US In Talks To Build Port In Philippines Facing Taiwan To Counter China

MANILA, Aug 30: The US military is in talks to develop a civilian port in the remote northernmost islands of the Philippines, said the local governor and two other officials, a move that would boost American access to strategically located islands facing Taiwan.

US military involvement in the proposed port in the Batanes islands, less than 200 km (125 miles) from Taiwan, could stoke tensions at a time of growing friction with China and a drive by Washington to intensify its longstanding defence treaty engagement with the Philippines.

The Bashi Channel between those islands and Taiwan is considered a choke point for vessels moving between the western Pacific and the contested South China Sea and a key waterway in the case of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan. The Chinese military regularly sends ships and aircraft through the channel, Taiwan's defence ministry has said.

Marilou Cayco, the provincial governor of the Batanes islands, said in a message she had sought funding from the US for the building of an "an alternative port" there, which was intended to assist the unloading of cargo from the capital, Manila, during rough seas in the monsoon season.

She said the plans were to build a port on Basco island, where local authorities say high waves often make the existing port inaccessible, and that a decision could be made in October.

The Philippines has in the past year almost doubled the number of its military bases that the US forces can access, ostensibly for humanitarian assistance, and also has thousands of US troops in the country at any given time, rotating in and out for joint training exercises. China has said these US moves were "stoking the fire" of regional tensions.

The Chinese Embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the proposed port in Basco.

Two other Filipino officials, who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to media, said US troops had visited Batanes recently to discuss the port.

A senior military official, said the Filipino armed forces were interested in radar and improving monitoring capabilities in the area.

Marilou Cayco confirmed the visit, saying they came "one time to assess" the proposed alternative port.

The move comes as Washington pursues closer ties with Asian nations to counter China in the Asia-Pacific region, including the Philippines, its former colony and treaty ally.

Kanishka Gangopadhyay, a spokesperson for the US embassy in Manila, said US Embassy and US Army Pacific (USARPAC) experts had been engaging the governor and local government, "at their request, to discuss ways USARPAC can support engineering, medical, and agricultural development projects in the province."

He did not mention the port specifically.

Previous President Rodrigo Duterte had threatened to scrap the US-Philippines alliance and realign the country with Beijing but relations between China and the Philippines have grown tense under the current president, Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

Marcos, the son and namesake of the disgraced late strongman president, has sought closer ties with Washington, granting it access to four more military bases, including several close to Taiwan, though not in Batanes, and announced joint patrols in the South China Sea.

Marcos has said the bases under the Enhanced Defence Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) could prove useful if China attacked Taiwan.

Security officials in Manila said they believed any military conflict in the Taiwan Strait would inevitably affect the Philippines, given its geographic proximity to Taiwan and the presence of over 150,000 Filipinos on the democratically-governed island.

Batanes also served as one of the training sites during this year's joint military exercises, known as Balikatan, which involved more than 17,000 Filipino and American troops, making it the biggest ever edition of the military drill.

At the time of the exercise, Marilou Cayco said she was seeking investment to build seaports and airports in the island province that is home to 18,000 people.

The province could harbour Filipinos fleeing Taiwan if conflict breaks out there and residents have been worried about mounting tensions, according to local government officials.

The Philippines and China have also clashed in recent months over disputed waters in the South China Sea, with Chinese vessels firing water cannons on a Filipino vessel trying to send supplies to an outpost.

Marilou Cayco said she didn't have any conversation with the US about EDCA or about radar installations.

She also said there had not yet been discussions about what access the US would have to the proposed port, but troops could use all ports in the area for regular military exercises like the Balikatan.

Jay Batongbacal, maritime affairs expert at the University of the Philippines, said the proposed port "would certainly be needed for the island's defence in a worst case scenario."

"If I were a Chinese strategist, I would want to take the Batanes at minimum in order to ensure control of the Luzon straits and use the island to prevent the approach of adversary naval forces," he said.

North Korea Launches Ballistic Missile Ahead Of US-South Korea Military Drills

PYONGYANG, Aug 30: North Korea fired a ballistic missile towards the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan on Wednesday, the South Korean military told Yonhap news agency -- a launch coinciding with joint military drills by the United States and South Korea.

South Korea's military said it was still assessing the type of missile launched by Pyongyang, Yonhap reported.

The US-South Korea annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises always infuriate Pyongyang, which has conducted a record number of weapons tests this year.

The combined air drills involved at least one US B-1B strategic bomber flying above the Korean Peninsula earlier in the day, according to Yonhap.

US national security spokesman John Kirby, who was giving a briefing when news of the launch broke, declined to comment to reporters in Washington.

On Tuesday, the United States, South Korea and Japan also held a joint naval missile defence exercise that enraged North Korea.

Washington, Seoul and Tokyo have increased their defence cooperation in recent months in response to increasing missile provocations by the North.

Last week, Pyongyang carried out its second attempt to put a spy satellite into orbit, although it ended in failure.

Kim Jong Un has declared North Korea an "irreversible" nuclear power and has called for ramped-up arms production, including tactical nuclear weapons.

He has also called for boosting North Korea's navy, saying the country's waters brimmed with "the danger of a nuclear war", state media reported Tuesday.

"Owing to the reckless confrontational moves of the US and other hostile forces, the waters off the Korean Peninsula have been reduced into the world's biggest war hardware concentration spot," the Korean Central News Agency quoted Kim saying.

"To achieve the successes in rapidly developing the naval force has become a very urgent issue in view of the enemies' recent aggressive attempts."

Military Coup In Africa's Gabon, President Put Under House Arrest

LIBREVILLE (Gabon), Aug 30: Rebel officers in the oil-rich central African state of Gabon announced on Wednesday they had seized power following disputed elections in which President Ali Bongo Ondimba, in power since 2009, had been declared victor.

Ali Bongo, 64, whose family has ruled Gabon for over 55 years, was placed under house arrest and one of his sons arrested for treason, the coup leaders said.

In a dramatic pre-dawn address, a group of officers declared "all the institutions of the republic" had been dissolved, the election results cancelled and the borders closed.

"Today, the country is going through a serious institutional, political, economic and social crisis," according to the statement read on state TV.

It was read by an officer flanked by a group of a dozen army colonels, members of the elite Republican Guard, regular soldiers and others.

The elections "did not meet the conditions for a transparent, credible and inclusive ballot so much hoped for by the people of Gabon," the statement said.

"Added to this is irresponsible and unpredictable governance, resulting in a continuing deterioration in social cohesion, with the risk of leading the country in chaos."

"We -- the Committee for the Transition and Restoration of Institutions (CTRI) on behalf of the people of Gabon and as guarantors of the institutions' protection -- have decided to defend peace by putting an end to the current regime," it said.

TV images later showed the head of the Republican Guard, General Brice Oligui Nguema, being carried in triumph by hundreds of soldiers, to cries of "Oligui president."

Ali Bongo's son and close adviser Noureddin Bongo Valentin, his chief of staff Ian Ghislain Ngoulou as well as his deputy, two other presidential advisers and the two top officials in the ruling Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG) "have been arrested," a military leader said.

They are accused of treason, embezzlement, corruption and falsifying the president's signature, among other allegations, he said.

Ali Bongo was first elected in 2009 following the death of his father Omar, who had ruled the country for 41 years, reputedly amassing a fortune en route.

The announcement came just moments after the national election authority declared Bongo had won a third term in Saturday's election with 64.27 percent of the vote.

Gabon's main opposition, led by university professor Albert Ondo Ossa, had angrily accused Bongo of "fraud" and demanded that he hand over power "without bloodshed."

The authorities at the weekend imposed an overnight curfew and shut down the internet nationwide. The internet was restored on Wednesday morning after the TV address.

Gabon's 2016 presidential elections were marked by deadly violence after Bongo was named winner, edging out rival Jean Ping by just 5,500 votes, according to the official tally.

A country of just 2.3 million people, Gabon has been ruled by the Bongo family for more than 55 out of its 63 years since independence from France in 1960.

Omar Bongo was one of France's closest allies in the post-colonial era and his son has long been a regular in Paris, where his family owns an extensive real estate portfolio that is being investigated by anti-corruption magistrates.

Paris maintains a military presence in many of its former territories -- including Gabon where it has 370 soldiers permanently deployed, some in the capital Libreville, according to the French defence ministry website.

French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne said her government was following events in Gabon "with the greatest attention."

Russia said it was "deeply concerned" over the situation in Gabon.

China called for "all sides" in Gabon to guarantee the safety of Bongo, "resolve differences through dialogue, (and) restore normal order as soon as possible."

Over the past three years, five other African countries have been wrenched by coups -- Mali, Guinea, Sudan, Burkina Faso and Niger.

