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Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani, accompanied by General Intelligence Service Director Hussein Al-Salama and Defence Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra, meets with his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan in Ankara, Turkey, August 13, 2025.
What We’re Watching: Turkey sends Syria weapons, US military heads to Southern Caribbean, Australia makes a pact in the South Pacific
Turkey looks to re-arm Syria
Turkey pledged to boost military cooperation with Syria on Wednesday, reinforcing its support for Damascus as interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa seeks to rebuild the country after nearly 14 years of civil war. The agreement – which provides new weapons systems, logistical support, and military training – comes as Syrian forces are under increasing scrutiny for abuses against the country’s Alawite and Druze minorities. Turkey has emerged as a key ally of the new administration since the fall of Assad’s regime, particularly as it appears focused onto undermininge the Kurdish forces in Turkey and Syria.
Australia attempts to counter Chinese influence in the South Pacific
Australia and Vanuatu – a small island in the South Pacific – have agreed to a $326.5 million agreement to boost economic, security, and climate change cooperation over the next decade. It follows years of Vanuatu deepening ties with China, its largest external creditor, through infrastructure loans. In response, Australia is seeking to strengthen its influence in the Pacific, as the West and China race for control over the chessboard of strategically vital Pacific Islands.
US to send military to Southern Caribbean Sea
The US is sending air and naval forces to the Southern Caribbean as part of Donald Trump’s stepped-up war on drug cartels, targeting Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel and Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua. Since labeling these groups as global terrorist organizations, Washington has ramped up military involvement in anti-trafficking operations — from warship patrols to expanded drone surveillance across Mexico and Latin America. The stated goals: hit cartel networks harder, curb drug flows, and project US power deeper into the region.
U.S. President Donald Trump and China's President Xi Jinping arrive for a state dinner at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, November 9, 2017.
Hard Numbers: US extends trade truce with China, Finland charges Russian-linked tanker over subsea sabotage, Smuggler stuffs turtles in socks, and more
90: President Donald Trump on Monday delayed the US’s tariff deadline with China by another 90 days – hours before a previous agreement was set to expire. Beijing responded Tuesday by suspending additional retaliatory tariffs on US goods. The move follows bilateral talks last month in Stockholm, where both sides had signaled a likely extension of the status quo amid fears of a wider trade war.
5: In a first for any NATO country, Finland brought charges against the captain and crew of a Russian-linked oil tanker for suspected subsea cable sabotage, after the vessel cut five cables by dragging its anchor along the Baltic Sea floor in late 2024. While subsea cables are vital for internet connectivity and electricity infrastructure, prosecuting foreign interference is notoriously difficult, as deliberate damage is often indistinguishable from accidents.
40: On Monday, 40 people were killed in the western Sudanese region of Darfur, after rebels from the Rapid Support Forces attacked Abu Shouk, a famine-hit displacement camp which houses at least 200,000 people. Darfur has witnessed some of the worst violence in Sudan’s two-year-long civil war, which has claimed an estimated 150,000 lives and displaced at least 12 million.
850: A Chinese man pleaded guilty on Monday of attempting to illegally smuggle 850 protected turtles to Hong Kong from the United States. The turtles – worth around $1.4 million – were reportedly wrapped in socks and labeled in boxes as “plastic animal toys.”
Gold smuggling resumes in Kerala as virus curbs ease
Gold smuggling has been a persistent problem in India's southern state of Kerala.
Vietnam seizes 5.26 tonnes of pangolin scales hidden in cashew containers
HANOI (REUTERS) - Vietnam has seized more than five metric tonnes of pangolin scales hidden in cashew nut containers shipped from Nigeria, the government said on Friday, in Southeast Asia's latest large-scale wildlife trafficking case.
China seizes record ivory tusks, busts smuggling gang
HONG KONG (REUTERS) - Chinese authorities seized 7.48 tonnes of smuggled ivory tusks last month, the biggest haul in recent years, as Beijing steps up a campaign against illegal wildlife trafficking.
Vietnamese man caught trying to smuggle tiger parts
HANOI • A Vietnamese man has been arrested for attempting to smuggle an entire tiger skin and bones into China, police in the south-east Asian country - where the illegal wildlife trade flourishes - said yesterday.
Vietnam man arrested smuggling tiger skin, bones to China
HANOI (AFP) - A Vietnamese man has been arrested for attempting to smuggle an entire tiger skin and tiger bones into China, police said on Thursday (April 11) in the south-east Asian country where illegal wildlife trade flourishes.
Aussie cops seize 585kg of meth in fridges from S'pore
CANBERRA • Australian authorities have seized more than half a tonne of methamphetamine, commonly known as Ice, hidden in commercial refrigerators imported from Singapore.