Category: Security

North Korea has spurned all outreach from the Biden administration, the top U.S. official for Asia said, in a grim assessment about chances for progress on reining in the isolated country’s nuclear and missile programs.

“The North Koreans have rebuffed every effort that we have utilized to try to reach out to them,” Kurt Campbell told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which is weighing his nomination for deputy secretary of state. “We’ve had difficulty getting any takers even in addressing our letters or approaches to them.”

Campbell said Pyongyang hasn’t engaged with the U.S. since former President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met in Vietnam in 2019. He said Pyongyang has taken “very dangerous steps” in deciding to help Russia with munitions to aid its war in Ukraine.

Campbell’s comments on North Korea were spurred by questions from Sen. Brian Schatz, a Democrat from Hawaii, who said that North Korean policy across multiple administrations was “clearly not working.” Just over a week ago, North Korea claimed that its first spy satellite had taken images of the White House and Pentagon. Pyongyang also recently tested new engines for intermediate-range ballistic missiles that could help it deliver quick strikes on U.S. bases in places such as Guam.

The U.S. has tried to enhance regional deterrence by strengthening its ties with Japan and South Korea, Campbell said, noting that China fears a scenario in which Tokyo and Seoul are able to “finally and fundamentally put their animosity behind them.” U.S. efforts to strengthen deterrence are even more important as Pyongyang resists dialog, he said.

The veteran diplomat discussed a wide range of foreign policy challenges in a mostly friendly session with both Republican and Democratic senators:

—Campbell said Russia had “reconstituted militarily” with economic help from China, and Beijing has clearly sided with Russia despite making claims to be neutral in the conflict.

—China is watching the U.S. develop closer relationships with Vietnam and India, countries that are “difficult, undeniably, but critically important.”

—The “blinders have come off” European nations with regard to strategic competition with China, partly thanks to U.S. efforts.

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© 2023 Bloomberg L.P

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Delta Air Lines is now the number five e-commerce retailer, behind Amazon, Walmart, eBay and Apple, the carrier reported Wednesday.

“Delta is one of the leading brands, one of the leading consumer brands, in our country,” Chief Executive Ed Bastian said.

Bastian spoke at the Morgan Stanley Global Consumer & Retail Conference, where he shared that high-income travelers account for 75% of spending on air travel, and leisure travel is the highest-priority purchase for them. “High-income” is defined as the top 40% of U.S. incomes at more than $100,000.

That bodes well for Atlanta-based Delta, the dominant carrier at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, which remains focused on attracting “premium leisure” travelers willing to pay up for amenities, more comfortable seats and international jaunts.

Even as business travel hasn’t fully returned to pre-pandemic levels, many of the same travelers are flying Delta. “If you think about who’s seated in our cabins, it’s the same person but for different reasons,” he said.

Bastian views front cabins, the ones with premium seats, as profit leaders. Even hybrid work schedules help as consumers combine working remotely with longer weekend getaways.

He foresees strong demand ahead even as some domestic budget carriers prepare for consumers cutting back or opting for cushier options.

Executives of Minneapolis-based leisure carrier Sun Country Airlines, which experienced all-time-high passenger traffic the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, also expect strong demand in the coming months as budget rivals like Spirit Airlines and Frontier Airlines signal trouble ahead. Demand is typically higher for Sun Country’s flights during winter and spring break holidays when Minnesotans seek refuge from cold and snow.

Meanwhile, Delta on Wednesday reaffirmed its fourth-quarter guidance of revenue rising 9% to 12% and for earnings per share to increase $1.05 to $1.30 from the year-ago period.

Delta in October announced a $1.1 billion profit for its most recent quarter ending in September, a 59% jump from the same period a year ago.

Not all has been rosy for Delta. The airline angered many of its loyal customers earlier this year after announcing an overhaul of its SkyMiles rewards program. The changes would have made it harder to achieve elite airline status and to access Delta’s Sky Club airport lounges. Bastian said Delta went too far and the carrier later scaled back the degree of changes.

The Thanksgiving travel period then brought some welcome good news. Bastian noted that Delta had fewer than 20 cancellations total of about 50,000 flights during that 10-day travel period, which included a record day for Transportation Security Administration screenings.

If Delta had more capacity, the airline would fly more to keep up with demand, Bastian said. “Our competition, fortunately, they’re all looking at us.”

