Scientists, conservationists, and cat advocates all agree that unchecked outdoor cat populations are a problem, but they remain deeply divided on solutions. While some conservationists propose the targeted killing of cats, known as culling, cat populations have been observed to bounce back quickly, and a single female cat and her offspring can produce at least … Read more
MANILA, Philippines — Two Chinese coast guard ships fired at a Philippine supply boat with water cannon Saturday in the latest confrontation near a disputed South China Sea shoal, causing heavy damage to the wooden vessel, Philippine officials said. It was not immediately clear if the Philippine navy crew was injured, or whether their damaged … Read more
BANGKOK — A dramatic story of survival and rescue off the western coast of Indonesia’s Aceh province has put the spotlight again on the plight of ethnic Rohingya Muslim refugees from Myanmar who make extremely dangerous voyages across the Indian Ocean to seek better lives. Desperate survivors were pulled to safety from their capsized boat … Read more
MANILA, Philippines — Secretary of State Antony Blinken will underscore Washington’s “ironclad commitment” to its alliance with the Philippines on Tuesday, as clashes between Chinese and Filipino forces in the disputed South China Sea turn more hostile, the U.S. State Department said. Blinken, the latest high-level official to visit the U.S. treaty ally, met his … Read more
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — A suspected attack by Yemen’s Houthi rebels struck a ship in the Red Sea early Friday, causing damage to the vessel, authorities said. The attack off the port city of Hodeida comes as part of the rebels’ campaign against shipping over Israel’s ongoing war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip. … Read more
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Yemen’s Houthi rebels claim to have a new, hypersonic missile in their arsenal, Russia’s state media reported Thursday, potentially raising the stakes in their ongoing attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and surrounding waterways against the backdrop of Israel’s war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The report by … Read more
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — An attack by Yemen’s Houthi rebels saw an explosion take place near a Liberian-flagged container ship in the Red Sea on Monday, though the blast caused no damage, authorities said. The master of the vessel reported the explosion and said no one was hurt, the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime … Read more
With four damaged underwater cables in the Red Sea, telecommunication providers are now looking to the skies for connectivity. Satellite operators are lending their space-based connectivity to reroute internet traffic, suggesting that a hybrid system combining underwater and orbital internet might be the best approach moving forward. Astronomers Could Soon Get Warnings When SpaceX Satellites … Read more
MANILA — The Philippines has been striking new defense agreements with other countries at a rapid clip, seeking to build what officials here call a “network of alliances” that could deter Chinese aggression in disputed waters. The Philippines has signed or entered discussions over new security agreements with at least 18 countries since a Chinese … Read more
ZANZIBAR, Tanzania — Eight children and an adult died after eating sea turtle meat on Pemba Island in the Zanzibar archipelago and 78 other people were hospitalized, authorities said Saturday. Sea turtle meat is considered a delicacy by Zanzibar’s people even though it periodically results in deaths from chelonitoxism, a type of food poisoning. The … Read more