Review of Kenya’s Major Non-NATO Ally (MNNA) Status

 By Ruzeki, Shadoww News 

August 07, 2025  

The designation of Kenya as a Major Non-NATO Ally (MNNA) by the United States on June 24, 2024, marked a significant diplomatic milestone—but it also triggered deep scrutiny. 

This review examines whether Kenya’s political conduct, security alignments, and financial dealings genuinely reflect the values and responsibilities expected of a U.S. strategic partner. 

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Review of Kenya’s Major Non-NATO Ally (MNNA) Status Conferred: June 24, 2024 

Subject of Review: Government of Kenya (GoK) 

The designation of Kenya as a Major Non-NATO Ally (MNNA) by the United States was a strategic milestone. However, with privilege comes scrutiny. The following areas are under review, with attention to inconsistencies, covert alignments, and potential abuse of the MNNA status by the Government of Kenya (GoK) and its leadership. 

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1. Kenya–U.S. Partnership in Countering Violent Extremism (Sub-Saharan Africa & Haiti) 

Assessment: 

Kenya has been praised for its regional role in peacekeeping and counterterrorism, notably in Somalia (AMISOM/ATMIS) and most recently in Haiti. However, effectiveness is undercut by operational opacity, logistical failures, and accusations of brutality by Kenyan forces abroad. 

Critique: 

The GoK has often leveraged counterterrorism as a diplomatic shield while neglecting internal reforms on accountability. Kenya’s security forces continue to be marred by extrajudicial killings, forced disappearances, and profiling of peaceful protesters and ethnic groups under the guise of CVE (Countering Violent Extremism). The deployment to Haiti may serve U.S. strategic optics more than genuine regional stabilization. 

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2. Military and Security Engagement with China, Russia, and Iran

Assessment: 
Despite close ties with the U.S., Kenya maintains active defense cooperation with China (military equipment procurement, surveillance tech), and growing diplomatic gestures toward Russia and Iran. 

Critique:
The GoK appears to play both sides—accepting U.S. security privileges while flirting with what the West see as authoritarian states. These parallel alignments raise alarms about conflicted loyalties and undermine the spirit of MNNA cooperation. Kenya’s acquisition of surveillance systems from China, some allegedly used against civil society and opposition, contradicts democratic values underpinning MNNA designations. 

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3. Political and Financial Ties of Key Political Actors with China, Russia & Iran 

Assessment: 
Several high-profile Kenyan politicians led by President Ruto and his close businessmen have opaque financial dealings and partnerships with entities linked to Beijing, Moscow, and Tehran. 

Critique: 
These relationships compromise Kenya’s geopolitical posture. While U.S. aid and intelligence flow into Nairobi, Chinese loans quietly balloon and Russian disinformation campaigns find fertile ground in Kenya’s digital space. The entanglement of top Kenyan officials with sanctioned Iranian networks further casts doubt on the integrity of the country's foreign policy and financial institutions. 

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4. GoK and Its Officials’ Relationships with Non-State Armed Groups (RSF, Al-Shabaab) 

Assessment: 
Kenya’s porous borders and the murky involvement of some state officials in illicit arms and smuggling networks create opportunities for collusion with armed groups, including Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and remnants of Al-Shabaab. 

Critique: 
There is disturbing evidence—both anecdotal and intelligence-based—suggesting state complicity or willful negligence in dealings with non-state actors. This includes the laundering of illicit wealth through Kenyan banks, facilitation of safe passage, and political protection of profiteers. The government's inability—or refusal—to prosecute those involved points to systemic rot and dangerous tolerance of extremist-linked networks. 

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5. Trade and Investment with China – Debt, Commercial Ties, and Belt & Road Initiative 

Assessment: 
Kenya is deeply embedded in China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), with billions in loans tied to infrastructure and extractive deals. These have ballooned Kenya’s public debt and created structural dependence. 

Critique: 
The GoK has consistently failed to renegotiate or transparently manage Chinese debt, instead engaging in debt diplomacy appeasement. Some BRI projects lack public value yet bind Kenya into long-term financial obligations that threaten sovereignty. The U.S. must now contend with a “strategic ally” that is economically hostage to Beijing. 

