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Oceania
Pacific partners launch regional police training, coordination centers
FORUM Staff Two new facilities in Brisbane, Australia, will enhance coordination and training among police forces throughout the Pacific region, while bolstering multinational response capabilities, law enforcement leaders say. Part of the Pacific Policing Initiative (PPI), the Pinkenba Hub and Pinkenba Training Centre were launched during a December 2024 ceremony attended by officials from Australia, Cook Islands, Fiji, French Polynesia,…
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Global Commons
Philippines fortifies cyber defense, partnering with Japan, U.S. and others
FORUM Staff Across the Philippines’ Armed Forces, government agencies and civil society, organizations are strengthening the nation’s cybersecurity capabilities and resilience. The initiatives combine with multinational cooperation to ensure regional and global stability. Since 2023, Manila has detected People’s Republic of China (PRC)-linked cyberattacks targeting the Philippine Coast Guard, the president’s office, and environmental and agriculture departments, Philippine media company…
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Partnerships
Indonesia, Japan enhance maritime security to further Free and Open Indo-Pacific
Agence France-Presse Japan will give Indonesia two high-speed patrol boats as Tokyo seeks to boost regional maritime security cooperation in the face of territorial disputes with the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba made the pledge during a mid-January 2025 visit to Jakarta for talks with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto. “We agreed on establishing working-level defense…
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Global Commons
Myanmar’s military rulers impose wide-ranging online censorship
The Associated Press Myanmar’s military rulers, notorious for cracking down on free speech, have enacted a cybersecurity law that imposes extensive restrictions on the flow of information, a state-run newspaper reported in January 2025. Existing controls on freedom of expression generally involve charges under broadly defined national security laws concerning online content. There also have been actions blocking websites and…
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Conflicts - Tensions
India fortifying Andaman and Nicobar Islands amid concerns over PRC’s regional push
Mandeep Singh India is undertaking a major military and infrastructure buildup in its Andaman and Nicobar Islands as concerns grow over the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) activities in the strategic region. The Bay of Bengal archipelago of more than 800 islands, islets and rocky outcrops, of which fewer than 40 are inhabited, is about 1,200 kilometers from the Indian…
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Free and Open Indo-Pacific/FOIP
New maritime laws signal Philippines’ resolve against PRC’s discredited claims
Maria T. Reyes The Philippines has taken another decisive step in asserting its sovereignty and maritime rights by enacting two new laws. The Maritime Zones Act and the Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act aim to strengthen the Philippines’ territorial claims, particularly in the South China Sea, while bolstering Manila’s economic and environmental stewardship of its waters. The legislation underscores the country’s…
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Partnerships
Singapore, U.S. bolster interoperability, teamwork at Valiant Mark
Capt. Mark McDonough/U.S. Marine Rotational Force-Southeast Asia The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) and the United States Marine Rotational Force-Southeast Asia conducted exercise Valiant Mark in mid-December 2024 to strengthen interoperability and partnerships between the forces. The five-day exercise in Singapore enhanced cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, reinforced relationships among personnel and prepared units for future training engagements. “The purpose of Valiant…
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Global Commons
PRC OKs massive hydropower dam across Himalayan gorge
FORUM Staff The People’s Republic of China (PRC) has approved plans for what would be the world’s largest hydropower dam on the lower Yarlung Tsangpo River despite concern that it would harm downstream communities and fragile landscapes in India and Bangladesh. Experts also say tectonic plates below the Himalayan mountains, where the multistage Medog Hydropower Station is planned, make the…
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Conflicts - Tensions
‘Expendable’ North Korean troops ordered on futile missions in Russia’s illegal war
FORUM Staff North Korea’s ill-prepared troops, deployed to support Russia’s unprovoked war against Ukraine, are suffering significant casualties, including about 1,000 deaths and injuries during one week in late December 2024. The mass casualty estimates, provided by the United States National Security Advisor’s office and the U.S. Department of Defense, appear to confirm analysts’ predictions that North Korean troops would…
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Global Commons
Report: PRC cyberattacks against Taiwan ‘increasingly severe’ in 2024
Reuters Cyberattacks on Taiwan government departments doubled in 2024 from the previous year to an average of 2.4 million a day, the self-governed island’s National Security Bureau said, with most of the hacks launched by People’s Republic of China (PRC) cyber forces. Beijing claims Taiwan as its territory and threatens to annex it by force. It recently has ramped up…
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