Latest news for 3 September 2025

UNITED STATES

Military action.

President Trump has announced a US strike on a small boat carrying narcotics in the southern Caribbean, killing 11. The vessel reportedly belonged to the Venezuela-based Tren de Aragua group the US just designated as terrorists. (CBS)

Comment: Aside from any counter-narcotics aims, it looks like classic gunboat diplomacy aimed at pressuring Venezuela’s Maduro regime.

JAPAN

Pulling the ripcord.

The leader and other top reps from Prime Minister Ishiba’s ruling party have signalled an intention to resign after July’s historic Upper House defeat. It all leaves the PM himself in a precarious position, but he’s still digging in. (Japan Times)

CHINA

Gone drilling.

Research out of a US thinktank suggests China has been drilling for oil and gas well within Taiwan’s exclusive economic zone, with one of its state-run majors (CNOOC) even using two of the largest wellhead platforms in Asia. (The Guardian)

Comment: We wrote last week about Beijing’s history of using commercial infrastructure like ✌️fishermen huts✌️ to advance its unlawful claims over most of the South China Sea. This drilling fits the same greyzone playbook, and doesn’t leave Taiwan many options. Interestingly, Japan also just accused China of positioning 21 drilling rigs within Japan’s own exclusive zone.

ITALY

Accounting questions.

Rome is considering writing off its proposed $13.5B mega-bridge to Sicily as a military expenditure, in an attempt to reach NATO's new 5% spending target. But the US seems to be calling BS, with a US envoy warning that NATO’s “straight face” pledge doesn’t cover “bridges that have no military strategic value”. (Bloomberg $)

MALAYSIA

In my office now, please.

TikTok executives are due for a formal meeting with Malaysia’s police chief and attorney-general tomorrow (Thursday), amid local frustration over the platform’s delays in pulling fake news. (Straits Times)

PERU

Danger abroad.

Lima authorities say they’re investigating the possibility that Monday’s shooting death of an Indonesian diplomat was a contract killing — footage shows the assassins were waiting outside his apartment, and fled without taking anything. (AP)

Comment: We can only imagine how a junior Indonesian diplomat could’ve become the target of a contract killing within months of landing, but Peru’s foreign minister is describing it more as a “wake-up call” for the country’s broader insecurity.

DR CONGO

Caught red-handed.

A court has sentenced Congo’s former justice minister to three years of forced labour on charges of embezzling millions intended for a prison. (SABC)