The Syrian presidential election is due to take place next year, but the issue of who will run and how refugees will be able to vote has become a contentious issue writes Al-Modon. There are indications that suggest that the battle of the Syrian presidential elections, scheduled to happen in …
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December, 2020
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18 December
Japan Abandons Plans to Upgrade F-15 Fighter Jets as Cost Rises Dramatically, Media Says
In October, Boeing and Mitsubishi signed an agreement to modernise Japan’s F-15 aircraft so they could carry long-range cruise missiles. The reason why Tokyo decided to upgrade the aircraft was China’s intensifying air patrols over the disputed Senkaku Islands, which have been a big issue for the two nations.
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18 December
US Sub Fleet to Be Surpassed by China's Before the End of the 2020s, Report Claims
The People’s Liberation Army-Navy (PLAN) of China was forecast to have become the world’s navy in late 2019, although it still lacks the global power projection capabilities of its US counterparts. The Pentagon has responded with plans for a dramatic increase in the size of the US Navy using smaller …
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18 December
Russian nuclear submarine test-fires 4 ballistic missiles
A Russian nuclear submarine has successfully test-fired four intercontinental ballistic missiles, the Defense Ministry said. The Vladimir Monomakh nuclear submarine of the Russian Navy Pacific Fleet launched the four Bulava missiles in quick succession on Saturday from an underwater position in the Sea of Okhotsk.
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18 December
Compete and Coexist: US, China could develop new concept of relationship between great nations, Graham Allison says
GT: The Obama administration did not embrace the notion “new model of major power relationship” proposed by China. Do you think there is any chance Biden will reconsider it and why?
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18 December
China: Britain's Biggest Long-Term Threat
The UK’s new MI5 director, Ken McCallum, said that countries such as China and Russia were no longer focused just on traditional espionage activities, such as stealing government secrets, but also on targeting Britain’s economy, infrastructure, and academic research, while seeking to undermine its democracy.
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18 December
Espionage Emergency: China 'Floods' America with Spies
Given the emergency, Washington should immediately close down all of China’s bases of operation in the U.S., including its four remaining consulates — Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco — and substantially reducing the staff of the embassy. The embassy, in reality, needs only the ambassador, immediate family, …
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18 December
US adopts new map of Morocco that includes Western Sahara
The US announced its adoption of a new map of Morocco on Saturday that includes the disputed Western Sahara, after recognising the Kingdom’s sovereignty over the territory.
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18 December
Israel normalizes ties with Bhutan
“I want to thank the Kingdom of Bhutan and praise the decision to establish full diplomatic relations with Israel,” Ashkenazi said. Israel established full diplomatic relations with Bhutan for the first time on Saturday night.
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18 December
Saudi Arabia: Explosive boat hits oil tanker off Jeddah
No claim of responsibility for blast but incident comes as Houthis rebels step up cross-border attacks Saudi Arabia confirmed on Monday that a fuel-transport ship off the port city of Jeddah was attacked by an explosive-laden boat, according to state news agency SPA.
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