West Bengal: The Transformation Of A Red State Into Saffron

Eurasia Review  |  P. K. Balachandran

West Bengal's political landscape, historically a Communist stronghold, has undergone a profound transformation towards Hindu nationalism, a shift rooted deeply in its 19th-century history. British rule, following centuries of Muslim governance, fostered a Hindu consciousness among upper-caste 'Bhadralok' by favoring them and promoting Hindu scriptures, creating a distinct Hindu-Muslim binary. The 1906 partition of Bengal and the subsequent annulment, driven by Hindu agitation, further solidified this divide. The 'Communal Award' of 1932, which fragmented Hindu society by granting separate electorates to Depressed Classes, intensified Hindu revivalism. Post-partition, successive West Bengal governments, including Congress and Communist parties, neglected the Muslim population, leaving them economically and educationally disadvantaged. This historical context of unaddressed grievances and embedded anti-Muslim sentiment has created fertile ground for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to exploit, leveraging these animosities to secure Hindu votes and cement the state's 'saffron' transformation.

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Why Soft Power Deserves Some Credit

Eye on China Substack  |  Anushka Saxena

Taiwan's Kuomintang (KMT) party caucus in April 2026 challenged the operationalization of a labor migration agreement with India, signed February 2024. This opposition, while appearing as routine political maneuvering, reveals deep public anxiety in Taiwan regarding large-scale immigration for "3K" jobs. A civil society petition with over 40,000 signatures and KMT lawmakers citing security concerns underscore societal discomfort, despite Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) efforts to counter stereotypical arguments. India must launch a comprehensive public diplomacy campaign targeting both Taiwanese citizens and policymakers to ensure Indian workers are accommodated, not merely tolerated. While the KMT's opposition appears policy-specific rather than broadly anti-India, its historical lack of deep engagement and "dialogue-over-deterrence" posture towards China could impede future bilateral cooperation, affecting investments and labor mobility. Delhi needs to monitor Taiwan’s upcoming November 2026 mid-term elections, as a stronger KMT presence could present a more apathetic partner for India in 2028, necessitating robust institutional linkages with the current DPP administration.

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Thucydides Trap, Supply Chains and the Dawn of a Multipolar World

Niti Shastra  |  Navroop Singh, Himja Parekh

President Donald Trump's state visit to China, despite outward diplomacy, exposed profound geopolitical fractures, with President Xi Jinping invoking the Thucydides’ Trap and explicitly warning against US interference in Taiwan, deeming it an "ultimate red line." Concurrently, the BRICS summit in India saw Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov condemn America's "predatory energy politics" and sanctions targeting Russian oil, while Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi urged condemnation of US and Israeli aggression against Iran, highlighting a multipolar pushback against declining Western hegemony. India, facing the expiration of a critical US waiver for Russian oil imports on May 16, 2026, must now source costlier alternatives, impacting its economy and testing its strategic autonomy. This comes as Prime Minister Narendra Modi secured vital energy and defense deals with the UAE, including strategic petroleum reserves and a $5 billion investment, aiming to bolster India's resilience amid a global supply chain crisis exacerbated by the escalating Persian Gulf conflict.

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ASEAN mulls next steps as Myanmar military mounts comeback

IISS  |  Morgan Michaels

Myanmar's military, the Tatmadaw, has mounted a significant comeback following tightly controlled January 2026 elections, transitioning to a quasi-civilian government while maintaining effective control. This resurgence is bolstered by counter-offensives regaining strategic territory, an advanced arsenal including UAVs, over 100,000 conscripts, and resilient domestic defense-industrial capacity, further facilitated by China's pressure on ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) to cease hostilities. The fragmented anti-junta movement faces internal strife, leading key international actors like China, India, and Thailand to increasingly view the Tatmadaw as the only viable partner for stability. Thailand, as a frontline state, is actively attempting to reintegrate Myanmar into ASEAN, proposing virtual and potentially in-person meetings with the new foreign minister, Tin Maung Swe. This 'nano-shift' in ASEAN's approach, driven by fatigue and the regime's diplomatic initiative, risks providing diplomatic justification for broader international re-engagement and sanctions relief, potentially undermining Myanmar's opposition movement by removing critical diplomatic backing.

