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☆ Chinese influence operation targets U.S. down-ballot races, Microsoft says
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-24 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

An army of Chinese-controlled social media bots is attempting to influence voters in Alabama, Texas and Tennessee while denigrating Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, according to research published Wednesday by Microsoft. The troll network has “parroted antisemitic messages, amplified accusations of corruption and promoted opposition candidates,” according to Microsoft. The bots amplified support for Blackburn’s election rival while spreading claims that she took money from pharmaceutical companies. Moore, McCaul and Blackburn are all running for re-election next month. The Microsoft researchers found the influence effort did not result “in high levels of engagement.” The report did not provide any metrics for how many Americans viewed the relevant social media posts.

Persons: denigrating Sen, Marco Rubio, Barry Moore of, Michael McCaul of, Sen, Marsha Blackburn of, Rubio, China “, Moore, McCaul, ”, Madison Green, Israel, —, China — Organizations: Microsoft, China’s Public Security Ministry, Embassy, Blackburn, Senate Intelligence Committee, Moore, Chinese Communist Party, CCP, National Intelligence, Reuters Locations: Alabama , Texas, Tennessee, Marco Rubio of Florida, Barry Moore of Alabama, Michael McCaul of Texas, Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, Washington, China, U.S, Israel, Russia, Iran

☆ Liam Payne’s cause of death confirmed in autopsy report: What is polytrauma?
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-18 | by ( Chrissy Callahan | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

An autopsy report has confirmed Liam Payne’s cause of death a day after the singer passed away at the age of 31. The Sistema de Atencio Medica de Emergencia shared the following statement with Telemundo, part of NBCUniversal, after Payne’s death. What did Liam Payne’s autopsy report show? What was in the 911 call before Liam Payne’s death? The call was placed minutes before Payne’s death, according to the prosecutor’s office.

Persons: Liam Payne’s, Liam Payne, Emergencia, “, Liam James Payne, Payne, Payne “, ”, it’s Organizations: Argentina National Prosecutor’s Office, Medica, Telemundo, Associated Press, Security Ministry, Prosecutor’s Office, TODAY.com, National Library of Medicine, Casa Locations: Argentina, NBCUniversal, “ British, Palermo, Buenos Aires

CNN —Former One Direction band member Liam Payne has died at age 31 after falling from the third floor of the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, according to police. “We have a guest who is overwhelmed with drugs and alcohol,” the hotel manager said on the call. Police officers stand guard at the entrance of the hotel where British singer Liam Payne died in Buenos Aires on Wednesday. Juan Mabromata/AFP/Getty ImagesMental health strugglesIn recent years, Payne spoke publicly about facing battles with his mental health and substance abuse. “It’s wild, but it was like the only way you could get frustration out in the day,” he said.

Persons: Liam Payne, Payne, Pablo Policicchio, Payne “, Juan Mabromata, Middleton, “, ”, superstardom Payne, Simon Cowell’s, Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson, ” Payne, Bear, Cheryl Tweedy Organizations: CNN, Todo Noticias, ”, Police, Buenos Aires Security Ministry, Associated Press, ” Police, Buenos, Authorities, Wednesday, Wolverhampton College, British TV, Girls Locations: Buenos Aires, Argentina, British, AFP, English, Wolverhampton, City

☆ Liam Payne’s shocking death prompts outpouring of grief and questions
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-17 | by ( Sandra Gonzalez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Payne, 31, had died earlier in the day after falling from the third floor of the hotel, according to a statement from Buenos Aires police. In death, Payne was afforded privacy he was rarely given in life. Fans place candles outside the hotel where Liam Payne, former One Direction member, was found dead, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Wednesday. I can not believe he is gone.”Louis Tomlinson, Liam Payne, Harry Styles, Zayn Malik and Niall Horan of One Direction in 2012. He was also seen attending his former bandmate Horan’s concert in Buenos Aires on October 2, according to videos posted on social media from the show.

Persons: Liam Payne, Pablo Policicchio, Payne “, van, Payne, Agustin Marcarian, Simon Cowell, Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan –, Cowell, ” Payne, “, ”, ” Malik, Charlie Puth, Zedd, ” Puth, “ Liam, ” Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan, Theo Wargo, Horan’s, ” “ Organizations: CNN, Buenos Aires Security Ministry, Associated Press, ” Police, YouTube Locations: Buenos Aires, Payne, Argentina

☆ Son Jun-ho: South Korean soccer player says Chinese authorities forced match-fixing confession out of him
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-12 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —South Korean soccer player Son Jun-ho tearfully denied on Wednesday accusations by Chinese authorities that he participated in match-fixing and bribery when playing in the country and said he gave a false confession under duress. “I never took part in match-fixing,” Son told a news conference. He was not mistreated during detention, Son added, but described the conditions in which he was held as harsh. The General Administration of Sport of China and the foreign and public security ministries did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Son, who has now signed for South Korean side Suwon FC, said he hoped to continue his career.