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6. Kenya as a Financial Safe Haven for Regional Elites, War Profiteers, and Terrorists 

Assessment: 
Kenya’s financial system is increasingly used as a laundering hub for elites from Sudan, South Sudan, Uganda, and Somalia. Nairobi’s real estate, banking, and remittance systems are exploited by politically exposed persons (PEPs), warlords, and terror financiers. 

Critique: 
The GoK’s failure to reform or audit its financial institutions has made Kenya a regional laundromat for dirty money. While the U.S. pours resources into financial surveillance and anti-terrorism funding, Kenyan institutions continue to shield or ignore illegal capital flows—some directly funding violence and insurgencies in neighboring states. 

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7. Use of U.S. Intelligence & Security Assistance for Domestic Repression 

Assessment: 
While U.S. security and intelligence tools are intended to bolster legitimate counterterrorism and public safety, there is growing concern that the Kenyan state uses this support to suppress civil liberties and target political dissent. 

Critique: 
There are credible reports of U.S.-trained units being involved in renditions, torture, abductions, and domestic surveillance of journalists, activists and civilians. These actions erode trust and violate the very principles MNNA status is meant to uphold. Kenya’s security apparatus, under minimal civilian oversight, has become a tool of state-sponsored political violence, especially against youth, opposition leaders, and some ethnic groups. 

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Is Kenya A Strategic Ally or a Double Agent? 

While Kenya presents itself as a democratic bulwark in a volatile region, its geopolitical double-dealing, internal abuses, and financial opaqueness paint a more disturbing picture. The GoK’s exploitation of U.S. support for domestic repression, strategic hedging with autocracies, and permissiveness toward terror-linked finances calls for a comprehensive reevaluation of its MNNA status. 

The United States must condition continued support on: 

• Transparent audits of military aid and training use 
• Reforms in financial oversight and anti-money laundering enforcement 
• Immediate end to the use of U.S. tools for political repression 
• Clear distancing from state and non-state actors in Russia, China, Iran, and regional war economies 

Kenya cannot continue to speak Washington’s language while dancing to Beijing’s drums. Either it walks the democratic path in full, or it risks being stripped of the privileges that come with MNNA designation. 

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What are your thoughts? 

Worldwide news update!

By Ruzeki, Shadoww News 

Sep 2, 2024 

Highlights: 

✓ Nation Media is telling Ugali lovers to rejoice after maize flour prices declined from Sh180 to Sh 120 per 2kg; following bumper harvests. 

✓ At least 100,000 Israelis protested in Israel to demand Gaza ceasefire/hostage deal and criticize Netanyahu. This came after the IDF recovered bodies of six hostages. Meanwhile, in the U.S, President Biden accuses PM Netanyahu for not doing much to get a Gaza deal. 

✓ On Sunday, Israeli airstrike hit Safad school in al-Zeitoun, Gaza, killing at least 12 Palestinians sheltering... 

✓ U.S illegally seizes Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's plane in Dominican Republic and brings it to Florida...(DOJ claims it violated the US sanctions). 

✓ Venezuela's attorney general issues an arrest warrant for opposition leader Gonzalez. 

✓ Brazil's Supreme Court panel upheld X/Twitter ban after Elon Musk refused to comply with law. 

✓ In the U.S, recent polls show that the Democratic voting enthusiasm is way up since Kamala Harris replaced Joe Biden. Harris is leading Trump nationwide, including in key swing states. 

✓ Chinese ship and Philippine's vessel clash in the disputed Sabina Shoal in the South China Sea. 

✓ Djibouti is proposing to solve Ethiopia-Somalia dispute. It is offering Ethiopia access to its port to counter Somaliland's offer... For more details, visit shadowwnews.blogspot.com 

✓ Nigeria: South African beauty queen Chidimma Adetshina wins the Miss Nigeria Universe crown. She withdrew in SA after waves of vicious xenophobic attacks and online abuses over her Nigerian heritage. 

✓ Russia launches a barrage of missiles at Ukraine's capital Kyiv, sparking fires and destroying buildings and power infrastructure. 

✓ Kenya's Interior CS Prof. Kindiki gazettes technical committee members to effect police and NYS recommended reforms. 

