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China says no compromising on Taiwan

By
IFP Media Wire
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The Chinese Foreign Ministry has hit back at the US and demanded Washington adhere to the one-China principle, after the US president said America was ready, and more than strong enough, to defend Taiwan.

Speaking at a regular press conference on Friday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin insisted that Beijing would not compromise on its core interests. 

“Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory, and the Taiwan issue is purely China’s internal affair, and no external interference is allowed,” the spokesman told gathered press, insisting that no one should underestimate the Chinese people’s determination to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

He called on the US to strictly abide by the one-China principle and diplomatic agreements made between Washington and Beijing. 

The spokesman added that Washington should be careful as to not send the wrong signal with regards to Taiwanese independence, threatening a worsening of Sino-US relations.

The spokesman’s comments came after Biden attended a CNN town hall event on Thursday night. A student asked the US leader whether the US could keep up with the Chinese militarily and would he vow to protect Taiwan. 

“Yes and yes,” the president answered, adding, “We are militarily – China, Russia and the rest of the world knows, we have the most powerful military in the history of the world. Don’t worry about whether they’re going to be more powerful.” 

On Thursday, Wang condemned the EU Parliament after European lawmakers voted overwhelmingly in favor of increasing ties with Taiwan and starting work immediately on an investment deal with the island.

US says committed to one China policy, promises help for Taiwan

By
IFP Media Wire
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Austin reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to a One China policy, adding that the US will help Taiwan to defend itself.

“We remain committed to the One China policy … As we’ve done under multiple administrations, we will continue to help Taiwan with resources and capabilities it needs to defend itself,” the Pentagon chief said at a NATO press conference.

When asked about Washington’s reaction to China’s possible attack on Taiwan, Austin noted that he “won’t engage in hypotheticals”.

Earlier on Friday, US President Joe Biden stressed that the country would come to Taiwan’s aid if it were to come under attack from China. Consequently, China’s Ambassador to the United Nations Zhang Jun urged the international community to call on the US to stop dragging Taiwan into a war.

According to the Taiwanese government’s spokesperson, Chang Tun-han, Taiwan took notice of Biden’s pledge of readiness to protect the island but will refrain from rash actions.

“Taiwan’s position has been and remains unchanged — not to succumb to pressure and, having received support, not to take reckless actions,” Chang Tun-han was quoted as saying by the local Central News Agency.

He added that Taiwan, which has been ruled independently from China since 1949, will continue to strive for ensuring its own defence, as well as cooperate with other countries for the security of the Indo-Pacific region.

The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this month that US Marines and special operations forces had been secretly training Taiwan’s soldiers to defend themselves against possible aggression from China.

Previously, the Taiwanese Defence Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng said that mainland China may be fully prepared to attack the island by 2025. His assumption followed the deployment by China of 150 military aircraft into Taiwan’s air defence zone since early October for drills.

Beijing described its military exercise near the Taiwan border as a preventive measure to ensure its sovereignty and territorial integrity and counter any separatist activities and foreign interference.

The ‘One China Policy’ is the diplomatic acknowledgement of China’s position that there is only one Chinese government. China sees Taiwan as a breakaway province that one day will be reunified with the mainland. The US recognises this policy and has formal ties with China rather than Taiwan. However, the US also has unofficial relations with Taiwan and sells arms to the island.

Taliban seeks compensation from US for atrocities

By
IFP Media Wire
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Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the US should compensate for its atrocities against Afghans in an interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN). 

The US announced on October 14 that it has offered to pay unspecified compensation to relatives of 10 people in Afghanistan, including seven children, who were killed by mistake in a US drone strike as American forces were completing their withdrawal from the country. 

“There is no point in all this. It is not the first time America has brutally killed the Afghan people. America has been doing this for the last 20 years. This is American bigotry, and the true face of America has been exposed in front of our people and the world,” Mujahid said. 

“We condemn such acts of America, and it is important that wherever America has committed such atrocities against the Afghans, it should compensate,” he stressed. 

Russia hosted talks on Afghanistan on Wednesday involving senior representatives of the Taliban and other factions. 

Speaking of the talks, Mujahid stated “Russia organized a meeting to show the Taliban’s pursuit for international recognition.” 

“Russia wants peace in Afghanistan, and whatever reservations Russia has should be cleared… We participated in this conference, so that the world would accept us, and our important issues could be discussed with the world,” he added.

“Educational institutions are open in many provinces from grade one to grade six, while in Mazar, Balkh and Kandahar the education system is formally open till grade 12,” Mujahid continued. 

“In the rest of the provinces our plan needs to be implemented, because there are some problems in those provinces. We are working on a major plan and mechanism for the education of women, and as soon as it’s ready, the education system will formally begin,” he noted. 