The French mining group Eramet, which employs 8,000 people in Gabon, said that it had halted activities in the country "for the safety of staff and the security of operations".

India lodges protest with China showing Arunachal as its territory in new map

NEW DELHI, Aug 29: India on Tuesday lodged a strong protest with China on the latest map unveiled by the neighbouring country that claimed Arunachal Pradesh and Aksai Chin as its own territories.

"We have today lodged a strong protest through diplomatic channels with the Chinese side on the so called 2023 “standard map” of China that lays claim to India’s territory. We reject these claims as they have no basis. Such steps by the Chinese side only complicate the resolution of the boundary question”, the ministry of external affairs said in a statement.

A massive controversy erupted after the People's Republic of China released the 2023 edition of its ‘standard map’, staking its claims over Arunachal Pradesh, Aksai Chin region, Taiwan and the South China Sea.

The map has been released despite India's repeated stand that Arunachal Pradesh has always been and continue to be an integral part of the country.

Chinese website Global Times in a post on social media platform X, formerly called Twitter, said that the ‘standard map’ has been compiled based on the drawing method of the national boundaries of China and various countries in the world,” the post said.

The map also incorporated China's claims over the estranged island of Taiwan and the nine-dash line claiming a large part of the South China Sea. Beijing has always claimed Taiwan as part of its mainland and its integration with the mainland is part of a vowed objective of Chinese President Xi Jinping.

China's latest provocation comes days ahead of the scheduled G20 meeting in New Delhi which will be attended by several world leaders.

‘Old habit of theirs’: Jaishankar on Chinese map showing Arunachal as its land

NEW DELHI, Aug 29: India has dismissed a new "standard" map released by China that claims ownership of Arunachal Pradesh - which Beijing calls South Tibet - and Aksai Chin - occupied during the 1962 war.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said China has a "habit" of releasing such maps and told China that merely including other countries' territories in its maps meant nothing.

"China has put out maps with territories (that are) not theirs. (It is an) old habit. Just by putting out maps with parts of India... this doesn't change in anything. Our government is very clear about what our territory. Making absurd claims does not make other people's territories yours," he said.

Jaishankar also de-linked disengagement talks along the Line of Actual Control with the China's new map, the release of which on Monday was sandwiched between the G20 Summit in Delhi next weekend and last week's "informal conversation" between China's Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the BRICS Summit in South Africa.

Modi had then conveyed to Jinping India's "concerns over unresolved issues along LAC and other areas along the India-China border".

The map also shows other disputed areas - Taiwan and large parts of the South China Sea - as part of China's territories. Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Brunei have all claims over the latter.

According to a Chinese daily, the map was released by that country's Ministry of Natural Resources during celebrations for Surveying and Mapping Publicity Day and the National Mapping Awareness Publicity Week. China's Global Times posted the map on X (formerly Twitter) and said it had been compiled based on "drawing method of national boundaries of China and various (other) countries".

In April the Indian government rejected China's bid to rename 11 locations within Arunachal Pradesh, which it also calls 'Zangnan' - the third time Beijing has attempted such an egregious move after 2018 and 2021 - and asserted the north-eastern state has been and will always be an integral part of India.

"We have seen such reports. This is not the first time China has made such an attempt. We reject this outright," Arindam Bagchi had said then, adding, "Arunachal Pradesh is, has been, and will always be an integral and inalienable part of India. Attempts to assign invented names will not alter this reality."

Indian and Chinese troops clashed along the LAC in the state's Tawang sector in December last year - a face-off that came amid a months-long border standoff in eastern Ladakh that prompted Delhi to bolster overall military readiness along the LAC in the Arunachal Pradesh sector as well.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had then accused China of trying to "unilaterally" change the status quo and, last month, Mr Jaishankar said the situation remains "very fragile" and "quite dangerous".

Japan Scrambles Jet After Chinese Military Drone Spotted Near Taiwan

TOKYO, Aug 28: Japan's defence ministry said on Monday it scrambled a fighter jet to monitor a Chinese BZK-005 military drone spotted flying between Japan's westernmost Yonaguni island and Taiwan in the morning.

The spy drone came from the East China Sea north of Taiwan and went to the Bashi Channel that separates Taiwan's southern coast and the Philippines, the ministry said.

On Friday, Japan also scrambled its Air Self-Defense Force fighters to Chinese bombers flying near Japan's Okinawa island, home to a major U.S. military base, as well as to drones spotted near self-ruled Taiwan.

Founder Of Apple Supplier Foxconn To Run For Taiwan President

TAIPEI, Aug 28: Terry Gou, the billionaire founder of major Apple Inc supplier Foxconn, said on Monday he was entering the race to be Taiwan's next president as an independent candidate.

Gou stepped down as Foxconn chief in 2019 and made a presidential bid that year, but dropped out after he failed to win the nomination for Taiwan's main opposition party, the Kuomintang KMT, which traditionally favours close ties with China.

Democratically governed Taiwan will hold the vote in mid-January.

Modi, Xi Agree On 'Expeditious De-Escalation' In Ladakh

JOHANNESBURG, Aug 24: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to work for "expeditious de-escalation" along the entire Line of Actual Control (LAC), where tensions have been high since the violent face-off in June 2020 in eastern Ladakh's Galwan Valley.

The two leaders, who met on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in South Africa, agreed to direct relevant officials in their countries for expeditious disengagement along the LAC.

"It was a conversation with President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit. Prime Minister had interaction with other BRICS leaders. In the conversation with President Xi Jinping, the Prime Minister highlighted India's concerns over unresolved issues along the LAC and other areas along the India-China border," Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra told reporters today.

Kwatra said Modi underlined that the maintenance of peace and tranquility in border areas, and respecting the LAC are essential for the normalisation of India-China relationship.

"In this regard, the two leaders agreed to direct their relevant officials to intensify efforts at expeditious disengagement and de-escalation," the Foreign Secretary said.

The 19th round of India-China Corps Commander-level meeting was held at the Chushul-Moldo border meeting point on the Indian side on August 13-14. The two sides had a positive, constructive and in-depth discussion on the resolution of the remaining issues along the LAC in the western sector, the Foreign Ministry had said.

In line with the guidance provided by the leadership, they exchanged views in an open and forward-looking manner, the ministry had said.

The BRICS Summit was chaired by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva also attended, while Russian President Vladimir Putin joined it through video conference.

A declaration unveiled at the end of the three-day BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) Summit said the leaders of the grouping called for an expeditious finalisation and adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism within the UN framework.

"We are committed to combating terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including the cross-border movement of terrorists, and terrorism financing networks and safe havens," the declaration said. "We reiterate that terrorism should not be associated with any religion, nationality, civilization or ethnic group," it said.

National Awards: Alia Bhatt, Kriti Sanon Share Best Actress, Allu Arjun Is Best Actor

NEW DELHI, Aug 24: The 69th National Film Awards were announced at a press conference in New Delhi today. The winners list was fairly Hindi film-heavy with RRR also featuring prominently. Alia Bhatt and Kriti Sanon share the Best Actress award for their performances in Gangubai Kathiawadi and Mimi. Allu Arjun was named Best Actor for the blockbuster Pushpa: The Rise. It is the first National Award for all three actors.

Rocketry: The Nambi Effect was awarded Best Film. Kriti's Mimi co-star Pankaj Tripathi won Best Supporting Actor and Pallavi Joshi won Best Supporting Actress for her role in The Kashmir Files which also won Best Film on National Integration. Both Pankaj Tripathi and Pallavi Joshi have won special awards before.

RRR won a slew of awards including Best Popular Film. It shared the Best Music prize and Kaala Bhairava won Best Male Playback Singer for Naatu Naatu; Shreya Ghoshal won Best Female Playback Singer. Gangubai Kathiawadi and Sardar Udham, which was named Best Hindi Film, also won several awards - Gangubai Kathiawadi won Best Screenplay, among other honours. Shershaah received a Special Jury award.

The feature film awardees were announced by jury head filmmaker Ketan Mehta.

The Dadasaheb Phalke Award, India's highest film honour, will be announced later.

The National Awards will be handed out by President Droupadi Murmu in a ceremony later in the year. Last year's winners included Suriya and Ajay Devgn who shared the Best Actor prize for their roles in Soorarai Pottru and Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior. Suriya's co-star Aparna Balamurali.

Billionaire George Soros-Backed Group Plans Expose On Indian Firms: Report

NEW DELHI, Aug 25: Months after a US short seller shook markets with a damning report on the Adani group, the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) - an organisation funded by likes of George Soros and Rockefeller Brothers Fund - is said to be planning another 'expose' on certain corporate houses in India, sources said.

