INTERNACIONAL
China’s undersea cable threat raises $10T fears as Trump-Xi talks loom
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
The U.S. economy is under threat from adversaries like China targeting undersea cables with the ability to «inflict devastating economic chaos almost at will,» a former U.S. intelligence official warned Sunday.
These cables carry 99% of global data and support up to $10 trillion in daily financial transactions, according to reports.
Andrew Badger, chief strategy officer at Coalition Systems, a defense tech startup, spoke as President Donald Trump is set to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing for talks expected to focus on trade, artificial intelligence and Taiwan.
Taiwan, a flashpoint in U.S.-China tensions, has reported about 30 subsea cable incidents in recent years, including one in which Chinese vessels allegedly severed cables and cut communications for months.
INTERNATIONAL UNDERWATER CABLE ATTACKS BY RUSSIA, CHINA ARE NO ‘MERE COINCIDENCE’ WARNS EU’S TOP DIPLOMAT
Two Taiwan Coast Guard personnel board a Togo-flagged cargo ship to inspect it for suspected damage to a submarine cable connecting Taiwan Island and Penghu Island in waters off Penghu, Taiwan, on Feb. 25, 2025. (Taiwan Coast Guard/Anadolu)
«America depends on the fragile nervous system of subsea cables for modern life,» Badger, a former Pentagon official and author, told Fox News Digital before warning that U.S. adversaries «seek to turn the bottom of the ocean into a battlefield.»
«The asymmetric threat — China and Russia are devoting far more resources to attacking undersea infrastructure than the U.S. or its allies are to defending it,» Badger said.
«They’ve identified one of our greatest vulnerabilities, and we haven’t caught up. A coordinated strike on American undersea infrastructure could fundamentally disrupt our way of life — the internet, banking, energy markets and military communications all run through these cables. The dollar cost is almost incalculable, and the real damage would be the chaos and political instability that would follow,» he said.
Badger’s remarks came after Senate Republican Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo., alongside Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., introduced the bipartisan Strategic Subsea Cables Act of 2026 in April.
The legislation is aimed at strengthening the security and resilience of critical undersea infrastructure.
TAIWAN COAST GUARD DETAINS CHINESE-CREWED VESSEL SUSPECTED OF CUTTING UNDERSEA CABLE
The Chinese bulk carrier Yi Peng 3 is anchored in the sea of Kattegat near Granaa, Denmark, on Nov. 20, 2024. Denmark’s navy said it was shadowing the vessel in the Baltic Sea amid investigations into suspected sabotage of undersea telecom cables by Finland and Sweden. (Mikkel Berg Pedersen/Ritzau Scanpix/AFP)
«Undersea cables are important for a variety of reasons. They carry 99% of the world’s internet traffic. They also support $10 trillion in financial transactions each and every day,» Barrasso said in a statement.
In April, China’s Ministry of Natural Resources confirmed a successful deep-sea mission testing an advanced «electro-hydrostatic actuator,» a device capable of slicing through armored submarine cables at depths of 3,500 meters, according to reports.
Similar suspicious disruptions have been reported in Europe and elsewhere, raising concerns about coordinated «gray-zone» operations designed to probe Western responses while remaining below the threshold of open conflict.
«This is hybrid warfare in its purest form, designed to weaken the adversary below the threshold of declared war,» Badger said, noting that incidents such as anchors dragging across the seabed can provide plausible deniability.
HORMUZ CHAOS SPARKS WARNING: CHINA COULD STRANGLE TAIWAN WITHOUT FIRING A SHOT
A split image shows Chinese President Xi Jinping, left, and President Donald Trump, right. (Vincent Thian/POOL/AFP via Getty Images; Salwan Georges/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
«Cables give Beijing and Moscow the ability to inflict devastating economic chaos almost at will,» Badger warned. «This gives both nations tremendous strategic leverage over the U.S.»
China could also potentially target American undersea cables as a deterrent to U.S. engagement in Taiwan, according to Badger.
«Beijing could simultaneously target cables landing in the U.S., not to win militarily, but with the goal of breaking the American public’s will to intervene in Taiwan,» he said.
China claims Taiwan as its own territory, while the U.S. — Taiwan’s largest unofficial ally — supplies weapons under a law requiring it to help the island defend itself.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
The Taiwan Strait is also a critical artery for the artificial intelligence revolution’s most essential resources.