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© 2023 StarTribune

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Two Medal of Honor recipients shared their perspectives on the Army-Navy Game with American Military News on Friday. The two distinguished military veterans shared that while the game features an intense rivalry between the Army and Navy military academies, the players are ultimately “on the same team.”

Ryan Pits, a former Army Staff Sergeant who received the Medal of Honor for his actions in defending a U.S. post in Afghanistan from insurgents, told American Military News that the Army-Navy Game is ultimately “about service.”

“We’ve got young men and women in the service academies coming out, and they’re playing against each other,” he said. “They’re competing today, but actually, at the end of the day, they’re all on the same team. For some of them, next year, there’ll be putting on the uniform to fight for everybody that’s watching the game on Saturday.”

Michael Thornton, a former Navy SEAL who received the Medal of Honor for saving the life of a fellow Navy SEAL in Vietnam, described the Army-Navy game as the “greatest football game in the world.” He emphasized the sacrifice of the “young men and women” who were not forced into service through a draft but volunteered to serve the United States and keep Americans “safe and free.” “Freedom is written in blood,” he said.

As a recipient of the Medal of Honor, Pitts described the award as a “heavyweight.” He explained that while many people view the award as an individual award, he views the Medal of Honor as “an individual award for a collective effort.” He added that being a Medal of Honor recipient allows him to highlight both the sacrifice and service of the individuals who serve in the U.S. military.

“I think wearing the medal is heavier than receiving the medal,” Thornton said. “We have a responsibility that we need to move forward and keep the honor of the medal.”

Like Pitts, Thornton said the award is not merely about individuals; instead, he said the Medal of Honor represents the whole team of the “great nation of Americans.”

Both Pitts and Thornton offered advice to the next generation of U.S. service members. “Keep challenging yourself,” Pitts said. “Stay true to your value, and that’s one of the things that brings us here this weekend.”

Thornton emphasized the importance of patriotism and integrity, warning that both values are not taught “anymore in school.” “You can see where it’s taking our students down today,” he added. “Now, what we have to do is bring our nation back up and bring our children up.”

Thornton explained that he wants his great-grandchildren to have the same opportunities he had throughout his life. “That’s what this is all about,” he said. “This Army-Navy game is showing everybody getting together and saying ‘Hey, love this nation.’ It’s the best nation in the world, a little messed up, but still the best nation in the world.”

Media Row Guests Share What Army-Navy Game Means to Them

Former NFL Center Matt Birk, who played for 15 years and was a Super Bowl champion, told American Military News that the Amy-Navy Game means “a lot” because he is a “proud American” and his father is a military veteran. Birk said he has “great respect” for all service members.

From a “football standpoint,” Birk said he makes his children watch the gave every year because the Army and Navy players are “great men” and are “more than football players.”

“It’s also like the last 100% pure college football game that’s left. It’s just about these men, and they’re playing it for the love of the game, and they’ve obviously got a bigger career and bigger purpose than football in front of them,” Birk stated. “It’s just awesome, and I just love the fact that it’s the last game of the year. It deserves to be the center of the football universe for one day.”

Joe Andruzzi, a former NFL offensive guard who won three Super Bowls with the New England Patriots, told American Military News he has both love and respect for the Army and Navy football players. He emphasized his respect for veterans, as well as individuals who are currently serving in the military. He stressed the importance of helping service members “pay it forward” while they defend the nation and enable each American to “live a great, free life.”

Keenan Reynolds, a former Navy quarterback and an NFL wide receiver, described the Army-Navy Game as the “culmination” of all the work that both military academies put in.

“As a Mid when I was playing, like that was the thing,” he said. “It’s one of the reasons why I came to the Navy, and so now, as a graduate, every year, it’s like an opportunity to link back up with people that I played with, catch up with coaches, check out the new teams if I haven’t been able to see them.”

Keenan told American Military News that the Army-Navy Game is a “really good time” and an “opportunity” for the “whole world” to focus on the game.

Lt. Col. Alex Moore, who played for the Army Football Team before serving in his current position as brigade executive officer under Army Material Command, said the experience of the game is “almost surreal.”