Mujahid also denied rumors that the Taliban’s supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada died two years ago. 

“He’s alive and absolutely well, he’s in Kandahar, he is leading us,” he said.  

Mujahid added the supreme leader will appear in the days to come and the world will be able to see and hear him.

Iranian Researchers Produce Genetically-Modified Goat as Large as Donkey

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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Over a period of two years, Iranian researchers managed to breed a genetically-engineered goat which is as tall as a donkey and worth the price of a well-bred horse.

At 20 months old, the goat could weigh up to 120kg with a height of 175cm. Goats can grow in size until they are three years old while the weight of this new breed can reach up to 150kg.

Among the features of this genetically-modified goat is that it has horns similar to those of a calf and has no long hair on its body unlike other breeds of goats. Its neck is similar to a sheep’s.

Iranian inventors win 3 gold medals, silver at Zagreb International Exhibition

By
IFP Media Wire
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Ali Asadi for his portable machine for cleaning, drying and ironing all kinds of clothes, Aria Mehrmaleki for diagnosis of diseases based on retinal OCT images, Nima Naghibi Iravani for designing and manufacturing a liquid damper for real-scale use in high-rise buildings received gold medals.

An Iranian four-member team received a silver medal for producing a new type of PLA film to increase the shelf life of rainbow trout.

The International specialized exhibition of inventions in Croatia is held every year by the Croatian Inventors Association under the supervision of the National University of Zagreb and with the support of the International Federation of Inventors’ Associations.

Iran reports 165 new Covid-19 fatalities

By
IFP Editorial Staff
-

The Friday announcement of the Health Ministry says over 11 thousand new infection cases were identified.

The number of daily fatalities has been below 200 for several days now but health officials are warning that the increasing number of infections could mean that another wave of the deadly disease could be looming.

Iran has so far suffered five waves of the deadly disease with official figures putting the total death toll at nearly 125,000 since the outbreak of the pandemic in early 2020.

The figures released on Friday also show that Iran has kept up the pace of its vaccination campaign. The country has so far administered over 78,665,000 Covid-19 vaccine doses.

Iran was long criticized for its slow pace of inoculations, but it has intensified imports and domestic production of different types of Covid-19 vaccine over the past months in a bid to contain the outbreak.

Mustafa Prize laureates awarded in Tehran

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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The five Muslim scientists received their awards in a ceremony at Tehran’s Vahdat Hall on Thursday. 

The winners were Cumrun Vafa from Iran, M. Zahid Hasan from Bangladesh, Yahya Tayalati from Morocco, Mohamed Sayegh from Lebanon, and Muhammad Iqbal Choudhary from Pakistan.

They were selected from among more than 500 prominent scientists and researchers.

The Iranian laureate, a professor of mathematics and natural philosophy at Harvard University, received the 2021 Mustafa Prize for his work in string theory which is a theoretical framework in physics.

The Mustafa Prize is a biannual science and technology award for new scientific methodology and achievements that improve human life or make cutting-edge innovations. It is granted to scientists from member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

China condemns EU over Taiwan ties

By
IFP Media Wire
-

China strongly condemned and firmly rejected the so-called report on the political relations and cooperation between the EU and Taiwan adopted by the European Parliament and urged the European Parliament to immediately stop its words and deeds that undermined China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, the foreign ministry announced, according to Xinhua news agency.

Spokesperson Wang Wenbin made the remarks at a daily news briefing when answering a query on the adoption of a so-called report on the political relations and cooperation between the EU and Taiwan by the European Parliament.

Wang said there is only one China in the world and Taiwan is an inalienable part of the Chinese territory. The one-China principle is an international consensus and the political foundation of China’s diplomatic relations with the EU.

The report adopted by the European Parliament is a serious violation of the basic norms of international relations, the one-China principle and the commitments made by the EU on the Taiwan issue, Wang added.

“The European Parliament should immediately stop its words and deeds that undermined China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and stop provocation and confrontation. We urge relevant parties not to underestimate the strong resolution, determination and capability of the Chinese people to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity,” he stated.

EU lawmakers on Thursday backed the non-binding resolution with a majority of 580 to 26 votes, requesting the bloc’s executive European Commission “urgently begin an impact assessment, public consultation and scoping exercise on a bilateral investment agreement.”

In 2015, the EU added Taiwan to its list of trade partners eligible for an investment deal, but it has not held talks with the island on the issue since then. Issues of EU foreign policy fall under the remit of the European Commission and the Council representing member states, the parliament can only act in an advisory capacity.

In a separate speech delivered yesterday, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell stated that Taiwan’s semiconductor production meant the island was strategically important to the bloc’s economy and future development.