Persons: Son, ho, “, ” Son, Jin Jingdao, Guo Tianyu, Gu Chao Organizations: CNN, South, Chinese Football Association, CFA, Administration of Sport, Chinese Super League, Shandong, Shandong Taishan FC, South Korean, Suwon FC Locations: South Korean, China, Administration of Sport of China, Shandong Taishan

☆ China says 2 military employees sold 60 pounds of secret documents to a recycling plant, allowing a shopper to bag 4 volumes for under $1
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-14 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewChina's State Security Ministry said on Thursday that a retiree had somehow secured four volumes of confidential military documents at a recycling store for just 85 cents. According to the post, Zhang is a former employee of a state-owned enterprise and collects military newspapers and magazines as a hobby. Related storiesThe State Security Ministry said agents rushed to Zhang's home and seized the documents. AdvertisementUpon investigating the scrap store, the state security ministry discovered that Zhang's purchase had been part of eight volumes of 200 secret documents marked for disposal, the post reads. China's State Security Ministry has, in recent months, regularly urged the public to assist in reporting foreign espionage.

Persons: —, Grandpa Zhang, Zhang, Guo, Li, William Burns rankled, We've, Burns Organizations: Service, Security Ministry, Business, State Security Ministry, China's State Security Ministry, CIA, Street Journal . Locations: Beijing, China, William Burns rankled Beijing, Colorado, Street Journal . China

☆ Beijing Claims U.K. Recruited Chinese State Officials as Spies
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-03 | by ( Daisuke Wakabayashi | Claire Fu | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

China’s top security ministry accused Britain’s MI6 intelligence agency on Monday of persuading a married couple working for unnamed central Chinese government bodies to become spies for the British government, the latest in a volley of continuing espionage accusations between the two countries. The Chinese ministry said MI6 trained Mr. Wang to become a spy and ordered him to return to China to gather intelligence. It said that his wife, who has the surname Zhou, also agreed to spy for Britain. China said the matter was under further investigation, but it is not clear whether the couple are being detained by the Chinese authorities. This is the latest in a series of back-and-forth espionage accusations between Beijing and London, a source of escalating tension between the two countries.

Persons: Wang, Zhou Organizations: China’s Ministry of State Security Locations: British, Britain, China, Beijing, London

☆ China says Britain's MI6 turned two Chinese government staff to spies
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-03 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

A Chinese flag in Pudong's Lujiazui Financial District in Shanghai, China, on Sept. 18, 2023. China has alleged that the British Secret Intelligence Service MI6 turned two staff members of unnamed Chinese central state organs into spies for the British government, its State Security Ministry said in a statement on Monday. The ministry said the case against the two spies, a married couple, is under further investigation. In January, China revealed an espionage case in which it said MI6 used a foreigner in China to collect secrets and information. Britain in April charged two people with providing prejudicial information to China and last month charged three people with assisting Hong Kong's foreign intelligence service in Britain.

Persons: Hong Organizations: British Secret Intelligence Service, State Security Ministry Locations: Lujiazui, Shanghai, China, Britain

☆ In El Salvador, self-styled ‘world’s coolest dictator’ Nayib Bukele heads for re-election amid human rights concerns
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-03 | by ( Stefano Pozzebon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

Employees of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal load boxes containing electoral material for the presidential and legislative elections at the Electoral Organization Directorate in San Marcos, El Salvador, on February 2, 2024. He adopted Bitcoin as legal tender in El Salvador in 2021 and invited the tech-bros of the world to surf in the Pacific. Under Bukele, El Salvador’s homicide rate has plummeted. So, while El Salvador no longer faces record murder rates, it now boasts the highest incarceration rate in the world. Camilo Freedman/AFP/Getty ImagesA tale of two victimsJackelyne Zelaya does not see the enduring state of emergency as a problem.

