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US

Suspected drones over Taiwan, cyber attacks after Pelosi visit

Suspected drones over Taiwan, cyber attacks after Pelosi visit

  • Suspected drones fly over outlying Taiwanese islands
  • Defense ministry says its website attacked, briefly offline
  • Chinese military exercises, involving live-fire, set to begin
  • China says it’s an internal affair

TAIPEI, Aug 4 (Reuters) – Suspected drones flew over outlying Taiwanese islands and hackers attacked its defense ministry website, authorities in Taipei said on Thursday, a day after a visit by US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi that outraged China.

China was to begin a series of military exercises around Taiwan on Thursday in response to Pelosi’s visit, some of which were to take place within the island’s 12-mile sea and air territory, according to the defense ministry in Taipei.

That has never happened before and a senior ministry official described the potential move as “amounting to a sea and air blockade of Taiwan”.

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China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory, said on Thursday its differences with the self-ruled island were an internal affair. read more

“Our punishment of pro-Taiwan independence diehards, external forces is reasonable, lawful,” China’s Taiwan Affairs Office said.

China’s Xinhua news agency has said the exercises, involving live fire drills, will take place in six areas which ring Taiwan and will begin at 0400 GMT.

On Wednesday night, just hours after Pelosi left for South Korea, unidentified aircraft, probably drones, had flown above the area of ​​the Kinmen islands, Taiwan’s defense ministry said. read more

Major General Chang Zone-sung of the army’s Kinmen Defense Command told Reuters that the drones came in a pair and flew into the Kinmen area twice on Wednesday night, at around 9 pm (1300 GMT). and 10 p.m.

“We immediately fired flares to issue warnings and to drive them away. After that, they turned around. They came into our restricted area and that’s why we dispersed them,” he said.

The heavily fortified Kinmen islands are just off the southeastern coast of China, near the city of Xiamen.

The defense ministry also said its website suffered cyber attacks and went offline temporarily late on Wednesday night, adding it was working closely with other authorities to enhance cyber security as tensions with China rise. read more

Pelosi, the highest-level US visitor to Taiwan in 25 years, praised its democracy and pledged American solidarity during her brief stopover, adding that Chinese anger could not stop world leaders from traveling there.

China summoned the US ambassador in Beijing and halted several agricultural imports from Taiwan.

Security in the area around the US Embassy in Beijing remained unusually tight on Thursday as it has been throughout this week.

Although Chinese social media users have vented fury on Pelosi, there were no signs of significant protests or calls to boycott US products.

‘WILL NOT LEAVE TAIWAN’

Taiwan scrambled jets on Wednesday to warn away 27 Chinese aircraft in its air defense zone, the island’s defense ministry said, adding that 22 of them crossed the median line separating the island from China. read more

Pelosi arrived with a congressional delegation on her unannounced but closely watched visit late on Tuesday, defying China’s repeated warnings and amid sharply deteriorating US-Chinese relations.

“Our delegation came to Taiwan to make unequivocally clear that we will not abandon Taiwan,” Pelosi told Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen, who Beijing suspects of pushing for formal independence – a red line for China. read more

“Now, more than ever, America’s solidarity with Taiwan is crucial, and that’s the message we are bringing here today.”

China considers Taiwan part of its territory and has never renounced using force to bring it under its control. The United States and the foreign ministers of the Group of Seven nations warned China against using the visit as a pretext for military action against Taiwan.

“Sadly, Taiwan has been prevented from participating in global meetings, most recently the World Health Organization, because of objections by the Chinese Communist Party,” Pelosi said in a statement issued after her departure.

“While they may prevent Taiwan from sending its leaders to global forums, they cannot prevent world leaders or anyone from traveling to Taiwan to pay respect to its flourishing democracy, to highlight its many successes and to reaffirm our commitment to continued collaboration,” Pelosi added . read more

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Reporting by Yimou Lee; Additional reporting by Tony Munroe; Writing by Raju Gopalakrishnan; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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Technology

Symphony Of War Is A Steam Hit Perfect For Fire Emblem Fans

Symphony Of War Is A Steam Hit Perfect For Fire Emblem Fans

Warriors prepare to fight in one of Symphony of War's tactical battles.

screenshot: Dancing Dragon Games

There’s been a raft of intriguing strategy RPGs this yearbut one of my favorites so far is Symphony of War. It’s been climbing the charts on Steam in recent months, and for good reason. From a distance it looks like another Fire Emblem knockoff. Up close it’s doing enough interesting things to stand on its own, and I really recommend you give it a shot.

