China’s top diplomat Wang Yi said on Saturday that the US handling of the balloon incident had been “unimaginable” and “hysterical” – an “absurd” act that had violated international norms. “There are so many balloons all over the world, so is the United States going to shoot all of them …
Read More »North Korea fires long range missile ahead of US-South Korea drills
North Korea has launched at least one long-range ballistic missile off its east coast after warning of a strong response to the upcoming US-South Korea military drills. According to the South Korean military, the missile launch was conducted from the Sunan area near Pyongyang on Saturday. “North Korea fires an …
Read More »White House to hold ‘secret’ talks with Taiwan officials – FT
The Asian island’s foreign minister and national security adviser will reportedly visit Washington while a US delegation travels to Taipei. A Taiwanese delegation that is reportedly set to arrive in the US over the weekend will take part in “secret talks” with White House officials, the Financial Times has reported, …
Read More »Biden sets out views on prospects of cold war with China
US president says he makes no apologies for his order to shoot down the Chinese balloon Washington isn’t interested in starting a cold war with China, US President Joe Biden reassured an audience in a speech on Thursday in which he also said he plans to discuss the balloon incident …
Read More »China sanctions Lockheed Martin, Raytheon over Taiwan arms sales
China on Thursday put Lockheed Martin and a unit of Raytheon Technologies on an “unreliable entities list” over arms sales to Taiwan, banning them from imports and exports related to China in its latest sanctions against the U.S. companies. The measures come amid heightened tensions after the U.S. military shot …
Read More »One killed, three wounded in Texas mall shooting
One person was killed and three were wounded on Wednesday in a shooting at an El Paso, Texas, shopping mall, police said. A police spokesman, Robert Gomez, told reporters one suspect was in custody, but media reports said a second person was also taken into custody following the shooting at …
Read More »Iran, China presidents urge JCPOA implementation, verifiable removal of sanctions
Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping have called for the full and effective implementation of the Iran nuclear deal by all sides and the removal of all US sanctions against Tehran in a verifiable manner. In a joint statement issued at the end of Raeisi’s three-day …
Read More »Opinion | UFO defense: Washington turns to sci-fi to boost military spending
On the heels of the Chinese ‘spy balloon’ scare, the US is now being invaded by unidentified aerial craft – just in time for the new budget bill After the so-called “Chinese spy balloon” passed over the US last week and was shot down, the US claimed that multiple “UFO’s” …
Read More »China threatens ‘countermeasures’ against US entities after balloons shootdown
Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Wang Wenbin remains vague on proposed countermeasures in press conference Wednesday The People’s Republic of China threatened Wednesday to take action against U.S. agencies responsible for destroying and recovering a surveillance balloons. Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Wang Wenbin made the vague threat …
Read More »UK, US Expelled Islanders 50 Years Ago, a Crime Against Humanity” – HRW
Expulsion of Chagos Islands’ Indigenous People an Ongoing Colonial Crime The forced displacement of the entire Chagossian people by the United Kingdom and United States governments and the UK’s racial persecution, and continued blocking of their return home, are crimes against humanity, Human Rights Watch said in a report and …
Read More »Biden caused ‘global shame’ with ‘spy’ balloon response: Pompeo
Former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has strongly criticized President Joe Biden for his delay in handling a suspected Chinese spy balloon that intruded into US airspace. Pompeo criticized Biden during an exclusive interview with The Hill on Monday, saying the current administration had “made an enormous mistake” that …
Read More »Rampant homelessness in the United States of America
There are an estimated 600,000 homeless persons in the United States of America, a staggering number for the world’s largest economy, 30% of whom are families with children. Every night more than 300,000 men, women and children in the United States stay in homeless shelters, an additional 200,000 or so …
Read More »US lawmakers prepare plan to ‘infuriate’ China – Nikkei
Politicians are considering a new congressional visit to Taiwan, according to a report The US House of Representatives Select Committee on China is discussing whether it should send a congressional delegation to Taiwan despite realizing that such a move would likely rile up Beijing, Nikkei reported on Sunday, citing an …
Read More »US unveils new sanctions on China
The restrictions come days after the Pentagon brought down a suspected Chinese ‘spy balloon’ The US announced new sanctions against China on Friday, targeting six companies linked to Beijing’s suspected surveillance program. The move comes after a Chinese “spy balloon” was spotted and shot down in US airspace. In a …
Read More »China calls balloon incident a setback for ties with US
The attack on the airship disrupted bilateral relations, the Foreign Ministry in Beijing has said Washington’s decision to shoot down a Chinese high-altitude balloon that had entered US airspace last week is detrimental to diplomatic relations between the two countries, Beijing’s Foreign Ministry said on Monday. By deciding to destroy …
Read More »Pakistan ex-President Pervez Musharraf dies in Dubai after years in exile
Pakistan’s former President Pervez Musharraf, a key U.S. ally in the campaign against al Qaeda following the militant group’s Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, died in Dubai on Sunday after a prolonged illness. He was 79. Musharraf, a former four-star general who seized power after a 1999 military coup, died in …
Read More »China reacts to US downing of ‘civilian airship’
Beijing claimed the right to retaliate after the Pentagon shot down what it called a “spy balloon” China has blasted US President Joe Biden’s decision on Saturday to scramble an advanced F-22 stealth fighter jet to bring down a Chinese high-altitude balloon – after it traversed the United States – …
Read More »Iraqi Prime Minister and US President discuss economic, security agenda in the region
Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammad Shia al-Sudani late on Friday spoke with US President Joe Biden over the phone and discussed the bilateral ties and cooperation prospects between their respective countries. A readout by al-Sudani’s bureau said that Biden reiterated his support for Iraq’s sovereignty and stability and the strategic deal …
Read More »China responds to spy balloon claims
Beijing has warned against speculation and efforts to hype up the story China is a responsible nation and doesn’t violate the airspace of other countries, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning has said following speculation that a spy balloon spotted over the US had been launched by Beijing. The Chinese …
Read More »White House denies Biden offered Putin ‘20% of Ukraine’
The CIA also quickly disavowed explosive claims by the Swiss-German paper of record President Joe Biden allegedly sent CIA chief William Burns on a secret mission to Moscow and Kyiv in mid-January, according to a Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NNZ) report on Wednesday. The White House and CIA addressed the allegations …
Read More »