Venezuela opposition adviser holed up in Argentine residence calls it ‘prison’
By Reuters
The Argentine diplomatic residence in Caracas, where five members of the Venezuelan opposition are staying to avoid arrest, has become a “prison”, one opposition member staying there said on Saturday.
The residence has been without power for more than a month, Magalli Meda, adviser to opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, said on social media.
“It’s a violation of our human rights. It’s become an embassy prison,” she wrote.
The Venezuelan government claims the power cut came after the residence did not pay the electricity bill.
The opposition members have been holed up in the residence since warrants were issued for their arrest in March.
In July, Venezuela held contested presidential elections in which both President Nicolas Maduro and the opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez claimed victory. The opposition has presented detailed vote counts in its favour, while Maduro has not.
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By Reuters
The Argentine diplomatic residence in Caracas, where five members of the Venezuelan opposition are staying to avoid arrest, has become a “prison”, one opposition member staying there said on Saturday.
The residence has been without power for more than a month, Magalli Meda, adviser to opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, said on social media.
“It’s a violation of our human rights. It’s become an embassy prison,” she wrote.
The Venezuelan government claims the power cut came after the residence did not pay the electricity bill.
The opposition members have been holed up in the residence since warrants were issued for their arrest in March.
In July, Venezuela held contested presidential elections in which both President Nicolas Maduro and the opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez claimed victory. The opposition has presented detailed vote counts in its favour, while Maduro has not.
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Too busy for love in time of baby bust: Chinese university students embrace being single
By Luna Sun
Buried under a mountain of responsibilities, Owen Cao, a first-year graduate student at a university in northern China, finds himself juggling research, coursework, study sessions, tasks assigned by his supervisor, student club activities and his personal hobbies.
Amid all those commitments, the 22-year-old ocean engineering student finds little to no time for dating.
He said he was fine with being single “right now” and was not actively looking for a relationship, “but if I meet the right person, I’d be open to giving it a try”.
Cao and his three like-minded dorm-mates reflect a growing trend among young Chinese – an increasing reluctance to pursue dating that is compounded by busy schedules or, conversely, a rising level of comfort with being single.
The phenomenon, which could exacerbate the country’s already low marriage and birth rates, has rung alarm bells among academics and policy advisers.
An article published recently in China Population News, a newspaper affiliated with the National Health Commission, called on universities to “play a leading role in marriage and relationship education” and make related courses elective options.
The article sparked a heated online debate about whether the government planned to interfere in young people’s dating choices in the face of the country’s worsening demographic crisis.
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By Luna Sun
Buried under a mountain of responsibilities, Owen Cao, a first-year graduate student at a university in northern China, finds himself juggling research, coursework, study sessions, tasks assigned by his supervisor, student club activities and his personal hobbies.
Amid all those commitments, the 22-year-old ocean engineering student finds little to no time for dating.
He said he was fine with being single “right now” and was not actively looking for a relationship, “but if I meet the right person, I’d be open to giving it a try”.
Cao and his three like-minded dorm-mates reflect a growing trend among young Chinese – an increasing reluctance to pursue dating that is compounded by busy schedules or, conversely, a rising level of comfort with being single.
The phenomenon, which could exacerbate the country’s already low marriage and birth rates, has rung alarm bells among academics and policy advisers.
An article published recently in China Population News, a newspaper affiliated with the National Health Commission, called on universities to “play a leading role in marriage and relationship education” and make related courses elective options.
The article sparked a heated online debate about whether the government planned to interfere in young people’s dating choices in the face of the country’s worsening demographic crisis.
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Suriname rules out state funeral for ex-dictator and fugitive Desi Bouterse
By Agence France-Presse
Suriname’s government announced on Saturday that the small South American nation will not hold a state funeral for its ex-president Desi Bouterse, who this week died a fugitive from justice aged 79.
Current President Chan Santokhi “has decided, based on his powers and advice received, that there will be no state funeral … No period of national mourning”, Foreign Minister Albert Ramdin told a press conference.
