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☆ Is There a Future in the Doomsday Economy?
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-13 | by ( Alexander Nazaryan | Emily Najera | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

When it comes to surviving the apocalypse, you could do a lot worse than the West Virginia branch of Fortitude Ranch, a constellation of five survivalist compounds across the United States and one of a growing number of businesses aiming to seize on Americans’ deepening anxieties about the future. Set on a rise above the lush valley cradling the Lost River in eastern West Virginia, about two hours from Washington, D.C., the 50-acre property backs up against the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests. A handsome guesthouse, built of dark timber slats, anchors the property. Two large, boxy dormitories, also timber but more rustic, as well as a bare-bones bunker, are designed to house more than 100 members. On a tabletop sits a 50-caliber rifle, which could be used to take out the engine block of an approaching vehicle.

Persons: George Washington Organizations: Washington , D.C, Jefferson National Forests, Guard Locations: West Virginia, Fortitude, United States, Washington ,

McGaha started plotting her move abroad as soon as she turned 18. "Travel started as a coping mechanism for me to stay excited about life and heal after surviving such a horrific experience and losing my dad," McGaha says. One of her friends suggested she look at teaching jobs in Budapest, Hungary, noting the teacher shortage there and the short visa processing timeline. Her teaching contract included a furnished one-bedroom apartment in Budapest, with a monthly stipend to help cover rent and utilities. Photo: Bence BamerSince moving to Budapest — and losing her teaching job — McGaha has had to apply for several different visas.

Persons: Denae McGaha, McGaha, McGaha's, Ronnie, …, expats, — McGaha, she's, She's, hasn't Organizations: United States —, Budapest — Locations: Harvest , Alabama, Europe, London, Copenhagen, Whidbey, Washington, Budapest, Hungary, United States, American, Covid, ., Instagram, Philadelphia, Budapest's 5th, Hungarian, Seattle

☆ What NATO’s Warning to China About Russia Means
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-11 | by ( Chris Buckley | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

China’s tight bond with Russia is facing renewed condemnation from Washington and its allies after NATO issued its strongest accusation yet that Chinese technology is sustaining Moscow’s war in Ukraine. Leaders from the NATO alliance, meeting in Washington, declared that Beijing “cannot enable the largest war in Europe in recent history” without facing repercussions. Despite a widening web of Western bans and restrictions, Chinese semiconductors, machine tools and other parts have become vital to Russia’s arms industries, helping Moscow to keep up its grinding war, say American and European officials, intelligence agencies and security experts.

Organizations: NATO Locations: Russia, Washington, Ukraine, Beijing, Europe, Moscow

☆ George Clooney says Biden should drop out, can't win in November
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-10 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewGeorge Clooney on Wednesday called on President Joe Biden to drop out of the 2024 race just weeks after co-hosting a star-studded fundraiser for the president's campaign. "He wasn't even the Joe Biden of 2020. I'm proud of what my party represents and what it stands for," Clooney wrote. AdvertisementIn his Times column, Clooney added that he help put on, "some of the biggest fund-raisers in my party's history. Joe Biden in 2020."

Persons: —, George Clooney, Joe Biden, Joe, Biden, Clooney, Reed Hastings, Barry Diller, Clooney's, Rob Reiner, Reiner, …, @robreiner, he's, Nancy Pelosi, lister, Julia Roberts, Barbra Streisand, Barack Obama, Steve Ricchetti, Amal Clooney, Hillary Clinton Organizations: Service, The New York Times, Business, Hollywood, Netflix, IAC, MSNBC, Seven House Democrats, Academy, The Washington Post, Democrats Locations: Washington, Hague

