国泰航空又出事了。这家公司过去几年出了不少事情。说到国泰航空，很多人可能并不真正了解。很多人可能以为这是一家中国公司，其实并不是如此。国泰航空背后三大股东，分别是太古集团、中国航空、卡塔尔航空，而真正占据控股地位就是太古集团了。
太古集团可是一家非常庞大的财团，业务种类非常繁多，涉及地产、航运、航空、饮料、工程等等。很多人可能不知道，在中国瓶装的可口可乐业务就是属于太古集团的。另外很多人喝咖啡会下的方糖也是太古生产的。在中国很多知名的地产项目也是太古集团开发的，比如说成都著名的远洋太古里，还有广州著名的太古汇。
[xyz-ihs snippet=”In-article-ads”]太古集团背后则是一个隐形豪门，那就是英国的施怀雅家族了，这个家族已经富过了六代人，可是如今你在全球任何一个财富榜上都看不到他们的名字。可是他们家族光是地产收租的收入每年就超过了100亿。整个家族至少资产得数千亿，甚至是更多。可是财富榜却始终无法追踪他们的财富。
100多年之前，中国还是处于清朝的时候，施怀雅家族就到中国经商了。那个时候英国是日不落帝国，很多英国人也随着英国的舰队在全球各地去做生意。事实上在200多年之前，施怀雅家族在英国的利物浦成立了公司，并且通过贸易生意积累家族的财富。
到了清朝末年的时候，施怀雅家族开始来到了远东发展，他们把中国的茶叶、陶瓷、丝绸等商品卖回到欧洲，赚取了巨额的利润。1866年，施怀雅家族收购了布鲁尔洋行，并且改名为太古洋行。
到了19世纪后期的时候，太古洋行控制的航运生意，已经成功控制了中国长江领域的上下游了。当时可以跟太古洋行对抗的只有中国本土的轮船招商局了。之后施怀雅家族又陆续进入了航空、地产、工程、饮料等等领域，获得了巨大的成功。
他们也把总部搬到了香港，并且在香港扎根发展。50年代之后，太古洋行已经跟怡和洋行等齐名，成为了香港有名的四大洋行。
利用香港人口暴涨的时候，太古也是积极投入房地产生意，在五六十年代赚得是盆满钵满。在房地产获得成功之后，他们又积极投资商业地产，开发了一系列优秀的商业物业，同时他们在80年代之后，把投资触角再次涉及内地。
[xyz-ihs snippet=”GoogleADresponsive”]如今太古集团年营收超过了800亿，利润超过了300亿，依然是全球最大的财报之一。在太古集团的支持下，施怀雅家族也是成功富过了六代人。如今太古集团依然是施怀雅家族成员控制的。光是在地产板块，他们一年的租金就在120亿左右。
香港曾经大名鼎鼎的四大洋行，会德丰跟和记黄埔都被华资给收购了。会德丰在1985年被包玉刚给收购了。几年之前，包玉刚的女婿吴光正也把会德丰跟私有化了。和记黄埔则是在1978年被李嘉诚给收购了，成为了李嘉诚家族成功。
2015年的时候，李嘉诚把长江实业跟和记黄埔成功重组，变成了如今的长和集团跟长实集团。也就是说如今香港四大洋行的时代已经一去不返了，而且也就剩下怡和跟太古这两家公司了。
可是不得不说怡和跟太古依然是实力非常强大，每年的利润都是数百亿级别的。在中国本土也找不到几家可以跟他们对抗的私人企业了。
其实施怀雅家族这样的豪门才是真正的豪门，他们不会出现在财富榜上，但是他们却是真正的有钱，而从200多年前开始到现在，已经富了六代人了，在中国很难找不到这样的家族。
国泰航空的麻烦，不止一个
国泰航空这次惹上了大麻烦。5月22日有网友实名举报国泰航空空乘歧视非英语乘客，在其放出的一段视频中，有疑似为空乘人员的声音用英文说“如果你不会说毛毯的英文，那你就没办法拥有毛毯（If you cannot speak blanket, you cannot have it）”，周遭还传来疑似其他空乘的笑声。
在这之后，国泰航空从22日晚到24日，连发三条道歉声明，从一开始表示“将严肃调查处理”，到“暂停有关人员飞行任务”，再到“对涉事空中服务员予以解聘”，期间，国泰航空行政总裁林绍波公开致歉，全程用普通话表示将作全面检讨，但也难消众怒。
[xyz-ihs snippet=”In-article-ads”]一条毛毯、三位空乘、无数批评，就这样国泰航空再次深陷舆论漩涡。
其实过去几年，国泰航空可以说是热搜上的常客。一位知名电视主持人曾公开喊话国泰航空，“真是对不起这个名字……还是善意的提醒一句吧，no zuo no die”。
除了事件本身，外界对国泰航空还有许多好奇——这到底是谁的公司？过去三年活得如何？在国内航空公司中又属于怎样的存在？