Bouterse was a former military man who twice mounted coups, in 1980 and again in 1990, to take charge as a dictator.
He eventually returned to power after being elected president in 2010 and governed for a decade.
He died on Tuesday in the unknown location where he had been holed up as a fugitive, with in-absentia convictions for cocaine trafficking and murder.
Bouterse’s body was dropped off at his residence in the capital Paramaribo. An autopsy was ordered, though police said there were “no signs of criminal activity”.
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By Agence France-Presse
Suriname’s government announced on Saturday that the small South American nation will not hold a state funeral for its ex-president Desi Bouterse, who this week died a fugitive from justice aged 79.
Current President Chan Santokhi “has decided, based on his powers and advice received, that there will be no state funeral … No period of national mourning”, Foreign Minister Albert Ramdin told a press conference.
Bouterse was a former military man who twice mounted coups, in 1980 and again in 1990, to take charge as a dictator.
He eventually returned to power after being elected president in 2010 and governed for a decade.
He died on Tuesday in the unknown location where he had been holed up as a fugitive, with in-absentia convictions for cocaine trafficking and murder.
Bouterse’s body was dropped off at his residence in the capital Paramaribo. An autopsy was ordered, though police said there were “no signs of criminal activity”.
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Israel’s PM Netanyahu to undergo prostate removal surgery, his office says
By Agence France-Presse
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is to undergo prostate removal surgery on Sunday, his office said after he was diagnosed with a urinary tract infection.
The procedure comes with Israel at war against Hamas militants in Gaza more than 14 months after the Palestinian militants carried out an unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7 last year.
Netanyahu underwent a test at Hadassah Hospital on Wednesday, where he was “diagnosed with a urinary tract infection resulting from a benign prostate enlargement”, the prime minister’s office said in a statement.
“As a result, the prime minister will undergo prostate removal surgery tomorrow,” it said.
In March, Netanyahu underwent a hernia surgery while in July last year he was fitted with a pacemaker after a medical scare.
Meanwhile, Qatar’s prime minister met a Hamas delegation in Doha on Saturday to discuss a “clear and comprehensive” ceasefire deal to end the war in Gaza, a statement said.
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By Agence France-Presse
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is to undergo prostate removal surgery on Sunday, his office said after he was diagnosed with a urinary tract infection.
The procedure comes with Israel at war against Hamas militants in Gaza more than 14 months after the Palestinian militants carried out an unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7 last year.
Netanyahu underwent a test at Hadassah Hospital on Wednesday, where he was “diagnosed with a urinary tract infection resulting from a benign prostate enlargement”, the prime minister’s office said in a statement.
“As a result, the prime minister will undergo prostate removal surgery tomorrow,” it said.
In March, Netanyahu underwent a hernia surgery while in July last year he was fitted with a pacemaker after a medical scare.
Meanwhile, Qatar’s prime minister met a Hamas delegation in Doha on Saturday to discuss a “clear and comprehensive” ceasefire deal to end the war in Gaza, a statement said.
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Sports Illustrated model Dayle Haddon dies from suspected carbon monoxide poisoning at 76
By Associated Press
Dayle Haddon, an actor, activist and trailblazing former Sports Illustrated model who pushed back against age discrimination by reentering the industry as a widow, has died in a Pennsylvania home from what authorities believe was carbon monoxide poisoning.
Authorities in Bucks County found Haddon, 76, dead in a second-floor bedroom on Friday morning after emergency dispatchers were notified about a person unconscious at the Solebury Township home. A 76-year-old man police later identified as Walter J Blucas of Erie was hospitalised in critical condition.
Responders detected a high level of carbon monoxide in the property and police said on Saturday that investigators determined that “a faulty flue and exhaust pipe on a gas heating system caused the carbon monoxide leak”. Two medical staff were taken to hospital for carbon monoxide exposure and a police officer was treated at the scene.
