China’s advanced Z-20 helicopter model spotted on coastguard ship in ‘second navy’ boost
By Hayley Wong
A model of China’s advanced Z-20 helicopter has been spotted on a coastguard frigate – suggesting the multirole aircraft could be ready to join the paramilitary force.
Photos circulating on Chinese social media platform Weibo over the past week showed a model of the 10-tonne helicopter sitting on the flight deck of a docked Type 054 Chinese coastguard frigate.
Cranes in the dockyard bore the acronym for Guangzhou-based Huangpu Wenchong Shipbuilding Company, a subsidiary of state-owned China State Shipbuilding Corporation.
The Z-20 medium-lift helicopter, seen as the Chinese answer to America’s Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk, has a longer range and higher capacity than the smaller Z-9 that is usually deployed on coastguard frigates.
China debuted the ship-borne version of the Z-20 at the Zhuhai Airshow last month. This version will be incorporated into the navy. The first Z-20, developed by Harbin Aircraft Industry Group, entered into service in 2018.
Song Zhongping, a military commentator and former People’s Liberation Army (PLA) instructor, said the flight deck of China’s existing Type 054 CCG frigates cannot accommodate Z-20 helicopters.
But the newer-generation Type 054B frigate features a larger flight deck and hangar that could host the Z-20, he said, adding that Type 054B frigates, also known as the Type 054AG, would “possibly be soon in service” with the coastguard.
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By Hayley Wong
A model of China’s advanced Z-20 helicopter has been spotted on a coastguard frigate – suggesting the multirole aircraft could be ready to join the paramilitary force.
Photos circulating on Chinese social media platform Weibo over the past week showed a model of the 10-tonne helicopter sitting on the flight deck of a docked Type 054 Chinese coastguard frigate.
Cranes in the dockyard bore the acronym for Guangzhou-based Huangpu Wenchong Shipbuilding Company, a subsidiary of state-owned China State Shipbuilding Corporation.
The Z-20 medium-lift helicopter, seen as the Chinese answer to America’s Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk, has a longer range and higher capacity than the smaller Z-9 that is usually deployed on coastguard frigates.
China debuted the ship-borne version of the Z-20 at the Zhuhai Airshow last month. This version will be incorporated into the navy. The first Z-20, developed by Harbin Aircraft Industry Group, entered into service in 2018.
Song Zhongping, a military commentator and former People’s Liberation Army (PLA) instructor, said the flight deck of China’s existing Type 054 CCG frigates cannot accommodate Z-20 helicopters.
But the newer-generation Type 054B frigate features a larger flight deck and hangar that could host the Z-20, he said, adding that Type 054B frigates, also known as the Type 054AG, would “possibly be soon in service” with the coastguard.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
30,000 village homes inspected in Hong Kong have illegal structures: minister
By Edith Lin
Half of the more than 60,000 village houses inspected in Hong Kong have unauthorised structures, but authorities plan to give the owners with minor illegal additions a grace period before ordering removal work due to the huge volume of cases, the development minister has said.
Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn Hon-ho admitted the amount of manpower at the Buildings Department required tackling the problem in stages, noting another 30,000 homes still needed to be inspected.
She estimated the department was aware of village houses in the New Territories with about 100,000 illegal structures of varying sizes, adding that inspection had found additional floors and enclosed balconies.
To cope with the volume, authorities earlier this month suggested the resumption of a scheme giving affected owners a grace period before being required to remove the structures.
The government launched the programme in 2011 as part of an effort to tackle rampant illegal additions to homes across northern Hong Kong.
Homeowners were offered the chance to declare to authorities minor unauthorised additions built prior to June 28 of that year, with the deadline for registration ending in 2012. By coming forward, the owners would not be issued with an immediate order to remove the structure, but they were required to hire registered professionals to check them every five years, until authorities finally demanded the additions be removed.
The government was still collecting views about the relaunch of the scheme, including the deadline for declaration, but Linn said the government did not plan to include unauthorised structures built on or after June 28, 2011.
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By Edith Lin
Half of the more than 60,000 village houses inspected in Hong Kong have unauthorised structures, but authorities plan to give the owners with minor illegal additions a grace period before ordering removal work due to the huge volume of cases, the development minister has said.
Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn Hon-ho admitted the amount of manpower at the Buildings Department required tackling the problem in stages, noting another 30,000 homes still needed to be inspected.