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Trump’s China Trip Underscores How Power Has Shifted East

TIME  |  Charlie Campbell

U.S. President Donald Trump's 2026 visit to Beijing highlighted a significant shift in global power dynamics, with Chinese President Xi Jinping asserting dominance from the outset. Xi issued a strong rebuke regarding American arms sales to Taiwan, warning of potential conflict, and Trump appeared uncharacteristically subdued. This perceived deference, despite Trump's usual belligerence, underscores China's growing confidence as a peer to the U.S., even amidst its own economic challenges like a prolonged property crisis and high youth unemployment. China's economy, however, demonstrated resilience with a record trade surplus and surging exports of green technology. Regarding the ongoing Iran conflict, Trump claimed Xi offered assistance and vowed not to provide military equipment, though China's foreign ministry adopted a more robust stance. The trip also saw Trump making significant concessions, including approving advanced AI chip sales and suspending arms sales to Taiwan, a stark contrast to his earlier protectionist policies. China's strategic gains were further evident in the lack of U.S. pressure on human rights, cyber espionage, or IP theft, and Trump's isolation from traditional allies.

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Trump-Xi Summit: Both China and the U.S. Overestimate Themselves on the Global Stage

Foreign Policy | Howard W. French

The strategic relationship between the United States and China is characterized by a mutual overestimation of their respective global power and influence, as highlighted by the context of a potential Trump-Xi summit. This analytical perspective suggests that both Washington and Beijing may harbor inflated perceptions of their capabilities, leading to potential miscalculations in foreign policy, economic competition, and military posturing. For the U.S., this could manifest as an underestimation of China's resilience or global reach, while for China, it might involve an overestimation of its ability to challenge the existing international order or withstand external pressures. Such a dynamic risks exacerbating tensions, hindering diplomatic resolutions, and fostering a more confrontational geopolitical environment. A realistic assessment of each nation's strengths and limitations is crucial for fostering stable bilateral relations and preventing unintended escalations on the global stage, particularly concerning critical issues like trade, technology, and regional security.

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China Is Preparing for a Robot-Led Taiwan Invasion

National Interest  |  Craig Singleton, Duncan Lazarow

China's military is actively developing and integrating attritable robotic systems, such as four-legged "robotic wolves," into its operational doctrine, signaling a strategic shift to absorb initial battlefield risks in future conflicts. This development is directly linked to a potential Taiwan invasion scenario, where these robots would precede human forces to clear obstacles and haul supplies under fire, preserving manpower for inland combat. Beijing's military-civil fusion strategy enables the People's Liberation Army (PLA) to rapidly adapt commercial robotics and AI technologies from firms like Unitree, accelerating procurement and potentially lowering the perceived human cost of a cross-strait conflict. The United States must respond by accelerating partnerships with domestic robotics firms, streamlining procurement, and conducting realistic operational testing in environments resembling a Taiwan contingency, drawing lessons from Ukraine. Washington also needs to treat its robotics industrial base as a strategic asset, securing supply chains and preparing layered, affordable counter-robotics defenses. Taiwan, in turn, should prioritize investments in its own counter-drone and counter-robotics industry to neutralize these systems from the outset, strengthening deterrence against a robot-enabled assault.

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US experience fighting Iran offers lessons for China, experts say

CNN  |  Brad Lendon, Sylvie Zhuang, Wayne Chang

The ongoing conflict in Iran is providing China with a critical window into the operational dynamics of US military capabilities and the inherent complexities of modern warfare. Experts caution Beijing against overestimating its own strengths, underestimating adversaries, and maintaining a narrow perspective on potential conflict outcomes. Fu Qianshao, a former Chinese air force colonel, emphasized the People's Liberation Army's (PLA) need to bolster its defensive systems, citing Iran's success in circumventing US anti-missile defenses like Patriot and Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD). While the PLA has rapidly expanded its offensive firepower, adding missiles with hypersonic glide vehicles and a growing fleet of J-20 stealth fighters, the strategic takeaway underscores the importance of a balanced military development to ensure invincibility in future engagements.

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Trump and Xi Should Tackle a Previously Impossible AI Conversation

Carnegie Endowment | Scott Singer

U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are slated to discuss artificial intelligence, a critical agenda item given the escalating risks posed by frontier AI models like Claude Mythos and GPT-5.5, which have uncovered cybersecurity vulnerabilities and threaten financial systems. While past U.S.-China AI dialogues in 2024 failed due to misaligned objectives—U.S. focusing on technical risks and China on export controls—the strategic landscape has shifted. China has demonstrably increased its investment in AI safety, acknowledging extreme risks, making a focused dialogue on shared concerns now feasible. A critical first step involves prioritizing discussions on standardized testing and evaluation methods for extreme AI risks, including the use of "red teams," while carefully limiting the sharing of sensitive intellectual property or dual-use domain knowledge. This bilateral foundation is essential for establishing global AI safety protocols, despite the inherent challenges of U.S.-China diplomacy.