☆ Putin hosts India’s PM to deepen ties, but Ukraine looms over their relationship
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-09 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Russia's President Vladimir Putin and India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi walk during their meeting at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence near Moscow, Russia July 8, 2024. Their partnership has become more complicated, however, as Russia has moved closer to China amid international isolation of Moscow over Ukraine. Russian state media reported that they would also discuss Moscow helping India build more nuclear power plants. The two countries already are collaborating on the Kudankulam nuclear power project in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. With Moscow's arms industries mostly serving the Russian military in Ukraine, India has been diversifying its defense procurements, buying more from the U.S., Israel, France and Italy.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Narendra Modi, Putin, Modi, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Matthew Miller, Vinay Mohan Kwatra Organizations: India's, Indian, NATO, . State Department, Shanghai Cooperation Organization, India, Russian Locations: Moscow, Russia, Washington, Ukraine, China, Kazakhstan, Beijing, Russian, Kyiv, India, New Delhi, Tamil Nadu, United States, Vladivostok, Uzbekistan, U.S, Israel, France, Italy, Chennai, East

☆ Opinion: At NATO summit, Ukraine deserves the truth from Biden
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-09 | by ( Opinion Daniel R. Depetris | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —A year ago, NATO heads of state gathered in Vilnius, Lithuania, for their annual summit. He called NATO’s unwillingness to establish a concrete timeframe for Ukraine’s membership “unprecedented and absurd,” causing consternation in the Biden administration and nearly derailing the summit. Several key NATO members, however, haven’t been especially eager to come to the defense of Ukraine. Why would Putin consider a ceasefire or diplomatic settlement with Kyiv if he knew that NATO membership for Ukraine was just around the corner? Biden should tell Zelensky point-blank that NATO membership is a fool’s errand — and while he’s at it, he ought to apologize to all Ukrainians, for waiting so long to state the obvious.

Persons: Daniel R, CNN —, Vladimir Putin, DePetris, Volodymyr Zelensky, Biden, —, Jens Stoltenberg, haven’t, George W, Bush, Barack Obama, Zelensky, Russia Michael McFaul, Putin, it’s Organizations: Defense, Chicago Tribune, The New York Times, Politico, Street, Guardian, CNN, NATO, Ukraine Locations: The, Vilnius, Lithuania, Bucharest, Ukraine, Washington, Kyiv, United States, Europe, North America, Poland, Georgia, Soviet, France, Germany, Crimea, ”, Russia, Moscow

☆ Analysis: There is no direct precedent for Biden dropping out now. Here’s the history
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-06 | by ( Zachary B. Wolf | Amy O Kruk | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Johnson and Truman left under pressure, handed the White House over to the other partyComparisons between Biden and any of these presidents are not perfect. Both Johnson and Truman then won the White House in their own right. Humphrey would go on to lose the White House to Richard Nixon, but Democrats kept control of the House and the Senate. Democrats lost control of the White House and the Senate in 1860, and Lincoln became the first Republican president. Reforming the civil service was a major issue of the day, and it played into Hayes’ decision, according to his letter accepting the Republican nomination in 1876.

Persons: Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Harry S, Truman, Lyndon B, Johnson, Biden, Dwight Eisenhower, Hubert Humphrey, Humphrey, Richard Nixon, Roosevelt, Coolidge, Theodore Roosevelt, Calvin Coolidge, William Howard Taft, Taft, Bull Moose, Woodrow Wilson, Warren G, Harding, Herbert Hoover, curt, –, ” –, James K, Zachary Taylor, Martin Van Buren, Taylor, James Buchanan, Buchanan, Abraham Lincoln’s, seceding, He’s, Lincoln, Rutherford B, Hayes, James Garfield, Garfield Organizations: CNN, Republicans, White, Democratic, Convention, Senate, Democratic National Convention, GOP, Republican, Democrats, Whig Party, Hayes, Trump Locations: New Hampshire, Washington, Chicago, San Francisco, Southern

☆ US Navy Super Hornets armed with SM-6s, a warship missile newly tested in combat, have been spotted in the Pacific
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-05 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Read previewUS Navy fighter aircraft have been spotted in the Pacific carrying an air-launched version of a powerful ship-fired interceptor missile that only recently debuted in combat. A US Navy spokesperson told Naval News that "the SM-6 Air Launched Configuration (ALC) was developed as part of the SM-6 family of missiles and is operationally deployed in the Navy today." CSIS also notes that "its tri-mission capability also presents opportunities for the Navy to arrange more efficient weapon loadouts onboard its guided missile ships." AdvertisementThe missiles observed on Navy aircraft at RIMPAC can be seen sporting AIM-174B designations, indicating that they are an air-to-air variant. AdvertisementExtended air-to-air range missiles in a new role could help the Navy plug gaps in countering long-range missiles that China is fielding, especially should Washington and Beijing clash some day.