Persons: Jocelyn Zelaya, ”, Jackelyne, ” Jackelyne Zelaya, Marcela, Jocelyn, Mara Salvatrucha, Zelaya, “, isn’t, Nayib, Yuri Cortez, Bukele, El, Camilo Freedman, Jackelyne Zelaya, won’t, Maria, tipster, Marvin Reyes, EFE, Guillermo Villatoro, Villatoro, Salvadorean Sandra Hernandez, Jose Dimas Medrano, Stringer, ‘, ’, Ilhan Omar, Samuel Rodriguez of MOVIR, “ Bukele, Daniel Noboa, Latinobarometro, she’s, Maria ’, ” Maria Organizations: CNN, World Bank, El, Employees, Electoral, Getty, FMLN, Civil, Justice Department, Army, “, Congress, Police, National Police, Security Ministry, Human Rights, Democratic, Barrios, Washington DC Locations: San Salvador, Zelaya, El Salvador, American, San Marcos, AFP, America, Latin America, United States, New York, El Salvador’s, Santa Ana, El Rosario, Honduras, WOLA, Washington, Ecuador, El

One focus of the talks was fentanyl, the synthetic opioid that is ravaging America, and in particular ingredients for the drug that are made in China. The U.S. wants China to do more to curb the export of chemicals that it says are processed into fentanyl, largely in Mexico, before the final product is smuggled into the United States. But China refused to discuss cooperation unless the U.S. lifted sanctions on the Public Security Ministry's Institute of Forensic Science. The U.S. quietly agreed to lift the sanctions to get cooperation on fentanyl. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller called it “an appropriate step to take” given what China was willing to do on the trafficking of fentanyl precursors.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Joe Biden, Wang Xiaohong, ”, Jen Daskal, Biden, Nancy Pelosi, Wang Yi, Matthew Miller Organizations: BEIJING, Chinese Public Security, U.S ., U.S, U.S . Centers for Disease Control, ., Biden, Senate, Public Security Ministry's Institute of Forensic Science, The Commerce Department, State Department Locations: U.S, America, China, San Francisco, Taiwan, Mexico, United States, Beijing, China’s Xinjiang, The U.S

☆ China, in Comic Strip, Warns of 'Overseas' Threats to Its Rare Earths
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-22 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

By Liz LeeBEIJING (Reuters) - China's chief intelligence agency posted on social media a comic strip featuring foreign-looking characters secretly extracting rare earths, in a story portraying the country's strategic metals under threat from covetous "overseas organisations". No foreign government or agencies were named in the comic strip, and the ministry did not specify any measures to counter foreign "interest" in China's rare earths. It also banned the export of technology to make rare earth magnets, in addition a ban on technology to extract and separate rare earths. The restrictions have fanned fears that the supply of rare earths might ignite tensions with the West, particularly the United States, which accuses China of using economic coercion to influence other countries. The newspaper said the United States, Japan and the European Union, among others, have for a long time "coveted China's rare earth mineral resources".

Persons: Liz Lee BEIJING, Li Baiyang, Liz Lee, Miral Fahmy Organizations: State Security, United, Mining, Times, European Union, Global Times, Nanjing University Locations: China, United States, Beijing, U.S, Japan

☆ Residents of Southern Mexican Town Set Govt Palace on Fire After Police Kill Young Man
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-20 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

LERDO DE TEJADA, Mexico (Reuters) - Residents of a Mexican town set fire to the municipal palace overnight on Friday in a violent protest after local police shot a young man in the neck, according to his relatives, after he did not stop his car at a checkpoint. National media reported that police shot dead 27-year-old Brandon Arellano, the son of a local teacher, as he arrived outside his grandmother's house. Residents of Lerdo de Tejada, a town in the Gulf coast state of Veracruz, overturned a police car and set it on fire and clashed with police officers at the scene. They also broke windows at the local government palace and set it on fire. (Reporting by Tamara Corro in Veracruz and Raul Cortes in Mexico City; Writing by Sarah Morland; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)

Persons: LERDO DE, Brandon Arellano, Delfino Arellano, Arellano, Lerdo de Tejada, Tamara Corro, Raul Cortes, Sarah Morland, Chizu Nomiyama Organizations: Authorities Locations: LERDO DE TEJADA, Mexico, Lerdo, Gulf, Veracruz, Mexico City

☆ China finds foreign-funded meteorological observation points in sensitive sites
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BEIJING, Oct 31 (Reuters) - China has discovered illegal foreign government-funded meteorological detection sites around sensitive places including military compounds, its state security ministry said on Tuesday. Some even transmit real-time information to official meteorological agencies overseas at high frequency and at multiple points, it added, calling the stations widely distributed in the country a "hidden risk to national security". The ministry said Chinese national security agencies, together with the meteorological and confidentiality departments, have promptly blocked the country's meteorological data being exported after investigating. The authorities investigated more than 10 overseas meteorological equipment agents, inspected more than 3,000 foreign-related meteorological stations in its crackdown on such sites nationwide. The involved foreign parties, which were unnamed, did not have administrative licence for their activities, had not submitted the meteorological data to Chinese meteorological authorities and transmitted the data overseas without approval, China said.

