World
CHINA 2023: Chinese Balloon Soars Across US; Blinken Scraps Beijing Trip
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Friday, a huge, high-altitude Chinese balloon flew over the United States. The Pentagon accused China of spying, but China denied it. Antony Blinken, the Secretary of State, abruptly canceled a high-stakes trip to Beijing that was meant to ease tensions between the United States and China.
People using binoculars and telephoto lenses tried to find the “spy balloon” in the sky as it flew east over Kansas and Missouri at 60,000 feet. Fuzzy videos flooded social media sites.
Despite China’s claim that the balloon was merely a weather research “airship” that had blown off course, Blinken was canceled. The Pentagon didn’t believe that at all, and neither did China, which said that the balloon, which was about the size of two school buses, wasn’t used for spying and couldn’t go very far.
The balloon was found over sensitive military sites in Montana. By noon, it had moved east over the center of the United States and was expected to stay there for several days, according to officials.
The news made things even worse between the US and China, which have been getting worse for years because of many things. Nonetheless, U.S. officials maintained that diplomatic channels were open and that Blinken was willing to visit China at “an appropriate time.”
Biden Delcined To Comment About The China Balloon
President Joe Biden declined to comment when asked about the matter at an economic event. Former President Donald Trump, who is running for reelection in 2024, and former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, who is running for reelection in 2024, said the U.S. should pop the balloon right away.
According to White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, Biden was first briefed about the Chinese surveillance balloon on Tuesday. She should have explained why the administration waited until Thursday to express its concerns.
According to a senior defense official, the United States has prepared fighter jets, including F-22s, to shoot down the balloon if ordered. The Pentagon eventually advised against it, noting that even though the balloon was over a sparsely populated area of Montana, its size could create a large debris field to endanger people.
On Friday, Pentagon press secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder refused to say whether there was any new consideration of shooting down the balloon.
Ryder stated it was about 60,000 feet in altitude, maneuverable, and had changed course. He stated that it was no longer a threat.
Blinkin Trip Cancelled
Regarding Blinken’s trip, Jean-Pierre stated that a diplomatic visit to China was unnecessary. “The presence of this balloon in our airspace… is a clear violation of our sovereignty as well as international law, and it is unacceptable that this happened,” she said.
According to a State Department official, Blinken and Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman protested to the Chinese Embassy’s top official on Wednesday, the day before the Pentagon announced the balloon’s discovery.
According to Pentagon officials, it was spotted over Montana, home to one of America’s three nuclear missile silo fields at Malmstrom Air Force Base.
Several Republican lawmakers have chastised the administration for not taking stronger action against China before this. And allowing Blinken to go ahead with his trip could have made Biden even more vulnerable to their complaints when he is dealing with the new Republican-led U.S. House.
According to weather experts, China’s claim that the balloon had gone off course was not implausible. China’s account of Westerlies carrying a balloon to the western United States was “absolutely possible – not possible, likely,” said Dan Jaffe, an atmospheric chemistry professor at the University of Washington.
Nonetheless, multiple U.S. officials called the presence of the balloon “unacceptable” and said Blinken delivered that message to Chinese State Councilor Wang Yi when he told them he was postponing his trip on Friday.
China Denounces Surveillance Attempts
According to State Department spokesman Ned Price, Blinken told Wang that the “U.S. is committed to diplomatic engagement and maintaining open lines of communication and that he would be prepared to visit Beijing as soon as conditions allow.”
Blinken’s long-awaited meetings with senior Chinese officials were seen as a possible way for both countries to find some areas of common ground amid major disagreements over Taiwan, human rights, China’s claims in the South China Sea, North Korea, Russia’s war in Ukraine, trade policy, and climate change.
Even though Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to the trip at a meeting in Indonesia in November, it hasn’t been officially announced yet. However, officials in both Beijing and Washington have been talking about Blinken’s arrival on Sunday and Monday for meetings.