Anniki Mikelsaar of the Oxford Internet Institute said growth in AI’s use means «rising capacity requirements on submarine cables. Not all recent cable damage incidents can be attributed to foreign adversaries: the ICPC estimates 150 to 200 cable breaks occur per year around the globe, most of them accidents,» she said.
taiwan, pentagon, economy, us, trade
INTERNACIONAL
H5N1 bird flu confirmed in Australia for the first time, meaning virus has now reached every continent
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
The first case of H5N1 bird flu has been confirmed in Australia, meaning the virus has now found its way to every continent.
The Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry said the virus was found in a single seabird, a brown skua, near Esperance on the south coast of Western Australia, in Cape Le Grand National Park.
Australia’s Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development said it was «responding as part of a nationally coordinated plan with the Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and stakeholders across [Western Australia] to reduce the impact of this disease.»
The outbreak in the U.S. has left millions of birds dead and has caused grocery store hikes and shortages, most notably with eggs.
BIRD FLU UPTICK IN US HAS CDC ON ALERT FOR PANDEMIC ‘RED FLAGS’: REPORT
The first case of H5N1 bird flu has been confirmed in Australia, meaning the virus has now found its way to every continent. (Dado Ruvic/Reuters)
The spread to humans is rare.
«We all knew we couldn’t be bird flu-free forever,» Australia’s federal Agricultural Secretary Julie Collins said in a press conference on Saturday.
Jackie Jarvis, Western Australia’s agricultural minister, said in a press conference on Friday: «As a result of WA’s established early detection system, appropriate action was taken, including isolating the bird and collecting samples for testing.»
HUNDREDS OF WILD BIRD DEATHS REPORTED ACROSS 7 COUNTIES PROMPTING PARK CLOSURES
She added, «this shows that Australia’s and Western Australia’s preparedness measures have worked. We are pleased to see the surveillance, and reporting system working as intended, with the bird reported through to DPIRD for further investigation.»
A brown skua stands on a mossy stone on Macquarie Island, Sub Antarctic, administered by Tasmania, Australia. (Auscape/Universal Images Group)
By Saturday, Jarvis said further testing confirmed the strain that she said was consistent with bird flu found in the remote Australian territories of Heard Island and McDonald Islands near Antarctica, which devastated the wildlife there.
Last year, around 13,000 of a population of 17,000 elephant seal pups died there in just a few months after being exposed.
The outbreak in the U.S. has left millions of birds dead and has caused grocery store hikes and shortages, most notably with eggs. (Emily Elconin/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The islands are wildlife sanctuaries.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
«Importantly, there have been no detections in poultry and there is no evidence of mass mortality,» Jarvis said of the mainland case.
A second case of another migratory bird is also suspected near Esperance.
Reuters contributed to this report.
bird flu, infectious disease, australia, outbreaks, birds, health, world
INTERNACIONAL
La ayuda humanitaria de Estados Unidos se reparte a cuentagotas por Cuba ante la falta de combustible en la isla
La ayuda humanitaria estadounidense llega a Cuba a través de Cáritas, organización sin fines de lucro católica que actúa como vínculo entre Washington y La Habana, en respuesta al paso del huracán Melissa en 2025 y que, hasta el día de hoy, representa un alivio tangible en un contexto de escasez que afecta a los cubanos.
Después de recibir un paquete con arroz, frijoles y productos de higiene, Teodardo Debardet cruza lentamente el barrio de Hongolosongo en su bicicleta adaptada. El paquete de suministros que recibió Debardet es parte de la distribución de casi la totalidad de los USD 3 millones enviados a principios de año, una fracción de los USD 9 millones prometidos.
En esta pequeña comunidad de Santiago de Cuba, muchos habitantes aún no han conseguido reparar los techos destruidos por el ciclón. Menos de la mitad de las casas tienen electricidad y el acceso al agua corriente es un privilegio para unos pocos.
El huracán Melissa golpeó la isla con vientos de 195 km/h en octubre de 2025, y dejó a su paso a muchas familias sin techo y destruyó servicios básicos. La situación se agrava por el bloqueo petrolero y el endurecimiento de las sanciones económicas.
Washington propuso recientemente una ayuda adicional de USD 100 millones para Cuba: USD 60 millones serían canalizados a través de Cáritas, y el resto por otras organizaciones no gubernamentales. Sin embargo, el régimen cubano aún no ha confirmado si aceptará esta nueva oferta.
En respuesta a la propuesta, el dictador Miguel Díaz-Canel expresó que levantar el embargo estadounidense sería, en sus palabras, “más útil que el envío de ayuda humanitaria”.