Persons: —, Carl Vinson, Isaiah Williams, Navy Carlos Del Toro, pBur3mhRQs, 0L2bNLgTUi —, Justin Bronk, Derek Kelley, Bronk Organizations: Service, Navy, Pacific, Business, US Navy, Naval, Hornets, Nimitz, Hickam, RIM, Combat, Hornet, for Strategic, International Studies, Defense, Observers, U.S . Navy, 0L2bNLgTUi — Doha, Royal United Services Institute, Biden, American Navy, AIM Locations: Iran, China, Gulf, Aden, @Doha104p3, Washington, Beijing

☆ Le Pen promises French far-right will rein in aid to Ukraine, slams soccer star Mbappé
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-05 | by ( Joseph Ataman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Le Pen: Mbappé not representativeLe Pen directed most of her ire closer to home. “I’m not contesting the existence of these comments,” Le Pen said, referring to the accusations levelled against her candidates. Top of the list of sensitivities is likely to be foreign policy, where Le Pen and Macron rarely see eye to eye. Many held similar suspicions ahead of the election of hard-right culture warrior Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in 2022. “It’s a form of interference, and in that sense, I find it unacceptable,” Le Pen said of the post.

Persons: Emmanuel Macron’s, Emmanuel Macron, ”, CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, Kylian Mbappé, Le Pen, Macron, Le, Jordan Bardella, CAESAR, Roman Pilpey, Pen, Mbappé, “, ” Mbappé, “ It’s, Kylian, Franck Fife, ” Le Pen, Bardella, CNN Le, Florent de Kersauson, Daniel Grenon, Grenon, “ I’m, “ That’s, Francois Lo Presti, Vladimir Putin, She’s, Putin, Giorgia Meloni, she’s Organizations: Paris CNN —, CNN, Macron, soccer side’s, Ukraine, National Rally, National Assembly, National, 55th Artillery Brigade, Getty, CNN Le Pen’s, BFMTV, Kyiv, ” Locations: Ukraine, Russia, France’s, Donetsk, AFP, Washington, Kyiv, France, Paris, Hamburg, Germany, Algeria, Cameroon, United States, Brittany, “, ”, Henin, Beaumont, Brussels, Crimea, 2014, Russian, Italian, There’s, Moscow

☆ Extreme heat is affecting workers this summer. New federal rules would require bosses to provide rest, water, and shade.
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-02 | by ( Catherine Boudreau | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

"Notably, acclimatization is the leading killer among the different factors related to heat illness," a senior administration official said. AdvertisementA senior administration official said OSHA's proposal, if finalized, would apply to all states including Texas and Florida. AdvertisementA senior administration official said OSHA's proposal is similar to standards that have been successful in those states. A senior administration official said OSHA will review state plans to ensure they are at least as effective as the federal rules. A senior administration official said OSHA also convened a national advisory committee of construction representatives comprised of management and labor interests.

Persons: —, Biden, Donald Trump, Julie Su, it's, it's it's, acclimatization, Greg Abbott, Critics, Abbott, Su, she's, who've, She's Organizations: Service, Workers, Business, Occupational Safety, Health Administration, Republican, National Weather Service, Bureau of Labor Statistics, OSHA, Dade, Texas Gov, Houston, Guardian, American Farm Bureau Federation, Construction Industry Safety Coalition Locations: Texas, Florida, Miami, Austin, Minnesota , California, Washington , Oregon, Colorado, California, Washington and Oregon, California , Arizona

Tokyo CNN —Japanese prosecutors have charged a US Air Force member with allegedly kidnapping and raping an underage girl just before Christmas last year, Okinawa police confirmed to CNN on Wednesday. Washington was released on bail and transferred to the Kadena US Air Base in Okinawa for custody, according to a government spokesperson. The court’s spokesperson told CNN they do not have any details regarding the airman’s legal representation. The embassy told CNN in a phone call to contact Kadena Air Base, where Washington was based, for information on the case. CNN has contacted Kadena Air Base for comment.

