‘Power player’ Elon Musk turns his gaze on Europe’s far-right politics
By Agence France-Presse
He demanded new elections in Britain, promoted Germany’s far-right, blasted the European Commission – and that is just the start. Elon Musk is pushing the hard-right in Europe, where progressives are grappling with how, or even whether, to contain him.
The interventions by the world’s wealthiest man – who also owns one of the planet’s largest megaphones, social media platform X – have already seen him secure unprecedented influence thanks to his proximity to US president-elect Donald Trump.
Now the evermore powerful Tesla and SpaceX chief is turning his gaze on Europe, where many governments are already grappling with the rise of populism and the far-right.
“(Keir) Starmer must go and he must face charges for his complicity in the worst mass crime in the history of Britain,” the multi-billionaire posted recently.
He was referring to the British prime minister’s time as chief state prosecutor in England and Wales, which coincided with a child grooming scandal – posting about it repeatedly on Friday.
Musk has also called for the release from prison of Tommy Robinson, an extremist agitator, and boosted the fringe anti-immigration Reform UK party, whose leader Nigel Farage he met with recently.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
By Agence France-Presse
He demanded new elections in Britain, promoted Germany’s far-right, blasted the European Commission – and that is just the start. Elon Musk is pushing the hard-right in Europe, where progressives are grappling with how, or even whether, to contain him.
The interventions by the world’s wealthiest man – who also owns one of the planet’s largest megaphones, social media platform X – have already seen him secure unprecedented influence thanks to his proximity to US president-elect Donald Trump.
Now the evermore powerful Tesla and SpaceX chief is turning his gaze on Europe, where many governments are already grappling with the rise of populism and the far-right.
“(Keir) Starmer must go and he must face charges for his complicity in the worst mass crime in the history of Britain,” the multi-billionaire posted recently.
He was referring to the British prime minister’s time as chief state prosecutor in England and Wales, which coincided with a child grooming scandal – posting about it repeatedly on Friday.
Musk has also called for the release from prison of Tommy Robinson, an extremist agitator, and boosted the fringe anti-immigration Reform UK party, whose leader Nigel Farage he met with recently.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
Hong Kong police arrest man over fatal stabbing outside public housing estate
By Jeffie Lam
Hong Kong police have arrested a man over his suspected connection with the murder of a victim who was repeatedly stabbed outside a public housing estate earlier this week.
The 56-year-old man was arrested in Ngau Tau Kok for alleged murder on Friday night, the force said, adding another 44-year-old woman was also arrested for allegedly misleading police officers during their investigation.
Both suspects were being detained for further inquiries.
On Thursday night, a 33-year-old man was found unconscious on the ground at Po Tin Estate in Tuen Mun, and was pronounced dead after being taken to Tuen Mun Hospital.
A source earlier said both the victim and suspect were drug users, and had previously had a conflict over issues involving a woman.
The source added the suspect approached the victim after he left the building and “repeatedly used a sharp object to stab him in the chest”.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
By Jeffie Lam
Hong Kong police have arrested a man over his suspected connection with the murder of a victim who was repeatedly stabbed outside a public housing estate earlier this week.
The 56-year-old man was arrested in Ngau Tau Kok for alleged murder on Friday night, the force said, adding another 44-year-old woman was also arrested for allegedly misleading police officers during their investigation.
Both suspects were being detained for further inquiries.
On Thursday night, a 33-year-old man was found unconscious on the ground at Po Tin Estate in Tuen Mun, and was pronounced dead after being taken to Tuen Mun Hospital.
A source earlier said both the victim and suspect were drug users, and had previously had a conflict over issues involving a woman.
The source added the suspect approached the victim after he left the building and “repeatedly used a sharp object to stab him in the chest”.
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Indonesia’s Widodo slams ‘baseless’ report listing him as leading corruption enabler
By Amy Sood
Former Indonesian president Joko Widodo has slammed a “baseless” report for listing him as one of the world’s leading individuals for enabling corruption in 2024, but analysts say the findings reflect significant setbacks in Jakarta’s fight against corruption during his tenure.
“Corruption? What corruption? What’s the proof? Just prove it,” Widodo told reporters on Tuesday at his residence in Solo, Central Java. “There’s so much slander, malicious framing, and baseless accusations nowadays. That’s what’s happening.”
