Latest news with #ROC
UPI
9 hours ago
- Politics
- UPI
China responds after Hegseth warns to prepare for war
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth participates in an announcement by President Donald Trump about moving forward with the Golden Dome missile defense shield in the Oval Office of the White House on May 20, 2025. File photo by Chris Kleponis/UPI | License Photo June 1 (UPI) -- China criticized the United States on Sunday for having a "Cold War mentality" after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth appeared to warn that the U.S. is prepared to go to war to prevent China from dominating the Indo-Pacific region in a speech Saturday. "Hegseth deliberately ignored the call for peace and development by countries in the region, and instead touted the Cold War mentality for bloc confrontation, vilified China with defamatory allegations, and falsely called China a 'threat,'" a spokesperson for China's Foreign Ministry said in a statement. "The remarks were filled with provocations and intended to sow discord. China deplores and firmly opposes them and has protested strongly to the U.S." Hegseth had delivered his remarks during the International Institute for Strategic Studies Shangri-La Dialogue event in Singapore. He said the Indo-Pacific region is the United States' "priority theater" and won't allow China to push it and its allies out of the region. China retorted Sunday that "no country in the world deserves to be called a hegemonic power other than the U.S. itself." "To perpetuate its hegemony and advance the so-called 'Indo-Pacific strategy,' the U.S. has deployed offensive weaponry in the South China Sea and kept stoking flames and creating tensions in the Asia-Pacific, which are turning the region into a powder keg and making countries in the region deeply concerned," the Foreign Ministry spokesperson said. Hegseth had also said that China was "preparing to use military force" to alter the balance of power in the region and appeared to indicate that the United States would step in to defend Taiwan if China were to attack it. Mainland China and the island of Taiwan, among other islands, were ruled by the Republic of China before the ROC lost the Chinese Civil War in the early 20th century to the Chinese Communist Party, which established the new government of the People's Republic of China in October 1949. The ROC in turn established a temporary capital in Taipei on the island of Taiwan, a former Japanese territory, in December 1949 that served as the seat for China at the United Nations until it was replaced by the People's Republic of China in 1971 when foreign countries switched their diplomatic relations. China views self-governed Taiwan and its 23 million residents as a wayward province and has vowed to retake it by force, if necessary. Many supporters of Taiwan have since argued that it is already an independent sovereign state separate from mainland China, which has never controlled Taiwan. Tensions between the United States and China started to grow during the administration of President Joe Biden in 2022 when then-U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan, sparking a military response from the Chinese government and increased drills in the Taiwan Strait. In 2022, a four-star general predicted that the U.S. and China could be at war by the end of this year. After returning for his second term, President Donald Trump's administration has escalated tensions with China, particularly related to trade tariffs that appear now to be expanding into broader military and diplomatic arenas. For example, the Pentagon has increased naval patrols in contested areas of the South China Sea and bolstered military partnerships with allies including Japan, Australia, and the Philippines. "The Taiwan question is entirely China's internal affair. No country is in a position to interfere. The U.S. should never imagine it could use the Taiwan question as leverage against China," the Foreign Ministry spokesperson said. "The U.S. must never play with fire on this question."
The Print
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Print
Orthodox Russia doesn't take orders from Pope. Vatican can't convince Putin for a ceasefire
Trump's idea of involving the Papal office in the Vatican, the highest seat of the Catholic Church, in the ceasefire talks was a blunder for several reasons. Russia's Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) and the Roman Catholic Church have been at loggerheads for over ten centuries, probably right from 988 when Grand Prince Vladimir was baptised. The theological split first appeared in 1054 when the then Pope Leo IX of Rome excommunicated Patriarch Michael Cerularius of Constantinople, who responded with his own excommunication of the Bishop of Rome, Pope Leo IX. The election of the hitherto unknown Robert Francis Prevost, a quiet lawyer-bishop with years of experience in Church matters, as the vicar of Jesus Christ, the first American Pope, does not change the ground realities of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Patriarch Kirill of Moscow, head of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC), did not attend the funeral of Pope Francis, though the two held a meeting in 2016 in Cuba, after almost 10 centuries of schism. There is no reason why Pope Leo XIV would broker peace between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy just because the president of America wants him to do it. Russia's rejection of Vatican-led ceasefire talks with Ukraine should come as a surprise only to those who are ignorant of the historic animosity between the two religious institutions, the Vatican and the Russian Orthodox Church. