Latest news with #Czechs
The Sun
a day ago
- Politics
- The Sun
Czech intel: China plotted to intimidate Taiwan VP-elect
PRAGUE: Chinese diplomats and secret service followed Taiwan's Vice-President-elect Hsiao Bi-khim and planned to intimidate her physically when she visited Prague last year, Czech military intelligence said on Friday. Hsiao visited the Czech Republic in March 2024. Prague does not have official diplomatic ties with Taiwan but has fostered warm relations with the democratically-governed island, which China views as its own territory. Czech media reported last year that a Chinese diplomat had run a red light when following her car. Czech public radio news website said on Thursday that the Chinese had also planned to stage a demonstrative car crash. Czech Military Intelligence spokesman said Chinese diplomats in Prague had taken actions that violated diplomatic rules. 'This consisted of physically following the vice-president, gathering information on her schedule and attempts to document her meetings with important representatives of the Czech political and public scene,' spokesman Jan Pejsek said in emailed comments to Reuters. 'We even recorded an attempt by the Chinese civil secret service to create conditions to perform a demonstrative kinetic action against a protected person, which however did not go beyond the phase of preparation.' A spokesperson for China's foreign ministry, commenting on the matter, denied any wrongdoing by Chinese diplomats and also said the Czech Republic had interfered in China's internal affairs by allowing Hsiao's visit to go ahead. The Czech Foreign Ministry said it had summoned the Chinese ambassador over the incident at the time but did not comment further on Friday. TAIWAN PROTESTS Taiwan's China-policy making Mainland Affairs Council said the Chinese actions 'seriously threatened the personal safety of Vice President Hsiao and her entourage'. 'The Mainland Affairs Council today protested and strongly condemned the Chinese communist's bad behaviour and demanded that the Chinese side should immediately explain and publicly apologise,' it said. In Beijing, foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said: 'Chinese diplomats have always abided by the laws and regulations of the countries in which they are stationed.' 'China urges the parties concerned not to be provoked and exploited by separatist forces for Taiwan independence, and to not make a fuss over nothing, engage in malicious speculation, and interfere with and undermine the relations between the two countries.' Hsiao assumed office, along with President Lai Ching-te, on May 20 last year. Czech relations with China have cooled in recent years. The Czechs accused China in May of being behind a cyberattack on the foreign ministry. Czech politicians have visited Taiwan and former Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen visited Prague last October.
Straits Times
a day ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Czechs say China followed, planned intimidation of Taiwan vice-president
PRAGUE - Chinese diplomats and secret service followed Taiwan's Vice-President-elect Hsiao Bi-khim and planned to intimidate her physically when she visited Prague last year, Czech military intelligence said on Friday. Hsiao visited the Czech Republic in March 2024. Prague does not have official diplomatic ties with Taiwan but has fostered warm relations with the democratically-governed island, which China views as its own territory. Czech media reported last year that a Chinese diplomat had run a red light when following her car. Czech public radio news website said on Thursday that the Chinese had also planned to stage a demonstrative car crash. Czech Military Intelligence spokesman said Chinese diplomats in Prague had taken actions that violated diplomatic rules. "This consisted of physically following the vice-president, gathering information on her schedule and attempts to document her meetings with important representatives of the Czech political and public scene," spokesman Jan Pejsek said in emailed comments to Reuters. "We even recorded an attempt by the Chinese civil secret service to create conditions to perform a demonstrative kinetic action against a protected person, which however did not go beyond the phase of preparation." A spokesperson for China's foreign ministry, commenting on the matter, denied any wrongdoing by Chinese diplomats and also said the Czech Republic had interfered in China's internal affairs by allowing Hsiao's visit to go ahead. The Czech Foreign Ministry said it had summoned the Chinese ambassador over the incident at the time but did not comment further on Friday. TAIWAN PROTESTS Taiwan's China-policy making Mainland Affairs Council said the Chinese actions "seriously