His comments were in response to a report by the Amsterdam-based Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), which named Widodo a finalist in its annual list of individuals who have “done the most to advance crime and corruption globally thus damaging democracy and human rights”, with toppled Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad earning its ignominious “Person of the Year” award.
Other notable figures on the list included former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina, Kenyan President William Ruto, and Indian businessman Gautam Adani.
Popularly known as Jokowi, Widodo stepped down as president in October after completing two terms spanning a decade. While he was hailed for overseeing major transport and other development projects, his tenure was marred by concerns over the weakening of the anti-corruption agency and judiciary and democratic backsliding, which his critics say have enabled Widodo to maintain his and his family’s political influence.
Widodo blasted the OCCRP report as being politically motivated, saying: “People can use any vehicle to create such a horrible framing, whether through NGOs, political parties or mass organisations.”
via SCMP Full Text Feed
By Amy Sood
Former Indonesian president Joko Widodo has slammed a “baseless” report for listing him as one of the world’s leading individuals for enabling corruption in 2024, but analysts say the findings reflect significant setbacks in Jakarta’s fight against corruption during his tenure.
“Corruption? What corruption? What’s the proof? Just prove it,” Widodo told reporters on Tuesday at his residence in Solo, Central Java. “There’s so much slander, malicious framing, and baseless accusations nowadays. That’s what’s happening.”
His comments were in response to a report by the Amsterdam-based Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), which named Widodo a finalist in its annual list of individuals who have “done the most to advance crime and corruption globally thus damaging democracy and human rights”, with toppled Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad earning its ignominious “Person of the Year” award.
Other notable figures on the list included former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina, Kenyan President William Ruto, and Indian businessman Gautam Adani.
Popularly known as Jokowi, Widodo stepped down as president in October after completing two terms spanning a decade. While he was hailed for overseeing major transport and other development projects, his tenure was marred by concerns over the weakening of the anti-corruption agency and judiciary and democratic backsliding, which his critics say have enabled Widodo to maintain his and his family’s political influence.
Widodo blasted the OCCRP report as being politically motivated, saying: “People can use any vehicle to create such a horrible framing, whether through NGOs, political parties or mass organisations.”
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How a Hong Kong DJ is bringing tunes of Joey Yung, Eason Chan to world
By Lo Hoi-ying
With his trademark Hawaiian shirts and skills on the turntable, Cantopop DJ Pete Sabine knows full well how to captivate the crowd with surprising remixes.
In one of his sets, he blended nostalgic Cantonese cartoon theme songs with the jingle from Japanese discount chain Don Don Donki.
The 43-year-old Hongkonger, born to British and American parents, has a knack for gauging the audience’s mood when playing his Cantopop remixes for hours with seamless transitions.
“Mee & Gee is something I play in almost every set and the crowd would open a circle pit. The lyrics are very easy to learn and not too serious,” he told the Post at his studio, referring to a song by indie band NYPD about a trip to a second-hand clothing store in Hong Kong.
At a performance at the West Kowloon Cultural District in November, the Post observed that a few young attendees inched closer to the stage, exclaiming in surprise and awe that a Caucasian DJ was behind the string of hit tracks.
“Sometimes I would receive direct messages from people who were surprised that I could speak Cantonese and that I was the one who put together the set lists,” he said.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
By Lo Hoi-ying
With his trademark Hawaiian shirts and skills on the turntable, Cantopop DJ Pete Sabine knows full well how to captivate the crowd with surprising remixes.
In one of his sets, he blended nostalgic Cantonese cartoon theme songs with the jingle from Japanese discount chain Don Don Donki.
The 43-year-old Hongkonger, born to British and American parents, has a knack for gauging the audience’s mood when playing his Cantopop remixes for hours with seamless transitions.
“Mee & Gee is something I play in almost every set and the crowd would open a circle pit. The lyrics are very easy to learn and not too serious,” he told the Post at his studio, referring to a song by indie band NYPD about a trip to a second-hand clothing store in Hong Kong.
At a performance at the West Kowloon Cultural District in November, the Post observed that a few young attendees inched closer to the stage, exclaiming in surprise and awe that a Caucasian DJ was behind the string of hit tracks.
“Sometimes I would receive direct messages from people who were surprised that I could speak Cantonese and that I was the one who put together the set lists,” he said.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
Shock as China vice-principal’s affair with ex pupil exposed amid US$96,000 loan row
By Yating Yang
Controversy has erupted over a school vice principal in China who has been accused of having an extramarital affair one of her former male students.