“Being able to play in it over and over again and just having that experience being there, and then going off and graduating with other teammates who are football players and looking back on it and having that ability to connect over that common experience is absolutely amazing,” he said. “It doesn’t really matter if you’re one year removed or 20 years removed; you still get those butterflies, still get that anticipation because this is your rival.”

Moore said the Army-Navy Game is not only a football game that each military academy wants to win but that it is an “amazing experience” that the players can enjoy and take with them as they move beyond football.

Lieutenant General Steve Gilland, who serves as superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy of West Point, told American Military News that the game is very important to him, especially after serving in the Army for over 33 years.

Gillard explained that the Army-Navy game brings the Army Corps of Cadets and the Navy Brigade of Midshipmen together in a special way. He noted that the Cadets and Midshipmen represented at the game could potentially be future presidents, senators, and leaders in both the Army and Navy.

“I think that is the power of the game when you think about it, and the representation that our cadets have, they’re representing the United States Army, and the Mids are representing the United States Navy,” he said.

Gillard added that while the two academies come together for an intense rivalry and competition every year for the Army-Navy game, the rest of the year, they are “brothers and sisters in arms, prepared to defend our nation.”

Former NFL Tight End Rob Gronkowski, who is a four-time Super Bowl champion, emphasized the importance of the Army-Navy game as “America’s game” Friday during an appearance at USAA’s Media Row event in Boston, Massachusetts.

Gronkowski told reporters it “means a lot” for “America’s game” to come to New England and “the city of champions” for the first time.

“Just to have Army versus Navy here in my backyard at Gillette Stadium is something special, that’s for sure,” he said.

As spokesman with USAA, which is the presenting sponsor of the Army-Navy Game, Gronkowski said it was a “super cool” experience Friday to be able to give two vehicles to “well-deserving” veterans in the community through USAA’s Recycled Rides program. After presenting an Army veteran and a Navy veteran with keys to new vehicles, Gronkowski said it was “amazing” to witness the “joy and smiles” on the faces of the veterans and their families.

Gronkowski told American Military News he hoped people watching the Army-Navy Game would be able to experience an entertaining game of back-and-forth football. However, while he acknowledged that people watch football for entertainment, he emphasized that the Army-Navy game is a special opportunity for the players to represent the United States.

READ MORE: Migrants ‘displacing’ military families for Army-Navy Game, GOP lawmaker says

“We’re hoping to see the game of football played how the game of football should be to represent our nation,” he said. “We’re also looking for people to look at the game and see how strong our military is… Just to see how strong we are, how we’re going against each other in a football game. After the football game, how this game brings us together and makes us stronger, just as a whole for the military and as a whole for America.”

The former NFL tight end also emphasized the importance of the Army-Navy Game for USAA. Gronkowski highlighted the “incredible work” of USAA, which offers services for both current military members and veterans.

“They put their life at ease by offering what they offer, insurance for everything that they offer insurance for and the banking as well, so that’s what’s so great about USAA,” he told American Military News.

The former Super Bowl champion said he is “always willing to give back to the military” since “everyone in the military fights for our freedom.” Expressing his admiration for service members, Gronkowski told reporters that each member of the military makes the sacrifices that enable him to play the game of football freely.

“So just going to the game, supporting our veterans, meeting members of USAA tomorrow while I’m at the game, just meeting veterans and our military, it’s just awesome,” he said. “I just appreciate what everyone does for our country and appreciate all their sacrifices.”

Wells Fargo is planning to be “more aggressive” about layoffs at the bank, and expects to have higher severance costs in the fourth quarter than initially expected, its CEO said.

In September, Wells Fargo said additional layoffs and a decrease in office space were expected for the company. In recent years, tens of thousands of jobs were cut. More may come in 2024.

CEO Charlie Scharf said the job cuts, and finding ways to be more productive, is like “peeling an onion back.” He made the comments during an investors conference on Tuesday hosted by Goldman Sachs U.S. Financial Services.

“When you become more efficient it gives you a chance to look at everything else and say, ‘Okay, what’s next?,’ ” Scharf said about the company not being close to where it need to be in terms of reducing expenses.

Wells Fargo’s headcount went down significantly, Scharf said. The company had more than 268,000 employees in 2020, according to a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Scharf the bank is now down to 230,000 or fewer employees. That’s a 14% decrease in jobs.