Persons: Liz Lee, Michael Perry Organizations: Thomson Locations: BEIJING, China

☆ China Finds Foreign-Funded Meteorological Observation Points in Sensitive Sites
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( Oct. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

BEIJING (Reuters) - China has discovered illegal foreign government-funded meteorological detection sites around sensitive places including military compounds, its state security ministry said on Tuesday. Some even transmit real-time information to official meteorological agencies overseas at high frequency and at multiple points, it added, calling the stations widely distributed in the country a "hidden risk to national security". The ministry said Chinese national security agencies, together with the meteorological and confidentiality departments, have promptly blocked the country's meteorological data being exported after investigating. The authorities investigated more than 10 overseas meteorological equipment agents, inspected more than 3,000 foreign-related meteorological stations in its crackdown on such sites nationwide. The involved foreign parties, which were unnamed, did not have administrative licence for their activities, had not submitted the meteorological data to Chinese meteorological authorities and transmitted the data overseas without approval, China said.

Persons: Liz Lee, Michael Perry Locations: BEIJING, China

☆ Mexican church roof collapses during Sunday mass killing 9, about 30 others missing
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MEXICO CITY, Oct 1 (Reuters) - A church roof collapsed during Sunday mass in a northern Mexican city killing at least nine people and injuring 40, authorities said, as rescuers worked into the night, desperately looking for another 30 people believed to be trapped under the rubble. Footage on social media showed the moment the church roof caved in, puffs of gray smoke billowing into the air, followed by the toppling of yellow brick outer walls. Speaking on Foro TV news channel, Cuéllar thanked local businessmen for bringing equipment to help remove rubble and aid rescue efforts. Bishop Jose Armando Alvarez from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tampico said the church roof crumbled as worshippers were receiving communion and asked others to pray for the survivors. Writing by Drazen Jorgic; Editing by Tom Hogue & Simon Cameron-MooreOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Jorge Cuéllar, Cuéllar, Bishop Jose Armando Alvarez, Bishop Armando, Drazen Jorgic, Tom Hogue, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: MEXICO CITY, Security Ministry, Foro, Roman Catholic, Thomson Locations: MEXICO, Mexican, Ciudad Madero, Tampico, Tamaulipas, Texas

☆ Mexico church roof collapses, killing at least nine people
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-02 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Reuters —A church roof collapsed during Sunday mass in a northern Mexican city killing at least nine people and injuring 40, authorities said, as rescuers worked into the night, desperately looking for another 30 people believed to be trapped under the rubble. Footage on social media showed the moment the church roof caved in, puffs of gray smoke billowing into the air, followed by the toppling of yellow brick outer walls. Speaking on Foro TV news channel, Cuéllar thanked local businessmen for bringing equipment to help remove rubble and aid rescue efforts. Bishop Jose Armando Alvarez from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tampico said the church roof crumbled as worshipers were receiving communion and asked others to pray for the survivors. “In this moment the necessary work is being carried out to pull out the people who are still under the rumble,” Bishop Armando said in a recorded message shared on social media.

Persons: Jose Luis Tapia, El Sol, Jorge Cuéllar, Cuéllar, Bishop Jose Armando Alvarez, ” Bishop Armando Organizations: Reuters, AP, Security Ministry, Foro, Roman Catholic Locations: Mexican, Ciudad Madero, Tampico, Tamaulipas, Texas

☆ Number of migrants crossing Panama's Darien Gap surpasses 400,000 to record high
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( Elida Moreno | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The year-to-date figure of 402,300 migrants is almost double the number for the whole of 2022. The United Nations had estimated in April that the number of migrants for the entire year would be 400,000. Most of the migrants traversing the dangerous stretch of jungle are Venezuelans, with others from Ecuador, Haiti and other countries, Panama's security ministry has said. These measures follow a two-month program launched in April by the United States, Panama and Colombia to tackle undocumented immigration. Some African and Cuban migrants and asylum seekers heading to the United States told Reuters they were flying into Nicaragua to bypass the perils of the Darien Gap.

