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Description: Chinese diplomats pressured official representatives from two African countries to cancel their participation in an International Parliamentary Group critical of China. China’s diplomacy has started pushing the envelope on international pressure to gain influence and establish dominance in critical regions and areas of interest on the African continent. The US’ unilateral withdrawal from most international organizations fueled a power vacuum which China would use to forward their regional interests. Recent examples are the Malawi and Gambia’s withdrawal from the Inter – Parliamentary Alliance on China over pressure related with Chinese soft power influence on th
Description: Senior Bureau Official for South and Central Asian Affairs, within the US State Department, Eric Meyer met with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to discuss US interests in Pakistan’s vast mineral reserves sector. The meet was held on the outskirts of the Business Summit in Islamabad where Meyer expressed the US is willing to closely cooperate with Pakistan on key issues such as defense, trade and the exploitation of mineral reserves. Prime Minister Shahbaz also welcomed the US interest in cooperation with Pakistan and stated that American companies are welcomed on Pakistan’s wide mining market. Impact: The meet between Eric Meyer and the
Description: Germany’s Chancellor – in – waiting Friedrich Merz announced that his party has reached a coalition agreement with the center – left Democrats, SPD. The long-awaited alliance alleviates the pressure from the far – right AfD, as Merz has pledged to tackle migration, tax policies and bolstering Germany’s economy in volatile market conditions. Coalition goals have already been set with the new SPD leader Lars Klingbeil, who would most likely be appointed as Germany’s new Finance Minister or Vice - Chancellor, while Boris Pistorius would remain the country's Defense Minister. Germany’s new government has pledged to stimulate trade with the US and bring import tariff
Description: Philippine and US air force and naval assets have started joint military drills in the South China Sea, labeling the operation Cope Thunder. According to military officials from both countries, the primary goal of the drills would be to establish an asymmetric warfare capability, achieve strategic deterrence mostly directed at China and enhance combat readiness. Last week’s Chinese military encirclement of Taiwan prompted US allies in the region to enhance preparedness on all military levels, as recent encounters between Philippine’s and Chinese coastguard implied excruciatingly high levels of tensions. Prior to the drills, the US announced that the long-awaited
Description: Taiwanese National Security Bureau (NSB) has publicly blamed China for using generative AI in ramping up disinformation campaigns aimed at destabilizing Taiwan and make it susceptible towards China’s sovereignty claims. NSB has reportedly detected over half a million messages pertaining to such disinformation campaigns, only a week after Chinese air force and naval assets conducted warfare simulations of occupying the island. Taiwan additionally mentioned heightened levels of covert operations and significant Chinese naval and military buildup in waters close to the island. The US government has taken notice of Chinese activities in the Indo – Pacific, however,
Description: Hong – Kong based port operator conglomerate CK Hutchinson could face a lawsuit from Panama’s Comptroller General’s Office as the audit that’s yet to be finalized showed indications of irregularities. Abnormalities were determined in the 2021 renewal of the usage permit for the ports of Balboa in the Pacific and Cristobal in the Atlantic as CK Hutchinson failed to comply with the terms of the concession agreement. The business conglomerate reportedly owed $1.2 billion to Panama’s government on top of other various violations which had to do with transition fees for cargo ships in the Canal. The audit concerns emerge at a sensitive time, when Blackrock Inc. offer
Description: South Korean military officials have stated that 10 North Korean soldiers illegally encroached the demarcation line (DL) in the demilitarized zone (DMZ), after which warning shots were fired. The precise intention from the soldiers wasn’t determined although speculations arose that the soldiers aimed at provoking South Korea into a more aggressive confrontational state in the DMZ. Incidents such as this were largely present in the past year when North Korean workers and soldiers repeatedly violated the predetermined conditions for the usage of the DMZ. The incident happened at a sensitive time of substantial military posturing and escalated tensions between the
Description: Ukrainian President Volodymir Zelenskyy has stated that Ukraine’s frontline troops have captured two Chinese soldiers fighting on Russia’s side in the Donetsk region. Ukraine’s military has verified the soldiers to be Chinese as legitimate identification papers were found in their belongings. Andrii Sybiha, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister has contacted his Chinese counterpart to clarify the situation, as Beijing has repeatedly denounced their direct involvement of any kind in the Russia – Ukraine war. Lin Jian, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson has stated that China had invested diplomatic capital in resolving the war despite being sidelined by the US and hasn’t
Description: US President Donald Trump has ordered another national security review on Japanese Nippon Steel’s ambitions to merge with US Steel. The review would undertake previous and current merger options and possible risks on US national security as US Steel is one of the most important industrial assets in the country. News regarding the review broke shortly after Trump finished a phone call with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, where they allegedly talked about the potential merger. US Steel and Nippon’s merger was initially blocked by former President Joe Biden who cited national security concerns, while Trump reconfirmed his predecessor’s decision. The develop
Description: Senior unidentified Hezbollah officials have publicly called for the group’s disarmament while conditioning Israel to withdraw its military presence from Lebanon. Israel launched significant military offensives in the past couple of months in persecution of the terrorist organization which significantly depleted Hezbollah’s capacities and operational outreach. Iran’s most seriously financed proxy followed offshoots of other militant groups in Iraq and called for a larger disarmament campaign if and whether Israel withdraws its military. President Joseph Aoun ever since his inauguration in Jan pledged to dismantle terrorist organizations operating in Lebanon and