Symphony of War: The Nephilim Saga quietly came out on Steam in June and has been rack up positive reviews ever since. Developed by an indie team called Dancing Dragon Games with a history of RPG Maker projects, it’s a trope-filled military drama about civil war and demonic threats. But you can pretty much ignore all that. Beneath the predictable plot and airbrushed character portraits is a deep strategy game that’s hard to put down. Personally, I think it’s even better in the strategy department than Triangle Strategy.

Make no mistake: Symphony of War is old-school. While newer entries in the Fire Emblem series have delved deeper into visual novel elements and relationship mechanics, it’s focused almost exclusively on renewing the nuts and bolts of classic grid-based battles. What works so well is that Symphony of War nails the basics and also adds plenty of new wrinkles for fans to dig into (especially those who also dug last year’s Dark Deity).

gif: Dancing Dragon Games / Kotaku

The biggest one is that each individual unit represents an entire squad made up multiple types of fighters. Maybe there are some knights in front flanked by pikemen while wizards and archers rain down death from the back. When two units move next to each other and throw down, a mini-turn-based skirmish ensues. Mages in the back cast fireballs and healing spells while knights in the front dish out melee damage. Combat unfolds across two rounds, with attackers getting the first turn and the defending side going second. Some fighters can only attack on the first or second turn, while others will occasionally luck into a bonus turn. The action is easy to follow and yet also opens up plenty of room for customization.

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Adding more subtle layers of complexity are unique fighter bonuses and an extensive research tree. Horseback fighters get to attack first without retribution. Infantry provide defensive bonuses to nearby units. And archers can naturally attack from a distance without facing counter-attacks. These and other stats can then be augmented and magnified by researching new tech. Rather than leveling up specific units, you’re growing the overall capabilities of your army.

A map shows where grid-based combat takes place in Symphony of War.

screenshot: Dancing Dragon Games

in this way Symphony of War forces you to sometimes think like a 4X strategist while playing like a traditional JRPG enthusiast. Instead of customizing one single party and fighting through a dungeon, you’re building up a small army of them and taking on a whole battlefield. Completing missions faster and capturing enemy units and buildings along the way nets you extra money and points that can then be poured back into outfitting your various crews. Just a few novel tweaks and the decades-old tactical JRPG formula feels fresh and modern again in 2022.

A few other games have also taken hybrid approaches to tactical RPGs recently. The Iron Oath and Songs of Conquest both come to mind. The former is a roguelike with battles that take place on a hexagonal grid. The latter also sports a hexagonal battlefield in service of map exploration and city-building closer to a 4X game. They’re really promising games in their own right (and still in Early Access), yet neither is as focused on plumbing the depths of leveraging small advantages so one group of animated sprites can wipe the floor with another.

Symphony of War is far from a perfect package, but it offers one of the more meaty and innovative takes on the tactics RPG formula I’ve come across in years.

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Categories
Australia

Carl ‘Charles’ Webb’s prisoner-of-war brother bars resemblance to Somerton Man

Roy Webb POW

As researchers try to piece together Carl Webb’s life, it has been revealed his older brother — who bore a striking resemblance to the Somerton Man — died a prisoner of war.

Last week, University of Adelaide researcher Derek Abbott made a breakthrough in the case that has baffled detectives for decades, identifying the mysterious Somerton Man as Melbourne electrical engineer Carl “Charles” Webb.

Carl Webb’s birth certificate shows he was born on November 16, 1905, in Footscray and had five older siblings named Russell, Freda, Gladys, Doris and Roy.

According to his service record, held by the National Archives of Australia, Roy Webb enlisted in the Australian military in July 1940 and served in the 2/29th Battalion.

