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Blinken calls China biggest 'test,' vows US strength
Washington (AFP) - Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday that the United States was ready to confront China wherever necessary, calling Washington's ties with the Asian power the "biggest geopolitical test" of the century. In his first major speech, Blinken promised that President Joe Biden's administration will prioritize diplomacy over military action and build cooperation with the world on global challenges such as climate change and Covid-19. "We will manage the biggest geopolitical test of the 21st century: our relationship with China," Blinken said at the State Department. He ...
AFP
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Gina Raimondo Confirmed As Secretary Of Commerce
Former Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo (D) was confirmed as the secretary of commerce by the Senate on Tuesday. The final vote on Raimondo’s confirmation was 84 to 15. Hours after the Senate confirmed her, Raimondo stepped down from her role as Rhode Island governor. Governorship was inherited by Rhode Island Lt. Gov. Daniel J. McKee (D), who has already been sworn in as her replacement. As secretary of commerce, Raimondo will play a key part in implementing several of President Joe Biden‘s policies. Raimondo’s department will oversee the expansion of broadband Internet to rural communities, r...
uPolitics.com
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Restaurant with topless male waiters becomes hot topic in China
A restaurant where topless men serve a traditional Chinese hotpot has become the subject of a lively online debate in China. The Layan restaurant in the ancient city of Xi'an has hired a number of muscly male models to serve food and show off their tuned torsos in nothing but an apron from the belt up. These scantily clad bodybuilders are, apparently, especially popular with some female guests, who have been taking selfies with them during meals and even inviting them over to share a hotpot, a kind of communal food like fondue where one pot is shared by several people. A glance at social media...
DPA
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State-sponsored hackers in China targeting email services: Microsoft
San Francisco (AFP) - Microsoft has said a state-sponsored hacking group operating out of China is exploiting previously unknown security flaws in its Exchange email services to steal data from business users. The company said the hacking group, which it has named "Hafnium", is a "highly skilled and sophisticated actor". Hafnium has in the past targeted US-based companies including infectious disease researchers, law firms, universities, defense contractors, think tanks and NGOs. In a blog post on Tuesday, Microsoft executive Tom Burt said the company had released updates to fix the security f...
AFP
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Nissan to help develop new transport system in China's Suzhou city
TOKYO, NNA - Japanese automaker Nissan Motor Co. has signed a basic agreement with a local authority in Suzhou to help develop a new transport system in the eastern Chinese city. Nissan (China) Investment Co. and the Suzhou High-Speed Rail New Town administration signed a memorandum of understanding Monday under which Nissan will provide support for field testing to speed up intelligent transport initiatives in the Xiangcheng district of the city, located west of Shanghai. The partnership's joint projects will be overseen mainly by Alliance Innovation Lab-Shanghai, an autonomous driving resear...
NNA Business News
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Hong Kong activists' marathon bail hearing adjourned on second day
The marathon bail hearing for 47 high-profile Hong Kong pro-democracy activists was adjourned after a second day on Tuesday and will resume the next day. There are eight defendants who have yet to present their case to the judge, Apple Daily reported. The magistrate in charge of the hearing said he was confident that verdicts in all 47 cases would be handed out Wednesday. The session on Tuesday lasted 14 hours and ended at 10:30 PM, local media reported. The activists were charged last year with conspiring to subvert state power. Their defence attorneys want them released on bail ahead of thei...
DPA
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Hong Kong democracy advocates back in court after 14-hour first day
Defence lawyers struggled to submit bail applications overnight and into early Tuesday, as proceedings resumed against a group of 47 high-profile democracy activists who had already spent 14 hours in the dock the day before. Local media footage showed Joshua Wong, perhaps the most high-profile defendant, being escorted back to court at around 7:30 am (2330 GMT on Monday). Court then resumed at 11:30 am. The 47 are charged with conspiring to subvert state power, secession, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces. All are violations of Hong Kong's controversial national security law, which w...
DPA
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Hong Kong democracy advocates back in court after 14-hour first day
Defence lawyers struggled to submit bail applications overnight and into early Tuesday, as proceedings resumed against a group of 47 high-profile democracy activists who had already spent 14 hours in the dock the day before. Local media footage showed Joshua Wong, perhaps the most high-profile defendant, being escorted back to court at around 7:30 am (2330 GMT on Monday). Court then resumed at 11:30 am. The 47 are charged with conspiring to subvert state power, secession, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces. All are violations of Hong Kong's controversial national security law, which w...
DPA
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Volvo Cars to make only electric vehicles by 2030
China-owned Volvo Cars said on Tuesday it plans to only sell fully electric cars as of 2030, seeking to cash in on the premium electric market, the fastest-growing segment in the global market. All models with an internal combustion engine, including hybrids, would be phased out, the Swedish carmaker said. "There is no long-term future for cars with an internal combustion engine," said Henrik Green, chief technology officer. The 2030 target was "driven by strong demand for its electrified cars in recent years and a firm conviction that the market for combustion engine cars is a shrinking one."...
DPA
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Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank sets up consulting unit in China
TOKYO, NNA - Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank has formed a wholly owned subsidiary in Beijing to provide a wider range of consulting services to customers, mainly Japanese companies operating in China. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank said Monday that SuMi TRUST Consulting (Beijing) Co. began operations the same day with the aim of meeting diverse customer needs by enhancing research capabilities in the Chinese market for the Tokyo-based bank. A Shanghai branch and a representative office in Beijing had earlier engaged in the bulk of activities in China for the bank, which operates under the wing of Sumit...
NNA Business News
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