Good morning, and welcome to the Global Situation Report for Friday, 20 September 2024.
- Global Rollup
- Israel launched an air assault against Hezbollah yesterday, claiming to strike 100 sites that were ready to attack Israel. The U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin postponed his trip to Israel scheduled for next week.
- Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Russia is prepared to defend the Arctic against NATO actions, citing an increasing amount of NATO drills in the Arctic. Lavrov acknowledged some national interests from NATO members but denied that NATO had territory in the region.
- The Philippines announced it will triple the minimum manning of its Coast Guard (PCG). Philippine officials told the media this morning that they are looking to procure a mid-range missile capability similar to the Typhon missile system. (The PCG is the main uniformed service taking part in the Philippines-China encounters in the South China Sea. A mid-range capability would give the Philippines the ability to strike Chinese ships 1000 miles out. The Typhon missile system is still in the Philippines under U.S. control and being tested for war in defense of Taiwan. – J.V.)
- China is using the Summit of the Future at the United Nations General Assembly this weekend to “call on the international community to jointly deliver on the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative.”
THAT’S A WRAP: This does it for today’s edition. Thank you for reading. If you know folks who would also like to receive this email, would you please forward it to them? We appreciate you spreading the word. – M.S.