Latest news with #CommunistParty-linked
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
After Ukraine's surprise drone assault on Russia, new attention drawn to sensitive sites stateside
After Ukraine launched a sudden drone assault on Russian installations, it brought new attention to the U.S.' own vulnerabilities, regardless of which side the U.S. stood on Kyiv's attack. In recent years, Chinese Communist Party-linked entities have commercially targeted land around the U.S., including in the vicinity of sensitive installations like the Grand Forks Air Force Base in North Dakota. The Fufeng Group's 300-acre farmland purchase in 2021 first raised the collective antennae of Congress to such under-the-radar transactions – and even Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis swiftly banned them in his state as a result, among other efforts around the country. On Tuesday, North Dakota's senators agreed that the U.S. must remain vigilant for any malign activity, whether it be from relatively novel drone assaults to potential espionage through real estate transactions. Ukraine's Surprise Attack Shows It May Take A 'Major Drone Strike' To Change Us Defense Policy, Experts Say "When adversaries can buy our land, attend our universities, photograph silos in our prairies, perform aerial surveillance, park their ships near our military bases, or even just join our PTAs, they have more opportunities to be nefarious," Republican Sen. Kevin Cramer told Fox News Digital. Read On The Fox News App "Our posture must always be vigilant, never assuming foreign actors are benign or have the best intentions," he said. "Whether it's directly spying, indirectly influencing, or sending drones to blow up aircraft, the ability of the enemy increases when we allow them easy access near our national interests." Cramer's Flickertail State counterpart, Sen. John Hoeven, joined an effort to prevent such land-buys and has worked with federal partners to update the process in which foreign investment is analyzed for approval and decided upon. "We need to remain vigilant against China and other adversaries," said Hoeven, who is co-sponsoring South Dakota Sen. Mike Rounds' bill banning individuals and entities controlled by China, Russia, Iran and North Korea from purchasing farmland or commercial land near sensitive federal sites. China's Us Influence Could Face Crackdown Under Slate Of New Bills "At the same time, we're working to update the CFIUS process [which governs federal approval of foreign investments] to ensure proper reviews are taking place as well," Hoeven said. "We also are working to develop the technology we need to protect our domestic military bases from potential drone threats." Rounds' bill also has bipartisan support, including from Sen. Catherine Cortez-Masto, D-Nev., whose state also hosts sensitive government sites like Nellis Air Force Base and Area 51. "It is common sense that we should not allow our foreign adversaries to buy agricultural land next to these locations," Masto said in a statement. Rounds added in a statement that America's "near-peer adversaries… are looking for any possible opportunity to surveil our nation's capabilities and resources." Even private-sector entities have expressed concern, including the South Dakota Soybean Association, which said farmland must be protected from foreign purchase for both agricultural and national security article source: After Ukraine's surprise drone assault on Russia, new attention drawn to sensitive sites stateside
The Age
03-05-2025
- Politics
- The Age
‘We've made history': Labor holds on to knife-edge seat of Bennelong
Laxale, a former Ryde mayor, was elected in 2022 and held the seat on a one per cent margin. It was only the second time Labor had won Bennelong in more than seven decades. However, the boundary redraw that abolished the seat of North Sydney shifted Bennelong east, taking in more of Lane Cove and Hunters Hill, and turned it into a notionally Liberal seat with a wafer-thin margin of 0.04 per cent. The seat also covers Ryde, Eastwood and Gladesville. Speaking after his victory, Laxale said: 'Our goal from day one was to win it, and then hold it. Halfway through that, we got a boundary redistribution which put a spanner in the works. 'But what I've learnt from the people of Lane Cove, Hunters Hill, Woolwich and Chatswood, is that obviously it's policies that matter, not the party you belong to. Loading 'They chose a candidate and a party that aligns with their values, and I'll represent them as hard as I can for the next three years.' Yung has come under scrutiny for his campaign finance record after falsely claiming he had raised $60,000 during a dinner with former prime minister John Howard before the NSW election in 2019. He also faced questions over his ties to a Chinese Communist Party-linked casino high roller. Laxale, too, attracted unwanted attention in the final days of the campaign when he was forced to apologise for his father making homophobic remarks about a Liberal volunteer. Yung took aim at the Labor Party when he addressed the scrutiny surrounding his campaign as he cast his vote on Saturday. 'I respect what the media does, and I'll continue to respect that, but can I just say that Labor has run a smear campaign against me.' Laxale was asked whether he thought his father's comments had hurt his campaign in the critical final stretch, and said: 'We'll see what happens. 'We've been really focusing on cost of living and housing locally here … my dad regrets what he said, and he's very apologetic, and we'll move on from that.'
