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☆ China launches weather satellite, flights avoid no-fly zone to north of Taiwan
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Ann WangBEIJING/TAIPEI, April 16 (Reuters) - China launched a weather satellite on Sunday as civilian flights altered their routes to avoid a Chinese-imposed no-fly zone to the north of Taiwan which Beijing put in place because of the possibility of falling rocket debris. The no-fly announcement rattled regional nerves as it followed shortly after China staged new war games around Taiwan, which Beijing views as sovereign Chinese territory. Flights to and from Taiwan and China, Taiwan and South Korea and Taiwan and Japan were amongst those detouring around the zone on Sunday morning, according to routes tracked on Flightradar24. The zone is in an area over the East China Sea slightly northeast of Taiwan that routinely sees heavy civilian flight traffic. China has denounced what it has called hype around China's space activities and an attempt to escalate confrontation across the Taiwan Strait.

☆ 'Era has passed' as Beijing subway drops mandatory COVID mask rule
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"It's as if an era has passed," a user said on China's popular social e-commerce app Xiaohongshu, as social media was abuzz with news of the rules being eased. Staff at a Beijing subway station tore down signs reminding people to wear masks, Beijing Daily reported. Some people on social media voiced concerns over the relaxation of mask rules, saying the virus remains a threat. "Let's hope there will not be a second wave of infections," a user on China's Twitter-like social media Weibo site said. Chinese cities have been scrapping mask mandates for several weeks, including Hong Kong, which ended mask requirements on March 1.

☆ Four killed, multiple injuries in Alabama shooting
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] Law enforcement officers walk through the crime scene, a day after a shooting at a teenager's birthday party in a dance studio, in Dadeville, Alabama, U.S., April 16, 2023. REUTERS/Cheney OrrApril 16 (Reuters) - Four people were killed and multiple others injured in a shooting on Saturday night that was tied to a birthday party in the small town of Dadeville, Alabama, the state law enforcement agency said at a news conference on Sunday morning. The state agency declined to answer questions or provide further detail during the news conference. Alabama Governor Kay Ivey said in a Twitter post on Sunday morning that she was staying "closely updated" by law enforcement as details emerged. The nonprofit group defines a mass shooting as four or more shot or killed, not including the shooter.

☆ Top photos of the week
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Dave Lucas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Representative Justin Jones joins in prayer for the victims of the Covenant School shooting ahead the vote for his reinstatement, days after the Republican majority Tennessee House of Representatives voted to expel two Democratic members,...moreRepresentative Justin Jones joins in prayer for the victims of the Covenant School shooting ahead the vote for his reinstatement, days after the Republican majority Tennessee House of Representatives voted to expel two Democratic members, representatives Justin Pearson and him, for their roles in a gun control demonstration on the statehouse floor, in the Historic Metro Courthouse in Nashville, Tennessee, April 10, 2023. REUTERS/Cheney OrrClose

☆ China willing to work with Germany on economy, trade
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BEIJING, April 14 (Reuters) - China is willing to work with Germany on the economic and trade fronts, and the two countries are partners, not adversaries, its foreign minister, Qin Gang, said on Friday. Qin, addressing a joint news conference with his German counterpart, Annalena Baerbock, said artificially putting the brakes on normal economic and trade cooperation would be counter-productive. Remarking on the situation with Taiwan, Qin said if countries want to respect the One-China principle, then the proper move is to resolutely oppose Taiwan independence. On the issue of Ukraine, Qin said China was willing to continue to work for peace and hoped that all parties involved in the crisis would remain objective and calm and work together. Reporting by Beijing newsroom; Writing by Bernard Orr; Editing byOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ China denies imposing no-fly zone north of Taiwan
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BEIJING, April 14 (Reuters) - China denied on Friday that it had imposed a no-fly zone in the seas north of Taiwan for Sunday, even though Taipei said it was told by Beijing that China would impose one. "I have noticed that there were previous reports pointing out that the no-fly zone was set up by the Chinese side, which is inaccurate. China's civil aviation authority will forewarn and issue notices in advance for any space activities, Wang said. The area covers busy flight routes between Taiwan and China and Taiwan and South Korea, among others. "Relevant parties in the mainland have issued advance notices and announcements of space activities affecting the airspace," said China's Taiwan Affairs Office in a statement on Friday.