OCCRP, which calls itself "an investigative reporting platform formed by 24 nonprofit investigative centres... spread across Europe, Africa, Asia and Latin America, may publish a report or a series of articles, three sources with knowledge of the matter said.

An email sent to OCCRP seeking comments remained unanswered.

Founded in 2006, OCCRP claims to specialize in reporting on organized crime and largely publishes these news articles through partnerships with media houses.

On its website, it identifies the Open Society Foundations of George Soros, a financier with a penchant for funding radical causes around the world, as one of the institutional donors. Others include Ford Foundation, Rockefeller Brothers Fund and Oak Foundation.

Sources said the 'expose' may involve overseas funds investing in the stocks of the corporate house.

The identity of the corporate house wasn't immediately known but agencies are said to be keeping a tight vigil on the capital market.

Hindenburg Research in a January 24 report alleged fraud, triggering a stock market rout.

Adani Group has denied all allegations.

Putin Has No Plans To Attend G20 In India In Person, Says Kremlin

MOSCOW, Aug 25: The Kremlin said on Friday that Russian President Vladimir Putin had no plans to attend the G20 summit in India in September in person.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued an arrest warrant for President Putin accusing him of war crimes in Ukraine, something the Kremlin strongly denies. This means he risks arrest when travelling abroad.

This week he attended a gathering of leaders from the BRICS group of emerging economies in South Africa by video link, not in person.

Modi, Xi Agree On 'Expeditious De-Escalation' In Ladakh

JOHANNESBURG, Aug 24: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to work for "expeditious de-escalation" along the entire Line of Actual Control (LAC), where tensions have been high since the violent face-off in June 2020 in eastern Ladakh's Galwan Valley.

The two leaders, who met on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in South Africa, agreed to direct relevant officials in their countries for expeditious disengagement along the LAC.

"It was a conversation with President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit. Prime Minister had interaction with other BRICS leaders. In the conversation with President Xi Jinping, the Prime Minister highlighted India's concerns over unresolved issues along the LAC and other areas along the India-China border," Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra told reporters today.

Kwatra said Modi underlined that the maintenance of peace and tranquility in border areas, and respecting the LAC are essential for the normalisation of India-China relationship.

"In this regard, the two leaders agreed to direct their relevant officials to intensify efforts at expeditious disengagement and de-escalation," the Foreign Secretary said.

The 19th round of India-China Corps Commander-level meeting was held at the Chushul-Moldo border meeting point on the Indian side on August 13-14. The two sides had a positive, constructive and in-depth discussion on the resolution of the remaining issues along the LAC in the western sector, the Foreign Ministry had said.

In line with the guidance provided by the leadership, they exchanged views in an open and forward-looking manner, the ministry had said.

The BRICS Summit was chaired by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva also attended, while Russian President Vladimir Putin joined it through video conference.

A declaration unveiled at the end of the three-day BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) Summit said the leaders of the grouping called for an expeditious finalisation and adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism within the UN framework.

"We are committed to combating terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including the cross-border movement of terrorists, and terrorism financing networks and safe havens," the declaration said. "We reiterate that terrorism should not be associated with any religion, nationality, civilization or ethnic group," it said.

Billionaire George Soros-Backed Group Plans Expose On Indian Firms: Report

NEW DELHI, Aug 24: Months after a US short seller shook markets with a damning report on the Adani group, the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) - an organisation funded by likes of George Soros and Rockefeller Brothers Fund - is said to be planning another 'expose' on certain corporate houses in India, sources said.

OCCRP, which calls itself "an investigative reporting platform formed by 24 nonprofit investigative centres... spread across Europe, Africa, Asia and Latin America, may publish a report or a series of articles, three sources with knowledge of the matter said.

An email sent to OCCRP seeking comments remained unanswered.

Founded in 2006, OCCRP claims to specialize in reporting on organized crime and largely publishes these news articles through partnerships with media houses.

On its website, it identifies the Open Society Foundations of George Soros, a financier with a penchant for funding radical causes around the world, as one of the institutional donors. Others include Ford Foundation, Rockefeller Brothers Fund and Oak Foundation.

Sources said the 'expose' may involve overseas funds investing in the stocks of the corporate house.

The identity of the corporate house wasn't immediately known but agencies are said to be keeping a tight vigil on the capital market.

Hindenburg Research in a January 24 report alleged fraud, triggering a stock market rout.

Adani Group has denied all allegations.

'Talented Man Who Made Mistakes': Vladimir Putin On Wagner Chief

MOSCOW, Aug 24: Russian President Vladimir Putin broke his silence on Thursday on the plane crash a day earlier that killed infamous mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin and other senior members of the Wagner paramilitary group.

In televised comments Putin offered his "sincere condolences to the families of all the victims", describing the crash as a "tragedy". As well as Prigozhin, the other nine people on board also died.

Putin's statement was the first official confirmation that the Wagner boss had been killed.

Wednesday evening's crash took place exactly two months after Prigozhin led a rebellion against Moscow's top military brass, considered by some observers to have been the biggest threat to Putin's long rule.

Although Moscow opened an investigation into violations of air traffic rules, investigators have been silent since, as speculation of a possible assassination has grown.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky insisted Kyiv had nothing to do with the incident. "I think everyone knows who this concerns," he added, in what appeared to be a reference to Putin.

Moscow had initially said only that the 62-year-old Prigozhin was listed as a passenger on the flight, without confirming his death.

But when Putin broke his silence on Thursday he paid a qualified tribute to the mercenary boss and the paramilitary group he led.

"I knew Prigozhin for a very long time, since the early 90s. He was a man of complicated fate, and he made serious mistakes in his life, but he achieved the right results," Putin said.

In an address to Russians during the Wagner rebellion on June 23-24 in which he warned against "civil war", Putin had called Prigozhin -- once his ally -- a "traitor".

But on Thursday, he said the Wagner members who had died in the crash had made a "significant contribution" to Moscow's offensive in Ukraine.

They had shared a common cause, Putin said, adding: "We remember that, we know that, and we will not forget that."

Some Western leaders expressed doubts that the crash had been an accident.

"There's not much that happens in Russia that Putin's not behind," said US President Joe Biden, after having said he did not know what happened.

France saw "reasonable doubts" about the crash, while Germany said it followed a pattern of "unclarified" fatalities in Russia.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock appeared to say it was suspicious that "a disgraced former confidant of Putin suddenly, literally falls from the sky two months after he attempted a mutiny".

Even influential pro-Kremlin figures, such as state television personality and Putin ally Margarita Simonyan, seemed to suggest that it could have been an assassination.

"Among the versions that are being discussed (about the crash) is that it was staged. But personally, I'm leaning towards the more obvious one," she said on social media.

Russia's aviation authority published the names of those on board the Embraer private jet late on Wednesday.

It included Prigozhin and his right-hand man, Dmitry Utkin, a shadowy figure who managed Wagner's operations and allegedly served in Russian military intelligence.

Wagner Chief, Who Led Putin Revolt, In Passengers' List Of Crashed Plane

MOSCOW, Aug 23: Russian state-run news agencies on Wednesday said that Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner group that led a mutiny against Russia's army in June, was on the list of passengers of a plane that crashed.

"The plane that crashed in the Tver Region listed Yevgeny Prigozhin among its passengers, (Russia's aviation agency) Rosaviatsia said," TASS news agency reported, with RIA Novosti and Interfax issuing similar reports.

"There were 10 people on board, including 3 crew members. According to preliminary information, all those on board died," Russia's ministry for emergency situation had said shortly before.

Around 1700 GMT the ministry announced that a "private Embraer Legacy aircraft travelling from Moscow to Saint Petersburg crashed near the village of Kuzhenkino in the Tver Region."

It said it was conducting search operations.

Videos on Telegram channels linked to Wagner posted footage -- that could not be independently confirmed -- showing the wreckage of plane burning in a field.

In June Prigozhin led a short-lived rebellion against Russia's conventional army with thousands of mercenaries taking up weapons and marching from southern Russia towards Moscow with the aim of toppling the country's military leaders.

The mutiny ended with a deal, mediated by Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, under which Prigozhin was expected to move to neighbouring Belarus with some of his men.

He since then refused to cede command of Wagner, but mostly stayed out of the public eye.

On Monday, video circulated showing him apparently in Africa, which he vowed to make "freer".

North Korea Fires 'Suspected Ballistic Missile': Japan

TOKYO, Aug 23: North Korea has launched a "suspected ballistic missile," Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's office wrote Thursday on X, formerly known as Twitter.

It was not immediately clear what type of missile might have been launched, but the Kyodo agency, citing the government in Tokyo, said the projectile was overflying Japan.