The reported relationship between the teacher and her former student, who is more than 10 years her junior, came to light after the latter sought the return of what he claims is 700,000 yuan (US$96,000) in money and gifts she solicited from him during their five years together.
The financial claim led to a report being made to the educational authorities about her conduct, sparking a public outcry.
In a video posted online, a man surnamed He, accused Xie Jiaxiong, his former vice principal from Ningxiang, Hunan province, in central China, of having an extramarital affair with him.
According to He, Xie was also at one point his secondary school teacher.
At that time, He was attracted to Xie and she responded by complimenting his looks.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
By Yating Yang
Controversy has erupted over a school vice principal in China who has been accused of having an extramarital affair one of her former male students.
The reported relationship between the teacher and her former student, who is more than 10 years her junior, came to light after the latter sought the return of what he claims is 700,000 yuan (US$96,000) in money and gifts she solicited from him during their five years together.
The financial claim led to a report being made to the educational authorities about her conduct, sparking a public outcry.
In a video posted online, a man surnamed He, accused Xie Jiaxiong, his former vice principal from Ningxiang, Hunan province, in central China, of having an extramarital affair with him.
According to He, Xie was also at one point his secondary school teacher.
At that time, He was attracted to Xie and she responded by complimenting his looks.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
China hits record panda bond issuance in 2024, with analysts bullish for 2025
By Alice Li
The issuance of “panda bonds” – yuan-denominated debt securities from overseas institutions operating in China – hit a record high in 2024, bolstered by lower funding costs and heightened efforts from Beijing to expand use of the currency.
Analysts expect even more growth this year, given the country’s need to shore up its economy and a long-term campaign to widen adoption of the yuan for international settlements.
China saw 109 issuances of panda bonds last year at a volume of 194.8 billion yuan (US$26.7 billion) according to Wind, a Chinese financial data provider. This marked a 16 per cent increase in the number of issuances and a 26 per cent year-on-year rise in value.
“The yield differential between China and the world is the primary driver, which is also supported by the previous change in using proceeds for repatriation,” said Gary Ng, a senior economist at Natixis.
“In addition, more sovereign issuers seek to diversify their forex funding exposure.”
To stimulate market liquidity, the People’s Bank of China made cuts to interest rates and reduced the reserve requirement ratio last year, which in turn helped lower borrowing costs for issuers.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
By Alice Li
The issuance of “panda bonds” – yuan-denominated debt securities from overseas institutions operating in China – hit a record high in 2024, bolstered by lower funding costs and heightened efforts from Beijing to expand use of the currency.
Analysts expect even more growth this year, given the country’s need to shore up its economy and a long-term campaign to widen adoption of the yuan for international settlements.
China saw 109 issuances of panda bonds last year at a volume of 194.8 billion yuan (US$26.7 billion) according to Wind, a Chinese financial data provider. This marked a 16 per cent increase in the number of issuances and a 26 per cent year-on-year rise in value.
“The yield differential between China and the world is the primary driver, which is also supported by the previous change in using proceeds for repatriation,” said Gary Ng, a senior economist at Natixis.
“In addition, more sovereign issuers seek to diversify their forex funding exposure.”
To stimulate market liquidity, the People’s Bank of China made cuts to interest rates and reduced the reserve requirement ratio last year, which in turn helped lower borrowing costs for issuers.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
TikTok knew its live-streams exploit children, Utah lawsuit claims
By Reuters
TikTok has long known its video live-streams encourage sexual conduct and exploit children yet turned a blind eye because it “profited significantly” from them, according to newly unsealed material in a lawsuit by the state of Utah.
The accusations were made public on Friday, ahead of a January 19 ban on TikTok in the United States unless its China-based owner, ByteDance, sells the popular social media app.
US president-elect Donald Trump has asked the US Supreme Court to put that ban on hold. TikTok, for its part, has said it prioritises safe live-streaming.
Utah’s original lawsuit accusing TikTok of exploiting children was filed last June by the state’s Division of Consumer Protection, with state Attorney General Sean Reyes saying the TikTok Live streaming feature created a “virtual strip club” by connecting victims to adult predators in real time.
Citing internal TikTok employee communications and compliance reports, Friday’s largely unredacted complaint said TikTok learned of the threats Live posed through a series of internal reviews into the feature.
