For the U.S. and Europe, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz has been a headache. For much of Asia, it has been a disaster. In the aftermath, however, a growing number of states across the region are doubling down on renewable energy infrastructure. Read: www.indo-pacificnexus.org/articles/chain

— INDO - PACIFIC NEXUS

Breaking the Chain: Asia Turns to Renewables

indo-pacificnexus.org

Season Two of the Indo-Pacific In Focus has arrived! To kick off the new season, we sit down with Bertelsmann Foundation Fellows Ann Kowalewski and Randolf Carr to discuss the state of U.S. and EU policy in the Indo-Pacific halfway through 2026 🎧 open.spotify.com/episode/6Of4...

The Indo-Pacific In Focus Season 2, Episode 1: The Indo-Pacific in 2026

The Indo-Pacific In Focus · Episode

open.spotify.com

Now streaming on BFNA Docs: American Lithium: The Divide at Thacker Pass. As the U.S. races to secure critical minerals for the clean energy transition, one proposed lithium mine in Nevada has divided the local Paiute and Shoshone community. watch here: www.bfnadocs.org/american-lit...

American Lithium

<p>As America races to secure its lithium future, a proposed mine at Thacker Pass divides an Indigenous community over ancestral land, environmental concerns and economic opportunity.</p>

bfnadocs.org

Chinese overcapacity is at the forefront of policy debates from Berlin to Brussels. It was therefore pleasure to host former MEP Reinhard Bütikofer for a roundtable discussion on how Germany and the EU are responding to the China Shock 2.0. Thanks to everyone who joined.

9 in 10 Germans backed the nuclear phase-out after Fukushima. Today a majority supports a return to nuclear. Every party has adjusted, except the one defined by its opposition to it. New B|Brief from Iulia Sava on the Green Party’s bind: www.bfna.org/politics-soc...

BFNA’s documentary Astropolitics is now available to stream on WETA, PBS.org, and the PBS App. Explore the evolution of great power competition in space and how this new frontier is reshaping global security, technology, and geopolitics. watch.weta.org/show/astropo...

Astropolitics

Astropolitics is documentary exploring the evolution of great power competition in space.

watch.weta.org

AI is driving one of the biggest infrastructure booms in modern history, but at what cost? In Ep. 16 of The Transponder Virginia State Delegate John McAuliff talks about why N. Virginia became the world's data center capital & it means for the communities. open.spotify.com/episode/69XO...

We are excited to kick off the first annual Young Professionals in Foreign Policy Rising Expert RANGE Tournament! Over the next six months, teams of fellows from YPFP's Rising Expert program will compete to forecast the future of some of the world's most pressing geopolitical questions!

In our latest B|Brief in the Astropolitics series, Charles A. Smith offers a unique glimpse into a corner of the space commercial sector that has the potential to unlock new opportunities: space insurance. www.astro-politics.org/articles/fro...

— ASTROPOLITICS

Coverage for the Final Frontier: The Tumultuous Landscape of the Space Insurance Industry by Charles A. Smith

astro-politics.org

From semiconductors to AI, many of the world's most vital technologies originate in the Indo-Pacific. But which countries are leading the charge, and how are supply chains shifting amid geopolitical uncertainty? 🎧 The Indo-Pacific In Focus.https://open.spotify.com/episode/2MlLfYHwyiLTZyT5fwDxjo

The European Democracy Shield aims to protect EU democracy from foreign meddling. In their new B|Brief, Maša Ocvirk and Zachary Stoor examine how the EU should reinforce the Shield against the interference challenges seen in this year’s Hungarian & Slovenian elections: www.bfna.org/politics-soc...

Can democracy become more resilient by being bolder? In the latest #HowToFixDemocracy podcast, Andrew Keen speaks with John Kampfner about why resilience, imagination & political courage are essential to renewing democracy.🎧https://open.spotify.com/episode/3fRsEaQulEWLGrkpMLed90

AI isn't just about algorithms, it's about the infrastructure behind them. In her latest article, Georgia Kruger explores how Southeast Asia is emerging as a major hub for AI-ready data centers. A timely look at one of the key frontiers of the AI race. www.indo-pacificnexus.org/articles/fro...

— INDO - PACIFIC NEXUS

The Next Frontier: A New Center for Data in Southeast Asia

indo-pacificnexus.org

As Ireland begins its presidency of the Council of the EU, our #TransatlanticPeriscope Deep Dive takes a closer look at Dublin’s vision for the Union over the next six months. Check it out here: transatlanticperiscope.org/deep-dives/d...