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China’s Pharmaceutical Weapon

The National Interest  |  Michael Schiffer, Jennifer Hendrixson White

The United States faces a critical strategic vulnerability due to its profound dependence on Chinese pharmaceutical supply chains, particularly for essential drugs like heparin. Approximately 70% of the US heparin supply, vital for hemodialysis and cardiac procedures, originates from Chinese porcine intestinal mucosa, with the two US-based API plants now Chinese-owned subsidiaries. This dependence is not hypothetical; a 2007-2008 contaminated Chinese heparin incident killed 149 Americans, with Beijing refusing Food and Drug Administration (FDA) access for investigation. China's 15th Five-Year Plan explicitly targets biomanufacturing for "decisive breakthroughs," aiming to reinforce control over value chains, as evidenced by recent rare earth and fertilizer export controls. A future event, such as an African Swine Fever outbreak or a diplomatic dispute, could disrupt heparin supply, impacting hundreds of thousands of American dialysis patients. Current US federal initiatives like the Strategic Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients Reserve (SAPIR) and the Phlow-BARDA program are inadequate for biologically derived drugs, and bovine-sourced heparin alternatives remain unapproved. The article urges elevating pharmaceutical supply chain resilience to the same strategic priority as critical minerals and semiconductors, emphasizing the direct link between Chinese export decisions and American lives.

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The Myth of the Thucydides Trap Is Convenient for China

The Free Press |  Aaron MacLean

Chinese President Xi Jinping strategically invoked the "Thucydides Trap" during a summit in Beijing, warning the U.S. and China to beware of the concept, which posits that war is often inevitable when a rising power challenges an established hegemon. Graham Allison, who popularized the theory, suggests that avoiding conflict requires "radical changes in attitudes and actions" from the established power, implying U.S. accommodation of China's rise. The article argues that Xi's deployment of this theory serves as an unsubtle warning and a tool of information warfare, shifting blame for potential conflict, such as over Taiwan, onto the United States. It criticizes Allison's theory as misleading, highlighting that while confrontation risks war, the risks of accommodation—especially with a totalitarian China pursuing territorial expansion and global dominance—could lead to a form of "slavery," underscoring the complex and dangerous geopolitical moment.

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Is It Time for the US to Step Back from the Persian Gulf?

National Interest  |  Tanya Goudsouzian

The United States' military presence in the Persian Gulf is increasingly perceived as a liability, risking escalation and hindering regional stability. Debates suggest US posture primarily serves Israeli interests and maintains American dominance. Iranian airstrikes have reportedly destroyed at least 228 structures at US facilities, demonstrating base vulnerability. Decades of US protection have prevented a genuinely regional security framework, leaving sheikhdoms reliant on Washington. The US strategy of conventional superiority against Iran has failed, as Iran's strategy of patience and resistance allows it to withstand attacks and Strait of Hormuz blockades. This costly global military posture, including a $29 billion war cost, collides with fiscal reality, with US debt exceeding GDP and debt payments surpassing the defense budget, aligning with Ferguson Limit theories. A reduced US footprint would encourage regional actors to assume greater responsibility for their own defense and diplomacy.

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U.S. and Iran Are Locked in a Stalemate That’s Neither Peace nor War

The Wall Street Journal  |  Laurence Norman, Robbie Gramer

The United States and Iran are currently entrenched in a diplomatic stalemate, characterized as a 'gray zone' that is neither full-scale conflict nor lasting peace. This situation persists despite a cease-fire now entering its second month, having lasted almost as long as the preceding period of active fighting. Neither Washington nor Tehran appears willing to compromise on long-standing issues, yet both sides are reluctant to resume hostilities, indicating a mutual desire to avoid escalation while fundamental disagreements remain unresolved. President Trump's outright rejection of Iran's counteroffer underscores the significant chasm between the two nations, suggesting that a comprehensive resolution remains distant. This precarious balance highlights a strategic environment where de-escalation is prioritized over resolution, maintaining a fragile stability that could be disrupted by renewed provocations or miscalculations.

