ֱ

Taiwan kicks off military drills in face of China threat

Taiwan kicks off military drills in face of China threat
Taiwanese reservists participate in pre-combat training on the first day of the annual Han Kuang military exercise in Miaoli, Taiwan. (AFP)
Short Url
Updated 09 July 2025

Taiwan kicks off military drills in face of China threat

Taiwan kicks off military drills in face of China threat
  • The self ruled island faces the constant threat of an invasion by China, which claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has threatened to use force to seize it

TAIPEI: Taiwan kicked off its largest military drills Wednesday with regular troops joined by a record mobilization of reservists for 10 days of training aimed at defending against a Chinese invasion.
The annual “Han Kuang” exercises, which are being held at the same time as civilian defense drills, will run from July 9-18 and feature newly delivered US high-tech rocket systems.
The self-ruled island democracy faces the constant threat of an invasion by China, which claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has threatened to use force to seize it.
Chinese military pressure has intensified in recent years, with Beijing deploying fighter jets and warships around the island on a near-daily basis.
In the lead-up to the drills Wednesday, Taiwan detected 31 sorties by Chinese military aircraft and seven warships around the island in the 24 hours to 6:00 am (2200 GMT Tuesday), according to the defense ministry.
Taiwan has boosted defense spending and acquired smaller and more nimble weaponry, including drones, to enable its military to wage asymmetric warfare against its more powerful foe.
Twenty-two thousand reservists — the largest ever call-up — are participating in this year’s drills, having begun a training program Saturday.
Reservist training includes familiarization with rifles, squad and platoon machine guns, and tactical maneuvers.
“Because these reservists have been discharged and away for a long time, upon return they need to undergo specialty refresher training,” said an army officer who asked not to be named.
On Wednesday, reservists wearing camouflage uniforms, helmets and boots were put through their paces, practicing cleaning, assembling and aiming 65K2 rifles and machine guns.
Taipei is eager to show the world, especially its key security backer Washington, that it is serious about boosting its military capability.
The drills will “let the international community know that we are determined to defend ourselves, and to pass on to China that the nation’s military has the confidence and ability to defend a free and democratic life,” Taiwanese Defense Minister Wellington Koo said recently.
This year’s drills have been extended to 10 days and nine nights, from five days and four nights last year.

The Han Kuang began in 1984 when the island was still under martial law.
Troops will simulate various scenarios including “grey zone harassment” — tactics that fall short of an act of war — as well as “long-range precision strikes” to combat a Chinese invasion in 2027, defense officials have said.
Officials in the United States — Taipei’s biggest arms supplier — have previously cited 2027 as a possible timeline for a Chinese invasion of Taiwan.
Recently delivered High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) from the United States will be used during the drills.
There will also be a separate live fire event involving US-made advanced M1A2 Abrams tanks.
Taiwanese defense officials have been closely monitoring the war in Ukraine and their use of a decentralized command and control structure.
“When we think practically about combat, we consider what kind of scenario Taiwan might face,” a senior defense official said on the eve of the drills.
“Commanders at all levels need to be able to decide what to do based on their understanding of their superior’s intent. This usually requires peacetime training to build up their awareness in this regard.”
The exercises are being held as President Lai Ching-te, who is a staunch defender of Taiwan’s sovereignty, tours the island delivering speeches aimed at “uniting the country.”
China has carried out several large-scale military drills around Taiwan since Lai took office last year, as the island rejects China’s sovereignty stance.
China specialists at risk analysis firm Eurasia Group said Beijing was “likely” to carry out more military exercises at the end of July.
joy/amj/mtp


Thai locals say Israeli tourists unwelcome amid exploitation, security fears

A restaurant on Koh Phangan island, Thailand, displays a 'No Israel' sign amid rising tensions with Israeli tourists, October 20
A restaurant on Koh Phangan island, Thailand, displays a 'No Israel' sign amid rising tensions with Israeli tourists, October 20
Updated 02 November 2025