China, which angrily denounces surveillance attempts by the U.S. and others over areas it considers to be its territory and once shot down an American spy plane and imprisoned its crew on Hainan Island, was relatively conciliatory in response to U.S. complaints.
The Chinese foreign ministry said in a statement that came close to an apology that the balloon was a civilian airship used primarily for meteorological research. According to the report, the airship had limited “self-steering” capabilities and had “deviated far from its planned course” due to winds.
“The statement said that the Chinese side regrets that the airship accidentally entered U.S. airspace due to “force majeure,” which is a legal term for things that are out of one’s control.”
SOURCE – (AP)
World
Felipe VI of Spain Pelted with Mud By Angry Protesters
Angry protesters pelted Felipe VI of Spain with mud and other objects during a visit to flood-hit Valencia. Spain’s national broadcaster reported that two bodyguards were treated for injuries.
Felipe VI of Spain and Queen Letizia, Spain’s prime minister, and other leaders were met with shouts of “murderer” and “shame” as they traversed the town of Paiporta, which is one of the most severely afflicted in the region.
King Felipe and Queen Letizia were later observed offering comfort to individuals in the throng despite being covered in mud on their faces and clothing.
The floods, which were the most severe in Spain in decades, resulted in the deaths of over 200 individuals. In the hopes of locating survivors and recovering corpses, emergency personnel are still working to search underground car parks and tunnels.
In response to the floods, there has been a wave of resentment toward the authorities for their perceived failure to provide adequate support and warning.
The king was observed walking down a pedestrian street when a sudden surge of demonstrators who hurled insults and screamed, causing his bodyguards and police to be immediately overwhelmed.
Some of the demonstrators threw mud and objects, which made it difficult for them to maintain a protective ring around the monarch.
Felipe VI of Spain Greets Mob
Images depicted the king, queen, and entourage, who held canopies over the monarch as they departed, with mud on their faces and clothing.
During the visit, the royal couple was accompanied by Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and the president of the Valencian regional government, Carlos Mazón. However, they were promptly evacuated as the crowd became increasingly hostile.
The BBC has verified footage that appears to depict stones being thrown at Sánchez’s vehicle as he was driven away, while Spanish media reports that objects were hurled at him.
The audience chanted, “Where is Sánchez?” after he departed.
“I am only 16,” Pau said, his eyes welling with tears. “We are assisting, but the leaders are not acting.” People are still dying. I am unable to endure this any longer.
Another woman stated, “They abandoned us to our deaths.” We have forfeited everything: our homes, enterprises, and aspirations.
A subsequent observation revealed that the civil guard and mounted officers endeavored to disperse the irate throng.
Severe Flooding in Valencia province
The royal entourage intended to continue their journey to Chiva, another community in the Valencia province severely affected by the flooding. However, this visit has been postponed.
In a subsequent video on the royal household’s Instagram account, the monarch expressed his comprehension of the protestors’ “angry and frustration.”
Maribel Albalat, the mayor of Paiporta, said that she was astonished by the violence but also acknowledged the “frustration and desperation of the people.”
Juan Bordera, a Valencian parliamentarian, characterized the king’s visit as “an extremely poor decision.”
Mr. Bordera told the BBC authorities “didn’t heed any warnings.”
“It is logical that the people are angry, and it is logical that the people did not comprehend the urgency of this visit,” he continued.
Sánchez directed the deployment of 10,000 additional police officers, civil guards, and soldiers to the region on Saturday.
He stated that the deployment was the highest in Spain’s history during peacetime. However, he also acknowledged that the response was “insufficient” and that there were “severe issues and shortages.”
Over 200 Killed in Flooding
The inundation began on Tuesday following a period of heavy rainfall. Floodwaters caused bridges to collapse and cities to be engulfed in a thick layer of mud. Numerous communities lacked water, electricity, food, and other fundamental services.
