The days of Japan’s checkbook diplomacy are over. The Japanese already said they are upping defense spending to 2% of GDP, which will make it the third largest military budget in the world. Now, the Japanese are finding new ways to strengthen military ties with the West. After World War II, the Japanese relied on…

There was chaos in Brazil over the weekend. Supporters of the country’s ousted President Jair Bolsonaro stormed buildings in the capital as they refused to accept his defeat to now President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. At least 400 people have been arrested after rioters smashed windows, climbed on the roofs and flooded parts of…

The arrest of Ovidio Guzman, the son of former Sinaloa cartel leader “El Chapo,” sparked speculation he could be extradited to the United States to join his father in an American prison. Guzman, thought to be one of the leaders of the Sinaloa organization, was captured in northern Mexico in a bloody operation that led…

New war game simulations show that if China invades Taiwan and a full-fledged war breaks out, China would likely lose. However, the cost of such a war would also leave the U.S., Japan and Taiwan militarily and economically devastated.   The war gaming was conducted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). CSIS said…

The Ukraine military’s armored division is getting a major boost. The United States and Germany are sending armored infantry fighting vehicles (IFV), and there’s a wave of support in Finland to give Ukraine the tank some consider the best in the world: the German-made Leopard 2. In a joint announcement with Germany, the U.S. pledged to…

Vladimir Putin’s proposed cease-fire in Ukraine was over before it started. Ukraine flatly rejected the idea, and reports from the frontline said both sides were firing artillery even after the supposed cease-fire was supposed to start. Ukrainian leadership and President Joe Biden both think Putin’s cease-fire was a ruse to buy Russia time to reinforce…

According to The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) and the American Enterprise Institute’s Critical Threats Project (CTP), “ISIS and al-Qaeda are more than terrorist groups; they are insurgencies” who want to overthrow existing governments and spread their ideology to all of humanity. Al-Qaida is still determined to be the leader of the global…

On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a 36-hour ceasefire in Ukraine. The ceasefire comes at a good time for Russia, as Ukraine’s military said this week it killed 800 Russian soldiers in a single day. Most of those deaths came in the eastern Donetsk region. Russia is intent on capturing the Bakhmut sector, and…

Members of the House of Representatives will reconvene Wednesday to try to resolve its speakership election; Southwest offers points as an apology; and a terrifying tale of online dating that went wrong. These stories and more highlight your morning rundown for Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023. House to vote again for Speakership On three separate vote…

A series of tweets from China’s new foreign minister seem to signal a possible softening in China-U.S. relations. Qin Gang, a trusted aide to leader Xi Jinping and outgoing Chinese ambassador to the U.S., offered enthusiastic praise of the U.S. on Tuesday. “Going forward, I will continue to care about and support the growth of…