Panama has decided to cut ties with China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), following a visit from U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The move has been hailed by supporters of President Donald Trump as a strategic win, while critics argue it risks regional instability.

On Sunday, February 2, 2025, Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino announced that his country will not renew its agreement with China’s BRI. The trade and development pact, originally signed in 2017, is set to expire, but Mulino is reportedly exploring ways to end the agreement even sooner. While the legal and logistical hurdles of an early termination remain unclear, the announcement signals a major shift in Panama’s international economic partnerships.

Panama’s decision follows months of increasing pressure from the United States. President Trump, had previously suggested that the U.S. should reclaim control of the Panama Canal, arguing that “American ships are being severely overcharged.” Trump also accused China of effectively controlling the canal through its economic influence and investment in Panama’s infrastructure.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s visit to Panama City further reinforced U.S. concerns about China’s growing presence in Latin America. His discussions with Panamanian officials emphasized strengthening economic ties with the U.S. while discouraging reliance on Chinese infrastructure projects.

With the Belt and Road Initiative out of the picture, Panama is now looking to the U.S. for infrastructure investment to fill the gap left by China. During a press conference, President Mulino expressed interest in U.S. financial support for infrastructure projects and trade partnerships. However, he reassured the public that the Panama Canal’s sovereignty remains firmly under Panamanian control.

The shift away from China’s BRI could reshape Panama’s economic landscape, but it also raises questions about the country’s long-term development strategy. While some view the move as a necessary realignment with the U.S., others worry about the economic consequences of cutting ties with one of the world’s largest investors in global infrastructure.

As the geopolitical tug-of-war over Latin America continues, all eyes will be on how the U.S. responds to Panama’s call for investment and whether China will attempt to maintain its influence through other diplomatic or economic means.

Oregon News

The United States has launched airstrikes against Islamic State (IS) fighters in Somalia, marking the first such military action under President Donald Trump’s second term. The strikes, ordered by Trump and executed in coordination with the Somali government, targeted IS operatives in the semi-autonomous Puntland region.

The Strikes

The airstrikes, conducted by the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), took place on Saturday, February 1, 2025. An initial Pentagon assessment indicated that multiple IS operatives were killed in the operation. The U.S. Department of Defence confirmed that there were no civilian casualties.

President Trump addressed the nation shortly after the strikes, stating:

“This morning I ordered precision military air strikes on the Senior ISIS Attack Planner and other terrorists he recruited and led in Somalia. These killers, who we found hiding in caves, threatened the United States and our Allies. The strikes destroyed the caves they live in and killed many terrorists without, in any way, harming civilians.”

Trump further criticized the previous administration, asserting that:

“Our Military has targeted this ISIS Attack Planner for years, but Biden and his cronies wouldn’t act quickly enough to get the job done. I did! The message to ISIS and all others who would attack Americans is that ‘WE WILL FIND YOU, AND WE WILL KILL YOU!’”

Strategic and Political Implications

The airstrikes signal the Trump administration’s renewed commitment to counterterrorism efforts in Africa. The IS presence in Puntland has been a growing concern, with militants using the rugged terrain to establish safe havens. The latest operation aligns with previous U.S. policies of targeting high-profile terrorist leaders to disrupt extremist networks.

The Somali government has welcomed U.S. support in its fight against IS and Al-Shabaab insurgents, viewing the latest airstrikes as a significant blow to terrorist activities in the region. Somali officials have emphasized the importance of continued cooperation with the U.S. to maintain regional stability and security.

Looking Ahead

The strikes in Puntland could mark the beginning of an intensified U.S. military campaign against IS in Africa. Given Trump’s assertive stance on counterterrorism, further operations may be expected in Somalia and other parts of the continent where extremist groups pose a threat.

While the Pentagon maintains that no civilians were harmed, human rights organizations and local officials may conduct independent assessments to verify the impact of the strikes. The broader geopolitical consequences of U.S. military actions in Somalia will be closely monitored by international observers.

As the Trump administration forges ahead with its military strategy, the world will be watching to see how these operations shape the ongoing fight against IS and other extremist factions in Africa.

