Author: Harry Yeung

Indonesia Passes Jobs Bill; Opposition Protests

On October 5th, Indonesia passed President Joko Widodo’s flagship “job creation” bill. Seven out of nine Parliament parties voted to approve the omnibus, which, according to the New York Times, will slash labor and environmental regulations contained in 80 separate laws. Indonesia is the world’s fourth most populous country, and

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Australian TV Anchor Detained In China

On August 14, Australian TV host Cheng Lei was detained in Beijing as relations between China and Australia continue to worsen. According to CNN, the Australian government received a “formal notification” of Cheng’s detention and has since been in contact with her over video chat. According to the BBC, she

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China Says Hong Kong Suspends Extradition Agreement With New Zealand

On August 3rd, Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Wang Wenbin (汪文斌) announced that Hong Kong would suspend its extradition treaty with New Zealand. This move came in response to New Zealand’s announcement on July 27th that it would suspend its extradition treaty with Hong Kong, following numerous other Western

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China Releases Plan For Hong Kong Security Law

On June 20, the Chinese government released a blueprint for its new national security law. According to a CNN article dated June 21, the bill would allow Chinese officials to establish a national security office in Hong Kong. A Global Times article dated June 20 adds that Hong Kong’s chief

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U.S.-China Tensions Flare with Senator’s Comments

On June 7th, U.S. Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) accused China of trying to block the development of a Coronavirus vaccine in the West, sparking further controversy between the two nations. According to a BBC article dated June 7th, Scott provided no details to back his claims. China meanwhile, released a

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Hong Kong Security Chief Says Security Law Needed “To Tackle Terrorism”

On May 25th, Hong Kong Security Chief John Lee said that China’s proposed security law is necessary “to tackle terrorism” brought about by protesters. According to the Guardian, the law would ban any activities that undermine Chinese national security, including separatism, subversion, sedition, and terrorism. It comes in response to

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Taiwan Excluded From Key WHO Meeting

The World Health Organization (WHO) will not extend an invitation to Taiwan to attend this week’s World Health Assembly (WHA), the WHO’s annual meeting. According to a Reuters article dated May 17, the decision comes after the WHO faced pressure from China to exclude Taiwan from the assembly unless it

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Brazil Launches Military Operations To Combat Deforestation In The Amazon

On May 11th, Brazil’s government deployed thousands of soldiers to combat deforestation in the Amazon rainforest. The troops are working with the police, environmental officials, and other government agencies to prevent wildfires and illegal destructive activities (such as logging). According to a Reuters article dated May 11th, the operation costs

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Iran Threatens “Crushing Response” If Arms Embargo Extended

On May 6, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani promised a “crushing response” and “serious consequences” if the United States extends the arms embargo on Iranian trade of conventional arms. The statement comes after the United States drafted a United Nations resolution to indefinitely extend the embargo, which was set to be

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Iraq Reinstates Reuters After Suspension

On April 19th, the Iraqi Communications and Media Commission (CMC) announced that it would lift the temporary suspension of Reuters’ license to work in the country. The action comes after Iraq suspended Reuters on April 14th after it published an article reporting a higher number of COVID-19 cases in Iraq

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India’s COVID-19 Lockdown Ravages Rural Poor

On March 24th, Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, imposed a 21-day lockdown of India, one of the strictest and largest lockdowns in the world in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and despite a relatively low incidence of infection (5,865 of a population of 1.3 billion as of today). As it has

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