Day: March 18, 2024

Chinese scientists create swarming drones that can rapidly multiply mid-air to create a tactical shock

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For years, teams around the world have attempted to devise a practical and efficient method for the controlled separation of drones mid-air. The technology could change the battlefield. When a drone swarm appears on enemy radar screens, air-defence systems allocate anti-drone weapon resources and means based on the number of drones. 01:34 Crimea bridge ’emergency’ caused by Ukrainian surface drones, Russia says Crimea bridge ’emergency’ caused by Ukrainian surface drones, Russia says However, if the drone swarm suddenly increases in size, not only will the defence system be overwhelmed, but…

What’s next for Hui Ka-yan after China slapped Evergrande with a 4.2 billion yuan fine and banned him from the markets for life?

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China’s securities regulator slapped a fine on one of the country’s largest property developers and barred its founder from accessing the capital markets for life, after accusing China Evergrande Group of fraud. Evergrande must pay a fine of almost 4.2 billion yuan (US$583.4 million), according to a statement by the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC). Hui Ka-yan, the founder and former chairman of the Guangzhou-based company, was fined 47 million yuan and barred from taking part in China’s securities market for life, the statement said. Six other current and former…

North Korea: Kim Jong Un Supervised Tests of Artillery Systems Targeting Seoul

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SEOUL, South Korea —  North Korean leader Kim Jong Un supervised a live-fire drill of nuclear-capable “super-large” multiple rocket launchers designed to target South Korea’s capital as he vowed to boost his war deterrent in the face of deepening confrontations with rivals, state media said Tuesday. The report came a day after the South Korean and Japanese militaries said they detected North Korea firing multiple short-range ballistic missiles toward waters off its eastern coast, adding to a streak of weapons displays that have raised regional tensions. Experts say North Korea’s…

Biden to Host Japan PM Kishida, Philippines President Marcos

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WASHINGTON —  President Joe Biden will host Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for a White House summit next month amid growing concerns about North Korea’s nuclear program, provocative Chinese action in the South China Sea and differences over a Japanese company’s plan to buy an iconic American steel company. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre in a statement on Monday said the first-ever U.S.-Japan-Philippines leaders’ summit is an opportunity to highlight the countries’ “growing economic relations, a proud and resolute commitment to shared democratic…

Taiwan Protests After China Boards a Tourist Boat Near Kinmen Island

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TAIPEI, Taiwan —  Taiwan on Tuesday protested China’s boarding of a tourist boat, as tensions rise around the Kinmen archipelago, which lies a short distance off China’s coast but is controlled by Taiwan. Taiwanese media reported the King Xia, carrying 11 crew and 23 passengers, was boarded by the Chinese coast guard for about 32 minutes on Monday. Taiwan’s coast guard escorted the boat back to Kinmen, and it then continued its sight-seeing voyage. Ocean Affairs Council Minister Kuan Bi-ling told journalists at the legislature on Tuesday that the incident…

China’s steel sector could cut carbon emissions by more than 10% next year with faster shift to clean production: report

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China’s steel sector could cut its greenhouse-gas emissions by over a tenth from current levels by next year if the country gets more ambitious about adopting cleaner production technology, according to US think tank Global Energy Monitor (GEM). The emissions reduction – roughly the same as taking 47 million petrol-powered passenger vehicles off the road – would be possible if Beijing were to set a more ambitious target for the use of electric arc furnaces (EAFs) and accelerate its shift away from the dominant, coal-based process, known as blast furnace-basic…

Q&A: TikTok Owner Is Essentially ‘Subsidiary’ of China’s Communist Party, US Lawmaker Says  

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washington —  The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill March 13 that, if enacted into law, would give ByteDance, the Chinese owner of the TikTok social media app, 180 days to divest its U.S. assets or face a ban over concerns about national security, including Beijing’s ability to access Americans’ private information through the company ByteDance denies it would provide such private data to the Chinese government, despite reports indicating such information could be at risk. VOA sat down on the day the bill passed with Republican Representative Mario…

Vietnamese political prisoner ‘starved’ for two weeks

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Political prisoner Dang Dinh Bach spent a fortnight without food during the first two weeks of March, his wife told Radio Free Asia. Bach is the head of the nonprofit Center for Research on Law and Policy for Sustainable Development. He was arrested on June 24, 2021 and convicted a year later. The lawyer is serving a five-year sentence at a prison in Vietnam’s Nghe An province after being convicted of tax evasion. His wife, Tran Phuong Thao, said he called home on Feb. 27 to say that he had…

US Says NKorea Shipped 10,000 Containers of Munitions to Russia

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Jung Pak, the U.S. Senior Official for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, told VOA on Monday that there have been at least 10 instances where North Korean missiles have been used on the battlefield in Ukraine. Pak told VOA’s Nike Ching that the U.S. still assesses North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is not currently planning an imminent attack on Washington’s allies, South Korea and Japan. Voice of America

Abu Dhabi fund offers to buy out investors fleeing China private equity

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Unlock the Editor’s Digest for free Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter. The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority is seeking to capitalise on western investors’ retreat from China by offering to buy at a discount their stakes in funds managed by Hong Kong-based PAG. The move from Abu Dhabi’s main sovereign wealth fund, described by four people with knowledge of the matter, is a sign of how some Gulf investors are looking to snap up bargains as US-based investors cut their China exposure.…