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China to mark 80th WWII anniversary with military parade in September

China to mark 80th WWII anniversary with military parade in September

The Star3 days ago

China will stage a military parade to commemorate the end of World War II – only the second time the event has been held – as conflicts rage around the world, including the latest between Iran and Israel.
It will take place in Tiananmen Square in Beijing on September 3, a decade after the People's Liberation Army first held a Victory Day parade.

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Senior military official Miao Hua purged from top ruling body
Senior military official Miao Hua purged from top ruling body

The Star

timea day ago

  • The Star

Senior military official Miao Hua purged from top ruling body

TOP legislature has voted to remove senior military official Miao Hua from the Central Military Commission, its highest-level military command body, according to a statement published by Xinhua. Miao, 69, was put under investigation for 'serious violations of discipline' in November. The former political ideology chief of the People's Liberation Army was also suspended from his post. The Xinhua statement yesterday did not contain any other details, but the move marks another stage in President Xi Jinping's ongoing anti-corruption purge of China's military, in which over a dozen PLA generals and a handful of defence industry executives have been implicated. Miao's photo had been removed from the senior leadership page of the Chinese defence ministry's website in recent weeks. He was also removed from China's national legislature for 'serious violations of discipline and law,' according to a communique released by the legislature last month. 'The Political Work Department of the Central Military Commission held a military representative conference on March 14 this year and decided to remove Miao Hua from his position as a representative of the 14th National People's Congress,' the statement said. Miao was stationed in the coastal province of Fujian when Xi worked there as a local official. Xi personally elevated Miao to the Central Military Commission. Another Central Military Com­mission member and China's second-ranking general, He Weidong, has not been seen in public since the March 11 closing ceremony of the annual parliamentary sessions in Beijing. Since then, he has not appeared at a series of high-level Politburo and military public engagements. He is the third-most powerful commander of the People's Liberation Army and is considered a close associate of Xi, who is also the army's commander- in-chief. China's defence ministry said in March that it was 'unaware' of reports he had been detained. His photo remains on the defence ministry's website. Two former Chinese defence ministers have been removed from the Communist Party for corruption. One of them, Li Shangfu, was suspected of corruption in military procurement. Last year, the defence ministry denied reports that Defence Minister Dong Jun was being probed on suspicion of corruption. Dong has continued to appear at public events, attending the Shanghai Cooperation Organi­sation defence ministers' meeting in Qingdao this week. — Reuters

From Hitler's spy to Britain's next spy chief: Metreweli family's espionage past emerges
From Hitler's spy to Britain's next spy chief: Metreweli family's espionage past emerges

Malay Mail

time2 days ago

  • Malay Mail

From Hitler's spy to Britain's next spy chief: Metreweli family's espionage past emerges