Scharf did not cite a specific number of layoffs that the company was planning to do going forward. But he said that Wells Fargo wants to eliminate duplication, simplify the company and continue to invest in areas such as AI.

“And so, the real question comes out as to how you balance those things?,” Scharf asked. “Because we do have levers that we can pull, we can decide to invest more or less, and we get more or less aggressive on the expense side.”

With the layoffs, Scharf said Wells Fargo is looking at spending between $750 million and $1 billion for severance pay in the fourth quarter, which was higher than anticipated.

“With turnover dropping, unfortunately, we’re going to have to be more aggressive about our own internal actions,” he said. “But again, we think that that’s the right thing to do for the long-term.”

Wells Fargo serves 69 million customers in 28 countries and operates in more than 5,500 locations. The San Francisco- based company employs about 27,000 jobs in Charlotte, its largest employment hub.

Cuts continue for major bank

Wells Fargo is one of several financial institutions making jobs cuts and dealing with economic challenges in the Charlotte region.

Truist, based in Charlotte, is also planning $750 million in “sizable” layoffs and other cuts to reduce expenses. Truist had more than 3,000 workers in the area, part of more than 50,000 employees companywide, as of last year.

Ally Financial, a banking company with a large workforce in Charlotte, announced plans to cut 5% of its workforce in October. Ally has 11,700 employees, including 2,700 in Charlotte.

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© 2023 The Charlotte Observer

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

This article was originally published by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and is reprinted with permission.

Two Ukrainians who collaborated with Russian authorities have been killed — one in a shooting in a village southwest of Moscow and the other in a car bombing in the Russian-occupied part of Ukraine’s Luhansk region.

Ukrainian law enforcement sources told RFE/RL on December 6 that the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) “liquidated” former Ukrainian lawmaker Illya Kyva by shooting him to death in a special operation.

Russia’s Investigative Committee later confirmed Kyva’s death and announced that a criminal investigation has been opened.

The Investigative Committee said in a statement that an unknown person shot Kyva in the village of Suponevo in the Bryansk region southwest of Moscow and he “died of his injuries on the spot.”

Andriy Yusov, a spokesman for Ukraine’s military intelligence, said in televised remarks that Kyva was “done,” adding that “the same fate will befall other traitors of Ukraine and accomplices of Putin’s regime.”

Yusov did not say who was behind his death but said “justice takes different forms.”

Kyva was known for his pro-Russian stance. A court in Ukraine’s western city of Lviv last month sentenced him in absentia to 14 years in prison after finding him guilty of high treason.

After Russia launched its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Kyva moved to Russia, where he took part in televised pro-Kremlin talk shows and roundtable discussions.

The death of the other Ukrainian who collaborated with Russia, Oleh Popov, a former de facto lawmaker in a part of Ukraine’s Luhansk region occupied by Russia, was also reported on December 6. Popov was killed by an explosive device that detonated in his car in the city of Luhansk.

The Investigative Committee said in a statement that it launched a probe into Popov’s death.

Popov headed the Russian-installed government’s committee on state security and defense, law enforcement agencies, the judicial system, and the protection of human and civil rights.

Yury Yorov, a member of the de facto parliament in Luhansk, was quoted by Interfax as saying that in September 2022 an attempt was made on Popov’s life that he said was organized by the SBU.

Several Ukrainian nationals accused of collaborating with occupying Russian authorities have been targeted in recent years, and some of them have been killed.

Most recently, a de facto lawmaker of the Russian-installed regional assembly in Luhansk, Mykhaylo Filiponenko, was killed last month in a car bombing. Ukraine’s Main Directorate of Intelligence claimed responsibility for that killing.

Russia has accused Ukrainian special services of organizing the assassinations. Kyiv rarely claims responsibility for the attacks.

Days before Russia launched its ongoing invasion, Kremlin-backed separatist leaders of parts of Ukraine’s Luhansk and Donetsk regions asked Russian President Vladimir Putin to recognize the two regions’ independence from Ukraine.

Russian lawmakers in mid-February 2022 also called on Putin to recognize separatist-controlled parts of Luhansk and Donetsk as independent states and ratified corresponding documents after Putin signed them.

Moscow used the documents to justify its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, launched on February 24, 2022.

Morgan Wallen has apologized again after being caught on camera using a racist slur in 2021.