She estimated the department was aware of village houses in the New Territories with about 100,000 illegal structures of varying sizes, adding that inspection had found additional floors and enclosed balconies.
To cope with the volume, authorities earlier this month suggested the resumption of a scheme giving affected owners a grace period before being required to remove the structures.
The government launched the programme in 2011 as part of an effort to tackle rampant illegal additions to homes across northern Hong Kong.
Homeowners were offered the chance to declare to authorities minor unauthorised additions built prior to June 28 of that year, with the deadline for registration ending in 2012. By coming forward, the owners would not be issued with an immediate order to remove the structure, but they were required to hire registered professionals to check them every five years, until authorities finally demanded the additions be removed.
The government was still collecting views about the relaunch of the scheme, including the deadline for declaration, but Linn said the government did not plan to include unauthorised structures built on or after June 28, 2011.
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Guangdong fossil find just one of several discoveries by Hong Kong rocks fan
By Vivian Au
Erik Yip Hang-wing is the first Hongkonger to find dinosaur egg fossils in mainland China, but the geopark guide has revealed he had made similar discoveries in Europe in the past.
Yip found six fossilised dinosaur eggs at a park in Guangdong province’s Heyuan last month while travelling with a companion, another Hong Kong tourist. Mainland Chinese authorities will further analyse the species involved.
But Yip told the Post that it was not his first fossil discovery.
“I found fossils five or six times in Europe before,” he said, adding that they included marine types and were discovered in countries such as Britain and Italy.
He revealed that he had mainly found shell fossils, including sea lily, in the mountains or by the seaside around 10 years ago in Europe.
Yip also recalled finding a fossil about eight years ago at the seaside in Taitung, Taiwan.
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By Vivian Au
Erik Yip Hang-wing is the first Hongkonger to find dinosaur egg fossils in mainland China, but the geopark guide has revealed he had made similar discoveries in Europe in the past.
Yip found six fossilised dinosaur eggs at a park in Guangdong province’s Heyuan last month while travelling with a companion, another Hong Kong tourist. Mainland Chinese authorities will further analyse the species involved.
But Yip told the Post that it was not his first fossil discovery.
“I found fossils five or six times in Europe before,” he said, adding that they included marine types and were discovered in countries such as Britain and Italy.
He revealed that he had mainly found shell fossils, including sea lily, in the mountains or by the seaside around 10 years ago in Europe.
Yip also recalled finding a fossil about eight years ago at the seaside in Taitung, Taiwan.
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Why China’s goal of football greatness is still a long shot despite renewed focus
By Xinlu Liang
At a key meeting on Monday of the State Council, China’s cabinet, officials were urged to “revitalise and develop” the country’s football industry and bring it into a “new phase”.
It was an unexpected agenda item at a meeting, chaired by Premier Li Qiang, that was largely focused on implementing decisions from the Communist Party’s central economic work conference.
This renewed focus on the game – one of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s favourite sports – comes as a sweeping anti-corruption investigation has put several high-ranking football officials in prison.
However, observers note that while Xi has driven reforms in the sport, persistent corruption and unsustainable finances have hindered his vision of establishing one of the world’s strongest football teams by 2050.
At an annual football seminar on Monday, Song Kai, chairman of the Chinese Football Association (CFA), called for improvements in practical skills, youth development, and local support to foster Chinese football, the official Soccer News reported.
In the past year, there have been interdepartmental efforts to promote integration of sports and education, dramatic transitions in the professional league, and sentencing in football-related corruption cases, according to the report.
All of these “signal a strong determination to break from past practices” and foster future growth, it said.
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By Xinlu Liang
At a key meeting on Monday of the State Council, China’s cabinet, officials were urged to “revitalise and develop” the country’s football industry and bring it into a “new phase”.
It was an unexpected agenda item at a meeting, chaired by Premier Li Qiang, that was largely focused on implementing decisions from the Communist Party’s central economic work conference.
This renewed focus on the game – one of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s favourite sports – comes as a sweeping anti-corruption investigation has put several high-ranking football officials in prison.
However, observers note that while Xi has driven reforms in the sport, persistent corruption and unsustainable finances have hindered his vision of establishing one of the world’s strongest football teams by 2050.
At an annual football seminar on Monday, Song Kai, chairman of the Chinese Football Association (CFA), called for improvements in practical skills, youth development, and local support to foster Chinese football, the official Soccer News reported.
