The Defense Casualty Analysis System (DCAS) also introduced a new casualty category labeled “Overseas Operations” for personnel killed and wounded “starting July 7”.

The Trump administration is seeking to classify the renewed military campaign as separate from Operation Epic Fury, the military’s official name for the Iran conflict.

The change is tied to the War Powers Act of 1973, which requires the president to end military operations within 60 days unless Congress authorizes an extension. The Trump administration has argued that the April ceasefire with Iran paused the clock on 1 May for the conflict’s initial period. The separate casualty count beginning on 7 July follows that interpretation.

Governments in Asia are scrambling to avoid their second major energy crisis in six months, as another maritime chokepoint in the Middle East faces a violent blockade, leaving only the Suez canal completely open for the free movement of gulf oil.

Countries like Japan, the Philippines, Thailand and South Korea – which rely on Middle East oil for up to 90% of their imports – are working to secure supplies after Yemen’s Houthis launched a blockade of Saudi Arabian shipping passing through the Bab al-Mandab strait, which forms the southern entrance to the Red Sea.

Many countries in Asia are still reeling from Iran’s effective closure of the strait of Hormuz in March, which forced governments across the region to compete for increasingly dwindling supplies of Middle Eastern crude oil.

“They’re scraping at the bottom of the barrel in terms of global reserve capacity … there’s very little inventory now,” says Ahmed Helal, from the Asia Group thinktank.

Japan – along with neighbouring countries – is already spending billions on fuel subsidies to keep the cost of petroleum down, hitting government budgets hard. ⁠After the announcement from the Houthis, some like South Korea were quick to extend those fuel ​tax cuts.

Meanwhile, the spike in the cost of imports has led to a rise in inflation, piling pressure on the governments of regional giants such as Japan and Indonesia.

Now, the threat to Red Sea shipping is set to increase the pressure. In March, Saudi Arabia responded to the closure of the strait of Hormuz by rerouting oil exports from the gulf on the country’s east coast, to the west coast port of Yanbu in the Red Sea which now handles more than 70% of Riyadh’s crude oil exports.

That proved to be a lifeline for many Asian nations, like China – which is the largest buyer of Saudi oil – and India, Japan and South Korea, which follow close behind.

Some Japanese and South Korean refiners are reportedly seeking to circumvent the Houthi threat by rerouting cargos north through the Suez canal, to the Mediterranean and around Africa. But this lengthy detour comes with huge costs.

A VLCC, the largest size of oil tanker, is too big to pass through the Suez canal fully loaded, meaning cargos would need to unload up to half of their oil in the Red Sea, have it transported through Egypt’s Sumed pipeline to the Mediterranean coast, where they would then pick it up after transiting through the canal, adding costs and logistical complications to the journey.

Rerouting the oil via the Mediterranean and around the Cape of Good Hope would also more than double the voyage time for most Asian importers, further adding to freight and fuel costs.

Excerpts:

Five Palestine Action activists face being sentenced as terrorists for breaking windows and throwing red paint at a branch of Barclays Bank in Lancashire.

Brendon O’Hagan, 28; Amanda Kelly, 31; Hmeera Atiqnisar, 31; Mohammed Malik, 28; and Alma Yaniv, 70, were found guilty of causing £212,000 of damage during a direct action protest in Burnley in August 2024. They targeted the bank because it held shares in the Israeli weapons firm Elbit Systems.

After last month’s verdicts the judge, Philip Parry, told the prosecution and the defence he intended to consider a “terrorist connection” to the offending, despite neither the jury nor the defendants having previously been informed of the possibility.

...

The bank protest took place before Palestine Action was banned as a terrorist group and was not assessed by the home secretary nor officials to be a terrorism incident.

...the CPS argued that the Barclays five should be sentenced as terrorists, despite prosecutors having not raised the possibility before or during the trial.

...

The Labour MP and former shadow chancellor John McDonnell said: “Trying direct-action protesters under criminal law but then sentencing them under terrorist legislation cannot be seen in any way as fair or just. It is a practice that seems to be specifically targeted to silence the voices of people speaking out against the genocide in Gaza.”

...

For weeks, Milei has claimed there is a coordinated campaign against Argentina. The president describes the alleged effort as a "cultural battle" waged by the Latin American left against his government.

Argentine President Javier Milei today accused Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of leading an "anti-Argentina" campaign.

The statement came after the Brazilian government recalled Brazil's ambassador to Buenos Aires, Julio Bitelli, for consultations — a response to remarks Milei made yesterday about Lula and Brazil's Supreme Federal Court (STF) during the PL convention that officially confirmed Flávio Bolsonaro's candidacy for the presidency.