Sydney Morning Herald
03-05-2025
- Politics
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘We've made history': Labor holds on to knife-edge seat of Bennelong
Laxale, a former Ryde mayor, was elected in 2022 and held the seat on a one per cent margin. It was only the second time Labor had won Bennelong in more than seven decades. However, the boundary redraw that abolished the seat of North Sydney shifted Bennelong east, taking in more of Lane Cove and Hunters Hill, and turned it into a notionally Liberal seat with a wafer-thin margin of 0.04 per cent. The seat also covers Ryde, Eastwood and Gladesville. Speaking after his victory, Laxale said: 'Our goal from day one was to win it, and then hold it. Halfway through that, we got a boundary redistribution which put a spanner in the works. 'But what I've learnt from the people of Lane Cove, Hunters Hill, Woolwich and Chatswood, is that obviously it's policies that matter, not the party you belong to. Loading 'They chose a candidate and a party that aligns with their values, and I'll represent them as hard as I can for the next three years.' Yung has come under scrutiny for his campaign finance record after falsely claiming he had raised $60,000 during a dinner with former prime minister John Howard before the NSW election in 2019. He also faced questions over his ties to a Chinese Communist Party-linked casino high roller. Laxale, too, attracted unwanted attention in the final days of the campaign when he was forced to apologise for his father making homophobic remarks about a Liberal volunteer. Yung took aim at the Labor Party when he addressed the scrutiny surrounding his campaign as he cast his vote on Saturday. 'I respect what the media does, and I'll continue to respect that, but can I just say that Labor has run a smear campaign against me.' Laxale was asked whether he thought his father's comments had hurt his campaign in the critical final stretch, and said: 'We'll see what happens. 'We've been really focusing on cost of living and housing locally here … my dad regrets what he said, and he's very apologetic, and we'll move on from that.'
Sydney Morning Herald
29-04-2025
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘Borderline racism': Embattled Bennelong Liberal candidate cries foul
For the Liberals to have a hope on Saturday, they need to reclaim Bennelong, John Howard's old stomping ground now held by Labor on a wafer-thin margin. So it is far from ideal for the blue team that the party's candidate, Scott Yung, has spent much of the election campaign trying to outrun the dreaded 'embattled' tag. Several reports in this masthead have outlined Yung's questionable campaign finance issues during his 2019 state election run, and his ties to a Chinese Communist Party-linked casino high roller. He also copped heat for handing out Easter eggs to primary school students while campaigning, an election sweetener gone awry. Yung has been relatively evasive when confronted with questions from this masthead, even fleeing his own campaign launch at Ryde-Eastwood RSL. But he found a softer landing across the mic from his former boss Mark Bouris, founder of mortgage lender Yellow Brick Road, who is carving out a niche as Australia's Aldi-brand Joe Rogan thanks to his lengthy podcast interviews with various politicians. The hour-long discussion on the business bro's Straight Talk podcast delves into the far reaches of the rich Yung lore, including the story of how a teenage Scott approached Bouris and asked for a job, eventually getting his foot in the door after former Yellow Brick Road director turned Liberal frontbencher David Coleman pulled a few strings to help his ace doorknocker. They're not the party of opportunity for nothing! Loading An hour in, Bouris finally, sorta, got into some of the reports that have rocked Yung's campaign. 'I just want to clarify for the sake of this conversation: you're not a communist are you?' he asked. 'Mark, seriously, I find it an absolute joke, and you know I used to get offended by it … I think it's borderline racism,' Yung said. 'Just because I've got an Asian face, my parents have come from China and Hong Kong, they call me a communist.'
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Arkansas bills keep Chinese firms from leasing land near infrastructure
Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R) introduced a legislative package Wednesday that bans 'Chinese Communist Party-linked companies' from leasing or buying land around military bases and electric substations. 'We previously banned companies linked to the CCP [China Communist Party] and other foreign adversaries from owning farmland. We'll ban those companies now from leasing property and owning property near our critical infrastructure, and we will shorten the amount of time a banned company has to divest from our state,' Sanders said of the measure. The package builds upon her 2023 efforts to ban foreign ownership of agricultural land and digital asset mining in the state through Act 636 and 174. Both laws were blocked by U.S. District Judge Kristine G. Baker following court battles in which plaintiffs claimed the acts were unconstitutional. Sanders's new package enhances past limitations for foreign companies and also features a clause that will withhold funding from colleges and universities that have Chinese cultural centers, a Confucius Institute or programs related to the People's Republic of China. 'We will also ban made-in-China promotional items from state government. These items should be made in America,' Sanders said, lauding President Trump for the hard-line stance against the nation. 'Every state in the country has a role to play in defending America from our foreign adversaries, and I'm proud that Arkansas is leading the way,' the lawmaker continued. State Sen. Blake Johnson (R) is a lead sponsor on the bill, alongside five House Republicans in the Arkansas Legislature. 'From banning Chinese military drones, to prohibiting land ownership, and now instituting severe penalties and outlawing foreign influence peddling; These restrictions aim to protect Arkansas's economic and security interests by limiting CCP-backed entities, full stop,' state Rep. Brit McKenzie (R), a co-sponsor of the bill said in a statement. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