La distribución de los paquetes enfrenta retos logísticos importantes. “Se nos hace un poquito difícil porque tenemos que buscar transporte, conseguir combustible, ver quién nos puede acercar hasta allá”, explica Katia Simón, responsable de Cáritas en El Cobre.
Cuando escasean la gasolina y el diésel, los envíos se realizan en carretas de bueyes. La llegada de los lotes, acompañados en ocasiones por consultas médicas, sesiones de peluquería y actividades recreativas para niños, es recibida con gratitud.
Las dificultades para transportar y entregar la ayuda humanitaria persisten en toda la región oeste de Cuba. El desabastecimiento de combustible obliga a buscar alternativas rudimentarias y ralentiza la llegada de insumos básicos para los damnificados. A pesar de las carencias, la asistencia internacional permite paliar algunas necesidades esenciales de las comunidades más aisladas.
“Recibimos muy bien esta ayuda venga de donde venga (…) si es del pueblo de Estados Unidos, está bien”, afirmó Osmany Vedey, de 63 años, reflejando el sentir de muchos vecinos, en diálogo con AFP. Tras el desastre natural, la ayuda internacional llegó también desde organismos como la ONU, la Unión Europea, China, México y Venezuela. Naciones Unicdas continúa su programa de asistencia, aunque enfrenta los mismos obstáculos logísticos para alcanzar a los damnificados.
La falta de combustible también afecta al transporte en la isla. Cuba enfrenta una parálisis casi total del transporte interprovincial tras la entrada en vigor de restricciones severas el jueves. Millones de personas se ven obligadas a depender de los limitados asientos disponibles en trenes y autobuses estatales, reservados únicamente para emergencias médicas, funerales u otras situaciones críticas.
A partir de ahora, los trenes que enlazan La Habana con ciudades del este solo circularán cada 16 días, cuando antes ofrecían tres frecuencias semanales. El servicio de autobuses estatales, que anteriormente realizaba viajes diarios entre la capital y otras provincias, quedará reducido a entre una y tres salidas semanales.
La escasez dejó vacías las estaciones de servicio y convirtió la movilidad cotidiana en un desafío para la población de 9,6 millones de habitantes. Muchos recurren al uso de bicicletas ante la disminución del transporte público.
Los pasajeros que necesiten viajar deberán solicitar sus pasajes con al menos una semana de antelación y se aplicará un sistema de prioridades. El viceministro de Transporte, Luis Ladrón de Guevara, precisó que no será necesario gestionar permisos especiales para realizar estos desplazamientos.
(Con información de AFP)
Business,International Relations,Corporate Events,Diplomacy / Foreign Policy,South America / Central America
INTERNACIONAL
Biden scores temporary court victory as Trump-appointed judge delays release of Hur investigation materials
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Former President Joe Biden has won another three weeks to block the release of audio recordings and transcripts tied to special counsel Robert Hur’s classified documents investigation after a federal judge granted a temporary injunction while a federal appeals court reviews his challenge.
The recordings stem from Biden’s interviews with Mark Zwonitzer, the ghostwriter of his 2017 memoir, «Promise Me, Dad.»
U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich, a Trump appointee, on Friday issued an injunction pending appeal that prevents the Justice Department from releasing the materials while the D.C. Circuit considers the case. The order came just hours after Friedrich denied Biden’s request for a preliminary injunction that would have stopped the release altogether.
The legal battle could determine whether Americans ever hear the recordings that helped shape Hur’s decision not to prosecute Biden over his handling of classified documents. The audio has been the subject of intense scrutiny because Hur raised questions about Biden’s memory in explaining why he declined to bring charges against Biden for mishandling classified documents.
GREGG JARRETT: RELEASE THE BIDEN TAPES AND LET AMERICANS HEAR THE TRUTH FOR THEMSELVES
Although the Justice Department previously released audio from Biden’s interviews with Hur, the recordings at the center of the current legal battle involve separate conversations between Biden and Zwonitzer.
Hur’s 2024 report repeatedly referenced Biden’s recorded conversations with Zwonitzer. The special counsel described some exchanges as «painfully slow» and said Biden at times struggled to recall events and relay information, observations that fueled scrutiny of the Biden’s cognitive abilities during an election year.
Former President Joe Biden speaks to a crowd during a fundraising event with the South Carolina Democratic Party at the Columbia Museum of Art on Feb. 27, 2026, in Columbia, S.C. (Sean Rayford/Getty Images)
The Heritage Foundation and its Oversight Project director, Mike Howell, have spent more than two years seeking the recordings and transcripts through FOIA requests.