The mortality toll from the flooding reached 217 on Sunday, and it is believed that many more individuals are still missing.
The Valencia region on the Mediterranean coast has been the site of nearly all of the confirmed fatalities thus far.
Certain regions have been particularly devastated. Today, the royal delegation visited Paiporta, a municipality where authorities have reported a minimum of 62 fatalities.
On Sunday, the Spanish meteorological agency AEMET issued the maximum alert level for certain areas of southern Valencia, including Alzira, Cullera, and Gandia.
The agency warned that the intensity of the cyclones expected to pass through the region will not be comparable to Tuesday’s. It anticipates a total of 90mm (3.45 inches) of precipitation.
Trending News:
At Least 95 People Die In Flash Floods In Spain
World
Oil Prices Fall As Reality Of Weak Global Demand Overtakes Risk Of Wider War In Middle East
Global oil prices are plummeting after Israel launched a retaliatory strike over the weekend that targeted Iranian military locations rather than its energy infrastructure, as had been anticipated.
Crude oil prices rose globally on October 2 after Iran launched roughly 200 missiles into Israel as part of a series of fast-increasing attacks between Israel, Iran, and its Arab allies that threatened to bring the Middle East closer to a regional war.
Iran is the world’s seventh-largest oil producer, but a bigger crisis in the Middle East may have an impact on the region’s largest energy producers.
Oil Prices Fall As Reality Of Weak Global Demand Overtakes Risk Of Wider War In Middle East
With many believing that the threat is receding in the short term, the price of benchmark U.S. crude and Brent crude, the worldwide benchmark, fell 6% on Monday. U.S. crude oil plunged well below $70 per barrel.
The Israeli military stated that its aircraft targeted Iranian facilities used to manufacture missiles fired at Israel, as well as surface-to-air missile installations.
Here’s a look at the current status and prospects for oil and gas prices:
The price of U.S. benchmark petroleum fell 6% Monday after Israel’s weekend retaliation strike on Iran targeted military targets rather than oilfields in the world’s seventh largest producer of crude.
This brings the price of a barrel of U.S. crude well below $70 after it rose above $77 earlier this month. Oil and gasoline prices have fallen dramatically since their yearly highs in April. According to energy specialists, more than half of the pumps in the United States sell a gallon of petrol for less than $3.
The focus has shifted back to the fundamentals of global energy markets, which have seen plentiful supply and falling demand this year. Slowing economic growth in China, the world’s largest energy consumer is a major cause.
Beijing announced that China’s economy grew at a 4.6% annual rate in the July-September quarter, down from 4.7% the previous quarter and falling short of the official aim of “about 5%” growth in 2024.
The Middle East war continues to roil energy markets, albeit not as dramatically.
Prices spiked momentarily this month after Iran launched missiles into Israel, but many experts believe Israel’s response over the weekend was moderate, potentially ending a cycle of retaliatory strikes from both sides, at least for now.
The OPEC+ coalition, which includes members of the producer’s cartel as well as ally countries such as Russia, wields less control over world pricing than in the 1970s when an oil embargo following the start of the Yom Kippur War in 1973 doubled crude oil prices.
Since then, the global oil supply has shifted dramatically, with the United States emerging as the world’s top producer. Months of conflict between Israel and two Iranian proxies, Hamas and Hezbollah, did little to raise oil prices for OPEC and its 12 member countries. Only the prospect of a direct conflict between Israel and Iran shifted the needle.
It is the fundamentals.
The long-term expectation is that oil prices will fall rather than rise. This is due to a shift in the supply-demand balance, which normally causes oil prices to fall.
According to the International Energy Agency’s most recent energy market assessment, oil demand in the first half of this year increased by the least amount since 2020. Meanwhile, supplies have continued to rise, and the OPEC+ alliance has announced intentions to release more oil into the market beginning in December.
What’s happening with energy prices this year?