Thai locals say Israeli tourists unwelcome amid exploitation, security fears

A restaurant on Koh Phangan island, Thailand, displays a 'No Israel' sign amid rising tensions with Israeli tourists, October 20
  • Number of Israeli tourists to Thailand expected to reach 350,000 in 2025, up 25% from last year
  • Their lack of respect for local culture, setting up Israeli schools and religious centers also stir unease

KOH PHANGAN: After months of enduring Israeli tourists snatching his restaurant’s tissues and condiments without permission, hogging seats without paying, and skipping lines, Bob reached his breaking point and decided to no longer welcome them.

Having worked all his life in the hospitality industry, he had never come across such behavior by visitors to the island. Each time he tried to intervene, he was faced with a wave of negative reviews hitting his establishment.

“After I asked one group of Israeli tourists to leave, I received more than 4,000 bad reviews — my restaurant’s rating dropped from 4.8 to 2.2 stars. It’s now been corrected, but that experience was really frustrating,” Bob told Arab News.

In October, his restaurant, Pun Pun Thai Food, a popular establishment on Koh Phangan, a holiday island in southern Thailand, put up a sign making it clear that Israelis were not allowed even past the threshold.

“I hate the repeated behavior I’ve encountered from many Israeli tourists — it happens so often that it led me to put up a ‘No Israel’ sign at my restaurant,” Bob said.

“What I’ve experienced isn’t just from one person — it happens repeatedly.”

Over the past few months, such incidents have been increasingly highlighted by the locals, who started to record and share them on social media. In May, an Israeli woman went viral after a Koh Phangan restaurant employee requested that she leave for not respecting the establishment’s rules.

The employee could be heard saying: “You’re not welcome here,” to which the woman replied: “My money builds your country.”

Besides the nuisance that such behavior has become for them, locals are also worried about tourists competing with their businesses by renting out houses, running restaurants, organizing tours, or operating motorbike rental shops without permission.

A group of business owners and island residents recently filed a petition with more than 200 signatures, submitted to the governor of the Surat Thani province, urging action against what they described as “Israeli activities causing distress to local communities.”

Apiwat Sriwatcharaporn, assistant village chief in Koh Phangan, acknowledged the growing concern over foreigners running unlicensed business operations on the island.

“If they just live or travel here, that’s fine,” he said. “But business operations should be done legally.”

According to Thailand’s Immigration Bureau, as of late September, there were 2,627 Israeli nationals applying for visa extensions on the island, out of about 8,000 total foreigners, making Israelis the largest group under scrutiny for potential illegal commercial activity.

Tan, whose family has been operating a business in Koh Phangan, said problems with Israeli visitors are not new. But lately, they have become more noticeable, as more and more of them are visiting.

The number of Israeli tourists to Thailand has risen sharply in 2025, with an estimated 350,000 visitors expected this year — up 25 percent from the previous year.

“They have very distinct characteristics as customers, like bargaining hard or being quite demanding,” Tan said.

“Of course, tourists’ behavior varies — some are good, some are not. But in recent years, there have been more and more Israelis on Koh Phangan. Before, they used to come alone, but now we see them arriving as families. That’s made the Israeli community on the island much larger, and it’s also intensified local frustration toward them.”

Dr. Manoch Aree, assistant professor at the Department of Political Science, Faculty of Social Sciences, Srinakharinwirot University, told Arab News that since the beginning of Israel’s genocidal campaign in Gaza in 2023, Thailand has become a preferred destination for Israeli citizens, largely because of its cultural openness and previous absence of anti-Israel sentiment.

But the lack of respect for local culture and the growing sense of economic exploitation have fueled public resentment.

Many Israelis are alleged to have used Thai nominees to register businesses, trading exclusively among themselves without contributing to local communities. The establishment of Israeli schools and centers for religious activities, which are closed to outsiders, has also stirred unease among local residents.

Some organizations have also brought Israeli soldiers for rehabilitation in Thailand. According to reports in the Thai state media, some of these groups have been directly linked to the Israeli military industry.

