U.S. Troops Have Been Deployed in Taiwan for at Least a Year

A U.S. special-operations unit and a contingent of Marines have been secretly operating in Taiwan to train military forces there, U.S. officials said, part of efforts to shore up the island’s defenses as concern regarding potential Chinese aggression mounts. About two dozen members of U.S. special-operations and support troops are conducting training for small units … Continued

Afghan Gun Shops Sell US Weapons Seized by Taliban

U.S. weapons and military equipment left behind during the United States’ withdrawal from Afghanistan are now being sold by gun dealers in the country. The NYT interviewed weapons dealers in Afghanistan’s Kandahar Province who said Afghans have been selling an array of U.S. military gear that the Taliban seized from Afghan national troops when they … Continued

Moscow invites Taliban to Afghanistan talks on Oct. 20

Russia will invite representatives of the Taliban to international talks on Afghanistan that it plans to host in Moscow on Oct. 20, President Vladimir Putin’s special representative on Afghanistan said on Thursday. Moscow hosted an international conference on Afghanistan in March at which Russia, the United States, China and Pakistan released a joint statement calling … Continued

China sharply escalates warplane provocations near Taiwan 

China’s military stepped up provocative aerial incursions near Taiwan on Monday with its biggest sortie to date, sending 58 warplanes, including 12 nuclear-capable bombers, inside the island’s air defense zone, the Taiwanese Defense Ministry said. Flights on Friday and Saturday traveled into the same southern air defense zone in what Chinese state media called practice … Continued

Pope Francis: Only a ‘throwaway culture’ accepts euthanasia and abortion

For the second time in a month, Pope Francis has strongly decried abortion, as well as euthanasia. Monday, the Plenary Assembly of the Pontifical Academy for Life received a papal address during a discussion of “Public Health in Global Perspective.” During his address, Pope Francis said the international community should to continue addressing inequalities in issues … Continued

Democratic Senator Blumenthal: ‘Nobody is in charge’ on Afghanistan

Senator Richard Blumenthal suggested Tuesday that the Biden administration’s current approach to Afghanistan is beset by chaos. “Nobody is in charge,” the Connecticut Democrat told generals appearing at a hearing of the Senate Armed Service Committee. The outrage is so great over Americans and our Afghan allies being left to the Taliban that even some … Continued

Joint Chiefs chairman calls Afghan withdrawal a ‘strategic failure

Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, refused to say what advice he gave President Joe Biden last spring when Biden was considering whether to keep any troops in Afghanistan. But he told the Senate Armed Services Committee it was his personal opinion that at least 2,500 were needed to guard against … Continued

WHO seeks to revive stalled inquiry into origins of Covid-19 with new team 

The World Health Organization is reviving its stalled investigation into the origins of the Covid-19 virus as agency officials warn that time is running out to determine how the pandemic that has killed more than 4.7 million people worldwide began. A new team of about 20 scientists—including specialists in laboratory safety and biosecurity and geneticists … Continued

Merkel’s Party Suffers Sweeping Losses as Germans Spread Vote

As Germany’s election results came into sharper focus on Monday, no party won decisive majority but the loser was clear: Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democrats. After 16 years in power under Ms. Merkel’s leadership, they saw their share of the vote collapse by nearly nine points, garnering only 24.1 percent of the vote. It was … Continued

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