The launch came on the first day of a window Pyongyang had told Japanese officials was reserved for a satellite launch.

'We Converted Red Tape Into Red Carpet': Modi At BRICS Business Meet

JOHANNESBURG, Aug 22: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, describing India as a welcome destination for investment, said the country's dreaded red tape has now been converted into a "Red Carpet".

Speaking in South Africa's Johannesburg at a Business Forum ahead of the BRICS Summit, Modi said his government has been "laying the foundation for a new India".

"Today, India is the fastest-growing major economy in the world... In the last 9 years, people's income has almost doubled... UPI is being used everywhere in India. Most digital transactions happen in India... India has the third largest startup ecosystem in the world," the Prime Minister said in the short address.

Pointing to the new investment opportunities opening up in the country, he said, "In the last years, the number of airports has doubled... Defence and space sectors have been opened for private sector".

"We have converted turned red tape into red carpet," he added, indicating that the big hurdle that discouraged investors at one point, is now a thing of the past.

In Johannesburg to attend the three-day BRICS Summit, Modi was warmly welcomed at the airport by South Africa's Deputy President Paul Shipokosa Mashatile.

His engagements for the evening include the BRICS Leaders Retreat, where Russian President Vladimir Putin will join in through a video link. The agenda could include global developments and the BRICS membership expansion issue.

More than 40 nations had expressed interest in joining the five-nation grouping of BRICS (Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa), which represents around 40 per cent of the world's population am 16 per cent of the world trade, a South African leader had said last month.

The list of aspirants includes Argentina, Iran, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Cuba, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Comoros, Gabon, and Kazakhstan.

This is the first physical meeting of BRICS since the outbreak of the Covid pandemic. The last few summits had gone online, during which the state heads have addressed the meet through video link. The theme for the 15th BRICS summit is "BRICS and Africa: Partnership for mutually accelerated growth, sustainable development and inclusive multilateralism".

China's Economy, World's Second-Largest, In Deep Distress: Report

WASHINGTON, Aug 21: China's economy, the world's second-largest, is now in deep distress and its successful model of growth for 40 years stands "broken", a prominent American financial publication has said, noting that signs of trouble extend beyond China's dismal economic data to distant provinces.

The Wall Street Journal in a major Sunday story wrote that economists now believe China is entering an era of much slower growth, made worse by unfavourable demographics and a widening divide with the US and its allies, which is jeopardising foreign investment and trade.

Rather than just a period of economic weakness, this could be the dimming of a long era, it commented.

"Now the (economic) model is broken," the financial daily said.

"We're witnessing a gearshift in what has been the most dramatic trajectory in economic history," Adam Tooze, a Columbia University history professor who specialises in economic crises, was quoted as saying by the Wall Street Journal.

According to the report, the total debt, including that held by various levels of government and state-owned companies, climbed to nearly 300 per cent of China's GDP as of 2022, surpassing US levels and up from less than 200 per cent in 2012, according to Bank for International Settlements data.

In Beijing's corridors of power, senior officials have recognised that the growth model of past decades has reached its limits, the daily wrote.

In a blunt speech to a new generation of party leaders last year, Chinese President Xi Jinping took aim at officials for relying on borrowing for construction to expand economic activities, it added.

"Some people believe that development means investing in projects and scaling up investments," Xi said, warning: "You can't walk the old path with new shoes." Xi and his team so far have done little to shift away from the country's old growth model, the financial daily wrote.

China's gross domestic product (GDP) grew 5.5 per cent year-on-year in the first half (H1) of 2023, the country's National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said in June.

China's GDP reached 59.3 trillion yuan (about 8.3 trillion US dollars) in the first half, according to the NBS data. In the second quarter, the country's GDP expanded 6.3 per cent year on year, China's official media quoted the NBS as saying.

Meanwhile, China on Monday also trimmed for the second time this year its one-year loan prime rate (LPR) by 10 basis points from 3.55 per cent to 3.45 per cent and did not change the five-year rate, which stands at 4.20 per cent, to revive economic growth in the world's second-largest economy after that of the United States.

Australia Agrees $830 Million Long-Range Missile Deal With US

SYDNEY, Aug 21: Australia has locked in a deal to buy potent long-range weapons from the United States, officials said Monday, as the country looks to counter China's rising military power.

The cache of more than 200 Tomahawk cruise missiles -- costing $830 million -- would be some of the "most powerful and technologically advanced" weapons in Australia's arsenal, the country's defence department said.

Australia is embarking on a major military overhaul, pivoting towards long-range strike capabilities in an effort to keep would-be foes such as China at arms length.

"We are investing in the capabilities our Defence Force needs to hold our adversaries at risk further from our shores and keep Australians safe in the complex and uncertain world in which we live today," Defence Minister Richard Marles said in a statement.

The Tomahawk cruise missiles have a strike range of more than 1,000 kilometres (620 miles) and will be carried by the Australian Navy's Hobart Class destroyers.

They will eventually be used by the roving nuclear-powered submarines acquired by Australia under the landmark AUKUS pact.

Australia's AUKUS allies -- the UK and the United States -- are the only other countries with significant stockpiles of Tomahawk missiles.

"As we enter what many are calling the missile age, these will be vital tools for the Australian Defence Force to do its job of defending Australians," Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy said.

Canberra said in January that it had snapped up a US offer to also obtain HIMARS rockets -- the mobile artillery system used by the Ukrainian army to devastating effect.

Washington recently announced that it would help Australia build its own domestic missile manufacturing industry, with an eye to shoring-up supply chains disrupted by the war in Ukraine.

"We are buying these weapons now to deliver capability quickly," Conroy added.

"But we are also considering options to manufacture missiles domestically because of the importance of building sovereign Australian defence manufacturing capabilities."

The US Army has in recent years tested prototype hypersonic cruise missiles at the Australian Defence Force weapons range in remote South Australia.

UK Child-Killer Nurse Sentenced To Life In Jail With No Chance Of Release

LONDON, Aug 21: UK's most prolific child killer of modern times on Monday began the rest of her life behind bars for murdering seven newborn babies and attempting to kill six others in her care.

A judge in Manchester, northwest England, handed nurse Lucy Letby a rare whole-life order -- the most severe punishment available and reserved only for those who commit the most heinous crimes -- meaning she will never be released.

"The order of the court is a whole-life order on each and every offence and you will spend the rest of your life in prison," said judge James Goss.

But Letby, 33, sparked outrage from her young victims' families by refusing to attend the sentencing hearing, prompting pledges from politicians to close the loophole.

Goss said she had acted with "pre-meditation, calculation and cunning" with "malevolence bordering on sadism", "coldly" denying responsibility for her actions throughout the trial.

Most of her young victims suffered acute pain but she deceived colleagues at the Countess of Chester Hospital about what she had done.

Letby kept medical notes as "morbid records" about what she had done, which were found during police searches of her home after she was arrested.

"You have no remorse," the judge said. "There are no mitigating factors."

"You acted in a way that was completely contrary to the normal human instincts of nurturing and caring for babies, and in gross breach of the trust that all citizens place in those who work in the medical and caring professions," he added.

"Lifelong harm" had been caused to her victims' families by cutting short young lives "almost as soon as they began", the judge said.

"Loving parents have been robbed of their cherished children. You have caused deep psychological trauma," he added.

No motives have emerged for the killings, which took place between June 2015 and June 2016 and have made Letby one of Britain's most notorious serial killers.

Some 70 criminals are currently serving a whole-life order in the UK.

Only three women have previously been given the sentence: "Moors Murderer" Myra Hindley, who with her boyfriend Ian Brady killed five children in the 1960s, and serial killers Rose West and Joanna Dennehy. Hindley died in 2002.

Harold Shipman, a medical doctor who killed 15 of his patients but is suspected to have murdered as many as 250, was given a whole-life term in 2000.

He killed himself in his cell in 2004.

Taiwan Elections Not For 'Bully Next Door' China To Decide: Minister

TAIPEI, Aug 19: Taiwan's foreign minister accused China on Saturday of trying to "shape" Taiwan's upcoming election, after Chinese military exercises were launched around the island.

"The PRC has made it clear it wants to shape Taiwan's coming national election," said foreign minister Joseph Wu on the ministry's official X account.

"Well, it's up to our citizens to decide, not the bully next door."

China announced earlier Saturday that it had "launched joint air and sea patrols and military exercises of the navy and air force around the island of Taiwan", according to state media outlet Xinhua.

By afternoon, Taiwan's military said it had detected 42 Chinese warplanes making incursions around the island's air defence zone, while eight Chinese vessels were also participating in the drills.

Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Saturday also condemned China's military exercises, and said Beijing has used "various intimidating speeches and fake news... to openly intervene and interfere in the democratic election process in our country".

