China sentences former asset manager to death for 'extremely large' bribes - CNA

SHANGHAI: A Chinese court on Tuesday (May 28) sentenced to death a former executive of one of the country's largest state-controlled asset management firms for accepting "extremely large" bribes, state media reported.

Bai Tianhui, the former general manager at a subsidiary of bad-debt manager Huarong Asset Management, was found guilty of receiving the equivalent of more than 1.1 billion yuan (US$151.9 million) while using his management positions to offer favourable treatment in "matters including project acquisition and corporate financing", state broadcaster CCTV said.

Huarong has been a major target of Chinese President Xi Jinping's years-long graft crackdown, with its former chairman Lai Xiaomin executed in January 2021 for receiving bribes worth US$260 million.

Supporters say the anti-corruption campaign promotes clean governance, but critics say it also provides Xi with the power to purge political rivals.

The court sentenced Bai to "death, deprivation of political rights for life, and confiscation of all personal property", CCTV said.

"The value of Bai Tianhui's bribery crime was extremely large, the circumstances of the crime were extremely serious, the social impact was extremely bad, and it caused extremely heavy damage to the interests of the country and the people," the court decided, according to the broadcaster.

China's top leaders declared at a Politburo meeting on Monday that discussed financial risks that "those who fail to perform their duties will be held to account, and be severely punished", state news agency Xinhua said.

Recent months have seen several figures from China's financial and banking sectors targeted by anti-graft authorities.

In April, Liu Liange, chairman of the Bank of China from 2019 to 2023, admitted to "accepting bribes and illegally providing loans".

That same month, former head of Chinese state-owned banking giant Everbright Group Li Xiaopeng came under investigation for "severe violations" of the law.

China classifies death penalty statistics as a state secret, though Amnesty and other rights groups believe thousands of people are executed in the country every year.

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMid2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vZWFzdC1hc2lhL2NoaW5hLWRlYXRoLXBlbmFsdHktaHVhcm9uZy1hc3NldC1tYW5hZ2VtZW50LWFudGktY29ycnVwdGlvbi1jYW1wYWlnbi00MzcwMTEx0gEA?oc=5

2024-05-29 00:37:00Z
CBMid2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vZWFzdC1hc2lhL2NoaW5hLWRlYXRoLXBlbmFsdHktaHVhcm9uZy1hc3NldC1tYW5hZ2VtZW50LWFudGktY29ycnVwdGlvbi1jYW1wYWlnbi00MzcwMTEx0gEA

Thousands protest as Taiwan's parliament passes contested reforms - CNA

The KMT has denounced the DPP for trying to "paint them red", the colour of China's Communist Party, and says the DPP is trying to stymie efforts to investigate corruption cases and sow unfounded fears about the reforms.

Outside parliament, protesters showed their anger at the reforms being passed, and also shouted "refuse Chinese political interference", among other slogans.

"This is the people's voice," said Zheng Hung-gun, 33, who works in the food industry. "Taiwanese are not afraid of enemies from outside but we are worried about our internal enemies."

On Friday night, tens of thousands thronged the roads around parliament protesting the reforms.

Several senior KMT leaders have visited China this year, in what the party says is an effort to keep lines of communication open. It denies being pro-Beijing.

China refuses to speak to Lai or the DPP, saying they are "separatists". Lai says only Taiwan's people can decide their future and has repeatedly offered talks with China, but been rebuffed.

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMib2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vZWFzdC1hc2lhL3Rob3VzYW5kcy1wcm90ZXN0LXRhaXdhbnMtcGFybGlhbWVudC1wYXNzZXMtY29udGVzdGVkLXJlZm9ybXMtNDM2ODM4MdIBAA?oc=5

2024-05-28 11:02:33Z
CBMib2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vZWFzdC1hc2lhL3Rob3VzYW5kcy1wcm90ZXN0LXRhaXdhbnMtcGFybGlhbWVudC1wYXNzZXMtY29udGVzdGVkLXJlZm9ybXMtNDM2ODM4MdIBAA

China expresses 'grave concern' over Israel's military operations in Rafah - CNA

Beijing has been calling for an immediate ceasefire since the start of the current Israel-Hamas war in October last year.

China has historically been sympathetic to the Palestinian cause and supportive of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

And President Xi Jinping has called for an "international peace conference" to resolve the fighting.

The war in Gaza started after Hamas' Oct 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel, which resulted in the deaths of more than 1,170 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures.

Militants also took 252 hostages, 121 of whom remain in Gaza, including 37 the army says are dead.

Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed at least 36,050 people in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry.

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiY2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vd29ybGQvaXNyYWVsLWhhbWFzLXdhci1jaGluYS1yYWZhaC1vZmZlbnNpdmUtY2Vhc2VmaXJlLWNhbXAtNDM2ODMwMdIBAA?oc=5

2024-05-28 10:10:52Z
CBMiY2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vd29ybGQvaXNyYWVsLWhhbWFzLXdhci1jaGluYS1yYWZhaC1vZmZlbnNpdmUtY2Vhc2VmaXJlLWNhbXAtNDM2ODMwMdIBAA

Real estate boom takes hold in Kyiv as Ukrainians flee war-torn frontline cities - CNA

Developer Yuriy Rybalchenko was the among first in the city to begin rebuilding after Russian forces retreated.