As a model, Haddon appeared on the covers of Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Elle and Esquire in the 1970s and 1980s, as well as the 1973 Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue. She also appeared in about two dozen films from the 1970s to 1990s, according to IMDb.com, including 1994’s Bullets Over Broadway, starring John Cusack.
Haddon left modelling after giving birth to her daughter, Ryan, in the mid-1970s, but then had to reenter the workforce after her husband’s 1991 death. This time she found the modelling industry far less friendly: “They said to me: ‘At 38, you’re not viable,’” Haddon told The New York Times in 2003.
Working a menial job at an advertising agency, Haddon began reaching out to cosmetic companies, telling them there was a growing market to sell beauty products to ageing baby boomers. She eventually landed a contract with Clairol, followed by Estée Lauder and then L’Oréal, for which she promoted the company’s anti-ageing products for more than a decade. She also hosted beauty segments for CBS’ The Early Show.
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By Associated Press
Dayle Haddon, an actor, activist and trailblazing former Sports Illustrated model who pushed back against age discrimination by reentering the industry as a widow, has died in a Pennsylvania home from what authorities believe was carbon monoxide poisoning.
Authorities in Bucks County found Haddon, 76, dead in a second-floor bedroom on Friday morning after emergency dispatchers were notified about a person unconscious at the Solebury Township home. A 76-year-old man police later identified as Walter J Blucas of Erie was hospitalised in critical condition.
Responders detected a high level of carbon monoxide in the property and police said on Saturday that investigators determined that “a faulty flue and exhaust pipe on a gas heating system caused the carbon monoxide leak”. Two medical staff were taken to hospital for carbon monoxide exposure and a police officer was treated at the scene.
As a model, Haddon appeared on the covers of Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Elle and Esquire in the 1970s and 1980s, as well as the 1973 Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue. She also appeared in about two dozen films from the 1970s to 1990s, according to IMDb.com, including 1994’s Bullets Over Broadway, starring John Cusack.
Haddon left modelling after giving birth to her daughter, Ryan, in the mid-1970s, but then had to reenter the workforce after her husband’s 1991 death. This time she found the modelling industry far less friendly: “They said to me: ‘At 38, you’re not viable,’” Haddon told The New York Times in 2003.
Working a menial job at an advertising agency, Haddon began reaching out to cosmetic companies, telling them there was a growing market to sell beauty products to ageing baby boomers. She eventually landed a contract with Clairol, followed by Estée Lauder and then L’Oréal, for which she promoted the company’s anti-ageing products for more than a decade. She also hosted beauty segments for CBS’ The Early Show.
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Israel detains director of one of northern Gaza’s last functioning hospitals during raid
By Associated Press
Israel’s army detained the director of one of northern Gaza’s last functioning hospitals as overnight strikes elsewhere in the territory killed nine people, including children, Palestinian medical officials said on Saturday. Israel’s military alleged that Hamas militants were using the facility and said more than 240 people were detained.
Gaza’s health ministry said Dr Hussam Abu Safiya, director of Kamal Adwan Hospital, was arrested on Friday along with dozens of other staff and taken to an interrogation centre. The ministry said Israeli troops stormed the hospital and forced many staff and patients outside and told them to strip in winter weather, according to the ministry.
Israel’s military on Saturday confirmed it detained the hospital director for questioning and called him a suspected Hamas operative while providing no evidence. It said it encircled the hospital and special forces entered and found weapons in the area. It said militants fired on its forces and they were “eliminated”. An Israeli military spokesman, Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani, later told journalists that most of those detained are Hamas operatives.
On Friday, the military denied it had entered or set fire to the hospital complex but acknowledged it had ordered people outside. The military repeated claims that Hamas militants operate inside Kamal Adwan, which hospital officials have denied.
The hospital has been hit multiple times over the past three months by Israeli troops waging an offensive in largely isolated northern Gaza against Hamas fighters it says have regrouped. The health ministry said a strike on the hospital earlier this week killed five medical staff.
