The US is reportedly examining the possibility that the Chinese spy balloon was pushed off course by strong winds when it entered US airspace, having tracked it since its launch days earlier. Of the four flying objects shot down by the US in recent weeks, only the first has been attributed to Chinese surveillance efforts. The balloon took off from China’s Hainan island, before travelling on a path which appeared to go over Guam, according to the Washington Post on Tuesday. It then took an “unexpected” turn to the north,…
Day: February 14, 2023
Senior Ukrainian ocean scientist ‘joins’ China’s leading naval defence university
Ni hoped that Semenov would give full play to his international influence, enhance the college’s international visibility and help draw young talent from overseas, according to Chinese media reports that are no longer available on the internet. Semenov said he was very happy to join the college and work with Chinese colleagues to promote research and technology transfer in related fields, adding that he would like to adapt to his life in China as soon as possible. Yuriy Semenov in a photo posted with Chinese media reports since deleted from…
US Renews Warning It’ll Defend Philippines After China Spat
Manila, Philippines — The United States renewed a warning that it would defend its treaty ally if Filipino forces come under attack in the disputed South China Sea, after a Chinese coast guard ship allegedly hit a Philippine patrol vessel with military-grade laser that briefly blinded some of its crew. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. summoned Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian in Manila on Tuesday to express his serious concern “over the increasing frequency and intensity of actions by China against the Philippine coast guard and fishermen,” Communications Secretary Cheloy Garafil said…
A Cold War on Two Fronts? No Thanks, Says Biden
WASHINGTON — Despite intense pressure from his Republican opposition, President Joe Biden appears intent on maintaining a measured response to the Chinese spy balloon that crossed the continental United States early this month. The approach appears calibrated to avoid escalation with a second major adversary as his administration deals with Russia’s almost 1-year-old war on Ukraine. John Kirby, the National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications, told reporters Tuesday the balloon drama does not change the fact that the administration intends to avoid a conflict and continues to seek open…
An Phuoc prison inmates say cellmates are bullying them
Nguyen Duy Linh is being mentally tortured by fellow inmates at Binh Duong province’s notorious An Phuoc prison, the Facebook activist told his family. Linh is serving a five-year sentence for alleged “propaganda against the state.” He told his wife, Nguyen Thi Tuyet his cellmate picked fights with him and told fellow inmates he was a communist informer. She told RFA when her husband moved to the prison in August last year he was put in a cell with a political prisoner. After a short while he complained of intimidation…
Governor of China’s Xinjiang region cancels UK visit after backlash
The governor of China’s western region of Xinjiang will not be visiting Britain this week, according to the UK Foreign Office, after a backlash from MPs over alleged human rights abuses in the region. British officials had said if Erkin Tuniyaz visited this week, they would have been prepared to meet with him to raise concern over the human rights situation in Xinjiang. But those plans faced backlash from politicians who highlighted human rights violations against Uyghur Muslims in the region. “We understand the governor of Xinjiang has cancelled his…
Australia closer to a free trade pact with EU but minister warns there won’t be a deal ‘for the sake of it’
Australian and European Union negotiators believe they are getting closer to clinching a free trade agreement as they race to meet a mid-year deadline, but the Albanese government warns it will “not sign a deal for the sake of it”. Guardian Australia understands officials finalised three chapters of the agreement – on competition, telecommunications and maritime services – during a round of negotiations last week in Canberra. The thorny issue of geographical indicators – the EU push to restrict the use of terms such as prosecco and feta by Australian…
New Zealand Declares Emergency as Cyclone Gabrielle Eases
wellington, new zealand — The New Zealand government declared a national state of emergency Tuesday after Cyclone Gabrielle battered the country’s north in what officials described as the nation’s most severe weather event in years. A firefighter was missing, and another was rescued with critical injuries after they were caught in a landslide overnight near the country’s largest city, Auckland, authorities said. Auckland was swamped two weeks ago by a record-breaking storm that killed four people. The national emergency declaration enables the government to support affected regions and provide additional…
Chinese cameras leave British police vulnerable to spying, says watchdog
British police are leaving themselves open to spying by Beijing because of their reliance on Chinese-made cameras, according to a report from the government’s independent watchdog on surveillance. Most forces across England and Wales use camera equipment that is either made in China or contains important Chinese components, the biometrics and surveillance camera commissioner has warned. Fraser Sampson, the publicly appointed commissioner, warned that such equipment poses both security and ethical concerns, at a time when tensions with Beijing are already high. The report comes a day after the prime…
In bid to boost childbearing, North Korea offers sporadic extra food
As North Korea’s birth rate declines amid chronic food shortages, authorities are offering families with three or more children extra food twice a year, on the birthdays of the country’s former leaders. But people complain that the additional food – 20 kilograms (44 pounds) of corn, two kilograms of fermented soybean paste and a bottle of cooking oil – is hardly enough to get them to even think about having more kids, sources inside the country tell Radio Free Asia. “It’s hard for most women to make ends meet just…