Persons: Brennon, ”, Denny Tamaki, “, Alvin G, Nelson III, ” Nelson, Masataka Okano, Rahm Emanuel, Joe Biden, Fumio Kishida, Yoon Suk, David, Biden Organizations: Tokyo CNN, US Air Force, Okinawa, CNN, Kadena US Air Base, Ospreys, Okinawa Gov, Kadena Air Base, Kadena, US Navy, Mount, Japan’s, Foreign Affairs, Washington, Japanese Foreign Ministry, Embassy, Japanese, South Locations: . Washington, Naha, Okinawa’s, Washington, Okinawa, Tokyo, China, North Korea, ” Washington, Japan, curfews, Beijing

☆ For American Brands Worried About China, Is India the Future?
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-26 | by ( Peter S. Goodman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Melissa & Doug had a situation. For decades, the American toy brand had leaned heavily on factories in China to make its products — wooden puzzles, stuffed animals, play mats. Melissa & Doug was eager to shift some production to other countries. The Melissa & Doug executive was surprised to see that the plant could make high-quality wooden toys, at prices comparable to those in China. Late last year, Sunlord completed its first batch of products for Melissa & Doug, a modest order of about 10,000 items, and now is cranking out 25,000 per month.

Persons: Melissa, Doug, Donald J, Trump, Biden, Sunlord Locations: China, Washington, Beijing, Greater Noida, New Delhi

☆ Crypto industry super PAC is 33-2 in primaries, with $100 million for House, Senate races
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-26 | by ( Emily Wilkins | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Yet crypto's Fairshake PAC also got into the race and spent $2 million to air an ad critical of Bowman. But it's not just money that the crypto industry plans to deploy this fall. Jordan Vonderhaar | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesThe effort is also meant to showcase a matured crypto industry. Meanwhile, Democratic incumbent Sen. Jon Tester told "Meet the Press" in 2022 that crypto did not "pass the smell test." Tester told reporters that he is keeping an open mind about several crypto bills before the Senate.

Persons: Jakub Porzycki, Jamaal Bowman, George Latimer, Israel, crypto's, Bowman, Fairshake, glided, John Curtis, Jamal Bowman, Evelyn Hockstein, Andreesen Horowitz, Coinbase, it's, Crypto, Brad Garlinghouse, Garlinghouse, Jordan Vonderhaar, Sam Bankman, Faryar Shirzad, Goldman Sachs, Sherrod Brown, Republican Bernie Moreno, Tim Sheehy, Sen, Jon Tester, Tester, Brett Kavanaugh, Kavanaugh, Mike Segar Organizations: Nurphoto, Getty Images WASHINGTON, Fairshake PAC, Westchester, Republicans, Democrats, Republican, United States Capitol, Reuters, CNBC, Bloomberg, Getty, White, Senate, Democratic, SEC, U.S Locations: Westchester County, Bowman's, Washington, Fairshake, Austin , Texas, Ohio, Montana

☆ What the Supreme Court ruling on social media means
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-26 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

What can the US government tell social media companies to do? Republican-led states, including Missouri and Louisiana, along with five social media users, claimed in 2022 that those contacts with social media companies were in fact part of an unconstitutional government campaign to silence free speech. Why is the government talking to social media companies? It avoided ruling on whether the government’s communications with social media companies violated the First Amendment. The FBI resumed sharing some threat information with social media companies earlier this year, prior to the Supreme Court’s decision, CNN has previously reported.

