South Korea soccer international Son Jun-ho detained in China on suspicion of taking bribe
The Toronto Star
23-05-16 08:52
South Korean midfielder Son Jun-ho, who played for the Shandong Taishan team in China's football league, has been detained in Liaoning province on suspicion of accepting a bribe. The allegations are understood to be linked to match-fixing concerning coach Hao Wei, and the bribery also involves other individuals in China's football scene. Despite the government investing extensively to make China a football superpower, the league has struggled for years to address its reputation for corruption, and teams are currently in dire financial straits, making them more vulnerable to corrupt practices.
The CSIS Economics Program and Interpret: China project recently held a panel discussion on Chinese views of the effectiveness of economic sanctions imposed on Russia by the US and its allies in response to the Ukraine crisis. The panel discussed what strategies and approaches Beijing might develop to counter or circumvent similar US-led action in the future. The discussion was based on recently translated primary source documents and included experts from the Peterson Institute for International Economics, the School of Global Policy and Strategy at the University of California San Diego, and the International Institute for Strategic Studies.
Amnesty: Executions worldwide increased by 53% in 2022, rose in Iran, Saudi Arabia
The Toronto Star
23-05-16 13:13
Executions worldwide rose by 53% in 2022 compared to the previous year, with a sharp increase in Iran and Saudi Arabia, according to a report from Amnesty International. The number of executions in Iran rose by 83% to 576, while in Saudi Arabia, the number tripled to 196. The report, which records executions in 20 countries, also criticised Indonesia, which has “one of the highest numbers of new death sentences in Asia”, for sentencing an unsustainable 112 new people to death, 94% of which were related to drug offences. China, North Korea and Vietnam all failed to reveal data on the death penalty.
New Zealand Rugby League has revealed plans to help create a new, alternative tournament to replace the France 2025 Rugby World Cup, following news that France is unable to financially host the event. The tournament was scheduled to take place in France across four years, but the government confirmed it would be unable to meet the financial rules needed to bring it to fruition. New Zealand and other countries are currently discussing alternative tournament options. Troy Grant, chairman of the International Rugby League, has stated that alternative contingency options are being considered.
The Council of Europe (CoE) summit, being held in Reykjavik, Iceland, has considered holding Russia legally responsible for the death and destruction caused by its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The summit, only the fourth in the CoE’s 70-year history, has seen the suspension of Russia’s membership as a direct result of the invasion. Attendees have discussed possible measures against Russia, including the creation of a dedicated tribunal to try leaders and commanders in The Hague, and the establishment of a register to record the damage caused by Russia.
The Center for Security Studies at ETH Zurich has released a new report titled "Strategic Trends 2023: Key Developments in Global Affairs", which covers Russia-China relations, US tech alliances, extended nuclear deterrence, and India's foreign policy. On May 16th, CSIS will hold a virtual discussion about the report, featuring speakers Brian Carlson, Nevine Schepers, and Boas Lieberherr from the Global Security Team at ETH Zurich, as well as Emily Harding, Senior Fellow and Deputy Director of the International Security Program at CSIS.
Retired NFL quarterback Brett Favre is seeking to be removed as a defendant in a civil lawsuit that aims to recover millions of dollars in misspent welfare money that was intended to help the poorest people in the United States. Favre's attorneys argue that the Mississippi Department of Human Services is making "utterly meritless" legal arguments in suing the football player, who is being accused of supporting projects improperly funded through the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families programme. Favre's lawyers argue that he was not involved in efforts to direct welfare money towards a volleyball arena at his university alma mater, where his daughter played, or toward the development of a concussion treatment drug.
Brazil’s Bolsonaro faces questioning in fake vaccine card investigation
The Toronto Star
23-05-16 17:07
Brazil’s former President Jair Bolsonaro has been questioned by the police in an investigation regarding the falsification of COVID-19 vaccine passports. The police are inquiring whether Bolsonaro, his family and his advisors altered their vaccine cards in order to bypass US requirements. Bolsonaro has denied any wrongdoing. This comes as Bolsonaro faces several investigations, including one on his role during a 2020 riot in the capital Brasília and another into his unsubstantiated accusations that Brazil’s electronic voting system is open to fraud.
A police officer tasked with protecting a private school for girls in northwestern Pakistan shot at a school bus, killing an eight-year-old girl and injuring five others, on Tuesday. The incident took place in the Swat Valley of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The police have arrested the officer, Alam Khan, and are investigating what caused him to open fire. The Swat Valley was previously a stronghold of the Pakistani Taliban before it was cleared of militants by the security forces in 2019. Since then, the authorities have deployed police at schools across the northwest region repeatedly targeted by Taliban attacks.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced plans to create an African delegation of leaders to meet with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky. The discussions will aim to discuss a plan to end Ukraine’s 15-month war with proposed talks taking place in Moscow and Kyiv. While the details of the talks and their timing haven’t been released, Ramaphosa stated that Zambia, Senegal, Congo, Uganda, and Egypt would make up the delegation along with him. South Africa has claimed to remain neutral on the war and has also maintained relations with the United States.
