Headlines- The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran says they still have "decisive control" over the Strait of Hormuz.
- US President Donald Trump said on Friday that Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Venezuelan interim President Delcy Rodriguez had reached an agreement for the US to take control of Venezuela's vast oil reserves.
- Three militants were killed in an attack on Friday in the occupied West Bank, according to the Israeli military.
- After protests against migrants who have remained in the North African enclave after a major inflow, Ceuta residents clashed with police, prompting Spain's interior minister to call for calm on Friday.
- At least 584 people killed and another 1,300 went missing on Wednesday after landslides caused by a glacial collapse unleashed a torrent of mud and water across Nepal and China's autonomous region of Tibet.
- In China and Nepal, there are more than 2,400 missing people, 558 people are reported missing in Tibet.
Tag: News and Views
Satellite Imagery Reveals Increased Activity at...
At North Korea’s Yongbyon Nuclear Complex, heightened activity observed on satellite imagery indicates that Pyongyang is increasing its capacity to produce nuclear weapons, experts told Radio Free Asia.
ASEAN, China Unlikely to Finalize South...
Southeast Asian leaders are unlikely to resolve long-standing disputes in the South China Sea at next month’s ASEAN Summit, but they could make “incremental progress” towards a Code of Conduct, or COC, aimed at managing tensions there, analysts told Radio Free Asia.
Heat Maps Show Largest Greenhouse Farm...
Months after North Korea unveiled the country’s largest-ever greenhouse farm, analysts told Radio Free Asia that satellite imagery shows less than half of the farm is operational, likely due to power shortages.
2026 Balikatan Exercises Will Highlight Manila’s...
The Philippines is slowly shifting to a more “active defense posture,” analysts told Radio Free Asia, as Manila and Washington launch the largest-ever iteration of their annual war games this week.
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.