Persons: Laura Edelson, Edelson, we’ve, ” Edelson, “ That’s, – didn’t, Amy Coney Barrett, Barrett, ” Barrett, ”, James Grimmelmann, Biden, Karine Jean, Pierre, Nora Benavidez, ” Benavidez Organizations: CNN, FBI, Department of Homeland Security, Republican, Meta, Twitter, Northeastern University, Democracy, Cornell University, “, Free Press Locations: Murthy v . Missouri, Covid, Missouri, Louisiana, United States, Washington, Silicon

☆ Southeast Asia is a top choice for firms diversifying supply chains amid U.S.-China tensions
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-24 | by ( Sheila Chiang | In Sheilachiang | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Skyline, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam John Harper | Photodisc | Getty ImagesSoutheast Asia has emerged as a top choice for firms looking to diversify production away from China, including Chinese companies, amid escalating tensions between Washington and Beijing. "Southeast Asia is well-placed to benefit significantly from the China+1 phenomenon as both foreign and Chinese companies diversify their supply chains and operations," said Kuo-Yi Lim, co-founder and managing partner of Southeast Asian venture capital firm Monk's Hill Ventures. "The ASEAN-6 region has benefited from a diversification of global and regional supply chain as well as the adoption of 'China+1' strategies. MalaysiaMalaysia has seen semiconductor firms including Intel, GlobalFoundries and Infineon setting up or expanding operations in the country over the last few years amid U.S.-China tensions. Chinese electric vehicle maker BYD plans to start commercial production of EVs in Indonesia in 2026, according to local reports.

Persons: Vietnam John Harper, Kuo, Yi Lim, Lim, Yinglan Tan, Kai Wei Ang, CNBC's, It's, Ang, Anders C, Johansson, –, Sokon – Organizations: Photodisc, Getty, Monk's Hill Ventures, ASEAN, Hong Kong SAR, Apple, Ventures Partners, Samsung, BofA Securities, Intel, GlobalFoundries, Infineon, U.S, Monk's Hill Ventures . Industry, Malaysia that's, Stockholm China Economic Research, Stockholm School of Economics, Chery, Singapore Locations: Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Asia, China, Washington, Beijing, Monk's, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Singapore, U.S, Japan, European Union, China & Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Vietnam Vietnam, ASEAN, Malaysia Malaysia, Stockholm China, EVs

☆ Huawei Harmony OS: Flashpoint in US-China tech rivalry is again a force to reckon with
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-24 | by ( Diksha Madhok | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Huawei is in the midst of one of the most stunning comebacks in the history of the tech industry. The Chinese giant, which has been a flashpoint in the escalating rivalry between Washington and Beijing, says more than 900 million smartphones now use its in-house operating system Harmony OS. Harmony, which is called “Hongmeng” in Chinese, was first unveiled in 2019, months after Huawei was placed on a US trade blacklist that barred American firms from selling tech and software to the Chinese tech company without a license. The US ban prevented companies like Google (GOOGL) from supplying new Huawei devices with its version of Android OS. Sales of the iPhone began bouncing back in May, after the company aggressively cut prices in its largest overseas market.

Persons: ” Richard Yu, It’s, Yu, Huawei’s Organizations: CNN, Huawei, Google, Nvidia, Microsoft, Apple, Research Locations: China, Washington, Beijing, Shenzhen

☆ Inside Biden’s Camp David Debate Prep
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-24 | by ( Katie Rogers | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

At Camp David, a movie theater and an airplane hangar have been outfitted with lights and production equipment to create a mock debate stage. At least 16 current and former aides, summoned from Washington and Wilmington, whiz back and forth on golf carts to join President Biden in strategy sessions. And Mr. Biden’s top advisers, including Ron Klain, who is managing the debate preparations, are aware of the missteps incumbents have made in the past. In 2012, President Barack Obama flailed in his first re-election debate and had to quickly reorient for the second one. Mr. Trump, an opponent who is adept at extemporaneous insults, skipped the primary debates that could have sharpened his skills.

