Jimmy Lai’s 20-Year Sentence and the Slow Unraveling of Hong Kong’s Freedoms The 20-year prison sentence handed down to Jimmy Lai marks a defining moment in Hong Kong’s modern history. For supporters of civil liberties and press freedom, the ruling is not simply about one man. It represents a broader shift in power — and…
Venezuela has been in a slow, grinding collapse for years, but the headlines barely scratch the surface of what is actually happening there—and why the United States keeps such a close eye on it. Most people outside the region still think of Venezuela as a failed socialist experiment or an oil-rich country that somehow ran…
A major breach at a Chinese cybersecurity contractor has quietly become one of the most revealing cyber-espionage events in years. More than 12,000 internal files from Knownsec — a Beijing-based firm long rumored to work closely with government intelligence units — briefly surfaced online before they were swiftly removed. What researchers captured in that short…
With lots of recent press, China’s strategy for irregular warfare is under pressure. It is both ancient and modern, rooted in the philosophies of Sun Tzu but adapted for the information age. Central to this strategy is the concept of the Three Warfares: Media (Public Opinion), Legal (Lawfare), and Psychological Warfare. These interlocking tools are designed…
The U.S. Senate has taken a major step toward regulating the fast-growing world of stablecoins with the advancement of the GENIUS Act (Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for U.S. Stablecoins). This bill, which has now cleared a key procedural hurdle and is headed for a full Senate vote, aims to create the first comprehensive federal…
The newly enacted Take It Down Act is a groundbreaking federal law designed to combat the spread of nonconsensual intimate imagery, including AI-generated deepfakes and so-called “revenge porn.” Signed into law in May 2025, this legislation makes it a federal crime to share sexually explicit images or videos of someone without their consent, and it requires online…
Authors: James Pamment & Darejan TsurtsumiaPublished by: Psychological Defence Agency & Lund University (MPF Report Series 8/2025)Date: May 2025 Background and Purpose “Beyond Operation Doppelgänger” is a comprehensive assessment of the Russian Social Design Agency (SDA) and its role in orchestrating large-scale information influence operations, particularly those known collectively as the ‘Doppelgänger campaign.’ Drawing on over 3,000 leaked…
On May 1, 2025, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) took a decisive step against Cambodia-based Huione Group, identifying it as a “financial institution of primary money laundering concern” under Section 311 of the USA PATRIOT Act. This move, if finalized, would effectively cut Huione Group off from the U.S. financial…
I do not claim to be a China expert, however, I have been working in China for over 30 years. During these three decades, I learned many valuable lessons about Chinese culture, politics, and so much more. China’s strategic vision extends far beyond the short-term thinking typical of many nations, encompassing a remarkable 100-year plan…
In recent days, we witnessed a stark reminder of the growing divide in American politics. Rep. Al Green was removed from the House floor for disrupting President Trump’s address, highlighting a broader issue: the erosion of respect for differing opinions in our society. This incident is not isolated; it reflects a deeper problem that threatens…
It’s been a long time coming and for most of us, it was no surprise. In recent weeks, the Syrian regime has faced an unprecedented collapse, a seismic event that is reshaping the geopolitical landscape of the Middle East. After more than a decade of civil war, economic instability, and external pressures, the fall of…
Recent investigations and updates have shed more light on Salt Typhoon, a sophisticated Chinese state-sponsored hacking group that has been targeting critical telecommunications infrastructure and other sectors worldwide. The group’s activities, already labeled as one of the most severe cyber threats of the decade, continue to unfold with new revelations about their operations, methods, and…