☆ What the Texas Abortion Pill Ruling Means for Abortion Access
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

What Led to Tennessee’s Expulsion of Two Democrats for ‘Disorderly Behavior’ Tennessee’s Republican-led House of Representatives on Thursday expelled Democratic lawmakers Justin Jones and Justin Pearson for speaking out of turn on the House floor. WSJ’s Mariah Timms explains what led to the expulsions and what could happen next. Photo: Cheney Orr/Reuters

☆ China's President Xi stresses need to deepen military training, preparation
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BEIJING, April 12 (Reuters) - China's President Xi Jinping inspected his country's Southern Theatre Command navy on Tuesday and stressed the need to deepen military training and preparation, state media reported. Xi also said there was a need to improve the ability to respond to complex situations in a timely and appropriate manner, state media added. Xi also said that China will resolutrely defend its territorial sovereignty, maritime rights and interets, and strive to maintain stability in neighboring areas, state media said. Recently, China has quarrelled with the United States, claiming several times that a U.S. destroyer has operated in its territorial waters around the South China Sea. The United States and Philippines are also currently holding their largest joint military drills over shared concerns about China's assertiveness in the Asia-Pacific region.

☆ China wants to start using moon soil to build lunar bases as soon as this decade
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BEIJING, April 12 (Reuters) - China wants to start building a lunar base using soil from the moon in five years, Chinese media reported, with the ambitious plan kicking off as soon as this decade. Ding Lieyun, an expert from the Chinese Academy of Engineering, said a team is designing a robot named "Chinese Super Masons" to make bricks out of lunar soil, according to Changjiang Daily. China previously retrieved soil samples from the near side of the moon with its Chang'e-5 mission in 2020, state media reported. The country has stated that it wants its astronauts to stay on the moon for long periods once it establishes a lunar research station. Reporting by Ethan Wang, Bernard Orr and Ryan Woo; Editing by Kirsten DonovanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Justin Jones pumped his fist and declared "power to the people" as he returned to the state House of Representatives after being restored by the Metropolitan Council of Nashville and Davidson County. His colleague Justin Pearson, the other young Black legislator who was expelled, could get a similar vote for reinstatement on Wednesday when the Shelby County Board of Commissioners will consider reappointing him to his Memphis district. The conflict has captured national attention and served as a rallying cry for Democrats over the issues of democracy, gun violence and racial inequality. Republican lawmakers have remained largely silent since voting to oust Jones and Pearson. Reporting by Sandra Stojanovic and Omar Younis; Additional reporting by Daniel Trotta; Editing by Simon Cameron-MooreOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, April 10 (Reuters) - Tennessee state Representative Justin Jones returned to the state House on Monday, pumping his fist and declaring "power to the people" as a Nashville-area council restored him to office following his expulsion over a gun protest. The Metropolitan Council of Nashville and Davidson County voted 36-0 on Monday to make Jones, 27, the interim representative. REUTERS/Cheney Orr 1 2 3 4 5"I want to welcome the people back to the people's house," Jones said in brief remarks upon being reseated. Addressing supporters before the vote, Jones accused the Republicans of operating "plantation politics" and abuse of power. Before the vote, the spokesperson said the House would seat whomever the county legislatures appoint "as the constitution requires."

☆ Sandstorms, dangerous pollution return to Beijing
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A woman poses for pictures near the Forbidden City, as the city is shrouded in smog amid a sandstorm, in Beijing, China March 10, 2023. The capital Beijing has seen regular air pollution and an unseasonal number of sandstorms over the past few weeks. On Tuesday morning, smog and misty grey clouds could be seen enveloping Beijing and the city's real-time air quality index was at a serious pollution level, according to the website of the Beijing Municipal Ecological and Environmental Monitoring Center. The concentration of fine particulates in the air in Beijing is currently 46.2 times the World Health Organization's annual air quality guideline value, according to IQAir, a website that issues air quality data and information. Beijing has regular sandstorms in March and April as it is near the large Gobi desert.

☆ NHL roundup: Claude Giroux reaches 1,000 points in Senators' win
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Giroux entered the game with 998 points but reached the milestone before the first intermission. Giroux followed up with a backhand shot at the 9:37 mark for his 34th goal of the season, his 1,001st career point and his 52nd career game-winning goal. Jets 6, Sharks 2Defenseman Erik Karlsson reached 100 points this season but couldn't spark his team to victory as host Winnipeg beat San Jose. Stars 6, Red Wings 1Roope Hintz had a goal and three assists to help Dallas earn a road win over Detroit. Wild 4, Blackhawks 2Marcus Johansson scored two of Minnesota's three goals over the final six minutes in its win over host Chicago.

