NSW to Recall Parliament for Urgent Gun and Protest Law Reforms After Bondi Beach Shooting 
U.S. House Advances GOP Healthcare Bill as ACA Subsidies Near Expiration 
The American mass exodus to Canada amid Trump 2.0 has yet to materialize 
AI is driving down the price of knowledge – universities have to rethink what they offer 
6 simple questions to tell if a ‘finfluencer’ is more flash than cash 
Trump Attends Dover Ceremony Honoring U.S. Personnel Killed in Syria 
Italy Supreme Court Upholds Salvini Acquittal in Migrant Kidnapping Case 
Columbia Student Mahmoud Khalil Fights Arrest as Deportation Case Moves to New Jersey 
European Leaders Tie Ukraine Territorial Decisions to Strong Security Guarantees 
Taiwan Political Standoff Deepens as President Lai Urges Parliament to Withdraw Disputed Laws 
U.S. Senators Move Toward Deal to Strengthen Military Helicopter Safety Rules 
Locked up then locked out: how NZ’s bank rules make life for ex-prisoners even harder 
Disaster or digital spectacle? The dangers of using floods to create social media content 
Trump’s Rob Reiner Remarks Spark Bipartisan Outrage After Tragic Deaths 
Venezuela Seeks UN Security Council Meeting Over U.S. Oil Tanker Blockade 
The pandemic is still disrupting young people’s careers 
Federal Judge Declines to Immediately Halt Trump’s $300 Million White House Ballroom Project 
The increasing strain on relations between the United States and China have raised fears of a possible all-out conflict or world war 3. It appears that the fears have increased even more as China has unveiled its plans to match its military power with the US.
State media has announced the government’s plans to match the US in terms of military power. The CPC or Communist Party of China held a four-day meeting to discuss the country’s long-term plans under the National Economic and Social Development and Long-Range Objectives Through the Year 2035. They especially marked the year 2027 as it would be the centennial year of the founding of the People’s Liberation Army or PLA.
Analysts revealed the Party’s plans to upgrade the country’s military power would be able to meet the country’s need for future defense. The meeting, hosted by President Xi Jinping unveiled the 15-year plan, which led to speculations on how long Xi may be in office. Xi is on his second term in office until 2022.
“Basically, the target is to build the PLA’s capability to match the US Army by 2027, so it can effectively deter interference by the US Army around the Taiwan Strait,” said Sunfei Wu of the Hong Kong firm Tianda Institute. This follows Xi’s address to the PLA’s Marine Corps, telling them to put their focus on staying vigilant and prepare for war.
China continues to claim Taiwan as part of the mainland, dismissing its government’s pushbacks to stay independent. However, it appears that it is not only Taiwan that would get caught in the crossfire in the tensions between Beijing and Washington should a world war 3 erupt. Former Philippine Military Chief Emmanuel Bautista has warned that even the Philippines may get caught in the middle of the conflict between the two nations.
Bautista has warned that China may try and seize control of the Philippines after its military has attempted to fortify the islands that surround the nation. Bautista also detailed the routes around the country that may play a big role in the conflict: the Bashi Channel, Babuyan Islands, and the Mindoro, Cebu, San Bernardino, Balabac, and Surigao straits. The former military chief noted that if the Philippines wants to exert influence over the highly-contested South China Sea, those routes need to be controlled.