The “Last Night” artist gave his first interview in two years for a story published Wednesday in Billboard magazine in which he discussed his rise and fall and rise again in the music industry over the last few years and all the mistakes he’s made along the way.

The 30-year-old singer first courted controversy in 2020 when his scheduled “Saturday Night Live” performance was canceled after clips surfaced on social media showing him partying in tightly packed crowds without a mask during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. He ended up being rescheduled on the NBC sketch comedy show a couple of months after the initial incident.

The country superstar landed in hotter waters in 2021 after he was recorded shouting a racist slur outside his Nashville home after a night out with friends.

“Take care of this p— ass mother—,” he said in the video, published by TMZ, and then uttered the N-word.

Wallen was then banned from the nation’s two largest radio networks and a TV network, pulled from music-streaming services and suspended by his record label.

In the two years since, Wallen’s career has bounced back. He reached the top of the country charts again and has played to packed stadiums across the country.

“There’s no excuse. I’ve never made an excuse. I never will make an excuse,” the “Thinkin’ Bout Me” singer told Billboard. “I’ve talked to a lot of people, heard stories [about] things that I would have never thought about because I wasn’t the one going through it.”

While Wallen expressed remorse, he also noted that he was disheartened by how people perceived him after the incident.

“[I]n my heart I was never that guy that people were portraying me to be, so there was a little bit of like, ‘Damn, I’m kind of actually mad about this a little bit because I know I shouldn’t have said this, but I’m really not that guy,’” he said. “I put myself in just such a sh— spot, you know? Like, ‘You really messed up here, guy.’ If I was that guy, then I wouldn’t have cared. I wouldn’t have apologized. I wouldn’t have done any of that if I really was that guy that people were saying about me.”

In the wake of public scrutiny, Wallen met with leaders in the Black music community, whom he said helped him “to learn and try to be better.” In 2022, the country singer and his record label donated $500,000 to organizations including the National Museum of African American Music, Rock Against Racism and the BMAC.

Elsewhere in the wide-spanning interview, Wallen talked about his hesitancy to comment on social and political issues, saying that he does not plan on endorsing a candidate in the 2024 national election.

“That’s not where my head’s at. I’m not an expert,” he said. “I just don’t know enough to try to guide people. I know what I know, and that’s music.”

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© 2023 Los Angeles Times

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Netflix’s hit series “Peaky Blinders” is mourning one of its own: British poet, writer and actor Benjamin Zephaniah, who died Thursday.

“We are so shocked and devastated at the news of the death of our friend Benjamin Zephaniah,” a statement shared to the show’s official Instagram account said. “He was a much-loved, instrumental, and influential part of the Peaky Blinders family from the very start, as well as to the creative community at large.”

The “Peaky Blinders” account, which also sent well wishes to the writer’s family, shared a black-and-white photo of Zephaniah on the set of the show wearing a suit and a wide-brimmed hat. Zephaniah appeared as street preacher Jeremiah Jesus in 14 episodes of the six-season drama. “Peaky Blinders” ended in April 2022.

Series star Cillian Murphy, who portrayed Thomas Shelby, said his late co-star “was a truly gifted and beautiful human being” in a statement shared Thursday with The Times.

He added: “A proud Brummie and a Peaky Blinder. I’m so saddened by this news. RIP.”

News of Zephaniah’s death broke early Thursday morning as his Instagram account released a statement mourning the loss of “our beloved Husband, Son and Brother.” Zephaniah died of a brain tumor — eight weeks after his diagnosis — with his wife by his side, the post said.

“Benjamin was true pioneer and innovator, he gave the world so much,” the statement continued. “Through an amazing career including a huge body of poems, literature, music, television and radio, Benjamin leaves us with a joyful and fantastic legacy.”

Zephaniah, who was born and raised in Birmingham, England, gained a following for his poetry collections and books, including “Pen Rhythm” (published in 1980 at age 22), “Rasta Time in Palestine” and “Too Black, Too Strong.” The writer was a self-identified anarchist whose views on racism, and the British legal system and monarchy, influenced his work. In 2003, Zephaniah rejected an Order of the British Empire (OBE) honor from British royals because of the monarchy’s history of slavery, BBC reported.

