Sunday, January 7, 2024

Jets of the Boeing 737 Max 9 will remain grounded while examinations are still ongoing.

The aviation authority in the United States has announced that 171 Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft would continue to be grounded until it is satisfied that the aircraft are safe to fly.

In the aftermath of a portion of the fuselage of an Alaska Airlines plane falling off on Friday, the Federal Aviation Administration has begun conducting inspections of the aircraft.

That "keeping the flying public safe" was the FAA's top concern, according to the agency.

The cancellation of flights for thousands of passengers occurred as a result of major airlines in the United States grounding dozens of the jets.

"We have grounded the affected airplanes, and they will remain grounded until the FAA is satisfied that they are safe," the agency said in a statement on Sunday. "We have grounded the affected airplanes."

Flights in the United States have been most impacted by disruptions.

United Airlines and Alaska Airlines are the airlines that operate the great majority of Boeing 737 Max 9s in the United States. Additionally, Turkish Airlines, Copa Airlines of Panama, and Aeromexico have grounded jets of the same kind in order to conduct inspections.

Additionally, on Sunday, Alaska announced that it had cancelled 163 flights, which is equivalent to a 21% cancellation rate. Roughly 25,000 individuals were impacted by this. Travel problems caused by the grounding of several of the airline's planes are expected to continue until at least the middle of the week, according to the company.United Airlines has grounded 79 aircraft and announced on Sunday that it had decided to cancel about 180 flights.

In the meantime, authorities are continuing their hunt for the plug door, which they believe fell to the ground in the western suburbs of Portland. They have made a request to the general public for assistance in locating the panel.

There was an incident that occurred on Friday, and according to flight monitoring data, Alaska Airlines flight 1282, which was traveling from Portland, Oregon to Ontario, California, reached an altitude of 16,000 feet (4,876 meters) before beginning an emergency descent.

It was reported by passengers on board that a significant portion of the outer shell of the aircraft fell to the ground immediately after the plane took off.

Imagery that was distributed to various news organizations reveals that the night sky and the lights of Portland are visible through the break in the fuselage. Additionally, insulation material and other debris can be seen.

The gap was described as "as wide as a refrigerator" by one passenger, while another passenger stated that a child's blouse was ripped off by the wind when the plane made its emergency landing for the emergency landing.

Returning to Portland, the aircraft, which was carrying 177 passengers and crew members, made a safe landing. Several passengers were injured, however Alaska reported that none of them were seriously hurt.

As a result of a number of safety concerns, the Boeing 737 Max has been said to as "the most scrutinized transport aircraft in history."

After two aircraft of the same kind crashed in circumstances that were comparable to each other, resulting in the deaths of all on board, the Max was grounded for a period of one and a half years in March of 2019.

Following the resolution of a supply problem that necessitated the company to do extensive checks of both its inventory and its newly manufactured aircraft, Boeing announced more recently that it would accelerate the rate at which it delivered the 737 Max.

According to the data provided by Boeing, around 1,300 737 Max aircraft have been delivered to customers.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a request to airlines last month, urging them to assess Max models for the possibility of a loose bolt in the rudder control systems.

Friday, September 15, 2023

Li Shangfu: The top US envoy raises doubts about the absence of China's defense minister

A senior US ambassador has raised concerns on the whereabouts of China's Minister of Defense, Li Shangfu, which has reignited rumors of a possible anti-corruption campaign in the country.

Since around two weeks ago, General Li has been absent from public view, and there have been reports that he skipped several meetings.

U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel tweeted that the "unemployment rate" in the Chinese government was quite high, which he interpreted as a possible explanation for Mr. Li's absence.

The dismissal of several high-ranking military officials occurred not long before Mr. Li went missing.

On Friday, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing sources in the United States and China, that Mr. Li is being demoted or somehow removed from his position.

In addition, it comes after several months have passed since Foreign Minister Qin Gang was last seen in public. There is still a lack of clarity regarding the circumstances surrounding Mr. Qin's unexpected departure and subsequent replacement in July.

In the case of Gen Li as well, the Chinese government has not made a lot of statements. According to reports, a spokeswoman for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded, "not aware of the situation" when she was questioned about it earlier this week.

The last time Gen Li was seen in public was in Beijing on August 29 for a security forum with African nations. This event took place three weeks ago. It is not out of the ordinary for defense ministers to disappear from public view for a period of several weeks at a time.

General Li is a rocket scientist and aerospace engineer who started his career working at a launch center for satellites and rockets. He rose quickly through the ranks of both the military and the political elite in China.