It said an investigation known as Project Meramec uncovered in early 2022 how hundreds of thousands of 13-to-15-year-olds bypassed Live’s minimum-age restrictions.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
By Reuters
TikTok has long known its video live-streams encourage sexual conduct and exploit children yet turned a blind eye because it “profited significantly” from them, according to newly unsealed material in a lawsuit by the state of Utah.
The accusations were made public on Friday, ahead of a January 19 ban on TikTok in the United States unless its China-based owner, ByteDance, sells the popular social media app.
US president-elect Donald Trump has asked the US Supreme Court to put that ban on hold. TikTok, for its part, has said it prioritises safe live-streaming.
Utah’s original lawsuit accusing TikTok of exploiting children was filed last June by the state’s Division of Consumer Protection, with state Attorney General Sean Reyes saying the TikTok Live streaming feature created a “virtual strip club” by connecting victims to adult predators in real time.
Citing internal TikTok employee communications and compliance reports, Friday’s largely unredacted complaint said TikTok learned of the threats Live posed through a series of internal reviews into the feature.
It said an investigation known as Project Meramec uncovered in early 2022 how hundreds of thousands of 13-to-15-year-olds bypassed Live’s minimum-age restrictions.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
Chinese dams to be discussed during Jake Sullivan’s India visit, official says
By Reuters
US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan will visit New Delhi on tomorrow and Monday and Washington expects discussions about the impact of Chinese upstream dams with Indian counterparts during the visit, a senior US official said late on Friday.
Washington also expected topics such as civilian nuclear cooperation, artificial intelligence, space, military licensing and Chinese economic overcapacity to be brought up while Sullivan is in the capital, the official said.
US officials will not be meeting the Dalai Lama during the visit, another US official said.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, meanwhile, will visit South Korea for talks next week, Seoul’s foreign ministry said on Friday, with the country mired in political turmoil as its impeached president resists arrest.
South Korea is a key security ally for Washington but the country has been wracked by a crisis sparked by President Yoon Suk-yeol’s failed martial law decree on December 3.
Blinken will meet his counterpart Cho Tae-yul on Monday, Seoul’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
By Reuters
US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan will visit New Delhi on tomorrow and Monday and Washington expects discussions about the impact of Chinese upstream dams with Indian counterparts during the visit, a senior US official said late on Friday.
Washington also expected topics such as civilian nuclear cooperation, artificial intelligence, space, military licensing and Chinese economic overcapacity to be brought up while Sullivan is in the capital, the official said.
US officials will not be meeting the Dalai Lama during the visit, another US official said.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, meanwhile, will visit South Korea for talks next week, Seoul’s foreign ministry said on Friday, with the country mired in political turmoil as its impeached president resists arrest.
South Korea is a key security ally for Washington but the country has been wracked by a crisis sparked by President Yoon Suk-yeol’s failed martial law decree on December 3.
Blinken will meet his counterpart Cho Tae-yul on Monday, Seoul’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
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Beijing’s pilot zone for economic integration with Taiwan running out of steam
By Amber Wang
Fujian province has become a test bed for mainland China’s push for economic, social and political integration with Taiwan. In this story – third in a four-part on-the-ground series – Amber Wang examines the rise and fall of the Pingtan economic pilot zone that was once a major draw for Taiwanese businesses, workers and investment.
In 2014, when President Xi Jinping visited a mainland Chinese plant operated by TPK Holding, a leading Taiwanese touch screen manufacturer, the company was held up as a symbol of Beijing’s ambitious promotion of cross-strait economic integration.
A decade later, on a Friday morning in November, the factory in Pingtan, Fujian province, which was once featured on prime-time state television as a success story, appears deserted with its gates locked and rusting, and the production site seemingly abandoned. A security guard said the plant was closed and the company was not hiring, as a dog inside the gate barked at anyone who approached.
Local Taiwanese entrepreneurs refer to the project as a “textbook” failure that shows the exodus of Taiwanese businesspeople from Pingtan, which was designated a pilot zone for cross-strait integration in 2009.
The economic aspect was meant to be part of Beijing’s broader integration strategy and was combined with punitive policies and military pressure on what it sees as the island’s pro-independence forces.
