nepalis, including many in the diaspora, even selected an interim prime minister via an online Discord poll.

Bangladesh’s 2024 movement began as a campaign against job quotas but escalated into nationwide unrest after police crackdowns killed hundreds, ultimately forcing Sheikh Hasina’s resignation and flight to India. In Sri Lanka, the “Aragalaya” uprising grew out of economic collapse, with youth occupying Colombo’s Presidential Secretariat and sending President Gotabaya Rajapaksa into exile in July 2022.

Common Roots of Discontent

Analysts say these movements are united by a shared rage at inequality, nepotism, and political systems out of touch with a younger generation. Nearly half the populations of Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh are under 28, highly literate, digitally connected, and frustrated by leaders often old enough to be their grandparents. Social media has amplified both their grievances and their ability to organise rapidly. Blocking internet access or banning platforms has largely backfired, galvanising further mobilisation.

Digital Savvy and Democratic Aspiration

Experts emphasise that these are not coups or secessionist revolts but demands for dignity, accountability, and economic justice. Columbia University’s Rumela Sen notes that Gen Z’s “authentic moral outrage” and tech-savvy organisation give these movements an edge, allowing them to hold leaders accountable and reject systems that deny them a future.

A Regional Playbook Emerges

Observers argue that South Asia’s youth uprisings are learning from one another — from Colombo to Dhaka to Kathmandu — sharing protest tactics, hashtag campaigns, and decentralised structures that make them harder to suppress. As political anthropologist Jeevan Sharma puts it, these are not isolated events but a generational movement signalling that the region’s young citizens are no longer willing to wait quietly for change.

Other News

1️⃣  🇪🇬 🇮🇱 Egypt discovers Israeli plot to assassinate Hamas leaders in Cairo: Senior Egyptian officials revealed that Cairo foiled past Israeli plots to kill Hamas leaders in the capital and warned that any future attempt would be treated as a declaration of war. Relations between Egypt and Israel are already strained, with Cairo sidelined from Gaza ceasefire talks and deploying 40,000 troops to prevent Palestinian displacement into Sinai. Analysts say Egypt’s response is less about defending Hamas and more about preserving its regional prestige and credibility as a mediator.

2️⃣ 🇸🇧 🇹🇼 🇨🇳 Pacific leaders reaffirm Taiwan’s right to participate in regional forum despite Chinese pressure: Pacific Islands Forum leaders have upheld Taiwan’s status as a development partner, rejecting Beijing’s push to exclude the island from the region’s peak diplomatic gathering. The decision followed fraught negotiations at the Solomon Islands summit, with leaders ultimately agreeing to maintain the 1992 arrangement that allows Taipei to engage with its remaining Pacific allies. The outcome represents a setback for China’s growing influence in the Pacific and a clear signal that Taiwan’s limited but significant role in the forum will remain intact.

3️⃣ 🇸🇾 🇮🇱 Israel conducts ground operation in Syria’s Daraa province: Israeli forces launched a ground raid in Syria’s Daraa province, searching towns near the 1974 ceasefire line while continuing airstrikes on Damascus and other cities. The operations follow months of escalating Israeli attacks in Syria, including drone strikes that killed six, and coincide with ongoing but stalled talks aimed at restoring the 1974 disengagement agreement. Damascus has condemned the strikes as blatant violations of sovereignty, accusing Israel of expanding its occupation of the Golan Heights and using the Gaza war as cover for broader regional ambitions.

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Book Shelf

Here are some books we recommend 📚:

Prisoners of Geography

The Revenge of Geography

The World: A Brief Introduction

The Shock Doctrine

Sea Power

The Tragedy of Great Power Politics