The British artist was also a musician who released several albums, including the spoken-word “Reggae Head” in 2006 and 2021’s “Rasta.” In addition to “Peaky Blinders,” Zephaniah appeared in TV series “Zen Motoring,” “The Bill,” “EastEnders” and “The Comic Strip Presents.”

In 2018, Zephaniah published his autobiography, “The Life And Rhymes of Benjamin Zephaniah.”

“Writing is very special … to write down your thoughts and your personal history and then have them put in the public domain is fantastically special,” he said in a video recently shared to his Instagram. “I never take this privilege for granted.”

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© 2023 Los Angeles Times

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

This article was originally published by Radio Free Asia and is reprinted with permission.

Authorities in China have started testing people for COVID-19 again in hospitals and transportation hubs as a wave of respiratory disease tears through the country, according to local residents and government directives.

As parents and children continued to flock to pediatric clinics and emergency rooms in Beijing with severe respiratory disease, hospitals are once more performing COVID-19 tests on patients, although there has been little on the news regarding a resurgence of the virus, new variants of which are emerging globally.

Chinese health officials have acknowledged the spike in pneumonia and other respiratory cases, blaming a cocktail of pathogens including mycoplasma pneumonia, respiratory syncytial virus, seasonal influenza and COVID-19.

Now, government documents are starting to warn about a new wave of coronavirus infections in particular, with the State Council ordering local authorities to resume testing and disease monitoring at ports and airports, in schools, care homes and other institutions.

“All localities should strengthen prevention and control in elderly care, childcare, schools, social welfare and other institutions as well as confined spaces, and urge daily protection and health monitoring,” a Nov. 24 State Council directive warned.

At least 2 million people are estimated to have died when the first wave of Omicron infections swept the country after the lifting of restrictions under ruling Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping’s “zero-COVID” policy.

Hated tracker app

Unconfirmed reports have been swirling on social media that local governments are starting to reactivate the hated “Health Code” COVID-19 tracker app, which was once used to confine people to their homes or to mass quarantine camps.

“I took my child to hospital to get a nucleic acid test [for COVID-19],” a Beijing resident who gave only the surname Yu for fear of reprisals told RFA Mandarin on Wednesday. “My daughter had been for emergency treatment at the People’s Liberation Army General Hospital pediatric department, and after triage … she was told to get a nucleic acid test.”

“It seems that a mutated strain of COVID is back, but the virus isn’t being mentioned on the news,” Yu said. “I can’t figure out what’s happening.”

A Beijing resident who gave only the surname Wu for fear of reprisals said some places in the city are offering free COVID-19 tests.

“I heard that they’re not charging now because they want people to cooperate,” Wu said. “They’re testing at the bigger railway stations and international airports and at some conference venues.”

A directive from the Ministry of Education dated Dec. 4 called on schools around the country to take steps to mitigate the wave of “winter disease,” specifically naming COVID-19, which isn’t seasonal.

“According to the judgment of the health and disease control departments, the global COVID-19 pandemic is still under way, and the COVID-19 virus is still mutating,” the directive said.

“This winter and next spring, we may face superimposed epidemics of multiple respiratory diseases,” it warned, citing a State Council ruling on “preventing and controlling new COVID-19 infections.” 

Fearing a resurgence

Health officials have been telling people to wear masks, wash their hands and ventilate indoor spaces to prevent the spread of disease.

A Beijing resident who gave only the surname Zhao said the government seems to fear a resurgence of the coronavirus, adding that many of the cases of “pneumonia” and other respiratory diseases have symptoms that are basically indistinguishable from COVID without a test.

“The propaganda is saying that these cases are caused by mycoplasma pneumonia, yet I also heard that the [SARS-CoV2] virus has mutated,” Zhao said. “I’m not a doctor, so I don’t know exactly which disease it is.”

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control is currently tracking a number of “variants of concern,” including Omicron BA.2.75 that was first detected in India and Omicron XBB.1.5-like (a) that was first detected in the United States.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is monitoring a larger number of COVID-19 variants but hasn’t designated any variants of concern.

Social media posts showed documents from the 2023 China Textile Industry Federation Science and Technology Awards Conference, which is scheduled for Dec. 6 in Beijing, requiring all participants to present a certificate certifying a negative COVID test dated the day before.