Pact gives 3 Minnesota tribes stronger voice on land ceded in 1854
The Toronto Star
23-05-16 16:29
The Superior National Forest and three Ojibwe tribes in Minnesota have signed an agreement strengthening the bands' voice in managing natural resources on land they ceded to the US government 170 years ago. The memorandum of understanding recognises the sovereign tribes as original stewards of the land and outlines ways to ensure that tribal input is included early in decisions impacting treaty rights or restoration and other activities such as prescribed burns. Similar agreements exist between Leech Lake Band of Ojibwa and the Chippewa National Forest in north-central Minnesota. The three bands have about 9,000 enrolled members combined.
The European Union (EU) is seeking deeper ties with India amid pressures to reduce economic dependence on China. While Brussels is not looking to cut off ties with Beijing altogether, it intends to diversify its supply chains by reducing its reliance on China. This where India comes into play. During the first meeting of the EU-India Trade and Technology Council, the word “de-risk” was mentioned several times by both sides, indicating their shared goal to reduce economic dependence on China. The EU has plans to increase cooperation with India on quantum and high-performance computing while making their digital public services more compatible. "India has a population of 1.4 billion. So, we are an economy of scale, and the EU is an economy of skill — it's natural that these two power centers should come together," according to Swasti Rao, an associate fellow at the Indian government-funded think tank, the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defense Studies and Analyses.
The US Secret Service is investigating after an unidentified man gained entry to the home of President Joe Biden's national security adviser Jake Sullivan last month. Sources say the door to Sullivan's Washington home was unlocked, and there is no evidence the intruder intended any harm. A review is under way, and additional security measures have been introduced outside of Sullivan's home. The incident occurred as lawmakers and high-level government officials face increased threats. The husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was severely beaten with a hammer last year after an intruder broke in to their San Francisco home.
Alabama man Joshua Matthew Black has been sentenced to 22 months in prison plus two years' supervised release for the invasion of the US Capitol on 6 January 2021. Black had been armed with a knife when he stormed the congress building after attending Donald Trump's "Stop the Steal" rally. He had already been convicted of five counts, including three felonies, and will be credited with time already served while detained in custody. Black's sentence had been recommended at five years by US prosecutors.
Maryland Governor Wes Moore has signed gun-control measures into law in response to a US Supreme Court ruling on the subject. The ruling in New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen last year ended a requirement similar to a Maryland law for people to demonstrate a particular need to obtain a licence to carry a concealed gun in public. One of the measures signed by the Governor removed the unconstitutional “good and substantial reason” wording from Maryland law. The move was accompanied by the tightening of other gun laws in areas such as government and public infrastructures.
The United Nations Development Programme has helped to establish a small solar power plant in the town of Abs, Yemen, with an all-female crew. The move has enabled local women to set up businesses, including one woman who set up her own clothing firm. The plant ensures a steady supply of cheaper power, while renewables have wider benefits including resilience in times of conflict, local economic development and the potential for better governance. International donors are being encouraged to invest in renewables technologies in conflict-affected areas to prevent vested interests from profiting from electricity crises.
Argentina's Vice President Cristina Fernández has confirmed she will not be running for the presidency again amid accusations that the country's courts are attempting to prevent her candidacy by aligning with the opposition. The announcement leaves the ruling Peronist party to determine a new candidate in this year’s presidential elections, with President Alberto Fernández also confirming last month that he will not be seeking re-election. The political instability comes amid an ongoing economic crisis in the country, marked by a sharp devaluation of the local currency and annual inflation of over 100%.
The majority of South African schoolchildren aged ten struggle with reading, according to an international study by the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study. South Africa ranked last out of the 57 countries studied, which tested 400,000 students about their reading abilities. The number of illiterate South African pupils rose from 78% in 2016 to 81%. South Africa's education ministry blamed the results on Covid-19 school closures, and said that schools' current focus on oral reading performance was neglecting reading comprehension. The lack of adequate infrastructure and resources are also cited as reasons for underperformance.
More than a dozen California condors, classified as a critically endangered vulture species, have recently died due to bird flu (known as H5N1), putting the already threatened population at further risk. In response to the fatalities, the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has given the go-ahead for a vaccine to be developed, and a pilot safety study on North American vultures will begin this month to check for any adverse effects.
The seat of British democracy, the UK's parliament building, is at "real and rising" risk of destruction, according to the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee. In a report, the committee warned that the building was "leaking, dropping masonry and at constant risk of fire," as well as carrying a significant amount of asbestos, putting it at risk of catastrophe unless immediate action is taken. The parliament building, which attracts around 1 million visitors annually, has suffered from what the committee called "years of procrastination" over a restoration plan, meaning much of its current restoration consists of "patching up at a cost of about £2m ($2.5m) per week".
