Foreign
China’s meteorological satellites contribute to global disaster prevention, mitigation

By Li Hongmei, People’s Daily
China’s Fengyun meteorological satellites, among the diverse man-made satellites orbiting the Earth, monitor meteorological conditions on the planet at all times, making important contributions to global disaster prevention and mitigation efforts, climate change response, as well as sustainable economic and social development.
Fengyun satellites are a series of remote-sensing meteorological satellites independently developed by China. Since the successful launch of the country’s first meteorological satellite in 1988, Fengyun satellites today are widely applied in such fields as weather forecasting, climate prediction, natural disaster and environmental monitoring, and scientific research.
China has by far successfully sent 21 Fengyun meteorological satellites of two generations into space. Currently, nine of them are operating in orbits, providing data and products for 129 countries and regions around the world.
With multiple satellites in orbit conducting networked observations, Fengyun meteorological satellites are able to provide three-dimensional (3D), quantitative, global, all-day, all-weather, hyperspectral, and timely precision monitoring data.
The extraordinary capabilities of the Fengyun satellites enable precise monitoring of all types of weather and climate events. It has detected all typhoons, performed 3D “computed tomography (CT) scans” of rainstorms, accumulated the dataset of climate variables for El Nino, and carried out more tasks.
The satellites have provided remarkable service support for the construction of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and become the backbone of the global Earth observation network.
In recent years, data obtained from the instruments on the Fengyun meteorological satellites have been playing an increasingly important role in data assimilation of the numerical weather prediction models of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), said Niels Bormann, a Principal Scientist in ECMWF Research Department.
Integration of satellite-based Earth observation data and ground-based observation data allows for better monitoring of meteorological disasters and their impacts on agriculture.
In the past few years, Fengyun meteorological satellites have been used to monitor extreme drought events in Central Asia, facilitate studies of drought mechanisms, climate change and its impacts, identify affected areas, and then help these areas reduce adverse impacts and enhance climate resilience, according to Sanjarbek Muratov, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) representative to Uzbekistan.
On November 13 last year, the China Meteorological Administration (CMA) launched the international version of FengYun Earth, a comprehensive application platform serving services by leveraging the Fengyun meteorological satellites and satellite remote sensing technology.
The international version of the platform, specially developed for international users, boasts outstanding capabilities. It can effectively obtain multi-source data such as meteorological satellite data and numerical weather prediction data, while identifying disastrous weather and extreme climate events with the help of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies.
It also provides users with more than 100 quantitative and multi-scale products in five categories for different business scenarios, covering cloud charts, key elements, disaster events, climate, and model verification. According to different countries and regions, it can be configured to focus on certain meteorological factors, observation areas, and time ranges, among other aspects, so as to meet users’ personalized needs.
Shortly after its debut, the international version of FengYun Earth received an order – to provide support for the 17th Pacific Games hosted by the Solomon Islands.
At the invitation of the meteorological bureau of the Solomon Islands, the CMA sent experts to the Solomon Islands, while starting the fast-scan mode of the Fengyun-4B (FY-4B) satellite for meteorological observations centered on the Solomon Islands. Leveraging the platform, the CMA provided dozens of satellite products for the Solomon Islands, delivering strong support for the successful holding of the 17th Pacific Games.
In an effort to better serve international users, the CMA established an emergency support mechanism regarding disaster prevention and mitigation of Fengyun satellites in April 2018. A total of 34 countries had registered for the mechanism by 2023.
Since the beginning of 2023, Fengyun satellites have responded 28 times to global requests for emergency support services.
They have observed tropical cyclones Lola and Mocha, providing meteorological support to countries including the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, and Bangladesh. They have also helped monitor concentrated ignition points of devastating forest fires from the northern coast of Algeria to northwest Tunisia, offering important assistance for the fire prevention and control efforts of local authorities.
According to CMA statistics, over the past five years, more than 1,000 international users have been trained for better use of Fengyun meteorological satellite-based products. The CMA has provided support concerning application software for Fengyun satellites’ remote sensing services and held video consultations on relevant services and products for over 20 countries and regions across the world more than 50 times.
Foreign
BREAKING: Trump Orders Investigation into Reported Christian Killings in Nigeria
By: Fabian Apechihin
U.S. President Donald J. Trump has directed lawmakers to launch an immediate investigation into reports of widespread killings of Christians in Nigeria, describing the situation as a “Christian genocide.”
In a statement released Friday evening via his Truth Social platform, Trump expressed grave concern over the violence, blaming radical Islamist groups for what he called a “mass slaughter.”
“Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria. Thousands of Christians are being killed. Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter,” he wrote.
The U.S. President announced that he is designating Nigeria a “Country of Particular Concern,” citing alarming figures of killings within the country compared to global totals.
“When Christians, or any such group, are slaughtered like is happening in Nigeria — something must be done! I am asking Congressman Riley Moore, together with Chairman Tom Cole and the House Appropriations Committee, to immediately look into this matter and report back to me,” Trump stated.
He added that the United States “cannot stand by while such atrocities are happening,” pledging that his administration remains ready “to protect Christian populations around the world.”
Defence/Security
Polish MEP Raises Alarm Over Killings of Christians in Nigeria
By: Fabian Apechihin
Polish Member of the European Parliament (MEP), Dominik Tarczyński, has once again drawn global attention to what he described as the ongoing persecution and killings of Christians in Nigeria.
In a post on his verified 𝕏 account on Monday, Tarczyński shared an image of a blood-stained Nigerian flag alongside a viral video showing a pastor conducting a burial ceremony for victims of violence.
In the video, the pastor lamented the frequent killings, saying:
“We are tired of performing burial every day, and they expect us to remain silent. It has become an order, and the Nigerian government came out to deny the massacre, saying there is no genocide of Christians in Nigeria. United Nations, you’re watching me. The American Parliament is aware of what we are doing now. My special request is to President Trump to save our lives in Nigeria. They are killing more Christians. If they say they kill Muslims, the Muslims are killed by who? Muslims are killed by Muslims.”
Tarczyński’s post quickly went viral, sparking widespread reactions and renewed calls for the Nigerian government to intensify efforts to combat banditry and terrorism.
However, the Federal Government has repeatedly rejected claims of a religiously targeted genocide. In a recent statement, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, described such allegations as “false, baseless, despicable, and divisive.”
Idris maintained that Nigeria’s security challenges are complex and not driven by religious motives, warning that framing the fight against terrorism as an anti-Christian campaign could deepen existing social and religious divides.
He reiterated the government’s commitment to protecting all Nigerians, regardless of faith or ethnicity, and called on international partners and media outlets to “refrain from narratives that distort the country’s security realities.”
Foreign
Two Dead After Cargo Plane Skids Off Hong Kong Runway Into Sea
By: Fabian Apechihin
Two airport security officers were killed early Monday after a cargo plane skidded off the runway at Hong Kong International Airport, struck their patrol vehicle, and plunged into the sea.

The incident involved Emirates flight EK9788, a Boeing 747 arriving from Dubai around 03:50 local time (19:50 GMT Sunday). The aircraft veered off the north runway, crashed through perimeter fencing, and collided with the patrol vehicle, pushing it into the water. Both occupants of the vehicle died, while the plane’s four crew members survived.
According to officials, the plane ended up partially submerged, making it one of Hong Kong Airport’s deadliest aviation accidents in years. Two other runways remain operational as investigations continue.
Airport operations executive director Steven Yiu said the patrol vehicle had been travelling on a service road outside the runway’s perimeter at a “safe distance” when the plane suddenly turned off course.
“Normally, the plane is not supposed to turn towards the sea,” Yiu said during a press briefing. He emphasized that the patrol car “definitely did not enter the runway” and that the aircraft had not sent a distress signal before landing.
Divers later recovered the bodies of the victims—two men aged 30 and 41—about five meters from the shore and seven meters underwater. One was confirmed dead at the scene, and the other died in hospital.
Hong Kong’s transport bureau expressed condolences to the victims’ families, describing the event as “deeply saddening.”
Emirates confirmed the accident, saying the cargo plane “sustained damage on landing in Hong Kong.” The airline noted there was no cargo onboard and that the aircraft had been wet-leased—meaning operated with crew and insurance—from Turkish carrier ACT Airlines.
Firefighters reached the scene within two minutes, rescuing all four crew members who had escaped via the aircraft’s emergency slides. Photos from the crash site show the plane broken in half, with part of its fuselage submerged in water.
Authorities are now searching for the plane’s flight data and cockpit voice recorders (“black boxes”). A police spokesperson said criminal investigations have not been ruled out.
The affected runway will remain closed pending the outcome of the investigation. At least 11 incoming cargo flights were cancelled on Monday, according to airport authorities.
This is only the second fatal aviation accident at Hong Kong International Airport since it relocated to Chek Lap Kok in 1998. The previous one occurred in 1999, when a China Airlines jet crash-landed during a typhoon, killing three people.
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