Headlines

Pentagon strong-armed AI firms before Iran strikes

In the lead-up to the weekend’s US and Israeli attacks on Iran, the US Department of Defense was locked in tense negotiations with artificial intelligence (AI) company Anthropic over exactly how the Pentagon could use the firm’s technology. Anthropic wanted guarantees its

Stop illegal Chinese worker exploitation in Indonesia

Indonesia’s recent discovery of Chinese workers without proper work permits in the Galang Batang special economic zone exposes a systemic enforcement failure with serious human costs. Provincial labor inspectors found dozens of Chinese nationals working without the mandatory

Iran war to speed Asia’s clean energy shift

Conflict may entrench fossil fuel infrastructure today while simultaneously locking in Asia’s structural advantage in renewables tomorrow. Energy volatility in the Middle East is serving as a new accelerant for energy security and thus strategic autonomy. The confrontation

Post-Khamenei turmoil puts China’s energy security at risk

Beijing is now placing energy security at the top of its strategic agenda following the February 28 confirmation of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s death. China now faces a halt, enforced by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz –

Why did Kuwait shoot down 3 US F-15s?

Three US F-15E fighter jets were shot down over Kuwait on Sunday, March 1, by Kuwaiti air defense systems. No deaths were reported. While an accidental shootdown can happen at any time in a complex warfighting environment, shooting down three F-15s suggests the Kuwaiti air

China watching as US missile stocks drain over Iran

The Wall Street Journal has reported the US military is racing to neutralize Iranian strike capabilities before critical missile interceptors are exhausted, a logistical crisis fueled by a stark cost-exchange imbalance in the Middle East. Following the killing by bombing of