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemns in the strongest terms China's authoritarian government's brutal efforts to interfere in the election," it said.

In the past year, Beijing has stepped up political and military pressures against Taiwan, sending in near-daily warplanes incursions and vessels around the island.

Saturday's military exercises are seen as a response to the visit of Taiwan's Vice President William Lai making stopovers in the United States -- first to New York en route to Paraguay, and then to San Francisco on his way back to Taipei.

Lai is also a presidential candidate for Taiwan's elections in January, and is currently the frontrunner.

China especially dislikes Lai, as he has been previously outspoken about Taiwan's status. Like the current President Tsai Ing-wen, Lai does not accept China's view that Taiwan belongs to it.

He has also described himself as a "pragmatic Taiwan independence worker" -- inciting comments from Beijing about him being a "troublemaker".

Chinese Real Estate Giant Evergrande Files For Bankruptcy Protection

NEW YORK, Aug 18: Embattled Chinese property giant Evergrande Group filed for bankruptcy protection in the United States on Thursday, court documents showed, a measure that protects its US assets while it attempts to restructure.

Evergrande, once China's top property developer, was found in 2021 to be struggling with more than $300 billion in liabilities, as it came under intense pressure after officials tightened scrutiny of the real estate industry.

The company's woes have come to symbolize the growing crisis in China's sprawling property sector, which accounts for a huge portion of the world's number two economy, that many fear could spill over globally.

Several major developers have been hit in the unfolding drama as they fail to complete housing projects, triggering protests and mortgage boycotts from homebuyers.

In the latest filings in New York, Tianji Holding and Scenery Journey -- of which Evergrande is the ultimate holding company -- filed for Chapter 15 protection, which provides mechanisms for dealing with insolvency cases involving more than one country.

Evergrande has worked on an offshore debt restructuring agreement for months and unveiled a proposal earlier this year.

The plan offers creditors a choice to swap their debt into new notes issued by the company and equities in two subsidiaries, Evergrande Property Services Group and Evergrande New Energy Vehicle Group.

Evergrande first defaulted on its bonds in 2021, fanning fears of contagion.

The latest court documents referenced restructuring proceedings in Hong Kong.

Yan Yuejin, research director at E-house China R&D Institute, told AFP that Evergrande's latest filing was an "equivalent to seeking a better debt restructuring".

"In fact, Evergrande's business is certainly still operational. After all, it has a huge responsibility of ensuring deliveries of presold homes," he told AFP.

In July, Evergrande reported a net loss of more than $113 billion in 2021 and 2022.

The group's liabilities stood at almost $340 billion at the end of 2022, with $85 billion of borrowings. The developer had about $2 billion in total cash at the time.

Housing reform in China during the late 1990s unleashed a boom in the real estate sector, spurred by social norms that consider owning property a prerequisite for marriage.

But the massive debt accrued by the industry's biggest players has been perceived by Beijing in recent years as an unacceptable risk for China's financial system and overall economic health.

To reduce the sector's indebtedness, authorities have gradually tightened conditions for developers' access to credit since 2020, drying up sources of financing for firms already in debt.

A wave of defaults followed -- notably that of Evergrande -- which undermined the confidence of potential buyers and reverberated through the industry.

Fellow Chinese property giant Country Garden now risks defaulting on its bond payments next month, after the company said there were "major uncertainties in the redemption of corporate bonds".

Beijing has recently sought to bolster the sector by cutting mortgage rates, slashing red tape and offering more loans to developers.

Germany's Cabinet Okays Bill Legalising Recreational Marijuana Use

BERLIN, Aug 16: Germany's cabinet on Wednesday passed a contentious bill to legalize recreational marijuana use and cultivation, potentially giving further momentum to a worldwide trend to liberalize cannabis laws.

The legislation, which still has to pass parliament, would allow adults to possess up to 25 grams of the drug, grow a maximum of three plants, or acquire weed at cannabis clubs.

The centre-left government of Chancellor Olaf Scholz hopes the law will curb the black market, protect consumers against contaminated marijuana and lessen the workload for the justice system.

If the bill passes parliament, Germany will become one of the countries with the most liberal cannabis laws in Europe.

However opposition is fierce, with policymakers from the opposition conservatives in particular warning that it will foment marijuana use and the new legislation will create even more work for authorities.

Moves by governments to legalize the recreational use of marijuana have led to increased consumption and cannabis-related health problems, a U.N. narcotics watchdog said in March.

Scholz's government already watered down original plans to allow the widespread sale of cannabis in licensed shops nationwide after consultations with Brussels.

Instead, it said would launch a pilot project for a small number of licensed shops in some regions to test the effects of a commercial supply chain of recreational cannabis on public health, the protection of minors and the black market.

For that, it will need to present separate legislation in a second phase.

Many countries in Europe have already legalised cannabis for limited medicinal purposes, including Germany since 2017. Others have decriminalized its general use.

Malta became the first European country to allow limited cultivation and possession of cannabis for personal use in late 2021.

The legislation presented on Wednesday includes strict rules for growing weed - cannabis clubs of up to 500 associates must have burglar proof doors and windows, with greenhouses fenced off. Associates will not be allowed to smoke weed at the clubs or in the vicinity of schools, nurseries, playground or sports grounds.

It is up to the regional governments of Germany's 16 states whether they allow such clubs.

India, China talks fail to make headway on Depsang but both sides agree to freeze build-up

NEW DELHI, Aug 15: The rare two-day India-China military talks held this Sunday and Monday failed to make any immediate headway on the critical issue of Chinese presence in Depsang Plains but both sides agreed to “resolve the remaining issues in an expeditious manner”.

A joint statement released by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the Chinese foreign ministry Tuesday said that the meeting was held on the Indian side of the Chushul-Moldo border meeting point on 13-14 August 2023.

This was the first time that both sides held talks that lasted for two days — a fact which was kept under wraps until the joint statement was issued. It added that the two sides had a positive, constructive and in-depth discussion on the resolution of the remaining issues along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Western Sector.

In line with the guidance provided by the leadership, both sides exchanged views in an open and forward looking manner, it added. “They agreed to resolve the remaining issues in an expeditious manner and maintain the momentum of dialogue and negotiations through military and diplomatic channels. In the interim, the two sides agreed to maintain the peace and tranquility on the ground in the border areas,” said the joint statement.

Despite disengagement from the Galwan Valley, Pangong Tso, Gogra (PP-17A) and Hot Springs (PP-15), the Indian and Chinese armies continue to maintain thousands of troops and equipment along the LAC.

India has been seeking restoration of status quo as of April 2020 in areas which saw tensions beginning May 2020, besides resolution of earlier disagreements including those over Depsang Plains.

Sources in the defence and security establishment said that the talks focused on a large number of issues and that both sides have decided to convey possible confidence building measures for the consideration of policy-makers back in their respective capitals.

The meeting came ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping’s scheduled visit to Johannesburg for the BRICS Summit (August 22-24), where the possibility of a bilateral meeting between the two has not been ruled out.

Xi will also be travelling to India next month for the G-20 Summit.

For the 19th-round of military talks, the Indian delegation was led by Lt Gen Rashim Bali, commander of the Leh-based 14 Corps, while the Chinese delegation was to be led by the commander of the South Xinjiang military district.

Asked if the Chinese have agreed to withdraw from the Depsang Plains or if they have allowed India to patrol its traditional Patrolling Points (PP) in Depsang Plains, sources said “it is a matter of ongoing discussion” — indicating that the latest round of talks yielded no firm results in this regard.

Asked what else transpired in the meeting, sources said that issues discussed date back to pre-April 2020 status quo such as CBMs like no patrolling in buffer zones created in disputed areas, sanctity of airspace and regular interaction between different levels of command at the tactical level. Both India and China are in agreement over these issues.

One more issue that was agreed upon was a freeze on the build-up of troops and equipment along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

The primary points of focus of the 19th round of talks was the Depsang Plains, which fall under India’s Sub Sector North (SSN). As elsewhere, the LAC here is disputed. The SSN is sandwiched between the Siachen Glacier on one side and Chinese-controlled Aksai Chin on the other, making it strategically important.

Earlier, Indian soldiers used to patrol PPs 10, 11, 11A, 12, and 13 but the Chinese have now blocked the Indian passage to these points. The Chinese have been blocking Indian patrols, which go on foot beyond the feature called the Bottleneck area or ‘Y’ Junction.

While the Indian Army can still push ahead with force to reach its traditional patrolling points if it wants, it has avoided doing so to not create any new front for conflict. Indian patrols can reach the Bottleneck by road, but further travel is only possible by foot through two routes. The feature called ‘Y’ Junction is the starting point of the two routes.