But many Taiwanese businesses that moved to Pingtan in the past 15 years, including TPK, are not doing as well as they used to, with analysts describing the progress of economic integration in Pingtan as “limited”.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
By Amber Wang
Fujian province has become a test bed for mainland China’s push for economic, social and political integration with Taiwan. In this story – third in a four-part on-the-ground series – Amber Wang examines the rise and fall of the Pingtan economic pilot zone that was once a major draw for Taiwanese businesses, workers and investment.
In 2014, when President Xi Jinping visited a mainland Chinese plant operated by TPK Holding, a leading Taiwanese touch screen manufacturer, the company was held up as a symbol of Beijing’s ambitious promotion of cross-strait economic integration.
A decade later, on a Friday morning in November, the factory in Pingtan, Fujian province, which was once featured on prime-time state television as a success story, appears deserted with its gates locked and rusting, and the production site seemingly abandoned. A security guard said the plant was closed and the company was not hiring, as a dog inside the gate barked at anyone who approached.
Local Taiwanese entrepreneurs refer to the project as a “textbook” failure that shows the exodus of Taiwanese businesspeople from Pingtan, which was designated a pilot zone for cross-strait integration in 2009.
The economic aspect was meant to be part of Beijing’s broader integration strategy and was combined with punitive policies and military pressure on what it sees as the island’s pro-independence forces.
But many Taiwanese businesses that moved to Pingtan in the past 15 years, including TPK, are not doing as well as they used to, with analysts describing the progress of economic integration in Pingtan as “limited”.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
Sentencing in Trump’s hush money case set for January 10 but judge signals no jail time
By Associated Press
In an extraordinary turn, a judge on Friday set US president-elect Donald Trump’s sentencing in his hush money case for January 10 – little over a week before he is set to return to the White House – but indicated he would not be jailed.
The development nevertheless leaves Trump on course to be the first president to take office convicted of felony crimes.
Judge Juan M. Merchan, who presided over Trump’s trial, signalled in a written decision that he would sentence the former and future president to what is known as a conditional discharge, in which a case gets dismissed if a defendant avoids rearrest.
Merchan rejected Trump’s push to dismiss the verdict and throw out the case on presidential immunity grounds and because of his impending return to the White House. The judge said he found “no legal impediment to sentencing” Trump and that it was “incumbent” on him to sentence Trump before his swearing-in on January 20.
“Only by bringing finality to this matter” will the interests of justice be served, Merchan wrote.
Trump was convicted in May of 34 counts of falsifying business records. They involved an alleged scheme to hide a hush money payment to porn actor Stormy Daniels in the last weeks of Trump’s first campaign in 2016. The payout was made to keep her from publicising claims she had had sex with the married Trump years earlier. He says that her story is false and that he did nothing wrong.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
By Associated Press
In an extraordinary turn, a judge on Friday set US president-elect Donald Trump’s sentencing in his hush money case for January 10 – little over a week before he is set to return to the White House – but indicated he would not be jailed.
The development nevertheless leaves Trump on course to be the first president to take office convicted of felony crimes.
Judge Juan M. Merchan, who presided over Trump’s trial, signalled in a written decision that he would sentence the former and future president to what is known as a conditional discharge, in which a case gets dismissed if a defendant avoids rearrest.
Merchan rejected Trump’s push to dismiss the verdict and throw out the case on presidential immunity grounds and because of his impending return to the White House. The judge said he found “no legal impediment to sentencing” Trump and that it was “incumbent” on him to sentence Trump before his swearing-in on January 20.
“Only by bringing finality to this matter” will the interests of justice be served, Merchan wrote.
Trump was convicted in May of 34 counts of falsifying business records. They involved an alleged scheme to hide a hush money payment to porn actor Stormy Daniels in the last weeks of Trump’s first campaign in 2016. The payout was made to keep her from publicising claims she had had sex with the married Trump years earlier. He says that her story is false and that he did nothing wrong.
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How Global South can resist US hegemony and its isolationism
By Peter T. C. Chang
US foreign policy is torn between president-elect Donald Trump’s transactional nationalism and the establishment’s fixation with global primacy. To achieve a more inclusive and equitable world order, the Global South must strategically counterbalance these contrasting American tendencies.
This year, Malaysia will chair the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), under the theme of “inclusivity and sustainability”. The new year also marks Malaysia’s entry into the Brics grouping as a partner country, alongside Belarus, Bolivia, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Thailand, Uganda and Uzbekistan.