MedGlobal, the humanitarian organisation for which Abu Safiya worked, said on Friday it was gravely concerned about him. It said the incident follows the October detention of five other staff, calling it an “alarming and egregious pattern of targeting medical personnel and spaces”.
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By Associated Press
Israel’s army detained the director of one of northern Gaza’s last functioning hospitals as overnight strikes elsewhere in the territory killed nine people, including children, Palestinian medical officials said on Saturday. Israel’s military alleged that Hamas militants were using the facility and said more than 240 people were detained.
Gaza’s health ministry said Dr Hussam Abu Safiya, director of Kamal Adwan Hospital, was arrested on Friday along with dozens of other staff and taken to an interrogation centre. The ministry said Israeli troops stormed the hospital and forced many staff and patients outside and told them to strip in winter weather, according to the ministry.
Israel’s military on Saturday confirmed it detained the hospital director for questioning and called him a suspected Hamas operative while providing no evidence. It said it encircled the hospital and special forces entered and found weapons in the area. It said militants fired on its forces and they were “eliminated”. An Israeli military spokesman, Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani, later told journalists that most of those detained are Hamas operatives.
On Friday, the military denied it had entered or set fire to the hospital complex but acknowledged it had ordered people outside. The military repeated claims that Hamas militants operate inside Kamal Adwan, which hospital officials have denied.
The hospital has been hit multiple times over the past three months by Israeli troops waging an offensive in largely isolated northern Gaza against Hamas fighters it says have regrouped. The health ministry said a strike on the hospital earlier this week killed five medical staff.
MedGlobal, the humanitarian organisation for which Abu Safiya worked, said on Friday it was gravely concerned about him. It said the incident follows the October detention of five other staff, calling it an “alarming and egregious pattern of targeting medical personnel and spaces”.
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Sweden embarks on sober search for more cemetery space in event of war
By Associated Press
Burial associations in Sweden are looking to acquire enough land for something they hope they will never have to do: bury thousands of people in the event of war.
The search follows recommendations from the Church of Sweden’s national secretariat, which reflect crisis preparedness guidelines from the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB) and the Swedish Armed Forces.
The preparedness guidelines have been put in a new light by Sweden’s decision to join Nato and tensions with Russia in the Baltic Sea region.
According to the Church of Sweden provisions, supported by legal paragraphs in Sweden’s Burial Act, burial associations are responsible for ensuring the availability of enough land to bury roughly 5 per cent of the population within a parish, if needed.
The Goteborg Burial Association, which operates in Sweden’s second-largest city, is currently trying to navigate the challenge of acquiring at least 10 acres (40,470 square metres) of land to ensure it can handle urgent casket burials for some 30,000 dead in case of war. That is in addition to another 15 acres (60,700 square metres) of land needed for building graveyards for regular use in Gothenburg.
“The [recommendations] mean that we need more land for burial grounds and this is a phenomenon in the big cities, and a problem in the big cities, where land resources are scarce to begin with and not always sufficient to meet burial ground needs even in times of calm and peace,” said Katarina Evenseth, senior adviser at the Goteborg Burial Association.
Together with the local municipality, which has a monopoly in making decisions about land usage in Gothenburg, the burial association has identified a vast area appropriate for building a large-scale cemetery for the intended purpose.
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By Associated Press
Burial associations in Sweden are looking to acquire enough land for something they hope they will never have to do: bury thousands of people in the event of war.
The search follows recommendations from the Church of Sweden’s national secretariat, which reflect crisis preparedness guidelines from the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB) and the Swedish Armed Forces.
The preparedness guidelines have been put in a new light by Sweden’s decision to join Nato and tensions with Russia in the Baltic Sea region.
According to the Church of Sweden provisions, supported by legal paragraphs in Sweden’s Burial Act, burial associations are responsible for ensuring the availability of enough land to bury roughly 5 per cent of the population within a parish, if needed.
