News of the World

[kyonides]

How will  Wulfo survive watching SVU now that his favorite character Munch is gone?
 Age can be a cruel enemy for sure.

China Sends Top Diplomat to Russia Ahead of Ukraine War Anniversary

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is sending Wang Yi, director of the regime’s Foreign Affairs Commission, to Moscow, where it is rumored Wang may even meet with Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

The visit comes just days after the United States announced that it was concerned the CCP may be preparing to provide weapons to Russia.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Wang on Feb. 18, on the sidelines of a global security conference in Munich, where he warned Wang of consequences should the CCP provide materiel support to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

Chinese weapons supplies to Russia would risk a potential escalation of the Ukraine war into a confrontation between Russia and China on the one side and Ukraine and the U.S.-led NATO military alliance on the other.
...
Wang Wenbin declined to say what Wang Yi would discuss with Russian authorities, but said the CCP aimed to avoid a nuclear war.

Despite the claim, both Russia and China are seeking to modernize and expand their nuclear arsenals, and Russia is deploying its nuclear forces in a posture unseen since the Cold War.

Russia Suspends Participation in Last Nuclear Arms Treaty With US

“As of today, Russia is suspending its participation in the strategic offensive arms treaty,” Putin said in a national address, which he delivered almost one year after the launch of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“We’re not withdrawing from the agreement,” he clarified. “We’re just suspending [our participation in] it.”

The New START treaty, which was first signed in 2010 and took effect the following year, aims to set limits on both countries’ sizable nuclear arsenals.

In 2021, shortly after U.S. President Joe Biden took office, the treaty was extended by a further five years.
The United States and Russia are believed to account for roughly 90 percent of the world’s existing nuclear warheads.
...
Russia’s arsenal consists of some 5,977 nuclear warheads, while the United States currently possesses about 5,550 warheads.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken described the move as “unfortunate and irresponsible.”

 Oh no! We're not retreating from the treaty, it's just that we need more time, like another 5 years, to get ready and let foreign inspectors confirm our official version. You've got nothing to  worry about.

Manufacturing in China and Exporting Globally ‘No Longer Viable’: Kyocera

Kyocera, one of the largest chip component manufacturers in the world, believes China can no longer play its role as the global factory amid heavy sanctions from the United States, and the company has begun shifting production to other places, including Japan.
...
“Not only have wages gone up, but obviously, with all that’s happening between the United States and China, it’s difficult to export from China to some regions.”

Kyocera is building its first factory in Japan in almost 20 years.

On Oct. 7, 2022, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced new export restrictions on chip manufacturing and advanced semiconductors in a bid to prevent American technology from being used in the development of the Chinese military.

Tanimoto admitted that the U.S. export controls were a reason why the firm cut down its operating profit forecast for the year by 31 percent. Kyocera commands a 70 percent market share globally in ceramic components used in chip-manufacturing equipment.
...
Back in 2019, when the Trump administration had imposed tariffs on China, Kyocera had moved the manufacturing of copiers for the U.S. market from China to Vietnam.

Many companies have moved production out of China or plan to do so. In April last year, for example, Apple began manufacturing its iPhone 13 in India at a site owned by Foxconn, its Taiwanese contract manufacturer. In addition, Apple is sending the production of iPads and AirPods to Vietnam.

Samsung shifted production to Vietnam back in 2019. The company has also decided to manufacture its flagship Galaxy S23 smartphones in India for local sale. Amazon has shut down its Kindle facility in China and now produces FireTV devices in India.

Apple Daily Assets Up For Public Auction After NSA Raid and Closure

The assets of a former pro-democracy media in Hong Kong are up for public auction.

Apple Daily was raided by police on Aug. 10, 2020, after the implementation of the Hong Kong National Security Law.

It was forced to cease operation after authorities froze the assets of company CEO Jimmy Lai on Jun. 17, 2021. Lai and six senior officials were arrested and charged with violating the Hong Kong National Security Law. Lai is facing a potential life-long sentence.
...
The employee said the equipment had become rusted and molded from being left unattended for too long. The untidiness of the office desks reflected the suddenness with which employees left without an opportunity to pack. Belongings were scattered and left behind during the quick evacuation.

MP Voices Concern About Chinese Diplomat Reportedly Boasting
She Helped Defeat 2 Tory Electoral Candidates

MPs raised concerns Tuesday in a House of Commons committee meeting about the latest revelations from reportedly leaked Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) files that allege Chinese interference in Canada’s last two federal elections.

The Commons Procedure and House Affairs Committee on Feb. 21 heard allegations based on a Globe and Mail report that China’s former consul-general in Vancouver, Tong Xiaoling, bragged that she helped defeat two Conservative MPs running for election in 2021, including an MP who she allegedly described as “a vocal distractor.”

The committee heard that former Consul General Wang Jin was also allegedly involved in efforts to rally support for Liberals and target Conservative candidates for election defeat, including tactics such as “funnelling money to candidates through illegal undeclared cash donations.”
...
Cooper said allegations include “disinformation targeted against Conservative candidates, collusion with Liberal candidates, the widespread use of proxies to advance the Chinese Communist Party’s objectives of helping the Liberal Party, and working to defeat certain Conservative candidates, all coordinated and directed by Chinese communist diplomats on Canadian soil.”
...
The MP said that Beijing allegedly had two overriding objectives: to ensure the Liberal Party was reelected with a minority government, and to make sure certain Conservative candidates deemed unfriendly to China would be defeated.

FAA Proposes $175,000 Penalty on SpaceX for Not Complying With Safety Rules

A $175,000 civil penalty has been proposed against SpaceX because the company didn’t submit launch collision trajectory data to the agency prior to launching the Starlink Group 4-27 mission on Aug. 19, 2022.
...
“SpaceX has 30 days to respond to the FAA after receiving the agency’s enforcement letter,” the agency stated. The mission had sent a batch of 53 Starlink internet satellites to space from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida using a Falcon 9 rocket.

Since SpaceX didn’t provide the launch collision analysis trajectory data seven days prior to the launch, it’s actually subject to an inflation-adjusted fine capped at $262,666 per federal statute.
...
In June 2022, the FAA said that SpaceX would be required to comply with more than 75 environmental actions before it’s allowed to launch its Starship spacecraft program.

The actions require SpaceX to remove launch debris from sensitive habitats in the Texas State Parks and Lower Rio Grande National Wildlife Refuge, monitor wildlife and plants for launch effects, and manage noise and light pollution from the launch site.

Uncontrolled Fire Growing North of Melbourne

A large, fast-moving and uncontrolled grassfire north of Melbourne is growing and heading towards more towns.

The blaze started at Flowerdale, about 90 minutes from the Victorian capital, on Tuesday afternoon and is burning north towards Yea.

Waterbombing aircraft were used overnight, and it’s believed no homes have been impacted, but the full extent of damage to fences and sheds is unknown.

The fire is more than 700 hectares in size and burning across steep, inaccessible terrain towards forested areas.

An emergency warning is in place for Flowerdale, meaning it is too late for many residents to leave.

However, those located between Dairy Creek Road and Handleys Road and Upper King Parrot Creek Road and Landmark Lane have been told to go before conditions get worse.