An international student from China has admitted to capturing images of military planes at a Nebraska base, asserting that the photos were intended for his personal interest.

Tianrui Liang, a 21-year-old attending the University of Glasgow in Scotland, was detained on April 7 at John F. Kennedy International Airport. He was preparing to fly to Frankfurt, Germany, en route to Glasgow.

Just days before, on March 31, he was apprehended while photographing aircraft at Offutt Air Base, located near Omaha, Nebraska. This detail emerged during Liang’s plea hearing, as reported by the prosecution.

The proceedings, which unfolded in the US District Court of Nebraska, were covered by the Lincoln Journal Star.

Using a telescopic lens from a public road adjacent to the base, Liang successfully captured images of military aircraft models RC-135 and E-4B, according to Assistant US Attorney Matt Lierman.

Both models are Boeing-manufactured planes. The RC-135 is a reconnaissance aircraft, and the E-4B is a modified Boeing 747-200 that serves as a mobile command center.

Personnel at the base spotted Liang taking the photos, and an FBI special agent went to question him on the side of the road. 

The student admitted to taking the pictures and knowing that it was illegal to do so. He said that they were for his personal collection and that he is into the airplane spotting hobby.

A 21-year-old Chinese student named Tianrui Liang has pleaded guilty to taking photos of military aircraft parked at Offutt Air Base in Nebraska (pictured)

Liang took photos of an E-4B, which is a modified Boeing 747-200 that serves as a mobile command center. An E-4B is pictured in flight

Liang also took photos of an RC-135, which is a reconnaissance aircraft. An RC-135 is pictured in flight

Liang surrendered his iPhone and Canon camera to the FBI, which discovered several photos of planes parked at Offutt Air Base. He also handed over other electronics, including a drone. 

The student was appointed a federal public defender named Jeffrey Thomas, who asked Magistrate Judge Michael Nelson to expedite Liang’s sentencing hearing, which is currently scheduled for June 18. 

Liang has already been in jail for 30 days, which has threatened his academic career, Thomas argued. 

The public defender added that his client has no criminal record and that the judge already has a breadth of evidence which should enable him to determine what Liang’s sentence should be. 

Federal guidelines recommend zero to six months in jail and a fine of up to $100,000 as punishment for violating the federal statute prohibiting photography of military aircraft. 

Lierman, the prosecutor, argued that Liang’s actions represented a national security risk and that expediting the sentencing hearing would be irresponsible. ‘We don’t have the full picture here,’ he told the judge, according to the Lincoln Journal Star.

The prosecutor added that the evidence in the case was mostly self-reported by Liang and that a pre-sentence investigation to verify it must be conducted. 

There is no way to be certain that Liang is the innocuous student who was on spring break and likes airplane spotting without conducting an investigation, Lierman said. 

The prosecution argued that Liang’s actions presented a national security risk and that his claims that he is a student who was taking photos for his personal collection must be investigated. A squadron of RC-135s parked at Offut Air Base is pictured

Liang’s public defender argued that enemies of the US have satellites that can provide pictures of US military bases, and taking photos from the ground is outdated. A satellite image of Offut Air Base is pictured

Thomas, the public defender, countered that the federal statute his client was arrested for violating was enacted in the 1950s and is a relic of the space race with the Soviet Union. 

He argued that adversaries of the United States have sophisticated satellites that can provide images of military bases, and taking photos from the ground is an outdated espionage strategy that presents little risk in comparison. 

The public defender added that ‘in 1950, the statute certainly wasn’t crazy,’ but even at the time, violating it was considered a misdemeanor, and it is even ‘less of a misdemeanor’ today.

He also noted that his client has been into airplane spotting since 2020, when Liang would have been 15 years old.

The prosecution conceded that enemies of the US certainly use satellites for espionage, but that ‘if satellites answered all of the questions, with respect to our adversaries, we wouldn’t need human intelligence. We know that’s not true.’ 

Lierman said that Liang should remain in custody until his sentencing hearing while the pre-sentencing investigation unfolds.  