It is reported that President Xi Jinping holds a special place in his heart for him, just as he does for Mr. Qin. In addition, he is the second cabinet minister and state councillor to vanish without a trace in recent months, following in Mr. Qin's footsteps.

How the demise of a diplomat leaves China with egg on its face
The meteoric rise and unexplained fall of China's mysteriously vanished minister
When two generals in China's rocket forces, which manage land-based missiles, were replaced at the beginning of August, rumors began to circulate online about a possible military corruption purge. These rumors have continued to grow since then. The president of the military court of the army was likewise ousted from his position some months after he was appointed.

Mr. Emanuel brought up the absence of General Li in tweets that he sent out late last week and on Friday. He also made reference to the disappearance of Mr. Qin and the other military officers.

In addition to this, he brought up the fact that General Li had recently "missed" a trip to Vietnam as well as a meeting in Beijing with the head of Singapore's navy, and he suggested that General Li may have been subject to house arrest because of this.

The outspoken ambassador, who is known for his colorful tweets, linked the absence to the mystery novel "And Then There Were None" by Agatha Christie and to Hamlet by William Shakespeare. On Friday, Mr. Emanuel posted a tweet that stated, "Something is rotten in the state of Denmark."

According to a report by Reuters that cited Vietnamese authorities, Mr. Li had abruptly dropped out of a meeting with Vietnamese defense commanders the previous week. The Vietnamese officials were told that the Chinese general had a "health condition"

Last week, Singapore's naval chief Sean Wat traveled to China and met with leaders from that country's military. The Singaporean navy has been contacted by the BBC to investigate the claim made by Mr. Emanuel.

In addition to being attributed to "health conditions," Mr. Qin's absence, which is approaching three months, has been the subject of widespread speculation that it is connected to an anti-corruption campaign as well. Since then, he has been demoted from his previous position.

Because they are subjected to stringent medical examinations on a consistent basis, it is stated that Chinese officials almost never miss important meetings due to health concerns.

There have been questions raised about Gen Li. He was sanctioned by the United States government in 2018, when he was serving as the head of the equipment development arm of the military, because of China's procurement of Russian combat aircraft and armaments.

It was speculated that Gen Li's refusal to meet his US counterpart Lloyd Austin at a defense summit in Singapore earlier this year was in response to the sanctions, which were supposed to be a sticking point for Gen Li.

According to observers, the disappearance of Gen Li demonstrates once again the opaque nature of the Chinese political leadership, while also highlighting the precarious nature of some of Mr. Xi's judgments.

"High-level disappearances and possible corruption investigations are not a good look for Xi because he approved the selection of the current leadership," says Neil Thomas, an expert on Chinese elite politics who works with the Asia Society Policy Institute.

However, he continued by saying that in the end, "Xi's leadership and overall political stability do not appear to be under threat, as none of the cadres affected are part of his inner circle."

Analyst Bill Bishop pointed out that the Chinese military has a "long history of corruption," and that President Xi, who, according to the political structure of China, also serves as the supreme head of China's military, has attempted to combat this issue, just like his predecessors did.

In spite of this, he pointed out in his most recent analysis that "it would be remarkable" that after more than a decade of Mr. Xi being in power, "there is still such high-level corruption [in the military]," and that "Xi cannot blame his predecessors for the Rocket Force officers and Li Shangfu."

He made the observation that Mr. Xi had promoted General Li, Mr. Qin, and the heads of the rocket force, and he predicted that "more purges will likely be seen as the solution."

Ian Chong, a non-resident scholar with Carnegie China, pointed out that the disappearances are taking place during a time of increased military action near Taiwan and tensions in the South China Sea. This was another point that he brought up.

near recent days, a large number of Chinese warships, including the Shandong aircraft carrier, have been observed gathering near the Taiwan Strait. This has raised concerns that another round of military exercises is about to take place.

Dr. Chong stated that some individuals "would be concerned about issues of communication, escalation, and crisis management" at this point in time due to the fact that the military and the foreign ministry are significant outward-facing aspects of the Chinese system.

These tweets by Mr. Emanuel would be considered odd for a high-level US diplomat, particularly one who is the ambassador to a significant US ally, Japan, which has a tense relationship with China.

Brad Glosserman, a senior adviser with the Pacific Forum research institute, said that the events are "perplexing," but that he is "pretty sure he has a greenlight from the White House" to be bringing out Gen Li's absence in this manner. The events themselves are "perplexing."