Oil futures soared sharply to start the year, reaching $85 per barrel in April, but it’s been mostly downhill since then, and gas prices have followed suit.
Because oil costs half of a gallon of gasoline in the United States, gas prices are loosely correlated. Between Friday and Monday, when Israel conducted a measured counterstrike against Iran, the price of a barrel of oil fell $4.
OPEC has failed to build a floor for oil prices this year.
Oil Prices Fall As Reality Of Weak Global Demand Overtakes Risk Of Wider War In Middle East
Saudi Arabia and other oil-producing countries extended output cutbacks until June next year, seeking to preserve low oil prices that have yet to recover despite Middle Eastern turbulence and this year’s summer travel season.
At the same time, the United States is pumping an unprecedented amount of petroleum. The United States Energy Information Administration predicts that the average daily crude oil output in the United States will be 13.2 million barrels annually, with production only expected to increase in 2025.
What’s next for oil and gas prices?
Several energy experts believe that oil prices have peaked this year and will continue to fall, implying that motorists will benefit from additional discounts.
“Limited nature of Israeli strikes against Iran should diminish fears of wider war and shave some of the geopolitical premium on crude oil,” said Tom Kloza, global head of energy analysis at the Oil Price Information Service, in a social media post this weekend. “Today’s U.S. retail gas avg is $3.13/gal with 55% of sites priced at less than $3/gal.”
SOURCE | AP
World
2024 | “Pink Cocaine” What Is It?
A recreational substance termed “pink cocaine” is gaining popularity and causing misunderstanding because it does not normally include cocaine.
The pink powder, which is actually a mix of other narcotics tinted pink, has been discovered in drug seizures, forcing law authorities to issue warnings.
Pink cocaine is also known as “tusi,” however both nicknames are based on marketing rather than fact. According to experts, it rarely contains cocaine and is more likely to contain ketamine, which has quite distinct effects.
What Is The Recreational Drug ‘Pink Cocaine’?
Why is it pink?
Pink cocaine gets its pink tint from food coloring or dye, according to Joseph Palamar, a drug trends researcher at NYU Langone Health in New York.
“Sometimes it has cocaine in the mix, but it’s typically more of a ketamine concoction,” says Palamar. Studies have discovered batches containing methamphetamine, MDMA, bath salts, caffeine, and opiates.
“It’s a concoction that anyone can make if they have a couple of drugs and a pink dye,” Palamar told reporters.
According to research released last year by Palamar, the term “tusi” may have been coined to emulate 2C-B, a recreational drug popular on the rave scene in the 1990s and noted for its euphoric effects. The drug analyses that Palamar evaluated revealed that tusi did not often include 2C-B.
According to him, young people nowadays may be unaware of the history of the name tusi and may be confused by the name pink cocaine.
“It’s just some beautiful powder that their pals are using. “They probably have no idea what it is supposed to be,” he explained.
Why is pink cocaine dangerous?
The threat stems from the unknown contents. Users may have undesirable side effects or take more than their previous experience indicates they can handle. Ketamine is a potent anesthetic that has been licensed for surgical usage, but it has also been used recreationally and to treat depression, anxiety, and pain in recent years. It has the potential to produce hallucinations as well as interfere with breathing and cardiac function.
What Is The Recreational Drug ‘Pink Cocaine’?
“Ketamine is not a fun drug to most people,” Palamar stated. “It kind of puts you in your own little world and things tend to feel very alien when you’re on it, especially in large doses.”
Someone who is drunk at a party and believes cocaine may counteract the effects of alcohol will be unpleasantly startled with pink cocaine, which is primarily ketamine, he added.
Where does pink cocaine come from?
In May, the United States Coast Guard reported seizing pink cocaine and other drugs off the shores of Mexico, Central and South America.
“That was the first time that I heard of large batches being imported into the U.S. as tusi,” Palamar told me. It might just as easily be created by drug dealers in the United States who mix their own, he claimed.
SOURCE | AP
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