The Goteborg Burial Association, which operates in Sweden’s second-largest city, is currently trying to navigate the challenge of acquiring at least 10 acres (40,470 square metres) of land to ensure it can handle urgent casket burials for some 30,000 dead in case of war. That is in addition to another 15 acres (60,700 square metres) of land needed for building graveyards for regular use in Gothenburg.
“The [recommendations] mean that we need more land for burial grounds and this is a phenomenon in the big cities, and a problem in the big cities, where land resources are scarce to begin with and not always sufficient to meet burial ground needs even in times of calm and peace,” said Katarina Evenseth, senior adviser at the Goteborg Burial Association.
Together with the local municipality, which has a monopoly in making decisions about land usage in Gothenburg, the burial association has identified a vast area appropriate for building a large-scale cemetery for the intended purpose.
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Elon Musk backs right-wing AfD party in German newspaper opinion piece
By Reuters
US billionaire Elon Musk backed Germany’s Alternative for Germany (AfD) in a guest opinion piece for Germany’s Welt am Sonntag newspaper published online on Saturday that prompted the commentary editor to resign in protest.
In the commentary, published in German by the flagship paper of the Axel Springer media group, Musk expanded on his post on social media last week claiming that “only the AfD can save Germany”.
“The portrayal of the AfD as right-wing extremist is clearly false, considering that Alice Weidel, the party’s leader, has a same-sex partner from Sri Lanka! Does that sound like Hitler to you? Please!” Musk said in the piece.
Germany’s domestic intelligence agency has classified the AfD at the national level as a suspected extremism case since 2021.
Soon after the piece was published online, the editor of the opinion section, Eva Marie Kogel, wrote on social media that she had submitted her resignation, with a link to the commentary.
“Democracy and journalism thrive on freedom of expression. This includes dealing with polarising positions and classifying them journalistically,” the newspaper’s editor-in-chief designate Jan Philipp Burgard and Ulf Poschardt, who takes over as publisher on January 1, told Reuters.
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By Reuters
US billionaire Elon Musk backed Germany’s Alternative for Germany (AfD) in a guest opinion piece for Germany’s Welt am Sonntag newspaper published online on Saturday that prompted the commentary editor to resign in protest.
In the commentary, published in German by the flagship paper of the Axel Springer media group, Musk expanded on his post on social media last week claiming that “only the AfD can save Germany”.
“The portrayal of the AfD as right-wing extremist is clearly false, considering that Alice Weidel, the party’s leader, has a same-sex partner from Sri Lanka! Does that sound like Hitler to you? Please!” Musk said in the piece.
Germany’s domestic intelligence agency has classified the AfD at the national level as a suspected extremism case since 2021.
Soon after the piece was published online, the editor of the opinion section, Eva Marie Kogel, wrote on social media that she had submitted her resignation, with a link to the commentary.
“Democracy and journalism thrive on freedom of expression. This includes dealing with polarising positions and classifying them journalistically,” the newspaper’s editor-in-chief designate Jan Philipp Burgard and Ulf Poschardt, who takes over as publisher on January 1, told Reuters.
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EU universal charger rules come into force
By Agence France-Presse
EU rules requiring all new smartphones, tablets and cameras to use the same charger came into force on Saturday, in a change Brussels said will cut costs and waste.
Manufacturers are now obliged to fit devices sold in the 27-nation bloc with a USB-C, the port chosen by the European Union as the common standard for charging electronic tools.
“Starting today, all new mobile phones, tablets, digital cameras, headphones, speakers, keyboards and many other electronics sold in the EU will have to be equipped with a USB Type-C charging port,” the EU Parliament wrote on social media X.
The EU has said the single charger rule will simplify the life of Europeans and slash costs for consumers.
By allowing consumers to purchase a new device without a new charger, it will also reduce the mountain of obsolete chargers, the bloc has argued.
The law was first approved in 2022 following a tussle with US tech giant Apple. It allowed companies until December 28 this year to adapt.