"It is possible that Mr. Emanuel is trying to elicit some response from China regarding the disappearance," Dr. Chong added. "It is possible that Mr. Emanuel is trying to elicit some response from China."

Saturday, September 2, 2023

Israeli police and Eritrean asylum seekers get into a fight

Clashes between Eritrean asylum seekers and Israeli police have left dozens hurt in Tel Aviv, with some of those wounded by live fire.

Hundreds of demonstrators were met with stun grenades, tear gas, and sponge-tipped bullets.

Protests began after anti-government groups claimed they were requested by Israeli authorities to cancel a Saturday event at the Eritrean consulate.

Protesters, however, battled with government supporters as well.

This is the latest outbreak of violence in recent weeks, and it stems from tensions within Eritrea over President Isaias Afwerki's authority, which have spread to the country's diaspora.

Israeli media claimed the protesters headed in the direction of the site where the event was scheduled to take place. They were held back by police barricades at first, but eventually made it through.

Police helicopters flew overhead as Israeli cops shot live bullets into the air, according to residents of central Tel Aviv.

Demonstrators clashed with law enforcement and vandalized vehicles and local businesses.

According to a statement released by Israeli authorities, officers fired their weapons after fearing for their safety.

Eritrean officials booked the space for the occasion, but irate demonstrators burst in and overturned tables and chairs.

Videos posted online also depicted violent clashes between pro-regime and anti-regime Eritreans in the streets. Israeli police claimed they attempted to stop the fighting.

The police issued a warning on X (formerly known as Twitter) asking bystanders to keep away from the location.

Overview of Eritrea as a country
At a press conference earlier this week, police said that rival groups in Eritrea had reached an agreement to hold separate rallies on the same day.

Government supporters in Asmara were scheduled to gather nearby the embassy. Protesters planned to gather not far away at the decommissioned central bus station.

According to the police, however, the two parties did not follow through on their agreements.

As one senior police official told the Haaretz newspaper, "We were very surprised by the level of violence, scenes you only see in the West Bank."

The police say that hundreds of officers have been sent to the area.

As of midday, the Magen David Adom emergency medical service said that they had cared for 114 injured people. Thirty police officers, the most majority of whom were bruised, were among those who escaped with only minor injuries. Eight were in critical condition, while 13 others were just mildly ill.

Asylum seekers from Eritrea have been known to resort to violence against one another in the past.

There has been a turf war in south Tel Aviv between regime supporters and opponents, with one asylum seeker who was a regime supporter being fatally murdered in February of this year.

About 18,000 Eritreans are seeking asylum in Israel, most of whom entered illegally through the Sinai Peninsula several years ago. They claimed they left one of the most restrictive countries in the world due to threats of violence, persecution, and mandatory military service.

The authorities in Israel have reportedly not differentiated between asylum seekers based on political affiliations, despite the fact that it would appear that Eritreans who support the dictatorship do not require international protection as refugees.

The diaspora of Eritrea has been holding celebrations in honor of the country's 30th anniversary of independence from Ethiopia.

However, not only in Israel have protests and outbreaks of violence been a problem; just last month, a three-day Eritrean cultural event in Toronto, Canada had to be canceled because of violence between supporters and opponents of Eritrea's regime.

Tuesday, August 29, 2023

Terry Gou is a Taiwanese iPhone billionaire with aspirations of becoming the country's president

Terry Gou, a 72-year-old millionaire and the creator of Foxconn, which is responsible for manufacturing iPhones, is the newest candidate to enter the contest for the presidency of Taiwan.

Mr. Gou is a magnetic entrepreneur who rose from humble beginnings to amass a fortune, a large amount of cash, and significant name recognition. According to observers in Taipei, Mr. Gou would have a decent chance of winning the election if he was the only candidate running against the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which is currently in power. However, he is not.

Instead, the opposition vote in the presidential election that will take place in January 2024 will be split three ways due to his candidacy.

When there are already two opposition candidates fighting to overthrow the incumbent party in a presidential system that awards all of the seats to the winner, adding a third candidate to the mix is probably not going to make the process any simpler.

The situation is a textbook illustration of the "law of holes," which states that if you find yourself in a hole from which it is difficult to escape, the first step you should take is to cease digging. It would appear like Taiwan's opposition is digging its own electoral grave at this point.

On Monday, Mr. Guo made his candidacy for an election that will have significant repercussions well beyond the borders of Taiwan public, and this is exactly what happened. An election for a new president will take place on the self-governing island in the midst of escalating threats from Beijing and an increasingly militarized region.