“For a conference starting on Dec. 6, they want a test dated Dec. 5, and they’re not letting anyone in without a health clearance certificate,” Beijing resident Wu said.

Wu said he knows a lot of people who are currently sick, with “a very bad flu.”

“They suspect that maybe it’s COVID, but officials are saying it’s the flu,” he said.

Kids infected

Repeated calls to the People’s Liberation Army General Hospital pediatric clinic, Beijing’s Chaoyang Hospital and several other hospitals rang unanswered during office hours on Wednesday.

A kindergarten principal in the central city of Shaoyang who gave only the surname Shao for fear of reprisals said most of the children are sick with “fever.”

“A lot of kids are infected,” Shao said. “In one class, only three kids turned up for school, and the rest were off sick.”

A resident of Hunan’s provincial capital Changsha who gave only the surname Chen said authorities there are also getting ready to start COVID-19 testing again.

“We’re going to start nucleic acid testing again,” Chen said. “Right now, our hospitals are full of kids.”

“The directive has already come through – people in the government are saying that it’s better to rely on just testing [as opposed to other restrictive measures],” he said.

Chen said he has no wish to return to the days of zero-COVID, which ended in December 2022 amid nationwide protests.

“The thing I fear most is another lockdown,” he said.

South Florida rapper Kodak Black was arrested in Plantation early Thursday morning, after an officer came upon a Bentley SUV blocking the road with the rapper asleep at the wheel, a probable cause affidavit said.

Black, whose legal name is Bill Kapri, is now charged with possession of cocaine, tampering with physical evidence and improper stopping or parking.

The officer saw the SUV parked in the road, blocking the northbound lane, in the 600 block of Northwest 47th Terrace shortly after 2 a.m., the affidavit said. The officer approached the car and saw the window partly rolled down and Kapri asleep and smelled “a strong odor of burnt cannabis.” The rapper was the only person in the car.

The officer opened the door and turned the car off when a backup officer arrived, the affidavit said. A Styrofoam cup was in the door handle that the officer said in the affidavit smelled of alcohol and cannabis papers, and there was residue on the center console.

Kapri told officers there was “just some ‘weed’” in the car when they asked if any weapons or anything illegal was inside, according to the affidavit.

While one of the officers reviewed Kapri’s driver’s license and the car information at the patrol car, the officer looked at Kapri and saw “white powder falling from his person” while he was turned away from the officer, the affidavit said. The powder was visible because of the patrol car’s bright lights, and the officer wrote in the affidavit there was reason to believe Kapri was attempting to hide narcotics.

“I exited my vehicle and noticed Kapri’s mouth was full of white powder,” the officer wrote in the affidavit. “I placed Kapri in handcuffs and observed white rock like substances on the ground. Kapri uttered that it was ‘Percocet.’”

The powdery substance tested positive at the scene for cocaine, the affidavit said, and Kapri was arrested. Officers found a plastic baggie with a small amount of a white substance in Kapri’s left pocket. The powder from the ground and in the bag weighed 4.1 grams, the affidavit said.

The Bentley SUV had damage to the front passenger’s side bumper and the door, and it “appeared it was involved in a recent crash,” the affidavit said.

Kapri’s attorney could not immediately be reached for comment Thursday afternoon.

This latest arrest comes after a series of legal troubles since Black’s arrest on July 16, 2022, on charges of trafficking in oxycodone and possession of a controlled substance without a prescription.

The rapper is required to take drug tests as part of his pre-trial release program but has not shown up for drug tests multiple times, according to the Broward Sheriff’s Office, which has issued two separate warrants for his arrest as a result, court records show.

In February, Kapri was ordered by a judge to spend 30 days in a South Florida drug rehab facility after a drug test he took earlier that month tested positive for fentanyl. His attorney Bradford Cohen told the Broward County judge at a hearing that he believed the positive drug test may have been someone else’s or a paperwork mix-up.

Kapri most recently did not show for a scheduled drug test in June, according to court records, and turned himself in to jail before posting bail the next day.

Prosecutors filed a motion after Kapri’s arrest Thursday in his pending 2022 case to revoke his bond.

In May 2019, Kapri was arrested on a weapons charge before he was scheduled to perform at the rap music festival Rolling Loud. Kapri served about half of his federal prison sentence before former President Donald Trump commuted it on his last day in office in 2021.

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