The High Court in UK rejected the US government assurances that Julian Assange’s rights to freedom of expression would be protected. The court gave a brief judgement stating there would be a full appeal on the freedom of expression and nationality discrimination grounds in relation to all charges Assange faces, allowing Mr...
Prisoners held at an Israeli detention camp in the Negev desert are being subjected to widespread physical and mental abuses, with at least one reported case of a man having his limb amputated as a result of injuries sustained from constant handcuffing, according to two whistleblowers who worked at the site....
Human rights groups and emigre opposition factions expressed regret that Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi’s death meant he never saw justice for crimes they say he committed during decades as a leading figure in the Islamic republic.–...
The risk to public health from human faeces in our [UK] rivers and seas will increase without action to create a wastewater system fit for the future, according to Professor Barbara Evans, Leeds’ Professor of Public Health Engineering at the University of Leeds.
The report [led by Professor Evans]says collective action by industry, government, public bodies and the general public is required. It makes 15 recommendations, including: review current bathing water regulations; prioritise maintenance of the existing sewage network; return to collecting widespread data on faecal bacteria; develop a long-term strategy for better designing cities to reduce flooding, and the appointment of a dedicated wastewater champion.
Written by Robert Dimitrieff, chief executive officer of Patriot Forge Co., a metalworking company in Canada. He also serves on the International Economic Policy Council of the C.D. Howe Institute....
You can’t build and scale a start-up fast enough, say, in case of a crisis. Furthermore, China will use such investments to gain political influence in the foreign country -in that case Canada-, and they won’t stop in this particular industry. Countries must think more in vertically-integrated supply chains and strategic clusters rather than in industries, and they must include geopolitical issues.
In a message from Evin prison where she is being held, Ms Mohammadi said the trial relates to an audio post, in which she condemned a “full-scale war against women” by the Iranian regime....
Canada’s industry minister says Ottawa is “considering all measures” after the U.S. announced it would be hiking tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles and other related goods....
This is not ‘only’ about trade or dominance in a particular market such as EVs or solar panels. China aims to leverage market dominance for political influence. The Chinese government wants to export not just products but its autocratic system.
China’s economy is slowing, and the regime is coming under greater domestic pressure—witness the large-scale protests that broke out against Xi’s covid-zero policy in multiple cities and on dozens of university campuses in late 2022. Beijing is encountering growing international criticism and resistance on other fronts as well. Around the world, negative views of China have surged to highs not seen since the 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre […]
China’s rulers also have long understood what political scientists have proven empirically: Autocracies often fall in waves, as revolutionary activity in one country inspires popular uprisings in others […]
The CCP has responded with stepped-up repression over the past decade—jailing dissidents, mobilizing security forces, censoring information, and preempting popular unrest. Yet China is now strong enough that it can do more than just hunker down in the face of foreign pressure. Xi believes that the CCP’s domestic power will be enhanced if authoritarianism is prevalent and democracies are dysfunctional—fellow despots will not punish China for rights abuses, and the Chinese people will not want to emulate the chaos of liberal systems. He thinks that preventing revolts against authoritarianism in other countries will lower the odds of such a revolt erupting in China. And he believes that silencing critics abroad will limit the challenges facing the CCP within China. Xi sees rolling back democracy overseas as part of his plan to secure his regime at home […]
Beijing spends billions of dollars annually on an “antidemocratic toolkit” of nongovernmental organizations, media outlets, diplomats, advisors, hackers, and bribes all designed to prop up autocrats and sow discord in democracies. The CCP provides fellow autocracies with guns, money, and protection from UN censure while slapping foreign human-rights advocates with sanctions. Chinese officials offer their authoritarian brethren riot-control gear and advice on building a surveillance state; PRC trade, investment, and loans allow those dictators to avoid Western conditionality regarding anticorruption or good governance.
Beijing uses its globe-spanning media organs to tout the accomplishments of illiberal rule while highlighting democratic governments’ flaws and hypocrisies. China works with fellow authoritarian regimes, such as Vladimir Putin’s in Russia, to push autocrat-friendly norms of internet management in international institutions and standards-setting bodies.
These are some quotes, but whole article makes an interesting read.
Julian Assange’s appeal to avoid extradition to the US will go ahead, and it could be legally groundbreaking, legal expert says (theconversation.com)
The High Court in UK rejected the US government assurances that Julian Assange’s rights to freedom of expression would be protected. The court gave a brief judgement stating there would be a full appeal on the freedom of expression and nationality discrimination grounds in relation to all charges Assange faces, allowing Mr...
Whistleblowers allege widespread abuses at Israeli detention camp: Palestinian inmates being beaten, kept shackled to hospital beds or made to stand for hours (www.theguardian.com)
Prisoners held at an Israeli detention camp in the Negev desert are being subjected to widespread physical and mental abuses, with at least one reported case of a man having his limb amputated as a result of injuries sustained from constant handcuffing, according to two whistleblowers who worked at the site....
Electricity grids creak as AI demands soar (www.bbc.com)
Here is the study: Power Hungry Processing: Watts Driving the Cost of AI Deployment?...
What People Forget about Student Protesters? They’re Usually Right (thewalrus.ca)
From apartheid to Gaza, university campuses remain crucial arenas for political change...
Harassment of scientists is surging — institutions aren’t sure how to help (www.nature.com)
As researchers increasingly face many kinds of attack over their work, there is debate about how to support and protect them....
Activists lament 'impunity' of Iran's Raisi after crash death (www.france24.com)
Human rights groups and emigre opposition factions expressed regret that Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi’s death meant he never saw justice for crimes they say he committed during decades as a leading figure in the Islamic republic.–...
Chinese, Iranian, and Russian cyberattacks against water utilities across the U.S. becoming more frequent and more severe, officials say (fortune.com)
- Attacks against water provider’s websites aren’t new, but now attackers are increasingly targeting utilities’ operations...
Water firms ask for bill rises of between 24% and 91% (www.bbc.co.uk)
China is after Canada’s pulp and paper industry – it’s a national-security issue -- (Opinion) (www.theglobeandmail.com)
Written by Robert Dimitrieff, chief executive officer of Patriot Forge Co., a metalworking company in Canada. He also serves on the International Economic Policy Council of the C.D. Howe Institute....
Ivan Boesky, Convicted of Insider Trading in 1980s, Dies at 87 (www.bloomberg.com)
The financier symbolized high-flying 1980s Wall Street speculation. 'Greed is healthy,’ he once declared at a college commencement....
Iran hangs at least seven people, including two women, as surge in executions intensifies, rights group says (www.al-monitor.com)
Archived link...
Jailed Iranian Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi says she is facing a new trial after she accused the security forces of sexually assaulting women (www.bbc.com)
In a message from Evin prison where she is being held, Ms Mohammadi said the trial relates to an audio post, in which she condemned a “full-scale war against women” by the Iranian regime....
Canada "committed to protecting our workers and industry from unfair trade", will not become back door for diverted Chinese steel and aluminum, government says (www.theglobeandmail.com)
Archived link...
Minister suggests Canada is considering tariffs on Chinese EVs following U.S. move (www.cbc.ca)
Canada’s industry minister says Ottawa is “considering all measures” after the U.S. announced it would be hiking tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles and other related goods....
How does the US know that forced labor is happening in China? A supply chain expert weighs in (news.northeastern.edu)
Addition to include ths Supply Trace project link Professor Bhimani is talking about: www.supplytrace.org...