As NATO leaders prepare to meet in Türkiye this July, defense spending will again dominate the agenda. New RANGE Forecast: Will 8 or more EU Member States spend 3%+ of GDP on defense by Dec. 31, 2027? Make your forecast and compare it with the crowd!

The #TransatlanticBarometer digs deep into #CriticalMinerals in our newest thematic indicator. Check out key regulations, projects and production data for each of our 30 featured countries and the European Union here: www.transatlanticbarometer.org/topic/critic...

For the 10 year anniversary of #Brexit, our colleagues at @bertelsmannst.bsky.social have released a new #eupinions report. See how Britons would vote today, and where the EU and UK remain aligned here: shorturl.at/r07cZ

10 Years After the Brexit Referendum

Ten years ago, Britain decided to leave the European Union. The Brexit referendum sent shockwaves across the continent. A decade later, the United Kingdom, the European Union and the wider world have ...

shorturl.at

As the CDU in Saxony-Anhalt seeks to best the far-right AfD in the state’s September elections, the roadmap may be found in neighboring Thuringia. Read the latest B|Brief from @cflynnmartino.bsky.social to learn more about the upcoming CDU-AfD showdown: bit.ly/4ef0opr

Gerrymandering is no longer just a once-a-decade process—it's become a year-round political battle. In Ep. 15 of The Transponder election law expert Nate Persily explains how redistricting wars are reshaping American democracy. 🎧https://open.spotify.com/episode/2fTW3YYVR8QaRvrOBMvwhN

As Ljubljana shifts directions and Jansa returns to power, look back on our #TransatlanticPeriscope Deep Dive on the 2026 Slovenian parliamentary election for key developments in the campaign & government formation process. Click here to see: transatlanticperiscope.org/deep-dives/d...

What happens to democracy when local news disappears? In this of The Transponder, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Tom Hamburger joins Samuel George to discuss the decline of local journalism. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...

How can we strengthen democratic resilience? In this HTFD eps. James Traub discusses the role of civic education & how we can prepare the next generation of active citizens.🎧https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/james-traub-democratic-resilience-starts-in-the-classroom/id1451517552?i=1000770820481

As a new government has taken shape in Sofia, look back on our #TransatlanticPeriscope Deep Dive on the 2026 Bulgarian parliamentary election for key developments in the campaign and government formation process. Click here to see the Deep Dive: transatlanticperiscope.org/deep-dives/d...

In our latest RANGE forecasting question, we look at whether the station will complete its controlled deorbit by January 31, 2031, given shifting congressional timelines and the evolving shape of the commercial transition. Submit your forecast: rangeforecasting.org

Partners in Orbit 🌍🚀 Five space agencies. Fifteen nations. One station that has kept people living and working in space for over 25 years. Even as geopolitical tensions strain relations on Earth, the ISS has remained a rare space where international cooperation still holds.

From the first votes at the polls to the first votes in the new parliament, our #TransatlanticPeriscope Deep Dive on the 2026 Hungarian election catalogued every moment of this closely-watched election. Look back on it here: transatlanticperiscope.org/deep-dives/d...

As the dust settles the Trump-Xi summit, governments across the Indo-Pacific are taking stock. For Japan & Taiwan, the meeting is unlikely to calm longstanding anxieties about China & U.S. commitment to the region. Read Marshall Reid's latest article www.indo-pacificnexus.org/articles/sum...

— INDO - PACIFIC NEXUS

A Matter of Perspectives: Varying Views on the Trump-Xi Summit

indo-pacificnexus.org

🚀 Las Vegas space & geopolitics folks — this is for you: Join the World Affairs Council of Las Vegas and Bertelsmann Foundation for ASTROPOLITICS — a documentary screening + panel on the geopolitics of the new space race.https://luma.com/2bcjz090

Friedrich Merz undid a year’s worth of goodwill with Donald Trump after telling a group of students the U.S. is being “humiliated” by Iran last month. Read the latest B|Brief from @cflynnmartino.bsky.social to find out what this means for the U.S.-German relationship: www.bfna.org/politics-soc...

Bangladesh and Bulgaria held elections earlier this year after Gen Z protests toppled governments. Check out our latest B|Brief from Zac Stoor about the ways youth protest movements can serve as catalysts for change: www.bfna.org/politics-soc...