Over the recent weekend, a series of unforeseen events unfolded in various global hotspots—specifically, the Middle East, the South China Sea, and the border shared by North Korea and Russia—significantly heightening international tensions. These developments have prompted concerns about a potential large-scale conflict erupting in Israel, with speculations suggesting China and Russia might be playing a behind-the-scenes role along with Iran. As the core force in maintaining world peace, the United States faces challenges on multiple fronts—in Europe, the Indo-Pacific, and the Middle East—as it grapples with increasing confrontations with China. On Oct. 7, the Palestinian terrorist organization Hamas launched a large-scale assault on Israel. Meanwhile, on Oct. 4, Chinese and Philippine vessels engaged in a prolonged standoff in the disputed South China Sea, narrowly avoiding a collision by a mere one-meter margin. Lastly, on Oct. 5, numerous North Korean freight trains were sighted at a border railway station with Russia, raising suspicions of arms and ammunition transportation to support Moscow’s war with Ukraine....Read more https://www.theepochtimes.com/world/analysis-middle-east-conflict-and-regional-standoffs-amplify-global-challenges-for-the-united-states-5507552
Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong has revealed the motivations behind her push to bring detained Australian journalist Cheng Lei home, saying it was a promise she made to Ms. Cheng’s children. This follows the return of the Chinese-born Australian journalist, who had spent three years behind bars in China. Ms. Cheng was working as a journalist for the China Global Television Network (CGTN), a state-owned media outlet, when she was accused of illegally supplying state secrets overseas. Speaking to reporters on Oct. 12—a day after Ms. Cheng landed in Melbourne—Ms. Wong said she was “more emotional” than Ms. Cheng upon her return....
The bloody war between Israel and Hamas is rattling nerves across the globe—with one island really feeling the heat. An Israeli envoy’s plea to China to “talk with Iran” to prevent a wider war puts the regime’s stance on the Hamas war to the test. Tensions take to the sky in Taiwan. Chinese fighter jets soar above the Taiwan Strait as a warning to nearby U.S. warplanes. The Russian president makes a rare trip overseas, but where is he going? We take a look at Beijing’s Belt and Road summit, and why India might be absent....
Former Alabama Democrat Senator Doug Jones is keeping the pressure on the Chinese Communist Party to more forcefully condemn the Palestinian terrorists that launched an extensive coordinated attack from Gaza on Oct. 7, killing hundreds of Israeli civilians. In an interview with NTD News’ “Capitol Report” on Thursday, Mr. Jones said a forceful condemnation of the Oct. 7 attacks by the Chinese regime “could have a dramatic effect” on the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Hamas terrorist group, by signaling to its partners in the region that the Chinese people won’t condone the violence from the Palestinian side. Since the Oct. 7 attacks, Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have carried out retaliatory strikes over Gaza and have blockaded the territory, cutting off food, water, and electricity to the area....