Malaysia is also scheduled to host the Asean-Gulf Cooperation Council summit with a notable invitation extended to Chinese President Xi Jinping. These developments underscore a broader movement – the Global South’s continued pursuit of a more representative and just global order and an alternative to the prevailing Western-centric international framework.
Meanwhile, even before his inauguration, the prospect of Trump 2.0 has already sent shock waves across the globe. True to form, Trump remains unpredictable, delivering a flurry of mixed messages.
He has threatened retaliation against any Brics-led efforts to undermine the US dollar, extended an invitation to Xi to attend his inauguration and suggested that the US and China can solve all the world’s problems together. However, Trump’s deal-making track record, exemplified by the Hanoi summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, has largely failed to produce substantive outcomes.
Though unpredictable, one constant about Trump is his staunchly nationalistic world view. He perceives US global commitments as detrimental to American interests and believes that to “Make America Great Again”, the US must scale back its involvement in alliances. Indeed, Trump has shown little interest in upholding or defending the US-led international order.
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By Peter T. C. Chang
US foreign policy is torn between president-elect Donald Trump’s transactional nationalism and the establishment’s fixation with global primacy. To achieve a more inclusive and equitable world order, the Global South must strategically counterbalance these contrasting American tendencies.
This year, Malaysia will chair the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), under the theme of “inclusivity and sustainability”. The new year also marks Malaysia’s entry into the Brics grouping as a partner country, alongside Belarus, Bolivia, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Thailand, Uganda and Uzbekistan.
Malaysia is also scheduled to host the Asean-Gulf Cooperation Council summit with a notable invitation extended to Chinese President Xi Jinping. These developments underscore a broader movement – the Global South’s continued pursuit of a more representative and just global order and an alternative to the prevailing Western-centric international framework.
Meanwhile, even before his inauguration, the prospect of Trump 2.0 has already sent shock waves across the globe. True to form, Trump remains unpredictable, delivering a flurry of mixed messages.
He has threatened retaliation against any Brics-led efforts to undermine the US dollar, extended an invitation to Xi to attend his inauguration and suggested that the US and China can solve all the world’s problems together. However, Trump’s deal-making track record, exemplified by the Hanoi summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, has largely failed to produce substantive outcomes.
Though unpredictable, one constant about Trump is his staunchly nationalistic world view. He perceives US global commitments as detrimental to American interests and believes that to “Make America Great Again”, the US must scale back its involvement in alliances. Indeed, Trump has shown little interest in upholding or defending the US-led international order.
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Meta taps US Republican Joel Kaplan to replace Nick Clegg as leader of global policy team
By Agence France-Presse
Former British deputy prime minister Nick Clegg said on Thursday he is stepping down from his role as president of Meta’s global affairs and will be replaced by Republican stalwart Joel Kaplan.
Clegg joined Meta in late 2018 as the company grappled with the fallout of the Cambridge Analytica privacy scandal.
Clegg ceding his job to Kaplan, who served as deputy chief of staff for policy under then-president George W Bush from 2006-2009, comes as Republican Donald Trump is set to return to the White House.
“As a new year begins, I have come to the view that this is the right time for me to move on,” Clegg said in a post on social media.
“I hope I have played some role in seeking to bridge the very different worlds of tech and politics - worlds that will continue to interact in unpredictable ways across the globe.”
Clegg referred to his years as Meta as an adventure, saying that when he arrived at the company it was undergoing rapid growth that brought with it scrutiny and controversy.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
By Agence France-Presse
Former British deputy prime minister Nick Clegg said on Thursday he is stepping down from his role as president of Meta’s global affairs and will be replaced by Republican stalwart Joel Kaplan.
Clegg joined Meta in late 2018 as the company grappled with the fallout of the Cambridge Analytica privacy scandal.
Clegg ceding his job to Kaplan, who served as deputy chief of staff for policy under then-president George W Bush from 2006-2009, comes as Republican Donald Trump is set to return to the White House.
“As a new year begins, I have come to the view that this is the right time for me to move on,” Clegg said in a post on social media.
“I hope I have played some role in seeking to bridge the very different worlds of tech and politics - worlds that will continue to interact in unpredictable ways across the globe.”
Clegg referred to his years as Meta as an adventure, saying that when he arrived at the company it was undergoing rapid growth that brought with it scrutiny and controversy.
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