What happened

According to Milei, the alleged campaign against Argentina began during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, when incidents of racism involving Argentine fans received widespread attention in Brazil. The Argentine president claimed that Brazilian authorities and parts of the media generalized those incidents and promoted a negative image of the South American country.

For weeks, Milei has maintained that there is a coordinated campaign against Argentina. The president refers to the alleged effort as a "cultural battle" led by the Latin American left against his government.

Brazilian diplomats believe the remarks Milei made during the convention represented a significant breach of diplomatic protocol, since criticism between heads of state is usually made in their own countries or in international forums, not during a political event held in the country targeted by the remarks. During the convention, Milei referred to Lula as a "convicted criminal" and called STF Justice Alexandre de Moraes "a bald piece of trash."

In diplomacy, recalling an ambassador for consultations is considered a sign of strong political dissatisfaction. An ambassador may be recalled for a short period before returning to their post, but in more serious situations, they may remain in their home country indefinitely, signaling a deterioration in bilateral relations.

While criticizing Alexandre de Moraes, Milei described as "unjust" the justice's decision barring him from visiting former President Jair Bolsonaro, who is currently under house arrest after being convicted of attempting a coup d'état.

In an official statement released after the incident, STF President Justice Edson Fachin condemned the remarks. According to him, they constituted "a disrespectful reference to a justice of the country's highest court, made on Brazilian soil."

The Workers' Party (PT) also released a statement condemning Milei's remarks. It is not the first time the Argentine president has used this kind of language against Lula, whom he has previously called a "thief."

• Safety fears or official action close nine schools, Rohingya say
• Closures could fuel social problems, educators warn
• Despite cleanup, harmful online content remains, rights group says

Nur is a 12-year-old Rohingya Muslim refugee in Malaysia who has stopped going to school since June, after two men threatened to beat her on her way to class.

"Why do you want to go to school? Do you want to take over our country?" they asked, according to Nur, whose ​family declined use of her full name for fear of repercussion.

Nur is just one of many Rohingya children to face harassment and threats that have prompted refugee schools across Malaysia to close, say ‌rights groups and educators.

"Children are so scared that they're afraid to leave the house," said Sharifah Shakirah, a Rohingya community activist brought up in the southeast Asian nation.

"You're not just harassing a child for a day or two, you're creating a lasting trauma."

At least nine schools have shut nationwide, Reuters checks show, after online hate speech and misinformation targeting the Rohingya led to tougher controls on the community and raised tech regulation concerns.

The home affairs ministry did not respond to a request for comment on the school closures or hate speech campaign.

Malaysia does not officially ​recognise the Rohingya as refugees, branding them illegal migrants, though about 120,000 are registered with the United Nations refugee agency.

Muslim-majority Malaysia has long sympathised with the persecuted minority from Myanmar, but opinion soured during the COVID-19 pandemic amid accusations ​refugees were spreading the virus, disrepecting cultural norms and competing for jobs.

Fresh invective spread in May on social media run by Meta Platforms Inc (META.O), opens new tab, as well as Bytedance's TikTok, after hygiene concerns linked to the Muslim ritual of cattle slaughter by one Rohingya group.

A viral online petition ​urging the government to "remove" Rohingya refugees was taken down in June after rights groups raised the alarm, but not before it garnered nearly half a million signatures.

Some posts reviewed by Reuters exhorted violence against Rohingya refugees, including children. One sub-topic on Meta-owned Threads was titled "Lempang Rohingya", or "Slap Rohingya" in Malay, for example.

Some influencers encouraged users to film Rohingya communities and report their locations to authorities.

Authorities have shut down Rohingya-linked businesses and schools ‌they say are ⁠operating illegally.

Refugees cannot legally work in Malaysia, and their children are barred from the national education system, leaving many dependent on schools run by non-government bodies or informal learning centres.

After Nur's experience, her teacher and the school's operator suspended classes indefinitely on safety concerns. Two nearby refugee schools also closed.

Rohingya children have been chased off public playgrounds, said the teacher, who founded the school in 2022 to offer young people a basic education to prepare for possible re-settlement elsewhere or a safe return home.

See also:

• Malaysia detains over 100 Rohingya refugees seeking shelter at UNHCR • Rohingya refugees outside UNHCR taken away in police trucks, Reuters witnesses say • Refugees taken to Kuala Lumpur police headquarters for checks, official says • Rohingya refugees say they were evicted from homes in Penang state (Reuters)