1
谁的国泰航空？
成立于1946年的中国香港，国泰航空在过去77年时间里一直以中国香港为总部。2019年以前国泰航空曾是全球第八大国际客运航空公司及第三大国际货运公司。
资产规模上，截至2022年末，国泰航空连同其附属公司共拥有222架飞机，旗下客运及货运航线前往全球38个国家和地区共计82个目的地，其中包括位于中国内地的14个目的地。
人员方面，国泰航空及其附属公司在全球有2.12万名员工，其中在香港雇有员工约1.74万人。
那么国泰航空的背后是谁？
最新数据显示，国泰航空最大股东是持股45%的太古股份，其次是通过众多公司合计间接持股29.99%的中国国航（国泰航空也持有中国国航16.26%的股权），且太古股份和中国国航为一致行动人，之后是持股9.99%的卡塔尔航空和持有6.47%优先股的香港财政司。
在持股比例最高的太古股份背后，是拥有180多年历史的英国太古集团，太古股份只是集团下属的一个投资控股公司，主要经营地产、饮料和航空三个重要业务板块。
2022年年报显示，太古股份全年收入914.77亿港元，净利润41.95亿港元，自2020年受外部环境影响大亏百亿后，正处于业绩逐步修复的阶段。
具体来看，太古地产板块拥有多个购物商场，包括香港太古广场和太古坊，是香港最大的商用物业业主和零售物业运营商之一，在内地的购物商场则遍布北京、广州、成都、上海、西安和三亚，比如大家所熟知的“三里屯太古里”“成都远洋太古里”“前滩太古里”“颐堤港”等等。
太古股份的饮料业务同样规模可观，截至2022年末，其在大中华区、美国和柬埔寨的专营区域经销可口可乐公司系列产品，受众达到7.82亿人口，经销品类包括21种碳酸饮料品牌和37种非碳酸饮料品牌。
[xyz-ihs snippet=”googleAD300x100″]2022年内太古可口可乐刚刚收购了柬埔寨及越南的可口可乐专营业务，将其瓶装业务扩展至东南亚，还重组了中国内地的不含汽饮料生产业务。
航空业务方面主要就是国泰航空及其附属公司，但近几年，受大环境等因素影响，始终是一个持续亏损的存在。
2017年以来太古股份饮料业务带来的收入逐渐成为业绩主力，2022年创收542.23亿港元，占比近六成，其次是137.88亿港元和138.28亿港元的房地产业务和航空业务，占比均在15%左右。
已有业务之外，太古公司还瞄准了私营保健服务领域，在年报中披露，“未来将继续在私营保健服务领域寻求投资机遇，特别在中国内地的主要城市群一带及东南亚。”
太古股份的这些收入，都从哪些地方赚来的呢？
按地区划分收入来源，太古股份2022年的收入中，有38%来自内地，19%来自香港，合计占比达到57%；如果剔除国泰航空和环球海洋业务，太古股份经常性盈利中则有46%来自内地，34%来自香港，合计占比达到80%。
在国泰航空2020年开始持续亏损的背景下，来自内地和香港的经常性溢利成为太古股份相当重要的业绩支撑。
截至当前，太古公司已经成为香港规模最为庞大、历史最悠久的雇主之一，在香港聘用超2.9万名员工，在内地的员工人数则超过3.5万人，全球员工接近8万人。
2
亏损三年，最难的日子刚刚过去
就像全球众多航空公司一样，过去三年对国泰航空的打击也是巨大的。
业绩趋势来看，直到2019年，国泰航空收入虽有一定波动，但整体已基本稳定在千亿港元的规模，净利润方面有一定波动，但亏损年份也相对有限。
2020年受客观环境影响，国泰航空收入大跌56.13%，直接拦腰砍半，成本却居高不下，全年亏损218.79亿港元，这之后的2021年和2022年都属于收入挣扎上涨，亏损努力收窄的“回血”阶段。
年报显示，2022年下半年国泰航空业绩已有大幅改善，在产生正向现金流的同时还有所盈利，2022年12月，其可载客量已相当于上半年的八倍，但其实还只是2020年前的三分之一；可载货量则在2022年末达到2020年前的三分之二。
事实上，内地对国泰航空近几年的业绩有越来越高的重要性。
[xyz-ihs snippet=”In-article-ads”]由内地经香港枢纽前往澳洲、英国及美国等长途航点的过境客运量（尤其是学生），成为2022年国泰航空的重要客运来源。
资金方面，国泰航空2022年的带息债务整体规模有所减少，但182.77亿港元的流动资金相比146.43亿港元的流动带息债务，也只是小幅盈余，其整体债务净额与股东权益之比依然达到0.92，意味着每一元的股东投入，都对应着0.92元的带息债务。
