News

As Russia displays military might in the Arctic Circle, the Western alliance is beginning a mission to increase its presence in that area.

In her first interview about her father, the exiled Hong Kong activist Anna Kwok said the authorities were targeting her family to try to silence her.

Growing up, I didn’t really understand what it meant to be Asian American. Part of it could be that I’ve grown up in predominantly white communities, mainly in Missouri, where no established Asian ...

Officials arrested Kwok Yin-sang after he tried to end his daughter’s insurance policy and withdraw the funds
A Hong Kong court has found the father of a wanted activist guilty of a national security violation, after he tried to end her insurance policy and withdraw the funds, drawing international criticism for the targeting of relatives of pro-democracy campaigners.
Kwok Yin-sang, 68, is the first person to be , also known as Article 23, for “attempting to deal with, directly or indirectly, any funds or other financial assets or economic resources” belonging to an absconder.

Mathilde Gremaud edges out Eileen Gu to win slopestyle gold.

Christos Flessas detained in case seen as exposing Beijing’s strategy of infiltrating western military and security services
A Greek air force officer arrested on suspicion of spying for China has been detained pending trial after appearing before a military judge in a case that is seen as exposing Beijing’s determination to infiltrate Europe’s security and intelligence services.
Surrounded by armed escorts, a squadron leader identified as Col Christos Flessas emerged from the court late on Tuesday after giving testimony for more than eight hours.

Australia defended a detained journalist despite the risks. Britain’s muted response to a media mogul’s harsh sentence suggests a narrowing view of what confrontation is worth
If the handed to the media mogul Jimmy Lai was meant to surprise, it would have been shorter. Twenty years behind bars is not a burst of rage. It is a sentence designed to make repression routine in Hong Kong. The 78-year-old founder of the shuttered pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily is now likely to die in prison after being convicted of sedition. The court was telling Hongkongers what kind of place they now live in, and signalling to foreign governments what kind of relationship Beijing expects them to accept.
China’s national security law, imposed on Hong Kong in 2020, was designed to dismantle the former British colony’s pro-democracy movement and to place freedom of expression under permanent political constraint by the Chinese Communist party. From 2020 to 2026, at least have been arrested and 175 convicted under national security-related offences.
Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our section, please .

Trump earlier had ranted against bridge and also warned that China would ‘terminate’ hockey in Canada
said he had held a “positive” conversation with after the US leader threatened to block a new key bridge between their two countries, reminding the president that paid for the structure – and that the US shares ownership.
Late on Monday, Trump posted a lengthy message on social media, falsely claiming that the $4.6bn Gordie Howe International Bridge between Windsor, Ontario, and Detroit, , had “virtually no US content”. The bridge is due to open in early 2026.

Lack of response shows security law and harassment by authorities have muzzled ‘critical voices’, say experts

Hong Kong’s once-vibrant media outlets have responded with silence or celebration to the 20-year jail sentence handed down to Jimmy Lai, a pro-democracy media tycoon and critic of the Chinese Communist party.
Lai, 78, was after being convicted of sedition and colluding with foreign forces under Hong Kong’s national security law. The charges were widely seen as being politically motivated and designed to silence one of Hong Kong’s most influential pro-democracy campaigners.

Malaysian durian farmers saw immense profits over the last decade as China snapped up their produce. But tastes have shifted.

Who will speak out for values and rights and my fellow democracy activist now that opposition has been silenced in Hong Kong? I say Britain should
Nathan Law is a politician and activist from Hong Kong
Waking up on Monday morning to the news of the pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai’s for national security offences felt surreal. I could have easily been in his position if I hadn’t right before the implementation of the notorious national security law (NSL), under which Lai has faced the harshest penalty ever given. In fact, Lai and stand shoulder to shoulder with the people of Hong Kong in the face of an uncertain and repressive future. Now his family fears that he will die in prison.
A mix of emotions filled my mind. I was immensely disgusted by the audacity and malevolence of such punishment. This sentence has a transparently political end, but the Hong Kong and Chinese governments make no bones about it. Their sole purpose is to silence critics, and they have succeeded: civil society and domestic media, which should be the watchdogs of individual rights and government overreach, are dead silent on criticising the trial.

A luxury Chinese sedan gifted to Fiji is the latest in a string of vehicles donated by foreign countries to deepen partnerships and seek influence in the region
At a ceremony in January, a shiny black luxury sedan rolled into the leafy, rain-soaked ground of Fiji’s state house. It was a gift from China to the Pacific nation’s president, Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu, who thanked Beijing for the “beautiful limousine”.
The vehicle given was a Hongqi or “Red Flag” car, the same brand used by China’s leader, Xi Jinping, during military parades.