Persons: Biden, Mr, Donald J, Camp David, Biden’s, Ron Klain, Barack Obama flailed, Trump Organizations: Trump Locations: Washington, Wilmington, Maryland

☆ Putin signs deals with Vietnam in bid to shore up ties in Asia to offset Moscow’s growing isolation
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-21 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Russia and Vietnam pledged on June 20, 2024 to deepen ties as President Vladimir Putin made a state visit aimed at bolstering his alliances to counter Moscow's growing isolation over the war in Ukraine. Putin and President To Lam agreed to further cooperate in education, science and technology, oil and gas exploration and clean energy. The two countries also agreed to work on a roadmap for a nuclear science and technology center in Vietnam. In Hanoi, Putin also met Vietnam’s most powerful politician, Communist Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, according to the official Vietnam News Agency. Putin drove to Vietnam’s Presidential Palace on Thursday afternoon, where he was greeted by school children waving Russian and Vietnamese flags.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Lam, Gavriil Grigorov, Putin, ” Lam, “, Kim Jong, Nigel Gould, Davies, ”, Nguyen Khac Giang, Giang, Nguyen Phu Trong, Pham Minh Chinh, Putin’s, Ridzwan Rahmat, Janes, ” Rahmat, Prashanth, Wilson, Vladimir Lenin, Trong, Nhan Dan, Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, Gould, they’ve, he’s, Parameswaran Organizations: Sputnik, Hanoi Opera, Afp, Getty, North, International Institute for Strategic Studies, Singapore’s, Yusof, Institute, Communist Party General, Vietnam News Agency, Criminal, Kremlin, U.S, Embassy, Security, NATO, Asia, Communist Party’s, Vietnam’s Communist Party Locations: Russian, Hanoi, Russia, Vietnam, Ukraine, Moscow, Asia, Pacific, Eurasia, London, British, Belarus, China, North Korea, U.S, Hague, Korea, Singapore, Soviet Union, Soviet, trickier, Washington

☆ Supply chain hotspot Vietnam rolled out the red carpet for Putin, and the US is trying to act cool
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-21 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewWanted by the International Criminal Court, Russian President Vladimir Putin still traveled to Vietnam on a two-day visit, where he was warmly welcomed. Russia and Vietnam also have a long history going back to the Soviet era, so his visit is also not surprising. Related storiesWestern allies may rethink "Vietnam's reliability as a strategic partner in the region," Hoang wrote. AdvertisementThis sentimentalism can influence the pragmatism that marked Hanoi's foreign policy for the last two decades, wrote Hoang at the ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute. It's also a smart political move, as a segment of Vietnamese still holds "a deep fondness for Russia," wrote Hoang.

Persons: —, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Vietnam —, Hoang Thi, Yusof, Hoang, Janet Yellen, Yellen, Daniel Kritenbrink, Kritenbrink, It's Organizations: Service, International Criminal Court, Business, ICC, US, Russia, Institute, Regional, Political, State, East Asian, State Department, Soviet Union Locations: Russian, Vietnam, Russia, Soviet, Washington, Ukraine, Australia, Japan, Singapore, ISEAS, China, Hanoi, Moscow, Beijing, Atlanta

☆ U.S. and China hold first informal nuclear talks in 5 years, eyeing Taiwan
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-21 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The United States and China resumed semi-official nuclear arms talks in March for the first time in five years, with Beijing's representatives telling U.S. counterparts that they would not resort to atomic threats over Taiwan, according to two American delegates who attended. The United States and China resumed semi-official nuclear arms talks in March for the first time in five years, with Beijing's representatives telling U.S. counterparts that they would not resort to atomic threats over Taiwan, according to two American delegates who attended. The Chinese representatives offered reassurances after their U.S. interlocutors raised concerns that China might use, or threaten to use, nuclear weapons if it faced defeat in a conflict over Taiwan. The two countries briefly resumed Track One talks over nuclear arms in November but those negotiations have since stalled, with a top U.S. official publicly expressing frustration at China's responsiveness. The Pentagon, which estimates that Beijing's nuclear arsenal increased by more than 20% between 2021 and 2023, said in October that China "would also consider nuclear use to restore deterrence if a conventional military defeat in Taiwan" threatened CCP rule.