Mr. Gou, much like another charismatic billionaire on the other side of the Pacific, initially tried to have himself nominated as a candidate for Taiwan's most prominent center-right party, the old nationalist KMT (Kuomintang). In contrast to his success in the United States, he was unsuccessful.

As a result of the KMT's selection of another candidate, Mr. Gou resigned from the party. However, Mr. Gou's predicament is not only dependent on the KMT.

The Taiwan People's Party (TPP) is another opposition party in Taiwan, and Ko Wen-je, another popular populist, serves as the party's leader. Mr. Ko served as the mayor of Taipei city in the past, and he is now in second place in the polls. The younger generation of Taiwanese voters is very favorable to him.

It's not just his money and successful business career that make Mr. Gou such an attractive prospect. It is based on his job experience both in China and with the country.

Foxconn, also known as Hon Hai industries, is the largest electronics manufacturer in the world since it was the first company to pioneer the idea of merging the engineering know-how of Taiwan with the trained labor of China. Mr. Gou established massive industrial campuses in the south of China in the 1980s and 1990s, and he hired tens of thousands of young Chinese people to work there.

Because the strategy was so effective, he was finally able to convince Apple to contract out a significant portion of the production of MacBooks and iPhones to Foxconn. Because of this, Foxconn became the most successful company in Taiwan, and Mr. Gou became one of the wealthiest businesspeople in the country.

Now, Mr. Gou thinks that he can use the experience he gained investing and working in China to safeguard Taiwan's safety. Terry Gou has stated that one of his goals is to keep Taiwan from "becoming another Ukraine." In his announcement that he was running for office, he stated that he would lead Taiwan "back from the abyss of war with China."

He is not the only one who views the danger posed by China as becoming more severe as time goes on. Over the course of the past year, Beijing has significantly ramped up its military actions in the region surrounding the island.

The People's Liberation Army (PLA) published a professionally produced propaganda video the previous week, in which it showed Chinese troops engaging in what appeared to be training for an invasion of the beaches of Taiwan.

Monday, August 28, 2023

Protests break out in Libya as a result of the country's ties with Israel

After her meeting with her Israeli counterpart in an unofficial capacity, the Prime Minister of Libya has decided to suspend his Foreign Minister.

Protests have broken out in the predominantly Arab state of Libya as a result of a meeting between Israeli and Palestinian officials. Libya is a staunch supporter of the Palestinian cause.

The Foreign Minister of Israel According to Eli Cohen, the meeting that he had with Najla al-Mangoush was a historic first step in the process of establishing connections.

Israel is making efforts to forge deeper ties with Arab and Muslim-majority countries, despite the fact that these nations do not formally recognize it.

However, Libya's Presidential Council, which is made up of representatives from all three of the country's provinces, stated that normalizing relations with Israel was against the law.

Ms. Mangoush has been charged of high treason by the Speaker's Office in parliament, and Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah has forwarded the matter to the appropriate authorities for inquiry.

Given that Israel was not known to be wooing Libya, a staunch foe and defender of the Palestinian struggle, especially under the former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, the disclosure by Israel that conversations had taken place was surprising given that it was not known to be courting Libya. During his reign, numerous synagogues were burned down and thousands of Jewish people were driven from the country of Libya.

The statement was particularly remarkable in the amount of detail it provided, which may have been done with the intention of offsetting any anticipated denial from the Libyan side. Additionally, the statement identified and acknowledged Italian foreign minister Antonio Tajani for hosting the conference in Rome.

An unnamed Israeli official stated to the Reuters news agency on Monday that the meeting took place "at the highest levels" in Libya and that it lasted for more than an hour. This information was provided on Monday.

Mr. Cohen stated in his statement that he had seen Ms. Mangoush the previous week in Rome on the sidelines of a meeting, and that during their conversation they had discussed "the great potential for the relations" between Israel and Libya. The statement was released on Sunday.

According to him, they discussed the necessity of preserving Jewish legacy in Libya, including the renovation of synagogues and cemeteries, as well as Israeli assistance in the management of humanitarian concerns, agriculture, and water management.

However, according to Libya's foreign ministry, Ms. Mangoush turned down the opportunity to meet with Israeli personnel, and what actually occurred was "an unprepared, casual encounter during a meeting at Italy's foreign affairs ministry."

The ministry "renews its complete and absolute rejection of normalization" with Israel, according to a statement that also noted the encounter did not include "any discussions, agreements, or consultations."

