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☆ Taiwan to extend military conscription to one year, citing threat from China
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

TAIPEI, Taiwan — Taiwan will extend compulsory military service to one year from four months starting in 2024 due to the rising threat the democratically governed island faces from its giant neighbor China, President Tsai Ing-wen said on Tuesday. Tsai, speaking after a national security council meeting of senior security officials, said Taiwan wanted peace but needed to be able to defend itself. “Taiwan wants to tell the world that between democracy and dictatorship, we firmly believe in democracy. China also staged war games near Taiwan in August following a visit to Taipei by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Reuters has reported that military training in Taiwan, particularly for conscripts and reservists, had deteriorated.

[1/2] Media mogul Jimmy Lai, founder of Apple Daily, leaves the Court of Final Appeal by prison van in Hong Kong, China February 9, 2021. REUTERS/Tyrone SiuHONG KONG, Dec 10 (Reuters) - Pro-democracy Hong Kong tycoon Jimmy Lai was sentenced on Saturday to five years and nine months in prison for fraud, convicted of violating a lease contract for the headquarters of a liberal newspaper he used to run. Lai's lawyer, Derek Chan, had urged the judge to consider Lai's age and contributions to Hong Kong's media industry. A separate, landmark national security trial involving Lai is scheduled to resume on Tuesday. ($1 = 7.7854 Hong Kong dollars)Reporting by Jessie Pang and James Pomfret; Editing by William MallardOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

She died in hospital three days after being arrested by the country's morality police for allegedly breaking its strict dress-code laws. However, Iran's main state media agencies haven’t covered the remarks, potentially signaling they were not sanctioned by the political establishment. The morality police have not been prominent on the streets of Tehran and other cities for roughly two months. The United States was similarly skeptical that Iran is loosening its hijab laws, according to a senior Biden administration official. They said that it was possible the announcement was made to diminish attendance participation in the three days of strikes this week.

“The new recruits had to work more days to get the bonus they were promised, so they felt cheated,” the worker told CNN. Apple, for which Foxconn manufactures a range of products, told CNN Business that its employees were on the ground at the Zhengzhou facility. Videos showed workers clashing with security guards and fighting back tear gas fired by police. More workers joined the protest after seeing livestreams on video platforms Kuaishou and Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, the worker told CNN. Having worked at the Zhengzhou plant for six years, he said he was now deeply disappointed by Foxconn and planned to quit.

☆ Biden blames extreme MAGA Republicans for intimidating voters and election officials, calling it 'corrosive' to democracy
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Emma Kinery | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

"It's estimated that there are more than 300 election deniers on the ballot all across America this year," Biden said, speaking at Washington, D.C.'s Union Station. In his speech Wednesday evening, Biden said Pelosi's attacker David DePape used the same rhetoric the rioters did on Jan. 6. The lie, Biden said, has led to further political violence and voter intimidation seen over the last two years. Lies repeated over and over to generate a cycle of anger, hate, vitriol and even violence," Biden said. Biden cited recent polls that show Americans are concerned with the state of democracy and reminded voters they can confront it at the ballot box.

☆ Bolsonaro expected to end silence and speak about Brazil election
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BRASILIA, Oct 31 (Reuters) - More than 20 hours after losing the election to his fierce leftist adversary, Brazil's far-right President Jair Bolsonaro has yet to say one word publicly, but he is expected to break his silence on Monday afternoon. Bolsonaro's unusual silence raised concerns that he was planning to contest the narrow victory by former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in Sunday's runoff vote. International election observers and diplomats said they did not doubt that Brazil's democratic institutions will prevail. Time is running out to dispute the election result as many international leaders, political allies and high-profile supporters have already recognized Lula's victory. Reporting by Anthony Boadle and Ricardo Brito; Editing by Josie Kao and Alistair BellOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Row over Mussolini photo as Italy's Meloni readies for power
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Leader of Brothers of Italy party Giorgia Meloni attends the fourth voting session to elect the new speaker, at the lower house of parliament, in Rome, Italy, October 14, 2022. The Mussolini portrait will be taken down "to avoid polemics and manipulations," the industry ministry said in a statement. The statement noted that another picture of Mussolini hangs in Palazzo Chigi, the prime minister's office, along with portraits of other Italian heads of government. Earlier, former centre-left leader and industry minister Pier Luigi Bersani chafed at being hung alongside Italy's late dictator. The public sector chapter of the CGIL, Italy's largest trade union, was also outraged, condemning the "deplorable" display and calling for its immediate removal.