Zhang Ming, China’s ambassador to the EU, wrote in a statement on the embassy website that the Parliament’s adoption of the report was “blatantly advocating for elevating so-called EU-Taiwan political relations, which is a serious violation of the One-China principle.”

He said, “There is only one China in the world and the People’s Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China.”

He added that this was “the political foundation” for the development of China-EU ties, and without it, diplomatic relations between Brussels and Beijing could suffer.

But despite diplomatic tensions and the COVID-19 pandemic, the two economic powerhouses have extended their interdependence, according to this year’s annual report jointly issued by the EU-China’s Chamber of Commerce. 

Chinese Ministry of Commerce spokeswoman Shu Jueting said Thursday that Sino-European bilateral trade had increased by 30.4 percent between January to September 2021, “and is expected to hit a record high throughout the year.”

She added that in the same period China’s direct investment in the EU was $5 billion, an increase of 54 percent, and EU investment in China remained at the same level as before the coronavirus crisis derailed international trade.

Moscow rejects NATO accusation against expelled Russians

By
IFP Media Wire
-

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has stated NATO has no evidence indicating the expelled staffers of Russia’s diplomatic mission at the organization had been involved in any malign activities.

“We should be aware that NATO has systematically ruined relations with Russia to opt for the Cold War logic. Also, we should remember that the role of NATO’s Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in this destructive process is significant. And lastly, we should keep in mind that there is no evidence against the activity of the Russians NATO has expelled,” Zakharova wrote in her Telegram-channel in reply to Stoltenberg’s statements about the reason for the expulsion of Russian diplomats.

NATO’s secretary general, she remarked, should ask himself how many representatives of the organization’s member-countries disguised as diplomats and journalists are involved in spying activities around the world.

“If you find this impermissible, then please recall NATO countries’ intelligence operatives from Russia,” she concluded.

Earlier, Stoltenberg said that the decision to expel Russian diplomats from Brussels had been made on the basis of intelligence information. At the same time, he mentioned no evidence that might prove the charges against Russia.

On October 6, NATO said it was reducing Russia’s mission at the organization from 20 staffers to 10. The accreditation of eight diplomats was revoked and two vacancies abolished. The alliance asked the Russian diplomats to leave Brussels by the end of October. On March 18, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Russia was suspending the operation of its mission to NATO altogether. Also, the activity of NATO’s Military Liaison Mission and Information Office in Moscow will be paused.

UK Queen spends night in hospital, no COVID

By
IFP Media Wire
-

The Queen spent a night in hospital after cancelling her visit to Northern Ireland, Buckingham Palace has said.

She was seen by specialists at the private King Edward VII’s Hospital in central London for “preliminary investigations” but returned to Windsor on Thursday.

Her admittance was not related to Covid, it is understood.

A palace spokesperson said: “Following medical advice to rest for a few days, the Queen attended hospital on Wednesday afternoon for some preliminary investigations, returning to Windsor Castle at lunchtime today [Thursday], and remains in good spirits.”

It is understood the overnight stay was for practical reasons and that the Queen was back at her desk on Thursday afternoon to undertake “light duties”.

She was said to be disappointed not to be able to travel to Northern Ireland on Wednesday, and reluctantly heeded the advice of her doctors to get more rest.

The Queen, who is 95, attended a number of engagements this month before spending the night in hospital.

Over recent weeks, she held two virtual meetings with the ambassadors for Belize and Greece, met Canadian troops, had a call with Boris Johnson, and launched the Queen’s Baton Relay for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games from the Buckingham Palace forecourt.

She also attended – while using a walking stick – a Westminster Abbey service of thanksgiving to mark the centenary of the Royal British Legion, presented pianist Dame Imogen Cooper with the Queen’s Medal for Music, delivered a speech at the sixth session of the Welsh Senedd, attended the races at Ascot, and presented a trophy at the Qipco British Champions Day.

This week, she held a virtual meeting with new the governor general of New Zealand, Dame Cindy Kiro, two virtual meetings with the Japanese and EU ambassadors, and hosted an evening reception at Windsor Castle to mark the Global Investment Summit.

In April, her husband Prince Philip died just two months before his hundredth birthday. After his death, the Queen was expected to step back from royal duties and allow her children and grandchildren to take on more responsibility.

Just four days after his death she hosted a ceremony at Windsor to mark the retirement of her household’s most senior official William Peel, who stepped down as Lord Chamberlain.

Her next major engagement is at the end of the month when she is due to welcome world leaders at the opening of the United Nations climate change summit in Glasgow.

Earlier this week, it was reported that the Queen turned down the Oldie of the Year Awards, issued by The Oldie magazine.

Her assistant private secretary, Tom Laing-Baker, explained in a letter to the awards chairman, author and broadcaster Gyles Brandreth, her reasons for rejecting the accolade.

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