Following the news of the meeting, demonstrations took place in several places, including the nation's capital of Tripoli. Although it appears that very few people participated in the demonstrations overall, roads were shut down, tires were set on fire, and demonstrators waved the Palestinian flag.

There has been unrest in Libya for many years, and the country is currently divided between the interim government that is internationally recognized and is based in Tripoli and a rival government that is based in the east.

In the event that a settlement between Israel and Libya were to be negotiated, it would be difficult due to the political divide that has remained between the two countries ever since Gaddafi was deposed 12 years ago.

In the city of Tobruk, located on the eastern coast of Libya, an alternative government is led by General Khalifa Haftar of the Libyan National Army (LNA).

In recent years, Israel has made efforts to establish diplomatic connections with nations in the Arab League with whom it does not already have formal relations. These countries range from moderate states to countries that have been Israel's adversaries in the past.

Since the year 2020, it has negotiated agreements known as the Abraham Accords, which have normalized its relations with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco. These agreements were brokered by the United States. The Palestinians are outraged by the accords and have accused the Arab signatories of being traitors. The agreements have been met with indignation by the Palestinians.

On Sunday evening, the Presidential Council of Libya sent a message to the administration asking for "clarification" about what had taken place. The duties of the head of state, as well as those of the commander in chief of the armed forces, are delegated to the Presidential Council.

It was said in a letter that came from the organization that the meeting between the two foreign ministers "does not reflect the foreign policy of the Libyan state, does not represent the Libyan national constants and is considered a violation of Libyan laws which criminalise normalisation with the 'Zionist entity.'"

Additionally, it requested that Mr. Dbeibah "apply the law in the event that the meeting took place."

Wednesday, August 23, 2023

Yevgeny Prigozhin: Wagner defied Putin and now its leader may be dead

When Yevgeny Prigozhin and his Wagner troops launched their insurrection two months ago, Vladimir Putin made his feelings more than clear. He called it "treachery" and a "stab in the back" of Russia. He promised that the perpetrators would be punished.

So there was incredulity in Russia when they were not. When a deal was cut between Mr Prigozhin and the Kremlin to end the mutiny; when all the charges against the Wagner founder and his fighters were dropped, despite the fact that Russian servicemen had been killed during the murky but brief insurrection.

It made President Putin look weak.

Commenting on the agreed compromise (ending the mutiny in exchange for immunity from prosecution) one Russian newspaper commented: "This kind of compromise is normally made with political opponents. Never with criminals and terrorists. Does that mean we should view Mr Prigozhin now as a political figure?"

Suddenly things look rather different.

Exactly two months on, Mr Prigozhin is presumed dead after his private jet crashed and exploded in a field. Wagner commander Dmitry Utkin was on the same jet.

The Russian elite will shed few tears over Mr Prigozhin's reported demise. That goes for Russia's military leadership, whom Mr Prigozhin had publicly and vocally condemned and whom he demanded be sacked. The Wagner boss claimed that the so-called "March of Justice" (his euphemism for the insurrection) had not targeted the Kremlin but had instead been directed at Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and the Chief of the General Staff, Valery Gerasimov.

In reality, the Wagner mutiny had been a direct challenge to President Putin's authority and a humiliating 24 hours for the Kremlin. Mr Putin himself pointed out that the Russian state had been financing Wagner. Money had clearly not bought loyalty.

If this was an act of revenge by those in power, that sends two clear messages to Mr Prigozhin's loyalists and to anyone else in Russia who may have been contemplating armed resistance:

Don't try

Look what happens to those who do.

That means that President Putin could emerge from these dramatic events stronger domestically.

But what if Mr Prigozhin becomes a martyr? What if those who had pledged loyalty to him - and who are well-trained fighters - call for their own acts of revenge?

Grey Zone, a Telegram channel linked to Wagner, blamed Mr Prigozhin's reported death on "Russian traitors".

It did not clarify who it believed those traitors were and what Wagner's response would be.

If this crash was foul play, that will come as little surprise to many in Russia. Ever since the mutiny there has been feverish speculation about Mr Prigozhin's fate, about whether his actions really would be forgiven.

He must have known that. Yet, in recent weeks, as he jetted around on his private plane he clearly did not view air travel as a danger. Perhaps he believed that he was too powerful, too crucial a figure in today's Russia to be taken out?

Jets of the Boeing 737 Max 9 will remain grounded while examinations are still ongoing.

The aviation authority in the United States has announced that 171 Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft would continue to be grounded until it is satis...