✓kenya's teachers' union (Kuppet) calls off  strike after establishing a return-to-work formula with the TSC. 

✓ President William Ruto is in Beijing for China-Africa Cooperation Summit. 

✓ China: According to CCTV, a school bus in China crashes into a crowd killing at least 11 people and injury others including students. 

✓ Kenya:Murder suspect Kevin Kang'ethe has been extradited to the US to face trial. 

✓US: The U.S. army general claims to have captured the ISIS leader who helped at least 9,000 fighters escape from detection in Syria. 

TAIWAN ELECTION 2024: DPP wins presidency but loses majority in Legislature as KMT wins the most seats

By Ruzeki, Shadow News 

January 13, 2024

On Saturday, January 13, Taiwanese voters kept the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in power for another four years but elected a new legislature that cost the DPP its absolute majority in the 113-seat body.

William Lai Ching-te, the DPP's chairman and the incumbent vice president won the 2024 presidential election with 5,586,019 votes, i.e 40.05 percent of the total.

According to final election results released by the Central Election Commission (CEC), William Lai defeated Hou Yu-ih of the main opposition Kuomintang (KMT) who garnered 4,671,021 votes, i.e 33.49 percent.

Ko Wen-je of the smaller Taiwan People's Party (TPP) garnered 3,690,466 votes, i.e 26.46 percent of the total, official CEC vote counts showed.

Despite his victory, Lai will face a tougher challenge than his predecessor in gaining support for his policies and greater scrutiny in the Legislature, after the DPP failed to secure an absolute majority in the 113-seat body.

No party won a majority in Taiwan's Legislative Yuan for the first time since 2004, after Saturday's elections saw the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) win 51 seats, the Kuomintang (KMT) 52, and the Taiwan People's Party (TPP) eight.

The DPP, which had held a majority in the 113-seat body since 2016, suffered a net loss of 11 seats on Saturday, dropping from 62 to 51 and losing its position of dominance.

With no party able to command a majority, which would need at least 57 seats, it is widely expected that the KMT and the TPP will negotiate a deal to prevent the DPP from retaining the speakership.

In addition to the party seats, two independent legislators won seats, both of whom are ideologically aligned with the KMT in the Legislative Yuan.

In addition to the party seats, two independent legislators won seats, both of whom are ideologically aligned with the KMT in the Legislative Yuan.

I hope you appreciated this article. 

 

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New World Order: BRICS bloc welcomes six new members

By Ruzeki, Shadow News.

Summary

• BRICS adds Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and UAE. 
• Expansion boost BRICS global strength. 
• Group leaves door open to further expansion, especially for the Global South. 
• BRICS bloc makes 27 percent of the global economy and 46 percent of the world population. 

Johannesburg, Aug 24 - The BRICS bloc of major emerging economies agreed on Thursday to admit Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in a move aimed at accelerating its push to reshuffle a world order it sees as outdated. 

In deciding in favour of an expansion, the bloc's first in 13 years, BRICS leaders left the door open to future expansion as dozens more countries voiced desires to join a grouping they hope can level the global playing field. 

The BRICS group makes decisions by consensus. On Thursday, it agreed on the guiding principles, standards, criteria and procedures of the BRICS expansion process. 

The expansion adds economic muscle to BRICS, whose current core members are China, the world's second largest economy, as well as Brazil, Russia, India and South Africa. 

The expansion of the group is part of its plan to build dominance and reshape global governance into a multipolar world order that puts voices of the Global South at the centre of the world agenda. 

According to the Chinese President Xi Jinping, the membership expansion was historic. It shows the determination of BRICS countries for unity and cooperation with the broader developing nations. 

BRICS was originally BRIC, an acronym coined by Goldman Sachs chief economist Jim O'Neill in 2001, the bloc was founded as an informal four-nation club in 2009 and added South Africa a year later in its only previous expansion. 

The six new members will formally become members on January 1, 2024, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said when he named the countries during a three-day XV BRICS summit he is hosting in Johannesburg. 

According to President Ramaphosa, BRICS has embarked on a new chapter in its effort to build a world that is fair, a world that is just, a world that is also inclusive and prosperous. He confirmed that the five core BRICS members had consensus on the first phase of the expansion process and other phases will follow. 