“This has led to fears among locals about why they are here and what they are doing,” Aree said.

“The government’s intention to boost tourism has backfired, creating unintended negative consequences.”


UK police say train knife attack not terrorist incident, two British men arrested

Police Superintendent John Loveless addresses the media after a mass stabbing on a London-bound train in Huntingdon, England.
Police Superintendent John Loveless addresses the media after a mass stabbing on a London-bound train in Huntingdon, England.
Updated 02 November 2025

UK police say train knife attack not terrorist incident, two British men arrested

Police Superintendent John Loveless addresses the media after a mass stabbing on a London-bound train in Huntingdon, England.
  • “At this stage, there is nothing to suggest that this is a terrorist incident,” Superintendent John Loveless from British Transport Police told media on Sunday

HUNTINGDON, England: British police said on Sunday that a knife attack on a train which put 11 people in hospital was not a terrorist incident, adding that two men — both British nationals — had been arrested.
Counterterrorism police had helped with the initial investigation after the mass stabbing of passengers on a London-bound train in eastern England on Saturday.
“At this stage, there is nothing to suggest that this is a terrorist incident,” Superintendent John Loveless from British Transport Police told media on Sunday.
The two men arrested on suspicion of attempted murder were a 32-year-old male, a black British national, and a 35-year-old British national of Caribbean descent, Loveless said. Both had been born in the UK, he added.
“It would not be appropriate to speculate on the cause of this incident,” he said.
The arrests were made by armed police after the train made an emergency stop at Huntingdon around 80 miles (130 km) north of London.
Of the 11 people hospitalized, four have since been discharged and two patients remain in a life-threatening condition, police said.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer called it an “appalling incident” which was “deeply concerning,” while King Charles said he was “truly appalled and shocked.”
Interior Minister Shabana Mahmood said she was “deeply saddened” and urged people to avoid comment and speculation.
The government is keen to stop rumors spreading on social media following an incident in Southport in northwest England in 2024, when Internet claims over the murder of three young girls sparked days of rioting across the country.
Witness Olly Foster told the BBC that he was on the train when someone ran past him saying a man was stabbing “everyone, everything.”
“I put my hand on this chair...and then I look at my hand, and it’s covered in blood. And then I look at the chair, and there’s blood all over the chair. And then I look ahead and there’s blood on all the chairs,” he said.
Another witness told Sky News that a suspect was seen waving a large knife before being tasered by police.
Britain’s current threat level from terrorism is rated as “substantial” by security services, meaning an attack is considered “likely.”
After a number of serious attacks in 2017, Britain has had some quieter years in the 2020s, although last month three people were killed when a synagogue was attacked in Manchester.


UK MPs call for govt adoption of new Islamophobia definition after hate crime surge

Britain's Housing Secretary Steve Reed leaves 10 Downing Street, in central London, on September 9, 2025. (File/AFP)
Britain's Housing Secretary Steve Reed leaves 10 Downing Street, in central London, on September 9, 2025. (File/AFP)
Updated 02 November 2025

UK MPs call for govt adoption of new Islamophobia definition after hate crime surge

Britain's Housing Secretary Steve Reed leaves 10 Downing Street, in central London, on September 9, 2025. (File/AFP)
  • Letter: ‘In 2025, 45 percent of religious hate crimes were directed towards Muslims’
  • MP Afzal Khan: ‘We urgently need a robust definition that protects people while preserving free speech’

LONDON: Prominent UK politicians have written to Steve Reed, secretary of state for housing, communities and local government, urging him to adopt a new definition of Islamophobia. 

Recent statistics in England and Wales have shown a 19 percent rise in hate crimes against Muslims in the last year.

In a letter, the group of 40 MPs said adopting the new definition would be an “important step” in curbing anti-Muslim prejudice.

An independent working group of MPs was established in February to determine the new definition of Islamophobia to address “unacceptable treatment, prejudice, discrimination and hate targeting Muslims or anyone who is perceived to be Muslim.” 