In the past year, there have been interdepartmental efforts to promote integration of sports and education, dramatic transitions in the professional league, and sentencing in football-related corruption cases, according to the report.
All of these “signal a strong determination to break from past practices” and foster future growth, it said.
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Hong Kong public may get to see panda cubs in February, Ocean Park boss says
By Ambrose Li
Panda lovers may be able to meet the Hong Kong-born twin cubs as soon as the Lantern Festival in February, Ocean Park’s chairman has said, while dismissing calls to sell cheaper tickets just to visit the bears.
Park chairman Paulo Pong Kin-yee said on Saturday that the panda twins – born in August – might be ready to meet the public around Lunar New Year.
“Our experts think that it’s a safer and a more appropriate time for the public to meet the cubs at the six-month mark. It will depend on how they slowly acclimatise to this,” Pong said.
“I personally hope that they could be introduced to everyone after Lunar New Year, perhaps at the Lantern Festival,” he added, referring to the last day of the new year celebrations which falls on February 12.
The park is now home to six pandas – Ying Ying, Le Le, their two cubs “Elder Sister” and “Younger Brother”, and two recently arrived adults gifted by Beijing, An An and Ke Ke.
Pong said visitors could expect “up-close” activities with the pandas next year such as making their snacks, washing bamboo leaves for them, or even making paper out of their excrement which had already been done last year.
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By Ambrose Li
Panda lovers may be able to meet the Hong Kong-born twin cubs as soon as the Lantern Festival in February, Ocean Park’s chairman has said, while dismissing calls to sell cheaper tickets just to visit the bears.
Park chairman Paulo Pong Kin-yee said on Saturday that the panda twins – born in August – might be ready to meet the public around Lunar New Year.
“Our experts think that it’s a safer and a more appropriate time for the public to meet the cubs at the six-month mark. It will depend on how they slowly acclimatise to this,” Pong said.
“I personally hope that they could be introduced to everyone after Lunar New Year, perhaps at the Lantern Festival,” he added, referring to the last day of the new year celebrations which falls on February 12.
The park is now home to six pandas – Ying Ying, Le Le, their two cubs “Elder Sister” and “Younger Brother”, and two recently arrived adults gifted by Beijing, An An and Ke Ke.
Pong said visitors could expect “up-close” activities with the pandas next year such as making their snacks, washing bamboo leaves for them, or even making paper out of their excrement which had already been done last year.
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Thai court delivers death penalty, life imprisonment sentences for 2023 murder of German
By Agence France-Presse
A Thai national was sentenced to death and two Germans were handed life sentences for the gruesome murder of a German property agent near the resort town of Pattaya, Thai media reported.
The Pattaya Provincial Court delivered the death sentence to Shahrukh Karim Uddin, a Thai of Pakistani descent, on Friday for the murder of Peter Ralter Mack, 62, in July 2023, the Bangkok Post newspaper reported.
Mack’s dismembered body was found inside a freezer covered in a thick layer of tape at a residence in an outer Pattaya suburb in southern Thailand’s Chonburi province.
German nationals Olaf Thorsten Brinkmann and Petra Christl Grundgreif confessed to the crime during the trial and their sentences were reduced from capital punishment to life in prison as a result.
All three defendants were found guilty of premeditated murder and concealing a body.
Mack disappeared after telling his wife he was meeting another property realtor, although his family later believed he had been lured away and kidnapped.
The court heard evidence that the group planned to dispose of Mack’s body at sea and transferred 3.35 million baht (US$98,000) out of his account.
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By Agence France-Presse
A Thai national was sentenced to death and two Germans were handed life sentences for the gruesome murder of a German property agent near the resort town of Pattaya, Thai media reported.
The Pattaya Provincial Court delivered the death sentence to Shahrukh Karim Uddin, a Thai of Pakistani descent, on Friday for the murder of Peter Ralter Mack, 62, in July 2023, the Bangkok Post newspaper reported.
Mack’s dismembered body was found inside a freezer covered in a thick layer of tape at a residence in an outer Pattaya suburb in southern Thailand’s Chonburi province.
German nationals Olaf Thorsten Brinkmann and Petra Christl Grundgreif confessed to the crime during the trial and their sentences were reduced from capital punishment to life in prison as a result.
All three defendants were found guilty of premeditated murder and concealing a body.
Mack disappeared after telling his wife he was meeting another property realtor, although his family later believed he had been lured away and kidnapped.