年内国泰航空由经营活动产生的现金流量净额为178.36亿港元，如果要覆盖588.29亿港元的借款净额，需要3.3年才能还完，而这还是在2020年重组方案实施完毕的情况下。
2020国泰航空曾进行过一系列重组，过程中向香港特别行政区政府发行了195亿港元的优先股及分离认股权证，另由香港特别行政区政府提供78亿港元的过渡性贷款，同时向当时的股东增发117亿港元股份，这才免于破产度过了难关。
虽然目前仍处于业绩亏损、资金紧张的状态，但如果相比国内其他航空公司，国泰也不是最惨的。
▲（林绍波。图源/视觉中国）
以2022年和2019年的收入比较，国泰航空已经恢复至四成有余，高于国航、东航、海航30%-40%的水平，但次于南航、华夏航空、春秋航空和吉祥航空，居于中位。
对比当前亏损金额与总收入，国泰航空2022年净利润为-63.98亿元，净利率为-14.03%，是上述多家航空公司中亏损幅比率最低的。作为对比，国航、东航、南航的亏损金额均在300亿元以上，亏损幅度则在37%至78%之间。
所幸国内各大航空公司2023年以来的运营数据都在好转，国航、南航、东航和海航的最新一季报显示亏损已较上年同期有大幅收窄，国泰航空最新4月份客运量数据也显示，4月份载客138.12万人次，单日最高人次5.32万人，为2020年以来新高。
[xyz-ihs snippet=”All24x7″]只可惜业绩刚刚有明显好转，就发生了如此不愉快的事情。
3
业绩和管理，都需要“重生”
事实上这已经不是国泰航空首次出现类似事件，2019年一位知名电视主持人就曾公开喊话国泰航空，“听说有些人一听到普通话就假装听不懂……no zuo no die”。
但多年过去国泰航空在这方面的管理显然并未有明显改善。
此次事件还有一个细节，即发布视频的博主表示，自己此次搭乘从成都飞往香港的国泰航空CX987航班，使用的机票其实是大湾区赠票。与此对应的，是2023年初香港机场管理局推出的活动，计划派发50万张机票给来自各地的旅客，其中就包括从成都飞往香港的航班。
目前经过多方督促整改，有网友表示自己乘坐24日国泰的航班时，乘务员已经在挨个问机上旅客要不要毛毯，播报则用的是英语、粤语和普通话。
过去几年，国泰航空可以说是热搜上的常客，且多与负面信息相关。
2020年10月，在因管理不善而在全球最佳航空公司排名中跌出三甲后，国泰航空宣布了重组计划，裁员规模达到8500个，占集团总人数的24%，这直接将香港失业率推升0.1个百分点。
在2022年年报开头的主席致函中，国泰航空主席贺以礼表示，“我们一直透过加强香港与内地，及世界各地的联系推动香港经济发展，角色举足轻重。”
在经济逐步恢复、旅客量快速上涨的当下，国泰航空显然正处于能够快速改善业绩的关键阶段，但如果从更长期的视角来看，如何在更大范围上进行“自我修复”，也是国泰航空需要面对的问题。
来源: 市界/担扑
翻译：
一年“考”两次 “神舟”行愈稳
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中新网10月30日电 据公安部网站30日消息，今年以来，全国公安机关始终将服务营商环境建设、促进高质量发展作为谱写“枫桥经验”经侦篇章的发力点和突破口，坚决依法严打各类突出经济犯罪，特别是对涉企突出犯罪坚持“零容忍”，持续加大对合同诈骗、职务侵占、挪用资金、商业贿赂等严重侵害企业和群众合法权益犯罪的打击力度，营造公平有序的法治化营商环境，助力经济社会高质量发展。今日，公安部公布5起涉企犯罪典型案例。
Read more水利部针对海南省启动洪水防御Ⅳ级应急响应
中新网10月30日电 据水利部网站消息，受台风“潭美”及其残余环流影响，10月28日以来，海南省出现持续强降雨过程，南渡江、万泉河、陵水河及文教溪、九曲江等16条河流发生超警以上洪水，万泉河上游干流会山段、南渡江支流新吴溪等6条河流发生超保洪水，万泉河上游牛路岭、红岭等水库持续高水位运行。预计10月30日，海南省大部地区仍有大暴雨，局地有特大暴雨；万泉河可能发生超保洪水，暴雨区内发生山洪灾害的风险较大。
Read more学习新语｜在这些研讨班上，总书记都强调了什么？
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第一观察｜抓好改革这项“系统工程”，总书记阐明四对关系
