A war footing emerges in the South China Sea

Navy personnel of Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy take part in a military display in the South China Sea April 12, 2018. Picture taken April 12, 2018. Photo: Reuters/Stringer

 

China’s recent deployment of nuclear-capable bombers, missiles and jamming devices has drastically shifted the contested area’s strategic calculus

China’s deployment of H-6k bombers to disputed land features in the South China Sea has provoked an uproar across the region and beyond while raising considerably the potential for armed conflict.

China’s bombers are capable of conducting nuclear strikes and have an operational range of more than 1,000 nautical miles. This places practically all other claimant states in the contested maritime area within their crosshairs.

143 Million Affected in Hack of U.S. Credit Agency

A major American credit reporting agency entrusted to safeguard personal financial information said Thursday hackers looted its system in a colossal breach that could affect nearly half the US population as well as people in Britain and Canada.

Equifax said that a hack it learned about on July 29 had the potential to affect 143 million US customers, and involved some data for British and Canadian residents.

The Atlanta-based company disclosed the breach in a release that did not explain why it waited more than a month to warn those affected about a risk of identity theft.

U.S. Nukes at Turkish Airbase at Risk of Being Seized by ‘Hostile Forces,’ Report Says

A United States Air Force cargo plane maneuvers on the runway after it landed at the Incirlik Air Base, on the outskirts of the city of Adana, Turkey, July 31, 2015. Credit: AP

 

Some 50 nuclear bombs at a launching pad of the U.S.-led coalition battling ISIS come under criticism after the failed military coup in Turkey.

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Incirlik, located just 110 kilometers (70 miles) from the border with Syria, is a major NATO base and a crucial launching pad for the U.S.-led coalition battling ISIS.

“Whether the U.S. could have maintained control of the weapons in the event of a protracted civil conflict in Turkey is an unanswerable question,” said the report by the Stimson Center, a Washington-based nonprofit institution devoted to enhancing international peace, according to AFP.

EU navies to start capturing smugglers from 7 October

Paving the way for recognition and legitimacy of a European Army:

 

EU foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, said on Thursday (24 September) the EU naval operation in the Mediterranean Sea is to start capturing smugglers from 7 October.

“The political decision has been taken, the assets are ready”, she said, according to the AFP news agency.

Sparks fly over US plan to shift Internet role

It could be a difficult breakup between the US government and the Internet.

A plan unveiled last month would see the US relinquish its key oversight role for the Internet, handing that over to “the global multistakeholder community.”

US officials say the move is part of a longstanding effort to privatize the technical oversight of the Internet.

Iran to assume control of Bushehr nuclear plant

The Islamic Republic’s only power-producing facility was operated by Russians; handover ceremony scheduled for Monday

Iran is set to assume control of its Bushehr civilian nuclear reactor on Monday. The plant, built by Russia, has been operated by Russian technicians in an agreement sanctioned by the International Atomic Energy Agency.

“The 1,000-megawatt Bushehr nuclear power station will be handed over to Iran” Monday, Ali Akbar Salehi, head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, told the official IRNA news agency, according to AFP’s translation. “But for another two years, it will be under Russian guarantee and a number of Russian experts will remain in place to give advice and technical assistance.”

Egypt, Syria are falling apart – an Israeli nightmare unfolds

Israeli Air Force Commander Maj. Gen. Amir Eshel warned Tuesday, Jan. 29, that Syria is falling apart and no one knows what the next day may bring: “War may not break out tomorrow,” he said, “but we stand ready for any eventuality.”

If war is not expected tomorrow, why have Israel’s armed forces, including the air force, been on their highest level of preparedness since Friday, Jan. 25? The Syrian crisis may not technically fit the description of a state of war. However, the violent turbulence in that country may at any time spill over the border into hostilities in some shape or form.

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If this happens, said the officer, “A decision to attack Syria or Lebanon will need to be implemented immediately.”

Mali-based Islamists pledge attacks on French soil

Islamist fighters in northern Mali have pledged to strike “at the heart” of France, after a joint Malian-French offensive — which has entered its fourth day — began pushing back al Qaeda linked rebels controlling the region.

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“France has attacked Islam. We will strike at the heart of France,” Abou Dardar, a leader of Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO), one of the Mali-based groups with ties to al Qaeda, told the AFP news agency.