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America Needs to Understand Golden Dome Before It’s Too Late

Real Clear Defense  |  Karl L. Buschmann

The United States is developing Golden Dome, a critical national security initiative designed to modernize homeland defense against advanced 21st-century threats, integrating sensing, tracking, command and control, and layered defensive capabilities. Despite its strategic importance in strengthening deterrence and reducing vulnerability, the program suffers from a significant lack of public understanding, leading to congressional skepticism, industry uncertainty, and vulnerability to adversary narratives. The author argues that a deliberate, public-facing communications campaign, anchored by a major national speech—ideally on Armed Forces Day, May 16, 2026—is essential to build bipartisan confidence, provide industry direction, reassure allies, and counter misinformation. This public rollout would ensure Golden Dome is defined by its strategic purpose rather than by speculation, reinforcing its role as a prudent, stabilizing investment in America’s security.

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Air Force MQ-9 downs aerial targets with cheap air-to-air missiles

Defense One  |  Thomas Novelly

The US Air Force is demonstrating a new capability for its MQ-9 Reaper drones, successfully engaging aerial targets with inexpensive air-to-air missiles. This development signifies a strategic shift towards more cost-effective counter-drone operations, addressing the growing proliferation of cheap, expendable unmanned aerial systems (UAS) that pose significant threats to military assets and personnel. By integrating lower-cost munitions onto existing platforms like the MQ-9, the Air Force aims to mitigate the economic imbalance where expensive interceptors are used against inexpensive drones, a challenge highlighted in recent conflicts. This initiative enhances the multi-role capabilities of the Reaper, extending its utility beyond traditional intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) and ground attack missions to include aerial defense. The demonstration underscores a broader military imperative to adapt to evolving drone warfare tactics, ensuring that the US maintains an economic and operational advantage in contested airspace. This approach could influence future drone procurement, armament strategies, and air defense doctrines across the Department of Defense, potentially leading to widespread adoption of similar low-cost intercept solutions for various platforms.

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Tuapse: Ukraine Continues to Take the Drone War to Russia

Small Wars Journal  |  SWJ

Ukrainian drone strikes on April 16th targeted the marine terminal at Tuapse, a critical Black Sea port city, resulting in casualties and significant damage. Over two weeks, four subsequent strikes repeatedly hit the same facility, including a direct hit on the main Rosneft refinery on April 28th, demonstrating a calculated Ukrainian strategy to deny Russia recovery windows by striking targets multiple times. These attacks caused severe environmental fallout, including an oil spill contaminating approximately 50 kilometers of Black Sea coastline and widespread oily, soot-laden rain. The Kremlin has actively suppressed coverage of the environmental damage and destruction, imposing fines for photographing the aftermath and framing the attacks as "environmental terrorism." The Tuapse incidents highlight the compounding effects of Ukraine's energy campaign, generating domestic political costs for Moscow amidst declining public morale and other strategic challenges.

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Israel’s upcoming election season could become its ugliest yet - opinion

The Jerusalem Post  |  YAAKOV KATZ

Israel's upcoming election season is poised to be its most contentious, driven by profound societal divisions and the existential challenges following the October 7 attacks. The political landscape is characterized by shifting narratives, broken promises, and a breakdown of democratic norms, with parties manipulating public perception rather than reflecting reality. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu views the election as crucial for his political and legal survival, aiming for public vindication against criminal charges. Conversely, the opposition sees it as a final opportunity to redefine the state's identity and initiate national rehabilitation. This existential framing has led to the disappearance of restraint, evidenced by AI-generated smear campaigns and threats to media freedom. The nation remains deeply divided over critical issues like the Gaza conflict's future, judicial reform, the ultra-Orthodox draft, and broader strategic direction, demanding citizens critically evaluate rhetoric and hold leaders accountable for promises.

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Hezbollah support endures in south Lebanon as ceasefire fails to stop war with Israel

BBC  |  Hugo Bachega

The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon persists despite a declared ceasefire, highlighting the deep-seated support for Hezbollah among the local Shia community and the strategic complexities of the region. Israeli air strikes continue day and night, targeting alleged Hezbollah operatives but frequently resulting in civilian casualties and widespread displacement, with over one million Lebanese displaced. Hezbollah, backed by Iran, retaliates with rocket and drone attacks on northern Israel and against Israeli troops occupying a 5% security buffer zone in southern Lebanon. This occupation, aimed at preventing Hezbollah attacks reminiscent of the 7 October 2023 Hamas assault, involves flattening villages and raises concerns about war crimes. Despite immense human and economic costs, many residents view Hezbollah as their sole defender against Israeli aggression. Domestically, while the Lebanese President calls for disarmament, Hezbollah's role as a political party, social service provider, and perceived protector solidifies its position within the Shia community, making forced disarmament politically fraught and risking further sectarian tensions.