threatened the personal safety of Vice President Hsiao and her entourage". "The Mainland Affairs Council today protested and strongly condemned the Chinese communist's bad behaviour and demanded that the Chinese side should immediately explain and publicly apologise," it said. In Beijing, foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said: "Chinese diplomats have always abided by the laws and regulations of the countries in which they are stationed." "China urges the parties concerned not to be provoked and exploited by separatist forces for Taiwan independence, and to not make a fuss over nothing, engage in malicious speculation, and interfere with and undermine the relations between the two countries." Hsiao assumed office, along with President Lai Ching-te, on May 20 last year. Czech relations with China have cooled in recent years. The Czechs accused China in May of being behind a cyberattack on the foreign ministry. Czech politicians have visited Taiwan and former Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen visited Prague last October. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Spectator
3 days ago
- General
- Spectator
To rehydrate, drink beer
'The nuisance of the tropics is/the sheer necessity of fizz.' Over the past few days, during which England endured sub-tropical sweltering, it was more a matter of beer. I do not wish to denigrate water, which is all very well in its place. I often drink it. But for urgent, nay life-saving, rehydration, nothing beats beer. Now that almost all beer is properly made, I just tend to order any pint that catches my eye. In recent temperatures, the eyes have been busy. As I may have written before, there is one curiosity about beer. The Belgians, Czechs and Germans – plus other European countries – produce lager-style beers that are both satisfying and potent. In the UK, lager has often meant some of the worst beer ever made. Give it a Viking name, make all sorts of claims for its quality, rely on the most naive alcohol customers in the world, and market a weak and insipid liquid. The cat or horse which is responsible should be sent on a one-way journey to the vet. There is also a paradox about beer. I know girls who are serious wine-drinkers. After dinner, they will happily address themselves to Armagnac accompanied by a proper-sized Havana. In Bruges, they will delight in the best local beers. In the relevant season of the year, they know how to use a rifle or a musket. They like their grouse rare, especially if they have shot it themselves. (By the way, the females in question are deliciously feminine.) One might assume that no alcohol would faze them, yet they do not enjoy British bitter. Strange. There it is. De gustibus. Reverting to heat, I remember a few days in Toledo about this time of year, when the temperature was around 50°C, I came up with some rules. Walk at a funeral-march pace and only in the shade. No shade? Is your journey really necessary? Above all, never just pass by a bar. You are only 50 yards from the last one. No matter – you can always cope with another half-litre. In Oman at the height of summer, when the sea is like a tepid bath and the pools use coolers, they have a cunning way of dealing with the 50 degree problem. When it reaches that level, civil servants are allowed to go home. The consequence: the temperature never gets that high. Oman is an immensely civilised place, combining history, tradition, a glorious landscape and every creature comfort associated with rehydration, subtly served. Apropos subtlety, the Omanis are also good at geopolitics. They have to be, because just across the Strait of Hormuz is their truculent neighbour Iran. When Tony Blair resigned from the premiership and set up shop as an international statesman, dispensing counsel on every continent – with some success – he was given a lot of advice, much of it good. One of the best examples was related to Oman. He was told that he ought to go to Muscat and listen to the wisest man in the Middle East, Sultan Qaboos. In a troubled neighbourhood, that court still dispenses wisdom. I wonder what the Omanis make of Donald Trump. Beer is not enough. Despite Belloc's dictum, I do not think that fizz works well in high temperatures. White wine is needed. Apart from the usual favourites, I seem to have been quaffing a lot of Rieslings, traditionally an underrated grape in the UK. Its standing never recovered from the first world war. Germany and Alsace both produce wines ranging from the pleasurable to the magnificent. In Alsace, near Colmar and that most emotionally challenging artist, Grünewald in the Isenheim altarpiece, the Clos Windsbuhl produces wines of great power. For me, it is a discovery which I intend to revisit, irrespective of climatic conditions.
