China has warned the UK and the US after their warships sailed through the diplomatically-fraught Taiwan Strait.
Chinese naval and air forces were ordered to monitor and warn the two ships, the HMS Richmond and the USS Higgins, as they made their way through the 110-mile (180km) passage between the island and the Chinese mainland on Friday.
The pair were engaged in “trouble-making and provocation”, according to Beijing’s People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) Eastern Theatre Command.
Image: The USS Higgins in the South China Sea in August. Pic: Philippine Coast Guard/AP
“The actions of the United States and Britain send the wrong signals and undermine peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait,” it said in a statement.
The Ministry of Defence said the sailing was a routine passage, adding that wherever the Royal Navy operates, “it does so in full compliance with international law and norms, and exercises freedom of navigation rights in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea”.
The US Indo-Pacific Command also described the mission as a routine transit, describing the strait as “beyond the territorial sea of any coastal state.
“Navigational rights and freedoms in the Taiwan Strait should not be limited,” it said in a statement.
The British vessel, deployed in the East China Sea in 2021, is a Type 34, or Duke Class frigate, and the US ship is an Arleigh Burke-class (Flight II) Aegis guided missile destroyer.
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Would Trump stop China invading Taiwan?
China’s navy said earlier on Friday that its third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, which is still undergoing sea trials, had passed through the strait as well.
Last week, a Canadian and an Australian warship made the journey along the strategic waterway.
The US and its allies, including Canada, Britain and France, send ships along the strait, which they see as being in international waters, around once a month.
In June, another British warship, the HMS Spey, sailed through the strait to “cause trouble”, in Beijing’s words.
China views Taiwan as its own territory, which Taipei rejects, and claims the strait is part of its territorial waters.
Beijing has increased its military pressure on the island over the last five years, including by staging war games nearby.
Taiwan’s top China policymaker and head of its Mainland Affairs Council, said on Friday China was preparing to invade Taiwan.
Speaking in Washington, Chiu Chui-cheng warned that if Taiwan were to fall it would cause a regional “domino effect” that would threaten US security.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned what he called China’s “destabilising plans” for a disputed atoll in the South China Sea.
Mr Rubio said in a statement on Friday: “Beijing claiming Scarborough Reef as a nature preserve is yet another coercive attempt to advance sweeping territorial and maritime claims in the South China Sea at the expense of its neighbours.”
The shoal lies within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone but has been under Beijing’s control since 2012.
China claims almost all the sea, which is used to transport more than $3 trillion of shipping commerce annually, despite competing claims by the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam.
An electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, flies above the Joby eVTOL aircraft, during a demonstration of eVTOLs Nov. 13, 2023, in New York.
Bebeto Matthews/AP
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The Trump administration has unveiled a pilot program to accelerate the use of electric air taxis, a move aimed at establishing U.S. dominance in airspace technology.
The Department of Transportation on Friday said the Federal Aviation Administration’s Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing Integration Pilot Program (eIPP) will develop “new frameworks and regulations for enabling safe operations” and form partnerships with private sector companies as well as with state and local governments.
“The next great technological revolution in aviation is here,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a statement on Friday. “The United States will lead the way, and doing so will cement America’s status as a global leader in transportation innovation. That means more high-paying manufacturing jobs and economic opportunity.”
The program will include at least five pilot projects and will run for three years after the first project is up and running, the department said. The program will also include piloted and unmanned operations that focus on electric air taxis, also called an electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft or eVTOL, that can help with delivering cargo and supplies. The aircraft will also be used to test their effectiveness in emergency situations, such as airlift and medical transport.
The program would allow the testing of aircraft both unmanned and piloted, and which may be capable of carrying passengers, before they complete FAA certification, a process that can take years. Aircraft must have FAA certification before carrying cargo or passengers when flying commercially, according to federal regulations.
This is not the first time the FAA has considered air taxis for future use.
In June 2023, the FAA greenlit a plan from Joby Aviation, a California-based aviation company, to begin test flights of an electric flying taxi prototype. The company on Friday announced plans to participate in the pilot program.
“We’ve spent more than 15 years building the aircraft technology and operational capabilities that are defining advanced aerial mobility, and we’re ready to bring our services to communities,” Joby’s chief policy officer Greg Bowles said in a statement. “We look forward to demonstrating our aircraft’s maturity and delivering early operations in cities and states nationwide.”
Another company, Archer Aviation, also said Friday that it plans to participate in the program.
