The World

MANILA — China's carrier Liaoning, with two Type 055 cruisers and a destroyer, passed through the Basilan Strait inside the Philippine archipelago. The Philippine military confirmed on October 26 that the group then headed toward the Celebes Sea, and said it came within 50 nautical miles of the coast. The U.S. research group ISW-CDOT, writing for AEI, judges that the transit was meant to intimidate Manila and may have rehearsed breaching the first island chain. That is the group's assessment, not a Chinese statement. The passage follows a diplomatic row. Manila summoned Ambassador Jing Quan on October 19 over remarks that China could easily win a conflict, and President Marcos said the comments sounded like a threat. Beijing defended its envoy. The Philippines tracked 101 Chinese naval and coast guard ships in September, up from 56 in August. Direct military hotlines have been suspended since 2023.

CARACAS — Opposition leader María Corina Machado returned to Venezuela on October 25 after nearly a year abroad. Thousands greeted her in Caracas the next day. Her team said earlier that she had been turned back three times when she tried to enter by air and sea. Her return came two days after Venezuelans held their first national protest in almost two years, demanding elections. Interim President Delcy Rodríguez, who took over after the U.S. seized Nicolás Maduro in January, has promised a path to elections. Government and opposition negotiators have agreed to a committee to review Supreme Court appointments, and 39 political prisoners were freed in September. Washington lifted sanctions on National Assembly president Jorge Rodríguez on October 14. Maduro and his wife pleaded not guilty on October 15 to new torture charges. Power outages and earthquake recovery add to public anger.

BANGKOK — Thailand's foreign minister, Sihasak Phuangketkeow, told Reuters on October 23 that Bangkok welcomes renewed U.S. engagement with Myanmar's military-backed government. He said it does not legitimize the regime. U.S. and Myanmar officials held talks in Tokyo earlier this month, their second meeting in a month. ASEAN leaders meet in Manila in November and are expected to discuss how to proceed. The generals have been kept from high-level ASEAN meetings since the 2021 coup. Sihasak said it was unclear whether full representation would be restored. He also said Thailand and Cambodia could settle their land and sea boundaries within 12 to 18 months, though little progress has been made. Crisis Group says confrontations continue on that border. On Monday, more than 200 residents of Thailand's Mae Sot district petitioned for protection from stray fire from fighting in Myanmar.

ALGIERS — Algeria cut diplomatic ties with the United Arab Emirates on September 10. It accused Abu Dhabi of provocative and hostile acts but named no specific trigger. The UAE ambassador was given 48 hours to leave. Algiers also barred UAE-registered aircraft from its airspace, with UAE commercial flights to and from Algiers exempt until year's end. The UAE said it hoped the rupture would be temporary. Crisis Group published analysis on October 23 arguing that the sides read the dispute very differently and that it has become a rivalry that could endanger regional stability. Disputes include Western Sahara, where Algiers backs the Polisario Front and Abu Dhabi backs Morocco, and the UAE's alleged role in Libya, Sudan and the Sahel, which the UAE has denied. King's College London's Andreas Krieg told Middle East Eye that Algiers now sees Emirati regional networks as aimed at itself.

WASHINGTON — The Pentagon announced Tuesday that Poland will host a new center to maintain, repair and overhaul Lockheed Martin's PAC-3 Patriot interceptor missiles. The department said the site should improve operational readiness across allied air and missile defense forces. Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment Michael Duffey described it as an investment in NATO's eastern flank and a signal of allied resolve. U.S. Ambassador to Poland Tom Rose said Warsaw won the role through a strong proposal and its willingness to invest in its own defense industry. The decision comes as the Russia-Ukraine war and the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran have drained interceptor stocks and delayed deliveries. The announcement did not give a cost or an opening date in the material reviewed.

WASHINGTON — The Defense Department is trying to build a larger deep-cover espionage program aimed at waging economic warfare against China and other U.S. competitors, the Washington Post reported Oct. 21, citing six people familiar with the effort. The paper described economic espionage as a new Pentagon priority and noted that the department has a poor record in human spying, an area traditionally led by the CIA. The report arrives amid a public debate over whether U.S. intelligence should collect against foreign companies for the benefit of American firms. NPR reported the same week that David Cohen, a former CIA deputy director, argues Washington should drop long-standing restraint on the practice. The Pentagon's plans have not been confirmed on the record in the material reviewed.

LONDON — A former British defence minister said this week that the 2025 cyberattack on Jaguar Land Rover was state-sponsored, according to the Solihull Observer, which cited a Telegraph report. The government has not publicly named those responsible. The independent Cyber Monitoring Centre estimated the incident cost the UK economy about £1.9 billion, within a range of £1.6 billion to £2.1 billion. It found more than 5,000 organisations were affected and called it the most economically damaging cyber event recorded in Britain. The Telegraph has reported suspicions of Russian involvement. The New York Times reported in June 2026, citing five people familiar with the investigation, that a Russian hacking group was responsible. An opposition defence spokesman criticised the government for withholding information about the origin.