Persons: interlocutors, David Santoro Organizations: The, Reuters, People's Liberation Army, State Department, U.S, Pentagon Locations: States, China, Taiwan, The United States, Beijing, Taipei, U.S, Washington, Shanghai

☆ How China could take Taiwan without even needing to invade
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-21 | by ( Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

“China has significantly increased pressure on Taiwan in recent years, stoking fears that tensions could erupt into outright conflict. China’s escalating gray zone tactics were on stark display this week as China Coast Guard vessels clashed with Philippine Navy boats in the South China Sea. In the 24 hours ending at 6 a.m. Friday, 36 Chinese military aircraft crossed into Taiwan’s air defense identification zone, Taiwan’s Defense Ministry says. Meanwhile, a quarantine, rather than a blockade, would not require China to close or restrict access to the Taiwan Strait, the CSIS report notes. Under its claims that Taiwan is Chinese territory, Beijing could require customs declarations to be filed before vessels can call in Taiwan.

Persons: CNN —, Beijing’s, Xi Jinping’s, Bonny Lin, Brian Hart, Matthew Funaiole, Samantha Lu, Tinsley, stoking, Adm, Dong Jun, ”, Dong, China’s, “, Joe Biden, Rong Xu, Carl Schuster, ” Schuster, Alessio Patalano, Sidharth Kaushal, Patalano Organizations: CNN, Communist Party, Center for Strategic, International Studies, China Coast Guard, CSIS, TAIWAN, GUARD, People’s Liberation Army, PLA, Chinese Defense, Philippine Navy, Taiwan Relations, White, PLA Navy, Maritime Safety Agency, Taiwan’s Defense Ministry, Bloomberg, Getty, “, Pacific Command’s Joint Intelligence Center, Taipei, King’s College, Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs, Imports, Royal United Services Institute Locations: Taiwan, Ukraine, China, Washington, United States, Pengjia, Beijing, Singapore, South China, Manila, Second, Philippines, Taiwan’s, Taiwan Strait, Port, Taichung, Kaohsiung, London, Covid

☆ Putin Shows He Can Antagonize the U.S. Far Afield From Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-21 | by ( Paul Sonne | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

When the United States and its Western allies declared that Ukraine could strike Russian territory with their weapons, President Vladimir V. Putin began ratcheting up the threats. He triggered drills in Russia to practice the use of tactical nuclear weapons. He reminded unnamed NATO countries in Europe of their small territories and dense populations, implying they could be easily obliterated. “The Westerners supply weapons to Ukraine and say that ‘we don’t control anything here at all,’” he said Thursday, failing to acknowledge the limits Washington and its allies have placed on Ukraine. “We can also say that we delivered something to someone, and then we have no control over anything.

Persons: Vladimir V, Putin, Kim Jong, ’ ”, ” Locations: United States, Ukraine, Russia, Moscow, Europe, Russian, North Korea, Washington

☆ ‘Only pirates do this’: Philippines accuses China of using bladed weapons in major South China Sea escalation
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-20 | by ( Nectar Gan | Kathleen Magramo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Hong Kong CNN —The Philippines has accused China’s Coast Guard of launching a “brutal assault” with bladed weapons during a South China Sea clash earlier this week, a major escalation in a festering dispute that threatens to drag the United States into another global conflict. A Philippine Navy serviceman on the rubber boat lost his right thumb when the Chinese Coast Guard rammed it, Torres said. China’s Coast Guard also deployed tear gas, “blinding” strobe lights and continuously blared sirens, the AFP said. “The Chinese Coast Guard personnel had bladed weapons and our personnel fought with bare hands. This is the closest China’s Coast Guard has come to the BRP Sierra Madre, Koh noted.