“We’ll demonstrate that air taxis can operate safely and quietly,” Archer founder and CEO Adam Goldstein said in a statement. “These early flights will help cement American leadership in advanced aviation and set the stage for scaled commercial operations in the U.S. and beyond.”
The FAA said it is accepting proposals and a minimum of five participants will be selected, according to an unpublished federal notice about the program that is set to become public on Tuesday.
When analysts revise their view of a stock upwards, it can often be a good sign for the share price. And a couple of FTSE 100 shares were on the receiving end of upgrades this week.
One is Anglo American (LSE:AAL), which recently announced a major structural change. The other is Compass Group (LSE:CPG), which I’ve had a positive view of for some time.
Anglo American
On Tuesday (9 September), Anglo American announced plans to merge with Canadian miner Teck Resources. The stock is up 12% this week and analysts at Berenberg have upgraded it as a result.
Not by much – the bank still sees the stock as a Hold, but that’s an improvement on its previous Sell rating. And the £23 price target is above the current share price.
The advantages of the move are clear. Anglo American has been looking to focus on its copper, iron ore, and crop nutrients divisions and exit platinum, diamonds, and coal.
When it comes to mining, the biggest advantage a company can have is lower production costs. Joining forces with Teck should help on this front. But there are risks.
So far, the firm’s moves have come at the wrong time. Its shift has come at a time when hybrid cars (which use a lot of platinum) are winning over electric vehicles (which are more copper-intensive).
The risk with focusing on copper is that the energy transition takes longer than anticipated. But lower costs can only be a good thing, so I have the stock on my watch list for the future.
Compass Group
Analysts at Deutsche Bank upgraded Compass Group to Buy on Thursday (11 September). And their £29 price target is 10% above the current share price.
The bank’s previous Hold rating was based on recent weakness in the European travel and leisure market. But it also thinks companies with strong business models might still be attractive.
I agree with this – and Compass fits the bill. The contract caterer uses its scale to negotiate lower prices from suppliers and it uses this to provide value to customers that rivals can’t match.
A key part of the firm’s growth strategy is acquisitions. This helps it achieve those economies of scale that are so important to its competitive position, but it does bring risks.
Buying other businesses brings a risk of overpaying and this is something investors can’t ignore. And the stock isn’t exactly cheap after catching a boost from the Deutsche upgrade.
That’s why I’m keeping my eye on Compass. The firm has a strong position in a durable industry and this could be a valuable combination for investors.
Analyst upgrades
Both Anglo American and Compass Group have a mixture of Buy and Hold ratings from analysts right now. That means there’s scope for future upgrades, which could see them gather momentum.
This is something investors should pay attention to. But what matters most in both cases is the underlying business and its future prospects.
I think Anglo’s strategic shift has been unfortunately timed, but it looks like a good long-term move. And Compass has what looks to me to be an extremely durable competitive strength.
That’s why I’m following both closely. But I’m looking to be patient and wait for my opportunity, rather than rushing in too soon.
Community vigils in California continued through the weekend to memorialize Charlie Kirk, the conservative activist who was killed by rifle fire during a Utah rally Wednesday.
In San Francisco’s Noe Valley Park, some 80 people attended a Saturday afternoon memorial hosted by the county Republican Party. The San Francisco Standard reported the event included prayers, eulogies and placards promoting dialogue. At at one point, police officers watched from a distance.
In Ventura County, the local Republican committee is planning a “Light in the Darkness” vigil on Monday night in Moorpark. The event, scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m., is at Walnut Grove at Tierra Rejada Farms.
Kirk, founder of the conservative youth organization Turning Point, was shot and killed while giving an address at a Utah university.
The 31-year-old was popular among conservative groups on college campuses but controversial for his often deliberately provocative attacks against diversity programs and racial, ethnic and sexual minority groups.
He had called the Civil Rights Act a mistake and recently tweeted that “Islam is not compatible with western civilization.”
After his death, subsequent social media discourse in some sectors has become so divisive that some Utah officials called for people to log off and “go out and do good in your community.”
Despite the environment online, politicians and advocacy groups from across the political spectrum denounced the killing.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom said he “admired [Kirk’s] passion and commitment to debate” and called his murder “sick and reprehensible.”
A leading Muslim American civil rights organization said “the values that led us to oppose many of Mr. Kirk’s stances are the same values that lead us to condemn his murder and reaffirm that political violence is not the answer to even the most hateful rhetoric.”
Among the vigils held or scheduled for Kirk locally were ones in Van Nuys, Beverly Hills, Rancho Palos Verdes and Huntington Beach. In addition, the Los Angeles Republican Party promoted an online event for Sunday, “Dignity Over Violence.” It is hosted by the political depolarization nonprofit Braver Angels.
