Balloon sighted over Latin America is from China, Beijing says

Beijing has confirmed that a balloon spotted flying over Latin America is Chinese, two days after the United States shot down a similar device that American officials described as a spy balloon.

China has expressed fury at the US decision to shoot down the device that it insisted was an unmanned weather surveillance aircraft that had veered off course last week.

That balloon sparked out rage in Washington, which accused Beijing of an “unacceptable violation” of its sovereignty and prompted Secretary of State Antony Blinken to postpone a trip to China that was expected to begin on Sunday. On Monday, Beijing acknowledged that the latest balloon, spotted by US and Colombian officials flying over Latin America at the weekend, was also Chinese.

The Foreign Affairs

Ministry in Beijing said the device was of “a civilian nature and used for flight tests” and has limited self-steering capability.

“Affected by weather forces in addition to its manoeuvrability being limited, the airship deviated greatly from its expected course, and accidentally entered Latin American and Caribbean airspace,” Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at a news briefing.

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera) party agreed to create the fund to support healthcare, food and education efforts needed to overcome Venezuela's long-running social and political crisis.

"If (the fund) happens, and I think we are advancing on some steps in that direction, we can pass to another stage of the conversations," the Government's lead negotiator and National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez told television station Globovision.

The talks, which cov- er a range of issues, first began in August 2021 before a 15-month hiatus. They resumed briefly in November 2022 after Washington eased some sanctions on the Maduro Government. The Opposition hopes the negotiations will help guarantee that elections tentatively scheduled for 2024 are held in fair conditions. Rodriguez did not offer details on what progress had been made toward creation of the humanitarian fund.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Warner, Persad-Bissessar reunite at chutney fete; ILP leader ready for unity talks if needed

There is more unity evolving in United National Congress –and Jack Warner’s back.

In their first meet-up in 10 years, Opposition UNC Leader Kamla PersadBissessar and long-time People’s Partnership colleague Jack Warner “limed” together closely at last Saturday’s UNC fundraiser “I Love Choka” Carnival fete at the Centre of Excellence in Macoya. Photos circulating on social media on Saturday showed the two liming with UNC members and other patrons on the grounds of the fete, which was attended by thousands.

It was the first time that Persad-Bissessar and Warner had spoken since 2013.

The two had been fast friends before the PP Government was formed and after its tenure began in 2010. They became estranged later, after Warner resigned from the PP Cabinet and as UNC Chaguanas West MP in 2013 owing to an alleged corruption scandal connected to Warner’s tenure in FIFA.

Warner is still fighting US extradition on the alleged FIFA issues.

After resigning from the PP Government, Warner subsequently formed his

Independent Liberal Party (ILP), which contested against UNC in past elections.

Contacted about Saturday’s “lime” with PersadBissessar, Warner said: “In life, nothing should be final –not even anger. I know, however, that after last Saturday, in the coming days and weeks, there will be a revision of negativism that is unprecedented: there are people in the PNM and who knows, some even in the UNC, who will want to say all kinds of things to Mrs Persad-Bissessar.

“But I’ve reached this stage in my life where these things don’t daunt me anymore. If Mrs Persad-Bissessar and I have to meet again, we will.”

Persad-Bissessar didn’t reply to T&T Guardian queries on how seeing Warner was after so long, what they discussed and if unity was broached. (Excerpt from Trinidad Guardian)

UPP to stage protest against Government’s decision on West African ‘visitors’

The Opposition United Progressive Party (UPP) said it would stage a protest today against the Government’s decision to legalise the status of hundreds of African migrants who travelled to the island via Antigua Airways and other chartered flights from West Africa.

Last week, the Cabinet announced that it was looking into the possibility of granting legal status to those West African visitors who wished to stay in the country.

This decision came after the Africans began arriving in Antigua late last year after fleeing the war-torn country of Cameroon, which shares a border with Nigeria.

Observer media spoke with UPP member Franz De Freitas about the protest planned for 09:00h outside the Prime Minister’s Office.

“In Antigua and Barbuda, the people are facing a terrible human trafficking tragedy imposed on our West African brothers and sisters [from] Nigeria and Cameroon, and the United Progressive Party thinks that a lot of exploita- tion has happened in this case.

“We believe that the solution to the self-imposed problem of the [Antigua Barbuda Labour Party] … is something that the people should not live with and cannot tolerate,” he said.

The UPP, in a press statement last week, questioned the decision taken by the Government and cited national security concerns as well as the implications for the labour market.

(Excerpt from Antigua Observer)