“改革是一项系统工程，需要讲求科学方法，处理好方方面面的关系。”
Read more加拿大运输署撤销针对中国大陆航司的限制措施
加拿大运输署当地时间28日在其网站发表公告称，10月24日，加拿大交通部长在外交部长的指示下，撤销了2022年2月3日颁布的“中国大陆航司每周飞往加拿大总计不超六个往返定期客运航班”及“禁止北京直飞加拿大客运航班”等限制措施。
Read more神舟十九号航天员夜赴太空 三大“护身法宝”揭秘
中新网酒泉10月30日电 题：神舟十九号航天员夜赴太空 三大“护身法宝”揭秘
Read more专家谈神舟十九号飞船特点：装载货物体积最大、重量最重
中新网酒泉10月30日电 (记者 马帅莎)神舟十九号载人飞船30日在酒泉卫星发射中心发射。谈及这艘飞船特点，中国航天科技集团陈同祥日前在酒泉卫星发射中心接受媒体采访时表示，神舟十九号载人飞船此次装载的货物在历次神舟飞船发射中“体积最大、数量最多、重量最重”。
Read more访长二F火箭团队和制“塔”人：打造更完美的“生命之箭”
中新网酒泉10月30日电 题：访长二F火箭团队和制“塔”人：打造更完美的“生命之箭”
Read more神舟十九号载人飞船发射取得圆满成功
中新网酒泉10月30日电 (记者 马帅莎)据中国载人航天工程办公室消息，北京时间2024年10月30日4时27分，搭载神舟十九号载人飞船的长征二号F遥十九运载火箭在酒泉卫星发射中心点火发射，约10分钟后，神舟十九号载人飞船与火箭成功分离，进入预定轨道，航天员乘组状态良好，发射取得圆满成功。
Read more祝贺！神舟十九号载人飞船发射取得圆满成功
神舟十九号载人飞船与火箭成功分离，进入预定轨道，航天员乘组状态良好，发射取得圆满成功。
Read more神舟十九号载人飞船点火发射
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欢迎队友！神十八乘组看发射直播 期待“会师”
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彭丽媛同芬兰总统夫人苏珊娜茶叙
新华社北京10月29日电 10月29日下午，国家主席习近平夫人彭丽媛在北京与陪同芬兰总统斯图布来华进行国事访问的芬兰总统夫人苏珊娜茶叙。
Read more关于推进中芬面向未来的新型合作伙伴关系的联合工作计划（2025－2029）（全文）
关于推进中芬面向未来的新型合作伙伴关系的联合工作计划(2025-2029)
Read more神十九航天员乘组依次进入飞船返回舱
神舟十九号载人飞船瞄准北京时间10月30日04时27分发射。航天员王浩泽、宋令东、蔡旭哲依次进入飞船返回舱。
Read more神十九航天员进入塔架九层平台 做发射前准备
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神十九航天员到达发射塔架 等待进舱
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出征！神十九航天员乘车前往发射场
10月30日，搭载神舟十九号任务的长征二号F型火箭即将在酒泉卫星发射中心发射升空。
Read more神舟十九号载人飞行任务航天员乘组出征仪式在酒泉卫星发射中心举行
中新网酒泉10月30日电 (记者 马帅莎)据中国载人航天工程办公室消息，北京时间10月30日1时37分，神舟十九号载人飞行任务航天员乘组出征仪式在酒泉卫星发射中心问天阁圆梦园广场举行。1时38分，中国载人航天工程总指挥、空间站应用与发展阶段飞行任务总指挥部总指挥长许学强下达“出发”命令，蔡旭哲、宋令东、王浩泽3名航天员领命出征。
Read more出发！蔡旭哲、宋令东、王浩泽3名航天员领命出征
神舟十九号载人飞行任务航天员乘组出征仪式在酒泉卫星发射中心问天阁圆梦园广场举行。蔡旭哲、宋令东、王浩泽3名航天员领命出征。
Read moreWatching China's youngest ever astronauts blast off from the Gobi Desert
The BBC’s Laura Bicker sees the Shenzhou 19 spacecraft take off, as China chases its dream of space dominance.