In Moorpark, organizers were expecting hundreds to attend the Monday vigil at Walnut Grove at Tierra Rejada Farms.
Richard Lucas III, chair of the Ventura County Republican Party, which is putting on the event, said Kirk plainly spoke the truth on issues, including the 2nd Amendment and when life starts, in the process making himself “near and dear to so many people.”
He said he expects the vigil to include prayers, the pledge of allegiance and lots of tears.
“Pray for peace, pray for love,” Lucas said. “We know political parties don’t always see eye to eye, but any result of violence is unequivocally unacceptable, especially political violence.”
MSNBC ‘misinformation’ reporter Brandy Zadrozny recently tied herself in knots on television, trying to excuse away the motives for Charlie Kirk’s assassin. The media coverage over the last few days has been awful in general, but this moment deserves some sort of award for blatant dishonesty.
Zadrozny insists that the messages scrawled on the bullets can’t be understood as a symbol of the shooter’s motive, even going so far as to suggest that the shooter might have put those messages there to assign blame to the left.
This is a perfect example of why even NBC no longer wants anything to do with MSNBC, which will soon be rebranded as an independent entity called MSNOW.
MSNBC Misinformation Reporter Suggests Kirk Assassin May Have Engraved ‘Hey Fascist’ on Bullet To ‘Set Up’ the Left
MSNBC reporter Brandy Zadrozny suggested Friday that Tyler Robinson, the suspect in Charlie Kirk’s assassination, could have been “trying to set up another ideological enemy for the shooting” by leaving anti-fascist references on the ammunition he used in Wednesday’s shooting.
Authorities revealed at a press conference Friday morning that a shell casing found with the rifle used to assassinate Kirk was engraved with a message that read, “Hey fascist! Catch!” Scrawled on another shell casing were the lyrics from a prominent Italian anti-fascist folk song…
Still, Zadrozny, an award-winning misinformation and internet extremism reporter, said it’s “impossible” to decipher why the alleged assassin decided to end Kirk’s life before offering up a number of theories.
“It’s really hard to tell when you look at what he put on these shell casings, allegedly,” Zadrozny said on MSNBC shortly after Cox announced Robinson’s arrest at a press conference Friday morning. “It’s hard to decipher if he really means them, if he’s trolling, if he’s making fun, if he is trying to set up another ideological enemy for the shooting.”
“It’s just impossible to say,” Zadrozny said.
See the video below:
The liberal media is not only spinning the facts about this case, they’re outright lying about it. MSNBC, or MSNOW, or whatever it is, completely deserves to eventually go out of business.
More Brits are turning to a natural remedy to help treat their conditions such as anxiety and depression as latest figures paint an alarming picture of the state of the UK’s mental health crisis.
What’s even more remarkable is that this treatment does not require a prescription and it costs absolutely nothing.
This miracle remedy is not herbal medicine, but a simple walk in the park.
But this natural “remedy” is not important for just individual wellbeing, according to the insurance company. For most people, feeling connected with nature and other people are just as important, with Aviva saying: “Social connection plays a vital role in health – and nature often provides the perfect setting.”
Parents are also encouraging their children to spend more time with them outdoors to improve their mental health, with popular activities including nature walks (32 per cent), dog walking (17 per cent) and exploring the coasts (16 per cent).
Dr Subashini M, Aviva’s medical director, said: “Connection truly is medicine. Spending time in nature often encourages social interaction. These moments of connection can help reduce feelings of isolation, build a sense of belonging, and have a positive impact on our long-term health.
“Whether it’s a daily stroll, a shared urban garden, or a friendly chat on a park bench, nature and connection are proving to be two of the most effective – and accessible – ways to support our wellbeing.”
More than two million people are currently on the NHS waiting list for psychiatric support, according to the charity Mind, while more NHS data showed one in five Brits aged 16-64 (22.6 per cent) were identified as living with a mental health condition last year.
Campaigners for better access to mental health treatment have called on the Government for improved funding.
Brian Dow, deputy chief executive of Rethink Mental Illness, said in a statement: “At a time when demand for mental health services remains high and services are stretched to capacity, a clear plan to reduce long waiting lists would make a meaningful difference.
“A dedicated plan to address mental health waiting times would help thousands of people to access vital support, and get their lives back on track. This is a moment to drive a real step-change in how we support people experiencing poor mental health, supporting recovery and driving greater productivity.”
