CHINA
Kiribati ties established
The country and Kiribati have established diplomatic relations, state media reported yesterday, days after the tiny Pacific island nation severed ties with Taiwan. Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi (王毅) and Kiribatian President Taneti Mamau on Friday signed a joint communique to establish diplomatic relations between the two countries on the sidelines of a UN climate summit, Xinhua reported.
INDIA
Floods kill at least 44
At least 44 people were killed and thousands moved to relief camps because of flooding caused by torrential rains in Uttar Pradesh state, officials said yesterday. Densely populated regions on the banks of two main rivers in the state, which are overflowing because of incessant rainfall in the past 24 to 48 hours, were among the worst hit. “We had confirmed 44 deaths till late yesterday night. The authorities are focusing on rescue and relief work in the affected regions,” Uttar Pradesh Disaster Management Authority Vice Chairman Ravindra Pratap Sahi told reporters. “We have moved thousands to relief shelters, as there is forecast of heavy rains in the next 48 hours in most of the affected districts of the state,” Sahi said.
UNITED STATES
Metallica frontman in rehab
Metallica has said its frontman James Hetfield has entered rehab, and the band is canceling its upcoming tour in Australia and New Zealand. Three of the heavy metal band’s members posted a statement on Twitter on Friday announcing the decision and apologizing to fans. The statement by drummer Lars Ulrich, guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Rob Trujillo said that anyone who purchased tickets for the remaining show dates would receive automatic refunds. The band had been scheduled to play five Australian cities from Oct. 17 to 29, followed by four shows in New Zealand. The statement said Hetfield has struggled with addiction for years and has re-entered a treatment program. The statement did not elaborate, but the band’s members said they appreciate fans’ understanding and support of the 56-year-old Metallica cofounder.
UNITED STATES
State to ban vaping products
Washington on Friday joined several other states in banning the sale of flavored vaping products amid concern over the mysterious lung illness that has sickened hundreds of people and killed about a dozen across the country. Washington Governor Jay Inslee issued an executive order asking the state Department of Health to issue the emergency rule at its next meeting, scheduled for Oct. 9. The ban is to apply to products containing nicotine as well as the cannabis extract THC. Inslee said the flavored products especially appeal to youth. “We need to act for the public health of our people,” said Inslee, a Democrat. “I’m confident this executive order will save lives.”
UNITED STATES
Fugitive yak killed in crash
A vehicle has hit and killed a yak who rose to Internet fame by making his great escape in Virginia while on the way to a butcher shop. The Washington Post has reported that the owner of the yak, Robert Cissell, said on social media that the animal named Meteor died on Friday morning on US 29 in Nelson County. Meteor had been on the loose since Sept. 10, when he kicked off the back door of a livestock trailer and ran into the mountains. Nelson County Animal Control officer Kevin Wright said there were no witnesses to the collision.
Nearly half of China’s major cities are suffering “moderate to severe” levels of subsidence, putting millions of people at risk of flooding, especially as sea levels rise, according to a study of nationwide satellite data released yesterday. The authors of the paper, published by the journal Science, found that 45 percent of China’s urban land was sinking faster than 3mm per year, with 16 percent at more than 10mm per year, driven not only by declining water tables, but also the sheer weight of the built environment. With China’s urban population already in excess of 900 million people, “even a small portion
UNSETTLING IMAGES: The scene took place in front of TV crews covering the Trump trial, with a CNN anchor calling it an ‘emotional and unbelievably disturbing moment’ A man who doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire outside the courthouse where former US president Donald Trump is on trial has died, police said yesterday. The New York City Police Department (NYPD) said the man was declared dead by staff at an area hospital. The man was in Collect Pond Park at about 1:30pm on Friday when he took out pamphlets espousing conspiracy theories, tossed them around, then doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire, officials and witnesses said. A large number of police officers were nearby when it happened. Some officers and bystanders rushed
HYPOCRISY? The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday asked whether Biden was talking about China or the US when he used the word ‘xenophobic’ US President Joe Biden on Wednesday called for a hike in steel tariffs on China, accusing Beijing of cheating as he spoke at a campaign event in Pennsylvania. Biden accused China of xenophobia, too, in a speech to union members in Pittsburgh. “They’re not competing, they’re cheating. They’re cheating and we’ve seen the damage here in America,” Biden said. Chinese steel companies “don’t need to worry about making a profit because the Chinese government is subsidizing them so heavily,” he said. Biden said he had called for the US Trade Representative to triple the tariff rates for Chinese steel and aluminum if Beijing was
Beijing is continuing to commit genocide and crimes against humanity against Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in its western Xinjiang province, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a report published on Monday, ahead of his planned visit to China this week. The State Department’s annual human rights report, which documents abuses recorded all over the world during the previous calendar year, repeated language from previous years on the treatment of Muslims in Xinjiang, but the publication raises the issue ahead of delicate talks, including on the war in Ukraine and global trade, between the top U.S. diplomat and Chinese