CANBERRA, Australia: After his home minister said Beijing’s unveiling of a security deal with the nearby Solomon Islands was timed to influence Australian elections, Prime Minister Scott Morrison agreed, accusing China of interfering in foreign politics. With most polls predicting defeat for his conservative coalition in Australia’s May 21 election, Morrison has sought to highlight […]
NEW DELHI, India: As scorching temperatures forced the early closures of schools and sent people indoors, India is facing its worst electricity shortage in more than six years. This week, extreme heat has affected large swathes of South Asia, and India recorded its hottest March on record, leading Prime Minister Narendra Modi to warn of […]
NEW YORK CITY, New York: A survey released last week by the Pew Research Center showed unfavorable opinions about China among Americans have hit a new high, with more than 90 percent of adults in the U.S. saying China’s partnership with Russia is a problem. As Western governments have complained about Beijing using economic and […]
NEW YORK CITY, New York: According to a Reuters/Ipsos poll completed this week, 73 percent of Americans support the efforts of the United States to supply Ukraine with weapons, the highest level of support since the start of the Russian invasion in February. The two-day poll comes as a senior Russian official warned that the […]
LOS ANGELES, California: In southern California, some 6 million people must cut their outdoor watering to one day a week due to an extended drought that has hit the state following another dry winter. This week, the board of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California declared a water shortage emergency and is requiring certain […]
NEW YORK CITY, New York: After last week’s mass shooting on board a Manhattan-bound N train in Sunset Park, New York Mayor Eric Adams said he is considering three types of metal detectors to be purchased for the city’s subway system. During a news conference, Adams said he is delegating the task of researching the […]
SEOUL, South Korea: As the Omicron surge is beginning to show signs of waning, South Korea announced that it will lift most COVID-19 pandemic-related restrictions next week, including a midnight curfew on restaurants, though the public will still need to wear masks. Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum told a coronavirus response meeting that beginning 18th April, […]
TAIPEI, China: After completing a five-year sentence, a Taiwanese activist jailed in China, Li Ming-che, returned to Taiwan last week. Li, a community college lecturer and activist at a human rights non-governmental organization in Taiwan, disappeared while visiting China in 2017. Later that year, a Chinese court found him guilty of subversion in a trial […]
MOSCOW, Russia: Vladimir Kara-Murza, 40, a prominent Russian opposition activist, was sentenced to 15 days in jail in Moscow for disobeying police orders while leaving his home on Monday night. An outspoken critic of the invasion of Ukraine, Kara-Murza, 40, was accused of “changing his walking pace and trying to escape” when police approached him […]
YANGON, Myanmar – Myanmar’s military has begun releasing over 1,600 prisoners to commemorate the Southeast Asian country’s traditional New Year celebrations. Still, no political detainees have been released despite the country’s ruling general promising to restore peace this year. According to an activist group, the Assistance Association of Political Prisoners (AAPP), the military has arrested […]