☆ New Foreign Secretary Cleverly says UK's strategic shift to Indo-Pacific is 'permanent'
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-29 | by ( Ted Kemp | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

SINGAPORE — The United Kingdom will commit itself more fully to the Indo-Pacific region, beyond its ongoing efforts to join a massive trade deal in the region, the country's new foreign secretary said Thursday. "The Indo-Pacific tilt is here to stay," James Cleverly said at the Milken Institute Asia Summit. That "tilt" toward the Indo-Pacific will include further cooperation on economic issues, security matters and "shared values," Cleverly said. Cleverly said that 1.7 million British citizens live in the region, and the United Kingdom has trade relationships worth $250 billion in the Indo-Pacific. The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, or CPTPP, is a trade pact that currently includes seven countries in Asia-Pacific and four in the Americas.

☆ Putin is facing pressure from Russia's hawkish nationalists who want all-out war in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-07 | by ( Jason Corcoran | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +16 min

As the nationalists' most prominent figurehead, Igor Girkin has been among the most searing in his criticism of Russia's military strategy. Addressing his followers last week, Girkin said: "The war in Ukraine will continue until the complete defeat of Russia. The Smolninskoye District Court ruled that the municipal council should be dissolved and subsequently charged the deputies with "discrediting" Russia's military. The widespread purging of liberals and journalists that occurred in the early days of the Ukraine war is relatively straightforward in Russia. But cracking down on ultra- nationalists is more dangerous and may have dire consequences – especially if Russia loses the war.

☆ I’m no danger to democracy, Italy’s far-right leader Giorgia Meloni says ahead of elections
▼ + stars: | 2022-08-10 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Italy’s far-right leader Giorgia Meloni, who is leading in opinion polls ahead of Sept. 25 parliamentary elections, insists she won’t be a danger to democracy if she becomes premier, contending that the Italian political right has “unambiguously” condemned the legacy of fascism. Meloni made the comments in a message recorded in English, French and Spanish, and distributed Wednesday by her campaign. Fratelli D'Italia party leader Giorgia Meloni at an election rally in Piazza Roma in Monza, Italy, on May 30. Meloni has been dogged by criticism that she has been ambiguous about denouncing Italy’s fascist past. Recent opinion polls have indicated Meloni’s support among eligible voters slightly ahead of her main rival in the election, Democratic Party leader Enrico Letta, a former premier.

☆ 26 May - Independence Day of Georgia
▼ + stars: | 2021-05-26 | by ( ) www.ipn.md time to read: +6 min

26 May - Independence Day of Georgia2021 marks 103 years of the Democratic Republic of Georgia as well as 30th anniversary of the restoration of independence from the Soviet Union. The new chapter of Georgian history is directly linked to May 26, 1918, when Georgia gained freedom from the Russian Empire and established the First Democratic Republic of Georgia. On 26 May 1918, Georgia’s independence was declared by the First Meeting of the National Council of Georgia. Despite the short period of its existence (1918-1921), the Democratic Republic of Georgia had a significant impact on the development of the Georgian statehood in a long run. Since the start of the Russia’s invasion and occupation of Georgia, international community has witnessed unprecedented ethnic cleansing of Georgians and continues violation of human right.

Organizations: Democratic, First Democratic, National Council of, Georgian, Independence, Independent Georgia, Russian Federation, State, EU, NATO Locations: Georgia, Democratic Republic of Georgia, Soviet Union, Russian, First Democratic Republic of Georgia, National Council of Georgia, Russia, Abkhazia, Tskhinvali, Moldova, Republic of Moldova

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