China Flies 25 Aircraft Including Nuclear Bombers Into Taiwan's Airspace

China has flown 25 planes, including 22 jets along with two nuclear-capable bombers and one spy plane, into Taiwan's 'air defence identification zone'  

Daily Mail: China flies 25 aircraft including nuclear bombers into Taiwan's airspace in the largest incursion for three months as tensions continue to build 

* 25 Chinese aircraft entered Taiwan's airspace, the island's military has said 

* 22 fighters accompanied two nuclear-capable bombers and one recon plane 

* Taiwan scrambled jets, broadcast warnings and activated missile defences 

* It is the largest incursion by China's Air Force since June 15, and comes amid heightened tensions in the region 

China has flown 25 aircraft into Taiwan's airspace in the largest incursion for months as tensions in the region continue to build. 

Taipei said 22 fighters including 18 J-16 jets and four Su-30s accompanied two nuclear-capable H-6 bombers and one Y-8 recon plane on a mission Friday.

Fighters were scrambled in response while radio warnings were broadcast and missile defences activated to monitor the situation, Taiwan's military said.  

Read more .... 

Update #1: China marks national day with mass air incursion near Taiwan (Reuters)  

Update #2: China sends 25 fighter planes toward Taiwan on National Day (AP)

WNU Editor: China is also warning the U.S. .... 'Let us meet in the sky': China boasts US Air Force should fear new arsenal (Washington Examiner).

Iranian FM Spokesman Says 'War With Israel Already Started'

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh (photo credit: Maryam Kamyab/Mehr News Agency) 

Daily Mail: Iran warns 'war with Israel has already begun' and says 'the entire crisis in the region is Israel's fault' 

* Saeed Khatibzadeh, a spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, reportedly made the statement to the Maariv newspaper 

* Khatibzadeh alleged that Israel 'has murdered nuclear scientists and harmed the Iranian people,' and said the crisis in the region is 'Israel's fault' 

* The comments come days after Israeli PM Naftali Bennett appealed to the UN for support in confronting Iran over the development of their nuclear programme 

* Khatibzadeh also condemned Israel for sending Foreign Minister Yair Lapid to meet with the King of Bahrain on Thursday in disapproval of the nations' developing relations 

An Iranian spokesman has declared that 'war has already begun' with Israel as tensions between the two nations reach a boiling point. 

Saeed Khatibzadeh, a spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, made the statement to the Maariv newspaper before going on to place the blame for the crisis in the Middle East squarely at the feet of Israel. 

Khatibzadeh claimed that Israel 'has murdered nuclear scientists and harmed the Iranian people'. 

Read more .... 

Update: 'War with Israel already started' says Iranian FM spokesman (Jerusalem Post)  

WNU Editor: Truth be told. Both sides have been waging low-intensity warfare for a long time.

Satellite Images Show Damage At An Alleged Iranian Missile Base

Before and after photographs from an explosion at an alleged Iranian missile base, on September 27, 2021. (ImageSat International) 

Times of Israel: Satellite images show alleged Iranian missile factory seriously damaged in blast 

Private Israeli intelligence firm releases photographs of facility outside Tehran, where at least two members of the Iranian military were killed earlier this week 

A private Israeli intelligence firm released satellite photographs of an alleged Iranian missile production facility outside Tehran on Thursday, showing the damage at the site after an explosion there earlier in the week. 

In the images, taken on Monday shortly after the blast, at least a quarter of the building — a “secret missile base” belonging to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, according to the company — can be seen completely destroyed, while additional damage can be seen on the roof along the entire structure.  

Read more .... 

More News On Satellite Images Showing Damage At An Alleged Iranian Missile Base  

Fire in Iran occurred at secret IRGC missile base - Israeli report -- Jerusalem Post 

Israeli Firm Claims Fire Damaged Iran Missile Base - I24NEWS -- i24 News  

Israeli intelligence firm claims 'secret missile base' in Iran severely damaged -- Times Of Israel  

Israeli Satellite Images Show Aftermath of Explosion at Alleged Iranian Missile Factory -- CBN  

Photo: Satellite Captures Alleged Iranian Missile Production Site Damaged by Blast -- Sputnik

Australia-EU Trade Talks Delayed As Row Over Submarine Deal Deepens

 

BBC: Aukus: Australia-EU trade talks delayed as row deepens 

Trade talks between Australia and the European Union have been postponed as a row with France over the so-called Aukus security partnership deepens. 

