China

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Japan’s Abe sends offering to controversial shrine for war dead

April 21, 2019

FILE PHOTO - Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe speaks to media after phone talks with U.S. President Donald Trump after second North Korea-U.S. summit, in Tokyo
FILE PHOTO – Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe speaks to media after phone talks with U.S. President Donald Trump (not pictured) after second North Korea-U.S. summit, at Abe’s residence in Tokyo, Japan February 28, 2019. REUTERS/Issei Kato

April 21, 2019

TOKYO (Reuters) – Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sent a ritual offering to the controversial Yasukuni Shrine for war dead on Sunday but held off from visiting what Japan’s neighbors view as a symbol of the country’s former militarism.

Abe’s decision not to visit the shrine, which also honors 14 Japanese leaders convicted by an Allied tribunal as war criminals, was seen partly out of consideration of improving relations with China, with President Xi Jinping expected to visit Japan when it hosts a G20 summit in June.

China’s relations with Japan have long been soured by what Beijing sees as Tokyo’s failure to atone for its occupation of parts of China before and during World War Two, although ties have thawed recently.

In late 2013, Abe sparked widespread international outrage, including from key ally the United States as well as China and South Korea, when he visited the shrine.

Since then, the premier has sent offerings on the occasion of Yasukuni’s spring and autumn festivals and the anniversary of Japan’s World War Two surrender instead of going himself.

Japan occupied Korea from 1910-1945.

(Reporting by Tetsushi Kajimoto; Editing by Nick Macfie)

Source: OANN

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Germany’s Leica moves to distance itself from Tiananmen video

April 21, 2019

FILE PHOTO - The entrance area and the showroom of German camera manufacturer Leica Camera AG are pictured at the Leica production site in Solms
FILE PHOTO – The entrance area and the showroom of German camera manufacturer Leica Camera AG are pictured at the Leica production site in Solms, 70km south-east of Frankfurt, September 13, 2013. REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach

April 21, 2019

BEIJING (Reuters) – Germany’s Leica Camera AG has distanced itself from a promotional video that depicts a news photographer covering democracy protests at Tiananmen Square amid a backlash on social media and broad censorship of the brand’s name.

The five-minute video, called “The Hunt”, includes a dramatized scene in which a photographer runs from Chinese-speaking policemen before capturing the iconic “tank-man” photograph of a protester standing in front of a convoy of tanks to block their path.

Mention of the June 4, 1989, event is heavily censored in Chinese news and social media, as well as related dates, names and symbols. The ruling Communist Party has never declared how many protesters were killed in the crackdown in and around Tiananmen Square, with many analysts putting the toll in the hundreds.

A spokesman for Leica, Dirk Große-Leege, said in a statement “the video was not commissioned, financed or approved by any company in the Leica Group. We expressly regret any confusion and will take further legal steps to prevent unauthorized use of our brand.”

Leica did not clarify how the promotional video was conceived, or comment on the company’s relationship with the Brazilian ad agency that created it, F/Nazca Saatchi & Saatchi.

F/Nazca Saatchi & Saatchi, which previously produced promotional videos for Leica, produced “The Hunt” video and published the video on its Twitter account on April 16.

F/Nazca Saatchi & Saatchi did not respond to requests for comment, however a spokeswoman for the ad firm, Carolina Aranha, was quoted by Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post as saying the video was approved by Leica.

The backlash against the video in Chinese social media comes at a particularly sensitive time, ahead of the 30th anniversary of the protests.

Hundreds of people using Chinese social media site Weibo left comments on Leica’s recent posts, condemning the video before mentions of the company’s name were swiftly censored.

(Reporting by Beijing newsroom; Editing by Nick Macfie)

Source: OANN

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Former Olympic champion Kiprop gets four-year doping ban

April 20, 2019

FILE PHOTO - Asbel Kiprop of Kenya reacts after winning the men's 1500 metres final during the 15th IAAF World Championships at the National Stadium in Beijing
FILE PHOTO – Asbel Kiprop of Kenya reacts after winning the men’s 1500 metres final during the 15th IAAF World Championships at the National Stadium in Beijing, China, August 30, 2015. REUTERS/Phil Noble

April 20, 2019

(Reuters) – Kenya’s former Olympic 1500 meters champion Asbel Kiprop has been handed a four-year ban for doping, the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) said on Saturday.