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The LNG Security Myth: How the Strait of Hormuz Exposes LNG’s Vulnerabilities

National Interest  |  Anne-Sophie Corbeau

The ongoing conflict in the Middle East, particularly the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, is challenging the long-held perception of Liquefied natural gas (LNG) as a flexible and secure energy source. Unlike oil, which has developed mitigation strategies and alternative pipelines, LNG systems are structurally captive to maritime chokepoints like Hormuz, the Panama Canal, and the Bab el Mandeb Strait, lacking comparable rerouting options or strategic reserves. Global LNG supply is increasingly concentrated, with the United States, Qatar, and Australia projected to account for over 50 percent of exports by the early 2030s, exacerbating vulnerabilities alongside a lack of spare production capacity as facilities operate near maximum levels. LNG's celebrated flexibility often translates to price-driven allocation, where cargoes are redirected to the highest bidder, as seen when European Union countries attracted an incremental 50 bcm of LNG supply at the expense of Southeast Asian nations. This dynamic risks market fragmentation and undermines the promise of broad energy security.

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AI distillation attacks in the US–China contest

International Institute for Strategic Studies  |  Virpratap Vikram Singh

The United States has elevated China's AI model distillation attacks to a national security concern, as evidenced by the White House's NSTM-4 memorandum in April 2026. This follows disclosures from leading US AI companies—Google, Anthropic, and OpenAI—regarding industrial-scale campaigns by China-linked actors to illicitly extract capabilities from proprietary models, circumventing billions in R&D costs. These distillation attacks allow compute-constrained Chinese firms to meet performance benchmarks they cannot independently achieve, reinforcing narratives of cost-efficient Chinese AI development and narrowing the performance gap with US frontier models. While the US aims to sustain its AI dominance and export its full-stack AI package, China pursues an "independent, controllable, and collaborative" ecosystem despite holding only 14% of global AI compute. The situation echoes the 2006–2013 US–China commercial espionage, though a 2015-style diplomatic agreement is unlikely. With AI deeply integrated into economic and national security, the US is exploring accountability mechanisms, diplomatic engagement, and legislative actions like the proposed Deterring American AI Model Theft Act, alongside private sector countermeasures. The intensifying geopolitical competition suggests reciprocal interference risks may extend beyond the current US-China contest.

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I helped build the Pentagon’s AI transformation. Corporate America is making every mistake we almost made

Fortune  |  Drew Cukor

The United States is significantly lagging in Artificial Intelligence (AI) adoption despite leading in AI development, ranking 24th globally with only 28.3% adoption compared to Singapore's 61% and the UAE's 54%. This strategic deficit, highlighted by Stanford's 2026 AI Index, stems from treating AI as an experiment rather than an organizational transformation, a mistake the Pentagon nearly made with Project Maven. China, conversely, is rapidly integrating AI across all sectors through its "AI Plus" initiative, viewing it as operating infrastructure. The article argues that American companies must emulate Maven's success by embracing executive ownership, dismantling legacy processes, and demanding delivery accountability based on outcomes, not just activity. Failure to undertake this fundamental transformation risks obsolescence against leaner, faster competitors, particularly from the East, leading to a potential white-collar reckoning worse than the 1970s blue-collar offshoring wave.

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Claude Mythos Preview and the Erosion of Cyber Defense

Small Wars Journal | Travis Veillon

Anthropic's Claude Mythos Preview, an advanced large language model (LLM) released in April 2026, demonstrates a critical shift in cyber conflict from discrete breaches to continuous, AI-driven vulnerability discovery and exploitation at scale. This capability, where an LLM can identify, sequence, and act on vulnerabilities beyond its sandbox, signals an emerging imbalance where vulnerability discovery outpaces defensive response. For military organizations, this means operating in a persistent condition of low-level contestation, where networks, logistics, and infrastructure are subject to "degradation without disruption." Adversaries, potentially like China or Russia, could leverage such AI to map, probe, and quietly access defense systems and the defense industrial base long before visible conflict. This erodes confidence in data, communications, and GPS-dependent systems, requiring units to operate under the assumption of compromise and prioritize mission continuity and resilience over absolute network integrity. The U.S. military must adapt its strategy from preventing intrusion to fighting and winning despite degraded reliability.