Friends and Allies lead candidates 

The countries invited to join reflect individual BRICS members' desires to bring allies into the bloc. 

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva had vocally lobbied for neighbour Argentina's inclusion while Egypt has close commercial ties with Russia and India. 

The entry of oil superpowers Saudi Arabia and UAE highlights their drift away from the United States' orbit and ambition to become global heavyweights in their own right. 

Russia and Iran have found common cause in their shared struggle against the U.S.-led sanctions and diplomatic isolation, with their economic ties deepening in the wake of Moscow's special military operation in Ukraine. 

On Thursday, the Russian President Vladimir Putin said BRICS is not competing with anyone. President Putin is attending the summit remotely due to an international warrant for alleged war crimes. He's being represented by the world's most vocal diplomat FM Lavrov. 

Mr Putin acknowledged that the process of the emerging of a new world order still has fierce opponent. He believes the de-dollarization is irreversible. 

Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi celebrated his country's BRICS invitation with a swipe at Washington, saying on Iranian television network that the expansion "shows that the unilateral approach is on the way to decay". 

Beijing is close to Ethiopia and the country's inclusion also speaks to South Africa's desire to amplify Africa's voice in global affairs. 

More than 40 countries had expressed desire in joining BRICS, and 23 formally applied to join the bloc. 

Some 50 other heads of state and leaders attended the XV BRICS Summit in South Africa, which concluded on Thursday. 

Ambitions and Results 

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres attended the Thursday's expansion announcement, reflecting the bloc's growing influence. He echoed BRICS' long-standing calls for reforms of the U.N. Security Council, International Monetary Fund, World Bank and other global governance structures. 

BRICS is now home to 46% of the world's population and 27 percent of global gross domestic product. 

Bloc heavyweight China has long called for an expansion of BRICS as it seeks to challenge Western dominance, a strategy shared by Russia. 

Other BRICS members support fostering the creation of a multi-polar global order. But Brazil and India have both also been forging closer ties with the West. 

For 80 years, the United States dollar has dominated all other currencies. But BRICS is tired of the West’s looming presence over global governance and finance. The bloc is determined to take it down.  

President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday in a virtual address to the BRICS summit, that the process of de-dollarisation is “irreversible” and “gaining pace". 

The US weaponises the dollar in the Russian and Iran sanctions, there is increasing desire by other developing countries to seek alternative currencies for trade, investment, and reserves, as well as developing alternative multilateral clearance systems outside of SWIFT. 

De-dollarization of the World Economy is underway and it is gaining momentum!

By Ruzeki, Shadow News 

08 June 2023, Nairobi 

• One of the most intriguing financial trends of 2023 is the de-dollarization movement led by Russia, Brazil, India, China, Africa, Saudi Arabia and Iran. This is an effort to reduce the role of the U.S. dollar in international trade. 

• Rivalry with China, fallout from Russia-Ukraine war and the recent wrangling in Washington over the U.S. debt ceiling have put the dollar's status as the world's dominant currency under fresh scrutiny. 

• Russia's sanctions-imposed exile from global financial systems last year also fuelled speculation that non-U.S. allies would diversify away from dollars. 

• De-dollarization, which is the decline of the United States dollar as the world’s dominant reserved currency, is underway, and it’s gaining momentum all over the world. 

For over 100 years, the U.S. dollar has been the world reserve currency, which means it has been the dominant foreign currency held by central banks to carry out international transactions and settle international debt. 

However, in the last 20 years, the dollar’s dominance in countries’ reserves has decreased from 70% to 58%, according to the International Monetary Fund. 

This trend has been accelerating since 2022, when the U.S. and its NATO allies froze Russia’s dollar reserve as a response of the country’s special operation in Ukraine. 

Since then, several countries have been looking for alternatives to the U.S. dollar. Some are discussing the creation of new currencies for international trade, while others are buying an increasing amount of gold to diversify their reserve. 

In 1931, amid the Great Depression, the US dollar replaced the Great British pound as the world’s preferred reserve currency. 