The north route, following the Raki Nala, goes towards PP10 and the southeast route goes towards PP13 along what is known as Jiwan Nala.

The Chinese claim line here is about 1.5 km from an Indian military camp in an area known as Burtse.

Indian forces have been blocking Chinese patrols from going beyond the bottleneck area. In 2015, the Chinese had intruded right until their claim line before eventually retreating.

35 Killed In Blast At Russian Fuel Station

MOSCOW, Aug 15: At least 35 people were killed in an explosion that created a huge fire ball at a fuel station in Russia's remote Caucasus republic of Dagestan, spurring condolences from President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday.

Images distributed by the emergencies ministry showed burnt-out cars silhouetted by the massive blaze and rescue workers in helmets attempting to put out the fire and clear rubble.

Government ministries said 35 people had died and 80 had been injured.

The Kremlin issued a statement saying: "President Putin expresses his most sincere condolences to the families and friends of the victims of the tragedy in Dagestan and wishes a speedy recovery to the victims."

The explosion in the city of Makhachkala happened at a fuel station after a fire broke out, the regional branch of the Investigative Committee, which probes major incidents, announced on social media.

"A fire occurred during car maintenance work, followed by a bang, as a result of which people were injured and died," the committee said, adding that nearby buildings and cars were damaged.

A criminal case has been opened to establish the circumstances leading up to the fire, it added.

'Will Not Back Down': Taiwan Vice President In US Amid Chinese Threat

TAIPEI, Aug 14: If Taiwan is safe then the world is safe and Taiwan will not back down in the face of authoritarian threats, the island's vice president told supporters on a US visit that Beijing has condemned, while reiterating a willingness to talk to China.

William Lai, also a frontrunner to be Taiwan's next president at January elections, is in the United States on what is officially a transit stop on his way to Paraguay for the inauguration of its new president.

Paraguay is one of only 13 countries to maintain formal ties with the Chinese-claimed island.

Taiwan and the United States both say the stopovers, including one in San Francisco on the way back, are routine, but China has denounced them and called Lai a separatist "troublemaker".

In comments at a lunch in New York on Sunday, Lai said that "if Taiwan is safe, the world is safe, if the Taiwan Strait is peaceful, then the world is peaceful", according to a readout from Taiwan's presidential office.

"We are already on the right track. Don't be afraid and turn back because of the increased threat from authoritarianism. We must be brave and strong to continue to grow Taiwan on the road of democracy," he said.

China has a particular dislike of Lai, who has previously described himself as a "practical worker for Taiwan independence", a red line for Beijing which has never renounced the use of force to bring the island under its control.

Lai has pledged to maintain peace and the status quo.

Lai reiterated in New York that on the basic of dignity and parity he was "very willing" to talk to China and seek peace and stability, following Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen's policies.

But Lai said he will protect Taiwan's sovereignty, that only Taiwan's people can decide their future and that the Republic of China - Taiwan's formal name - and the People's Republic of China are "not subordinate to each other".

Both Taipei and Washington are aiming for the U.S. stopovers to be low-key, and have called on China not to take any provocative action in response.

China vows 'forceful, resolute' measures over Taiwan Vice President's US visit

BEIJING, Aug 13: China on Sunday vowed "resolute and forceful measures" over a weekend trip by Taiwan Vice President William Lai to the United States it said it was closely monitoring.

Lai -- the frontrunner in Taiwan's presidential elections next year -- is officially making only transit stops in the United States en route to and from Paraguay, where he will attend the inauguration of president-elect Santiago Pena.

Taiwan is claimed by China, which has vowed to take the island democracy one day -- by force, if necessary -- and ramped up political and military pressure.

"China is closely following the development of the situation and will take resolute and forceful measures to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity," an unnamed spokesperson for the foreign ministry said in a statement published online.

Lai has been far more outspoken about independence than Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, to whom Beijing is already hostile as she refuses to accept its view that Taiwan is a part of China.

The Harvard-educated doctor-turned-politician has previously described himself as a "pragmatic Taiwan independence worker", and reiterated this week when speaking with a local television channel that Taiwan was "not part of the People's Republic of China (PRC)".

"The Republic of China and PRC are not subordinate to each other," he said, using Taiwan's official name.

On landing in New York on Sunday, Lai said on Twitter, now rebranded as X: "Happy to arrive at the Big Apple, icon of liberty, democracy and opportunities," adding that he was greeted at the airport by representatives of the American Institute in Taiwan, the United States's de facto embassy for the island.

"Looking forward to seeing friends and attending transit programs in New York," he wrote. Lai is expected to continue to Paraguay, then stop in San Francisco on his way back.

In the week leading up to Lai's departure, incursions by the Chinese military around Taiwan's waters and airspace -- which have been happening near-daily in the past year -- were larger than usual.

On Wednesday, the defence ministry said 33 Chinese warplanes and six vessels had been detected around the island in a 24-hour window.

"China is firmly opposed to any form of official exchanges between the US and Taiwan, is resolutely opposed to separatists seeking 'Taiwan independence' entering the US under any name and for any reason, and firmly opposed to any form of official contact between the US government and the Taiwanese side," China's foreign ministry spokesperson said.

"China expresses strong dissatisfaction with and strongly condemns the US insistence on arranging William Lai's 'transit' to the US," the spokesperson added, labelling Lai a "downright troublemaker".

New Zealand Accuses China Of Espionage, Foreign Interference

WELLINGTON, Aug 11: New Zealand's spy agency accused China on Friday of espionage and foreign interference, a frank assertion from a country typically wary of angering its largest trading partner.

China's growing "assertiveness" was fuelled by a strategic tussle in the Asia-Pacific region, New Zealand's Security Intelligence Service said, where Beijing has been seeking to outmuscle Washington and its Western allies.

The declassified "threat assessment" also said Chinese intelligence agencies had been persistently monitoring ex-pat Chinese communities that had settled within New Zealand.

"Only a small number of states engage in interference against New Zealand, but some do so persistently and with the potential for significant harm," the report read.

New Zealand is part of the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing alliance alongside the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia.

But Wellington has been criticised in the past for taking a softer line on China -- putting its close trading relationships ahead of the security concerns of its allies.

By releasing the report to the public for the first time, New Zealand's Security Intelligence Service has signalled a newfound willingness to speak out and risk the wrath of Beijing.

Alongside China, the report singles out espionage activities linked to the governments of Iran and Russia.

Iran had been monitoring "dissident groups", the report read, while Russian campaigns to spread disinformation were starting to sway a small number of New Zealanders.

The report also said violent extremism, a key concern in the wake of the 2019 Christchurch mosque massacre, continued to be fuelled by anti-government rhetoric spread online.

"False and discredited information shapes pathways to violent extremism but also creates opportunities for foreign interference," the country's spy boss Andrew Hampton said.

Government asks Indians to leave chaos-hit Niger ‘as soon as possible’

NEW DELHI, Aug 11: MEA said that the government is closely monitoring the situation in Niger and also asked the people to reconsider their plans if they are travelling to Niamey.

Ministry of External Affairs has issued an advisory asking Indian nationals whose presence is not essential in Niger to leave the country as soon as possible, following the coup in the African nation.

MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said at a media briefing on Friday that the Indian government is closely monitoring the situation in Niger and also asked the people to reconsider their plans if they are travelling to Niamey.

"Government of India is closely monitoring ongoing developments in Niger. In light of the prevailing situation, Indian nationals whose presence is not essential are advised to leave the country as soon as possible. They may bear in mind that airspace is currently closed. When departing through a land border, utmost precautions may be taken to ensure safety and security. Those who may be planning travel to Niger in the coming days are also similarly advised to reconsider their travel plans until the situation normalizes," said MEA.

"All those Indian nationals who have not registered with the Indian embassy in Niamey (Niger capital) are strongly advised to do so expeditiously. Indian nationals can reach emergency contact in the embassy of India in Niamey: 22799759975", added MEA.

Responding to the question about the number of Indians stuck in Niger, Bagchi said, "About 250 Indians are there. MEA is requesting those who have not registered their names to the Indian embassy to register themselves. Indian Embassy in Niamey is in touch with the Indian communities and we have been told that they are safe."

Niger has been engulfed in political chaos since late last month when the country's President Mohamed Bazoum was ousted in a coup. Following the military coup Abdourahamane Tiani, the commander of Niger's presidential guard has declared himself the country's leader.

The uncertainty has rattled residents in Niamey, the capital. Some people flocked to supermarkets to purchase staples like rice and cooking oil in bulk, while others attempted to flee. Employees of local bus companies said most lines out of the capital were fully booked, CNN reported.

