Cryptocurrencies should be regulated as gambling, according to a report by a UK parliamentary committee. Bitcoin, ether and other digital currencies can pose risks to consumers and be used by fraudsters, said the report, which added that existing rules only require them to comply with anti-money laundering safeguards. As cryptocurrencies are not backed by currencies or assets and offer high risk volatility, they present a high risk of investors losing all the money they put into them, it said. About one in 10 UK adults has invested in cryptocurrency, according to official figures.
Former UK Prime Minister Liz Truss has called China the “biggest long-term threat” to Britain while warning of its growing political and economic influence. Truss is the first former UK prime minister to visit self-ruled Taiwan since Margaret Thatcher's visit in 1990. She hailed the country as “an enduring rebuke to totalitarianism” whose fate was a “core interest” to Europe. China’s relations with Britain and other Western democracies remain in decline, as they dispute issues such as human rights, trade technology, China’s aggressive moves in the South China Sea and its crackdown on democracy in Hong Kong.
Seven children have been seriously injured as a result of a collision involving a school bus and a dump truck in Melbourne. According to reports, the truck hit the back of the bus, causing it to overturn. Twenty-one children received initial treatment at the scene and seven were seriously hurt. Reportedly, the children involved had been returning to school after taking part in an athletics event. The 52-year-old truck driver has been arrested and charged with dangerous driving. Additional charges are thought to be possible. Speed may have played a part in the incident.
Relatives of victims killed in a terrorist attack in New York are set to speak at a sentencing hearing for the terrorist, Sayfullo Saipov. The Uzbekistani citizen carried out his attack on Halloween in 2017, killing five tourists, a Belgian woman and two Americans, as well as injuring 18 others. Following a recent hearing, Saipov was sentenced to life in prison without parole. The full sentence requested by prosecutors was for eight consecutive life sentences – one for each death – and an additional 260 years in prison.
Demand for air conditioning is rising fast in countries experiencing population growth, rising incomes and higher temperatures, such as India, Indonesia, China and the Philippines. While this will have positive effects on public health and economic productivity, it could also have negative results for greenhouse gas emissions, as one of the coolants used by most air conditioning units is responsible for causing major climate damage. Efforts by wealthier, more temperate countries to regulate air conditioning have led to improvements in energy efficiency and reduced energy use from cooling appliances. However, purchasing a unit remains costly for many people in hot, poorer nations.
Most people in countries where demand for air conditioning is highest still largely rely on coal-fired power and can only afford the cheapest, least energy-efficient units. This presents a significant risk to climate stability, which, if unaddressed, could have devastating consequences for people and the environment.
The majority of global air conditioning demand continues to come from developed countries, but this is changing as more people in emerging economies embrace these appliances. By one estimate, there will be one billion more air conditioning units in the world by 2020, which could reinforce damaging climate trends and make it more difficult to mitigate the effects of global warming.
Military aims for October to begin draining Hawaii fuel tanks that poisoned water
The Toronto Star
23-05-17 04:38
The US military has proposed 16 October as a potential start date for the draining of the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility at Pearl Harbor after it poisoned 6,000 people last year. The fuel leaked into a US Navy drinking water well supplying water to 93,000 people. The remaining fuel will be drained via additional plans and the US Environmental Protection Agency and the Hawaii Department of Health need to approve the new proposal.
The investigation into the spill has yet to announce disciplinary action.
Russia orders arrest of prominent producer, director who criticized Ukraine war
The Toronto Star
23-05-17 09:05
A Moscow court has issued arrest warrants for theatre director Ivan Vyrypaev and film producer Alexander Rodnyansky over allegations of "spreading false information" about the Russian army. Rodnyansky, who is of Ukrainian origin, is a vocal critic of the Kremlin and has previously been declared a "foreign agent" by Russia's Justice Ministry. Both Rodnyansky and Vyrypaev are overseas, and Russian officers only plan to put them into custody once they are arrested or extradited. Since the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the Russian state has criminalised any opposition to the war.
116 media leaders from 42 countries have launched a call for the release of jailed Hong Kong media tycoon and pro-democracy advocate Jimmy Lai. The media leaders, including New York Times publisher A.G. Sulzberger and French daily Le Monde director Jérôme Fenoglio, are supporting a campaign led by Reporters Without Borders to free Lai, who was charged with "collusion with foreign forces" and is facing a possible life sentence. Lai, who founded Apple Daily, known for its criticism of the Chinese government, is already serving sentences for his participation in the protests and for alleged fraud.
The Council of Europe has created a register of damages caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine as part of efforts to force Moscow to compensate victims after the conflict. Housed in The Hague, the register will allow victims to report harm suffered in the conflict. The record is "intended to constitute the first component of a future international compensation mechanism", according to a council document. Among the attendees was Ursula von der Leyen, European Union Commission President who said it was an "enormously important judicial element to have this register of damages".
