'Internet army' linked to Taiwan separatist forces will be severely punished: spokesman

Cyberattackers affiliated to a military intelligence agency in the Taiwan region will be severely punished for using the Internet to seek Taiwan secession, said spokesman for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office Chen Binhua on Monday.

China's Ministry of State Security (MSS) released a statement on Monday, revealing details about four members of the "Information, Communications and Electronic Force Command" linked to Taiwan separatist forces and warning that the Internet is not beyond the reach of the law.

The revealed members include Lin Yushu, born in 1979, head of the Network Environment Research and Analysis Center of the "Information, Communications and Electronic Force Command", and Cai Jiehong, born in 1993, team leader of the center, while Nian Xiaofan, born in 1982, and Wang Haoming, born in 1990, are active personnel at the center, according to the MSS.

In response to that, Chen noted China's national security agencies in September 2024 unveiled a hacker organization called "Anonymous 64" and revealed the despicable tactics it had employed to attack the mainland and undermine cross-Straits relations, acting as a warning and deterrent.

However, under the instigation and connivance of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities, the "Information, Communications and Electronic Force Command" has shown no remorse and continued to repeat their old tricks. Willingly serving as the henchmen of Taiwan separatist forces, they have been relentlessly carrying out cyberattacks and infiltrations against the mainland, said the spokesman.

Chen stressed that reunification is the trend of history and the right path, while Taiwan secessionism is a countercurrent of history and will only lead to a dead end.

Using the Internet to provoke troubles and seek Taiwan secession, the "Information, Communications and Electronic Force Command" is overestimating their strength, and will face the consequences of their actions in due course, said the spokesman.

'Internet army' linked to Taiwan separatist forces will be severely punished: spokesman

In a vibrant display of national pride, a neighborhood in Sao Paulo has transformed its street into a massive canvas ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, painting the asphalt in the bold green, yellow, blue, and white of the Brazilian flag.

Overtaken with excitement for the upcoming tournament, residents organized the massive art project themselves, raising 2,000 reais (about 387 U.S. dollars) to buy paint, brushes, and colorful streamers.

Aldecir Santos, who designed the patterns on the streets, said he gathered input from neighbors on how the street should be painted. Together, they settled on a plan that everyone agreed was the best.

"We decided together on the designs and where to put them. Those ones over there, and the World Cup trophy -- my son painted those. The Brazilian flag and the World Cup mascot -- a neighbor named Kaua did those. Basically, everyone had a hand in it," he said.

Neighborhood street decorations to welcome the World Cup are a tradition that goes back decades in Brazil. On this street in Sao Paolo, Brazil's largest city, adults encouraged children to take part in the painting, hopeful that the next generation will continue the spirited practice.

Jonathan Costa Ferreira, who was put in charge of buying the decorating supplies, said the local kids often stopped by after school to ask how they could help.

"We all agreed with the neighbors that the kids should be part of this. That way, they'll have memories of the World Cup. They'll learn that it comes around every four years, how much soccer means to us, and how everyone came together to make our neighborhood look so bright and beautiful," he said.

Sao Paolo neighborhood paints street in national colors as World Cup fever builds