It was chaired by the former attorney general for England and Wales, Dominic Grieve, and included the co-chair of the British Muslim Network, Akeela Ahmed.

The letter said the new definition “comes at a time when unfortunately, Islamophobia continues to increase rapidly, with devastating consequences. In 2025, 45 percent of religious hate crimes were directed towards Muslims.”

It added: “This means Islamophobic hate crimes have risen 92% since 2023 and the adoption of a definition by the government becomes more important than ever.”

Signatories urged Reed to adopt the definition in November during Islamophobia Awareness Month, after the working group submitted their report in October for consultation.

The proposal for a new definition has been met with criticism in some quarters over fears it could curb free speech in the UK.

Supporters of a new definition have pointed out that under the 2010 Equality Act, Muslims are not protected from racial discrimination as they are not defined as a racial group.

Shaista Gohir, a member of the House of Lords who also sat on the working group, accused government ministers of being “silent” on the increase in anti-Muslim hate in England and Wales.

A previous definition of Islamophobia from the all-party parliamentary group on British Muslims stated: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.”

The definition was adopted by the Labour Party in 2019, as well as the Liberal Democrats, but not by the Conservative government at the time, which said it “was not broadly” accepted and required more work.

MP Afzal Khan, who penned the letter to Reed, told The Guardian: “Muslims receive the highest number of recorded religious hate crimes in the UK.”

He said there had been an “aggressive shift” in attitudes toward Muslims in the past year, and the government cannot “let the momentum slip” on a new definition of Islamophobia. “We urgently need a robust definition that protects people while preserving free speech,” he added.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said in a statement: “The department is carefully considering the Working Group’s recommendations and we will respond in due course.”


‘We’re not a violent city’: Chicago locals take on ICE block-by-block

‘We’re not a violent city’: Chicago locals take on ICE block-by-block
Updated 02 November 2025

‘We’re not a violent city’: Chicago locals take on ICE block-by-block

‘We’re not a violent city’: Chicago locals take on ICE block-by-block
  • The immigration crackdown in Chicago grows increasingly heated
  • Sounding the alarm on immigration crackdown by whistle and messaging apps

