The Current Issue: The United States and Iran are preparing for high-stakes diplomatic talks this Saturday in Oman, aiming to address Tehran’s fast-moving nuclear program. While President Donald Trump has touted the meeting as a significant opportunity—and has not ruled out military action if diplomacy fails— the talks will be indirect and mediated by Oman’s…
WASHINGTON – The Trade War Returns The United States has reignited major trade conflicts with its three largest trading partners after President Donald Trump’s sweeping new tariffs on imports from Canada, Mexico, and China took effect early Tuesday. The measures, which impose a 25% tariff on Mexican and Canadian goods and double existing duties on…
The air crackled with tension. It was March 2024, and a Philippine resupply vessel, its paint peeling and rust blooming like a macabre flower, limped towards Second Thomas Shoal. Its mission: to deliver vital supplies to a handful of Filipino marines stationed aboard the BRP Sierra Madre, a decaying warship intentionally grounded on the shoal…
A rising sun painted the skies over the South China Sea, its shimmering waters a stark reminder of the tensions simmering beneath. For decades, the Philippine military focused inward, battling insurgencies and calamities. But now, as the world’s geopolitical tectonic plates shift, a new dawn emerges for the archipelago. The roar of engines and the…
In 1995, Filipino fishermen seeking shelter from a storm stumbled upon a curious sight in the South China Sea. What they thought was a safe haven turned out to be something far more controversial—Mischief Reef, with mysterious new structures built by foreign hands. This seemingly barren atoll, once a quiet fishing ground, has since become…
In the heart of Manila, where towering skyscrapers cast their shadows over vibrant markets buzzing with life, a quiet revolution is underway. The Philippines—long celebrated as a global BPO giant—is rewriting its narrative, setting its sights on an ambitious new goal: becoming a global tech powerhouse. Imagine this: a Filipino-engineered AI system revolutionizing healthcare in…
“A single spark can start a prairie fire.” — Mao Zedong. Mao understood the power of small, seemingly insignificant actions to trigger massive, uncontrollable events. Is this the fate that awaits the Indo-Pacific, where the world’s rising superpower, China, faces the potential of simultaneous conflict with three nations—Japan, Taiwan, and the Philippines? The region is…
“If They Can, Why Can’t We?” In the contested waters of the South China Sea, China has transformed barren reefs into militarized fortresses, and Vietnam has dotted the region with its own outposts. The Philippines, despite sitting at the heart of this maritime crossroads, lags with temporary shelters and a lone rusting warship at Ayungin…
The Philippines finds itself at the epicenter of a high-stakes geopolitical chess game, where its strategic location in the Indo-Pacific places it at the crossroads of the U.S. China competition. With over 7,600 islands forming part of the First Island Chain, the country serves as a critical anchor for Washington’s efforts to counter Beijing’s assertiveness…
The New Flashpoint in a High-Stakes Maritime Chessboard Beneath the glistening waves of the South China Sea lies Sabina Shoal, a seemingly ordinary stretch of reef that has now become the stage for extraordinary tensions. A dramatic collision between Chinese and Philippine vessels ignited fresh sparks in an already volatile dispute. Known as Xianbin Jiao…