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Pentagon cyber official calls advanced AI ‘revolutionary warfare’

Cyberscoop  |  Tim Starks

The U.S. Department of Defense's principal deputy assistant secretary for cyber policy, Paul Lyons, recently declared advanced artificial intelligence (AI) models, such as Mythos, represent "revolutionary warfare" that will fundamentally alter military operations. Lyons emphasized AI's potential to transform both offensive and defensive postures, particularly in protecting critical infrastructure by enabling rapid threat hunting across various domains. While acknowledging the strategic opportunity presented by American companies developing these frontier AI models, the Pentagon is actively addressing complex questions regarding necessary authorities and optimal employment strategies for AI's speed, scale, and complexity in cyber operations. Despite Anthropic's initial resistance leading to Mythos being labeled a "supply chain risk," the DoD is been using Mythos for cyber vulnerability hunting. Lyons also highlighted the increasing maturity of cyber warfare, citing examples in spades in Venezuela and Iran where cyber operations are integrated with kinetic effects to enhance lethality and reduce operational risks. He stressed the imperative for the U.S. to adopt a dominant, full-spectrum offensive cyber posture, moving beyond a historically defensive stance, to secure strategic advantage, aligning with President Trump’s cyber strategy.

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AI at Speed, Humans at Risk

Real Clear Defense  |  Nick Ulmer, Harrison Schramm

The article critically examines the rapid integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into national security and broader society, highlighting its ubiquity and utility as a cost-cutting accelerant. Despite the Defense Department's incentivization of AI use, the authors raise significant concerns about accuracy, effectiveness, and the potential for "enshittification" as human roles are replaced. They argue that AI currently enjoys an unfair advantage over human judgment, particularly in high-stakes decision-making, due to a lack of rigorous "goodness" measures and an overemphasis on usability rather than correctness. Advocating for "Carbon Supremacy," the authors assert the primacy of natural human intelligence and propose modernizing taxation schemes to tax AI-generated work at rates comparable to human labor, thereby aligning economic incentives with responsibility rather than replacement. The piece concludes by emphasizing that AI should serve as an amplifier of human intelligence, not a substitute, urging discipline in deciding when to trust these powerful tools to prevent the erosion of human judgment, accountability, and ethics.

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Claim, counter-claim and tech's seedy side exposed: Five things we learned in the Musk-Altman trial

BBC  |  Lily Jamali

The legal showdown between Elon Musk and Sam Altman has illuminated the intricate power dynamics and ethical challenges within the high-stakes artificial intelligence sector, particularly concerning the future of OpenAI. Musk's core accusation that Altman "stole a charity" by abandoning OpenAI's non-profit mission was largely undermined by testimony from prominent figures like Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, who stated his company's extensive due diligence found no evidence of Musk's alleged commitment. The trial rigorously scrutinized Altman's trustworthiness, revealing his substantial private investments, including a $1.5 billion stake in Helion Energy, and raising questions about potential conflicts of interest. Furthermore, the proceedings exposed highly personal and unconventional interactions, such as Musk allegedly offering free Teslas for loyalty and his relationship with OpenAI board member Shivon Zilis, underscoring how influence is wielded in Silicon Valley. Presided over by a no-nonsense judge, the trial showcased the immense financial and technological power held by these individuals, whose decisions profoundly impact global technology and governance.

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Musk v Altman - 5 big moments in the tech bros' OpenAI trial

BBC News  |  Lily Jamali

The legal showdown between Elon Musk and Sam Altman over the future of OpenAI has exposed significant strategic and ethical dilemmas within the tech industry. Musk's central claim, that Altman "stole a charity" by transitioning OpenAI from a non-profit to a for-profit entity, was contradicted by a parade of high-profile witnesses, including Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, who testified to a lack of evidence regarding Musk's alleged non-profit commitment. The trial also placed Altman's character under intense scrutiny, with allegations of untrustworthiness and concerns over his extensive private investments, some of which brokered deals with OpenAI, such as a power purchasing agreement with Helion Energy. Furthermore, the proceedings revealed highly personal dynamics, including Musk's relationship with Shivon Zilis and alleged power plays involving offers of free Teslas and frantic text messages among executives. This case highlights the immense power wielded by tech leaders and the often-unconventional methods used to secure loyalty and influence, with the jury's decision poised to impact corporate governance and ethical standards in the rapidly evolving artificial intelligence sector.

