Hong Kong authorities mounted a security blitz at and near the airport on Saturday, averting a second straight weekend of disruptions by pro-democracy activists who have refused to yield even after gaining a concession from the government this week. Police mounted road checks and inspected passengers on trains and buses …
Read More »Hong Kong leader pulls extradition bill, but too little too late, say some.
Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam on Wednesday withdrew an extradition bill that triggered months of often violent protests so the Chinese-ruled city can move forward from a “highly vulnerable and dangerous” place and find solutions. Her televised announcement came after Reuters reports on Friday and Monday revealing that Beijing had …
Read More »Hong Kong protests: Demonstrators defy ban on march.
Hong Kong police have used tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannon to disperse crowds as tens of thousands marched in the city, defying a ban. Demonstrators lit fires, threw petrol bombs at riot police and attacked the parliament building. An event to mark five years since Beijing ruled out …
Read More »Japan’s military seeks record military budget to buy US arms
The Japanese military has sought a hike in its annual budget for the eighth consecutive year in a bid to fund the purchase of US-built stealth jet fighters, interceptor missiles and other military hardware to face perceived threats from China and North Korea. Tokyo’s defense ministry budget proposal — unveiled …
Read More »Hong Kong alarmed as Chinese troops pour into city.
Thousands of Chinese troops streamed into Hong Kong in the small hours of Thursday morning, prompting alarmed witness reports after weeks of threats from Beijing to intervene militarily in the city’s protest crisis. Chinese state media later described the move as an “annual… routine” rotation of Hong Kong’s permanent garrison. …
Read More »Australia to tackle foreign interference at universities.
Australia is to formally investigate foreign interference in its universities amid rising concerns about Chinese influence on campuses. The push follows reports of students and staff “self-censoring” on sensitive political issues such as the pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong. Universities had also increasingly been targeted by state-sponsored cyber attacks, the …
Read More »Videos: Terrified passengers & crew evacuated as Airbus jet catches fire at Beijing airport.
An Air China Airbus A330 burst into flames right as passengers and crew were boardings, forcing an emergency evacuation of the immediate area at Beijing Airport. There have been no reports of injuries and emergency services are on the scene battling the blaze which erupted in the cargo hold of …
Read More »Russia to build €2bn bridge as part of a route linking Europe & Western China.
Authorities in Russia’s Samara Region are ready to begin construction of a 4km-long (2.5 miles) bridge across the Volga; it is the first part of an ambitious international traffic corridor linking Europe with Western China. The bridge will cost 120.8 billion rubles (€1.6 billion or $1.8 billion), according to the …
Read More »Protesters locked in a ferocious street battle with Hong Kong police.
Police and protesters got up close and personal on Hong Kong streets, a newly posted video shows, and protesters looked like they meant business, appearing to be armed on a par with the city’s law enforcement. The footage shows the police in full riot gear battling protesters who themselves were …
Read More »China’s July Venezuela oil imports fall over U.S. sanctions
China’s crude oil imports from Venezuela plunged 62% in July from the previous month, Chinese customs data showed on Sunday, as growing tension between Washington and the Maduro government made buyers wary of taking oil from the South American exporter. Arrivals of crude oil from Venezuela were 703,742 tonnes last …
Read More »Trump orders US companies ‘to immediately start looking for an alternative to China’
U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday said he has ordered American companies to exit China after Beijing unveiled retaliatory tariffs on $75 billion in U.S. goods, throwing a new twist into the bitter trade war between the world’s two largest economies. Trump said on Twitter he will issue a response …
Read More »Putin orders response to US missile test.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered his military to prepare a “symmetrical response” to a recent US test of a cruise missile, the Kremlin said in a statement Friday. During a meeting of his security council, Putin said he instructed his government to “analyze the level of threat posed by …
Read More »US delays Huawei trade ban for another 90 days.
The US Commerce Secretary, Wilbur Ross, has confirmed a ban on Chinese technology giant Huawei will not come into force for another 90 days. The US blacklisted the company in May because of national security concerns. Huawei was then granted a temporary permit in order to ease the transition, which …
Read More »Tens of thousands march in the latest Hong Kong protest.
Hong Kong- In defiance of a police ban, tens of thousands of black-clad Hong Kong protesters packed into a park and have again flooded the streets of the Chinese territory for the eleventh straight week of anti-government demonstrations. While only a rally at Victoria Park was permitted to proceed on …
Read More »Beijing: US ‘insanely involved in anti-Chinese criminal cases in Hong Kong’
China has accused the United States of collaborating with violent extremists in an effort to undermine stability in Hong Kong. A statement released by the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region condemned House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and …
Read More »Video: Hong Kong airport in Chaos after protesters and police clash.
The already tense situation at Hong Kong international airport became outright chaotic as Chinese riot police clashed with protesters blocking outgoing flights, with reporters and travelers among the injured. Demonstrators demanding democracy blocked the departures terminal late on Tuesday local time, preventing any passengers from leaving the airport. Incoming flights …
Read More »At least 22 dead as Typhoon Lekima blasts eastern China (Video, Pictures).
At least 22 people were killed and a dozen others were missing after Typhoon Lekima triggered a landslide in eastern China. The cyclone left a trail of destruction in its wake and caused the evacuation of over one million people. The enormous cyclone made landfall in the province of Zhejiang …
Read More »Photo: Red alert issued as Typhoon Lekima bears down on east coast of China.
China has issued its top warning as winds of up to 130mph are expected to thrash the coastal Zhejiang province, south of Shanghai. Authorities have issued a red alert over Typhoon Lekima, which is also expected to bring heavy rains. Offices and schools were closed in Taiwan on Friday as …
Read More »Trump says US will not make a trade deal with China.
US President Donald Trump said that, while talks are progressing with Beijing, no deal has been reached for now, as the two countries attempt to resolve an ongoing trade dispute. The president told reporters on Friday that he would like to see more movement in the trade talks, but that …
Read More »Huawei launches own operating system to replace Google’s Android.
Huawei has rolled out its long-rumored Hongmeng operating system (OS), known as the harmony. The company says it can switch to the new system at any time, including on phones, if it is unable to use Android. The Chinese tech giant officially unveiled the new platform on Friday. The operating …
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