Heritage Foundation officials have argued the public has a strong interest in reviewing the materials referenced throughout Hur’s report, particularly because the special counsel relied on the recordings in explaining his decision not to pursue criminal charges.
Biden has been fighting to keep the potentially embarrassing recordings under wraps.
CNN HOST SUGGESTS ROBERT HUR ‘UNDERSOLD’ EXTENT OF BIDEN MEMORY LAPSES DURING SPECIAL COUNSEL INTERVIEW
After Friedrich denied Biden’s motion for a preliminary injunction Friday, Biden’s legal team immediately sought emergency relief to preserve the status quo while appealing the decision.
In an emergency filing, Biden’s attorneys argued that disclosure would effectively end the case before appellate judges could review the legal questions involved. They maintained that once the recordings are released, any privacy protections would be permanently lost, and the appeal would become largely moot.
Former special counsel Robert K. Hur testifies before the House Judiciary Committee in Washington, D.C., March 12, 2024. Hur investigated President Joe Biden’s handling of classified documents and published a report with conclusions about Biden’s memory. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
The filing also stressed that the FOIA litigation has already been pending for more than two years and argued there was no urgent public need requiring immediate disclosure of conversations that occurred roughly a decade ago between Biden and his ghostwriter. Biden’s attorneys noted that the former president is now a private citizen who neither holds nor is seeking public office.
OBAMA-APPOINTED JUDGE WITH TIES TO ANTI-TRUMP CONSPIRACY THEORY HIT WITH MISCONDUCT COMPLAINT
The Justice Department initially withheld the recordings and much of the transcript material under several FOIA exemptions. Earlier this year, however, the department reversed course and determined the records could be released with redactions after concluding that significant public interest existed in understanding evidence relied upon by Hur during his investigation.
After the Justice Department announced plans to release the recordings, Biden filed suit in May to stop the disclosure, claiming the audiotapes contain private conversations that should remain protected from public release and, if released, would be in violation of the Privacy Act.
President Joe Biden speaks during an official transition event to thank Ron Klain for his work and to welcome successor Jeff Zients. (Reuters/Kevin Lamarque)
His legal team argued that the department’s decision violates the Privacy Act and constitutes arbitrary agency action under the Administrative Procedure Act.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Leading Biden’s legal effort is Amy Jeffress, a partner at Washington-based law firm Hecker Fink and a former Justice Department national security official. Jeffress has served as the primary attorney advancing Biden’s challenge to the release of the materials and signed the recent emergency filing seeking to prevent disclosure while the appeal proceeds.
Jeffress has also drawn attention because she is married to U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper, an Obama appointee who recently ruled against the Trump administration in a high-profile dispute involving the Kennedy Center. Cooper’s ruling prompted criticism from some Trump allies and conservative commentators who pointed to the judge’s family connection to Biden’s attorney, suggesting a conflict of interest may be at play in Cooper’s work.
in court, joe biden, how justice happens, appeals, trials
Sorpresa: Ecuador empató 0-0 con Curazao y tendrá que ganarle a Alemania para clasificar a los 16avos
El escándalo internacional sobre la salud de Kate Middleton que preocupa al mundo: el mal momento que vive
Magario frena el avance libertario en el Senado, pero asoma una puja en el PJ por el Consejo de la Magistratura
Cien días del caso Adorni: cinco claves económicas favorables al Gobierno que quedaron fuera de la agenda pública
Caminó más de 300 km a Salta para pedir justicia por las muertes de su hija y nieta: logró un avance clave en el caso
La peculiar respuesta de Bielsa que hizo reír a los periodistas antes del partido de Uruguay en el Mundial
Patricia Bullrich: “El Presidente considera que Adorni dio una explicación razonable”
El Gobierno envía señales de que Adorni tiene las horas contadas para evitar que sesione el Senado
GOP Gov DeWine urges Ohio to abolish the death penalty, says it is no longer a deterrent
El lapidario posteo de Javier Milei contra Florencia Peña por la fake news sobre la muerte del papá de Messi
POLITICA2 días agoEl lapidario posteo de Javier Milei contra Florencia Peña por la fake news sobre la muerte del papá de Messi
- POLITICA10 horas ago
Difundieron videos en los que Jésica Cirio aparece junto a miles de dólares
- POLITICA2 días ago
Ramiro Marra le pidió a Milei la renuncia de Adorni en una carta abierta