Somerton Man
The man dubbed the “Somerton Man” was found dead on an Adelaide beach in 1948.

He became one of the many causalities of World War II in 1943.

When he joined the army, he was 35 years old, living in Carnegie with his wife Ruby and working as a “car driver”.

His record states he disembarked in Singapore on August 23, 1941, and was reported missing in February 1942 before being confirmed as a prisoner of war in Malaya in September 1943.

Roy Webb’s will, which is included in the archives, was witnessed by his sister Freda Keane and her husband Gerald Keane, of East Brunswick, Victoria, in 1940.

Some of the contents of the suitcase believed to belong to the Somerton Man.
“T Keane” was found printed on some of the Somerton Man’s personal belongings. (Supplied: Derek Abbott)

Gerald Keane’s full name was Thomas Gerald Keane and the Somerton Man was found with “T Keane” printed on his tie.

Keane was also found printed on other personal items in a suitcase that was uncovered in the cloakroom of the Adelaide Railway Station in January 1949.

It had been checked in the day before an unidentified man’s body was discovered on Somerton Beach in January 1948, and police suspected it belonged to him.

Professor Abbott believes Carl Webb’s clothes were hand-me-downs from his brother-in-law, who lived just 20 minutes’ drive from his home in Melbourne.

The body of the unknown man found on the beach at Somerton.
Mystery has surrounded the identity of the Somerton Man for decades. (Supplied: Derek Abbott)

Professor Abbott said the photo of Roy Webb in his service record revealed a resemblance between the two brothers.

“It appears to be a reasonable resemblance,” he said.

“The general shape of the face is the same, the hair line is the same.”

Roy Webb’s eye color is listed as hazel, the same as The Somerton Man’s.

Wednesday is your chance to ask the experts how they cracked the Somerton Man case — and why it has attracted so much attention. Join our live Q&A blog from 12pm AEST.

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Categories
US

Al Qaeda leader Zawahiri killed in US drone strike in downtown Kabul

Al Qaeda leader Zawahiri killed in US drone strike in downtown Kabul

  • Zawahiri tracked to safe house in Kabul
  • Hit by Hellfire missile while standing on balcony
  • “This terrorist leader is no more” – Biden
  • Taliban “grossly violated” Doha Agreement – Blinken

KABUL/WASHINGTON, Aug 2 (Reuters) – The United States killed al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in a “precision” strike in the center of Kabul, the Afghanistan capital, President Joe Biden said, the biggest blow to the militant group since its founder Osama bin Laden was killed in 2011.

Zawahiri, an Egyptian surgeon who had a $25 million bounty on his head, helped coordinate the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people.

US officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said Zawahiri was killed when he came out on the balcony of his safe house in Kabul on Sunday morning and was hit by “hellfire” missiles from a US drone.

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“Now justice has been delivered, and this terrorist leader is no more,” Biden said in remarks from the White House on Monday. “No matter how long it takes, no matter where you hide, if you are a threat to our people, the United States will find you and take you out.”

He said he had authorized the precision strike in downtown Kabul and that no civilians were killed.

Three spokespeople in the Taliban administration in Kabul declined comment on Zawahiri’s death.

Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid had previously confirmed that a strike took place in Kabul on Sunday and strongly condemned it, calling it a violation of “international principles.”

A spokesperson for the interior ministry said a house was hit by a rocket in Sherpoor, an upscale residential neighborhood of the city which also houses several embassies.

“There were no casualties as the house was empty,” Abdul Nafi Takor, the spokesperson, said.

Taliban authorities threw a security dragnet around the house in Sherpoor on Tuesday and journalists were not allowed nearby.

A senior Taliban official told Reuters that Zawahiri was previously in Helmand province and had moved to Kabul after the Taliban took over the country in August last year.

US intelligence determined with “high confidence” through multiple intelligence streams that the man killed was Zawahiri, one senior administration official told reporters.

“Zawahiri continued to pose an active threat to US persons, interests and national security,” the official said on a conference call. “His death of him deals a significant blow to al Qaeda and will degrade the group’s ability to operate.”