Makers of laptops will have extra time, from early 2026, to also follow suit.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
By Agence France-Presse
EU rules requiring all new smartphones, tablets and cameras to use the same charger came into force on Saturday, in a change Brussels said will cut costs and waste.
Manufacturers are now obliged to fit devices sold in the 27-nation bloc with a USB-C, the port chosen by the European Union as the common standard for charging electronic tools.
“Starting today, all new mobile phones, tablets, digital cameras, headphones, speakers, keyboards and many other electronics sold in the EU will have to be equipped with a USB Type-C charging port,” the EU Parliament wrote on social media X.
The EU has said the single charger rule will simplify the life of Europeans and slash costs for consumers.
By allowing consumers to purchase a new device without a new charger, it will also reduce the mountain of obsolete chargers, the bloc has argued.
The law was first approved in 2022 following a tussle with US tech giant Apple. It allowed companies until December 28 this year to adapt.
Makers of laptops will have extra time, from early 2026, to also follow suit.
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Mideast and Trump front of mind as China, Iran foreign ministers meet in Beijing
By Zhao Ziwen
With less than a month to go until Donald Trump’s return to office, Beijing has pledged further cooperation with sanctions hit-Tehran on “mutual core interests”.
In talks with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi in the Chinese capital on Saturday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi also voiced Beijing’s commitment to Tehran’s participation in Beijing-led multilateral frameworks as the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and Brics.
“The two sides should continue to support each other on issues of mutual core interests, steadily advance practical cooperation, and improve collaboration in the multilateral sphere,” the Chinese foreign ministry quoted Wang as saying.
“We should closely coordinate and cooperate within the framework of the SCO … and we will further strengthen Brics and better safeguard the common interests of the Global South,” he said, referring to a group of emerging economies, including Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
The meeting also addressed conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon, where Tehran’s proxies, the Islamist groups Hamas and Hezbollah, are main players.
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By Zhao Ziwen
With less than a month to go until Donald Trump’s return to office, Beijing has pledged further cooperation with sanctions hit-Tehran on “mutual core interests”.
In talks with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi in the Chinese capital on Saturday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi also voiced Beijing’s commitment to Tehran’s participation in Beijing-led multilateral frameworks as the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and Brics.
“The two sides should continue to support each other on issues of mutual core interests, steadily advance practical cooperation, and improve collaboration in the multilateral sphere,” the Chinese foreign ministry quoted Wang as saying.
“We should closely coordinate and cooperate within the framework of the SCO … and we will further strengthen Brics and better safeguard the common interests of the Global South,” he said, referring to a group of emerging economies, including Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
The meeting also addressed conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon, where Tehran’s proxies, the Islamist groups Hamas and Hezbollah, are main players.
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WHO chief says he escaped death in Israeli strikes on Yemen airport
By Agence France-Presse
The head of the World Health Organization said on Saturday he only narrowly escaped death in fatal Israeli strikes on the airport in Yemen’s Houthi rebel-held capital.
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said his ears were still ringing following Thursday’s attack as he prepared to board a flight in Sanaa, and stressed that the protection for civilian installations under international law must be respected.
Israeli air strikes hit Sanaa’s international airport and other targets in Yemen on Thursday. The attacks against what Israel’s military called rebel “military targets” marked the second time since December 19 that Israel has hit targets in Yemen after rebel missiles were fired towards Israel.
The UN health agency’s chief described the scene as the first strike hit.
“We heard a heavy explosion nearby, and then I think repeated,” Tedros said.
“The sound was so, so loud … So deafening, actually. Still my ear rings. It’s already more than 24 hours now. I don’t know if it affected my ear. The explosion was so heavy.
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By Agence France-Presse
The head of the World Health Organization said on Saturday he only narrowly escaped death in fatal Israeli strikes on the airport in Yemen’s Houthi rebel-held capital.
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said his ears were still ringing following Thursday’s attack as he prepared to board a flight in Sanaa, and stressed that the protection for civilian installations under international law must be respected.