The court heard evidence that the group planned to dispose of Mack’s body at sea and transferred 3.35 million baht (US$98,000) out of his account.
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China sees surge in travel demand for extended Lunar New Year holiday
By Mia Nulimaimaiti
China is expected to see a surge in travel demand during the upcoming Lunar New Year – a welcome boost for the country that recently added an extra day to the public holiday in a bid to boost demand.
Early data from Chinese travel companies shows that consumers are already searching for and booking trips well in advance of the eight-day holiday, which falls on January 28-February 4.
The country’s leading travel products provider eLong Inc. reported on Monday that airfares are expected to soar by 80 to 90 per cent from January 23-27, the week before the Lunar New Year, with prices on some popular routes rising over 100 per cent.
Tuniu, another prominent travel operator, reported on Monday that group travel bookings for the Spring Festival had risen by 40 per cent over the previous week, according to Shanghai-based media outlet The Paper.
Last month, Beijing announced it would extend the Spring Festival holiday by one day starting from 2025, creating an eight-day break. The move is designed to stimulate consumer spending, particularly among middle-class and lower-income groups who have been cutting back to save money.
Lin Huanjie, dean of the Institute for Theme Park Studies in China, said that consumers’ strong enthusiasm for travel was likely to continue throughout next year, and that the Chinese tourism sector could grow by over 5 per cent in 2025.
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By Mia Nulimaimaiti
China is expected to see a surge in travel demand during the upcoming Lunar New Year – a welcome boost for the country that recently added an extra day to the public holiday in a bid to boost demand.
Early data from Chinese travel companies shows that consumers are already searching for and booking trips well in advance of the eight-day holiday, which falls on January 28-February 4.
The country’s leading travel products provider eLong Inc. reported on Monday that airfares are expected to soar by 80 to 90 per cent from January 23-27, the week before the Lunar New Year, with prices on some popular routes rising over 100 per cent.
Tuniu, another prominent travel operator, reported on Monday that group travel bookings for the Spring Festival had risen by 40 per cent over the previous week, according to Shanghai-based media outlet The Paper.
Last month, Beijing announced it would extend the Spring Festival holiday by one day starting from 2025, creating an eight-day break. The move is designed to stimulate consumer spending, particularly among middle-class and lower-income groups who have been cutting back to save money.
Lin Huanjie, dean of the Institute for Theme Park Studies in China, said that consumers’ strong enthusiasm for travel was likely to continue throughout next year, and that the Chinese tourism sector could grow by over 5 per cent in 2025.
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Celebrate Christmas and New Year in Hong Kong: 7 things to do and see in the city
By Jiang Chuqin
With Christmas and the New Year just around the corner, Hong Kong has transformed into a dazzling wonderland, complete with twinkling lights and festive decorations.
While feasting on festive goodies is a highlight of the holiday, the city has more to offer, even as many Hongkongers opt to cross the border for food and entertainment.
The Post explores the top activities available in the city.
Hong Kong is set to host its first pyrotechnic drone show on December 28, featuring a 10-minute display at the West Kowloon Cultural District.
Scheduled for 8.15pm, the event will showcase 1,000 drones recreating the likeness of giant pandas – a nod to the city’s bear-themed attractions.
The event will also differ from past displays as some of the drones will be mounted with pyrotechnics to light up the night sky.
This show marks the conclusion of the first phase of the “Panda Go! Fest HK” exhibition, organised by design studio AllRightsReserved, which has featured 2,500 panda sculptures across various tourist sites throughout the month.
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By Jiang Chuqin
With Christmas and the New Year just around the corner, Hong Kong has transformed into a dazzling wonderland, complete with twinkling lights and festive decorations.
While feasting on festive goodies is a highlight of the holiday, the city has more to offer, even as many Hongkongers opt to cross the border for food and entertainment.
The Post explores the top activities available in the city.
Hong Kong is set to host its first pyrotechnic drone show on December 28, featuring a 10-minute display at the West Kowloon Cultural District.
Scheduled for 8.15pm, the event will showcase 1,000 drones recreating the likeness of giant pandas – a nod to the city’s bear-themed attractions.
The event will also differ from past displays as some of the drones will be mounted with pyrotechnics to light up the night sky.
This show marks the conclusion of the first phase of the “Panda Go! Fest HK” exhibition, organised by design studio AllRightsReserved, which has featured 2,500 panda sculptures across various tourist sites throughout the month.