Frontline

Australia’s national security is under direct threat, and our Frontline members must take immediate action to protect themselves. The federal government has banned DeepSeek on all government devices, following stark warnings from cybersecurity experts that the data it collects is almost certainly accessible to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

This is not mere speculation, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke himself stated that the ban was imposed “to protect Australia’s national security and national interest.” DeepSeek, which has rapidly gained traction as a low-cost alternative to ChatGPT, is under scrutiny for its concerning ties to the CCP, with cybersecurity firm CyberCX confirming its data collection practices pose a severe risk to Australians.

Why Should You Be Concerned?

Every time you interact with DeepSeek, your data could be harvested and stored by a regime notorious for surveillance, cyber espionage, and intelligence gathering. No Australian should be comfortable knowing their personal information, conversations, and possibly even financial details could end up in the hands of a foreign government.

We’ve seen this before—Australia previously banned TikTok on government devices due to similar concerns, and Huawei was blocked from participating in our 5G network rollout. These decisions were made because the risks were simply too great. DeepSeek falls into the same dangerous category, yet some Australians are still downloading and using this AI platform.

If you have downloaded Deepseek – What You Need to Do Now

1. Immediately delete DeepSeek from your devices – This is the only way to ensure your personal data is not compromised.
2. Warn family, friends, and colleagues – Spread the word that DeepSeek is a direct risk to their security.
3. Stay vigilant – Be cautious of any new technology developed under the influence of the CCP.
4. Support the government’s decisive action – Australia has taken a firm stand against this security risk, and we must stand together to protect our nation.

The Bottom Line

DeepSeek is not just another AI tool—it is a clear and present danger to your personal security and Australia’s national interests. The government has acted swiftly, but now it’s up to you to ensure you are not exposing yourself to this growing threat.

Protect your data. Protect Australia. Say NO to DeepSeek.

• New online resource to help Australian Defence Force veterans explore career options in WA’s defence industry
• Interactive database contains comprehensive information on more than 150 occupations
• Initiative part of WA Government’s $11 million investment to grow WA’s defence industry workforce
• State’s defence industry set to create more than 10,000 highly skilled jobs over next two decades

The WA Government has today launched a new online resource to help defence veterans transition to careers in Western Australia’s defence industry.

The Veterans Defence Industry Career Explorer (Career Explorer) resource, located on The Other Force website, will help veterans to see how their Australian Defence Force (ADF) skills and experience align with occupations across the defence industry domains of maritime, air, land, space, and information and cyber.

The Career Explorer encompasses more than 150 occupations, including the 21 in-demand jobs required to sustain current and upcoming defence projects.

Occupations span the fields of engineering, information and communication technology, project management and supply chain.

The interactive database will enable veterans to determine which defence industry occupations are likely to be a suitable job fit, based on their ADF role, rank and qualification.

It gives veterans a comprehensive overview of specific defence industry occupations, including each occupation’s job description, salary range, the day-to-day tasks and activities, and the qualifications required.

The Career Explorer is an invaluable resource for the specialist defence industry careers team at the Rockingham Jobs and Skills Centre, who work closely with veterans to determine training and career pathways into the defence industry.

Each year in WA, approximately 300 ADF members transition into a civilian life and the next stage of their career.

Veterans have many transferable skills and combined with their defence security clearance status, are excellent candidates for careers in the defence industry.

The $180,000 Career Explorer forms part of the WA Government’s $11 million investment in training and workforce initiatives announced in the 2022-23 State Budget, aimed at growing the professional and para-professional workforce for the defence industry.

To learn more about the Career Explorer and defence industry training and career pathways, visit www.theotherforce.wa.gov.au/veterans-defence-industry-career-explorer or contact the Rockingham Jobs and Skills Centre on 9599 8655 for free training and employment support.

As stated by Minister Assisting the Training and Workforce Development Minister Hannah Beazley:

“There’s never been a better time to join ‘The Other Force’, with WA securing significant Commonwealth defence projects, which are set to create more than 10,000 highly skilled, well-paid jobs in our State’s defence industry over the next two decades.