☆ Nashville board reinstates Black lawmaker expelled from Tennessee House
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( Omar Younis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, April 10 (Reuters) - A Nashville-area county council on Monday voted to reinstate Representative Justin Jones to the Tennessee House of Representatives, reversing Republican lawmakers who ousted Jones and another young, Black legislator last week for staging a gun control protest on the House floor. The Metropolitan Council of Nashville and Davidson County voted 36-0 to make Jones, 27, the interim representative. Before the vote, the spokesperson said the House would seat whomever the county legislatures appoint "as the constitution requires." Jones and Pearson, 28, have both said they hoped to be reappointed and that they would run again in special elections. Republicans also targeted Gloria Johnson, who is white, for expulsion, as she joined Jones and Pearson in the floor protest.

☆ Nashville-area board may return lawmaker expelled from Republican-controlled statehouse
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( Daniel Trotta | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

April 10 (Reuters) - A Nashville-area county council meeting on Monday may vote to return to the statehouse one of two Democratic Tennessee lawmakers who were expelled from the chamber last week after participating in a gun control protest. Returning Jones would send a pointed message to the Republicans who expelled him. A Memphis-area board of commissioners plans on Wednesday to consider reappointing Pearson on an interim basis to the seat from which he was removed. U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris flew to Nashville on Friday to support the three Tennessee lawmakers targeted for expulsion. Jones, 27, was elected to Tennessee's House of Representatives last year.

☆ WSJ’s Evan Gershkovich: A Timeline of His Detainment
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

☆ Nashville-area board may return Democratic lawmaker who was expelled from Republican-controlled statehouse
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( Daniel Trotta | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

REUTERS/Cheney OrrApril 10 (Reuters) - A Nashville-area county council may return to the statehouse one of two Democratic Tennessee lawmakers who were expelled from the chamber last week over a gun control protest when it meets on Monday to fill the vacant seat. On Wednesday, a Memphis-area board of commissioners will consider reappointing Pearson to the seat from which he was removed. Jones and Pearson both said on Sunday they hoped to be reappointed and that they would run again in special elections. Republicans also targeted Johnson but came up one vote short of the two-thirds majority needed to oust her. U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris flew to Nashville on Friday to support the three Tennessee lawmakers targeted for expulsion.

☆ Nashville-area board may send expelled Tennessee lawmaker back to statehouse
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( Daniel Trotta | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

REUTERS/Cheney OrrApril 10 (Reuters) - A Nashville-area county council may return to the statehouse one of two Democratic Tennessee lawmakers who were expelled from the chamber last week over a gun control protest when it meets on Monday to fill the vacant seat. Returning Jones would send a pointed message to the Republicans who accused him of violating decorum. On Wednesday, a Memphis-area board of commissioners will consider reappointing Pearson to the seat he was removed from. Jones and Pearson both said on Sunday they hoped to be reappointed and that they would run again in special elections. U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris flew to Nashville on Friday to support the three Tennessee lawmakers targeted for expulsion.

☆ China criticises Indian minister's visit to Arunachal Pradesh
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] India's Home Minister Amit Shah greets the media upon his arrival at the home ministry in New Delhi, India, June 1, 2019. REUTERS/Altaf HussainBEIJING, April 10 (Reuters) - China firmly opposes a visit by India's home minister to Arunachal Pradesh and views his activities in the area as violating Beijing's territorial sovereignty, a foreign ministry spokesperson told a news briefing on Monday. China has renamed some places in what India regards as its eastern state of Arunachal Pradesh, which China claims as part of its territory. "Zangnan is China's territory," spokesperson Wang Wenbin said in response to a question on the visit by Indian Home Minister Amit Shah. "The Indian official's visit to Zangnan violates China's territorial sovereignty, and is not conducive to the peace and tranquility of the border situation."

☆ US Navy says destroyer conducts navigational rights mission in South China Sea
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Milius (DDG-69), deployed to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations, conducts underway operations, at an undisclosed location in South China Sea, in this handout picture released on April 10, 2023. U.S. Navy/Handout via REUTERSBEIJING, April 10 (Reuters) - The U.S. Navy said its guided-missile destroyer USS Milius conducted a navigational rights and freedoms mission in the South China Sea near the Spratly Islands on Monday. The U.S. Navy said the operation by the destroyer was consistent with international law. "At the conclusion of the operation, USS Milius exited the excessive claim area and continued operations in the South China Sea," a U.S. Navy statement said. Last month, China and the U.S. sparred over the movement of the USS Milius, which China said entered its territorial waters in the South China Sea near the Paracel Islands.

