Day: February 24, 2023

Thirteen Missing in Wake of Cyclone Gabrielle in New Zealand

Chin@Strategy

sydney, australia —  The number of people still unaccounted for in the wake of Cyclone Gabrielle that battered New Zealand nearly two weeks ago has dropped to 13, authorities said on Saturday, as heavy rain overnight prompted evacuations on the country’s North Island. Gabrielle struck the island’s northernmost region on February 12 and tracked down the east coast causing widespread havoc, leaving at least 11 dead and displacing thousands. The number of people who couldn’t be contacted exceeded 6,000 following the cyclone as communications were knocked out in many areas…

A Year of Russia’s War on Ukraine Is Marked by Protests and Defiance

Chin@Strategy

KYIV, Ukraine — President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine marked the anniversary of the Russian invasion on Friday with a show of defiance, as anti-Kremlin protests took place around the world and the United States made a significant commitment of new weaponry to the country. Even as he and his allies braced for a prolonged war, Mr. Zelensky held a marathon news conference in Kyiv, the capital, to rally international support, declaring that Ukraine and the allies supplying it with weapons and other aid would prevail “if we stay as one strong fist…

Biden Reaffirms Support for Ukraine Amid Concerns About Russia-Iran Ties

Chin@Strategy

WASHINGTON — President Biden marked the start of a second year of war in Europe on Friday by announcing billions of dollars in additional military aid for Ukraine, imposing more sanctions on those helping President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia and delivering a grim warning about an alliance between Russia and Iran. Just days after making a secret trip to Ukraine’s capital, Mr. Biden joined the leaders of the other Group of 7 nations — Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Britain — in reaffirming his support for the beleaguered…

Death of Uyghur Refugee in Thai Detention Stirs Condemnation 

Chin@Strategy

washington —  A Uyghur refugee from China’s Xinjiang region died of alleged police neglect this month at the Bangkok Immigration Detention Center, raising concerns about the treatment of the more than 50 Uyghur refugees who have been held at the center since 2014. The victim was Abdulaziz Abdullah, 49. His son, Muhammad Abdullah, who lives in Kayseri, Turkey, said in an interview with VOA that his family had fled Xinjiang because of the oppression and the repeated arrests of his father. “The Chinese police would arrest my father every year…

US-China Tensions Over Alleged Spy Balloon, Ukraine Threaten Trade

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washington —  Economic experts say the confrontation between the U.S. and China over a suspected spy balloon is spilling into the economic sphere as investors express concerns about the future of U.S.-China trade and a growing number of U.S. lawmakers and officials push for a tougher stance against Beijing, starting with faster action on economic issues. U.S. Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo on Tuesday warned China and companies in China that they will face action by the U.S. and its allies if they help Russia evade sanctions. “Fundamentally,…

South Korea to conduct radiation exposure tests on North Korean escapees

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South Korea has announced it will conduct radiation exposure testing on people who once lived near North Korea’s Punggye-ri nuclear testing site prior to escaping the country and resettling in the South.  There are 881 people who fit the criteria for testing because they fled North Korea after its first nuclear test in 2006, Lee Hyo-jung, a spokesperson for South Korea’s Ministry of Unification told reporters on Friday. The ministry will select candidates for testing from among those who consent, she said. The ministry is concerned that radiation may have…

US attempts to win over UN members who are neutral on war in Ukraine

Chin@Strategy

The US has launched a fresh bid to win over abstaining and neutral states by urging them not to be fooled by Russian calls for a temporary or unconditional ceasefire in Ukraine, warning that a peace plan proposed by China drew “false equivalence” by calling on both sides to stop fighting. US secretary of state Antony Blinken was speaking at a highly charged meeting of the UN security council where he reminded his fellow diplomats that the Russian envoy only a year ago had dismissed his warnings that Moscow was…

China can only look on as Manila strengthens Asia-Pacific ties: experts

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Observers say Beijing is concerned about recent developments in the Asia-Pacific region and the South China Sea – subject to competing claims by China and other countries, including the Philippines – but its hands are tied. Ding Duo, deputy director at the National Institute for South China Seas Studies’ Research Centre for Ocean Law and Policy, said the Chinese government was concerned that countries in the Asia-Pacific region were using its dispute with Manila over the waterway as an excuse to interfere in regional matters. 02:33 Philippines’ Marcos hopes to…

On Ukraine war anniversary, signs that Russia retains some support in region

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This week’s one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was marked by another U.N. General Assembly resolution that overwhelmingly condemned Moscow. But in Southeast Asia, there are signs that Moscow retains some influence and support, particularly in Vietnam and Myanmar, the latter of which has faced its own international isolation two years after a coup d’etat that brought a military junta into power. Junta chief Sr. Gen. Min Aung Hlaing recently celebrated the regime’s relationship with Russia, saying at a Feb. 16 forum that Myanmar will continue to cooperate with…

Hong Kong court jails martial artist for recruiting band of ‘subversive’ fighters

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A Hong Kong court has jailed martial arts instructor Denis Wong Tak-keung for five years after finding him guilty of “subversion” in connection with social media posts that the authorities said “incited hatred” of the government. Wong, 60, had earlier pleaded guilty to one count of “incitement to subvert state power” under Hong Kong’s national security law, while he and his assistant Cheung Man-ji, 62, both pleaded guilty to one count each of “illegal possession of a firearm.” Wong’s five-year jail term came after he was accused of trying to…