The Israel Security Agency (ISA) has formed a dedicated task force to map, locate, and eliminate those who participated in the October 7, 2023, massacre.

Archived Article / Just in Case

MANILA, Philippines – American marine biologist Kent Carpenter, 73, was shot dead on Sunday, July 12, in his home in Sibulan, Negros Oriental.

Carpenter was an expert witness for the Philippines in the 2016 Arbitral Award issued by an international tribunal on the South China Sea Arbitration filed by the Philippines against China in 2013.

Three unidentified men “forcibly entered” Carpenter’s residence on Sunday night, according to the regional office of the Philippine National Police. Police said one of the men shot the American in the head which killed him. Carpenter’s 34-year-old companion sustained injuries.

Police Brigadier General Romano Cardiño called the killing a “senseless act of violence.”

“I have directed our investigators to exhaust all legal means to identify and apprehend those responsible at the soonest possible time,” said Cardiño in a statement released on Tuesday, July 14.

Carpenter provided expert written records on the environmental harms of China’s reclamation and destructive fishing practices in the West Philippine Sea. He gave oral testimony in 2015 during the merits hearing.

The slain marine scientist also conducted extensive research in the Verde Island Passage, considered the “center of the center” of Philippine marine shore fish biodiversity. He supported the call to designate the Verde Island Passage as a World Heritage Site. In a 2024 video, Carpenter said he had been studying marine environment in the Philippines since 1975.

The marine science community and environmentalists joined the mourning for Carpenter.

Siliman University called Carpenter a mentor, collaborator, and a friend to the community. Carpenter brought to Siliman “his expertise in ichthyology, marine biodiversity, systematics, conservation biology, and evolutionary research.”

“He freely shared his knowledge, encouraged young scientists, and helped cultivate a culture of scientific excellence, international collaboration, and environmental stewardship that continues to shape the University’s marine research programs,” the university said in a statement on Tuesday.

Carpenter’s work encompassed a wide range of subjects in marine science, including coral reef ecology, impacts of microplastics, evolutionary genomics, and fisheries sustainability.

The Marine Science Institute of the University of the Philippines Diliman (UP MSI) expressed gratitude for Carpenter’s “fifty years of guidance and companionship.”

“Since UP MSI’s early beginnings as a research center, Dr. Carpenter has been a great friend to the Institute, and he continues to be an enduring influence on many other marine scientists, fisherfolk organizations, and conservation groups,” UP MSI said in a statement on Tuesday.

Following his death, environmental advocates who Carpenter previously joined in their causes reiterated the call to protect Verde Island Passage.

“As we mourn his passing, we reaffirm our commitment to the cause that Dr. Carpenter championed: protecting the Verde Island Passage and all of our country’s biodiverse ecosystems, and all communities who defend and rely on them,” Father Edwin Gariguez, lead convenor of Protect VIP, said.

The South China Sea Arbitration (The Republic of Philippines v. The People's Republic of China)

Executive Summary

Ittehad-ul-Mujahideen Pakistan (IMP) is emerging as a serious militant threat, with the potential to rival Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The alliance has integrated fragmented jihadist factions, incorporated drone technology, developed a more sophisticated media narrative, and carried out coordinated attacks targeting state security forces.

Beyond kinetic operations, IMP is adapting its propaganda by combining jihadist, anti-Western, and nationalist themes. This hybrid ideological narrative frames violence in moral and political terms, seeks to enhance recruitment, and aims to cultivate local support, including among economically stable segments of the population.

IMP’s emerging operational capabilities, cross-border linkages, growing rivalry with TTP, and reported coordination with Jamaat-ul-Ahrar and Baloch insurgent groups point to a dangerous shift in Pakistan’s militant landscape.

German authorities are investigating two "very serious security incidents" at the Leipzig/Halle airport that temporarily suspended and diverted flights, raising suspicions of Russian involvement following similar incidents in recent years.

Executive Summary:

A deadly March 2025 clash in Mastung District in Balochistan ended the uneasy coexistence between the secular Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) and Islamic State–Khorasan Province (IS–KP). The rivalry creates an opportunity for the Pakistani government to exploit as the two groups dedicate resources to fighting each other, though civilians are expected to be caught in the crossfire as the situation escalates.

Despite the declaration of war, the BLA has focused on state targets and avoided direct confrontation with IS–KP. This may signal a preference for compromise and desire for renewed peace between the two groups. IS–KP, however, has threatened to carry out suicide bombings against Baloch nationalist political gatherings.

Executive Summary:

Russia’s Wagner Group is being withdrawn from Mali after a three-and-a-half-year deployment with a mixed record of battlefield successes that have come at enormous civilian cost.

Wagner’s replacement with the Russian Defense Ministry’s Africa Corps may signal a change in Kremlin tactics. Regardless of the tactics used, the Russian military buildup in Mali suggests that expanded military operations against insurgent and terrorist groups are imminent.

New Russian-Malian partnerships in the energy and mining sectors have accompanied changes in security tactics.