Global Scans · Conflict · Weekly Summary

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WHAT'S NEXT?: Rising tensions around are bringing new and regional geopolitical threats and the possibility of eventual global war. Keep abreast of the unfolding drama and know where the risks and opportunities are in the world.

• [New] China may possess 1,500 nuclear weapons by 2035, with strike capabilities from land, sea, and air (known as a full nuclear triad). CNN
• [New] NATO nations assisting Ukraine ... genuinely poses a risk of a conflict involving nuclear arms, which would lead to the annihilation of civilization. CNN
• [New] The 4th Annual Hypersonic Innovation Conference will support the United States' ability to develop & operationalize hypersonic weapons as well as defend against incoming missile threats. Orbital Today
• [New] Russia and China combined by 2035 will maintain numerically more nuclear weapons than they have today and more than the United States will field for the foreseeable future. The Heritage Foundation
• [New] The Israeli military could press ahead with further action if the Lebanese government did not do more to disarm Hezbollah, which was severely weakened in the war with Israel, most notably losing its longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah. Al Jazeera
• [New] Another example of water conflict is the dam that Ethiopia is building on the Nile River, which is causing great concern and reaction from Egypt and Sudan that see a risk for their water supply abilities for the future. The Food Futurist - Anticipate, Adapt, Succeed
• [New] South Africa will investigate how 17 South African citizens were lured into joining a mercenary force in the Russia-Ukraine war under the pretext of lucrative employment and contracts. Just Security
• [New] More than 1,400 people from 36 African nations are known to be fighting for Russia in its war against Ukraine, urging governments to warn their citizens against joining a conflict where they are quickly killed. Al Jazeera
• [New] Taiwan expects the PLA to continue its campaign of hybrid warfare or gray-zone operations, a mix of nonmilitary and paramilitary actions designed to pressure and harass Taiwan without formally declaring war. Yahoo News
• [New] After the terror attacks in Paris many people fear that a wave of terrorism will sweep over Europe and the US. DW.COM
• [New] Russia is likely to continue limited chemical weapons use in Europe over the next decade to sow fear and fracture NATO unity, though large-scale biological or nuclear attacks remain unlikely. Global Biodefense
• [New] Trump said he had instructed the Pentagon to immediately resume nuclear weapons testing on an equal basis with other countries like Russia and China, whose nuclear weapons arsenal will match the US in five years. Al Jazeera
• [New] In a major conflict, Japan's modern and powerful military would be expected to deny the Chinese navy access to the Miyako Strait and other waterways further north. gCaptain
• [New] Military planners in Manila and Washington anticipate that China might attempt to attack or seize Batanes if it went to war over Taiwan. gCaptain
• [New] The race to produce America's first operational autonomous fighter drones is accelerating as the Pentagon prepares for potential conflict in the Pacific, where autonomous systems could provide critical advantages against sophisticated air defences. DroneXL.co
• [New] Moscow has hinted that it might use nuclear weapons in Ukraine and introduced a doctrine in November that made the grounds for potentially using them broader and more explicit. DebateUS
• [New] China's growing stockpile of nuclear weapons is expected to triple by 2035. DebateUS
• [New] China will for the first time have survivable (mobile) theater nuclear forces capable of conducting low-yield precision strikes on U.S. and allied forces and infrastructure across East Asia, in contrast to its historic practice of fielding only larger yield weapons. The Heritage Foundation
• [New] North Korea regularly threatens to incinerate American and allied cities with nuclear weapons. The Heritage Foundation
• [New] China is interested in placing nuclear weapons on fractional orbital bombardment systems - which are orbital platforms that could send nuclear warheads onto terrestrial targets with little to no tactical warning. The Heritage Foundation
• [New] The Russo-Ukrainian war and instability in the Middle East have underscored the vulnerability of China's oil and gas transit routes to geopolitical conflict and external interference. Forbes
• [New] Leaders will tackle issues ranging from US-China trade friction to border conflicts and Myanmar's civil war. The Business Standard

Last updated: 11 November 2025