Zawahiri succeeded bin Laden as al Qaeda leader after years as its main organizer and strategist, but his lack of charisma and competition from rival militants Islamic State hobbled his ability to inspire devastating attacks on the West. read more

There were rumors of Zawahiri’s death several times in recent years, and he was long reported to have been in poor health.

SANCTUARY

Osama bin Laden sits with his adviser Ayman al-Zawahiri, an Egyptian linked to the al Qaeda network, during an interview with Pakistani journalist Hamid Mir (not pictured) in an image supplied by Dawn newspaper November 10, 2001. Hamid Mir/Editor/ Ausaf Newspaper for Daily Dawn/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo

The drone attack is the first known US strike inside Afghanistan since US troops and diplomats left the country in August 2021. The move may bolster the credibility of Washington’s assurances that the United States can still address threats from Afghanistan without a military presence in the country.

His death also raises questions about whether Zawahiri received sanctuary from the Taliban following their takeover of Kabul in August 2021. The official said senior Taliban officials were aware of his presence in the city and said the United States expected the Taliban to abide by an agreement not to allow al Qaeda fighters to re-establish themselves in the country.

“The Taliban will have to answer for al-Zawahiri’s presence in Kabul, after assuring the world they would not give safe haven to al-Qaeda terrorists,” Adam Schiff, chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, said in a statement.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the Taliban had “grossly violated” the Doha Agreement between the two sides by hosting and sheltering Zawahiri.

Former President Barack Obama joined lawmakers in praising the operation.

“Tonight’s news is also proof that it’s possible to root out terrorism without being at war in Afghanistan,” Obama said in a Twitter message. “And I hope it provides a small measure of peace to the 9/11 families and everyone else who has suffered at the hands of al Qaeda.”

ReutersGraphics

Republican US Senator Marco Rubio said: “The world is safer without him in it and this strike demonstrates our ongoing commitment to hunt down all terrorists responsible for 9/11 and those who continue to pose a threat to US interests.” said

Until the US announcement, Zawahiri had been rumored variously to be in Pakistan’s tribal area or inside Afghanistan.

A video released in April in which he praised an Indian Muslim woman for defying a ban on wearing an Islamic head scarf dispelled rumors that he had died.

The senior US official said finding Zawahiri was the result of persistent counter-terrorism work. The United States found out this year that Zawahiri’s wife, daughter and her children had relocated to a safe house in Kabul, then identified that Zawahiri was there as well, the official said.

“Once Zawahiri arrived at the location, we are not aware of him ever leaving the safe house,” the official said. He was identified multiple times on the balcony, where he was ultimately struck. He continued to produce videos from the house and some may be released after his death, the official said.

In the last few weeks, Biden agreed to officials to scrutinize the intelligence. He was updated throughout May and June and was briefed on July 1 on a proposed operation by intelligence leaders. On July 25 I received an updated report and authorized the strike once an opportunity was available, the administration official said.

With other senior al Qaeda members, Zawahiri is believed to have plotted the October 12, 2000, attack on the USS Cole naval vessel in Yemen which killed 17 US sailors and injured more than 30 others, the Rewards for Justice website said.

He was indicted in the United States for his role in the August 7, 1998, bombings of the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania that killed 224 people and wounded more than 5,000 others.

Both bin Laden and Zawahiri eluded capture when US-led forces toppled Afghanistan’s Taliban government in late 2001 following the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States.

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Reporting by Idrees Ali and Jeff Mason; Additional reporting by Alexandra Alper, Eric Beech, Jonathan Landay, Arshad Mohammed, Patricia Zengerle, Matt Spetalnick in Washington, Jibran Ahmad in Peshawar and Reuters staff in Kabul; Writing by Raju Gopalakrishnan; Editing by Stephen Coates

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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Categories
US

Drone explosion hits headquarters of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet

Drone explosion hits headquarters of Russia's Black Sea Fleet

Kyiv, Ukraine — A small explosive device carried by a makeshift drone blew up Sunday at the headquarters of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet on the Crimean Peninsula, wounding six people and prompting the cancellation of ceremonies there honoring Russia’s navy, authorities said.

