Ed Castro, Associate Editor CIA Director John Ratcliffe met with EU officials last week in an attempt to rebuild strained relations with US intelligence agencies, Politico reported, citing three people familiar with the matter. According to the report published on Friday, Ratcliffe met with the EU’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, as well as senior officials…
Jake Sanders,Editor The US and China have agreed to reopen top-level military-to-military channels following a recent bilateral meeting of their top brass in Malaysia, according to War Secretary Pete Hegseth. The communications are a key de-escalation mechanism that Beijing cut in 2022 after a formal visit to Taiwan, a self-governed region viewed by Beijing as…
Ed Castro Venezuela has requested assistance from Russia, China, and Iran to strengthen its defenses amid the ongoing standoff with the US, the Washington Post claimed on Friday, citing US government documents. According to the newspaper, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro sent a letter to Chinese President Xi Jinping requesting radar detectors and directly citing the “escalation”…
Jake Sanders, Editor US Vice President J.D. Vance has said the resumption of nuclear arms testing by Washington is required to ensure that the weapons remain in working order. On Thursday, US President Donald Trump announced that he had ordered the Pentagon to start nuclear weapons tests, citing strategic competition with Russia and China. “That…
Ed Castro China has agreed to suspend its latest rare earth export controls in exchange for reciprocal US cuts on tariffs and restrictions, the Chinese Commerce Ministry said in a statement published on its website on Thursday. Beijing’s earlier limits on the critical materials remain in place. The agreement followed a face-to-face meeting between Chinese…
Francis Tuschek, Quito,Equador In a significant diplomatic move, earlier this month China was admitted as an observer in the Andean Community—comprising Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru—marking a notable expansion of its influence in Latin America. While the gesture may appear symbolic on the surface, analysts see it as a strategic step in China’s broader effort…
Richard Sanders Taiwan has unveiled a new international framework aimed at bolstering the security of undersea communication cables, which are vital for global connectivity. The initiative, named the Management Initiative on International Undersea Cables or “RISK,” focuses on risk mitigation, information sharing, systemic reform, and knowledge building to protect these critical infrastructure elements. During a…
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro Jake Saunders, Editor A US federal agent secretly attempted to recruit Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s personal pilot as part of a plot to capture the leader and deliver him into American custody on drug trafficking charges, AP reports. Citing three current and former US officials, as well as one of Maduro’s…
Francis Tuschek The West is seeking to break Russia into dozens of small, weak states, former Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu says. Shoigu, who currently serves as secretary of Russia’s Security Council, made the remarks in an op-ed published in Argumenty i Fakty on Tuesday, ahead of National Unity Day, which is a Russian holiday celebrated…
Ed Castro US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated yesterday that Taiwan should not worry about being used as a bargaining chip in ongoing US-China trade talks. During a flight from Israel to Qatar en route to Asia, Rubio reassured that no trade deal would jeopardize Taiwan’s position or result in favorable trade treatment in…
