LATEST PULSE

For much of the Cold War, the Arctic sat on the front line between East and West. Military forces watched each other across frozen waters and cooperation was rare. Today, the region faces a challenges other than war. Climate change, melting ice, and environmental risks are reshaping one of the world's most fragile ecosystems.   The Arctic Council emerged from that changing reality. Established in 1996, it brought together Canada, Denmark, ...

Central Asia needs more electricity. Rapid population growth, industrial development, and the expansion of energy-hungry industries are pushing Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan to invest in nuclear power for the first time in decades.   But nuclear reactors are not only about energy security. They are also tools of diplomacy. Russia, China, France, and South Korea all want a role in the region's nuclear future, giving Central Asian governments ne...

On July 9, 2026, Beijing intensified an unfounded and unlawful territorial claim over Batanes, the Philippines’ northernmost province, asserting that the islands belong to China.   The claim emerged from a June 30 symposium hosted by Jinan University in Guangzhou, where scholars from institutions including Nanjing University, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and other research organizations argued that the Batan Islands consti...

When the US-Israel-Iran war disrupted the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most important energy routes, governments were not the only actors shaping the outcome. A little-known South Korean shipping company, Sinokor Group, quietly emerged, becoming a key part of keeping Middle Eastern oil flowing despite war.   Private shipping companies, backed by billions of dollars in capital and willing to accept extraordinary risks, are increasin...