Taiwan urges China to curb its ‘military adventurism’

China claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, and has increased military and diplomatic pressure to assert its sovereignty claims. Taiwan’s president has urged China to curb its “military adventurism” as tensions between the two sides reach their highest level in years. Beijing has ramped up military and diplomatic pressure on Taiwan since Tsai Ing-wen came

The ongoing challenges to democracy in Asia – DW News

Many regions in Asia saw challenges to their democratic form of governance in 2021. But there were always people who stood up to abuses of power. We look at how in Myanmar, Hong Kong, India and the Philippines.

Student ‘Democracy Wall’ disappears as Hong Kong’s Chinese University removes protest posters

Only around half a dozen stickers – dating back to the 2014 Umbrella Movement protests – were still stuck on the message boards when HKFP visited on Friday. A pro-democracy message board at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) has been reduced to a blank wall after school authorities stripped off protest posters and

Outcry as memorial to Tiananmen Square victims removed from Hong Kong University

Site of the Pillar of Shame at city’s oldest university under guard after workmen cut up statue Hong Kong’s oldest university and the territory’s authorities have been accused of rewriting history after cutting up and removing a statue mourning those killed in the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests. The erasure of the memorial from where it

Record low turnout for Hong Kong “patriots only” election

Pro-Beijing candidates claimed victory in Hong Kong’s Legislative Council (LegCo) election under the new “patriots only” system, per Reuters. Why it matters: This was the first LegCo since Beijing lawmakers passed a sweeping law to ensure only “patriotic” figures can run for positions of power — which U.S. Secretary of State Tony Blinken called a “denial of democracy.” Voter turnout was the lowest

Hong Kong press freedom is in ‘free fall’ as China’s journalism crackdown goes global, says Reporters Without Borders

In its latest report on the state of journalism in China, Reporters Without Borders says “the repression no longer spares Hong Kong, once a champion of press freedom.” A prominent international media watchdog says press freedom in Hong Kong is in “free fall,” as it voices concern over the increasing sophistication with which the Chinese

The Netherlands and Australia find the omicron variant as curbs spread

The Netherlands confirmed 13 cases of the new omicron variant of the coronavirus on Sunday and Australia found two as the countries half a world apart became the latest to detect it in travelers arriving from southern Africa. A raft of curbs being imposed by nations around the world as they scramble to slow the

Omicron: What we know so far about the new COVID-19 variant – DW News

There’s growing global alarm over Omicron – the new coronavirus variant that first emerged in South Africa. Researchers say it could be the most infectious form of the virus so far, and it might even beat current vaccines. The international response has been swift. Many countries have shut down air travel from southern Africa. The

EU advises border closures over new Covid variant as European case confirmed – BBC News

Countries around the world are taking steps to tighten travel restrictions after a new coronavirus variant was identified in southern Africa. The European Commission has recommended that EU countries introduce an “emergency brake” on all travel from the region in response. The World Health Organization (WHO) is meeting to discuss the new variant.

New COVID-19 variant: How dangerous is B.1.1.529? – DW News

Scientists in South Africa are warning of a new strain of COVID-19. The variant, which is yet to be named, appears to have a high number of mutations, and there’s a possibility it could be able to evade our immune response and be even more transmissible. At first, health officials thought they were seeing a