[ Qatar Tribune ] Taliban invite Qatar, Turkey, China, Russia, Iran and Pakistan to govt formation event

The Taliban on Monday gave an early glimpse of its foreign policy and geopolitical alignment as it invited Russia, China, Turkey, Iran, Pakistan and Qatar to attend an event on its looming government formation. According to an Al Jazeera report, the Taliban invited these countries. The report cited a source saying the necessary procedures for…

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[ New York Post ] I ran Team Trump’s Afghan withdrawal — Biden’s attempt to blame us is just sad

I’m intimately familiar with former President Donald Trump’s Afghanistan strategy. In November 2020, I was named chief of staff at the Pentagon, where one of my primary responsibilities was to wind down the forever war in Afghanistan. Trump instructed me to arrange a conditions-based, methodical exit plan that would preserve the national interest. The plan…

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B-21 Raider spotted over Philippines?

Sorsogon 101 Unknown aircraft in Sorsogon? On the morning of September 2 exactly 6:15am, what seemed like a stealth bomber was capturedusing a Fujifilm Xt2 +50-200mm camera at the skies of Santa Magdalena, Sorsogon by our contributor, Michael Fugnit. According to a facebook post by “Sorsogon 101”, a contributor called Michael Fugnit reportedly spotted an…

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[ Reuters ] U.S. blocking Chinese acquisitions of global tech firms a “red flag” – Chinese state-backed tabloid

Chinese state-backed tabloid the Global Times called U.S. efforts to block cross-border acquisitions of tech companies a “red flag” that impedes China’s tech sector and disrupts the growth of the global tech sector. The outlet, which is published by the People’s Daily, China’s official newspaper for the ruling Communist Party, argued a recent attempt to…

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[ 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…

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[ Daily Mail ] Pentagon orders ALL active military to get the vaccine as soon as possible: 800,000 service members still haven’t gotten a shot and could face court martial if they don’t

More than 800,000 service members out of around 1.4 million still need to get their shots, according to Pentagon data Of active duty forces, 68 percent are fully vaccinated and 76 percent have at least one dose The Army has the lowest vaccination rate, where 40% are fully vaccinated and 57% have one dose Kirby…

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[ 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…

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[ 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…

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[ Politico ] U.S. officials provided Taliban with names of Americans, Afghan allies to evacuate

U.S. officials in Kabul gave the Taliban a list of names of American citizens, green card holders and Afghan allies to grant entry into the militant-controlled outer perimeter of the city’s airport, a choice that’s prompted outrage behind the scenes from lawmakers and military officials. The move, detailed to POLITICO by three U.S. and congressional…

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