The 29-year-old, who also won three world championship golds, tested positive for erythropoietin (EPO) in November 2017.

Kiprop had argued his urine sample, which was taken out of competition, could have been tampered with by his testers, who had tipped him off about their visit and taken a payment from him.

But the AIU, an independent body managing all doping-related matters, said they were satisfied that there had been no interference.

“The panel is aware that its order will interrupt, and may even terminate, the athlete’s sporting career and cast a shadow over his impressive competitive record,” it said in a statement.

“But in its opinion the laboratory results viewed in the context of the evidential record and the regulatory framework unit admit of no other conclusion than the case against the athlete is convincingly made out.”

Kiprop was awarded the 1500m gold medal from the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing after original winner Rashid Ramzi tested positive for doping. Kiprop won his three world titles in 2011, 2013 and 2015.

(Reporting by Hardik Vyas in Bengaluru; editing by Tony Lawrence)

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China releases new rules on game approvals

April 20, 2019

People play online games at an internet cafe in Fuyang
People play online games at an internet cafe in Fuyang, Anhui province, China August 20, 2018. Picture taken August 20, 2018. REUTERS/Stringer

April 20, 2019

SHANGHAI (Reuters) – China’s press and publication regulator has issued new rules on applications for publishing online games in China, signaling a possible acceleration in the handing out of formal approvals.

China stopped granting licenses to monetize online games in March 2018, hurting the industry and developers such as Tencent Holdings Ltd and NetEase Inc. It started up approvals again in December, only to ask local governments to pause on submitting applications in February.

The State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television released the new rules late on Friday.

Under the guidelines, games will undergo content vetting and the number of games allowed on to the market will be controlled.

Gaming market research and consulting firm Niko said the administration had explained the new rules to industry insiders earlier in the month, saying it was grinding through a backlog of applications submitted last year.

Chinese gaming publishers were being encouraged to develop titles with China’s “core social values” in mind, including games that promote traditional culture, Niko said.

Niko said the administration would take new submissions from Monday, April 22, under the new application process.

“With a new more transparent approval process set to go live soon, we have a positive outlook for China’s digital games market in 2019,” it said.

(Reporting by John Ruwitch and Li Pei; Editing by Nick Macfie)

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No signs of global recession in next 12 months: BlackRock’s Fink

April 20, 2019

Larry Fink, Chief Executive Officer of BlackRock, stands at the Bloomberg Global Business forum in New York
Larry Fink, Chief Executive Officer of BlackRock, stands at the Bloomberg Global Business forum in New York, U.S., September 26, 2018. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton

April 20, 2019

BERLIN (Reuters) – There are no signs that the global economy is sliding toward a recession in the next 12 months, BlackRock Inc’s Chief Executive Larry Fink said in remarks published on Saturday.

In an interview with German business daily Handelsblatt, Fink warned, however, that the global economy was in the late stage of a long growth cycle, suggesting that downturn was becoming more likely.

“I see no signs of a global recession in the coming 12 months,” said Fink, who leads the world’s largest asset manager.

“The central banks have loosened their policy above all because of the weak fourth quarter of 2018. We will go through a phase in which things are not great but also not bad.”

He added: “But we are naturally in a late phase of the economic growth cycle.”

The International Monetary Fund cut its global economic growth forecasts for 2019 this month and said growth could slow further due to unresolved trade disputes and the risk of Britain leaving the European Union without a deal.

The global lender said some major economies, including China and Germany, might need to take short-term actions to prop up growth and that a severe downturn could require coordinated stimulus measures.

German Finance Minister Olaf Scholz has ruled out taking on new debt to stimulate growth in Europe’s biggest economy, saying tax cuts, higher investments and a solid labor market will continue to provide growth impetus.

(Reporting by Joseph Nasr; Editing by Alison Williams)

Source: OANN

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Hundreds sign online petition supporting woman suing JD.com CEO in rape case

April 20, 2019

FILE PHOTO: JD.com founder Richard Liu attends a Reuters interview in Hong Kong
FILE PHOTO: JD.com founder Richard Liu attends a Reuters interview in Hong Kong, China June 9, 2017. REUTERS/Bobby Yip/File Photo

April 20, 2019

SHANGHAI (Reuters) – Hundreds of people have added their names to an online petition in support of a University of Minnesota student who said she was raped last August by Richard Liu, the chief executive officer of China’s e-commerce retailer JD.com Inc.