New York Post
20-06-2025
- Business
- New York Post
A ‘big, beautiful deal', America's aerospace ‘revolution' and other commentary
Iran-Israel war: A 'Big, Beautiful Deal' 'Proponents of an American strike believe that we have no realistic choice other than to help Israel do as thorough a job as possible in setting back Iran's nuclear ambitions,' contends The New York Times' Bret Stephens. True, after Trump drops bunker busters on the Fordow nuclear site, the question is 'what comes afterward.' But the president can follow that up with 'a diplomatic bunker buster on Tehran': lifting economic sanctions and forcing the Israelis to stop the bombings. 'Nobody, perhaps even President Trump himself, knows for sure whether the United States will wind up joining Israel in launching military strikes on Iran.' But 'there's a big, beautiful deal to be struck here. For all sides.' Tech watch: America's Aerospace 'Revolution' Advertisement 'From LAX to coastal San Diego,' dozens of new firms are 'embracing the country's emerging 'hard tech' revolution,' cheers Joel Kotkin at UnHerd. Including around 40 spinoffs of SpaceX, they make everything — largely for aerospace — 'from drones to engines, drilling systems to satellites.' Together, they can 'restore' America's 'blue-collar prosperity.' Given the 'military implications' of these products, these firms embrace a 'Right-wing patriotism' and so threaten to change corporate culture. Yet 'the biggest pool of money' is not from the Defense Department but the 'burgeoning space industry.' And the 'technology looks set to dominate our century. For if those robots and satellites are all impressive enough in theory, they could yet be used as a geopolitical battering ram' — with US innovators as 'riposte to Chinese central planning.' Libertarian: Czechs to the Rescue in Ukraine 'Through online fundraisers organized by community platforms like 'Gift for Putin,' 'Team for Ukraine,' or 'Just Retribution,' Czech citizens have donated millions of dollars toward' arms for Ukraine, marvels Miroslav Hanušniak at Reason. These include much-needed rifle magazines, howitzer shells, a Black Hawk helicopter and 'more than $11.5 million toward the direct purchase of First Person View drones.' Czechs 'show no signs of slowing down. New initiatives continue to emerge, finding creative ways to support the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.' In neighboring Slovakia, citizens defied their Russian-leaning 'government's stance and joined the fundraising efforts, contributing millions.' It's a reminder that 'real power and meaningful change do not always come from parliaments.' Advertisement Defense beat: Space — Aukus' Final Frontier 'It's time for Aukus,' the Australia, US and UK alliance, 'to grow,' argues Scott Morrison at The Wall Street Journal, and Trump 'is the right person for the job.' Aukus 'enables Australia's acquisition of its first nuclear-powered sub fleet' and 'facilitates cooperation on advanced military capabilities,' notes the former Australian prime minister. But 'if our nations are serious about deterrence, then we must prepare for new theaters of geopolitical competition' — particularly space. Aukus should be expanded to consolidate 'cooperation across launch systems, satellite architecture, cybersecurity, data integration and industrial innovation.' It must ensure that space 'is secured by free nations, not our enemies. American and Australia have stood shoulder to shoulder on land, at sea and in the skies. Now we must do the same in orbit.' Hispanic pastor: Riots Hurt Protesters' Cause Advertisement 'Once more, the streets of Los Angeles are filled with chaos' because of 'modern-day anarchists,' blasts Samuel Rodriguez for The Hill. Blame it on Team Biden's border 'failure,' which 'permitted millions to enter our country without any real verification process.' Now 'the majority of these riots are being led, organized, and amplified by Antifa factions and ultra-left progressive groups whose mission is not reform but total revolution.' These thugs are 'protesting the deportation of individuals who are violent criminals, rapists, murderers, or pedophiles.' 'There is a legitimate space for expressing concern over the deportation of longstanding immigrants who have lived here peacefully,' but 'these riots hurt and did not help their cause. This lawlessness is antithetical to everything the immigrant rights movement hopes to achieve.' — Compiled by The Post Editorial Board
United News of India
18-06-2025
- Politics
- United News of India
Slovakia continues evacuations from Middle East
Prague, June 18 (UNI) Slovakia is evacuating more citizens and foreign nationals from the crisis-hit region in the Middle East, the Slovak Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs said on Tuesday. A special government aircraft that departed from Larnaca, Cyprus, will bring another group of Slovak and foreign nationals to Bratislava on Tuesday evening, the ministry said in a statement. The evacuees were first transported from the Jordanian cities of Aqaba and Amman to Cyprus, according to the ministry. The group includes 18 Slovak citizens, 13 Hungarians, eight Austrians, and three Czechs. This is the second evacuation flight that Slovakia has organised this week to repatriate its citizens and assist nationals of other countries. On Monday, a Slovak government plane brought back 73 evacuees from the Middle East, including 30 Slovak citizens along with individuals from countries like the Czech Republic, Poland, and Austria. UNI XINHUA ARN
