Monday, March 8, 2021

White House News (白宮消息) | Mar. 8, 2021

 2 - White House News in Chinese (weebly.com)

The logo of Aramco is seen as security personnel walk before the start of a news conference at the Plaza Conference Center in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia on Nov. 3, 2019
Houthis strike Saudi oil giant’s facilities in the kingdom’s east

Mar. 8, BEIRUT — Yemen's Houthi rebels claimed that they hit an Aramco oil facility in eastern Saudi Arabia on Sunday, the first time the group has reached the company's facilities in that area.

In a televised statement, a spokesman for the rebel group, Brig. Gen. Yahya Sarea, said ballistic missiles and drones hit the oil giant’s facilities in Ras Tanura, a major port on Saudi Arabia’s Persian Gulf coast and one of its largest refineries, and military positions in nearby Dammam.

Saudi state media later confirmed the Ras Tanura attack, quoting an unnamed Energy Ministry official saying that one petroleum tank farm was attacked Sunday morning. The official said shrapnel from a ballistic missile fell near Aramco’s residential area in Dhahran, which hosts thousands of employees and their families, but there were no casualties or loss of property. The Saudi-led coalition, which has been fighting the Iranian-backed rebels since 2015, then said both attacks were intercepted and the drones downed.     continue to read
美俄军舰苏丹“同框” 俄再添“大杀器” 冷战场景重现? 20210306 |《今日关注》CCTV中文国际
Mar 7, 2021


Saudi Arabia's Abqaiq facility, which came under attack in 2019.
Saudi-led coalition faults Biden’s Yemen policy shift for refinery attack


The attacks are the most serious against Saudi oil installations since a key processing facility and two oil fields came under fire in September 2019, cutting oil production for several days and exposing the vulnerability of the Saudi petroleum industry. That was claimed by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, although Riyadh pointed the finger at arch-rival Iran.


Mar. 8 - Saudi Arabia said one of the most protected crude facilities in the world came under missile attack on Sunday, in a clear escalation of hostilities that sent oil prices surging.

...
A Saudi-led coalition has been fighting the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen’s civil war since 2015.
On Sunday, it carried out retaliatory air strikes on Yemen’s capital, Sana’a. It said it intercepted missiles and drones launched at the kingdom from neighboring Yemen, just as the Houthi rebels claimed a series of attacks -- including one on Ras Tanura.
The group launched eight ballistic missiles and 14 bomb-laden drones at Saudi Arabia, a spokesman for the Houthis, Yahya Saree, said in a statement to Houthi-run Al Masirah television.

The Houthis have stepped up assaults on Saudi Arabia and last week claimed they hit a Saudi Aramco fuel depot in Jeddah with a cruise missile. It wasn’t clear how much damage had been caused. While such assaults rarely result in extensive damage, their frequency has created unease in the Gulf.


The Houthis have been fighting Yemen’s United Nations-recognized government since 2014. The Saudi-led coalition intervened the following year to back the government. The UN has called the conflict -- in which tens of thousands have died -- the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.

The Saudi-led coalition said a recent U.S. decision to revoke the designation of the rebels as terrorists had fueled the rise in attacks. The Biden administration has moved to ditch the designation, which was adopted toward the end of President Donald Trump’s time in office and was seen as a way of increasing pressure on Iran.     quoted from

Biden May Host Suga at White House in April: Report 
Washington, March 7 (Jiji Press)--U.S. President Joe Biden is planning to host Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga at the White House in April at the earliest, Axios, a U.S. news website, reported on Sunday.

   If the visit is realized, Suga will be the first foreign leader to hold talks with Biden in person after the president took office in January.

   According to the report, the White House declined to confirm the upcoming meeting, which has not been finalized and could slide to later in the spring depending on the state of the COVID-19 pandemic.     source from


Chinese naval vessels are carrying out a new military exercise in the South China Sea.
China tells Biden to reverse 'dangerous practice' on Taiwan

​Mar. 8 - ...​The State Department later reiterated that the Biden administration's support for Taiwan was rock-solid and that the US stood with its regional friends and allies, including "deepening our unofficial ties with democratic Taiwan."

