The Beat Damning report for Duterte’s drug war Despite a heft of sometimes-baffling domestic support, the Philippine ‘war on drugs’ has been internationally controversial and brutal (look to NYT’s disturbingly visceral photo-feature.) This week, a …
Articles by: "Sophie Qin"
As the recipient of more than US$200 billion worth of Chinese infrastructure and real estate investment, Malaysia is fast becoming the principal ASEAN partner in China’s One Belt One Road (OBOR) initiative. Malaysia’s need to …
Sea State Some worthy new analysis on the future of the US Navy surfaced last week. The crux of the analysis in Foreign Policy is that the three Congress-commissioned proposals for naval force structure—mentioned recently …
The Beat Taser’s body cameras—razorblades in a free lunch? Axon (formerly Taser)—is offering free ‘Axon Body 2’ cameras to every sworn law enforcement officer in the US. It’s a big bet on the future of …
Sea State The USN needs an extra $2.1 billion this year to address immediate readiness shortfalls, says Chief of Naval Operations Admiral John Richardson. Testifying last week before the House Armed Services Committee on the …
The Beat Transnational crime and the Panama Papers The Panama Papers had their first birthday on 3 April and most pundits are thankful for the public attention the leaks brought. However, as the Global Financial …
Sea State Indonesia is continuing with its program of literally blowing up illegal fishing boats in its waters. On Saturday, authorities simultaneously destroyed 81 foreign vessels at 12 different locations, in what Maritime and Fisheries …
The Beat Drug usage in the sewage Curious about drugs in Australia? Test the sewage—at least that’s what the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission did, as it searched for drug byproducts. Initial results from the National …
Sea State The Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force’s second Izumo-class helicopter carrier, the Kaga, entered service last week. The warship is expected to embark Mitsubishi-Sikorsky SH-60K Seahawk anti-submarine warfare helicopters and AgustaWestland/Kawasaki MCH-101 aircraft for mine-countermeasures. …
The Beat Police eyes in UK skies Police in England are advertising for a ‘drone manager’ to supervise the first 24-hour drone unit to operate in the UK. The drones, which have been trialled since …
Sea State In its biggest show of naval force in the Asia–Pacific since WWII, Japan has unveiled plans to send its largest warship—the Izumo helicopter carrier—on a three-month tour of the South China Sea, kicking …
The Beat Targeting motorcycle outlaws Anti-bikie detectives in the Echo Taskforce arrested 21 people affiliated with the Comancheros motorcycle gang in Melbourne this week, who’ve been connected with previous explosions, shootings and fires. Police seized …