The judge agreed with the prosecution and said that the information Liang provided to law enforcement provided more questions than answers, that the sentencing hearing would not be expedited and that the student would remain in custody until then. 

KAOHSIUNG, Taiwan: As U.S. President Donald Trump engages in crucial discussions with China’s supreme leader, Xi Jinping, in Beijing, all eyes are on Taiwan. From the island’s presidential office to its military command centers and high-tech semiconductor firms, there is a heightened sense of anticipation. The pressing issue at hand is whether Trump will negotiate from a position of strength or leave Taiwan vulnerable in the geopolitical landscape.

Taiwan, an effectively independent entity with a population of 23 million, has long been under the shadow of a potential threat from China. Despite never having governed Taiwan, the Chinese Communist Party claims the island as part of its territory.

Analysts in Taiwan caution that Xi may propose a bargain to Trump: concessions on trade tariffs, fentanyl controls, access for U.S. businesses, or collaboration on global issues such as Iran and Ukraine, in return for U.S. acquiescence to an increased Chinese influence over Taiwan’s future.

In a striking display of military might, the PLA Navy and Army recently conducted an extensive live-fire exercise in Zhangzhou City, Fujian Province, China. This demonstration of force underscores the strategic tensions in the region.

Taiwan’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Francois Wu, expressed his concerns in an interview with Bloomberg News. “Our greatest fear,” he stated, “is that Taiwan becomes a bargaining chip in the talks between Xi Jinping and President Trump.”

Huang Kwei-bo, a professor in National Chengchi University’s Department of Diplomacy, told Fox News Digital that Taiwan shouldn’t assume nothing will change. “Taiwan shouldn’t rule out the possibility that the United States and mainland China could reach an understanding behind the scenes, agreeing to reduce arms sales to Taiwan, or become less active in helping us meaningfully participate in international space,” he said.

In comments on Monday, President Trump acknowledged China’s dislike of U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, and said the topic would be “one of the many things I’ll be talking about.” 

China launched rockets near Taiwan during live-fire drills as the People’s Liberation Army Eastern Theater Command surrounded the island with warships and aircraft amid rising tensions. (PLA Eastern Theater Command/Reuters)

Over the past week, more than 50 communist Chinese aircraft crossed the Taiwan Strait median line or entered Taiwan’s air defense identification zone. 

Those numbers are not a dramatic new escalation. In Taiwan, they are increasingly seen as part of a new normal: a sustained pressure campaign that falls short of war but keeps Taiwan’s military on alert. China also intentionally damages the undersea cables that connect Taiwan to the internet, hacks into Taiwan’s computer systems daily, and floods social media with content that praises the communist party.

FILE: In this undated file photo released by the Taiwan Ministry of Defense, a Chinese PLA J-16 fighter jet flies in an undisclosed location (Taiwan Ministry of Defense via AP)

Taiwan’s semiconductor industry is a major concern for Washington. The island is home to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., or TSMC, the dominant producer of the world’s most advanced semiconductors. Those chips are used in smartphones, cars, artificial intelligence systems and U.S. defense technology. Any conflict or blockade that cuts Taiwan off from global markets would ripple through American factories, consumers, technology companies and military planning.

However, as the leaders of the two nations most closely intertwined with Taiwan’s future meet, there is no outward sense of panic here.

President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping prepare for a key summit in May. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/Getty Images)

“Most people here are not obsessed with China every day,” Audrey Chiang, who runs a tourist souvenir shop in Kaohsiung, told Fox News Digital. Chiang has a son who is just a few years away from serving one year as a military conscript, a 2024 response to China’s invasion threats. “We go to work. We worry about the next big test at our kids’ school. We complain about traffic. But everyone knows things can change very quickly.”

Taiwan’s legislature on May 8 passed a near US$25 billion supplemental defense spending bill, meant in part to signal to Washington that Taipei isn’t simply depending on America to protect itself. But the package was smaller than the almost US$40 billion requested by Taiwan President Lai Ching-te’s administration. 

