Breaking News, Latest Philippines Headlines, World, Entertainment, Politics, Weather & Video News
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — FBI Director Christopher Wray said Tuesday his agency believes the Covid-19 pandemic was “most likely” caused by an incident in a laboratory in Wuhan, China. “The FBI has for quite some time now assessed that the origins of the pandemic are most likely a potential lab incident in Wuhan,” Wray said in an interview with Fox News. The comments come after a report earlier this week said the US Department […]
KYIV, Ukraine (AFP) — Ukraine’s head of military intelligence has brushed aside claims that China is considering furnishing arms to Russia, telling US media that he saw no “signs that such things are even being discussed”. Senior US officials have said as recently as Sunday that they were “confident” China was considering providing lethal equipment to Moscow, with a diplomatic pressure campaign underway to discourage it from doing so. But when asked about the possibility […]
Ottawa, Canada (AFP) — The Canadian government on Monday banned TikTok from all of its phones and other devices, citing concerns about data protection. TikTok, whose parent company ByteDance is Chinese, has faced increasing Western scrutiny in recent months over fears about how much access Beijing has to user data. Effective Tuesday, “the TikTok application will be removed from government-issued mobile devices. Users of these devices will also be blocked from downloading the application in […]
by Poornima WEERASEKARA Agence France-Presse BEIJING, China (AFP) — China last year approved the largest expansion of coal-fired power plants since 2015, according to a study published Monday, despite its vow to begin phasing down use of the fossil fuel in just three years. The coal power capacity that China began building in 2022 was six times as much as that in the rest of the world combined, the report by the Center for Research […]
BEIJING, China (AFP) — China called Friday for Russia and Ukraine to hold peace talks as soon as possible, while insisting that nuclear weapons must not be used in their conflict. Beijing’s foreign ministry made the comments in a 12-point paper on the “political settlement” of the crisis, timed to coincide with the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The paper follows accusations from the West that China is considering arming Russia — a […]
KYIV, Ukraine (AFP) — The Chinese government did not consult with Kyiv when preparing its peace plan to end Russia’s war in Ukraine, a senior Ukrainian official said on condition of anonymity. “China did not consult with us,” the official told reporters, including AFP. Beijing has promised to publish its proposed “political solution” to the Ukraine conflict this week, in time for the first anniversary of Russia’s February 24 invasion of its neighbor. Ukraine’s top […]
BEIJING, China (AFP) — The United States has said China is “considering providing lethal support” for Russia’s war in Ukraine. Beijing quickly rebuffed the claim this week but experts say it may have some merit and, if China did give support, could be a “game changer” in the year-old conflict. Here are some key questions about Washington’s claim, and its implications: What is behind the US claim? Since Russian tanks rolled over the border into […]
Brussels, Belgium | AFP | Tuesday 2/21/2023 NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg echoed US concerns on Tuesday that China could supply Russia with weapons to help it pursue its war against Ukraine. “It is President (Vladimir) Putin who started this imperial war of conquest. It is Putin who keeps escalating the war,” Stoltenberg said. “We are also increasingly concerned that China may be planning to provide lethal support for Russia’s war.” Stoltenberg was speaking after a […]
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AFP) — Taiwan will boost military exchanges with the United States to curb “authoritarian expansionism”, President Tsai Ing-wen said Tuesday after meeting with visiting US lawmakers. The five-day US Congressional visit comes after a top US defense official reportedly made a rare and highly secretive stopover to the self-ruled island as Washington-Beijing tensions flared over alleged Chinese spy balloons. “Taiwan and the United States continue to bolster military exchanges,” Tsai said after convening […]
BEIJING, China (AFP) — China’s foreign minister said Tuesday that Beijing is “deeply concerned” about the conflict in Ukraine, which is “intensifying and even getting out of control”. Beijing will “work with the international community to promote dialogue and consultation, address the concerns of all parties and seek common security,” Qin Gang said in a speech on global security. Referencing the coming first anniversary of Russia’s invasion of its neighbor on February 24, Qin said […]
Beijing, China | AFP | Friday 2/17/2023 France has dropped Covid testing restrictions imposed on travellers from China, the French embassy in Beijing said. Since January, visitors aged 11 and over travelling from China to France have had to present a negative test taken 48 hours before the flight to board the plane. The restrictions were introduced as China experienced a wave of coronavirus infections after lifting its stifling zero-Covid policy in December. “Travellers from […]
Beijing, China | AFP | Friday 2/17/2023 The Chinese billionaire chairman of investment bank China Renaissance has gone missing, the firm said, as shares in the company plunged in Hong Kong on Friday. Bao Fan, who is also executive director of the bank, is a major figure in the Chinese tech industry and has played a key role in the emergence of various domestic internet startups. “The company has been unable to contact Mr Bao,” […]