"We urge Beijing to cease its military, diplomatic, and economic pressure against Taiwan and instead engage in meaningful dialogue with Taiwan's democratically elected representatives," said the statement issued late Sunday in Washington.

Wang's comments in a wide-ranging, two-hour news conference reflected Beijing's increasing assertiveness abroad and rejection of criticism over Hong Kong, the northwestern region of Xinjiang and other sensitive topics....     quoted from



Friday, March 5, 2021

White House News (白宮消息) | Mar. 6, 2021

 2 - White House News in Chinese (weebly.com)


Janet Louise Yellen (born August 13, 1946) is an American economist serving as the United States secretary of the treasury since January 26, 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, she previously served as the 15th chair of the Federal Reserve from 2014 to 2018. She is the first woman to hold either role. She is also a professor emerita at Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley, and formerly a distinguished fellow in residence at the Brookings Institution.

Yellen was a member of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors from 1994 to 1997 and again from 2010 to 2018. She chaired the Council of Economic Advisers in the President Bill Clinton administration from 1997 to 1999 and was the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco from 2004 to 2010. She served as vice-chair of the Federal Reserve from 2010 to 2014. Yellen was nominated by President Barack Obama to succeed Ben Bernanke as chair of the Federal Reserve from 2014 to 2018.[1] She served one term and was not re-appointed by President Donald Trump.

...Yellen is a Keynesian economist and has been described as a "Keynesian to her fingertips"; during the Great Recession, she "warned against an over-hasty removal of stimulus"; "insisted that the Fed pay as much attention to unemployment as to inflation"; and "believes the state has a duty to tackle poverty and inequality."[83] When her appointment as Treasury secretary was announced in December 2020, Yellen was viewed by Wall Street "as a Treasury secretary who will push hard for expansionary policies aimed at boosting growth, profits and share prices," although the ability of Yellen to push through her preferred fiscal policies was seen as likely to be constrained by congressional gridlock.[83]...​     from Wikipedia
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen says Congress needs to 'go big' for relief package

Mar. 6 - WASHINGTON (AP) — Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Friday that despite the strong job gains last month, Congress still needs to "go big" by passing President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion relief package to get millions of people back to work sooner.


In an interview with the PBS NewsHour on Friday, Yellen said Biden's package should not be trimmed just because the February jobs report showed 379,000 new jobs had been created, the best showing since October.

At that pace it would still take the country more than two years to get back to full employment, she said. But with the administration's package, she said the country could see a return to full employment by next year.

Yellen said the unemployment rate, which fell to 6.2% in February, was overstating the improvement in the labor force because it does not count the 4 million people who have stopped looking for work and have dropped out of the job market. She said the real unemployment rate is 10%.

After House approval last week, the Senate is now debating the 
$1.9 trillion relief package with supporters trying to keep Democrats on board in the 50-50 chamber since no Republican is expected to vote for the measure.     continue to read

White House News (白宮消息) | Mar. 5, 2021

 2 - White House News in Chinese (weebly.com)

Alan Stuart Franken (born May 21, 1951) is an American comedian, former politician, media personality, and author who served as a United States senator from Minnesota from 2009 to 2018. He became well known in the 1970s and 1980s as a staff writer and performer on the television comedy show Saturday Night Live. After decades as a comedic actor and writer, he became a prominent liberal political activist, hosting The Al Franken Show on Air America Radio.

Franken was first elected to the United States Senate in 2008 as the nominee of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL, an affiliate of the Democratic Party), defeating incumbent Republican Senator Norm Coleman by 312 votes out of nearly three million cast (a margin of just over 0.01%). He won reelection in 2014 with 53.2% of the vote over Republican challenger Mike McFadden. Franken resigned on January 2, 2018, after several allegations of sexual misconduct were made against him.

In September 2019, Franken announced he would be hosting The Al Franken Show Saturday mornings on SiriusXM radio. It covers topics such as global affairs, politics, the 2020 presidential election, and entertainment.[1]     source from Wikipedia


Double standard? Gillibrand in spotlight after Cuomo scandal

Mar. 5, WASHINGTON (AP) — Kirsten Gillibrand was the first Democratic senator to call for her colleague Al Franken’s resignation in 2017 as he faced allegations of sexual misconduct, building a profile as a leading advocate for women that became the centerpiece of her 2020 presidential bid.