Meanwhile, one of Ukraine’s richest men, a grain merchant, was killed in what Ukrainian authorities said was a carefully targeted Russian missile strike on his home.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the drone explosion in a courtyard at the naval headquarters in the city of Sevastopol. But the seemingly improvised, small-scale nature of the attack raised the possibility that it was the work of Ukrainian insurgents trying to drive out Russian forces.

A Russian lawmaker from Crimea, Olga Kovitidi, told Russian state news agency RIA-Novosti that the drone was launched from Sevastopol itself. She said the incident was being treated as a terrorist act, the news agency said.

Crimean authorities raised the terrorism threat level for the region to “yellow,” the second-highest tier.

Sevastopol, which was seized along with the rest of Crimea from Ukraine by Russia in 2014, is about 170 kilometers (100 miles) south of the Ukrainian mainland. Russian forces control much of the mainland along the Black Sea.

The Black Sea Fleet’s press service said the drone appeared to be homemade. It describes the explosive device as “low-power.” Sevastopol Major Mikhail Razvozhaev said six people were wounded. Observances of Russia’s Navy Day holiday were canceled in the city.

CRIMEA-UKRAINE-RUSSIA-CONFLICT-WAR
Russian Navy members patrol in front of the headquarters of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet in Sevastopol in Crimea on July 31, 2022.

STRINGER/AFP via Getty Images


Ukraine’s navy and an adviser to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the reported drone attack underlined the weakness of Russian air defenses.

“Did the occupiers admit the helplessness of their air defense system? Or their helplessness in front of the Crimean partisans?” Oleksiy Arestovich said on Telegram.

If such an attack is possible by Ukraine, he said, “the destruction of the Crimean bridge in such situations no longer sounds unrealistic” — a reference to the span that Russia built to connect its mainland to Crimea after the annexation.

Elsewhere in Ukraine, the mayor of the major port city of Mykolaiv, Vitaliy Kim, said shelling killed one of Ukraine’s wealthiest men, Oleksiy Vadatursky, and his wife, Raisa. Vadatursky headed a grain production and export business.

Another presidential adviser, Mykhailo Podolyak, said Vadatursky was specifically targeted.

It “was not an accident, but a well-thought-out and organized premeditated murder. Vadatursky was one of the largest farmers in the country, a key person in the region and a major employer. That the exact hit of a rocket was not just in a house, but in a specific wing, the bedroom, leaves no doubt about aiming and adjusting the strike,” he said.

Vadatursky’s agribusiness, Nibulon, includes a fleet of ships for sending grain abroad.

In the Sumy region in Ukraine’s north, near the Russian border, shelling killed one person, the regional administration said. And three people died in attacks over the past day in the Donetsk region, which is partly under the control of Russian-backed separatist forces, said regional Gov. Pavlo Kyrylenko.

Podolyak said on Twitter that images of the prison where at least 53 Ukrainian prisoners of war were killed in an explosion on Friday indicated that the blast came from within the building in Olenivka, which is under Russian control.

Russian officials have claimed the building was attacked by Ukraine with the aim of silencing POWs who might be giving information about Ukrainian military operations. Ukraine has blamed Russia for the explosion.

Satellite photos taken before and after show that a small, squarish building in the middle of the prison complex was demolished, its roof in splinters.

Podolyak said those images and the lack of damage to adjacent structures showed that the building was not attacked from the air or by artillery. He contended the evidence was consistent with a thermobaric bomb, a powerful device sometimes called a vacuum bomb, being set off inside.

The International Red Cross asked to immediately visit the prison to make sure the scores of wounded POWs had proper treatment, but said Sunday that its request had yet to be granted. It said that denying the Red Cross access would violate the Geneva Convention on the rights of POWs.

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Categories
Australia

Monash University joins international effort to educate thousands of Ukrainian children

A young girl looking at something on her laptop with a poster of a world map behind her

Amid the sound of air-raid sirens and the threat of missiles, Sofiia Yakymenko logs onto her computer for an online lesson.

The 12-year-old takes two to five online classes a day from her home in kyiv about anything from atmospheric science to how to practice yoga.

