Headlines- On Monday, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said that airstrikes on Iran have started for the third night in a row.
- On Monday, the UAE Ministry of Defense announced that two Iranian tankers had attacked two national tankers. One Indian crew member was killed and eight others were injured, including four critically, by cruise missiles in the southern lane of the Strait of Hormuz in Omani territorial waters.
- Despite unleashing fresh attacks on Iran and reimposing a blockade of Iranian ports, US President Donald Trump said on Monday that an deal with Tehran to end the Middle East war was still possible.
- IRGC spokesman Hossein Mohebbi said in a statement on Monday that Iran will "continue to exercise our sovereignty and management over the Strait of Hormuz."
- A constitutional amendment was passed by the Hungarian parliament to oust Orban ally President Tamas Sulyok.
Category: News & Views
Soft Power ‘Win’ for Beijing as...
Thousands of sick, disabled and otherwise unwell queued at Wharf T over the past week, hoping to board a Chinese hospital ship to receive free medical care.
US to Set Up Philippines Fuel...
Washington is planning a fuel depot in the southern Philippines that could support humanitarian and maritime security missions of its key Southeast Asian ally, which is locked in an increasingly hostile territorial tussle with China.
Japan’s Combat Role in Philippines War...
Japan sending combat troops to participate in upcoming exercises in the Philippines is a signal of a shift towards a more networked, multi-layered security structure in the South China Sea that is still anchored by the United States, analysts in the region told Radio Free Asia.
PNG-Australia Defense Treaty Creates Jobs, Risks...
Six months after Papua New Guinea and Australia signed a bilateral defense treaty, public opinion in PNG remains divided, with some telling Radio Free Asia that they like that the pact creates opportunities for youth, and others saying that they worry about potentially being drawn into a larger conflict between the West and China.
China-US Competition for Rare Earths Sparks...
A U.S. plan to potentially mine an area of Pacific seabed roughly the size of Nevada near two U.S. territories is the latest example of increasing competition in the region between the United States and China, a local government official told Radio Free Asia.
North Korean Hackers Offer $70,000 Per...
Cybersecurity engineer Toufik Airane was approached by a North Korean hacker who offered him a small fortune in exchange for use his of his identity—and he has the screenshots to prove it.
Vietnam Protests China’s Development of Disputed...
Vietnam has condemned China’s land reclamation activities at Antelope reef in the disputed Paracel Islands, following reports of accelerated dredging, landfill and construction operations there that, according to a U.S.-based think tank, could make it “China’s largest feature” in the South China Sea.
“Iranian Authorities Use Live Fire, Arbitrary...
In response to the nationwide protests that started on December 28, Iranian authorities have drastically intensified their violent crackdown. They have fired live ammunition indiscriminately at protesters, killing dozens of people, including children, arbitrarily detaining thousands of people, and violently attacking hospitals to hold injured people actions that, according to international law, constitute crimes against humanity.
UN Urges Iran to Stop Executing...
Despite years of physical and sexual abuse during her marriage as a child bride, Goli Kouhkan, a 25-year-old Baluch woman sentenced to death for the murder of her husband, is scheduled to be executed. Prominent UN human rights experts have urgently urged Iranian authorities to immediately halt the execution.
Myanmar Junta Says it Seized 30...
Myanmar’s junta said on Monday it raided one of the country’s most notorious cyberscam centers and seized Starlink satellite internet devices.