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Japan brewery aims to make world’s first space sake, sell it for US$640,000
By Kyodo
A Japanese sake brewery will attempt to make the world’s first outer space sake, creating just one bottle and donating the 100 million yen (US$640,000) proceeds from its sale to domestic space development companies.
Asahi Shuzo Co. in Yamaguchi prefecture recently said it plans to ferment rice and other raw materials used in sake making on the International Space Station. It aims to send the ingredients into orbit in late 2025.
The idea is to create sake on the premise that there will be demand for alcohol if humans begin living on the Moon in the 2040s, according to Asahi Shuzo.
The brewery, known for its “Dassai” sake brand, was approached by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. in 2022 about making sake in space. It has been collaborating with Mitsubishi Heavy and the Aichi Centre for Industry and Science Technology since.
They have been working on manufacturing a brewing apparatus to send to the Kibo experiment module developed by Japan for the ISS.
The experiment will utilise the equipment on Kibo, recreating the gravity of the Moon’s surface, around one-sixth of that on Earth, with the brewery slated to monitor the fermentation process from Earth.
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By Kyodo
A Japanese sake brewery will attempt to make the world’s first outer space sake, creating just one bottle and donating the 100 million yen (US$640,000) proceeds from its sale to domestic space development companies.
Asahi Shuzo Co. in Yamaguchi prefecture recently said it plans to ferment rice and other raw materials used in sake making on the International Space Station. It aims to send the ingredients into orbit in late 2025.
The idea is to create sake on the premise that there will be demand for alcohol if humans begin living on the Moon in the 2040s, according to Asahi Shuzo.
The brewery, known for its “Dassai” sake brand, was approached by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. in 2022 about making sake in space. It has been collaborating with Mitsubishi Heavy and the Aichi Centre for Industry and Science Technology since.
They have been working on manufacturing a brewing apparatus to send to the Kibo experiment module developed by Japan for the ISS.
The experiment will utilise the equipment on Kibo, recreating the gravity of the Moon’s surface, around one-sixth of that on Earth, with the brewery slated to monitor the fermentation process from Earth.
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Rising home birth trend in India sparks maternal health concerns
By Vasudevan Sridharan
Venkateshwari Manish, a woman from the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, was supposed to travel to the neighbouring state of Kerala for her delivery in 2019. However, those plans were disrupted when she experienced labour pains early one morning while still at home.
Her water broke and, as her husband checked on her in the bathroom of their small home, he discovered she was bleeding. Minutes later, their firstborn son had arrived.
Manish, 33, enjoys telling this story, believing it exemplifies how the stars aligned to fulfil her wish to avoid a hospital delivery. She is now a firm advocate for women giving birth in natural environments rather than hospitals.
“Pregnancy is not a disease,” she said as her two sons, aged five and two, played noisily in the background of their semirural town of Theni. Despite resistance from her family and husband, she delivered both her children at home.
“Knowing my preference for avoiding hospitals, my husband had arranged for our child to be delivered in a homelike environment equipped with medical facilities in Kerala. I didn’t even like that. So, I delayed telling him about the pain until the last moment when the baby was about to arrive,” she recalled.
Manish is part of a growing group of Indian women voluntarily choosing home births. Many cite rising healthcare costs and an increasing number of forced caesarean sections (C-sections) in hospitals as reasons for their decision.
This trend, however, has been accompanied by disturbing incidents of maternal deaths and medical negligence, raising alarm among policymakers.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
By Vasudevan Sridharan
Venkateshwari Manish, a woman from the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, was supposed to travel to the neighbouring state of Kerala for her delivery in 2019. However, those plans were disrupted when she experienced labour pains early one morning while still at home.
Her water broke and, as her husband checked on her in the bathroom of their small home, he discovered she was bleeding. Minutes later, their firstborn son had arrived.
Manish, 33, enjoys telling this story, believing it exemplifies how the stars aligned to fulfil her wish to avoid a hospital delivery. She is now a firm advocate for women giving birth in natural environments rather than hospitals.
“Pregnancy is not a disease,” she said as her two sons, aged five and two, played noisily in the background of their semirural town of Theni. Despite resistance from her family and husband, she delivered both her children at home.
