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US President Donald Trump has urged allies to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical oil chokepoints, after Iran declared the passage closed and threatened to strike ships attempting to cross it.   Trump specifically warned NATO allies they face a “very bad future” if they refuse to help secure the corridor, pressing Europe to support an American effort to reopen the route. So far, the response...

Oil tankers are beginning to crowd the waters near Singapore after dangerous conditions in the Strait of Hormuz slowed shipping across one of the world's most important oil routes. These ships carry millions of barrels of oil, and their sudden arrival in Southeast Asia is drawing attention from energy traders around the world.   The buildup follows weeks of tension in the Strait of Hormuz due to the US-Israel-Iran war. The Strait of H...

A job offer promising 200,000 pesos a month sounded like a lifeline. Instead, it led one Filipino man to being a prisoner of war in Ukraine.   For Raymon Gumangan of Alcala, Pangasinan, the job offer he got seemed legitimate. The recruiter, known to Raymon only as “Perst,” contacted him through social media and messaging apps. The job was described as logistics work in Russia, with a contract to be signed upon arrival and a mon...

In the crowded streets of Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti, a new and frightening kind of violence has appeared in the sky. Explosive quadcopter drones, used in anti-gang operations, have killed more than 1,200 people since 2025, according to a major investigation by Human Rights Watch.   The report claims that at least 1,243 people were killed and hundreds more injured in 141 different drone operations between March 1, 2025, and Janua...

In recent years, Southeast Asia has seen a significant shift away from the death penalty. Countries like Vietnam, Malaysia, and Indonesia are making important moves to limit or even abolish capital punishment. While the region still has eight out of eleven countries that retain the death penalty, there's a noticeable trend toward reducing its use.   Vietnam and Malaysia Lead the Charge Vietnam made headlines in 2025 by cutting the number ...