Last month, Canberra cancelled a $37bn ($27.5bn) deal with France to build a fleet of conventional submarines. 

Instead, it will build at least eight nuclear-powered submarines with US and UK technology. 

The decision angered Paris, which called the deal a "stab in the back" by the US and Australia. 

In fact, soon after the Aukus agreement was announced, France recalled its ambassadors from both Canberra and Washington.  

Read more ....  

Update #1: EU, Australia trade talks postponed amid subs row (France 24)  

Update #2: Australia-EU trade talks delayed amid submarine deal fallout (AP)  

WNU Editor: It is clear that France wants Australia to pay a price for breaking their submarine contract.

More Bad Polling Numbers For US President Biden. But Polls Favour Democrats To Control Congress

 

WNU Editor: Presdient Biden's numbers may be slipping but he is still above 50% approval in this AP poll .... Biden’s approval slumps after a slew of crises: AP-NORC poll (AP). More here .... New poll finds lingering sharp political divisions on Biden vaccine mandate (The Hill). 

Rasmussen still has the President polling below former President Trump at this time in their Presidencies .... Daily Presidential Tracking Poll. 

The latest NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll show Democrats comfortably in the lead to maintain control of Congress .... Biden's Approval Rating Recovers Some From Last Month's Low, An NPR Poll Finds (NPR).

Tweets Of The Day

Virus Update:
• Merck says experimental pill cuts worst effects of COVID-19;
• Trains packed with commuters as Japan fully ends emergency;
• It’s flu vaccine time, even if you’ve had your COVID shots. https://t.co/iPQ6ReWhMU

— The Associated Press (@AP) October 1, 2021

So much for the passports https://t.co/DsIgVcEKGR

— Jack Posobiec 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) October 1, 2021

Australian border to reopen for first time in pandemichttps://t.co/R9lsQvUVym

— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) October 1, 2021

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will hold talks in Paris next week in a new bid to ease tensions after French anger over a submarine contract, the State Department announced Fridayhttps://t.co/62hr9qRneZ

— AFP News Agency (@AFP) October 1, 2021

Australia-EU trade talks delayed as row with France over the so-called Aukus security partnership deepenshttps://t.co/JBSrX0SLDb

— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) October 1, 2021

Panama warns another wave of 60K Haitian migrants is headed for the US https://t.co/sM00c6n9Og

— Daily Mail Online (@MailOnline) October 1, 2021

#UPDATE Colonel Mamady Doumbouya, who led last month's coup in Guinea, was sworn in as interim president of the West African state on Friday for a transition period of unspecified length

📸 Colonel Mamady Doumbouya (C) leaves a meeting in Conakry, on September 17 pic.twitter.com/eLjx2YLVZS

— AFP News Agency (@AFP) October 1, 2021

The first Littoral Combat Ship has been decommissioned after just 13 years of service:https://t.co/vhG68gJlFH

— Tyler Rogoway (@Aviation_Intel) September 30, 2021

Picture Of The Day

An aerial view shows a military parade of Tajik army near the border with Afghanistan in the town of Khorog (Khorugh), Tajikistan. Press Service of President of Tajikistan/via REUTERS  

WNU Editor: The above picture came from this photo-gallery .... Top Photos of the Day (Reuters).

Erdoğan And Putin Hold Face-To-Face Talks On Syria

Ahead of this week’s summit first responders in the Idlib area said Syrian air force bombing has again intensified, and the Turkish military has deployed extra troops. Photograph: Vladimir Smirnov/SPUTNIK/KREMLIN POO 

The Guardian: Erdoğan and Putin hold face-to-face talks over Syria ceasefire 

Turkey’s president wants to shore up the truce because it has been ruptured repeatedly in the last 18 months 

The Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, met with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, for their first face-to-face talks since the pandemic in which they discussed the future of the last pocket of Syria outside regime control. 

The leaders met in in the Russian Black Sea resort town of Sochi for Wednesday’s summit, in which Erdoğan sought to shore up a March 2020 ceasefire deal which ended a bruising assault by Bashar al-Assad and his Russian allies on Turkish-backed fighters in north-west Syria. 