As for Aviva’s Dr Subashine, the message was clear: “Ensuring equitable access to natural spaces can help reduce health inequalities across the UK. By making nature more accessible – particularly in underserved or urban communities – we can support the long-term health of the nation.
“This not only benefits individuals but also eases pressure on healthcare services and delivers positive outcomes for a wide range of stakeholders, from local authorities and employers to the NHS and wider society.”
Disclosure: Our goal is to feature products and services that we think you’ll find interesting and useful. If you purchase them, Entrepreneur may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners.
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If you’re serious about getting into (or advancing your knowledge of) cybersecurity then access to quality, up-to-date training isn’t optional. It’s essential. InfoSec4TC’s Platinum Membership makes that access easy, with a comprehensive lifetime subscription to over 90 expert-led certification courses and continuously updated training material.
Through October 5, you’ll pay just a one-time payment of $52.97 (MSRP $280) to unlock lifetime, self-paced access to preparation for top IT security certifications: CISSP, GSEC, CISM, CISA, Ethical Hacking, and more. The membership also includes exam question updates, extra course resources, and future course additions — all at no additional cost.
Courses are designed for professionals at all levels. Whether you’re aiming to earn your first credential, shift careers into cybersecurity, or expand your current skill-set, the structured curriculum and clear learning paths make the journey approachable. You’ll also receive an attendance certificate with CPEs, access to private study groups, and one free session of career consulting and planning.
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Last week, however, Zaslav met with bankers at Goldman Sachs to possibly shop WBD to other media and tech outfits — including Amazon, Apple and Netflix.
His goal, The Post has learned, is to propel the stock price to $40 a share. If Zaslav can’t get what he’s asking from any suitors, a source said he plans to use his own surging share price to buy more content.
Reps for WBD and Skydance had no comment.
Interest in WBD and its properties has been growing, a result of relaxed antitrust enforcement under the Trump administration.
As The Post reported exclusively Thursday, media maven Jay Penske, who owns among other properties Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Rolling Stone and a stake in Vox Media, is said to have expressed interest in ratings-challenged CNN.
A predictable reaction to the horrible murder of Charlie Kirk among legacy media outlets has been to condemn the ugly tenor of America’s political debate and call for a timeout.
On its face, the plea sounds reasonable enough, but it rests on the false idea of both-sidesism, as if left and right are equally to blame for the frightening rise of political violence.
Count that as another Big Media lie and a repugnant effort to obscure the actual source and motivation of the assassination scourge.
There are not two sides contributing to the horror and equally responsible for it. The single truth is that we are witnessing the inevitable result of a decade of Trump Derangement Syndrome.
Kirk’s death is another piece of poisoned fruit growing out of the far left’s hysteria and its fetish-like obsession about killing the president.
The cancer declaring that Trump was fair game appeared in 2015, soon after he entered the presidential sweepstakes. And it has never stopped spreading, even during the four years when he was out of office.
‘Deeply indoctrinated’
Now it has clearly metastasized to where Trump is not the only target and words are not the only weapons.
Robinson, a stellar student in high school, dropped out of college after just one semester, and seems to have gotten drunk on the social media Kool-Aid about the evils of Trump, Kirk and everyone who subscribes to any conservative principles.
Tyler Robinson, 22, was arrested for allegedly killing Kirk. Utah Governor’s Office/AFP via Getty Images
The penchant for calling Trump the devil incarnate has put a target on his back and given would be assassins a license to kill him and others in his circle.
Even among otherwise intelligent and decent people, the president is often declared to be the second coming of Hitler, a fascist, an authoritarian, a despot and a power-mad dictator.
These are among the vile words Democrats and their media running dogs, including The New York Times and The Washington Post, vomit out around the clock.
Their hyper caricatures of the man and fanciful distortions of his motives have helped to turn political disagreement into a license to kill.
Recall how from the start of Trump’s first term, celebrities and so-called comedians openly fantasized about beheading him, with Madonna saying publicly that she dreamed of bombing the White House.
A cultural taboo on even joking about presidential assassination had been in place ever since the horrors of Dallas in 1963, but it was all cast aside because Trump was so far beyond he pale that he is seen as not deserving of even a minimum of respect or protection. Every day is open season on him.
Here’s the latest on the Charlie Kirk shooting in Utah
Robinson is expected to be charged with aggravated murder, among other state charges, according to a probable cause affidavit released on Sept. 12.
Law enforcement confirmed that Robinson was living with a transgender roommate, and communications between the two helping the feds catch the alleged assassin.