LONDON, June 27 — Britain's incoming MI6 chief Blaise Metreweli is facing uncomfortable scrutiny after revelations surfaced linking her paternal grandfather to Nazi war crimes in Ukraine during World War II. Metreweli, who is set to become the first woman to lead the Secret Intelligence Service, was widely praised for her intelligence, discretion, and exemplary service record when her appointment was announced earlier this month, according to a report in Mail Online. But German archives have revealed that her grandfather, Constantine Dobrowolski, was a Nazi collaborator and local intelligence chief in the Ukrainian region of Chernihiv, known for spying and killing on behalf of Hitler's regime. 'Captain Dobrowolski is a convinced opponent of Bolshevism and, accordingly, the most hated man among the Bolsheviks,' a German military assessment stated, praising his 'excellent reconnaissance' and branding him a 'talented gang fighter'. Dobrowolski, born in 1906, defected from the Red Army in 1941 and assisted the Nazis in tracking down resistance fighters and organising the extermination of Jewish communities, according to hundreds of pages of wartime documents. Metreweli, 47, never knew her grandfather, who remained in Ukraine as her grandmother fled west with their infant son — Metreweli's father — in 1943. The family later settled in the UK, adopting the stepfather's surname, Metreweli. While these revelations have no bearing on Metreweli's personal actions or loyalties, they risk becoming ammunition for Kremlin propaganda efforts, particularly as Russia seeks to label Ukraine and its allies as neo-Nazis. Professor Beka Kobakhidze of Ilia State University in Georgia warned the story would likely be exploited: 'I can say with confidence that this will become a favourite talking point for Kremlin propagandists for years to come.' Russia's state-aligned media has already speculated on Metreweli's Ukrainian roots, attempting to conflate her heritage with Nazi sympathies — a narrative experts fear could intensify as her profile rises. The Foreign Office responded by affirming Metreweli's dedication to public service: 'Blaise Metreweli neither knew nor met her paternal grandfather... her commitment to protect the British public stems from a complex heritage marked by conflict.' Metreweli has served in senior roles across MI6, MI5, and the Foreign Office, with a career that spans high-stakes operations in Europe and the Middle East since the early 2000s. As she prepares to assume the role of 'C', the head of MI6, Metreweli's past underscores the reality that while individuals can shape their destinies, they cannot choose their lineage — a truth not lost on Britain's intelligence community.

Britain's new MI6 chief's grandfather was spy for Hitler dubbed ‘The Butcher'
Britain's new MI6 chief's grandfather was spy for Hitler dubbed ‘The Butcher'

Malay Mail

time2 days ago

  • Malay Mail

Britain's new MI6 chief's grandfather was spy for Hitler dubbed ‘The Butcher'

LONDON, June 27 — Britain's incoming MI6 chief Blaise Metreweli is facing uncomfortable scrutiny after revelations surfaced linking her paternal grandfather to Nazi war crimes in Ukraine during World War II. Metreweli, who is set to become the first woman to lead the Secret Intelligence Service, was widely praised for her intelligence, discretion, and exemplary service record when her appointment was announced earlier this month, according to a report in Mail Online. But German archives have revealed that her grandfather, Constantine Dobrowolski, was a Nazi collaborator and local intelligence chief in the Ukrainian region of Chernihiv, known for spying and killing on behalf of Hitler's regime. 'Captain Dobrowolski is a convinced opponent of Bolshevism and, accordingly, the most hated man among the Bolsheviks,' a German military assessment stated, praising his 'excellent reconnaissance' and branding him a 'talented gang fighter'. Dobrowolski, born in 1906, defected from the Red Army in 1941 and assisted the Nazis in tracking down resistance fighters and organising the extermination of Jewish communities, according to hundreds of pages of wartime documents. Metreweli, 47, never knew her grandfather, who remained in Ukraine as her grandmother fled west with their infant son — Metreweli's father — in 1943. The family later settled in the UK, adopting the stepfather's surname, Metreweli. While these revelations have no bearing on Metreweli's personal actions or loyalties, they risk becoming ammunition for Kremlin propaganda efforts, particularly as Russia seeks to label Ukraine and its allies as neo-Nazis. Professor Beka Kobakhidze of Ilia State University in Georgia warned the story would likely be exploited: 'I can say with confidence that this will become a favourite talking point for Kremlin propagandists for years to come.' Russia's state-aligned media has already speculated on Metreweli's Ukrainian roots, attempting to conflate her heritage with Nazi sympathies — a narrative experts fear could intensify as her profile rises. The Foreign Office responded by affirming Metreweli's dedication to public service: 'Blaise Metreweli neither knew nor met her paternal grandfather... her commitment to protect the British public stems from a complex heritage marked by conflict.' Metreweli has served in senior roles across MI6, MI5, and the Foreign Office, with a career that spans high-stakes operations in Europe and the Middle East since the early 2000s. As she prepares to assume the role of 'C', the head of MI6, Metreweli's past underscores the reality that while individuals can shape their destinies, they cannot choose their lineage — a truth not lost on Britain's intelligence community.

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