Five Things to Know, Aug. 15, 2022
(Taiwan Presidential Office photo)

Five Things to Know, Aug. 15, 2022

1.     China announced more military drills around Taiwan as the self-governing island’s president met with members of a new U.S. congressional delegation on Monday, threatening to renew tensions between Beijing and Washington just days after a similar visit by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi angered China.

2.    The Polish president and other officials marked their nation’s Armed Forces Day holiday Monday alongside the U.S. army commander in Europe and regular American troops, a symbolic underlining of NATO support for members on the eastern front as Russia wages war nearby in Ukraine.

3.     The Taliban on Monday marked a year since they seized the Afghan capital of Kabul, a rapid takeover that triggered a hasty escape of the nation’s Western-backed leaders, sent the economy into a tailspin and fundamentally transformed the country. Bearded Taliban fighters, some hoisting rifles or the white banners of their movement, staged small victory parades on foot, bicycles and motor cycles in the streets of the capital. One small group marched past the former U.S. Embassy, chanting “Long live Islam” and “Death to America.”

4.    One of the last living Navajo Code Talkers, Thomas H. Begay, addressed dozens of community members at the Arizona Capitol Sunday morning. "I want to thank you for showing us today... for remembering Navajo Code Talkers," said Begay in a speech on Sunday. The event was held in honor of Navajo Code Talkers Day — established in 1983 by President Ronald Reagan — so it was befitting that the crowd gathered near the Navajo Code Talkers Memorial.

5.     Marine Corps aviation investigators have determined that a fatal March 18 MV-22B Osprey crash near Bodo, Norway, that killed four Marines was pilot error. The 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing statement, released Sunday, specifically pointed to a “series of maneuvers” made by the aircraft at a low altitude that “exceeded the maximum angle-of-bank for an MV-22B” as the primary cause of the crash.