Q-CHAN, by QANONSEC™

It appears China has covertly persuaded the Pacific Islands Forum to remove references from its communique which refer to Taiwan as being a "Partner".
It has forced the Forum to reissue a new "corrected" version of the document with the references to Taiwan removed.
There is now a dispute over how the "corrected" version was issued in place of the original version with nations appearing reluctant to call out China's bullying of Pacific Island nations.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation ... 9936a8f16e

Let's cut through the crap and call this out for what it is.
It's nothing to do with national security, instead is an attempt to curb Chinese imports of EVs which are set to flood the market in coming years.
It's exactly what they did with Huawei, despite Huawei's persistent attempts to be open and transparent, to address all security concerns over its devices, yet we're always ignored by the West.
It's always about trade.
Western powers talk so much nonsense.

https://www.afr.com/companies/transport ... 924-p5kcyk

With improved China-India relations removing a key historical constraint, BRICS has emerged as a more cohesive and influential force in reshaping global economic and political dynamics.
Policymakers and analysts who dismiss or underestimate BRICS's growing influence do so at their own risk.

A really fascinating read, in the form of an essay extract from Australian Foreign Affairs, The Bad Guys: How To Deal With Our Illiberal Friends.
Australia needs a strong leader, moving forward into an increasingly challenging and hostile global geopolitical ecosystem.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/inquir ... c6c5cc38ab

This really is an excellent article, with some deep analysis on one of the most important questions of the century so far - Will the US defend Taiwan?

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/inquir ... 1708d58937

The only thing that has come from COP29 is the realization that Australia is now completely engulfed in the middle of a tug-of-war between the US and China.

It's funny that the only place anyone is talking about World War III is on X.
Not because it's the world's biggest town square, but because it's the world's biggest echo chamber.

Seems apparent to me the only world leaders who believe World War III is imminent are the ones that have the power to prevent it.

Democracy and capitalism are failed experiments.
They're broken by design, by being completely and systemically fixed.
The question now becomes, where do we go from here?
Do we surround the government, force the dissolution of the system through total anarchy, cleansing the bureaucracy to start anew?
Or do we surround the government, force the dissolution of the system through total anarchy, to allow Chinese-led authoritarianism to take control and initiate immediate reform?
One thing is certain: the free world democracies of the old world order, led by the US, are finished.
There's no going back.
So now it’s time to look forward.

While President Trump has called for a reduction in the world's nuclear arsenal, Europe is seeking to emulate the American nuclear umbrella for the entirety of Europe.
This would involve a massive increase in European nuclear weapons, potentially threefold or more, plus the dissemination of weapons to different strategic locations and countries throughout the continent.
Any plan to increase the global nuclear arsenal is a bad move.
Disseminating these weapons to too many nations not only increases the risk of escalation but also the risk of weapons falling into the hands of rogue nations.

https://www.ft.com/content/7fed8f2b-98c ... 6be449bfac