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UAE-linked forces are suspected of constructing a new airstrip on Yemen’s Zuqar Island, while South Sudan’s political crisis deepens as a senior SPLM figure denounces the party leadership and launches a rival movement. Meanwhile, Poland warns Putin against flying through its airspace.

Our lead story turns to Tokyo, where Sanae Takaichi, Japan’s first female prime minister, seeks to revive the Shinzo Abe doctrine.

This, and more, below ⤵️

Top 5 Stories

1️⃣ 🇪🇺 🇭🇺 European Commission faces scrutiny over alleged Hungarian spy network in Brussels: The Commission is under mounting pressure after reports emerged that Hungarian intelligence officers sought to recruit EU officials between 2012 and 2018 through the country’s embassy in Brussels. If proven, the affair risks deepening distrust between the Commission and Parliament at a time when EU unity is already strained by Budapest’s growing defiance of democratic norms.

2️⃣ 🇲🇲 🇹🇭 Myanmar junta raids major cybercrime hub near Thai border: Myanmar’s army has stormed the KK Park compound near the Thai border, detaining over 2,000 people and seizing 30 Starlink terminals in one of its largest crackdowns on online fraud and illegal gambling. The operation follows growing international pressure after the U.S. and U.K. sanctioned regional scam networks linked to human trafficking and online fraud.

3️⃣ 🇬🇧 🇸🇾 UK delists HTS as terror group: The United Kingdom has officially delisted Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) as a terrorist organisation, following the group’s toppling of Bashar al-Assad’s regime last December and its assumption of power in Damascus. The move mirrors a similar U.S. decision in July and marks a major shift in Western engagement with Syria’s new authorities.

4️⃣ 🇵🇪 State of emergency declared in Peru: Interim President José Jeri has declared a 30-day state of emergency across Lima and Callao following weeks of anti-government protests over corruption and spiralling crime. The decree authorises army deployment and suspends certain civil liberties, including freedom of assembly.

5️⃣ 🇵🇱 🇷🇺 Poland warns Putin against flying through its airspace: Poland has cautioned that it would be obligated to enforce the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant against Vladimir Putin if he travelled through its airspace en route to a planned summit in Hungary with U.S. President Donald Trump. In contrast, Bulgaria signalled its willingness to permit the Russian leader’s passage. 

Major Story

🇯🇵 SANAE TAKAICHI SEEKS TO REVIVE THE SHINZO ABE DOCTRINE

Japan has elected its first female prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, following a 21 October parliamentary vote. A self-declared successor to Shinzo Abe’s assertive diplomacy, Takaichi inherits a fractured Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and a volatile political landscape. Her ascent follows the collapse of the LDP’s 26-year coalition with Komeito, whose pacifist leanings clashed with Takaichi’s hawkish views on defence and constitutional reform.

Komeito’s withdrawal stemmed partly from corruption scandals under the Kishida administration, which damaged its electoral base. But more fundamentally, the party’s leadership concluded that it could not support an LDP led by a prime minister intent on expanding Japan’s military posture. The shift reflects Japan’s changing electorate: older generations remain wedded to post-war pacifism, while younger voters—troubled by China’s rise, North Korea’s missile tests, and the war in Ukraine—favour a stronger security policy.

New coalition and policy direction

Takaichi’s new partner, the Japan Innovation Party (Ishin), offers limited stability but aligns closely with her agenda. Ishin’s libertarian platform—calling for administrative reform, decentralisation, and a leaner government—complements the LDP’s broader vision while removing Komeito’s pacifist constraints. Together, the two parties are expected to pursue a more assertive regional policy, including moves to formalise the Self-Defense Forces as a national military.

Challenges abroad

Takaichi’s foreign policy will test Japan’s diplomatic finesse. She must balance deterrence against China and North Korea, maintain improving relations with South Korea, and manage a complex relationship with President Donald Trump’s administration. While Takaichi seeks to revive Abe’s strategic legacy, her success will hinge on reconciling nationalist impulses with Japan’s fragile regional diplomacy and dependence on U.S. security guarantees.

Other News

1️⃣ 🇦🇪 🇾🇪 UAE-linked forces suspected of building new airstrip on Yemen’s Zuqar Island: Satellite imagery shows the construction of a 2,000-metre airstrip on Zuqar Island in the Red Sea, a strategic site near Yemen’s Houthi-held coast. Analysts believe the project—backed by UAE-aligned anti-Houthi forces—forms part of a widening network of offshore runways to monitor smuggling and expand control over key maritime routes. 

2️⃣ 🇸🇸 South Sudanese ruling party veteran denounces SPLM leadership, forms counter movement: Nhial Deng Nhial has suspended his membership in the ruling SPLM and launched the South Sudan Salvation Movement (SSSM), accusing President Salva Kiir’s leadership of corruption, stagnation, and betraying the nation’s founding ideals. His defection, among the most significant in years, deepens rifts in the ruling party as South Sudan faces ongoing political paralysis.

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