“Knowing my preference for avoiding hospitals, my husband had arranged for our child to be delivered in a homelike environment equipped with medical facilities in Kerala. I didn’t even like that. So, I delayed telling him about the pain until the last moment when the baby was about to arrive,” she recalled.
Manish is part of a growing group of Indian women voluntarily choosing home births. Many cite rising healthcare costs and an increasing number of forced caesarean sections (C-sections) in hospitals as reasons for their decision.
This trend, however, has been accompanied by disturbing incidents of maternal deaths and medical negligence, raising alarm among policymakers.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
Africa’s love for China is built on a belt and road foundation
By Jevans Nyabiage
When Rwandan President Paul Kagame spoke at the recent Doha Forum, he sang China’s praises.
“We have been benefiting from the cooperation and the attitude of bringing everybody to the table where everyone feels they are winning in the process,” he said. “That is, to my understanding, what China presents.”
Kagame is not alone in his high opinion of China. Across Africa, many countries have had support from the Asian superpower over the years as they paved their way to independence. Once there, they found a strong relationship with China offered other benefits as well.
“Now the cooperation presents more value in terms of trade, investment,” Kagame said.
New York-based think tank Asia Society Policy Institute’s recently released survey appeared to reflect those comments, as years of funding and building megaprojects under its multibillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative has also seen China build a positive view of itself among the African people.
According to the data released earlier this month by the Asia Society’s Global Public Opinion on China Project, positive views of China outweighed the negative by about three to one among the nearly 300 people surveyed across sub-Saharan Africa.
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By Jevans Nyabiage
When Rwandan President Paul Kagame spoke at the recent Doha Forum, he sang China’s praises.
“We have been benefiting from the cooperation and the attitude of bringing everybody to the table where everyone feels they are winning in the process,” he said. “That is, to my understanding, what China presents.”
Kagame is not alone in his high opinion of China. Across Africa, many countries have had support from the Asian superpower over the years as they paved their way to independence. Once there, they found a strong relationship with China offered other benefits as well.
“Now the cooperation presents more value in terms of trade, investment,” Kagame said.
New York-based think tank Asia Society Policy Institute’s recently released survey appeared to reflect those comments, as years of funding and building megaprojects under its multibillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative has also seen China build a positive view of itself among the African people.
According to the data released earlier this month by the Asia Society’s Global Public Opinion on China Project, positive views of China outweighed the negative by about three to one among the nearly 300 people surveyed across sub-Saharan Africa.
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Who is Peter Mandelson, the ‘Prince of Darkness’ tasked with fixing UK-US ties, charming Trump?
By Agence France-Presse
Peter Mandelson has been a pivotal figure in shaping modern British politics, but his Machiavellian tactics and questionable choice in friends have courted controversy, earning him the nickname, the “Prince of Darkness”.
Mandelson, along with Tony Blair, were the co-architects of “New Labour”, which transformed the UK Labour Party in the 1990s into an election-winning juggernaut that made the country a beacon of economic and social liberalism.
But unlike Blair, Mandelson appeared more comfortable operating in the background, plotting strategy and building up a global network of contacts that current Prime Minister Keir Starmer hopes will help him smooth over rocky relations with incoming US president Donald Trump.
Starmer confirmed on Friday the appointment of Mandelson as the next ambassador to the United States.
The 71-year-old’s deep knowledge of international trade is also likely to be a key asset given Trump’s threat to impose tariffs on imported goods.
The remarkable comeback is testament to Mandelson’s resilience, but has also raised eyebrows due to his chequered political history.
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By Agence France-Presse
Peter Mandelson has been a pivotal figure in shaping modern British politics, but his Machiavellian tactics and questionable choice in friends have courted controversy, earning him the nickname, the “Prince of Darkness”.
Mandelson, along with Tony Blair, were the co-architects of “New Labour”, which transformed the UK Labour Party in the 1990s into an election-winning juggernaut that made the country a beacon of economic and social liberalism.
But unlike Blair, Mandelson appeared more comfortable operating in the background, plotting strategy and building up a global network of contacts that current Prime Minister Keir Starmer hopes will help him smooth over rocky relations with incoming US president Donald Trump.
Starmer confirmed on Friday the appointment of Mandelson as the next ambassador to the United States.
The 71-year-old’s deep knowledge of international trade is also likely to be a key asset given Trump’s threat to impose tariffs on imported goods.
The remarkable comeback is testament to Mandelson’s resilience, but has also raised eyebrows due to his chequered political history.
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