During world war I & II, the United States supplied the allies with the majority of their weapons and munitions. Most allies paid for the weapons with gold, meaning that by the end of the World War II, the US possessed most of the world’s gold. 

This was set in stone in 1944 when 44 countries agreed on the Bretton Wood system. The international delegation agreed to peg the world’s currencies to the dollar rather than to gold since the dollar was itself linked to gold. The US dollar was now the world’s official reserve currency. 

Some economists expect de-dollarization to occur as emerging economies in the Global South grow and seek to diversify the composition of their reserve currencies. 

In 2021, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) noted that “the US dollar’s share of global reserves has declined”. 

There are economic, political, and strategic reasons most countries want to shift away from the dollar. Since the end of the Cold War, the US has been the world’s sole superpower, meaning that the world order has been unipolar. 

However, some states like China and Russia would prefer the world to be multipolar, wherein there would exist multiple poles of world power. De-dollarization would assist in the transition from unipolarity to multipolarity. 

Another incentive for countries to diversify the composition of their reserve currencies, particularly those with poor bilateral relations with the US, is that the US can wield the preponderance of its currency as a geopolitical weapon. 

Sanctions imposed by Washington can be especially potent because of the centrality of the dollar in international finance. Even US allies like Saudi Arabia are wary of US sanctions since their culture could make them a target for Washington’s ire. 

One approach to de-dollarization is Local Currency Trade (LCT), whereby states conduct trade with one another using their own currencies. The currencies are converted based on exchange rates. 

Earlier this year, China and Brazil announced that they would engage in LCT, as opposed to using the dollar. The BRICS bloc of countries - Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa- is developing a new currency to compete with the US dollar. Moscow and Beijing are aggressively leading the charge toward de-dollarization. 

Other countries that have already started trading in their local currencies include United Arabs Emirates, Iran, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Venezuela, Kenya, Malaysia, Egypt, India, Argentina, Turkey, Zambia, Algeria, Morocco, Afghanistan, and others in the global south. 

It is argued with this major development, the value of the dollar is going to lose its sheen very soon. Increased investment in BRICS countries would lead to an increase in spending and economic development. Consequently, it is predicted that if the BRICS nations follow forward with their plan and create a new currency, it might help stabilise their economies. 

For more updates on geopolitics, follow Ruzeki on Twitter. 

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Chinese President Xi Jinping speaks with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky for first time since Russia-Ukraine war

By Ruzeki, Shadow News 

Published at 3:22 PM of Wednesday, April 26, 2023

On Wednesday, the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping, in their first phone call since the start of Russia’s special military operations in Ukraine. 

President Zelensky believes this meaningful call, as well as the appointment of Ukraine’s ambassador to China, will give a powerful impetus to the development of the bilateral relations. 

The call was also reported by the Chinese state broadcaster CCTV. Today's call comes after Xi Jingping met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow last month. 

China has claimed neutrality in the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, with Beijing calling for resolution in the conflict. 

According to Beijing, the “legitimate” security concerns of Ukraine and Russia must be taken into account. Chinese officials believe NATO ambitions and the US intervention is fueling the conflict. 

This story shall be updated as soon as full details of the Xi-Zelensky call are available. 

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A UNITED FRONT: Xi Jingping and Vladimir Putin hold talks at Kremlin, Moscow.

  By Ruzeki, Shadow News 

Summary 

Xi Jingping and Vladimir Putin meet for ceremony, talks and later state dinner.

Japanese PM Kishida arrives in Ukraine to meet Zelenskyy. 

Full details of Xi’s talks with Putin on Ukraine peace plan not yet made public. 

Chinese President Xi Jinping is meeting with his Russian counterpart, President Vladimir Putin for formal talks at the Kremlin. The second day of his three-day official trip. 

It’s Xi’s first visit since the Russian special military operations in Ukraine — and Beijing has billed the trip as a peace mission but has not yet indicated if a formal call with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky will also take place. 

Xi has invited Putin — his “dear friend” upon arrival for the state visit — to visit China later this year. It’s another show of support for Moscow despite the recent International Criminal Court  arrest warrant for President Vladimir Putin. 