Read moreChinese police target Halloween revellers in Shanghai
Witnesses say police dispersed crowds of partygoers, while photos of arrests have circulated online.
Read moreMany Republicans take a tough line on China despite their own business ties to Beijing
With Senate control up for grabs in swing states, both parties are trying to stress China’s threat to US economy
In testimony to Congress last year, David McCormick, now the Republican candidate for US Senate in Pennsylvania, said that as CEO of Bridgewater Associates, the largest hedge fund in the world, he “held deep reservations” about “the moral and patriotic hazards of doing business in China”.
As CNN reported, between 2017 and 2021, such qualms did not stop McCormick overseeing an increase in Bridgewater’s Chinese holdings from $1.6m to $1.77bn. Nor, according to Bloomberg, did Bridgewater flinch from significant investments in companies that supply the Chinese military. It has also been reported that McCormick oversaw investment in a Chinese fentanyl producer and, as HuffPost put it, “profited from China trade policies he helped shape” as a deputy national security adviser for international economic affairs under George W Bush.
Continue reading...Read moreChina’s kindergarten numbers shrink as policymakers struggle to arrest falling birthrate
Various measures designed to encourage people to have more children have had limited success
The number of kindergartens in China fell by more than 5% last year, the second year in a row that preschool institutions were in decline, reflecting the country’s falling birthrate.
In 2023, there were 274,400 kindergartens across China, down from 289,200 in 2022, according to a Ministry of Education statistical bulletin published last week.
Continue reading...Read moreChinese hackers collected audio from Trump campaign adviser’s calls – report
The Washington Post reports Chinese state-affiliated hackers intercepted audio and texts from unnamed adviser
Chinese state-affiliated hackers intercepted audio from the phone calls of US political figures, including an unnamed campaign adviser of Donald Trump, the Washington Post reported on Sunday.
Various media outlets reported on Friday that the Trump campaign was made aware last week that the Republican presidential candidate and his running mate, JD Vance, were among a number of people inside and outside of government whose phone numbers were targeted through the infiltration of Verizon phone systems.
Continue reading...Read moreChina vows to take ‘countermeasures’ over US and Taiwan $2bn arms deal
Package includes Nasams air defence system that Taiwan says will help it in the face of China’s frequent military manoeuvres
China will take “countermeasures” to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity, the government said, lambasting a $2bn arms sale package by the United States to Taiwan.
The Pentagon on Friday said the United States had approved a potential $2bn arms sale package to Taiwan, including the delivery for the first time to the island of an advanced air defence missile system battle-tested in Ukraine, including advanced surface-to-air missile systems and radar. The deal awaits approval by Congress.
Continue reading...Read moreChina building ‘counter-stealth’ radar on disputed South China Sea reef, satellite pictures suggest
Upgraded Triton Island outpost in the Paracel archipelago expands China’s surveillance capabilities in the region
The Chinese military is constructing a new counter-stealth radar system on a disputed reef in the South China Sea that would significantly expand its surveillance capabilities in the region, satellite imagery suggests.
Analysis by Chatham House suggests China is upgrading its outpost on Triton Island, on the south-west corner of the Paracel archipelago, building what may be a launching point for an anti-ship missile battery, as well as the sophisticated radar system.
Continue reading...Read moreUK to increase military presence in Indo-Pacific to counter China
Keir Starmer to announce expansion in region that will also include business club to increase economic ties
The UK will increase its military and economic presence in the Indo-Pacific to support regional stability, Keir Starmer will announce on Saturday.
In an effort to counter China’s influence, ministers will expand the Royal Navy’s presence in the region and carry out more joint patrols with Pacific island nations.
Continue reading...Read moreTrump and Vance possible targets of China-backed cyber attack
It is reported the Republican candidates' phones may have been among the targets of a broader cyber attack.