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov's clarification that it is a little 'awkward for Orthodox countries to discuss issues on a Catholic platform' should put at rest all efforts initiated by US President Donald Trump. Division of churches The October Revolution of 1917 further alienated the two Christian faiths, even as Moscow under the brutal atheist regime of Vladimir Lenin and Joseph Stalin stifled religious freedom. After deriding religion as the 'opium of the masses', Stalin launched the 'Godless Five-Year Plan', in 1928, leading to the purging of religion from the territories under the Soviet Union. While the Russian Orthodox Church was enlisted to arouse 'Russian patriotism' in 1942 in the wake of Nazi attack on the Soviet Union, the Spiritual Administration of the Muslims of Central Asia and Kazakhstan was established in 1943 during the Great Patriotic War. Meanwhile, after the disintegration of the Soviet Union, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church—Kyiv Patriarchate (UOCKP), set up in 1992 by Ukrainian clergy, has been seeking independence from the Kremlin-based ROC. The conflict with Russia has forced the state to adopt a law to ban religious groups linked to Moscow, which the government has accused of complicity in 'Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine'. It is strange that the White House under Trump should expect Putin to sit with Zelensky in the Vatican and submit to the authority of the Holy See. As for his stand on his Ukrainian counterpart—Putin called Zelenskyy 'an ethnic Jew, with Jewish roots, with Jewish origins' put up by his Western masters to cover up 'the antihuman essence' of the modern Ukrainian state and 'the glorification of Nazism'. And Trump expects Putin to shake hands with Zelenskyy in front of the Pope. The US and the European Union members have been constantly accusing Russia under Putin of increasing the State's control over matters of faith, just as it has done in political matters and freedom. They have called Russian Orthodox Church officials as surrogates of Kremlin, working 'in symphony' with the State. While the constitutionally 'secular' Russian state allows citizens to follow any faith of their choice or no faith at all, some Christian and Islamic groups have been banned. The leaders and followers of these groups have been labelled as 'foreign agents' under a 2022 law—arguably to protect the Russian Federation's sovereignty and security. Also read: Don't allow terrorists to regroup. India's military pause with Pakistan can't last long Russia-China-Turkey-Iran axis Besides religious differences, there is another reason why Putin won't sit across the Pope in his Vatican office. In 2021, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant against Putin, accusing him of serious war crimes following the Russian attack on Ukraine. More than 50 countries have supported the warrant, obliging them to arrest Putin if he happens to land in any one of these countries. Italy is one of them. Therefore, if Putin agrees to arrive at the Vatican to meet the Holy See, he will have to be arrested and probably handed over to the ICC. Alternatively, the ICC will have to withdraw the arrest warrant, thereby facilitating the meeting. But this will mean surrendering its legal autonomy, authority, jurisdiction, and independence to a religious office. The Russia-Ukraine conflict is over acquiring territory, control over natural resources, ownership of rare minerals, and fulfilling Putin's dream of a Russia-centric Eurasian Union, a vast trade and political bloc stretching from China to the edge of the EU. Putin might go ahead with the technical-level negotiation in Istanbul to consolidate Russia-China-Turkey-Iran cooperation—an axis Trump sees as anti-US, anti-West and anti-Vatican. An exasperated Trump could be tempted to renew American military aid to Ukraine, authorising Zelenskyy to use it anywhere including deep inside Russia, impose greater sanctions to cripple the economy and blanket ban on Russian oil even through secondary markets, like India. In a dramatic turn of events, there are reports of Putin's helicopter being at the epicentre of a Ukrainian drone strike, which could lead to further escalation of the conflict. Like conflicting statements on brokering a ceasefire between India and Pakistan, Trump should be ready for a flip-flop on brokering peace through the Putin-Pope meeting. Seshadri Chari is the former editor of 'Organiser'. He tweets @seshadrichari. Views are personal. (Edited by Ratan Priya)
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
ROC Partners with DeliverFund to Combat Human Trafficking Through Advanced Biometrics
DENVER, May 29, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- ROC, a leader in biometric identity technology, has partnered with DeliverFund, a nonprofit intelligence organization, to help dismantle human trafficking networks through next-generation biometric solutions. DeliverFund's mission is to bring an end to human trafficking by going after the root of the evil: the traffickers themselves. With decades of experience from military Special Operations, the CIA, law enforcement, and the tech industry, DeliverFund equips, trains, and advises law enforcement partners to combat human trafficking at scale. Its proprietary technology and direct support reach across jurisdictions and digital platforms. DeliverFund's efforts have been instrumental in assisting law enforcement in identifying and locating traffickers and rescuing victims faster and more efficiently. To support this mission, ROC has donated its software development kit (SDK), including its proprietary deduplication technology, to DeliverFund. By integrating ROC's advanced biometric capabilities, DeliverFund can now provide even more accurate data to law enforcement agencies nationwide. "Human trafficking is one of the greatest human rights issues of our time," said B. Scott Swann, CEO of ROC. "DeliverFund's work is saving lives. We're honored to contribute our technology to help ensure traffickers are identified and held accountable, no matter where they operate or how they try to hide." ROC's biometric SDK enables face, fingerprint, and iris matching, and other identity verification skillsets with industry-leading speed and accuracy. Its advanced deduplication capabilities