china

Termites Feast On Woman’s Life Savings

"A Chinese woman almost lost her life savings recently when termites invaded a wooden drawer in which she kept a plastic bag containing 400,000 yuan: the equivalent of $65,000 U.S. dollars. It was only after the woman decided to redecorate her house in Guandong Province that she noticed the termites had dined on her nest egg. According to the Guangzhou Daily, the money was given to the woman by her children. A local bank generously scanned the remaining cash and was able to identity 340,000 yuan which means the termite's meal ultimately cost the woman roughly $9,786." Continue reading →

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China blasts U.S. surveillance program exposed by Edward Snowden

"China’s official army newspaper branded the U.S. Internet surveillance programme exposed by former spy Edward Snowden as 'frightening', and accused the US of being a 'habitual offender' when it comes to network monitoring. The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Daily hit out at the US for implying that spying on citizens from other countries was justified, and said that the PRISM monitoring programme had probably been used to collect large amounts of data unrelated to anti-terrorism operations. The remarks about the programme are among the most scathing to appear in China’s state-run press following Beijing’s refusal to make an official comment." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingChina blasts U.S. surveillance program exposed by Edward Snowden

Edward Snowden: US government has been hacking Hong Kong and China for years

"US whistle-blower Edward Snowden yesterday emerged from hiding in Hong Kong and revealed to the South China Morning Post that he will stay in the city to fight likely attempts by his government to have him extradited for leaking state secrets. In an exclusive interview carried out from a secret location in the city, the former Central Intelligence Agency analyst also made explosive claims that the US government had been hacking into computers in Hong Kong and on the mainland for years." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingEdward Snowden: US government has been hacking Hong Kong and China for years

Ai Weiwei: NSA surveillance makes the U.S. sound a lot like China

"Before the information age the Chinese government could decide you were a counter-revolutionary just because a neighbour reported something they had overheard. Thousands, even millions of lives were ruined through the misuse of such information. Today, through its technical abilities, the state can easily get into anybody’s bank account, private mail, conversations, and social media accounts. The internet and social media give us new possibilities of exploring ourselves. But we have never exposed ourselves in this way before, and it makes us vulnerable if anyone chooses to use it against us." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingAi Weiwei: NSA surveillance makes the U.S. sound a lot like China

Spying row whistleblower Edward Snowden urged by top official to leave Hong Kong

"A senior Hong Kong politician advised the US spying row whistleblower today to leave the city or face extradition to America. Edward Snowden outed himself last night as the person who leaked details of the US Government’s secret surveillance operations, snooping on the e-mails of non-US citizens around the world and on phone records. Mr Snowden, 29, a former technical assistant for the CIA who was employed as a contractor at the US National Security Agency, revealed that he had been holed up in a hotel room in Hong Kong for the past three weeks." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingSpying row whistleblower Edward Snowden urged by top official to leave Hong Kong

Rep. Peter King calls for NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden to be extradited from Hong Kong

"Peter King, the chairman of the House homeland security subcommittee, called for Snowden’s extradition from Hong Kong. Snowden flew there 10 days ago to disclose top-secret documents and to give interviews to the Guardian. 'If Edward Snowden did in fact leak the NSA data as he claims, the United States government must prosecute him to the fullest extent of the law and begin extradition proceedings at the earliest date,' King, a New York Republican, said in a written statement. 'The United States must make it clear that no country should be granting this individual asylum. This is a matter of extraordinary consequence to American intelligence.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingRep. Peter King calls for NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden to be extradited from Hong Kong

China Backs US Startup Coinbase And US Falls Behind In Virtual Currencies

"Seven months ago, Fred Ehrsam pitched his bitcoin-based startup Coinbase to more than a dozen Silicon Valley investors. Ehrsam got more than a few blank stares. He spent most of his time explaining the concept of peer-to-peer currency, which is emerging as the world’s default platform for digital money, than he did describing his plans for the company itself. So, he and his co-founders turned to the Chinese, specifically, to IDG Ventures. To the Beijing-based venture capitalists, the PayPal-like service for buying, selling and accepting bitcoins was a perfect fit." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingChina Backs US Startup Coinbase And US Falls Behind In Virtual Currencies

China trying new form of ‘Internet censorship’ ahead of Tiananmen Square crackdown anniversary

"China is experimenting with more subtle methods to censor Internet search results ahead of the 24th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown, according to a group that monitors blocked websites in the country. In the past, a search for keywords in China related to the events of June 4, 1989, came up with an explicit message saying: 'According to relevant laws, regulations and policies, search results for (the blocked keyword) can not be displayed.' But GreatFire.org said in the lead up to the anniversary certain searches, such as 'June 4 incident', had been intermittently returning a series of 'carefully selected results'." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingChina trying new form of ‘Internet censorship’ ahead of Tiananmen Square crackdown anniversary

Chinese hackers jeopardize secrecy of U.S. weapons programs

"Chinese hackers have gained access to secret designs for a slew of sophisticated US weapons programs, officials said Tuesday, possibly jeopardizing the American military’s technological edge. The breaches were part of a broad Chinese campaign of espionage against top US defense contractors and government agencies, officials said, confirming a Washington Post account of a Pentagon report. The Defense Science Board, a senior advisory group with government and civilian experts, concluded that digital hackers had gained access to designs for two dozen major weapons systems critical to missile defenses, combat aircraft and naval ships." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingChinese hackers jeopardize secrecy of U.S. weapons programs

Paris retailers complain street crime is chasing off cash-flush Chinese tourists

"A leading association that counts Chanel and Dior as members urged the authorities to take action on the climate of insecurity which it said could keep cash-flush tourists away. France’s luxury industry makes a large portion of its profits from tourism, particularly from the newly rich from emerging countries such as China, where a rising middle class likes to splash out when travelling abroad. The Chinese embassy recently reported an increase in the number of complaints regarding muggings and other thefts on their nationals, who are known for carrying big sums of cash, making them prime targets for criminals." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingParis retailers complain street crime is chasing off cash-flush Chinese tourists