Skip to main content

Rare light aircraft crash in Beijing kills pilot, injures 13 people

A light aircraft crash into Beijing's tallest building on Friday killed ​the pilot and injured 13 people who were not on ‌board, the local government said following the unusual accident for the Chinese capital, where airspace is heavily restricted. Those injured are receiving medical treatment and authorities are ​investigating the incident, Chaoyang district government said in a statement ​on Saturday. "A single-engine, two-seat light sport aircraft collided with ⁠a high-rise building while flying near the East third ring road ​in Chaoyang, at 5:55pm (0955 GMT) on June 26," said the ​statement, which was posted on social media. "There was only one person on board, the pilot, who died," the statement added, without giving any further details of ​the possible cause of the crash. Damage to the facade of the ​skyscraper appeared to be limited to a hole caused by the loss of ‌two ⁠large glass panels. The gap had been temporarily boarded up as ...

Trump says Xi’s Vietnam trip meant to ‘screw’ US

US President Donald Trump has accused Chinese President Xi Jinping of using his Southeast Asia tour—including a high-profile stop in Vietnam—to "screw" the United States, as Beijing pushes back against steep new American tariffs and calls for regional unity against what it terms Washington’s “unilateral bullying.” Speaking to reporters at the White House on Monday, Trump claimed that Xi’s meetings with Vietnamese leaders were “like trying to figure out, how do we screw the United States of America.” He added, “I don’t blame China. I don’t blame Vietnam. That’s a lovely meeting.” Xi arrived in Hanoi on Monday for a two-day state visit, his first stop on a five-day regional tour that includes Malaysia and Cambodia. The visit comes amid escalating trade tensions, following the Trump administration’s rollout of a global tariff policy that saw Chinese goods hit with effective duties of 145%. In response, Beijing imposed 125% tariffs on U.S. imports. While Trump later rolled back tariffs for most countries—including Vietnam and Malaysia—to 10% and issued a 90-day pause for enforcement, China remained an exception, with exemptions only on certain tech products like chips and smartphones. In Hanoi, Xi called for strengthened cooperation between China and Vietnam, urging both nations to resist “unilateral bullying” and protect the global free trade system. “A small boat with a single sail cannot withstand the stormy waves,” Xi said, “and only by working together can we sail steadily and far.” Vietnam, a major manufacturing hub and one of the top exporters to the US, has been caught in the crossfire. Approximately 30% of Vietnam’s GDP is linked to American demand, according to customs data. Facing a 46% US tariff, Vietnam is negotiating to reduce it to between 22% and 28%, and has pledged to crack down on transshipment fraud involving Chinese goods falsely labeled as “Made in Vietnam.” Xi and Vietnamese Communist Party leader To Lam signed 45 bilateral agreements on Monday, including deals on supply chain development, AI cooperation, and major rail infrastructure. Among the new rail projects is a planned $8.3 billion link between Vietnam’s northern coast and Kunming, China. Two additional cross-border railways are in feasibility stages, backed by a $1.36 million Chinese study grant. On Tuesday, Xi paid tribute at the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum in Hanoi, laying a wreath bearing the inscription “Long live Vietnam’s great leader President Ho Chi Minh,” before departing for Malaysia and Cambodia. Xi’s trip, the first overseas tour of the year for the Chinese leader, is widely seen as an attempt to solidify regional alliances amid mounting distrust of the U.S. in Southeast Asia. “The uncertainty created by US tariffs, as well as Washington’s treatment of allies, undermines US credibility,” said Ian Chong of the National University of Singapore. Malaysian Trade Minister Zafrul Aziz echoed concerns, saying the US tariff calculation was “not fair” and that Malaysia would not choose sides. “You simply can’t not deal with one side,” he told the BBC. In an article published Monday in Vietnam’s Nhan Dan newspaper, Xi argued that “trade wars produce no winners” and called for the defense of global supply chain stability and multilateralism. China and Vietnam, both communist-led nations, maintain what Hanoi calls a “comprehensive strategic partnership.” Vietnam continues to walk a diplomatic tightrope between China and the US, a policy it refers to as “bamboo diplomacy.” While it relies heavily on China for trade and investment, it shares strategic concerns with the US over Beijing’s growing assertiveness in the South China Sea. Xi’s tour continues through Friday.

from Latest World News, International News | Breaking World News https://ift.tt/k2J5PZ9

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

At least 32 miners dead after bridge fails at cobalt site in southeast DR Congo

A bridge collapsed at a cobalt mine in southeast Democratic Republic of Congo killing at least 32 wildcat miners, a regional government official said Sunday. The bridge came down Saturday onto a flooded zone at the mine in Lualaba province, Roy Kaumba Mayonde, the provincial interior minister, told reporters. He said 32 bodies had been recovered and more were being searched for. The DRC produces more than 70 percent of the world supply of cobalt, which is essential for batteries used in electric cars, many laptop computers and mobile phones. More than 200,000 people are estimated to be working in giant illegal cobalt mines in the giant central African country. Local authorities said the bridge collapsed at the Kalando mine, about 42 kilometres (26 miles) southeast of the Lualaba provincial capital, Kolwezi. "Despite a formal ban on access to the site because of the heavy rain and the risk of a landslide, wildcat miners forced their way into the quarry," said Mayonde. He said ...

Indian devotees splurge on jets, gold idols as Hindu temple opens

The private jet parking lots at airports near the Indian city of Ayodhya are full and the shops have run out of gold-plated idols, as wealthy devotees prepare for the invite-only opening ceremony of one of Hinduism's holiest temples. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Asia's richest man Mukesh Ambani are among the 8,000 or so attendees at Monday's inauguration event for the Ram Temple, which devotees believe is built on the birthplace of Lord Ram, a sacred Hindu deity. The construction of the temple, which began after the Supreme Court awarded the site to Hindus in 2019 more than two decades after a Hindu mob razed a mosque there, triggering deadly riots, fulfils a key campaign promise of Modi and his Hindu nationalist party. Read BJP-promised temple transforms Ayodhya: Muslims, locals feel neglected The opening ceremony, organised by the trust that built the temple, comes months before a national election which the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party is widely expected to w...

Vancouver tribunal says 'every dog is entitled to one bite' in injury case

A woman who sought nearly $5,000 in damages after being bitten by a dog on Christmas Eve has had her claim dismissed, after a British Columbia tribunal ruled the incident amounted to an accident — and that “every dog is entitled to one bite.” Ying Shen was bitten on the hand by a mini Australian Shepherd named Juliet as she stepped out of an elevator in her apartment building in Vancouver on 24 December 2022. The dog, which was leashed and accompanied by neighbour Jeffrey Dale Polo, bit Shen as the two passed each other in the corridor. According to the B.C. Civil Resolution Tribunal’s decision, Polo apologised, saying Juliet was “usually well behaved.” Shen sought medical attention that night at St. Paul’s Hospital, where she was treated for a superficial abrasion and given a tetanus shot. She later filed a report with the City of Vancouver. A bylaw officer determined that Juliet was not considered dangerous under city regulations, though the dog was found to be unlicensed. In his 5 M...