His greatest offense, of course, was winning the presidency in 2016, despite the best efforts of Hillary Clinton, President Barack Obama, the Democratic Party, Big Media and Deep State saboteurs from the CIA and FBI who tried to stop him with the Russia, Russia, Russia hoax.
Even the weaponization of law enforcement and the later use of federal and state courts didn’t succeed in sidelining him.
A political death cult, not unlike Murder Inc., swung into action against anyone and anything associated with Trump, especially as he closed in on a second term.
Charlie Kirk is a victim of that sickening campaign. Only an evil sect could see such a kind, religious man and doting father as a worthy target for slaughter.
Supposedly reputable people, including medical and education professionals, along with some government officials, are giving their assent to public butchery because of policy disagreements.
Such bile is defensible only if you believe murder is politics by another name.
It is also alarming that the alleged actions of Tyler Robinson bear a terrifying similarity to those of Thomas Matthew Crooks, who tried and nearly succeeded in killing Trump during a campaign rally in Butler, Pa., last year.
An innocent audience member, firefighter Corey Comperatore, was killed and two others were wounded before Crooks was killed by the Secret Service.
Charlie Kirk shakes hands with President Trump at a Turning Point USA student summit. AFP via Getty Images
Threat to democracy
Despite clear evidence from photographs and doctors’ reports that Trump was wounded in his right ear, some in the media and others on the left tried to argue the claim was false.
One thing that wasn’t false was that President Joe Biden, after turning in a disastrous debate performance weeks earlier, had told an interviewer that “It’s time to put Trump in the bull’s-eye. We can’t go another day, another day, without explaining what he’s doing, and we have to go after him.”
I don’t know if Biden really wanted Trump killed, but his careless use of the word “bull’s-eye” reflected how the unspoken rules against appearing to condone violence didn’t apply when it came to Trump.
After the Butler attempt, Biden apologized for using the word “bull’s-eye,” calling it a “mistake.”
There’s also a striking overlap in the Kirk slaughter to another alleged triggerman, Luigi Mangione, a leftist charged with executing health care executive Brian Thompson on a Midtown Manhattan street last December.
An assassin nearly killed Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania during the 2024 presidential campaign. AFP via Getty Images
And it is highly unlikely that it is mere coincidence that Robinson and Mangione reportedly used their shell casings to express leftist messages of grievance toward their victims, as if to justify their heinous actions.
Authorities say Mangione wrote “deny,” “defend” and “depose” on his casings, words used in a book sharply critical of the insurance industry.
Robinson is said to have inscribed “fascist! CATCH!” followed by a series of arrows on one bullet casing found at his shooting perch in Utah.
Authorities say another declared, “If you read This, you are GAY Lmao” and on a third, he wrote “O Bella ciao, Bella ciao, Bella ciao, Ciao, ciao!” a lyric from an antifascist World War II song.
It’s also worth noting that the Kirk murder took place during the Florida trial of Ryan Wesley Routh, the man charged with plotting to assassinate Trump on a Florida golf course a year ago.
Routh, representing himself, used part of his opening defense last week to cite political violence in other countries, and mentioned Russian President Vladimir Putin, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and, of course, Hitler.
A federal prosecutor, John Shipley, put the case in more basic terms by telling the judge and jury that Routh “wanted to make sure that the people of this country could not could not elect Donald Trump as president of the United States.”
Shipley added: “So the defendant decided to take the choice away from American voters.”
That line neatly sums up the war against Trump and the evil mindset behind the murder of Charlie Kirk.
Voters can’t be trusted, so a leftist with a gun will make the decision.
In what ways has using AI helped you improve service delivery for underserved communities, particularly families who can’t afford traditional legal fees? “My practice is intentionally small, focused on defending kids charged with crimes. The cost savings from Rev help me keep my practice accessible to families who need help most. When assessing a case, I don’t have to think about the hours — and thus additional expense — it’s going to take to go through evidence, then get that evidence into a form that’s easily usable in court. Rev does that for me.
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How do you evaluate the accuracy and reliability of Rev’s AI transcriptions in high-stakes legal settings? “In high-stakes legal settings, I don’t just rely on the paper transcript. The transcript is my initial reference, but I use the hyperlinks to the audio for the actual words. This feature is incredibly powerful. For example, if an officer testifies in court that “the sky was black,” but on their body cam footage, they said “the sky is blue,” I can use the hyperlinked transcript to find that exact point. I just click a button on my laptop, and it plays the audio for them. When they hear their own voice, they’re often forced to admit they were wrong. This makes me an unstoppable force for truth in the courtroom.”
