Nation & Identity

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...

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 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 ...

Indonesia has announced a sweeping ban on social media accounts for children under 16, introducing one of the toughest online safety policies in the world. Officials say the rule is designed to protect young people from harmful content, cyberbullying, and rising digital addiction.   Starting March 28, accounts belonging to users under 16 will be removed from major platforms. The restriction applies to services including YouTube, TikTok, Fa...

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) marked the 50th anniversary of its foundational peace pact, the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC), on February 24, 2026. The treaty was first signed in 1976 by Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand to promote peace, respect for sovereignty, non-interference, and peaceful settlement of disputes.   For five decades, the TAC helped keep large-scal...