American citizen sentenced to life in prison in China: May 15 rundown

A 78-year-old American citizen has been arrested and sentenced to life in prison by the Chinese government on charges of espionage. And G7 leaders are set to discuss sanctions on Russian energy and trade during a summit this week in Japan. These stories and more highlight the rundown for Monday, May 15, 2023.

China sentences U.S. citizen to life in prison

In a development that has the potential to further strain relations between Beijing and Washington, China sentenced a 78-year-old U.S. citizen to life imprisonment on spying charges. The circumstances surrounding the arrest and subsequent sentencing remain unclear, and there have been recent warnings from the U.S. government regarding the potential targeting of U.S. citizens and companies based in China by the Chinese Communist Party.

The State Department has determined “the risk of wrongful detention of U.S. nationals by the [People’s Republic of China] exists in mainland China and U.S. citizens traveling or residing in the area may be detained without access to U.S. consular services or information about their alleged crime.” The U.S. government has urged American citizens to “reconsider travel to the People’s Republic of China.”

The individual in question amid this most recent case, John Shing-Wan Leung, holds permanent residency in Hong Kong and was initially detained two years ago. The spying charges against him were announced Monday, May 15, but the proceedings took place behind closed doors, with no evidence of the alleged crime being released to the public.

The U.S. Embassy in Beijing acknowledged the case and emphasized that the safety and security of U.S. citizens overseas are of utmost importance. However, due to privacy concerns, they refrained from commenting on this specific case.

G7 leaders to discuss sanctions on Russia

This week, world leaders from the Group of Seven nations are set to convene at a summit in Japan, where they will address the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, now in its 15th month. According to Reuters, the G7 leaders are expected to focus their attention on Russian energy and trade and impose new sanctions in response.

The Financial Times reported that the G7 group intends to impose a ban on Russian gas imports through routes where Moscow has reduced supplies, as well as prevent the restart of Russian gas pipelines. This would mark the first measure aimed at targeting Moscow’s pipeline exports since the conflict began.

G7 nations reportedly intend to reduce their use of Russian energy sources “including preventing the reopening of avenues previously shut down by Russia’s weaponization of energy” at least until “there is a resolution of the conflict.”

The G7 leaders will specifically vote this week to halt Russian pipeline gas exports along routes to Poland and Germany, which experienced supply disruptions last year, leading to an energy crisis across Europe and causing gas prices to surge to 10 times their normal levels.

The summit is scheduled to commence Friday and continue through the weekend. President Biden is expected to attend the summit and is also anticipated to make a visit to Hiroshima during his trip.

Turkey’s presidential election goes to run-off

Turkey’s presidential election is set for a run-off later this month after none of the candidates received more than 50% of the vote on election night. The election could see the end of President Tayyip Erdogan’s 20-year reign as the country’s top leader.

“We will absolutely win the second round … and bring democracy” Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the top challenger to Erdogan’s reelection hopes, said.

Turkey has been facing recent challenges, including a devastating earthquake that caused the collapse of communities and claimed the lives of tens of thousands of people. The country has also been grappling with a severe cost of living crisis and economic turmoil, further exacerbating the concerns of its citizens.

While President Erdogan received the highest number of votes on election night, with 99.4 percent of the vote counted, he still failed to surpass the 50 percent threshold required for an outright victory. As a result, a run-off election will take place in two weeks to determine the next president.

Myanmar, Bangladesh rocked by a powerful tropical cyclone

Over the weekend, Myanmar and Bangladesh experienced the impact of a formidable tropical cyclone, which reached Category 4 wind speeds of up to 155 miles per hour as it made landfall. At its peak intensity before reaching land, the cyclone had winds of 175 miles per hour. Images emerging from the affected areas already depict the devastation left behind by the second most powerful storm ever recorded in the region.

The destructive force of the cyclone has resulted in the destruction of homes and widespread flooding. So far, at least six people have been reported dead in Myanmar while no casualties have been reported yet in Bangladesh. This region has seen its fair share of devastating cyclones in the past, with previous storms causing the loss of tens of thousands of lives due to flooding in densely populated and low-lying areas.

GM recalls nearly a million SUVs due to faulty airbag inflator

General Motors has announced a recall of approximately 1 million SUVs due to a faulty airbag inflator. The recall will affect the Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse, and GMC Acadia models from the 2014 to 2017 model years. This action is part of a broader effort by federal regulators to recall 67 million defective airbag inflators, as they have the potential to “explode during deployment,” according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) following an eight-year investigation.

However, the airbag manufacturer, ARC, has expressed disagreement with the NHTSA’s recall decision and is now refusing to comply. In a statement, ARC claimed that extensive field testing revealed no defect in their airbags. While GM is cooperating with the recall, the NHTSA has scheduled a public hearing and may take ARC to court to compel a recall.

Florida diving explorer sets new world record for living underwater

A diving explorer and researcher based in the Florida Keys has achieved a remarkable feat by breaking the record for time spent living underwater. Dr. Joseph Dituri has now spent 74 days in an underwater vessel, breaking the previous record and setting a new milestone. The previous world record was held by Tennessee teachers Bruce Cantrell and Jessica Fain, who were at the same lab in 2014.

During this extended stay, Dituri, an associate biomedical engineering professor with the University of South Florida, has been conducting daily experiments in physiology to monitor the human body’s response to long-term exposure to extreme pressure.

Dituri currently resides in the Jules Undersea Lodge, located in Key Largo off the coast of Florida. The underwater habitat has provided him with a unique environment to conduct his research and explore the intricacies of the human body’s adaptation to prolonged stays beneath the water’s surface.

A Navy veteran who served for nearly three decades and left to learn more about traumatic brain injuries, Dituri has hypothesized that his health will improve because of the increased pressure underwater. His underwater mission, dubbed Project Neptune 100, was organized by the Marine Resources Development Foundation. Dituri aims to make it 100 days living underwater, with his resurfacing currently planned for June 9.