He said the number of construction projects has now reached as much as 50 per cent of pre-war figures.

“We adapted our projects, even those that were already under construction, to match new building regulations which require the installation of bomb shelters,” he added.

He plans to make the shelters as comfortable as possible, featuring workspaces, access to the internet, and a children’s room.

For many Ukrainians, including the Bazilevychs, buying a home now is about how far they can get away from the frontlines and from airstrikes.

Mr Bazilevychs said having a bomb shelter in his building is a must. His family also prefers living in a unit closer to the ground so they are less exposed to air attacks. 

“We’re just trying to find something low level – first or second floors. Third level is the maximum,” he said.

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiX2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vd29ybGQvdWtyYWluZS13YXItcnVzc2lhLWludmFzaW9uLWt5aXYtcmVhbC1lc3RhdGUtYm9vbS00MzY3NTk20gEA?oc=5

2024-05-28 02:59:43Z
CBMiX2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vd29ybGQvdWtyYWluZS13YXItcnVzc2lhLWludmFzaW9uLWt5aXYtcmVhbC1lc3RhdGUtYm9vbS00MzY3NTk20gEA

Israel faces global outcry over Rafah strike; Netanyahu acknowledges 'tragic accident' - CNA

"DANGEROUS VIOLATION"

Footage from the Palestinian Red Crescent Society showed chaotic nighttime scenes of paramedics racing to the attack site and evacuating the wounded.

Mughayyir said the rescue efforts were hampered by war damage and the impacts of Israel's siege, which has led to severe shortages of fuel and "water to extinguish fires".

The Israeli attack sparked strong protests from mediators Egypt and Qatar, as well as from other regional governments.

Egypt deplored the "targeting of defenceless civilians", calling it part of "a systematic policy aimed at widening the scope of death and destruction in the Gaza Strip to make it uninhabitable".

Qatar condemned a "dangerous violation of international law" and voiced "concern that the bombing will complicate ongoing mediation efforts" towards a truce.

The top world court, the International Court of Justice, on Friday ordered Israel to halt any offensive in Rafah and elsewhere that could bring about "the physical destruction" of the Palestinians.

The war in Gaza started after Hamas' Oct 7 attack on southern Israel, which resulted in the deaths of more than 1,170 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures.

Militants also took 252 hostages, 121 of whom remain in Gaza, including 37 the army says are dead.

Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed at least 36,050 people in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry.

Philippe Lazzarini, head of UNRWA, which has been central to aid operations in the besieged territory during the war, said on social media platform X that "with every day passing, providing assistance & protection becomes nearly impossible".

"The images from last night are testament to how Rafah has turned into hell on Earth," he said.

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiigFodHRwczovL3d3dy5jaGFubmVsbmV3c2FzaWEuY29tL3dvcmxkL2lzcmFlbC1mYWNlcy1nbG9iYWwtb3V0Y3J5LXJhZmFoLXN0cmlrZS1nYXphLWJlbmphbWluLW5ldGFueWFodS1hY2tub3dsZWRnZXMtdHJhZ2ljLWluY2lkZW50LTQzNjYzNzbSAQA?oc=5

2024-05-28 02:21:00Z
CBMiigFodHRwczovL3d3dy5jaGFubmVsbmV3c2FzaWEuY29tL3dvcmxkL2lzcmFlbC1mYWNlcy1nbG9iYWwtb3V0Y3J5LXJhZmFoLXN0cmlrZS1nYXphLWJlbmphbWluLW5ldGFueWFodS1hY2tub3dsZWRnZXMtdHJhZ2ljLWluY2lkZW50LTQzNjYzNzbSAQA

North Korea says latest spy satellite launch exploded in flight - The Straits Times

A tactical ballistic missile is fired in a test at an undisclosed location in North Korea on May 17. PHOTO: AFP

SEOUL – North Korea said its attempt to launch a new military reconnaissance satellite ended in failure on May 27 when a newly developed rocket engine exploded in flight.

The attempt came just hours after Pyongyang issued a warning that it would try to launch a satellite by June 4, in what would have been its second spy satellite in orbit.

Instead, the launch became the nuclear-armed North’s latest failure, following two other fiery crashes in 2023. It successfully placed its first spy satellite in orbit in November.

“The launch of the new satellite carrier rocket failed when it exploded in mid-air during the flight of the first stage,” the deputy director-general of North Korea’s National Aerospace Technology Administration said in a report carried by state media.

An initial analysis suggested that the cause was a newly developed liquid fuel rocket motor, but other possible causes were being investigated, the report said.

Officials in South Korea and Japan had earlier reported that the launch seemed to have failed.

