Xi moves to silence "zero Covid" critics...;
... as China censors who chief's criticism;
China cracks down on "illegal entry and exit";
A social media campaign against "historic nihilism";
China orders government, state firms to dump foreign PCs
The Ukraine war is a fight over food;
Thinking beyond Putin;
Domestic backlash deepens;
What Ukrainians want
Singapore defies neighbors, sanctions Moscow....;
... while Japanese PM swings through SE Asia to bolster unity;
Beijing eyes the South Pacific;
AUKUS expands;
How Delhi is planning to decouple from Moscow
Just how durable is Iran's clerical regime, really? For years, Iran's ayatollahs have worked diligently to convince the world that their Islamic revolution is a popular—and permanent—enterprise.
Are the United States and its allies willing to pay the price, assume the risks, and support Ukrainian efforts not only to restore the borders of Feb. 23 but also retake Crimea? They may be. But let’s make sure there’s no misunderstanding on that score in Kyiv, Washington, or the capitals of our NATO allies.
Expats exiting China;
China's leading financial firms shun Russian banks;
Xi introduces a new "Global Security Initiative";
Web users told to report anti-CPC "Historical Nihilism";
China, Iran agree advance military ties
Putin's real war plans;
The FSB on the outs...;
... as Russia's military becomes restless;
Russia's spy push
As the Ukraine war drags on, the case for a new Russian leader becomes increasingly compelling.
Given the extraordinary size of President Biden’s most recent request, it is well past time for Congress to stop being a rubber stamp and start exercising proper oversight by demanding answers to some fundamental questions—first and foremost being “what is the overarching purpose of this assistance?”
Blacking out HRW;
Taking advantage of ... Israel;
Lavrov's messaging misfire;
Ottawa takes a stand
Performance of China's J-20 fighter jet stalls...;
... while Chinese railgun tech advances;
The benefits of stronger enamel;
Making body armor safer to bystanders;
Dusty defenses?
The states of Central Asia and the Caucasus are clearly rattled by Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, and looking for ways to protect themselves against the same in the future.
At some point, Washington will indeed need to stand up a serious, transparent and bipartisan effort to counter the phenomenon of "fake news," but it is already clear that the Biden administration's new board isn't it.
We need to see Iran as the implacable adversary it is and then craft a broad strategic approach to it that makes sense.
Guangxi distributes Xi's "Little Red Books";
Muslim countries help China hunt down Uighurs around the world;
China allows some Asian students to return;
India suspends tourist visas for PRC nationals;
Baloch rebels claim murders of Confucius Institute leaders, teachers
Air Force considers cool gear...;
... while the Pentagon requests new shades;
Deep fake voices?;
Fedex planes with laser protection?;
6G technology talks to hypersonics
France rethinks its African footprint;
Mediation in Sudan is key to Egypt's security...;
...as Khartoum leans towards Moscow;
Congo moves to regain control over Chinese-run mine;
China's digital silk road comes to Kenya
The real story surrounding Russia's economy;
Brutal tactics dominate Russia's war effort...;
...creating a new lexicon;
A widening technological gap
U.S. must make clear it will defend Taiwan: Abe;
Eyeing China, Japan and Philippines hold security talks;
Twitter users exposing China's pro-Russian propaganda;
Diversifying supply chains away from China "good for everyone";
China's new mega-coal mine can produce 15 million tons annually
Researchers find "smoking gun" on China's organ harvesting;
Chinese Army makes incursion bids in Ladakh;
China refuses to guarantee Ukraine's security;
China's state-owned companies avoid new oil deals with Russia;
Indonesians see the U.S. more favorably than China
Kadyrov backs Ukraine campaign;
Russia's shifting war aims;
Kremlin critic regains her voice;
Moscow frets over a reinvigorated NATO;
The Kremlin searches for scapegoats;
Domestic opposition mounts
It is possible that none of the perpetrators of the war crimes in Ukraine will ever face justice. But doing nothing would be surrendering to injustice.
Holodomor 2.0;
Investigating (its own) war crimes in Ukraine;
Orthodox Church boosts Ukraine campaign;
Where are Russia's oligarchs headed?
The United States and its allies must force a Russian retreat through the economic and arms-related steps at their disposal. Their failure to do so risks a more nuclearized world.