Putin and Xi appear to be positioning themselves as the leaders of a new global order opposed to the Western power. The U.S. has accused Xi of providing “diplomatic cover” for Putin after the ICC issued a warrant for his arrest. 

Key Updates now

• Xi and Putin take part in a signing ceremony of joint documents, according to the Kremlin. 
• Details have not been made public but they are expected to agree to formally deepen relations and economic cooperation. 
• Moscow has become increasingly dependent on Beijing to keep its economy afloat, as the war curbs its exports of oil and other commodities. 
• Beijing has portrayed itself as a potential negotiator, issuing a 12-point proposal for ending the conflict. 
• The media has portrayed the visit as Xi’s bid for leadership of the non-Western world. 
• Meanwhile, the Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has arrived in Kyiv to meet with Zelensky and show support. 

Day Two, Tuesday: 

The large golden doors swung open and TV cameras tracked presidents Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin as they strode toward each other from either side of the Kremlin’s St. George’s Hall, marking the beginning of a highly anticipated meeting. 

The gilded hall, with its marble floors and golden chandeliers, is the largest in the Kremlin and is dedicated to Russia’s military glory. Xi and Putin met in the middle of a long red carpet, smiling as they shook hands, before taking their positions. 

As their national anthems played, the Russian and Chinese presidents stood solemnly side by side, dwarfed by two large national flags. 

The grandiose optics, as well as their matching red ties, were a message: the image of a new, united front against the West. 

The ceremony preceded the main official talks on the second day of Xi’s three-day state visit to Russia. 

We shall keep updating you as new information about Xi and Putin talks is available. 

The South China Sea: Taiwan reports more Chinese air force planes entered its air defense zone.

By Ruzeki, Shadow News 

Taiwan has reported a large-scale Chinese air force incursion into its airspace for two days (Wednesday and Thursday). 

The Chinese military actions is viewed to be retaliation against the United States approval of the $619m arms sale to Taiwan. The deal include hi-tech missiles for the Taiwanese F-16 fighter jets. 

According to the Taiwan’s defence ministry, on Thursday, a total of 21 Chinese combat aircrafts: 17 Chengdu J-10 multirole fighters and four advanced Shenyang J-16 strike fighters, had flew into the Taiwan's air defence zone. 

On Wednesday, Taiwan reported that 19 Chinese air force combat planes had entered its airspace. Beijing has not commented on its recent military activities near Taiwan. 

In January, China confirmed it conducted combat drills around the island to strictly counter the provocative activities of Taiwan separatist forces and the external forces, which Shadow News confirms to be the United States. 

On Wednesday, the Pentagon stated that the United States had approved the potential sale of arms including 200 anti-aircraft Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM) and 100 AGM-88B HARM missiles, with the ability to take out land-based radar stations. 

According to military and international relations experts, the proposed sale of arms will significantly alter the basic military balance in the South China Sea. 

In a statement on Thursday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry firmly opposed the proposed missiles sale. It added that the U.S. must stop arms sales and any military cooperation with Taiwan. 

According to the Defence ministry in Taipei, the missiles would help Taiwan  to defend against threats and provocations from the Chinese military. 

Lockheed Martin and Raytheon Technologies are the major contractors involved. China has sanctioned these companies for selling Taiwan any weapons. 

In the recent years, the Chinese military activities near the island has been increasing. Beijing is seeking to claim the self-governing Taiwan. 

China maintains its military activities are justified as it seeks to defend its territorial integrity and has warned the United States  against colluding  with Taiwan. 

The Chinese spy balloon fly over the US

The latest on the Chinese spy balloon over the US

By Ruzeki, Shadow News

Updated 10:00 p.m. EAT, February 4, 2023

What we're covering

• President Joe Biden said his administration plans to "take care of" a suspected Chinese spy balloon that has been flying over the United States this week.
• The balloon was spotted over the Carolinas Saturday and is expected to exit the eastern coast of the US soon, based on a NOAA weather model. The FAA has issued a ground stop for three area airports for a "national security effort."
• US officials say the balloon is being used for surveillance, rejecting China's claim that it is a civilian research aircraft. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken postponed a trip to China in response to the sightings.
• Meanwhile, another Chinese spy balloon has been spotted over Latin America, the Pentagon said Friday evening. 