CHICAGO: The immigration agents’ tear gas grenades clinked and then exploded against the concrete, shrouding the block in plumes of white gas. The dozen or so residents at the scene only screamed louder. “We don’t want you here,” yelled Rae Lindenberg. The 32-year-old, who works in marketing, ran out of her apartment when she heard the shrill sound of whistles. “Get out of our neighborhood!” The squad of agents had appeared in Lakeview last month, an upscale neighborhood dotted with dog daycares, medical spas and vegan restaurants, hopping over a gate to chase down a construction worker who was handcuffed and shoved into a vehicle.
When Courtney Conway, a 42-year-old lifelong Chicago resident, heard about the chase through Facebook groups and text message chains, she hopped on her bike to join the protesters.
“We are not a violent city. This is not a war zone, and I think these guys are terrorizing us and trying to incite us,” said Conway. “We want them out. We want them to stop kidnapping our neighbors.”
Creating a zone defense
Chicago, a city of 2.7 million, has long been known as a patchwork of close-knit neighborhoods. And since the city took center stage of President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown in September, those neighborhoods have mobilized against enforcement efforts, sometimes block-by-block. That hyperlocal effort, spun off into dozens of chats on social platforms, has helped create a type of zone defense that – activists say – has slowed down immigration agents and in some cases forced them to withdraw without making an arrest.
When asked for comment, Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary for public affairs at the Department of Homeland Security, said: “Our officers are highly trained and in the face of rioting, doxxing and physical attacks they have shown professionalism. They are not afraid of loud noises and whistles.”
Over in Chicago since early September, according to DHS.
In Facebook groups and on Signal chats, tens of thousands of residents regularly crowdsource information on immigration agents’ last-known locations, neighborhoods being targeted that day and – importantly – the license plates, makes and models of the rental cars used by agents, which can
change daily.
Some ICE-spotting Facebook pages in Chicago
have up to 50,000 members. US Immigration and Customs Enforcement and US Customs and Border Protection agents prowling city streets in unmarked cars are often trailed by drivers honking their horns and cyclists on an almost daily basis.
In some neighborhoods, confrontations between CBP and ICE agents and protesters have grown increasingly heated. Immigration agents have tear-gassed at least five neighborhoods in the past month, according to a Reuters tally, their car into another vehicle at least once, protesters trailing immigration agents, used Tasers on people during violent arrests, pointed at people and two people, including one fatally.
The Cook County Department of Public Health said it does not track injuries sustained during confrontations with federal agents and five city hospitals called by Reuters said they had not treated any protesters.
Last month, US District Judge Sara Ellis directed agents to use body cameras and issue two warnings to protesters before using tear gas in a case brought by protesters, clergy and journalists.
Helicopter watch groups
Hours after the confrontation in the Lakeview neighborhood, dozens of parents stood guard outside a school in Bucktown, another North Side neighborhood favored by families and young professionals, after hearing ICE and border patrol officers were in the area. Some parents set up an informal checkpoint next to the school to check cars for immigration enforcement agents.
And in Little Village, one of the city’s biggest Latino enclaves, businesses and residents locked their doors after activists warned them of approaching ICE and border patrol vehicles and at one point, surrounded vehicles to prevent them from making arrests.
“The community defended the neighborhood today,” said Baltazar Enriquez, president of the Little Village Community Council.
Some protesters specialize in watching out for Black Hawk helicopters the agents use to surveil neighborhoods, which don’t appear on flight-tracking apps and are often a harbinger of a raid.
On a recent Saturday morning, Brian Kolp, an attorney and former prosecutor, ran out of the house in his pajamas when word spread throughout the Old Irving Park neighborhood that immigration agents in balaclavas had grabbed a worker and a protester and shoved them into their car. Other residents came out in Halloween costumes.
“People were yelling, and it was chaos,” said Kolp. Soon after, he said, agents tossed tear gas grenades into the street and left.


Djibouti parliament removes presidential age limit: speaker

Djibouti parliament removes presidential age limit: speaker
Updated 02 November 2025

Djibouti parliament removes presidential age limit: speaker

Djibouti parliament removes presidential age limit: speaker
  • Vote opens the way for leader Ismail Omar Guelleh to run for a sixth term
  • Guelleh, 77, has held power since 1999 in the tiny Horn of Africa nation

ADDIS ABABA: Djibouti’s parliament removed the age limit for presidents with a unanimous vote on Sunday, its speaker said, opening the way for leader Ismail Omar Guelleh to run for a sixth term.
Guelleh, 77, has held power since 1999 in the tiny Horn of Africa nation, a major port that hosts military bases for the United States, France, China, Japan and Italy.
Djibouti’s lawmakers unanimously approved the change to the constitution to remove a bar on running for president past the age of 75.
The move allows Guelleh to run in the next election in April 2026, likely facing minimal opposition in a country with limited freedom of expression and press.
“The National Assembly ratified the removal of the age limit today, so it is official,” said parliament speaker Dileita Mohamed Dileita.
Parliament had already passed the motion a week earlier in an initial vote that was then approved by Guelleh and sent back to lawmakers for the final vote.
Dileita earlier said the constitutional change was necessary to ensure “the stability of the small country, in a troubled region, the Horn of Africa, with Somalia, Ethiopia, and Eritrea.”
Guelleh won the last election in 2021 with 97 percent of the vote while his party, the Union for the Presidential Majority, holds the majority of parliamentary seats.
He succeeded Hassan Gouled Aptidon, the father of Djibouti’s independence, in 1999 after serving as his chief of staff for 22 years.
Djibouti has only around one million inhabitants but lies on the strategic trade route of the Bab El-Mandeb Strait on the Red Sea.