Persons: Adri, Rodrigo Chaves, Biden, Elida Moreno, Valentine Hilaire, Miral Organizations: REUTERS, PANAMA CITY, United Nations, Reuters, Thomson Locations: U.S, Acandi, Colombia, PANAMA, Panama, United States, Ecuador, Haiti, Costa Rica, Darien, Mexico, Nicaragua

☆ Pressure piles on Evergrande with chairman under police watch, liquidation risk
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Shanghai's city skyline as seen from observation deck at Shanghai Tower in China. The chairman of China Evergrande Group has been placed under police surveillance, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, raising more doubts about the embattled developer's future as it also grapples with mounting prospects of liquidation. Citing people with knowledge of the matter, the report said Hui Ka Yan, who founded Evergrande in 1996 in southern Guangzhou city, was taken away by police earlier this month and is being monitored at a designated location. Evergrande, the police department in Guangdong province, whose capital is Guangzhou, and the public security ministry did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Evergrande is the world's most indebted property developer and has been at the center of an unprecedented liquidity crisis in China's property sector, which accounts for roughly a quarter of the world's second-largest economy.

Persons: Hui Ka Yan, Hui, Evergrande Organizations: China Evergrande, Bloomberg, Evergrande, Bloomberg News Locations: Shanghai, China, Guangzhou, Guangdong province, China's

☆ Who is Hui Ka Yan, Evergrande's billionaire boss who went from power circles to police surveillance?
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( Clare Jim | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/2] Hui Ka Yan, chairman of Evergrande Real Estate Group Ltd, the country's second-largest property developer by sales, attends a news conference on annual results in Hong Kong, China March 29, 2016. A person close to Evergrande said Hui had stopped contacting staff over the past few days, while an industry source said he had become totally inaccessible. Evergrande grew to achieve 700 billion yuan ($95.8 billion) in annual sales by 2020. Outside mainland China, Hui mixed with Hong Kong tycoons. Without the country giving me a scholarship of 14 yuan every month, I could not have completed university," Hui said.

Persons: Hui Ka Yan, Bobby Yip, Yan, Hui, Evergrande, Xi Jinping, Cheng, tycoons, Cheng Yu Tung Organizations: Real Estate Group, REUTERS, Chinese Communist Party, China Evergrande, HK, Evergrande, Bloomberg, Reuters, Forbes, Hong, New, Party, Thomson Locations: Hong Kong, China, HONG KONG, Tiananmen, Guangzhou, Guangdong province, Henan

☆ Costa Rica to declare state of emergency amid migrant surge
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SAN JOSE, Sept 26 (Reuters) - Costa Rica's President Rodrigo Chaves said on Tuesday that he has ordered officials to declare a state of emergency as the number of migrants passing through the small Central American nation has risen sharply. "I have instructed the security ministry to take a firm stance with anyone who takes Costa Rica's kindness for weakness," Chaves said at a press conference, referencing recent riots by migrants crossing the country. So far in September, more than 60,000 people have passed through the Costa Rican border town shared with Panama, Paso Canoas, where fewer than 20,000 people live, another official said. Costa Rica's Chaves will visit Panama in early October to hold discussions on the migrant crisis. Reporting by Alvaro Murillo; Writing by Valentine Hilaire; Editing by Anthony Esposito and Brendan O'BoyleOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Costa, Rodrigo Chaves, Chaves, Costa Rica's Chaves, Alvaro Murillo, Valentine Hilaire, Anthony Esposito, Brendan O'Boyle Organizations: JOSE, Central, Thomson Locations: Costa Rican, Panama, Paso Canoas

☆ Two injured in shootout outside Mexico City airport, flights operating normally
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A member of the security forces stands guard outside the Mexico City International Airport after a suspected robber fired at police, in Mexico City, Mexico, September 12, 2023. REUTERS/Luis Cortes Acquire Licensing RightsMEXICO CITY, Sept 12 (Reuters) - Two people were injured just outside Mexico City International Airport on Tuesday after a suspected robber fired at police, but flights are operating normally, the city government said. A suspected gunman has been arrested, the city's security ministry said in a statement. Carlos Velazquez, the head of the airport - Latin America's busiest - told reporters that the terminal where the incident occurred was operating without interruptions and that passengers were not in danger. Mexico City security minister Pablo Vazquez told local news outlet Milenio that the situation was under control.

