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China using its billions to buy political influence across the world
Barry Gardiner, who was a member of Jeremy Corbyn's shadow cabinet, received the donations from Christine Ching Kui Lee -- mainly to cover staffing costs in his office -- over a period of six years, and employed her son as his diary manager. MI5 took the rare step of issuing MPs and peers with a warning on Friday about Lee's cultivating of British politicians to secure a ‘UK political landscape' that is ‘favourable' to China's authoritarian government, the report said.
US diplomat asks China to hold dialogue with Dalai Lama
Special Coordinator Uzra Zeya expressed her own commitment to working with the international community and engaging People's Republic of China (PRC) officials on advancing human rights of the Tibetan people and preserving their unique historical, religious, cultural and linguistic rights, including calling upon the PRC to end interference in the selection and veneration of the Dalai Lama and Tibetan Buddhist religious leaders.
N.Korea fires 2 suspected ballistic missiles: Seoul
The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said the short-range projectiles were launched from Uiju in North Pyongan Province, a northwestern region bordering China, and that they flew around 430 km at an altitude of 36 km, reports Yonhap News Agency. It detected one of the missiles at 2.41 p.m and the other at 2.52 p.m. The missiles flew at top speed of around Mach 6, six times the speed of sound, according to officials.
US Capitol attack: House panel raps Meta, YouTube, Twitter
Chairman Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS) announced that the Select Committee has issued subpoenas to four social media companies as part of its investigation into the January 6 attack on the US Capitol and its causes. After inadequate responses to prior requests for information, the Select Committee is demanding records from Alphabet, Meta, Reddit, and Twitter relating to the spread of misinformation, efforts to overturn the 2020 election, domestic violent extremism, and foreign influence in the 2020 election.
MI5 alerts on Chinese woman spy infiltrating UK Parliament
MI5 alleges in an alert that Christine Ching Kui Lee has "acted covertly in coordination" with the United Front Work Department (UFWD), of the CCP and is "judged to be involved in political interference activities in the UK", the report said. The MI5 "interference alert" said: "We judge that the UFWD is seeking to covertly interfere in UK politics through establishing links with established and aspiring Parliamentarians across the political spectrum."
Rich countries dump 100 mn near expiry Covid shots to poor nations
According to Unicef's head of supply Etleva Kadilli, more than 100 million vaccines were, in December alone, rejected by countries as they were unable to distribute them, BBC reported. The problem was compounded by many countries' insufficient storage facilities, Kadilli was quoted as saying to members of the European Parliament on Thursday.
Richest 1% in Asia Pacific own more wealth than the poorest 90%
Even more striking is the extreme and increased concentration of wealth at the top during this prolonged health and economic crisis. In November 2021, the richest 1 per cent owned more wealth than the poorest 90 per cent in Asia Pacific, and the region's billionaires had increased their wealth by 74 per cent since the start of the pandemic.
Self-isolation period to be shortened in England
If they have negative lateral flow tests on day five and on the morning of day six, they will be allowed to leave their homes, Xinhua news agency quoted Javid as saying. He added the move should "maximise activity in the economy". Modelling by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) based on data before the Omicron rise showed more than 30 per cent of cases remain infectious on the fifth day.
China expanding mass surveillance systems
Chinese companies with reported links to the government continue to draw global scrutiny for their data collection practices, the HRW report said. March 2021 marked the fifth anniversary of the landmark Anti-Domestic Violence Law, yet victims continued to face an uphill battle in seeking authorities' protection and accountability for their abusers.
No breakthrough in OSCE talks between Russia, West
Alexander Lukashevich, Russia's permanent representative to the OSCE, said after the talks that Moscow was disappointed by the West's response to its proposals on Ukraine and European security, reports Xinhua news agency. However, Lukashevich said that Moscow will not give up on diplomacy and that the sides must reach an agreement or else run the risk of a potentially catastrophic outcome.
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