Taliban has captured Panjshir, the final resistance in Afghanistan
Despite multiple conflicting reports from both side’s supporters, it is becoming clearer that Panjshir have effectively fallen to the Taliban. Taliban had taken the Panjshir governor house and raised the Taliban flag symbolically. The Taliban showed video of them capturing a few more of the Aghan National Air Force helicopters that had previously fled to…
Read More[ AFP ] Taliban battle for Panjshir as US warns of Afghanistan civil war
Taliban fighters advanced deep into the last holdout province of Panjshir Sunday, as the top US general warned Afghanistan faces a wider civil war that would offer fertile ground for a resurgence of terrorism. Following their lightning-fast rout of Afghanistan’s army last month — and celebrations Monday when the last US troops flew out after…
Read More[ SCMP ] Singapore residents who took Sinovac turn to Pfizer to up their antibody counts, amid debate on booster shots
Even after receiving her second dose of the Sinovac vaccine last month, Soh, a 43-year-old Singaporean, was unsure about her immunity levels. So she went to get an antibody test – and the result took her by surprise. Her antibody count stood at 140, a figure her doctor said was about 10 times lower than what someone…
Read More[ 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[ Reuters ] Taliban launch charm offensive with Afghan banks amid funding fears
The new, Taliban-appointed head of Afghanistan’s central bank has sought to reassure banks the group wants a fully-functioning financial system, but has so far provided little detail on how it will supply funds to sustain it, said four bankers familiar with the matter. The acting central bank governor, Haji Mohammad Idris, met members of the…
Read More[ AFP ] Malaysia makes ousted PM head of virus-hit country’s recovery body
Muhyiddin Yassin fell from power last month after rising anger over his government’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic. But a cabinet decision has now appointed him as the coronavirus body’s chairman as well as a minister, government chief secretary Mohamad Zuki Ali said. Mohamad said the ex-leader, who ruled for 17 months, would “lead the…
Read More[ 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…
Read MoreB-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…
Read More[ 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…
Read MoreJapan PM Yoshihide Suga will not be running for re-election of LDP party leadership
Japan’s Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said on Friday (Sept 3) he will not run for his ruling party’s leadership, effectively ending his tenure and throwing wide open the race for the next premier. The shock decision after just a year in office comes with Mr Suga’s approval ratings at an all-time low over his government’s…
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