Persons: Thomas Shoal, –, ” Collin Koh, ” Koh, “, ”, Alfonso Torres Jr, Torres, Romeo Brawner Jr, ” Brawner, Ferdinand “ Bongbong ” Marcos Jr, Marcos, Matthew Miller, Enrique A, Antony Blinken, ” Derek Grossman, Koh, they’re, Thomas, Washington “, ” “ Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Coast Guard, Chinese Foreign Ministry, Philippine, Rajaratnam, of International Studies, Philippine Navy, Armed Forces, Getty, Western Command, Chinese Coast Guard, China’s Coast Guard, Staff, Getty Images Mutual, South China, US State Department, Mutual Defense, RAND Corporation, China Coast Guard, Philippine personnel, Navy Special Operations Group, BRP, BRP Sierra Madre Locations: Hong Kong, Philippines, China, United States, Manila, Spratly, Philippine, Singapore, AFP, ’, China’s, South, States, US, Washington, South China, The Hague, Beijing, India, BRP Sierra, BRP Sierra Madre

One by one, each country with the money and the drive to compete started its own nuclear weapons program. Even with this kind of evidence in hand, science has reached only limited conclusions about how nuclear weapons testing affects individuals’ health. They helped create the 2021 Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, signed by 93 countries, which bans the possession, use and testing of nuclear weapons. France has acknowledged its “debt” to Polynesians over nuclear testing, and it created a commission in 2010 to evaluate nuclear testing victim compensation claims, but it has never apologized. We are still wrestling with the damage wrought by testing nuclear weapons in our past.

Persons: —, Ernest Moniz, Barack Obama, ” Mr, Moniz, Trump, Trump’s, Biden, United States ’, Republic of Kiribati —, we’re, Robert Oppenheimer’s, Oppenheimer, Ben Wyatt, King Juda, Harry Truman, Oppenheimer’s, Karina Lester, ”, Willard F, Libby, Louis, couldn’t, Merril Eisenbud, Hinamoeura, Britain —, “, it’s, John Moody, Benetick Kabua Maddison, Maddison, Benetick, It’s, Vladimir Putin Organizations: Las, Washington, United States, Marshall, Embassy, D.C, Marshalls, U.S, Navy, United, Soviet Union, Britain, Atomic Energy Commission, St, Louis University, Washington University School of Dental Medicine, Bravo, U.S . Navy, Atomic Energy, Centers for Disease Control, Polynesia —, Nuclear Weapons, ., Pacific Mart, Educational, America Locations: U.S, Japan, United States, Russia, China, Nevada, Soviet Union, — Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan, Reggane, Algeria, Montebello, Australia, Republic of Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Republic, Washington, Hiroshima, New Mexico, Las Vegas, Marshall, Hawaii, Philippines, Bikini, Atoll, Soviet, Africa, Polynesia, Xinjiang, The, Britain Britain, Britain, American, Kwajalein Atoll, France, France France, Tahiti, Nagasaki, Asia, Europe, India, Pakistan, North Korea, United, Kwajalein, Hawaii , California, Washington and Oregon, Arkansas, Springdale, you’re, Rhode Island, Moscow

☆ Putin and Kim Sign Pact Pledging Mutual Support Against ‘Aggression’
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-19 | by ( Choe Sang-Hun | Paul Sonne | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia and North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-un, revived a Cold War-era mutual defense pledge between their nations on Wednesday, as the Kremlin deepened its security relationship with North Korea and vowed solidarity in challenging the United States. Neither Russia nor North Korea immediately released the text of the new treaty. But Mr. Putin, speaking at a joint briefing in Pyongyang after the two leaders signed the document, said the pact called for the nations to aid one another in the event of “aggression” against either country. The pledge of mutual assistance is likely to further alarm Washington and its allies. It could presage not only deeper support by North Korea for Russia’s war in Ukraine but also greater support from Moscow in aiding Mr. Kim’s quest for better-functioning nuclear weapons, missiles, submarines and satellites — a development that would increase anxiety among America’s Asian allies, especially South Korea.

Persons: Vladimir V, Putin, Kim Jong, Kim, ” Mr Organizations: Kremlin Locations: Russia, North, North Korea, United States, Pyongyang, Moscow, Washington, Ukraine, South Korea

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