JOHN BOLTON ADMITS TO PLANNING FOREIGN COUPS — Reuters, Tuesday 12 July 2022
WASHINGTON (Reuters) — John Bolton, a former US ambassador to The United Nations and former White House national security adviser, said on Tuesday that he had helped plan attempted coups in foreign countries. Speaking to CNN anchor Jake Tapper after the congressional hearing into the 6 January 2021 attack on The US Capitol, Bolton suggested former President Donald Trump was not competent enough to pull off a “carefully planned coup d’état,” adding: “As somebody who has helped plan coups d’état — not here but you know, in other places — it takes a lot of work.” Bolton mentioned Venezuela specifically, noting it “turned out not to be successful,” and when the CNN anchor said “I feel like there’s other stuff you’re not telling me,” Bolton replied: “I’m sure there is.” Many foreign policy experts have over the years criticised Washington’s history of interventions in other countries. But it is highly unusual for US officials to openly acknowledge their role in stoking unrest in foreign countries.
TAIWAN’S FIRST DOMESTICALLY MADE SUBMARINE EXPECTED TO LAUNCH SEPTEMBER 2023 — Taiwan News, 13 July 2022
TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan’s first domestically produced submarine is expected to be launched next September, a person familiar with the matter said. The launch location has yet to be determined, and it will take at least one to two years after the launch to complete Harbour Acceptance Tests and Sea Acceptance Tests. The Navy has allocated NT$49.36 billion (US$1.69 billion) between 2019–2025 for the project, with the first submarine expected to be completed by 2025. The submarine programme is part of President Tsai Ing-wen’s broader policy of promoting domestic military production to strengthen Taiwan’s defensive capabilities in the face of China’s increasing military modernisation.