Read moreChinese child trafficker with 17 victims sentenced to death
The trial of Yu Huaying has gripped China, as more of her victims come forward with their stories.
Read moreState-backed loans to go to firms importing critical minerals into UK
Rachel Reeves to encourage import of raw materials from Commonwealth countries to counter China’s grip on market
Businesses that import critical minerals to the UK will be given access to state-backed loans in a move to counter China’s dominance in the market.
The chancellor, Rachel Reeves, is expected to announce extra government support to encourage the import of critical minerals such as lithium, graphite and cobalt in her budget next week. Companies that bring supplies of critical minerals into the UK will be able to access state-backed loans under the UK export finance mechanism.
Continue reading...Read moreAlbanese dismisses Beijing’s claim Australia plagued by ‘systemic racism’ and ‘hate crimes’
China’s foreign ministry spokesperson accuses Canberra of double standards after Australia’s top diplomat raises human rights concerns
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Anthony Albanese has dismissed criticisms by China’s foreign ministry that Australia is plagued by “systemic racism” and “hate crimes” after Australia’s top diplomat raised concerns about rights violations in Xinjiang and Tibet.
The ministry’s spokesperson, Lin Jian, accused Australia and other nations who joined the statement of double standards, saying it was “political manipulation under the pretext of human rights”.
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Continue reading...Read moreChina-linked bots targeting Republicans including Marco Rubio in run-up to election, Microsoft says
Chinese embassy denies connection to alleged coordinated interference on social media by troll network known as Taizi Flood
An army of Chinese-controlled social media bots is attempting to influence voters in Alabama, Texas and Tennessee, while denigrating US Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, according to new research published on Wednesday by Microsoft.
The operation represents a coordinated interference effort against down-ballot races, experts say, in which the fake accounts are denigrating representative Barry Moore of Alabama, representative Michael McCaul of Texas, Tennessee Senator Marsha Blackburn and Rubio, all Republicans.
Continue reading...Read moreUkraine war briefing: Brics summit backfired on Putin with calls for peace, says Kyiv
Xi Jinping among world leaders in Russia advising against escalation; any North Korean troops ‘fair game’ on Ukraine battlefield, says US. What we know on day 974
The foreign ministry in Kyiv said on Wednesday that Moscow had failed to win support for its invasion of Ukraine at the Brics summit it is hosting, where Putin faced direct calls to end the conflict from some of his closest and most important partners. “The Brics summit, which Russia planned to use to split the world, has once again demonstrated that the world majority remains on the side of Ukraine in its quest to guarantee a comprehensive, just and sustainable peace,” the ministry said. The Chinese president, Xi Jinping, told the summit that there must be “no escalation of fighting” in Ukraine, saying: “We must adhere to the three principles of ‘no spillover from the battlefield, no escalation of fighting and no adding oil to the fire by relevant parties’, so as to ease the situation as soon as possible.”
The Brazilian president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, called for “avoiding escalation and initiating peace negotiations”. Without referring to any specific conflict, the Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi, also issued a call for peace: “We support dialogue and diplomacy, not war.” In private talks, Vladimir Putin welcomed offers by several of the Brics leaders to mediate in Ukraine, even as he told them his forces were advancing, said his spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, according to Russian state media.
North Korean troops would be legitimate military targets – “fair game” – if they engaged in combat in Ukraine, White House spokesperson John Kirby said on Wednesday. The US has said for the first time that it has seen evidence of North Korean troops in Russia, and South Korean lawmakers have said about 3,000 soldiers have been sent to support the Kremlin’s war in Ukraine, with Kim Jong-un’s regime promising to provide a total of about 10,000 troops by December.
Alexander Lukashenko – the Belarusian president, who has stayed in power by running a client state of Russia – said in interviews broadcast on Wednesday that Putin deploying any foreign forces in the Ukraine conflict would inevitably lead to an escalation, possibly involving Nato troops. Lukashenko claimed it was “rubbish” that North Korean troops were going to fight in Ukraine: “Knowing his character Putin would never try to persuade another country to involve its army in Russia’s special operation in Ukraine … [it] would be a step towards the escalation of the conflict if the armed forces of any country, even Belarus, were on the contact line.” That would prompt Ukraine’s allies to point to foreign involvement “so Nato troops would be deployed to Ukraine”.
