Robert Mugabe, who has died aged 95, used repression and fear to hold on to power in Zimbabwe for 37 years until he was finally ousted when his previously loyal military generals turned against him. After his humiliating fall from office in November 2017, his phenomenal physical stamina seeped away rapidly. First heralded as a […]
by Poornima WEERASEKARA From penalising irresponsible dog owners to blacklisting dissenters, critics warn China’s social credit system enables authorities to define “desirable and undesirable behaviour” and could allow unprecedented control of citizen’s lives. The fledgling initiative has sparked fears the authoritarian state is tightening its grip on an already heavily monitored public, ensuring that only […]
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Thursday accused Beijing of using “arbitrary detentions” as a tool in pursuit of political goals — the latest broadside in a diplomatic and trade row with China. Western allies, he said, have expressed concerns about the tactic that observers described as “hostage diplomacy.” Canada’s relations with China soured after […]
Canada nominated a key economic advisor on Wednesday as its new ambassador to China, hoping to kickstart dialogue and ease a diplomatic standoff with the world’s second largest economy. Ugandan-born, Oxford-educated Dominic Barton, 56, helped shape the economic policies of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government and is said to be well-known in Beijing, which must […]
by Jerome TAYLOR / Yan ZHAO Hong Kong’s leader on Thursday urged pro-democracy protesters to end their demonstrations after her surprise decision to bow to one of their key demands was condemned as too little, too late. Carrie Lam, the city’s pro-Beijing chief executive, surprised many on Wednesday when after three months of rallies she […]
Hundreds of Chinese accounts suspended by Twitter were part of a disinformation operation for years targeting critics of China’s ruling Communist Party, Australian researchers have found. After combing through 3.6 million tweets from 940 suspended Twitter accounts, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute said the accounts had conducted “blunt-force influence” campaigns for “at least two years”. […]
An event venue in the southern United States refused to host a mixed race couple’s wedding, stating that the union went against its “Christian beliefs,” in a viral video that has drawn a barrage of criticism. The husband-and-wife-to-be — he black and she white — had been in contact with Boone’s Camp Event Hall in […]
The US Defense Department said Tuesday it was freeing up $3.6 billion in funds budgeted for other projects to build a wall on the Mexican border as ordered by President Donald Trump. Six weeks after being confirmed by Congress, Defense Secretary Mike Esper has signed off on the diversion of funds from 127 “deferred military […]
China reasserted its backing for North Korea on Tuesday as its foreign minister visited Pyongyang, vowing to maintain “close communication” with its longstanding ally in the face of deadlocked nuclear talks with Washington. Beijing has long been North Korea’s key diplomatic backer and main provider of trade and aid, and while ties deteriorated over Pyongyang’s […]