But the New York senator is taking a different approach when it comes to sexual harassment allegations hitting closer to home, those against her state’s Democratic governor, Andrew Cuomo.

In a series of statements, Gillibrand has said accusations of offensive behavior by Cuomo are “serious and deeply concerning” and that the three women “who have come forward have shown tremendous courage.” She has said that the claims against Cuomo are “completely unacceptable” and called for a full investigation — but stopped short of demanding his resignation.     continue to read



The Plea to “Stop Al Franken-ing” Cuomo Is Exactly What We Don’t Need
The New York governor is not the former Minnesota senator. He’s worse


Mar. 3 - On Monday, a third woman came forward with accusations of sexual harassment and predatory behavior against New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

Anna Ruch, a former member of the Obama administration, told the New York Times that Cuomo had approached her during a wedding in September 2019 and asked, “Can I kiss you?” The question allegedly took place shortly after she brushed his hand away as he touched her back—she had been wearing a dress with an open back design. A photograph, taken by a friend, showed Ruch looking visibly tense as Cuomo held her face in his hands, apparently at the moment when he had asked to kiss her.
Ruch’s story comes after two former aides detailed allegations of sexual harassment against Cuomo: On Saturday, Charlotte

Bennett accused him of sexually suggestive behavior—which included repeated questions about her views on monogamy and older men—and, perhaps most disturbingly, expressed an unsettling interest in her experience as a sexual assault survivor. Earlier last week, Lindsey Boylan, a former special adviser to the governor, accused Cuomo in a Medium post of forcibly kissing her and overseeing a toxic work climate in which, she wrote, “sexual harassment and bullying is so pervasive that it is not only condoned but expected.” 

Since the second allegation surfaced, calls for Cuomo to resign have gained momentum. But these serious and credible allegations have been countered by what, at the moment, appears to be an even larger sentiment to stop “Al Franken-ing him,” an exhortation that has since exploded on social media. Al Franken has been trending on Twitter ever since.

The warning refers to the former Democratic senator from Minnesota who, in 2017, was forced to resign amid allegations of groping and sexual harassment.     continue to read
澳反潜巡逻机首入东海 我海军多海域密集演兵 20210303 |《今日关注》CCTV中文国际
Mar 4, 2021
《查理布朗  第 零                   集》
《查理布朗  第  
              下   集》

查理布朗老鼠
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Thursday, March 4, 2021

White House News (白宮消息) | Mar. 4, 2021

 2 - White House News in Chinese (weebly.com)

History of Europe - The Frankish ascendancy | Britannica

...Charlemagne’s kingdoms, but not the imperial title, were divided after the death of his son Louis I (the Pious) in 840 into the regions of West Francia, the Middle Kingdom, and East Francia. The last of these regions gradually assumed control over the Middle Kingdom north of the Alps. In addition, an independent kingdom of Italy survived into the late 10th century. The imperial title went to one of the rulers of these kingdoms, usually the one who could best protect Rome, until it briefly ceased to be used in the early 10th century...     quoted from



This first instalment of This is China: Misadventures in the Middle Kingdom covers the author’s initial move to China in 2007, his first years working at a renowned university in Beijing and several primary schools in the northern city of Tianjin, all whilst struggling to survive his first Chinese winter and come to terms with a serious case of culture shock. Not forgetting the students that drove him to booze and the women that drove him crazy.

If you have any interest in China, teaching English abroad, or the dynamics of cross-cultural relationships, these books are for you because...

This is China.     quoted from
又拿俄中当借口?美军加速发展尖端武器 20210302 |《今日关注》CCTV中文国际
Mar 3, 2021
Russia is sending signals to Israel and Turkey about Syria

Date published on Feb. 22, 2021
MOSCOW, (BM) – Russia has transferred a new batch of Russian fighters to its Khmeimim base in Syria. According to Russian media, the transfer took place on February 19th, citing a source from Russia’s Defense Ministry. However, it is still unclear what type of fighter models had transferred to the Russian base in the Arab Republic.