Persons: Luis Cortes, Carlos Velazquez, Pablo Vazquez, Carolina Pulice, Lizbeth Diaz, Noe Torres, Raul Cortes, Brendan O'Boyle, Mark Porter Organizations: Mexico City International, REUTERS, Mexico City International Airport, Thomson Locations: Mexico, Mexico City, MEXICO

☆ Panama announces new measures to curb record migration through Darien Gap
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Deportation flights for irregular migrants with criminal records are set to double with the help of the country's security ministry, Panama's immigration institute chief Samira Gozaine said. Official data shows some 352,000 people have crossed the dangerous stretch this year by Sept. 8, already surpassing the record high of nearly 250,000 seen for all of 2022. Panama will also increase financial thresholds at its checkpoints, requiring people expecting to stay 90 days to show proof of funds of at least $1,000, rather than the $500 it previously expected. The United Nations expects crossings through the jungle to surpass 400,000 this year. Reporting by Elida Moreno: Editing by Sarah MorlandOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Samira Gozaine, Elida Moreno, Sarah Morland Organizations: Nicanor Air Base, PANAMA CITY, Authorities, United Nations, Thomson Locations: Choco, Panamanian, Colombia, Darien, Panama, PANAMA

☆ China investigates citizen accused of spying for CIA, security ministry says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Security cameras are seen at the U.S. embassy in Beijing, China July 26, 2018. REUTERS/Damir Sagolj/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBEIJING, Aug 21 (Reuters) - China is investigating a Chinese national accused of spying for the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the country's state security ministry said on Monday. The 39-year-old Chinese national, surnamed Hao, was a cadre at a ministry and had gone to Japan for studies, which was where the spying recruitment occurred, the ministry said. The statement came less than two weeks after the ministry said it uncovered another national also suspected of spying for the CIA after being recruited in Italy. Relations between the United States and China have soured in recent years over a range of issues, including national security.

Persons: Damir Sagolj, Hao, Ted, Li Jun, Li, Liz Lee, Elaine Lies, Gerry Doyle Organizations: U.S, REUTERS, Rights, U.S . Central Intelligence Agency, CIA, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Rights BEIJING, Japan, Italy, The U.S, Tokyo, United States, Washington, Shanghai

☆ Panama blasts Colombia for inaction on Darien Gap migrants
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-05 | by ( Elida Moreno | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

PANAMA CITY, Aug 4 (Reuters) - The head of Panama's migration agency lashed out at Colombia on Friday, slamming its southern neighbor for failure to help control the flow of mostly U.S.-bound migrants passing through the dangerous Darien Gap amid a surge of people traveling north. "For Panama, this is a crisis, but unfortunately with Colombia we have not been able to reach any kind of understanding," Gozaine said in a statement released on Friday. The dense tropical jungle of the 60-mile (97-km) Darien Gap links Panama and Colombia, covering a missing section on the Pan-American highway, which stretches from Alaska to Argentina. Late last month, Panama's security ministry released data showing that the number of individual crossings of the Darien Gap reached an all-time high of nearly 250,000 in the first seven months of the year. "The only thing that Panama can do is manage the flow and permit (migrants) to keep traveling north and try to minimize the damage to Panama," she said.

Persons: Samira Gozaine, Gozaine, Elida Moreno, David Alire Garcia, Tom Hogue Organizations: PANAMA CITY, Panamanian, Pan, Thomson Locations: PANAMA, Colombia, Panama, Darien, Alaska, Argentina, United States

☆ China spy agency’s social media debut calls for ‘all members of society’ to combat espionage
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Chris Lau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The Ministry of State Security oversees intelligence and counterintelligence both within China and overseas. Titled “Countering espionage requires the mobilization of all members of society,” the ministry said national security bodies should keep reporting channels, such as hotlines and online platforms, open to handle reports of suspected espionage within China in a timely manner. But those efforts have gathered pace under Xi Jinping, China’s most assertive and authoritarian leader in a generation who has made state security his top priority. Previous anti-spying driveThere have been multiple previous calls by China for the public to look for potential spies. In June last year, China announced “material rewards” of up to and above 100,000 yuan ($15,000) for tip-offs about people who endanger national security.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN —, ”, Xi Jinping, Greg Baker, Xiao Li, Li –, David Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, of State Security, CIA, FBI, Group, Bain & Company, Astellas Pharma, Getty Locations: Hong Kong, China, Beijing, American, Shanghai, Japan, AFP

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