I'm Sure It's Nothing to Be Concerned About

The belligerence, the arming, the heightened tensions are mere trifles, I'm sure:

Russia test-fired around 10 new Tsirkon (Zircon) hypersonic cruise missiles from a frigate and two more from a submarine, Interfax news agency said on Friday citing northern fleet.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has lauded the weapon as part of a new generation of unrivalled arms systems.

Putin has called a missile test, conducted last week, "a big event in the country's life", adding that this was "a substantial step" in increasing Russia's defence capabilities.

Some Western experts have questioned how advanced Russia's new generation of weapons is, while recognising that the combination of speed, manoeuvrability and altitude of hypersonic missiles makes them difficult to track and intercept.

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Iran launching a rocket is not so much "regrettable" as it is war-starting:

France on Friday condemned Iran's satellite rocket launch and said it was "all the more regrettable" as nuclear talks with world powers were making progress, echoing concerns expressed by the United States and Germany.

Iran said on Thursday it had used a satellite launch rocket to send three research devices into space, as indirect U.S.-Iran talks take place in Austria to try to salvage a 2015 nuclear deal.

The satellite launch was in breach of U.N. Security Council resolutions, France's foreign ministry said.

"These activities are all the more regrettable as they come at a time when we are making progress in the nuclear negotiations in Vienna," the French foreign ministry said.

"We call on Iran not to launch further ballistic missiles designed to be capable of carrying nuclear weapons, including space launchers."

 

This is what you can muster, France?

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Taiwan warns an emboldened China not to invade it:

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen had a New Year message for China on Saturday: military conflict is not the answer, but Beijing responded with a stern warning that if Taiwan crossed any red line it would lead to "profound catastrophe".

China claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory and has increased military and diplomatic pressure in the past two years to assert its sovereignty claims.

"We must remind the Beijing authorities to not misjudge the situation and to prevent the internal expansion of 'military adventurism'," Tsai said on Saturday in her New Year's speech, broadcast live on Facebook.