Taipei-based American political analyst, Ross Darrell Feingold, told Fox News Digital that many in Taiwan assume that the U.S., and possibly Japan, will come to the island’s defense in the event of a war. “Going back to the Cold War when the U.S. had a treaty obligation to defend Taiwan, and even after the treaty was abrogated, the consistent assumption is that the U.S. president will send in the military to save Taiwan. More recently, there is a growing assumption Japan will do so as well. But Taiwan still must do what is necessary to prove to its partners that Taiwan’s own people will be on the front line,” he said.

The Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company fabrication plant in Phoenix, Arizona, on March 3, 2025. TSMC plans to invest an additional $100 billion in U.S. plants to increase chip production and support President Donald Trump’s goal of boosting domestic manufacturing. (Rebecca Noble/Bloomberg)

Taiwan’s main political parties have major differences in their approaches to China, but broadly support U.S. arms purchases and agree that Beijing is a threat to democratic Taiwan.

Chinese officials insist Taiwan’s status is an “internal affair.” Taiwan’s elected government rejects that, and so do most Taiwanese, who see Taiwan’s future as something only they should decide.

National Pingtung University Associate Professor Paul Lee is among those who think Xi Jinping is going to push the U.S. president hard on Taiwan. Speaking by phone, he told Fox News Digital that “Xi Jinping almost certainly wants one clear change from the U.S., he’ll want Trump to say the United States ‘opposes Taiwan independence’ rather than the language it uses now that is closer to ‘does not support Taiwan independence.’ To be frank, I don’t think President Trump sees Taiwan as that important – except as the producer of the world’s most advanced semiconductors, and as a source of some revenue from weapons sales.” Lee notes that the difference between “doesn’t support” and “opposes” may not seem like much for Trump, but for Xi, it would be viewed as a major victory.”

A procession of Taiwanese armed military vehicles patrols outside Songshan Airport in Taipei on Oct. 14, 2024, following China’s announcement of the Joint Sword-2024B military exercise encircling Taiwan. (Daniel Ceng/Anadolu)

For Taiwan’s ruling party, and anyone in Taiwan who supports moves by Lai and his predecessor to establish at home and abroad that Taiwan is not part of China, such a change in language would come as a blow as it implies that the U.S. does not agree with the people of Taiwan having the right to self-determination on their future, Lee explained, and he said Xi Jinping wouldn’t be satisfied with Trump simply saying a few sentences. 

“Trump has roughly three years left on his second term, and Xi will want to ensure the ‘oppose independence’ language translates into a new framework with new rules such as not letting Taiwan President Lai transit through the U.S., as one example. Xi knows U.S. presidents come and go, so the goal is to create a tacit agreement that Taiwan is in the Chinese sphere of influence, he said.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has instructed the Chinese Communist Party to assert influence for the country globally through a “United Front” strategy. He reviews troops during his inspection of the People’s Liberation Army garrison in the Macao Special Administrative Region on Dec. 20, 2024. (Li Gang/Xinhua via Getty Images)

Lee said China has been patiently waiting for an opportune moment, and the war in Iran, tariffs and other issues facing President Trump is presenting exactly that.

Lee said Taiwan’s government and academic community will closely scrutinize the official translations of what the two sides “agree” on. “Put simply,” Lee said, “if Xi Jinping agrees to help make things easier for Trump, Xi will not be satisfied with cryptically worded official press releases. He will want to see the beginning of a new U.S.-China framework for dealing with Taiwan.”

In a surprising turn of events, Dr. Carla Wyatt, a Democratic treasurer from Texas, found herself in legal trouble after an incident involving suspected intoxicated driving. The arrest unfolded when a police officer discovered her asleep at the wheel of her blue Toyota SUV, which was stationed in the left lane of a highway in Texas City. This occurrence took place just after 1:30 a.m. on a Saturday, as reported by the Houston Chronicle.

