U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter has announced an "enhanced military alliance" between the United States and the Philippines. The United States will position 200 pilots and crew members, as well as six aircraft and three helicopters, at the former Clark Air Base, which is located north of the capital Manila. Carter made the announcement while visiting the Philippines where American and Filipino troops are holding annual joint military drills. Speaking at a news conference with Philippines Defense Minister Voltaire Gazmin, Carter said the two countries have been conducting joint patrols in the South China Sea and will increase them furthermore in order to ensure the security of the region's waters.

After the Parliament in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) dissolved on the 7th of April due to a political deadlock following a corruption scandal, lawmakers voted for early elections on the 5th of June. The corruption scandal involved former Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski who resigned on the 15th of January 2016 after accusations of abuses of power by officials that had come to light through secret wiretap recordings. The situation worsened this week when President Gjorge Ivanov officially pardoned 56 officials including former Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski, who were involved in the scandal which included the mismanagement of funds, dubious criminal prosecutions of opponents and even cover-ups of killings. President of the European Council Donald Tusk has warned Macedonia that it must adhere to 'the rule of law' and that the country's Euro-Atlantic future is at risk.

Less than a month after the terror attacks on Brussels airport and metro system of 22 March, Belgian Minister for Transport Jacqueline Galant has resigned from her position within the cabinet following accusations that she would have failed to act on reports from 2015 that indicated serious security flaws at Belgian airports. Opposition parties within the Belgian Parliament had put pressure on her to clarify whether she had known about the fact and why the Ministry had refrained from acting on the reports. The EU Commission reports that were provided more than a half year before the attacks had criticised serious deficiencies in security, including insufficient staff training or resources at security checks. While the Minister had earlier declared to have been unaware of the deficiencies, the reports had come to light after the resigned president of the executive committee of the Ministry of Transport accused her of lies.

On 15 April 2016, the campaigns have been launched for the "Brexit" Referendum: the question whether the UK should leave the European Union or not. Two days earlier, "Vote Leave" and "Britain Stronger in Europe" were recognized as the official campaign names. The final question will be posed on 23 June 2016 during a referendum. Recent polls show the both campaigns in a tight race. The vote has created uncertainty over the future of the UK and the EU, and the IMF has recently warned of potential consequences if it would leave. President Obama is to visit the country next week to try to convince British people to vote to remain in the EU.

As expected, the former Chief of the Parliament Volodymyr Groysman has become the new Prime Minister of Ukraine. The move follows the resignation of Arseniy Yatsenyuk earlier a few days ago, the latter which had recommended Groysman to become the new head of the government. The new Prime Minister has vowed to tackle corruption and strengthen ties with the EU, as many of his predecessors has done before him. Groysman himself, who is to become the youngest Prime Minister ever in Ukraine with 38 years old, is a close ally of Poroshenko, coming from the same political party ''Solidarity''. The appointment, that some consider as horse-trading for power by oligarchs in the country, comes along with the replacement of the technocrat finance and economy ministers Natalie Jaresko and Aivaras Abromavicius.

In a result confounding pundits, South Korea's ruling conservative Saenuri Party lost its parliamentary majority for the first time in 16 years. Earlier predictions suggested President Park Geun-hye's party would easily win. It is said that voters registered their dissatisfaction with the President's economic record and soaring youth unemployment. The election result could jeopardize an economic reform program Park wants to push through before her term ends next year. The program would introduce economic deregulation and labor reforms in response to the country's stagnant economy. The result left the three liberal opposition parties with a combined 167 seats in the 300-seat legislature. Park said she "humbly" accepted her ruling party's shock electoral defeat and vowed to work together with the current opposition.