At the busy Wadata market, east of the capital’s centre, many shoppers buying food and necessities Monday voiced apprehension about what might come.

Pro-junta demonstrators, meanwhile, gathered Sunday at a 30,000-seat stadium in Niamey to voice their support for the military government and their opposition to ECOWAS sanctions, CNN reported.

Pakistan's Outgoing PM Shehbaz Sharif Admits To 'Backing From Military'

ISLAMABAD, Aug 11: Pakistan's outgoing Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has admitted that even his government could not run without the support from the military, reflecting its key role in the coup-prone country's politics.

When Sharif was the Opposition leader, he used to criticise his predecessor Imran Khan for running a hybrid regime. But after coming to power, he adopted the same pattern.

In an interview with Pakistan's Geo News broadcast on Thursday, when the anchor pointed out that Pakistan was among the most prominent examples of hybrid regimes in the world today, Sharif said that Imran Khan had relied heavily on the former Army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa.

"Khan also received military support during his tenure. His government was a blend of various components, despite his accusations against others for the same. Every government requires backing from key sectors, including the military," Sharif said.

The military, commonly known as the establishment, has run Pakistan directly for almost half of its history since partition in 1947.

For the rest of the half, it called the shots from behind the curtains, controlling the politics of the country.

Though Pakistan's military has repeatedly said it would not interfere in the country's politics, its influence in affairs of the state is still evident.

Lately, it is taking part in the financial decision-making process and Prime Minister Sharif instead of showing any resistance promoted the trend.

He set up a high-level Special Investment Facilitation Council to promote investment in key sectors and the army chief is part of it alongside the premier.

Sharif said in April that Army chief General Asim Munir played a role in securing funds from Saudi Arabia and the UAE - a pre-condition by the International Monetary Fund to seal a bailout deal with the cash-strapped nation.

At least 36 killed as fires burn through Maui, Hawaii

WAILUKU (Hawaii), Aug 10: Thousands of Hawaii residents raced to escape homes on Maui as blazes swept across the island, destroying parts of a centuries-old town and killing at least 36 people in one of the deadliest U.S. wildfires in recent years.

The fire took the island by surprise, leaving behind burned-out cars on once busy streets and smoking piles of rubble where historic buildings had stood in Lahaina Town, which dates to the 1700s and has long been a favorite destination for tourists. Crews battled blazes in several places on the island on August 9, and the flames forced some adults and children to flee into the ocean.

At least 36 people have died, according to a statement from Maui County late August 9 that said no other details were available. Officials said earlier that 271 structures were damaged or destroyed and dozens of people injured. The 2018 Camp Fire in California killed at least 85 people, destroyed nearly 19,000 homes, businesses and other buildings, and virtually razed the town of Paradise.

Taiwan Reports Second Large-Scale China Air Force Incursion This Week

TAIPEI, Aug 9: Ten Chinese air force aircraft entered Taiwan's air defence zone on Wednesday accompanying five Chinese warships engaged in "combat readiness" patrols, the island's defence ministry said, the second such incursion this week.

Taiwan, which China claims as its territory, has repeatedly complained of Chinese military activity near it over the past three years, as Beijing steps up pressure to try to force the island to accept its sovereignty.

Taiwan's defence ministry said that starting at around 9 a.m. (0100 GMT), it detected a total of 25 Chinese aircraft engaging in operations out at sea, including J-10 and J-16 fighters, as well as H-6 bombers.

Of those aircraft, the ministry said 10 had either crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait, which previously served as an unofficial barrier between the two sides, or entered the southwestern part of Taiwan's air defence identification zone, or ADIZ.

Those aircraft were acting in coordination with five Chinese warships engaging in "combat readiness" patrols, it said.

Taiwan's military dispatched ships and aircraft to keep watch, the ministry said.

The ADIZ is a broad area Taiwan monitors and patrols to give its forces more time to respond to threats, and Chinese aircraft have not entered territorial Taiwanese air space.

On Sunday, Taiwan reported a similar level of activity by Chinese warplanes and warships near the island.

China staged war games around Taiwan in April after President Tsai Ing-wen returned home from a visit to the United States where she met U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

Last August, it also held war games around Taiwan to protest against a trip to Taipei by then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Taiwan Vice President William Lai leaves for the United States this week on his way to Paraguay on what is officially only a transit but which has angered China.

It was China's "priority" to stop Lai from visiting the United States, Beijing's ambassador to the U.S. said last month.

Taiwan's democratically elected government rejects China's sovereignty claim and says only the island's people can decide their future.

Philippines Accuses China Of Water Cannon Attack On Its Boats

MANILA, Aug 8: The Philippines has condemned the China Coast Guard (CCG) for firing water cannon at its vessels in the disputed South China Sea. The boats were going to Ayungin Shoal on Saturday for a resupply mission at the BRP Sierra Madre.

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) issued a statement criticising the China Coast Guard's "dangerous manoeuvres and illegal use of water cannons" against its vessels escorting the indigenous boats chartered by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to deliver food, water, fuel, and other supplies to military troops stationed on BRP Sierra Madre at Second Thomas Shoal."

"The PCG calls on the China Coast Guard to restrain its forces, respect the sovereign rights of the Philippines in its exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, refrain from hampering freedom of navigation, and take appropriate actions against the individuals involved in this unlawful incident," PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Commodore Jay Tarriela said.

The US State Department condemned the Chinese actions, saying in a statement that they were carried out by the coast guard and "maritime militia", and that they directly threatened regional peace and stability.

Second Thomas Shoal is about 200 kilometres (124 miles) from the Philippine island of Palawan and more than 1,000 kilometres from China's nearest major landmass, Hainan Island.

China's coast guard and navy vessels routinely block or shadow Philippine ships patrolling the contested waters, Manila said.

Saturday's incident was the first time since November 2021 that the Chinese coast guard had used water cannon against a Philippine resupply mission to Second Thomas Shoal.

"Such actions by the CCG not only disregarded the safety of the PCG crew and the supply boats but also violated international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the 1972 Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGS), and the 2016 Arbitral Award," the PCG stated.

It further called on the CCG to restrain its forces, respect the Philippines' sovereign rights, and observe international maritime obligations.

"We ask that the China Coast Guard, as an organisation with a responsibility to observe state obligations under UNCLOS, COLREGs, and other relevant instruments of international maritime safety and security, to cease all illegal activities within the maritime zones of the Philippines," the PCG further stated.

Imran Khan Barred From Politics For 5 Years

ISLAMABAD, Aug 8: Former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan, who has been convicted and jailed on graft charges, was barred from politics for five years on Tuesday, an official order said.

The order by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), seen by Reuters and confirmed by a senior officer, said Mr Khan was disqualified in line with his conviction.

"Imran Ahmad Khan Niazi is disqualified for a period of five years," it said.

Khan's constituency would now stand vacant, the order added.

Under Pakistani law, a convicted person cannot run for any public office for a period defined by the ECP, which could be up to a maximum of five years staring from the conviction date.

"We knew this was inevitable," said Khan's aide Zulfikar Bukhari adding the party will challenge the disqualification in high court.

"We're highly confident it will be reversed," he said.

Khan, who has denied any wrongdoing, was sentenced to three years imprisonment on Saturday on charges of unlawfully selling state gifts he and his family acquired during his tenure from 2018 to 2022. He was arrested at his Lahore house and taken to a prison near Islamabad.

Khan's legal team has filed an appeal seeking to set aside the guilty verdict, which Islamabad High Court will take up on Wednesday, his lawyer Naeem Panjutha said.

The petition describes the conviction as "without lawful authority, tainted with bias", and said Khan, 70, had not received an adequate hearing.

It said the court had rejected a list of witnesses for the defence a day before reaching its verdict, calling this a "gross travesty of justice, and a slap in the face of due process and fair trial".

The court had expedited the trial after Khan refused to attend hearings despite repeated summonses and arrest warrants.

Lawyer Says Not Allowed To Meet Imran Khan

ISLAMABAD, Aug 6: Pakistani former Prime Minister Imran Khan's lawyers could not reach him on Sunday after he spent the night in a jail near the capital following his arrest the previous day on a corruption conviction, a spokesperson said.

Khan was taken by police from his home in the eastern city of Lahore on Saturday and transferred to the jail just outside Islamabad, where a court had convicted him of charges arising over the sale of state gifts. The conviction likely means the cricket star-turned-politician will be disqualified from running in a national election.

"Attock prison is a 'No Go' area for (his) legal team as well as locals in the vicinity," said Naeem Haider Panjotha, Khan's spokesperson for legal affairs, adding they were unable to take him food or arrange the signing of legal documents.