The student, Liu Jingyao, from China, filed a civil lawsuit against JD’s CEO in a Minneapolis court on Tuesday, nearly four months after prosecutors declined to press criminal charges against him.

The law suit identified the student for the first time. The two Lius are not related.

Richard Liu, through his lawyers, maintained his innocence throughout the law enforcement investigation, which ended in December. The company did not immediately respond to an email request for comment.

It was unclear who launched the petition, which carried the hashtag #HereForJingyao, although signatories included Chinese students at foreign universities as well as in China. On Saturday, it was gathering momentum on the social media platform WeChat, with more than 500 names attached.

“To Liu Jingyao: You are not alone. We believe in survivors, we believe in your bravery and honesty, we will always stand with you. We must join hands and march together in the face of the challenge of a culture of blaming the victims of rape,” the petition said.

A Chinese-language translation of the indictment was also circulating online.

Liu Jingyao first accused Richard Liu of rape in August when he was visiting the University of Minnesota to attend a program directed at executives from China.

Liu, 46, who started JD.com as a humble electronics stall and expanded it into an e-commerce company with 2018 net revenues of $67 billion, was arrested on Aug. 31 but released without charge about 17 hours later.

A fledgling #MeToo-style movement in support of women’s rights has been slow to gain wide traction in China, where issues like sexual assault have traditionally been brushed under the carpet.

China’s ruling Communist Party, wary about grassroots organizing, has also in recent months put pressure on activists focused on issues like sexual assault on campuses and workers’ rights.

(Reporting by John Ruwitch and Shu Zhang; Editing by Nick Macfie)

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China to show new warships as Beijing flexes military muscle on navy anniversary

April 20, 2019

A female soldier of the PLA Navy stand stands guard at a news conference in Qingdao
A female soldier of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy stands guard at a news conference ahead of the 70th anniversary of the founding of Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy, in Qingdao, China, April 20, 2019. REUTERS/Jason Lee

April 20, 2019

By Ben Blanchard

QINGDAO, China (Reuters) – China will show off new warships including nuclear submarines and destroyers at a parade next week marking 70 years since its navy’s founding, a senior commander said on Saturday, as Beijing flexes its increasingly well-equipped military muscle.

President Xi Jinping is overseeing a sweeping plan to refurbish the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) by developing everything from stealth jets to aircraft carriers as China ramps up its presence in the South China Sea and around self-ruled Taiwan.

The navy has been a key beneficiary of the modernization plan as China looks to project power far from the country’s shores and protect its trading routes and citizens overseas.

Last month, Beijing unveiled a target of 7.5 percent rise in defense spending for this year, a slower rate than last year but still outpacing China’s economic growth target.

Deputy naval commander Qiu Yanpeng told reporters in the eastern city of Qingdao that Tuesday’s naval parade – likely to be overseen by Xi himself, though China has not confirmed that – will feature 32 vessels and 39 aircraft.

“The PLA Navy ship and aircraft to be revealed are the Liaoning aircraft carrier, new types of nuclear submarines, new types of destroyers, as well as fighter aircraft,” Qiu said, without giving details. “Some ships will be revealed for the first time.”

The Liaoning, the country’s first carrier, was bought second-hand from Ukraine in 1998 and refitted in China.

It’s not clear if China’s second carrier, an as-yet unnamed ship developed and built purely in China, will also take part, but in the past few days state media has run stories praising recent sea trials.

Around a dozen foreign navies are also taking part. While Qiu did not give an exact number, China has announced the parade would include ships from Russia, Singapore, India, Thailand and Vietnam – which frequently complains of Chinese military activity in the disputed South China Sea.

China’s last naval battles were with the Vietnamese in the South China Sea, in 1974 and 1988, though these were relatively minor skirmishes.

Chinese navy ships have also participated in international anti-piracy patrols off Somalia’s coast since late 2008.

STRONG NAVY ‘ESSENTIAL’

Qiu reiterated China’s frequent stance that its armed forces are not a threat to anyone and that no matter what happens it will never “pursue hegemony”.