Debrief: What Xi Jinping’s historic third term means for China and the world

By Ruzeki, Shadow News.

The biggest political event of the year is currently underway in Beijing China. 

Beginning on October 16, at least 2,300 delegates from around China assemble in Tiananmen Square’s Great Hall of the People for the Chinese Communist Party’s week-long Party Congress. 

After much behind-the-scenes deliberations among party elites, the choices for China’s top leadership for the next five years will be presented to the country. 

The party will also review last term’s progress and set out its domestic and foreign policy goals for the next one. Decisions on both policy and personnel will be finalized officially in the spring.

Members of China's ruling Communist Party are meeting for the 20th Party Congress, a leadership reshuffle that happens twice a decade.

In recent years, these meetings have seen a streamlined transfer of power: the convention is for the top party leader, having completed two five-year terms, to pass the baton to a carefully chosen successor. But this year, Xi Jinping is expected to smash that precedent, taking on a third term as general secretary of the party and pitching China into a new era of strongman rule and uncertainty over when or how the country would see another leader.

As a result, the 20th Communist Party Congress-CPC is among the most consequential and closely watched party meetings in decades, and it will reveal much about the direction of the world's second-largest economy for the next five years. 

China has changed dramatically under the leadership of Xi Jinping. In his address, Xi lauds his administration’s success on ending extreme poverty, taking measures to tackle climate change, curbing corruption, growing the economy. 

Despite its initial missteps in containing the virus, China’s zero-Covid guidelines succeeded at limiting mortality from Covid-19 compared to many other countries. 

China also transformed its foreign policy and became the world’s largest creditor with the Belt and Road Initiative, a massive global infrastructure and development program. 

Importantly, Xi has promised to build a modern military.

Xi Jinping delivers a speech during the 20th Communist Party Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on October 16, 2022.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping arrives for the opening ceremony of the 20th Communist Party Congress in Beijing on October 16, 2022.

The 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) opens at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on October 16, 2022.

Xi Jinping delivers a speech during the 20th Communist Party Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on October 16, 2022.

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Referendums: Russia-Occupied regions of Ukraine (Eastern Donetsk, Luhansk, the southern Kherson and Zaporizhzhia) vote on joining Russia.

By Ruzeki, Shadow News

Updated 2130 EAT September 23, 2022 

The eastern Donetsk, Luhansk, the southern Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions of Ukraine begun voting Friday Sept. 23, 2022 on whether to become part of Russia, in referendums that Kyiv and the west have dismissed as 'sham'. 

Four Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine are voting in referendums on joining Russia (23-27 Sept 2022)

This week, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a mandatory troop mobilization of about 300,000 reservists, which also sparked resounding condemnation from the West. 

The mobilization comes after Ukrainian forces seized back most of the northeastern Kharkiv region in a huge counter-offensive that has seen Kyiv retaking hundreds of villages under Russian control for months. 

The four regions' integration into Russia, which for most political and security analysts is already a foregone conclusion, would represent a major new escalation of the Russia - Ukraine conflict. 

The U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a UN Security Council session on Thursday, that U.S. will not allow President Putin to get away with war crimes as he lashed out against today's referendums as "sham".  

Today's referendums are reminiscent of a similar sort in 2014, which saw the Crimean Peninsula in Ukraine annexed by Russia. The official result from the Autonomous Republic of Crimea was a 97 percent vote for integration of the region into the Russian Federation with an 86 percent voter turnout. 

Referendums to join Russia is currently underway in the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics, as well as Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions on Sept. 23-27.

Ballots in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions are having this question: "Are you in favor of secession from Ukraine, formation of an independent state by the region and its joining the Russian Federation as a subject of the Russian Federation?" 

The voting process in the four regions is untraditional given the short deadlines and the lack of technical equipment. It was decided not to hold electronic voting and use the traditional paper ballots. 

A billboard in Kherson region encouraging residents to turn out and vote

In addition, Referendum officials are going door-to-door for the first four days to collect votes, and then polling stations would be open on the final day, that is on Tuesday, for residents to cast ballots and the results of these referendums will be announced on the same day. 

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