Dr. Wyatt, who made history as the first African American to be elected as Harris County’s treasurer, was allegedly in a state of confusion during the arrest. The officer on the scene turned off the vehicle’s engine before attempting to wake the 56-year-old from her slumber.

Upon awakening, Dr. Wyatt reportedly told the officer she believed she was “in heaven,” according to court documents obtained by KTRK. This interaction highlights an unusual and perhaps disoriented state of mind at the time of the incident.

Additionally, when questioned about her whereabouts, Wyatt mistakenly identified her location as Houston. In reality, she was in Texas City, which is approximately 42 miles away from Houston. As the financial steward for Texas’ most populous county, this situation has certainly raised eyebrows and concerns regarding her actions that night.

Wyatt, the financial watchdog for Texas’ most populous county, was asked about her location, to which she replied Houston – even though she was in Texas City – around 42 miles away.

She allegedly told the cop she was heading to Galveston for a conference due to start at 11:30 a.m.

She initially claimed she had one glass of wine before revising the figure to two. The cop could also smell alcohol on her.

Wyatt was swaying and sat on her car’s rear bumper to keep her balance, the officer said in their report.

Wyatt’s Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus test performance revealed some signs of impairment, but she allegedly refused to complete any more tests, according to the cop. 

She claimed she didn’t feel comfortable due to a previous left foot injury, KPRC reported, citing her arrest affidavit.

Wyatt was booked into the Galveston County jail for DWI before being released – and her lawyer, Christopher Downey, strongly denies there was any criminality.

“We are looking forward to obtaining the discovery in the case and investigating the basis for these charges,” he told Houston Public Media. 

“Just like any citizen, Dr. Wyatt should be accorded the presumption of innocence while these accusations remain unproven.”

Wyatt was previously booked on a driving while intoxicated charge in 2023 and recorded a blood-alcohol concentration of .365% – more than four times the legal limit of .08, according to KPRC.

That charge was dismissed in August last year after she completed a court program.

But she was accused of not installing an ignition interlock device on her car, according to her case report.

Wyatt was also arrested in December 2025 on a car burglary charge – which she was ultimately cleared over after a grand jury refused to indict.

She was accused of breaking into another driver’s car and rummaging through items inside.

It was unusual for a grand jury to consider the charge as it was a misdemeanor offense, but her defense welcomed the move.

“Doing so would help to remove any allegation that the charging decision — whether to proceed with a criminal prosecution or not — was politically motivated because it would have been reviewed by a panel of citizens and not just the DA’s office,” Downey told Houston Public Media.

It also emerged that Wyatt had received consultation for cerebrovascular disease and a mini-stroke.

Wyatt is seeking a second term as Harris County Treasurer and will face off against Republican candidate Marc Cowart in November. She was unopposed in the Democratic Party’s primary.

In November 2022, she defeated her Republican rival Kyle Scott by just over three percentage points.

Wyatt was on the ballot paper after defeating the then-Harris County Treasurer Dylan Osborne in the Democratic primary.

The Illinois Department of Public Health has launched an investigation into a suspected hantavirus case concerning a resident in Winnebago County, Illinois. Officials have clarified that this case is unrelated to any cruise ship outbreaks, as announced on Tuesday.

To confirm the diagnosis, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is carrying out further testing.

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The CDC has indicated that the process of obtaining test results could extend up to 10 days.

The individual in question may have contracted the virus during the process of cleaning a house contaminated with rodent droppings, according to the IDPH.

Dr. Alfredo Mena Lora, an Infectious Disease Specialist at Saint Anthony Hospital, explained, “We often encounter such cases when individuals clean areas where rodents have been present, potentially aerosolizing virus-laden urine or feces.”

The person is not seriously ill and is recovering after experiencing mild symptoms that did not require hospitalization, IDPH said.

The North American strain of the hantavirus, which the individual is believed to have potentially acquired, is not spread from person to person, IDPH said. This is different from the Andes strain associated with the MV Hondius cruise ship.

Hantavirus live updates: 16 at facility in Nebraska, 2 at hospital in Atlanta