Israeli air strikes hit Sanaa’s international airport and other targets in Yemen on Thursday. The attacks against what Israel’s military called rebel “military targets” marked the second time since December 19 that Israel has hit targets in Yemen after rebel missiles were fired towards Israel.
The UN health agency’s chief described the scene as the first strike hit.
“We heard a heavy explosion nearby, and then I think repeated,” Tedros said.
“The sound was so, so loud … So deafening, actually. Still my ear rings. It’s already more than 24 hours now. I don’t know if it affected my ear. The explosion was so heavy.
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China’s Xi Jinping calls on Politburo to lead by example in anti-corruption fight
By He Huifeng
President Xi Jinping has urged the Communist Party’s top decision-makers to boost self-discipline, and closely watch family members and subordinates as China continues its battle against corruption.
In a speech to the Politburo on Friday, Xi said members must be strict both with themselves and with those around them, according to state news agency Xinhua.
He called on them to “resolutely fight against all forms of misconduct and corruption, and strengthen the education and management of family members and staff”, the report said.
The 24-member Politburo sits one rung below the seven-man Politburo Standing Committee, the party’s centre of power.
Xi also emphasised that Politburo members had significant responsibilities and must remain highly vigilant about exercising power, the Xinhua report said.
Politburo members should take the lead in both criticism and self-criticism, and strictly observe party discipline and rules, Xi said. He also urged unwavering loyalty to the party and selfless dedication to the cause of the party and the people.
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By He Huifeng
President Xi Jinping has urged the Communist Party’s top decision-makers to boost self-discipline, and closely watch family members and subordinates as China continues its battle against corruption.
In a speech to the Politburo on Friday, Xi said members must be strict both with themselves and with those around them, according to state news agency Xinhua.
He called on them to “resolutely fight against all forms of misconduct and corruption, and strengthen the education and management of family members and staff”, the report said.
The 24-member Politburo sits one rung below the seven-man Politburo Standing Committee, the party’s centre of power.
Xi also emphasised that Politburo members had significant responsibilities and must remain highly vigilant about exercising power, the Xinhua report said.
Politburo members should take the lead in both criticism and self-criticism, and strictly observe party discipline and rules, Xi said. He also urged unwavering loyalty to the party and selfless dedication to the cause of the party and the people.
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Political outlook turbulent for Taiwan after reform bills prompt brawls, protests
By Lawrence Chung
Taiwan is bracing for more political turbulence after its opposition-controlled legislature passed a series of bills to sharply curtail the powers of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).
The controversial move, which triggered furious brawls in the Legislative Yuan and fierce protests by thousands of DPP supporters earlier this month, has raised speculation that the DPP government might dissolve parliament to regain control.
Amid the turmoil, observers have warned of deepening division and a potential governance crisis.
The main opposition Kuomintang (KMT) and the smaller Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), which together hold the legislative majority, joined forces to push through the three contentious bills on December 20.
The bills relate to amendments to the election and recall law, constitutional court procedure law, as well as government funding allocations.
The election and recall law amendment raises the threshold for recalling elected officials, with petitioners now required to submit photocopies of ID cards to initiate the process. The KMT argues that this change prevents misuse or ID forgery but DPP lawmakers claim the revision violates constitutional rights and unnecessarily raises barriers to initiating recalls.
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By Lawrence Chung
Taiwan is bracing for more political turbulence after its opposition-controlled legislature passed a series of bills to sharply curtail the powers of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).
The controversial move, which triggered furious brawls in the Legislative Yuan and fierce protests by thousands of DPP supporters earlier this month, has raised speculation that the DPP government might dissolve parliament to regain control.
Amid the turmoil, observers have warned of deepening division and a potential governance crisis.
The main opposition Kuomintang (KMT) and the smaller Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), which together hold the legislative majority, joined forces to push through the three contentious bills on December 20.
The bills relate to amendments to the election and recall law, constitutional court procedure law, as well as government funding allocations.