North Korea fired the projectile on a southern path off its west coast at around 10.44pm (9.44pm in Singapore), the South’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said, hours after Pyongyang said it would be launching a satellite some time before June 4.

JCS said it detected debris from the rocket in the sea, however, and South Korean and US intelligence agencies were investigating whether the launch failed.

The object launched by North Korea disappeared over the Yellow Sea, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters, adding the government presumes nothing had entered the space.

“These launches are in violation of relevant security council resolutions and are a serious matter concerning the safety of our people,” Mr Hayashi said.

Japanese public broadcaster NHK showed video of what appeared to be an orange dot flying into the night sky and then bursting into flames in an area close to the border between China and North Korea.

A Japanese Defence Ministry official told reporters that the colour of the flames in the footage suggests that liquid fuel may be burning, but details are currently being analysed, NHK reported.

The launch appeared to originate from Dongchang-ri, a north-western area of the country where North Korea’s main space flight centre is based, the South’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said.

The Japanese government issued an emergency warning for residents in the south to take cover from the possible threat of a North Korean missile. It later lifted the warning, saying the missile was not expected to fly over Japanese territory.

Japan said over its J-Alert broadcasting system that North Korea appeared to have fired a missile, sending out the warning to residents in the southern prefecture of Okinawa.

Several failure, one sucess

The launch would likely be the nuclear-armed North’s attempt to place a second spy satellite into orbit. After several failed attempts that ended when the rockets crashed, North Korea successfully placed its first such satellite in orbit in November.

The North’s first bid to launch the new Chollima-1 satellite rocket, on May 31, 2023, ended after a failure in the second stage. State media blamed the setback on an unstable and unreliable new engine system and fuel.

After the May launch attempt, South Korea retrieved the wreckage of the satellite from the sea and said an analysis showed it had no meaningful use as a reconnaissance platform.

Another attempt in August also ended in failure, with stages of the rocket boosters experiencing problems resulting in the payloads crashing into the sea.

North Korea’s space authorities described the August failure after the rocket booster experienced a problem with its third stage as “not a big issue” in terms of the rocket system’s overall reliability.

In February, US space experts said North Korea’s first spy satellite, dubbed the Malligyong-1, was “alive”, after detecting changes in its orbit that suggested Pyongyang was successfully controlling the spacecraft, although its capabilities remain unknown.

North Korean state media reported that the satellite transmitted photos of the Pentagon and the White House, among other areas, but has not released any of the images.

The successful November launch was the first after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un made a rare trip abroad in September and toured Russia’s most modern space launch centre, where President Vladimir Putin promised to help Pyongyang build satellites.

Neither country has elaborated on the extent of that future aid, which could violate United Nations Security Council resolutions against North Korea.

Russian experts have visited North Korea to help with the satellite and space rocket programme, South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reported, citing an unnamed South Korean senior defence official.

Pyongyang has said it needs a military reconnaissance satellite to boost monitoring of US and South Korean military activities. REUTERS

More On This Topic

North Korea plans to launch satellite rocket between May 27 and June 4, Japan Coast Guard says

Russian experts visit North Korea to help with spy satellites: Report

• North Korea
• South Korea
• Arms and weapons
• Spying

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiZmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnN0cmFpdHN0aW1lcy5jb20vYXNpYS9ub3J0aC1rb3JlYS1maXJlcy1zdXNwZWN0ZWQtcm9ja2V0LWFmdGVyLXdhcm5pbmctb2Ytc2F0ZWxsaXRlLWxhdW5jaNIBAA?oc=5

2024-05-27 14:27:25Z
CBMiZmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnN0cmFpdHN0aW1lcy5jb20vYXNpYS9ub3J0aC1rb3JlYS1maXJlcy1zdXNwZWN0ZWQtcm9ja2V0LWFmdGVyLXdhcm5pbmctb2Ytc2F0ZWxsaXRlLWxhdW5jaNIBAA

Israel looking into 'grave and awful' Rafah strike - CNA

The strike was aimed at two Hamas militants responsible for "many attacks" targeting Israelis in the occupied West Bank, he said.

"They were drenched in Israeli blood, these two individuals," Hyman said.

"According to initial reports, a fire broke out after the attack. These terrorists were hiding underground, and it would appear that there were civilian casualties."

The military said that the strike, which came hours after a rocket attack from Rafah had targeted Tel Aviv, had killed Yassin Rabia and Khaled Nagar, both senior officials for Hamas in the West Bank.

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiWmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vd29ybGQvaXNyYWVsLXJhZmFoLXN0cmlrZS1sb29raW5nLWF3ZnVsLWhhbWFzLWdhemEtNDM2Njc2MdIBAA?oc=5

2024-05-27 13:32:00Z
CBMiWmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vd29ybGQvaXNyYWVsLXJhZmFoLXN0cmlrZS1sb29raW5nLWF3ZnVsLWhhbWFzLWdhemEtNDM2Njc2MdIBAA