Ukrainian authorities have announced the mandatory evacuation of children and their families from Borova in the north-eastern region of Kharkiv, where Russian forces have been making advances. The governor of the Donetsk region earlier said all children had been removed from the frontline town of Myrnograd and just several dozen remained in the nearby transport hub of Pokrovsk - the main target of Russian advances. Authorities in the Zaporizhzhia region, which the Kremlin claimed to have annexed alongside Donetsk and two others, said two men aged 40 and 73 had been killed in a drone attack.
The Biden administration is trying to provide Ukraine with US$10bn in military aid as part of its $20bn commitment under a $50bn loan coordinated with the G7 and EU, the White House National Security Council said on Wednesday. Joe Biden, the US president, said: “We will provide $20bn in loans to Ukraine that will be paid back by the interest earned from immobilised Russian sovereign assets. Make no mistake: Russia will not prevail in this conflict … tyrants will be responsible for the damages they cause”. The US plans to disperse $10bn by December as economic aid, but needs US lawmakers’ approval for a further $10bn, the White House national security council has said on Wednesday.
Romania scrambled two F-16 fighter jets after detecting what were probably two drones breaching its national airspace, the Romanian defence ministry said late on Wednesday. It was the third such incident in less than a week. Two signals were picked up by radar less than one hour apart flying above the south-eastern counties of Constanta and Tulcea, the latter bordering Ukraine across the Danube River. The pilots did not see either drone before losing the signals, the ministry said.
Continue reading...Read morePutin calls for alternative international payment system at Brics summit
Russian president’s goal to de-dollarize world economy alarms members that do not want bloc to turn against west
Vladimir Putin has opened the expanded Brics summit by issuing a call for an alternative international payments system that could prevent the US using the dollar as a political weapon.
But the summit communique indicated that little progress had been made on an alternative payment system.
Continue reading...Read moreDengue fever: with a record 12.4m cases in 2024 so far, what is driving the world’s largest outbreak?
Cases of ‘bonebreak fever’ are on the rise, mostly in Latin America, Africa and south-east Asia. But incidences in Europe and the US are also being recorded – with an estimated 4 billion people at risk worldwide
“The fatigue was so bad I couldn’t stand, and that’s terrible when you need to take care of a child, right? My head hurt, my eyes hurt – I couldn’t keep them open for long,” remembers Ana Luísa Braga.
The 38-year-old, a social worker and mother of a three-year-old, from Belo Horizonte, the capital of Minas Gerais state in Brazil, fell ill with dengue fever in March.
Continue reading...Read moreChina cracks down on ‘uncivilised’ online puns used to discuss sensitive topics
Campaign targets wordplay and memes that are often used by people to get around censorship controls
China’s internet regulators have launched a campaign cracking down on puns and homophones, one of the last remaining ways for citizens to safely discuss sensitive subjects without recriminations or censorship.
The “clear and bright” campaign is targeting “irregular and uncivilised” language online, particularly jokes, memes, and wordplay, the Cyberspace Administration of China and the ministry of education announced this month.
Continue reading...Read morePutin returns to world stage hosting 36 leaders at Brics summit in Russia
West infuriated as UN secretary general accepts invitation to meeting of countries including China, India and Iran
Vladimir Putin, ostracised by the west and labelled a possible war criminal by the international criminal court, has played host to 36 world leaders from nations including China, India and Iran as part of a summit of the Brics group designed to display Moscow as anything but isolated.
One of the main aims of the summit will be to speed up ways to reduce the number of dollar transactions, and so mitigate the US ability to use the threat of sanctions to seek to impose its political will.
Continue reading...Read moreUyghur activist accuses Labour of failing to stand up to China
Rahima Mahmut, in exile in the UK, ‘disappointed’ at failure to describe Beijing’s crackdown on minority as genocide
A leading Uyghur activist has accused the Labour government of “falling behind” its allies in failing to stand up to China, after ministers backtracked on plans to push for formal recognition of the country’s treatment of the minority group as genocide.
Speaking after David Lammy’s first visit to China as UK foreign secretary, the human rights activist Rahima Mahmut, who has lived in exile in the UK since 2000, said she had hoped there would be a shift in UK policy once the party came into power, including following the US in declaring a continuing genocide in Xinjiang.
Continue reading...Read moreChina holds live-fire drills on island closest to Taiwan
The drills were held for more than four hours in Niushan, an island 105km from Taiwan.
Read moreIndia and China agree to de-escalate border tensions
The two countries have reached a patrolling agreement after several clashes between their troops since 2020.