reduce identity fragmentation, empowering law enforcement to cross-reference and unify suspect data across agencies, systems, and geographic boundaries. This partnership enhances DeliverFund's already powerful intelligence framework by improving suspect identification, accelerating victim recovery efforts, and ultimately supporting more successful operations to dismantle trafficking rings. "Our collaboration with ROC significantly enhances the precision and effectiveness of our intelligence capabilities," said Nic McKinley, CEO of DeliverFund. "By integrating their advanced biometric capabilities with our vast human trafficking data, we can more reliably identify traffickers and their victims across jurisdictional boundaries, which is critical for law enforcement investigations. Together, we're creating a powerful tool for law enforcement that protects privacy while making communities safer by putting traffickers behind bars. This is about using advanced technology with the highest ethical standards to end modern slavery." About ROCROC is the only American-made multimodal biometrics and Vision AI provider, trusted by the U.S. military, law enforcement, and global FinTech brands. Their fully multimodal solutions leverage NIST-ranked face, fingerprint, and iris algorithms to enable fast, accurate, and secure identity verification for a range of applications including video intelligence, national ID, ABIS, digital payments, and more. ROC is employee-owned, ethics-driven, and proudly made in America. The company is headquartered in Denver, CO, with centers of excellence in Morgantown, WV, and Grand Rapids, MI. Face recognition Fingerprint recognition Iris recognition AI video analytics & threat detection Vehicle & license plate recognition For more information, visit About DeliverFundDeliverFund is a nonprofit intelligence organization that disrupts global human trafficking markets by combining uniquely qualified personnel with the best technologies and then leveraging them in new ways to reach and rescue victims of human trafficking. It leverages cutting-edge technology to equip, train, and advise law enforcement, prosecutors, and policymakers to effectively combat human trafficking. For more information, visit CONTACTmedia@ View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Rank One Computing Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Time of India
4 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Noida to give up to 2 years' relaxation to industrial allottees under UP scheme
Noida: Noida Authority announced a one-time relaxation for industrial allottees struggling to meet project timelines following the implementation of the new unified policy on Feb 25, this year. Allottees whose deadline to complete construction and make their plots functional expired or will expire within a year are eligible for a final extension – one year for plots up to 20,000 sqm and two years for larger plots. This is subject to an extension fee of 4% for the first year and 6% for the second. Hence, plots up to 20,000 sqm have time until Feb 25, 2026, to complete construction, while larger plots have until Feb 25, 2027. "We published the notice about 15 days ago, but the response has been very poor so far. Industrialists and factory owners should come forward and avail themselves of the benefits," a senior official said. Additionally, since the Unified Policy allows paid extensions for only up to two years, in cases where this limit has expired or will expire within a year, the extension fee will be calculated at previously applicable rates until Feb 25. Thereafter, the new fee structure of 4% for the first year and 6% for the second will apply. An estimated 600–700 industrial units are expected to benefit from this decision. Overall, there are around 11,000 registered units in Noida. Under the current Unified Policy, allottees must inform the Authority within 90 days of any change in company shareholding. Failure to do so attracts a penalty of Rs 500-per-day — a provision absent in the previous policy. The Authority waived the Rs 500-per-day penalty for delayed reporting of changes in shareholding (CIS) for old allottees. Officials reiterated that CIS compliance is a requirement under the scheme. As a one-time relief, allottees who made changes in their company's list of directors or shareholders in the Registrar of Companies (ROC) but failed to inform the Authority by Feb 25, this year, will be exempt from the penalty, provided they submit the required documents within 90 days from the issuance of a specific order in this regard. "As the order was issued on May 16, it gives companies time until Aug 15 to comply. After this deadline, penalties under the unified policy will apply. Around 1,500 enterprises are likely to benefit from this provision," an official said. During its 217th Board meeting held in March, the Authority acknowledged the difficulties faced in disposing of project-related services and applications under the Unified Policy. Responding to repeated requests from allottees regarding issues such as transfer fees, CIS fees, time extensions, and late penalties, Noida CEO Lokesh M was authorised to resolve these challenges. Sudhir Shrivastav, spokesperson for the Noida Entrepreneurs Association (NEA), said, "The Authority should take into account disruptions caused by the monsoon and restrictions imposed under GRAP measures while deciding the one- or two-year extension period. In practical terms, entrepreneurs are left with only a few effective months to complete their projects. The focus should be on making industrial units operational, not on burdening allottees unnecessarily. Many entrepreneurs were unable to complete construction due to the Covid-19 pandemic and delays in getting possession of land from the Authority."Commenting on CIS-related charges, he added, "Such charges and penalties exist only in Uttar Pradesh. They should be completely abolished. However, we welcome the decision to waive the fine for the next three months."