These classes are held by teachers from all over the world, including from Monash University in Melbourne.

“I walk a lot, I read a lot – but mostly I take online classes,” she said.

With ambitions to be a biologist, the lessons have been a lifeline for Sofia since school stopped when Russia invaded Ukraine.

Her mum Yuliia Lashko is a physicist and has found comfort in the classes too.

“There’s no guarantee any missile does not hit your house,” she said.

“But it’s important to understand there are much more good people who can share something good.

“They remind us we do not stay alone and our children have a future.”

A mum and her daughter holding a dog with hills in the background
Sofia, Yuliia and their dog Peppi on holiday before the war.(Supplied: Yuliia Lashko)

Monash University provides lessons

More than 120 Monash University student teachers have been involved in providing online lessons for Ukrainian children who are living in the war-torn country or have fled abroad.

Maria Pakakis is one of the student teachers who ran a session about Mars from the Victorian Space Science Education Centre, where they have a simulated Mars surface.

Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume.
How Victorian teachers are helping Ukrainians

She said 30 students joined the session, where they spoke about all aspects of the planet.

“It was a privilege and a pleasure — they were definitely eager to learn and asked some really great questions,” Ms Pakakis said.

“They were amazing considering what they’re going through.”

Michael Phillips has been Monash University’s faculty of education digital transformation associate professor and said the program started after Ukrainian organization Smart Osvita — an online learning NGO — approached him to run virtual classes.

A man holding a laptop and smiling with two students sitting at desks in the background looking at him
Monash University’s Mike Phillips with student teachers John Wall and Emma Hart.(Monash University: Tim Herbert)

Dr Phillips quickly said yes and within 24 hours of sending the word out to his students more than 100 put their hands up to teach.

He said he has been able to equip his young teachers with the skills to teach virtually, guided by “trauma-informed practice”.

“For [people in Ukraine] being able to experience that and see there are people who are wanting to support and help in any way gives them a sense they are not alone in this,” Dr Phillips said.

But he says remote learning also has a significant place at home and is an essential platform for teachers of the future.

“A lot of people don’t realize it, but Victoria’s biggest school is a fully online school with 5,500 students,” he said.

“And what we’re realizing with issues like COVID and the flu is the place of online learning isn’t going to go away any time soon.”

‘We’re going to keep going’

Smart Osvita international volunteer program coordinator David Falconer is continuing to search for ways the program can be not only expanded in Ukraine, but in other places affected by conflict.

An older man sitting at his desk with two computer monitors looking at the camera
Smart Osvita volunteer David Falconer working from his home in northern Canada.(Supplied: David Falconer)

Mr Falconer is an educator based in northern Canada who started working with the kyiv-based NGO soon after Russia invaded Ukraine.

“They invited me to coordinate the recruiting effort and to invite educators for the online learning program,” he said.

After approaching educators around the globe, he has since involved more than 20 institutions and organizations that are now teaching thousands of Ukrainian students.

They have even facilitated lessons hosted by Canadian film director Sergio Navaretta and astronaut Chris Hadfield.

Despite many children living in a war zone, Mr Falconer says the internet has been reliable thanks to Elon Musk’s low-lying satellites providing high-speed connections.

“We have kids joining lessons from bomb shelters – not for days, but weeks,” he said.

But it has not come without its challenges. Dr Falconer says the team has thwarted attempts by mysterious hackers attempting to derail the lessons.

“They’re wanting to disrupt these sessions because this program is successful and they want us to stop,” he said.

Mr Falconer is continually looking to grow the program and provide specialized tutoring for high school students in Ukraine.

Two people walking in a meadow near their home in kyiv.
Yuliia and Sofiia recently walking in a meadow near their home in kyiv.(Supplied: Yuliia Lashko)

He is also currently working to develop a similar program for children affected by the conflict in Burma.

But for now, Mr Falconer is calling for Australian institutions, organizations and individuals to get in touch if they want to join the effort.

“We’re going to keep going as long as it takes,” he said.

“You see those faces, you hear those voices, and you don’t forget.”

If you are interested in getting involved, you can register with Monash University here.

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