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The U.S. Military Needs Another Revolution

WSJ  |  Rahm Emanuel

The American military's global pre-eminence over the past quarter-century stemmed from critical failures, specifically the post-Vietnam morale crisis and the service-level integration issues exposed during the Grenada invasion. These shortcomings necessitated significant reforms, culminating in the Goldwater-Nichols Act of 1986, which overhauled the Pentagon's command structure. However, contemporary conflicts, particularly the wars in Ukraine and Iran, now underscore an urgent requirement for another fundamental revolution in the U.S. approach to armed conflict. The article argues that new forms of warfare have emerged since the last major reform in 1986, demanding immediate strategic adaptation to maintain military effectiveness and global leadership.

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Army Paratroopers Integrate Drones, Night Operations in Historic Company Live Fire

U.S. Department of War  |  Army Maj. Ian Roth, 11th Airborne Division

U.S. Army paratroopers from the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 11th Airborne Division, recently executed a historic company live-fire exercise at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, integrating small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS) and night operations. This event, involving over 700 paratroopers from April 27 to May 8, marked the brigade's first exercise incorporating friendly kinetic and strike sUAS, with paratroopers employing first-person-view (FPV) drones to strike simulated enemy positions and defend against live drone adversaries. The sUAS, built with components from the 11th Airborne Division Innovations Team and the brigade's Multifunctional Reconnaissance Company, were entirely controlled by ground units, demonstrating tremendous effect and accuracy. This exercise validates the unit's enhanced capability to integrate direct and indirect fires in complex, austere, and arctic combat scenarios, signaling a crucial doctrinal shift towards decentralized drone warfare and advanced night combat proficiency for airborne forces, thereby increasing their lethality and adaptability in future operational environments.

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Drones and ancient revolutions in military affairs

Asia Times  |  Stephen Bryen

Drones represent a modern revolution in military affairs, fundamentally altering battlefield dynamics, much like ancient technological advancements. The chariot, for instance, transformed ancient warfare by enabling mobile flanking maneuvers and spearheading infantry assaults for over a millennium. Similarly, the composite bow, crafted from wood, horn, sinew, and fish bladder glue (isinglass), significantly enhanced archery with greater range, accuracy, and penetrating power, proving decisive for forces like the Hyksos against Egypt. The Bronze Age also saw a revolution with the widespread adoption of bronze, an alloy of copper and arsenic or tin, which provided durable materials for weapons and armor, shaping great power relations until trade network collapses. The full transition to copper-and-tin bronze came about roughly in 1500 BCE thanks to an overland and overseas trade network that could import tin from Kazakhstan and Afghanistan or (later) from Britain. These historical examples underscore how new technologies, from ancient chariots and bows to modern drones, consistently redefine military capabilities and strategic landscapes.

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The Unintended Consequences of Iran’s Asymmetric Strategy and America’s AI War

Carnegie Endowment  |  Steve Feldstein

The hypothetical 2026 'Iran war' highlights the profound strategic implications of Iran's asymmetric warfare and the United States' reliance on AI-enabled conflict. Iran's decades-long development of low-cost, mass-produced drones and ballistic missiles, such as the Shahed-136, enabled it to saturate advanced defenses and inflict significant damage on U.S. military assets and regional economic infrastructure, including oil refineries and the Strait of Hormuz. Conversely, the U.S. employed AI systems like Maven Smart System, powered by Anthropic’s Claude AI, to achieve an unprecedented tempo of targeting. This conflict exposes critical U.S. strategic vulnerabilities, including the unsustainable cost of defending against cheap attacks and the depletion of expensive munitions, raising concerns about readiness for peer conflicts. Furthermore, it risks normalizing attacks on civilian infrastructure, violating international humanitarian law, and spurring a dangerous proliferation of advanced drone technology among regional states.