“The Veterans Defence Industry Career Explorer will enable veterans to assess a variety of career options in WA’s defence industry based on their Australian Defence Force skills and experience.

“This fantastic online resource allows veterans to discover their ideal career fit and learn about the training and employment pathways to a career in WA’s defence industry all in one place.”

As stated by Defence Industry Minister Paul Papalia:

“WA’s defence industry is rapidly expanding, with projects including the creation of a Defence Precinct at Henderson, AUKUS’s Submarine Rotational Force-West and shipbuilding for the Navy and Army set to provide thousands of Western Australians with well-paid, lifelong jobs.

“A career in the defence industry is an ideal fit for Australian Defence Force veterans because it offers a sense of familiarity and allows them to continue to contribute to uplifting Australia’s sovereign capability.

“The Veterans Defence Industry Career Explorer will be a useful resource for veterans and careers support specialists in transitioning to employment in the defence industry.”

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Analysis by expert panel of the 1942 HMAS Australia Court Martial. Convenor Professor Tom Frame with panel Mr Mike Carlton, Rear Admiral James Goldrick, Associate Professor David Letts & Associate Professor Cameron Moore. Produced by the Naval Studies Group in conjunction with the Submarine Institute of Australia, the Australian Naval Institute, Naval Historical Society and the RAN Seapower Centre. More details about this video and the Naval Studies Group are available at the UNSW website:

ED: From my inbox … with a comment by Bob Buick MM, “I am like so many of our generation lamenting to how we have been governed this century and how distorted our culture has become because of global Utopian brain snaps developed by the EU and UN and the mass migration of Muslims in Australia and the EU”. Thanks Bob I agree.

A Government in Freefall

Anthony Albanese’s time in office has been one long exercise in incompetence, indecision, and ideological posturing. The man who promised stability and leadership has instead delivered chaos, weakness, and a complete disconnect from the Australian people.

His government is running on fumes propped up by media spin and bureaucratic inertia while real Australians struggle under skyrocketing costs, crumbling infrastructure, and a growing sense that no one in Canberra gives a damn about them. Instead of strong leadership, we have a Prime Minister who refuses to make tough decisions, protects failures within his ranks, and panders to fringe activists while the country drifts into decline.

Incompetence Rewarded; Accountability Abandoned

Albanese’s government is defined by failure, yet no one ever pays the price. Ministers botch their portfolios and keep their jobs. Policy disasters pile up, and the government acts like nothing is wrong.

• Cost of Living Crisis: Australians are drowning under the cost of food, fuel, and housing, while Albanese’s solution is to hand out a few one-off payments and hope people don’t notice how much worse things are getting.
• Housing Disaster: The housing crisis has deepened under his watch, with no serious policies to increase supply or ease rental pressures. Instead, mass immigration fuels the problem while ordinary Australians are priced out of their own cities.
• Energy Chaos: Albanese is blindly pursuing unrealistic renewable energy fantasies, driving up power prices while stubbornly refusing to even discuss nuclear energy—something the rest of the world is moving towards.
• Mass Immigration Mess: Record-breaking immigration is overwhelming infrastructure, health services, and housing, but the government has no plan beyond pretending it isn’t happening.

This isn’t just incompetence. It’s willful negligence.

Weakness on the Global Stage: Kowtowing to China & Foreign Policy Confusion

Under Albanese, Australia’s standing in the world has shrunk. We are led by a government too weak to push back against China, too clueless to strengthen our ties with the U.S., and too distracted by ideological nonsense to focus on national security.

• China is playing Albanese like a fiddle. Trade restrictions are lifted in dribs and drabs to maintain the illusion of “warming relations,” while China continues to expand its influence in the Pacific and undermine Australian interests. Albanese smiles and nods.
• Penny Wong’s Pro-Palestinian, Anti-Western Leanings: Our Foreign Minister is more concerned with pushing her personal agenda than defending Australia’s interests. Her pro-Palestinian rhetoric has alienated allies and emboldened extremism at home, yet Albanese refuses to rein her in.
• Kevin Rudd: An Embarrassment in Washington: The decision to appoint Rudd as U.S. Ambassador was a joke from day one. His arrogance, erratic behavior, and history of insulting American officials make him a liability in our most critical alliance, yet Albanese lets it slide.