“It is fair to say that the PLA Navy has not brought war or turbulence to any place,” Qiu said.

But China has been scared by its past and needs good defenses at sea, he added.

“A strong navy is essential for building a strong maritime country,” Qiu said. “From 1840 to 1949, China was invaded by foreign powers from the sea more than 470 times, which caused untold suffering and deep wounds to the Chinese nation.”

China has frequently had to rebuff concerns about its military intentions, especially as military spending continues to scale new heights.

Beijing says it has nothing to hide, and has invited foreign media to cover next week’s naval parade and related activities, including a keynote speech by navy chief Shen Jinlong, who is close to Xi.

Zhang Junshe, a researcher at the PLA’s Naval Research Academy, told reporters after Qiu had spoken that inviting foreign navies to take part in the parade was a sign of China’s openness and self-confidence, noting China had also done this for the 60th anniversary in 2009.

“New nuclear submarines and new warships will be shown – this further goes to show that China’s navy is open and transparent,” said Zhang.

(Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Additional reporting by John Ruwitch in SHANGHAI; Editing by Kenneth Maxwell)

Source: OANN

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U.S. intelligence says Huawei funded by Chinese state security: report

April 20, 2019

Huawei logo is pictured during the media day for the Shanghai auto show in Shanghai
A Huawei logo is pictured during the media day for the Shanghai auto show in Shanghai, China April 16, 2019. REUTERS/Aly Song

April 20, 2019

(Reuters) – U.S. intelligence has accused Huawei Technologies of being funded by Chinese state security, The Times said on Saturday, adding to the list of allegations faced by the Chinese technology company in the West.

The CIA accused Huawei of receiving funding from China’s National Security Commission, the People’s Liberation Army and a third branch of the Chinese state intelligence network, the British newspaper reported, citing a source.

Earlier this year, U.S. intelligence shared its claims with other members of the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing group, which includes Britain, Australia, Canada and New Zealand, according to the report http://bit.ly/2KT7ztd.

Huawei dismissed the allegations in a statement cited by the newspaper.

“Huawei does not comment on unsubstantiated allegations backed up by zero evidence from anonymous sources,” a Huawei representative told The Times.

The company, the CIA and Chinese state security agencies did not respond immediately to requests for comment.

The accusation comes at a time of trade tensions between Washington and Beijing and amid concerns in the United States that Huawei’s equipment could be used for espionage. The company has said the concerns are unfounded.

Authorities in the United States are probing Huawei for alleged sanctions violations.

Meng Wanzhou, Huawei’s chief financial officer and daughter of its founder, Ren Zhengfei, was arrested in Canada in December at the request of the United States on charges of bank and wire fraud in violation of U.S. sanctions against Iran.

She denies wrongdoing and her father has previously said the arrest was “politically motivated”.

Amid such charges, top educational institutions in the West have recently severed ties with Huawei to avoid losing federal funding.

Another Chinese technology company, ZTE Corp, has also been at the center of similar controversies in the United States.

U.S. sanctions forced ZTE to stop most business between April and July last year after Commerce Department officials said it broke a pact and was caught illegally shipping U.S.-origin goods to Iran and North Korea. The sanctions were lifted after ZTE paid $1.4 billion in penalties.

Reuters reported earlier this week that the United States will push its allies at a meeting in Prague next month to adopt shared security and policy measures that will make it more difficult for Huawei to dominate 5G telecommunications networks.

(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Nick Macfie)

Source: OANN

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Thousands rally in Belgrade to support Serbia’s president Vucic

April 19, 2019

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic's campaign rally
Supporters of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic burn flare as they wait for his arrival for his campaign rally “The Future of Serbia” in front of the Parliament Building in Belgrade, Serbia, April 19, 2019. REUTERS/Marko Djurica. The Banner reads: “The future of Serbia”.

April 19, 2019

By Aleksandar Vasovic and Ivana Sekularac

BELGRADE (Reuters) – Thousands of people from all over Serbia flocked to Belgrade’s city center on Friday in a show of support for President Aleksandar Vucic, who has faced five months of opposition protests.

In a lengthy speech to the rally, Vucic called for a dialogue with the opposition, adding, “But we are not going to take any ultimatums”.

