MANILA, Feb 6, 2024 (AFP) – The Philippines has thwarted thousands of “sophisticated” cyberattacks targeting the websites of President Ferdinand Marcos, the Philippine Coast Guard and other government agencies, an official said Tuesday. Hackers began the attacks last year and an investigation was underway to determine if the perpetrators were based in China, undersecretary Jeffrey Ian Dy of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) told a congressional hearing. Dy said the attackers used […]
Tag: china
US says it broke up China-backed infrastructure hacking op
WASHINGTON, Jan 31, 2024 (AFP) – US authorities said Wednesday they had dismantled a network of hackers known as Volt Typhoon, which was targeting key American public sector infrastructure like water treatment plants and transportation systems at the behest of China. FBI Director Christopher Wray explained the operation in testimony before a congressional committee on US-China competition, and the Justice Department offered more details in a statement. In May 2023, the United States and its […]
China’s top diplomat to discuss Taiwan with US security advisor
BANGKOK, Jan 26, 2024 (AFP) – China’s top diplomat Wang Yi will discuss Taiwan with US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan during talks in Thailand this week, Beijing said Friday, as the two powers seek to improve relations after years of tensions. Beijing and Washington have clashed in recent years on flashpoint issues from technology and trade to human rights, as well as over the self-ruled island and competing claims in the South China Sea. […]
China says jailed British national in 2022 for spying
BEIJING, Jan 26, 2024 (AFP) – China said Friday it had sentenced a British national in 2022 to five years in jail for spying, in its official confirmation of a case that had gone unreported until this week. The Wall Street Journal first broke news of the case of UK businessman Ian Stones on Thursday, reporting, citing his family and other sources, that he had disappeared in 2018 after decades of work in China. Asked […]
At least 39 dead in central China fire
BEIJING, Jan 24, 2024 (AFP) – At least 39 people died and nine were receiving treatment for injuries Wednesday after a fire broke out at a store in the central Chinese province of Jiangxi, state media reported. “At 3:24 pm (0724 GMT) on January 24, a fire broke out on the below-ground level at a store… in Xinyu, Jiangxi,” the country’s state broadcaster CCTV reported. “Up until now, the accident has resulted in the death […]
League of Legends maker Riot Games to slash 530 jobs
LOS ANGELES, Jan 23, 2024 (AFP) – League of Legends maker Riot Games said Monday it will cut around 530 jobs worldwide, describing the layoffs as “a necessity.” The layoffs at Riot — owned by Chinese tech giant Tencent — follow a turbulent year for the gaming industry, with job cuts at major firms including Electronic Arts and Ubisoft. Riot has developed global hits including League of Legends and Valorant, but said it had launched […]
Taiwan douses speculation it may lose another Pacific ally
SYDNEY, Jan 23, 2024 (AFP) – Taiwanese diplomats on Tuesday said they were confident of retaining “a strong bond” with key partner Tuvalu as speculation mounted that the Pacific micronation could soon switch its allegiance to Beijing. The dwindling list of countries that officially recognize Taiwan shrunk earlier this month when Nauru abruptly severed diplomatic ties in favor of Beijing. With Tuvalu heading to the polls on Friday, some Pacific watchers have questioned whether Beijing […]
Major 7.0 earthquake hits China-Kyrgyzstan border
BEIJING, Jan 22, 2024 (AFP) – A major 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck along the mountainous China-Kyrgyzstan border on Tuesday, triggering warnings of potentially widespread damage though no casualties were immediately reported. Local authorities dispatched a team to reach the quake’s epicentre, the Xinhua state news agency said, while some 800 people were on stand-by ready for any large disaster relief mission. The quake was registered just after 2:00 am (1800 GMT Monday) at a depth of […]
Dozens buried, eight killed in southwest China landslide
By Matthew WALSH BEIJING, Jan 22, 2024 (AFP) – Dozens of people were buried and eight confirmed killed when a landslide struck a remote and mountainous part of southwestern China on Monday. The pre-dawn landslide buried 18 homes and sparked the evacuation of more than 200 people when it struck in Zhenxiong County, Yunnan province, state media said. Eight people are confirmed dead and rescuers have extracted four, according to a report by state broadcaster […]
Taiwan detects record six Chinese balloons
TAIPEI, Jan 22, 2024 (AFP) – A record six Chinese balloons were detected around Taiwan, with one flying directly above the island, Taipei’s defence ministry said Monday. Five were seen near the northern coastal city of Keelung while one flew above the island near southern Pingtung county, a map released by the ministry showed. The defence ministry, which releases daily data on China’s military presence around Taiwan, said the balloons were all spotted on Sunday […]
47 buried in southwest China landslide
BEIJING, Jan 22, 2024 (AFP) – Forty-seven people were buried in a landslide in China’s southwestern Yunnan province on Monday, state media reported. The landslide took place at 5:51 am (2151 GMT Sunday) in Zhenxiong County, state news agency Xinhua reported, citing local authorities. State broadcaster CCTV said around 18 households were buried in the landslide, and that more than 200 people were “urgently evacuated” from the area. Authorities have launched an emergency response involving […]
Investigation under way after China school fire kills 13
By Jing Xuan TENG YANSHANPU, China, Jan 21, 2024 (AFP) – Authorities in central China’s Henan Province were on Sunday looking into the cause of a night-time fire that killed 13 schoolchildren as they slept in a dormitory. The inferno, which took place at the Yingcai School in Yanshanpu village, was reported to the local fire department at 11:00 pm (1500 GMT) on Friday and was put out around 40 minutes later, official news agency […]





