Category: Asia
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Xi Purges the PLA
China’s military leadership is experiencing its most severe purge under President Xi Jinping in recent decades, as part of a long-running anti-corruption campaign that intensified in 2023 and reached the highest echelons in January 2026. The People’s Liberation Army (PLA), particularly the Rocket Force, has seen dozens of senior officers removed or investigated for graft,…
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Japan Unveils ¥18.3T Budget to Combat Inflation
On November 28, 2025, Japan’s cabinet, under Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, approved a supplementary budget of ¥18.3 trillion (approximately $117 billion) for the current fiscal year (ending March 2026). This extra spending is designed to support a broader ¥21.3 trillion ($137 billion) economic stimulus package—the largest since the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions were lifted. The measure…
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Taiwan Unveils $40B Defense Surge to Counter China
Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te announced a landmark $40 billion (NT$1.25 trillion) supplementary defense budget on November 26, 2025, during a press conference in Taipei. This multi-year plan, spanning 2026 to 2033, aims to deter potential aggression from China by enhancing asymmetric warfare capabilities, accelerating arms acquisitions from the U.S., and boosting domestic production. The move…
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US MQ-9 Drone Crashes
A U.S. Air Force MQ-9 Reaper drone crashed into the Yellow Sea off South Korea’s west coast on November 24, 2025, during a routine reconnaissance mission. It was operated by the 431st Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron from Kunsan Air Base (about 110 miles south of Seoul). The incident occurred around 4:35 a.m. local time near Maldo-ri…
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Russia Offers to Be China’s Energy Backbone
Igor Sechin, CEO of Rosneft — Russia’s largest oil company — and Executive Secretary of the Presidential Commission for Strategic Development of the Fuel and Energy Sector, made the remarks during his speech at the opening ceremony of the VII Russian-Chinese Energy Business Forum (RCEBF) in Beijing on November 25, 2025. He stated that “Russia…