Scottish Sun
6 days ago
- Scottish Sun
Inside Scotland's ‘secret' Cold War doomsday bunker built to detect impending nuclear attack
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A NUCLEAR bunker has sparked a tourist trade explosion — with global visitors raving about it. The Cold War relic has been hailed as an 'excellent hidden gem' and 'fascinating' online. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 7 Skelmorlie Secret Bunker was intended to record a potential Soviet nuclear strike Credit: John Kirkby 7 The bunker can only be accessed by climbing down a 15ft ladder Credit: John Kirkby 7 The site was decommissioned in 1991 but restores 13 years later by devoted volunteers Credit: John Kirkby 7 Museum curator Frank Alexander previously volunteered with the Royal Observer Corps Credit: John Kirkby Skelmorlie Secret Bunker in Ayrshire was designed to record the location and radioactive fallout of a looming Soviet nuke strike. Royal Observer Corps volunteers ran the facility during the height of the Cold War between America and the USSR. Visitors access the former monitoring post by climbing down a 15ft ladder and it contains communication equipment and instruments previously intended for studying a potential warhead blast. The chamber could accommodate three people with three weeks' worth of rations. People from the USA, Australia, China, Europe, South Africa and even Russia have visited the site - the only one of its kind in the central belt. Museum curator Frank Alexander joined the ROC in 1983, aged 31, and now runs free tours after helping reopen the bunker. He said: 'We've had thousands of visitors from all around the world. We've also done special events. 'I think it's the novelty of it. A lot of people simply don't realise that there was this network of monitoring posts all over the UK, specifically to be used in the event of a nuclear attack.' It was decommissioned in 1991 along with scores of similar posts across Scotland. But in 2004, ex-volunteers and enthusiasts restored the hilltop site overlooking the Firth of Clyde to its former glory. Look inside 1,500ft-deep tunnels that will be shut off for 100,000 years Frank said: 'What made me join (the ROC) was that it was the height of the Cold War in the 1980s. It was a real risk that we would be caught up in an east-west conflict. 'I was looking to do my bit for Queen and country. 'From April to September, there were 10 people based at Skelmorlie. Our duties were to train for the thing that we never hoped would happen, a nuclear attack on the UK. 'We were one of many monitoring posts throughout the UK. It was a network chain to link up and report on the effects of a nuclear strike. 'Regardless of where the nuclear strike took place, at least one or two monitoring posts would be able to pick up an explosion and be able to calculate where the actual weapon had detonated. 'The bunker was designed for a team of three people. Our responsibilities were to meet at Skelmorlie on a Wednesday evening and train with equipment and procedures to observe and report various readings in the event of a nuclear strike within our technical range.' The retired Hunterston power station worker added: 'In 2003, I approached the landowner and asked if it would be possible to buy the land on which the site was based. He refused, but as a result of our discussions, we entered into a lease arrangement. 'We restored the monitoring post to its original state and opened it up for public tours.' 7 The chamber could accommodate three people with three weeks' worth of rations. 7 Royal Observer Corps volunteers ran the facility during the height of the Cold War between America and the USSR 7 The bunker was designed to record the location and radioactive fallout of a looming Soviet nuke strike For those unable to access the underground bunker, a replica has been constructed in a cabin above ground. It has attracted a five-star rating on Google and Tripadvisor from scores of glowing reviews. Delighted visitors have hailed it as an 'excellent hidden gem' and were impressed by the knowledge of the volunteers and the 'fascinating' exhibition hut. Tours of the bunker last an hour-and-a-half and can be pre-booked by email or phone.