The crowd, rallied by a band of drummers, waved with signal flares and Serbian flags, chanting “Aco (Aleksandar abbreviated) the Serb” as Vucic took the stage in front of the country’s parliament building.

“We have no man better suited to lead us than Vucic, he is the savior of Serbia,” said Nevenka, 28, a waitress from the southern city of Nis who gave only her first name.

Vucic, an ultranationalist during the Balkan wars in the 1990s, embraced European values before coming to power in 2012. In coalition with the Socialists of Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic he controls 160 deputies in the 250-seat parliament.

The opposition, which started weekly protests in December, accuses him of stifling media freedoms and turning a blind eye to corruption and what they call the “criminal activities” of his close associates including his brother. Vucic strongly denies the allegations.

“Today is the day for our Serbia,” Vucic told the crowd.

SEEKING SUPPORT FOR KOSOVO DEAL?

Some analysts said Friday’s rally, a grand finale of Vucic’s “The Future of Serbia” campaign, was an attempt to cement popular support ahead of a long-awaited landmark deal with Kosovo, Serbia’s former southern province.

Predominantly ethnic Albanian Kosovo declared independence in 2008, almost a decade after a bloody war there. It won recognition from the United States and most EU countries, but not from Serbia or its big power patron Russia, and relations between Belgrade and Kosovo remain tense.

A binding agreement on normalisation of ties is a precondition for both countries to join the European Union.

“To sign any deal with Kosovo, he needs to show that he has strong popular support because nationalists will not like it,” said Djordje Pavicevic, professor at the Political Sciences Faculty. “On the other hand if there is no deal, pro-EU forces in the country will complain.”

Vucic said in an interview last month that failure to revive talks between Serbia and Kosovo on normalising relations could destabilize the Western Balkan region, which is still recovering from the wars of the 1990s.

Vucic is due to meet the presidents of China and Russia, Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin in Beijing next week and a week later he is expected to meet the leaders of Germany and France, Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron. Local media have reported that Kosovo will be the main topic of the talks.

Vucic is maintaining a delicate balancing act between Serbia’s EU aspirations and close ties with Russia and China.

Many Serbs remain opposed to his rule. Dragana, a nurse from central Serbia, said she did not come to Friday’s rally voluntarily.

“I had a choice, to decline and lose my job in the (state) hospital, or to be here,” said Dragana, who declined to give her last name.

“They cannot win my mind, I must be here, but tomorrow I will join our real (opposition) protest against injustice and … this ridiculousness.”

(Editing by Frances Kerry)

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US Calls on Countries to Block Russian Planes Heading to Venezuela

April 19, 2019

The arrival of Russian military planes in Venezuela in March 2019 spurred harsh criticism from the US, who has accused Moscow of destabilizing the situation in the Latin American state currently engulfed in a political crisis. Russia, for its part, has recalled that its planes arrived under a bilateral agreement with Caracas.

The US has called on the international community to deny Russian planes flying to Venezuela a right of passage through their airspace, following the example of such a move by Malta. Ortagus said that such a decision could help stop Russian support for the country’s President Nicolas Maduro.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova earlier stated that Malta had refused to provide a green light for the passage of two Russian planes carrying cargo and personnel to Venezuela. The spokeswoman noted that Malta didn’t provide any reason for denying it and added that Moscow will take this fact into consideration in its bilateral relations with the island nation.

Which swamp creatures will flip on the deep state now that their plan to take down President Trump is being revealed to the American people?

Venezuela has been engulfed in a political crisis, which took another turn after opposition figure, Juan Guaido proclaimed himself the country’s interim president. The move was immediately supported by the US and most western states, but was harshly criticized by Russia, Turkey, China, and many other countries. They expressed their support for the constitutionally elected president, Nicolas Maduro.

Washington has lambasted Moscow’s support for the president and specifically the arrival of Russian planes carrying military personnel in March 2019. The US called their arrival an “unwelcomed provocation”. At the same time, Moscow said that its military personnel had arrived to carry out maintenance on Russian military tech under a bilateral agreement with Caracas.

Whenever an outsider becomes influential in society, the establishment is eager to attack them in order to keep control. Dr. Nick Begich breaks down exactly what is going on with the fake news smears against President Trump, Infowars, and other patriots world wide.

Source: InfoWars

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