Geopolitics
[ The Straits Times ]Taiwan scrambles jets after 19 Chinese planes enter air defence zone
Taiwan’s air force scrambled on Sunday (Sept 5), with its defence ministry reporting that 19 Chinese aircraft, including nuclear-capable bombers, had flown into the nation’s air defence identification zone. The latest Chinese mission involved 10 J-16 and four Su-30 fighters as well as four H-6 bombers, which can carry nuclear weapons, and an anti-submarine plane, Taiwan’s…
Read More[ Insider Asia ] North Korea rejects almost 3 million doses of Sinovac vaccine, saying it should be given to countries that need it more
North Korea has rejected about 3 million doses of China’s Sinovac Biotech vaccine, asking for them to be sent to countries that need them more. The isolated kingdom had also previously rejected almost 2 million AstraZeneca vaccines due to the potential of rare but severe blood clots. The country has so far reported zero cases…
Read More[ Reuters ] Before Afghan collapse, Biden pressed Ghani to ‘change perception’
In the last call between U.S. President Joe Biden and his Afghanistan counterpart before the Taliban seized control of the country, the leaders discussed military aid, political strategy and messaging tactics, but neither Biden nor Ashraf Ghani appeared aware of or prepared for the immediate danger of the entire country falling to insurgents, a transcript reviewed by…
Read More[ ABC ] North Korea appears to have reactivated Yongbyon nuclear plant, atomic watchdog IAEA says
North Korea appears to have restarted a nuclear reactor that is widely believed to have produced plutonium for nuclear weapons, the UN atomic watchdog has said in an annual report. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has had no access to North Korea since Pyongyang expelled its inspectors in 2009. The country then pressed ahead…
Read MoreTaliban captured 85 billion dollars of military hardware – now is as strong as Tajikistan’s military… maybe
A lot had been made and reported about the multi-billion dollars “acquisition” of the US military hardware that were left behind by the US forces and the Afghan National Army. A whopping 85 billion dollars worth of it. In a tweet by disclose.tv reveal the below numbers: The numbers look very impressive, until you start…
Read More[ United With Israel ] Biden ‘Not Optimistic’ About Return to Iran Nuclear Deal
President Joe Biden’s mood on a U.S. return to the Iranian nuclear deal is “not optimistic,” according to an Israeli source quoted by Times of Israel. The report followed up on the president’s Friday meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett in the Oval Office. The controversial Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) promised Iran economic…
Read More[ MEMO ] Israel: IDF acknowledges failure to destroy ‘Hamas metro’
Senior officers have recognised that the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) failed to achieve the goals set for the military offensive against the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip between 11 and 21 May, the Times of Israel reported on Wednesday. Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz and IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kohavi have discussed these issues with senior…
Read More[ Euasianet ] Tajikistan: President demands Tajik role in running Afghanistan
The president of Tajikistan has said that his government will not recognize the Taliban’s rule over Afghanistan unless the country’s ethnic Tajik minority is accorded a “worthy role” in the running of the country. Rahmon said his confidence in the Taliban has been undermined by the group’s abandonment of pledges to consider power-sharing with all…
Read More[ Reuters ] EXCLUSIVE-Internal UN document says Taliban threatened, beat staff
The Taliban stopped an Afghan United Nations staff member as he tried to reach Kabul airport on Sunday. They searched his vehicle and found his U.N. identification. Then they beat him. The incidents are among dozens contained in an internal U.N. security document seen by Reuters that describes veiled threats, the looting of U.N. offices…
Read More[ The News Pakistan ] From battlefield to power table: Khalil Haqqani emerges as key player
KABUL, Afghanistan: He has a $5 million bounty on his head and a triumphant smile on his face. The head money marked by the US Treasury Department for Khalil-ur-Rahman Haqqani has lost much of its significance in the fast-changing circumstances of Afghanistan. Khalil, a scion of the feared Haqqani Network, is not an ordinary man…
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