Pakistan's information minister referred a request for comment on Khan's access to his lawyers to provincial authorities in Punjab, where the jail is located. Punjab's top information official could not immediately be reached for comment.

It was not clear whether Khan would appear in court on Monday, after a trial court's surprise weekend decision sentencing him to three years in prison.

The arrest was the latest in a series of blows that have weakened Khan's political standing, after he fell out with Pakistan's powerful military and his party splintered.

His Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party said it had filed appeals in higher courts over the decision.

The nationwide reaction was largely quiet, a contrast to widespread violent clashes that plunged the country into turmoil after Khan's several-day arrest in May, despite calls by his party on Saturday for nationwide peaceful protests.

Thousands of Khan's aides and supporters have been arrested since May, according to the interior minister. Many pro-Khan parliamentarians were also arrested and have distanced themselves from Khan, with some resigning from politics.

His arrest came days before the government was expected to dissolve parliament, which would normally lead to elections by November. But the government decided on Saturday to use the latest census as part of election procedure, potentially delaying the vote.

Britain's foreign office said on Saturday it was closely monitoring the situation and supported democratic principles. Pakistan's government denies Khan's arrest was related to the election.

Legal experts say the conviction means Khan would likely be disqualified form politics for five years.

His vice chairman, former foreign minister, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, has taken the helm of PTI in his absence.

Imran Khan Arrested In Corruption Case, Barred From Politics For 5 Years

ISLAMABAD, Aug 5: Imran Khan, former Pakistan prime minister, was arrested today after a court sentenced him to three years in jail in a corruption case. An Islamabad trial court also barred him from participating in active politics for five year.

The 70-year-old politician, also a cricket legend, was found guilty of illegally selling gifts he received from foreign dignitaries during his term as prime minister.

The gifts included watches given by a royal family, according to government officials, who have alleged previously that Khan's aides sold them in Dubai.

Islamabad's district and sessions court judge Humayun Dilawar announced the verdict in a surprise move on Saturday.

Khan denies any wrongdoing and his legal team said they would be filing an immediate appeal.

"It's important to mention there was no chance given to present witnesses, neither was time allotted to round up arguments," a member of the team said.

Imran Khan's tenure as prime minister was cut short when opponents won a no-confidence vote against him last year, which Khan alleges was passed with the help of the country's powerful military. The military denies any role in the matter.

His targeting of the military has raised political temperatures, and his brief arrest in May on corruption charges sparked violent protests in the country.

Parliament is likely to be dissolved after it completes its term in the next two weeks, with national elections to be held by mid-November or earlier.

ISIS Confirms Leader Killed In Clashes In Syria, Announces Next-In-Line

BEIRUT, Aug 3: The Islamic State group announced on Thursday the death of its leader Abu al-Hussein al-Husseini al-Qurashi, who it said was killed in clashes in northwestern Syria.

The leader "was killed after direct clashes" with jihadist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham in Idlib province, an IS spokesman said in a recorded message on its channels on the Telegram messaging app, without specifying when he was killed.

The spokesman announced the group's new leader -- its fifth -- as Abi Hafsan al-Hashimi al-Qurashi.

After a meteoric rise in Iraq and Syria in 2014 that saw it conquer vast swathes of territory, IS saw its self-proclaimed "caliphate" collapse under a wave of offensives.

The Sunni Muslim extremist group's austere and terror-ridden rule was marked by beheadings and mass shootings.

It was defeated in Iraq in 2017 and in Syria two years later, but sleeper cells still carry out attacks in both countries.

In November last year, IS said its previous leader, Abu Hasan al-Hashimi al-Qurashi, had been killed.

His predecessor, Abu Ibrahim al-Qurashi, was killed in February last year in a US raid in Idlib province.

The group's first "caliph", Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, was killed, also in Idlib, in October 2019.

Will Return 'Immediately' If Interests Upheld: Russia On Black Sea Deal

MOSCOW, Aug 2: The Kremlin on Wednesday restated its position on the Black Sea grain deal, saying it was ready to return to it "immediately" once the part that concerns Russia was implemented.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was commenting a day after the U.S. envoy to the United Nations said there were "indications" that Russia might be interested in returning to discussions about the deal, which had allowed Ukraine to export grain by sea.

Peskov also told reporters that President Vladimir Putin was holding a call on Wednesday morning with Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan, whose country brokered the deal along with the United Nations in July last year.

Moscow exited the deal last month, complaining that the international community had failed to ensure that Russia could also freely export its grain and fertiliser as part of that accord.

Asked about the issue, Peskov said: "Russia - and President Putin has said this 100 times already - is ready to immediately return to the deal itself... just the deal must be implemented in the part that concerns the Russian Federation. So far this has not been done, as you know."

"The West imposed sanctions against Russia without taking into account the needs of the world community for food, the U.N. General Secretariat is well aware of this," he added.

Russia's grain and fertiliser exports are not subject to Western sanctions but Moscow has said restrictions on payments, logistics and insurance have been a barrier to shipments.

The deal aimed to alleviate a global food crisis, and grain prices have risen since Moscow let it expire on July 17. Ukraine and Russia are both leading grain exporters.

Nearly 33 million tonnes of Ukrainian grain was exported while the Black Sea deal was in operation.

Conflict With China Would Have 'Disastrous Results': Taiwan Minister

TAIPEI, Aug 2: A Chinese invasion of Taiwan would have "disastrous results" for the world, Foreign Minister Joseph Wu said in an interview Wednesday, citing the island's strategic importance for the semiconductor industry and global shipping lanes.

Wu's warning comes as democratically ruled Taiwan heads towards a presidential election next year, while facing increased military and political pressure from China across the Taiwan Strait.

Beijing claims Taiwan as its own territory and has vowed repeatedly to take it one day -- militarily, if necessary.

Wu said any act of force against Taiwan would have global reverberations.

"What we need to do is to explain to the international community that if there's any conflict involving Taiwan, it's going to have disastrous results for the rest of the world," Wu said, pointing to the food and fuel shortages, and spiralling inflation, that resulted from Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The consequences of a cross-strait conflict are largely commercial -- more than 50 percent of the world's shipping containers pass through the 180-kilometre (110 miles) wide waterway separating Taiwan from mainland China.

Freedom of navigation is therefore one of the "crucial elements of international security and prosperity".

Taiwan also holds a near-monopoly on producing semiconductors, the microchips that are the lifeblood of the modern economy and power everything from simple coffee machines to complex weaponry such as missiles and defence infrastructure.

"Think about the disruption of the supply chain," he said in a wide-ranging interview.

"We hope that the Chinese government will not resort to the use of force against Taiwan, because the impact is going to be too serious for the world."

As Taiwan gears up for January's presidential election, Wu said the island was seeing a "more sophisticated" disinformation campaign to influence its 23 million-strong population.

"What China has been doing in engaging in cognitive warfare is to change the thinking of the critical minority here in Taiwan -- to vote the other way so they can change the outcome of the election," he said.

Wu is part of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), perceived as more pro-United States than the opposition Kuomintang Party.

The DPP administration is headed by President Tsai Ing-wen, who is in her final term in office and is hated by the Chinese leadership for her refusal to accept that Taiwan belongs to China.

Relations between Taiwan and China have plunged since Tsai's election in 2016, with Beijing refusing to engage with Taipei.

Global attention on cross-strait tensions has spiked in the past year, which Wu attributes to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

"(The international community) look around... and then realise Taiwan might be the next one. They look at the Chinese track record of threatening Taiwan"," he said, pointing to a much-cited timeline of 2027 as a possibility for a Chinese invasion.

US officials have said they believe China would not have the military capability to undertake such an operation before then.

Taiwan has seen near-daily incursions of Chinese warplanes around its air defence zone and patrolling naval vessels since last August, when then-US House speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taipei in a trip that enraged Beijing.

The frequency is "putting Taiwan in a situation where our defence depth is compressed, where our response time is shortened, where the military threat is more serious than ever", Wu said.

Moral support and military assistance, such as the $345 million aid package announced by the Pentagon at the weekend, is appreciated, Wu said.

However, Taiwanese do not "count on the US to fight a war" for them.

"We understand that this is our place, this is our country, this is our sovereignty and it is our democratic way of life... Therefore, defending Taiwan is our own responsibility," Wu said.

"We will not give it up for anything at all."

Justin Trudeau Announces Separation From Wife

OTTAWA, Aug 2: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife Sophie are separating and have signed a legal agreement, his office said in a statement on Wednesday that appeared to mark the end of the couple's 18-year marriage.

"They have worked to ensure that all legal and ethical steps with regards to their decision to separate have been taken, and will continue to do so moving forward," it said.

Trudeau, 51, and Sophie, 48, were married in late May 2005. They have three children.