Read moreTikTok owner sacks intern for sabotaging AI project
Chinese technology giant ByteDance denied reports that the incident caused more than $10m of damage.
Read moreIs China cannibalising the EU car industry?
Troubles at VW point to growing doubts about future of Europe-wide sector as imports of cheap EVs rise
For decades Germany has enjoyed a reputation as Europe’s car capital, with slogans such as Vorsprung durch Technik emblematic of its political and industrial prowess.
But troubles looming over Volkswagen, where unions are battling threats of layoffs and factory closures, have raised questions not just about its future but the wider European car industry.
Continue reading...Read moreDavid Lammy raises human rights and Ukraine in Beijing talks
Foreign secretary discussed China’s treatment of Uyghurs and support of Russia as well as ‘areas of cooperation’
David Lammy pressed his Chinese counterpart on human rights concerns and China’s support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine during talks in Beijing, the Foreign Office has said.
The foreign secretary had been under pressure to take a tough line on a range of human rights issues with the Chinese foreign minister, Wang Yi, when the pair met on Friday during Lammy’s first visit to China since taking office.
Continue reading...Read moreLabour tiptoes nervously towards a China policy
David Lammy's low-key visit to Beijing shows the party is still trying to work out its China stance.
Read moreChina posts slowest economic growth in 18 months as optimism fades over stimulus
Blistering sharemarket rally of recent weeks recedes as expectations cool towards long-awaited ‘bazooka stimulus’ for ailing property sector
China posted its slowest growth in a year and a half on Friday, as Beijing struggles to steady an economy shaken by sluggish consumer spending and persistent property sector woes.
Officials have in recent weeks unveiled a string of measures to reignite the world’s number-two economy, with an eye to achieving its official annual growth target of 5%.
Continue reading...Read moreUse of ‘culture wars’ phrase ‘a dog whistle to attack the right’ Badenoch tells GB News Tory leadership special – as it happened
Contender says ‘it is about being brave and not being scared that the Guardian is going to mock us’
Shabana Mahmood, the justice secretary, has told MPs that magistrates are getting powers to sentence offenders for longer – to reduce the number of prisoners being held on remand and to cut the backlog in crown courts
In a statement to MPs, she said that, although this would increase the prison population slightly, by reducing the number of offenders being held on remand it would free up spaces in reception prisons where overcrowding is particularly serious.
Unless we address our remand population, we could still see a collapse of the system, not because of a lack of cells, but because we do not have those cells in the places that we need them. It is therefore crucial that we bear down on the remand population.
This government inherited a record crown court backlog. Waits for trials have grown so long that some cases are not heard for years.
The impact on victims of crime is profound. For some justice delayed is, as the old saying goes, justice denied as victims choose to withdraw from the justice process altogether rather than face the pain of a protracted legal battle.
I have made it my personal mission to constrain the Kremlin, closing the net around Putin and his mafia state using every tool at my disposal.
Continue reading...Read moreLabour backtracks on push for genocide ruling on China’s treatment of Uyghurs
Exclusive: Party drops plan for formal recognition laid out last year by David Lammy, who will visit Beijing on Friday
Labour has backtracked on plans to push for formal recognition of China’s treatment of the Uyghurs as genocide in the run-up to David Lammy’s trip to the country this weekend.
The foreign secretary is expected to arrive in Beijing on Friday for high-level meetings before travelling to Shanghai on Saturday.
Continue reading...Read more'Your son will die': How blessing scammers prowl streets
Female crooks are exploiting superstition and family love to swindle other women.
Read moreHarris or Trump? What Chinese people want from US election
People in Beijing tell the BBC's Laura Bicker their hopes and fears about who will win the White House race.
Read moreA Japanese boy was killed in China. Was cyber-nationalism to blame?
The Chinese government has been accused of using online nationalism as a useful safety valve.
Read moreHow China’s crackdown turned finance high-flyers into ‘rats’
Chinese authorities have been cracking down on businesses from real estate to technology to finance.
Read moreLos Angeles Lantern Art Expo showcases Chinese traditional culture
People visit the 2024 Los Angeles Lantern Art Expo in Arcadia, Los Angeles County, California, the United States, on Oct. 17, 2024.People visit the 2024 Los Angeles Lantern Art Expo in Arcadia, Los Angeles County, California, the United States, on Oct. 17, 2024. (Photo by Qiu Chen/Xinhua)
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