The election and recall law amendment raises the threshold for recalling elected officials, with petitioners now required to submit photocopies of ID cards to initiate the process. The KMT argues that this change prevents misuse or ID forgery but DPP lawmakers claim the revision violates constitutional rights and unnecessarily raises barriers to initiating recalls.
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Finland moves Eagle S tanker closer to land as probe intensifies
By Bloomberg
Police in Finland are transferring the seized oil tanker Eagle S closer to land as they step up their investigation into damage caused to undersea cables this week.
The operation to move the vessel to Svartbeck, an anchorage near the port of Kilpilahti, was scheduled to begin at 10:50am on Saturday, authorities said in a statement. The Helsinki Police Department is taking the lead, supported by Finland’s Border Guard.
Finland’s National Bureau of Investigation detained the vessel, sailing under the Cook Islands flag, two days ago after discovering damage to a subsea power link and several data cables as it probes for possible aggravated criminal mischief.
Authorities believe the ship’s anchor, which they found to be missing, severed the 170-kilometer (105-mile) electricity line that connects Finland and Estonia. Since then, four underwater data cables have also been experiencing disruptions.
“The new location offers a better option for carrying out investigative measures,” the police said in the statement. On-board operations by the authorities were to be suspended for the time of the transfer and resumed once the vessel is at anchor.
Police have set up a one-nautical-mile exclusion zone around the tanker, and a no-fly zone is currently in effect around Sköldvik Bay, they said.
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By Bloomberg
Police in Finland are transferring the seized oil tanker Eagle S closer to land as they step up their investigation into damage caused to undersea cables this week.
The operation to move the vessel to Svartbeck, an anchorage near the port of Kilpilahti, was scheduled to begin at 10:50am on Saturday, authorities said in a statement. The Helsinki Police Department is taking the lead, supported by Finland’s Border Guard.
Finland’s National Bureau of Investigation detained the vessel, sailing under the Cook Islands flag, two days ago after discovering damage to a subsea power link and several data cables as it probes for possible aggravated criminal mischief.
Authorities believe the ship’s anchor, which they found to be missing, severed the 170-kilometer (105-mile) electricity line that connects Finland and Estonia. Since then, four underwater data cables have also been experiencing disruptions.
“The new location offers a better option for carrying out investigative measures,” the police said in the statement. On-board operations by the authorities were to be suspended for the time of the transfer and resumed once the vessel is at anchor.
Police have set up a one-nautical-mile exclusion zone around the tanker, and a no-fly zone is currently in effect around Sköldvik Bay, they said.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
Turkey’s pro-Kurd party to meet jailed PKK leader on Saturday
By Agence France-Presse
A delegation from Turkey’s main pro-Kurdish DEM party is due on Saturday to visit jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan, who is serving a life sentence on a prison island off Istanbul, a party source said.
“The delegation left in the morning,” the source said, without elaborating how they would travel to the island for security reasons.
The visit would be the party’s first in almost 10 years;
DEM’s predecessor, the HDP party, last met Ocalan in April 2015.
On Friday, the government approved DEM’s request to visit Ocalan, who founded the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) nearly half a century ago and has languished in solitary confinement since 1999.
The PKK is regarded as a “terror” organisation by Turkey and most of its Western allies, including the United States and European Union.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
By Agence France-Presse
A delegation from Turkey’s main pro-Kurdish DEM party is due on Saturday to visit jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan, who is serving a life sentence on a prison island off Istanbul, a party source said.
“The delegation left in the morning,” the source said, without elaborating how they would travel to the island for security reasons.
The visit would be the party’s first in almost 10 years;
DEM’s predecessor, the HDP party, last met Ocalan in April 2015.
On Friday, the government approved DEM’s request to visit Ocalan, who founded the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) nearly half a century ago and has languished in solitary confinement since 1999.
The PKK is regarded as a “terror” organisation by Turkey and most of its Western allies, including the United States and European Union.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
