Asia Times

The Gulf monarchies appear stronger than ever, backed by wealth, stability, and unprecedented US support, while Assad’s fall and Israel’s blows against Iran have undercut traditional threats. Yet Israeli strikes in Qatar, Syria’s fragility, Iran’s uncertainty, and regional unrest underscore how vulnerable Gulf ambitions remain to forces beyond their control. https://lnkd.in/d_tpX3bq

The assassination of far-right influencer Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, has become a flashpoint for America’s toxic political climate, with online mobs rushing to blame ideological enemies before the killer’s motives are known. Broad condemnation from leaders shows that America’s stability depends on rejecting reactionary escalation. https://lnkd.in/d69Fdben

The US is extending the Minuteman III ICBM into the 2050s as Sentinel, its costly and delayed successor, falters. Flawed assumptions, infrastructure failures, and contractor mismanagement have made Minuteman’s sustainment a strategic necessity, leaving America’s land-based nuclear deterrent at a crossroads amid growing pressure from China and Russia. https://lnkd.in/d_Wev5MR

Nepal has been plunged into turmoil after Gen Z–led protests over a sweeping social media ban escalated into a nationwide movement against corruption and elite impunity. Security forces killed 19 demonstrators before Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli resigned, underscoring a generational revolt that threatens to reshape the country’s fragile democracy. https://lnkd.in/dmPN-cJ8

Poland’s downing of Russian drones may have been triggered by NATO’s own signals jamming rather than a deliberate provocation, raising questions about whether the incident was exploited to build support for a no-fly zone over Ukraine. Analysts argue Russia is unlikely to stage such a provocation, knowing it would only strengthen Western resolve. https://lnkd.in/d3eCNtgQ

Rumors that the new US National Defense Strategy may shift focus toward homeland defense and push Indo-Pacific allies to shoulder more burdens risk undermining deterrence against China. Without a credible US commitment in Asia, allies lack the capacity to counter Beijing, and even minor US force reductions could embolden aggression. https://lnkd.in/d2SbNSrQ

Ukraine’s “drone wall” is blunting Russia’s manpower-heavy assaults, using first-person-view drones to strike infantry and motorcycle units sent forward in suicidal waves. Though Russian forces still hold a numerical edge, unmanned systems now account for a disproportionate share of enemy casualties, underscoring how cheap drones have become central to defending the front. https://lnkd.in/d8SY9cPD

North Korea’s 2024 renunciation of peaceful unification, paired with South Korea’s waning public and political appetite for reintegration, signals a historic shift. Both states are institutionalizing division, with Pyongyang rebranding Seoul as a hostile foreign power and Seoul recalibrating policy toward deterrence and managed coexistence rather than reunification. https://lnkd.in/deYMnrYk

Washington’s 10% stake in Intel blurs the line between socialism and state capitalism, raising questions about efficiency, shareholder rights, and political interference. Yet with Intel losing billions and private investors shunning US chip manufacturing, long-term state backing may be the only way to sustain a strategically vital industry deemed essential for national security.   https://lnkd.in/g6p2XJ3s

During the early 20th century, physics split between discrete quantum mechanics and continuous relativity, a divide that has resisted unification. Hybrid models have offered partial bridges, but quantum computing – with qubits embodying both binary states and continuous operations – may provide a new instrument to reconcile these mathematical worlds.   https://lnkd.in/g73peE7d