Chinese, Russian militaries are not "interoperable";
China and Russia deploy hypersonic missiles, while U.S. lags behind;
China has created a satellite-killing weapon;
China establishes deep space exploration laboratory;
China doubles down on biolab disinformation
Starship will make the concept of Space Solar Power both technically and economically feasible.
The high cost of negotiating with Russia;
Financial institutions take stock of Russian clients;
Reinforcing the Ukrainian front…;
...and replenishing the military ranks;
How Russia is terraforming Ukraine
Against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine, Western media outlets are closing up shop in the country, independent Russian outlets are being shuttered, and the last embers of press freedom are being extinguished.
China accuses U.S. of building a NATO in the Pacific;
Pentagon Attack on Taiwan would produce "robust" response;
Taliban and Chinese mining firm restart copper mining talks;
Taiwan wants to join the CPTPP and Quad;
China, Solomon Islands sign security cooperation memo
Americas lithium production problem;
The Pentagon plans a green footprint;
Russian tactics could spark an environmental disaster
For more than a year, reversing the "maximum pressure" policy of its predecessor and hammering out some sort of nuclear compromise with Iran has been the centerpiece of the Biden administration's Mideast policy.
Let’s not be too hard on President Biden simply for saying what most people believe.
PRC hackers infiltrate a half-dozen U.S. state networks;
China expands censorship to thwart "foreign forces";
China video game freeze threatens the industry;
Tencent joins Alibaba in declaring support for tech crackdown;
Marriages hit 36-year low
Russia's grim economic outlook;
Closing a ruble loophole;
Putin looks for internal scapegoats;
Why Russians back Putin's war
Washington has long considered Tehran the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism, recognizing that Iran conducts its terrorist activities largely through the IRGC.
Taking them off the list as a concession to tempt Tehran back into a nuclear proliferation deal would be dangerous — and would undermine the deal itself.
A humanitarian mission in Ukraine? What a great idea.
More multinationals eye the exits…;
...as Russia's tech isolation deepens;
In Ukraine, echoes of the Syrian War;
Putin's Syrian legion
Yesterday, Iranian terrorist proxies, the Houthi, attacked a Saudi Aramco petroleum-distribution plant at Jeddah, setting a storage facility on fire.
Iran’s economic fortunes — and its strategic ambitions — are already expanding, even ahead of any new deal with the West, thanks to the soaring world price of oil.
Assessing the Iranian threat…;
...and Tehran's strategic ambitions…;
...as the White House mulls bringing the IRGC in from the cold;
the Islamic Republic versus the internet, continued;
Iranian-Saudi talks fizzle
Putin’s stranglehold on global energy markets has loosened in the intervening years.
Western news outlets close up shop…;
..as the Kremlin targets Russian media;
The birth of RuNet?;
An attempted Russian exodus
China asked Russia to delay Ukraine war until after Olympics;
China evacuates thousands from Ukraine;
Russian firms rush to open RMB accounts at Chinese banks;
Anti-Russian war voices grow louder in China;
China expands localities for digital currency trials
Israel has publicly tip-toed around Russia’s invasion. Since Russia crossed Ukraine’s border in late February, Jerusalem has studiously avoided blaming Russian President Vladimir Putin by name.
Washington uses Huawei playbook to hit Russia;
India, UAE on verge of doubling trade;
On debts to China, Sri Lanka looks to India for help;
Nepal approves U.S. development assistance, despite China's warnings;
Jakarta looks beyond Russian arms to balance Beijing
Russia rediscovered its imperial vocation before NATO enlargement, and the war in Ukraine is, in fact, about Putin’s great power ambitions.
Russia's reshuffled disinformation deck...;
...and hard times for Moscow's main messaging outlet;
The rise of Ukrainian persuasion;
China's disinformation campaign in Lithuania;
Iranian disinfo target Israeli unity
As the world is distracted by Russia's invasion of Ukraine and while President Joe Biden condemns Vladimir Putin on the world stage -- the U.S. is in talks with Kremlin negotiators to revive the agreement with the Islamic fundamentalist leaders of Iran.
The only mention of Iran in President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address on Tuesday was an unintentional one.