Military analysts have commented on Russia’s actions as a clear signal to Israel and Turkey. A few days ago, Russia’s Foreign Ministry said Moscow was ready to counter “Israeli aggression.” The Russians did not report Turkey as another country against which Russia will oppose. Still, since the beginning of the year, the Turkish army has been carrying out “unwanted military bombings” in areas where Russian troops have increased presence.

Alexander Lavrentyev, a special envoy of Russian President Vladimir Putin in Syria, said that “the glass of Russian patience will overflow at any moment.” He said Russia and Syria would retaliate if Syrian forces continued to attack territories in central Syria, justifying themselves with an “Iranian presence.” Lavrentyev also noted that “Israeli attacks” would be stopped.
The Russian diplomat’s statement shows that Russia intends to take over the air defense of the Arab Republic’s airspace in the coming months. Moscow’s actions show that the Russians have no intention of other countries to decide Syria’s fate without Russia’s involvement.     more details

Related Topic:


An expert on the Middle East Affairs, referring to the recent policies of the French President, Emmanuel Macron to get closer to Saudi Arabia after Joe Biden took office, said France wants to fill the gap caused by the United States to reduce its strong presence in the Middle East.
Political analyst: Reasons for Biden-Macron dispute over Saudi Arabia

Date published on Feb. 24, 2021
In an interview with political expert 'Davoud Ahmadzadeh', he referred to Joe Biden coming to power in the United States and the way he looks at the Middle East issues, and said: It should be noted that Biden has repeatedly stated in his recent remarks that he is reviewing Trump’s policies in West Asia, an obvious example of which is suspending the sale of advanced weapons to the UAE and Saudi Arabia and emphasizing peace in Yemen and a ceasefire in the region.

He also said that since the Americans had intelligence and logistical support for the Saudi-led coalition policy in Yemen during Trump’s presidency, Biden suspended such support.


Referring to the US policies of retreating from aggressive policies and a strong presence in regional crises in West Asia, Ahmadzadeh said: Biden’s view has made a country like France feel that there will be a vacuum in the region, and therefore now the French rulers and Emmanuel Macron himself seek to fill this power gap and maintain a strong presence in the Middle East.     more details


A dog smells pieces of tar from an oil spill in the Mediterranean Sea, on a beach in the Gdor Nature Reserve near Michmoret, Israel, Monday, March 1, 2021. The cleanup from the disastrous oil spill that has blackened most of the country's shoreline is expected to take months.
Israel suspects Iran connection to Mediterranean oil spill

Mar. 2 - JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli authorities said Wednesday that a Libyan-owned tanker suspected of smuggling oil from Iran to Syria was responsible for spilling tons of crude into the eastern Mediterranean last month, causing one of Israel’s worst environmental disasters.

Over 90% of Israel’s 195 kilometer (120-mile) Mediterranean coastline was covered in more than 1,000 tons of black tar, the result of the mysterious oil spill in international waters.

​The ecological disaster, one of the worst in the country’s history, has caused extensive damage and forced the closure of beaches and a ban on the sale of seafood from the Mediterranean.     continue to read


Syria has shot down several Israeli missiles targeting Damascus, reports the Syrian Network for Human Rights.
State Media: Syria Intercepts Israeli Missiles Over Damascus


Mar. 2 - The army air defenses intercepted on Sunday an Israeli missile aggression in the surroundings of Damascus and shot down most of the missiles, SANA reported.

A military source announced that at 10:16 p.m. on Sunday, the Israeli enemy launched an air aggression from the direction of the Occupied Syrian Golan and targeted some posts in the vicinity of Damascus, adding that the Syrian Air defenses intercepted the hostile missiles and shot down most of them.
There was no immediate report of casualties.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the strike hit the area of Sayyida Zeinab south of Damascus, where Iranian Revolutionary Guards and Lebanese Hezbollah are present.

The Israeli army did not comment on reports in foreign media.

Israeli state broadcaster Kan had reported that leaders of Israel’s security establishment met on Sunday evening to discuss an alleged Iranian attack on an Israeli-owned vessel in the Gulf of Oman this week.

Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz said on Saturday he believed Iran was behind the explosion Thursday on the MV Helios Ray, a vehicle carrier.     source from

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  WH keeping public in dark on what Biden demanded of China’s Xi over arming Putin​ Mar. 18 - The White House was tight-lipped Friday about ...