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What Pakistan Army Chief’s Speech Reveals About the Future of Conflict With India

The Diplomat  |  Umair Jamal

Pakistan's Army Chief and Field Marshal Asim Munir's May 10 speech at GHQ Rawalpindi offered a comprehensive assessment of the 2025 Marka-e-Haq conflict with India and Pakistan's future warfare strategy. Following India's Operation Sindoor, which escalated into a four-day multi-domain clash, Munir warned that future Indian "misadventures" would trigger widespread, dangerous responses, reinforcing Pakistan's Full Spectrum Deterrence doctrine against limited war. He emphasized a shift towards multi-domain operations integrating cyber, electronic warfare, drones, and AI, reflecting ongoing military modernization and restructuring. Munir also framed the 2025 conflict ideologically, strengthening internal cohesion. Diplomatically, he asserted Pakistan emerged with "more friends," challenging India's containment efforts and regional ambitions. Reaffirming Pakistan's unwavering stance on Kashmir, Munir's speech signals a confident, strategically emboldened Pakistan moving beyond a purely defensive posture, projecting enhanced military capabilities and diplomatic relevance.

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Starlink and Risks for India – Takshashila Institution

Takshashila Institution | Ashwin Prasad Rao , Aditya Ramanathan , Col. Das (Retd.)

Starlink presents significant strategic risks for India, primarily stemming from its technological dominance, Elon Musk's influence on the US government, and his erratic conduct. India's existing Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite (GMPCS) regulations are insufficient, relying on self-certification and difficult independent enforcement. Key concerns include Starlink's potential to leverage sensitive user data for intelligence or commercial advantage, as evidenced by its 2026 privacy policy update allowing data sharing for AI training with xAI. Musk's history of selectively restricting Starlink access in Ukraine and the company's refusal to share user data with Indian authorities regarding illegal usage in Manipur and Andaman Islands underscore the challenges. The article highlights the technical difficulty of blocking illicit Starlink usage due to its dense LEO constellation and adaptive software. India should bolster its Digital Bharat Nidhi scheme to expand domestic broadband and diversify satellite internet vendors for critical applications like disaster relief, reducing over-reliance on a single foreign provider.

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Pakistan embraces its new role as wartime mediator

The Week  |  Rafi Schwartz

Pakistan has unexpectedly emerged as a crucial mediator in the ongoing conflict between the United States and Iran, hosting multiple rounds of ceasefire negotiations. Despite its domestic challenges and previously volatile relationship with the Trump administration, Islamabad has leveraged its connections with Saudi Arabia and China to significantly enhance its geopolitical influence. Pakistani Field Marshal Asim Munir reportedly enjoys favor with U.S. President Donald Trump, while Pakistan also emphasizes its "brotherly" ties with Iran. The country's nuclear power status grants it a "head start in terms of credibility," a factor Iran reportedly seeks. China, sharing common cause against India with Pakistan, plays a vital background role in these peace efforts. Pakistan is actively working to shed its image as a "breeding ground for terrorism," aiming to portray itself as a "responsible middle power" capable of ensuring regional security from the Arabian Peninsula to the Indian border.

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Twelve CEOs and a President Walk Into Beijing

FrameTheGlobeNews  |  The Ren Way

A high-level delegation comprising twelve prominent American CEOs and a US President visiting Beijing highlights the profound economic entanglement between the two global powers. This scenario, characterized by an aggregate market capitalization exceeding ten trillion dollars and significant lobbying expenditures in Washington, underscores a critical American dependency on China. The article posits that this dependency heavily influences American foreign policy, potentially compromising strategic autonomy when this 'performance stops,' implying a breakdown or re-evaluation of the relationship. Such deep corporate and political integration raises questions about the resilience of US national interests against economic leverage, particularly in a competitive geopolitical landscape. The presence of such influential figures in Beijing signals the ongoing challenge of decoupling and the complex interplay between corporate profits and national security objectives, revealing vulnerabilities in the face of shifting global dynamics and the potential for China to exploit these economic ties for strategic advantage.

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China’s Rare-Earth Card Looms Over Trump-Xi Summit

Foreign Policy | Christina Lu

China's dominant position in the global rare-earth supply chain presents a significant strategic leverage point for Beijing, particularly in the context of an anticipated summit between President Trump and President Xi. These critical minerals are indispensable for a wide array of advanced technologies, including defense systems, electronics, and renewable energy components, making the United States deeply vulnerable to any potential export restrictions or disruptions. Despite Washington's ongoing efforts to secure alternative sources and develop domestic processing capabilities, its reliance on Chinese rare earths persists. Beijing is poised to utilize this "rare-earth card" as a powerful bargaining chip during high-stakes trade and technology negotiations, aiming to extract concessions or influence policy outcomes. The summit underscores the intensifying economic and technological competition, with control over critical mineral supply chains emerging as a pivotal element of national security and geopolitical influence.

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