☆ How two of North America's richest families came together to fortify Greg Fleming's Rockefeller Capital Management
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( Hayley Cuccinello | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A firm owned by one of Canada's richest clans has invested $622 million in wealth firm Rockefeller. Two of North America's richest families have partnered up to invest in wealth management powerhouse Rockefeller Capital Management. The Desmarais family invested $622 million through the Power Corporation of Canada, the financial services conglomerate the family controls, for a 20.5% stake in Rockefeller Capital Management. Paul's son and deputy chairman of Power Corp., Andre Desmarais considered the late David Rockefeller Sr. as a mentor. Courtesy of Rockefeller Capital ManagementThe Desmarais family has worked with Rockefeller on big dealsRockefeller chief executive Fleming also has a two-decade-long relationship with the Desmarais clan.

☆ Harris backs expelled Tennessee lawmakers, chides Republicans for ousting them
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-08 | by ( Cheney Orr | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Republicans who control the Tennessee House of Representatives on Thursday expelled two young Black lawmakers who last week led protesters into the well of the House floor, while a resolution to remove a white representative came up one vote short. The Republicans ousted Justin Pearson, 28, of Memphis, and Justin Jones, 27, from the Nashville area. They staged the protest for gun reforms following the March 27 shooting at a Nashville school that killed three 9-year-old students and three adults. With a 75-23 advantage over Democrats in the House, Tennessee Republicans took the extraordinary measure to expel their Democratic colleagues, citing their disruption of orderly House business. Just two state lawmakers had previously been expelled since the U.S. Civil War.

☆ Harris visits Tennessee after lawmakers expelled over gun protests
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-08 | by ( Cheney Orr | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/7] U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during an address after the Tennessee House of Representatives voted to expel two Democratic members, representatives Justin Pearson and Justin Jones, for their roles in a gun control demonstration at the Tennessee State Capitol, in Nashville, Tennessee, U.S., April 7, 2023. Just two state lawmakers had previously been expelled since the U.S. Civil War. Tennessee Representative Yusuf Hakeem, a Democrat, said Harris' visit showed "the White House is very interested and concerned in a meaningful way," adding that he does not expect protests to fade. Nearly 50 organizations, led by gun safety advocacy group the Newtown Action Alliance, called for nationwide student walkouts in solidarity with those in Tennessee. Members of the Tennessee General Assembly's Black Caucus at a news conference on Friday said Republicans had sunk to new lows.

[1/2] People exit the building after a vote on to expel two of three Democratic members for their role in a gun control demonstration at the statehouse last week, in Nashville, Tennessee, U.S., April 6, 2023. On Thursday, the Tennessee House of Representatives' Republican supermajority voted to remove Democratic Representatives Justin Jones and Justin Pearson, two young Black legislators, over demonstrations pushing for stricter gun laws. On Thursday, President Joe Biden decried the expulsions of the state lawmakers on Twitter, calling them "shocking, undemocratic, and without precedent." The White House, which announced the trip, did not provide other details about the meeting, scheduled for Friday evening. Nearly 50 organizations, led by the gun safety advocacy group the Newtown Action Alliance, called for nationwide student walkouts in solidarity with those in Tennessee.

☆ US VP Harris to meet lawmakers in Tennessee after House expulsion of two Democrats
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] People exit the building after a vote on to expel two of three Democratic members for their role in a gun control demonstration at the statehouse last week, in Nashville, Tennessee, U.S., April 6, 2023. REUTERS/Cheney OrrWASHINGTON, April 7 (Reuters) - U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris will travel to Tennessee on Friday to meet lawmakers the day after the state's House of Representatives expelled two Democrats for breaking decorum during a gun control demonstration, the White House announced. The Republican supermajority voted on Thursday to remove Representatives Justin Jones and Justin Pearson, two young Black legislators. read morePresident Joe Biden on Thursday decried the proceedings, saying on Twitter that they were "shocking, undemocratic, and without precedent." Republicans who punished the two lawmakers could have pursued lesser forms of discipline, such as censure instead of expulsion.

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