World
China Accuses US Of Indiscriminate Use Of Force Over Balloon
BEIJING, China — China said on Monday that the U.S. used indiscriminate force when it shot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon. It said that the incident “seriously affected and hurt both sides’ efforts and progress in stabilizing Sino-US relations.”
The balloon was shot down off the coast of Carolina after passing over sensitive military sites across North America. China maintained that the flyover was an accident involving a civilian plane.
On Sunday, Vice Foreign Minister Xie Feng said that he filed a formal complaint with the U.S. Embassy regarding the “U.S. military attack on a Chinese civilian unmanned airship.”
“However, the U.S. turned a deaf ear and insisted on indiscriminate use of force against the civilian airship about to leave U.S. airspace, clearly overreacted, and seriously violated the spirit of international law and international practice,” Xie said.
The presence of the balloon in the skies above the United States dealt a severe blow to already strained US-Chinese relations, which have been declining for years. It prompted Secretary of State Antony Blinken to cancel an important trip to Beijing aimed at defusing tensions.
Xie reiterated China’s claim that the balloon was a Chinese civil unmanned airship that erroneously entered U.S. airspace, calling it an “accidental incident caused by force majeure.”
U.S. Officials Shoot DownThe Balloon Over The Ocean
China will “resolutely safeguard Chinese companies’ legitimate rights and interests, resolutely safeguard China’s interests and dignity and reserve the right to make further necessary responses,” he said.
According to U.S. officials, U.S. President Joe Biden issued the shootdown order after being advised that the best time for the operation would be over water. Military officials determined that bringing the balloon down over land from a height of 60,000 feet (18,000 meters) would endanger people on the ground.
“What the United States has done has seriously impacted and harmed both sides’ efforts and progress in stabilizing Sino-US relations since the Bali meeting,” Xie said, referring to a recent meeting in Indonesia between Biden and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, that many hoped would create positive momentum for improving ties that have fallen to their lowest level in years.
On Monday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning provided no new information, reiterating China’s insistence that the object was a civilian balloon intended for meteorological research, needed more ability to steer and entered U.S. airspace, accidentally diverging from its course. She also didn’t say what other steps China planned to take in response to Washington’s handling of the issue and the cancellation of Blinken’s trip, which would have made him the highest-ranking U.S. official to visit since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
“We have stated that this is a completely isolated and accidental incident caused by force majeure, but the U.S. deliberately hyped up the incident and even used force to attack,” Mao said during a daily briefing. “This is a reckless and unacceptable action.”
Balloons Spotted Over Latin America And Japan
From Latin America to Japan, balloons thought to be Chinese have been spotted. Yoshihiko Isozaki, Japan’s Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary, told reporters on Monday that a flying object similar to the one shot down by the U.S. had been spotted twice over northern Japan since 2020.
“We’re still looking into them about the latest case in the United States,” he said.
Mao confirmed the identity of a Chinese balloon recently spotted over Latin America, describing it as a civilian airship used for flight tests.
“Due to weather and its limited self-control ability, the airship deviated significantly from its planned route and accidentally entered the space of Latin America and the Caribbean,” Mao explained.
Washington and Beijing disagree on things like trade and human rights, but China is especially upset about what it says are violations of its sovereignty and territorial integrity by the US and others.
Beijing is very against the U.S. selling weapons to Taiwan and against foreign politicians visiting the island, which it claims as Chinese territory and plans to take back by force if it has to.
Bejing Halted Talks With The U.S. Over The Balloon
It reacted to then-U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to the island in 2022 by firing missiles over it and staging threatening military drills seen as a practice for an invasion or blockade. Beijing also halted talks with the U.S. on issues unrelated to military tensions, such as climate change.
Last week, Mao warned Pelosi’s successor, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, not to visit Taiwan, implying that China would respond in kind.
“China will tenaciously defend its sovereignty, security, and development interests,” Mao declared. McCarthy claimed that China had no right to tell him where and when he could travel.
China also doesn’t like it when foreign military surveillance planes fly in international airspace near its coast or when U.S. and other foreign warships pass through the Taiwan Strait, which it says is a deliberate act of provocation.
A US Navy plane conducting routine surveillance near the Chinese coast collided with a Chinese fighter plane in 2001, killing the Chinese fighter pilot and damaging the American plane, forcing it to make an emergency landing at a Chinese naval airbase on the southern Chinese island province of Hainan. China detained the 24-member U.S. Navy aircrew for ten days until the U.S. expressed regret for the death of the Chinese pilot and for landing without permission at the base.
South China Sea Continues To Hold Tension
Another major source of contention is the South China Sea. China claims virtually the entire strategically important sea and protests when U.S. Navy ships sail past Chinese military installations there.
“The presence of this surveillance balloon over the United States in our skies is a clear violation of our sovereignty, a clear violation of international law, and unacceptable,” Blinken said at a news conference with his South Korean counterpart on Friday. And we’ve made that clear to China.”
“I believe that any country that has its airspace violated in this manner would respond similarly, and I can only imagine what the reaction would be in China if they were on the other end,” Blinken said.
According to Oriana Skylar Mastro, a Stanford University expert on Chinese military affairs and foreign policy, China’s weather balloon explanation should be rejected outright.
China May Have Lost Control Over The Balloon
“This is something that countries frequently say about surveillance assets,” Mastro said.
China may have made a mistake and lost control of the balloon, but Mastro believes it was unlikely to be a deliberate attempt to disrupt Blinken’s visit.
The decision by the U.S. administration to go public and then shoot down the balloon represents a departure from its usual approach of dealing with Beijing on such matters privately, possibly in the hope of changing China’s future behavior.
However, Mastro believes that Beijing will respond negatively.
“They’re probably going to dismiss that and continue as things have been. So I don’t see a clear path to improved relations shortly.”
SOURCE – (AP)
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.
Angry flood survivors hurl mud and insults at Spain’s King Felipe VI during Valencia visit.
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.
People clean mud from a shop affected by floods in Valencia, Spain.
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.”
Spain searches for bodies after unprecedented flooding claims at least 200 lives.
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
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
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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