Meanwhile, our allies are watching. They see a leader with no backbone, no strategy, and no clue how to protect Australia’s future.

The Cultural Wars: DEI, The Voice, and the Radical Agenda

Albanese’s government is fully committed to the left-wing social engineering experiment that everyday Australians are sick to death of.

• The Voice Referendum Humiliation: Australians rejected The Voice because they don’t want racial division enshrined in the Constitution. Instead of listening, Albanese and his allies act like the vote never happened, pushing the same agenda through the back door.
• DEI Madness: The cancer of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) has infiltrated every part of government, business, and education, prioritizing identity politics over competence. The Albanese government encourages it at every turn.
• Antisemitism Running Wild: The explosion of antisemitism in Australia has been met with weak, half-hearted statements. The radical left factions of his party are in bed with the pro-Hamas crowd, and Albanese won’t push back because he’s too afraid of losing their support.

Australians are sick of being lectured, sick of being divided, and sick of a government more focused on identity politics than real issues.

Energy Policy Paralysis: The Nuclear Debate He’s Too Weak to Have

Albanese’s refusal to consider nuclear energy is pure political cowardice. The world is moving toward nuclear as the only viable long-term solution to energy security—yet in Australia, even discussing it is off-limits.

Instead, we’re stuck with:

• Soaring power prices due to unreliable renewables.
• Energy shortages and blackouts while our leaders preach about “green energy.”
• Zero accountability for an energy policy that is setting Australia up for failure.

Why won’t he even allow a discussion? Because Albanese isn’t a leader—he’s a follower of the activist class, too scared to challenge their ideology, even when it’s wrecking the country.

Conclusion: A Government in Its Death Throes

Albanese’s government is out of fuel, out of ideas, and running purely on spin.

The economy is suffering, national security is being undermined, cultural divisions are deepening, and Australia is weaker on the world stage than it has been in decades. Meanwhile, Albanese does what he does best: nothing.

The only question now is how much damage he’ll do before he’s finally thrown out.

A report released by the Productivity Commission has revealed a 25% increase in persistent homelessness across Australia over the past five years, with nearly 38,000 people now without a stable home for seven months or longer. Among the homeless community, military veterans continue to be disproportionately affected.

Veterans are nearly three times more likely to experience homelessness compared to the general population. Vasey RSL Care, a leading provider of ex-service accommodation, has seen firsthand the growing pressure on their veteran housing services, with increasing demand from veterans and their families in urgent need of stable accommodation.

“Those who have served our nation should not be left without a home, yet too many are struggling to find secure housing after their military service,” says Janna Voloshin of Vasey RSL Care. “We stand ready to be part of the solution. Vasey RSL Care has veteran social housing projects ready to go—we just need the government contribution to ensure those who served are not left behind.”

Despite the clear and urgent need for investment in veteran housing, millions of taxpayer dollars are being allocated to Gaza rehabilitation efforts. While humanitarian aid is important, there is growing concern that Australia’s own vulnerable populations—including military veterans—are being neglected in favour of overseas commitments.

Vasey RSL Care is urging immediate action. “We call on the government to prioritise investment in veteran housing and ensure that no Australian who has worn the uniform is left without a place to call home. It’s time to look after them.”

The Royal Commission into Defence and Veterans Suicide has highlighted the dire situation facing Australia’s ex-service personnel. Veterans are not only three times more likely to experience homelessness than the general population, but they are also over twice as likely to die by suicide. Contributing factors include being single, unemployed, subject to financial strain, and experiencing a greater number of traumatic life events than the broader population.

The question remains: Why is the government prioritising international aid over the wellbeing of those who have served our nation? Ensuring stable housing for veterans is not just a moral obligation but a national responsibility. It is time for the government to reassess its spending priorities and put Australian veterans first.