The fighting last year brought Ankara and Moscow close to direct confrontation and threatened Turkey – which is already home to about 4 million Syrians – with a new wave of refugees.  

Read more .... 

More News On Erdoğan And Putin Holding Face-To-Face Talks On Syria  

Turkey, Russia to continue working to solve problems in Syria's Idlib -NTV -- Reuters  

Putin hails 'compromises' with Turkey in talks with Erdogan over Syria, defence -- New Arab  

Turkey’s Erdogan Presses Russia’s Putin to Halt Syria Assault -- WSJ  

Putin, Erdogan hold closed-door summit in Sochi -- Al-Monitor  

Turkey and Russia to preserve status-quo in Syria's Idlib, Turkish official says -- Middle East Eye  

War In Syria Heating Up Again, Prompting Tense Putin-Erdogan Summit -- Zero Hedge

Turkish President Erdogan And Russian President Putin Discuss Future Arms Sales

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Kremlin.ru  

Moscow Times: Erdogan, Putin Discussed Warplanes, Submarines Cooperation: Report 

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed deepening defense industry cooperation with Russia during talks with his counterpart Vladimir Putin this week, the Turkish leader was quoted as saying Thursday. 

Erdogan and Putin held their first face-to-face talks in 18 months in the Black Sea resort of Sochi on Wednesday, with the Syrian conflict high on their agenda. 

"We had the opportunity to discuss what steps we could take on plane motors, warplanes," the Turkish leader told journalists on his return to Turkey.  

Read more .... 

WNU Editor: NATO is alarmed by these developments .... Erdogan Alarms NATO Allies: 'Putin Agreed To Jointly Produce Jet Engines, Warships & Submarines' (Zero Hedge). 

More News On Turkish President Erdogan And Russian President Putin Discussing Future Arms Sales  

Turkey to work with Russia on space, submarines and warships, says Erdogan -- Middle East Eye  

Turkey’s move to buy S-400 anti-aircraft system from Russia is due to America's refusal to sell Ankara Patriots, Erdogan explains -- RT  

Turkey and Russia could deepen defence and security ties, says Erdogan -- Financial Times  

Turkey, Russia mull fighter jet, submarine partnership -- Daily Sabah  

Erdogan, Putin Discussed Warplane, Submarine Cooperation -- Bloomberg  

Erdogan says Turkey is looking at further defence steps with Russia -- Reuters 

Erdogan Says No Step Back in Defense Cooperation With Russia -- Bloomberg  

Turkey’s Erdogan says mulling further defense industry steps with Russia – report -- Arab News/Reuters

Erdogan Now Demanding The U.S. Pay $1.4 Billion For Kicking Turkey Out Of The F-35 Stealth Fighter Jet Program

This file photo shows an F-35 joint strike fighter, marked AA-1, landing at Edwards Air Force Base in California, on Oct. 23, 2008. (Photo: U.S. Air Force / Senior Airman Julius Delos Reyes)  

Axios: Turkey's Erdoğan criticizes Biden, asks for money back on F-35 

Fresh off his first visit with Vladimir Putin in over a year, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan accused a top Biden official of "supporting terrorism" and demanded the U.S. pay $1.4 billion for kicking Turkey out of a stealth fighter jet program.  

Why it matters: Erdoğan's belligerence and deepening cooperation with Russia is sending a key U.S. relationship in the wrong direction, serving up yet another foreign policy headache for President Biden.  

Driving the news: Speaking to reporters on his way back from Sochi, Erdoğan condemned Brett McGurk, the White House coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa and former anti-ISIS envoy, for allying the U.S. with Kurdish militias in Syria that Turkey considers a top threat to national security.  

Read more ....  

Update #1: Turkey wants compensation for ouster from US-led jet program (AP)  

Update #2: Turkey Demands U.S. Deliver Fighter Jets or Return $1.4 Billion Payment for Them (Newsweek)  

WNU Editor: Turkish President has calculated that the benefits of buying weapon systems from Russia is worth having a troubled relationship with the U.S. .... Erdoğan believes S-400 purchase worth tensions with US (Daily Sabah).