China's Tencent Holdings reported an 11% uptick in revenues to $21.4bn for Q1, better than forecasts, but net income of $3.99bn fell short of predictions. The firm grew online advertising 17% and profits from investment gains rose 23% in the first quarter, however, it faces competition in its core gaming and social media markets, as well as from fintech newcomers. Tencent intends to fill its empty pipeline with hits such as Valorant and will integrate artificial intelligence across its suite of products from WeChat to online media. In March, Tencent debuted Honor of Kings in Brazil, paving the way for a global roll-out.
Five people in Germany are accused of plotting to kidnap the country’s health minister as part of a far-right coup, according to federal prosecutors. The four men and one woman are alleged to have founded or joined a terrorist organisation that rejected the German constitution in favour of the Reich Citizens movement. The group reportedly aimed to create conditions similar to civil war by triggering blackouts via explosives. The kidnapping target was Karl Lauterbach, who has called for tough coronavirus controls. No signs were detected that the conspirators were close to staging an uprising, yet prosecutors argue purchases of weapons and money indicate the group were “dangerous criminals who wanted to implement their plans”. Those accused, aged between 44 and 75, were arrested in 2020, with numerous weapons and ammunition seized. The trial opened on Wednesday; the plotters face charges including planning a “serious act of violence endangering the state”.
Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama in the US, known as part of the Gulf South, are becoming models for education in the region, outpacing many other US states, according to the Associated Press. Alabama will join Mississippi in holding back students if they cannot pass a reading test in third grade but will also offer multiple, intensive tutoring and summer tutoring camps. The efforts are underpinned by a focus on early identification of children with a reading deficiency or dyslexia; phonics and early screening are emphasised in the new laws. The turnaround has gained national attention, showing progress is possible, even in areas with poor previous educational outcomes. Other states including Virginia, Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee and Kentucky have adopted similar policies. However, some Gulf South states still have much work to do before every child can read; approximately 40% of Louisiana third graders could not read at grade level in 2020, for example.
China's Xinjiang region is drawing a surge of visitors from the rest of China, despite Western nations' focus on the oppression faced by the Uighur Muslim minority. The "Strike Hard" campaign launched in 2014 resulted in hundreds of thousands of people being sent to internment camps. However, despite the repression continuing albeit in less visible ways, the region has been attracting tourists in great numbers with 8 million visitors recorded within just five days of holidays in early May; this was up 140% from the same period last year. Jiang's predecessor, security hardliner Chen Quanguo, placed heavy restrictions on the region compared to the current party secretary, Ma Xingrui.
Jiang’s instructions to showcase Chinese culture are being implemented with moderate success; however, there are three worlds that exist in Xinjiang: a Wonderland full of orientalist kitsch that has been concocted for tourists; a dark world of continuing repression, albeit harder to see than in previous years; and an in-between world in which the Uighurs probably live. It is evident that mass tourism and mass incarceration are not mutually exclusive, as evidenced by visitors flocking to Xinjiang despite the ongoing repression. Although there has been a surge in tourism, the Uighur city of yore appears to be fading.
Research by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) in 2020 identified 380 facilities in Xinjiang that were likely to be camps, but visiting them is now difficult due to high security. Nevertheless, the camps are no longer the same; some are no longer in use for their original purpose and are now home to a technical college. The numbers of criminal prosecutions in Xinjiang have dramatically increased, and the judiciary is under the control of the Communist Party, ending in a guilty verdict around 99% of the time.
Talks between the Netherlands, UK, Denmark and Belgium on the possible delivery of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine have yet to yield a solution, according to Dutch Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra. UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak earlier said he had agreed with his Dutch counterpart, Mark Rutte, to support the provision of fighter jets to Ukraine as part of an international coalition. Rutte had earlier stated that discussions about donating F-16 jets to Ukraine were progressing during a visit by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
Indonesian police have said that 25-year-old Lhi Chiming killed his 22-year-old girlfriend, Cheng Jianan, before taking his own life. The pair were Chinese nationals and their naked bodies were found at the InterContinental hotel on Bali. Cheng was found to have been beaten and suffered a neck wound, while Lhi drowned in a bathtub and was otherwise unmarked. Hotel surveillance footage revealed that there were no other visitors to the room where the couple were staying. The couple had stayed at various Bali hotels both in April and in the previous March. Chinese tourists form a significant part of Bali’s tourist sector.
Arab foreign ministers meet ahead of Arab League summit in Saudi Arabia
The Toronto Star
23-05-17 12:01
Arab foreign ministers have gathered in Saudi Arabia ahead of the annual summit in Jeddah. The summit will see Syria return to the 22-member league after a 12-year suspension caused by President Bashar Assad's brutal crackdown on the 2011 mass protests against his rule. Despite the move, a number of Arab countries remain skeptical of Syria’s return to the league, primarily Qatar. The summit also takes place as Arab governments are attempting to resolve the conflict between the military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces in Sudan, which has left over 600 people dead.
A group of LGBTQ+ Catholics visited Pope Francis during his Wednesday general audience in St. Peter’s Square in a bid to encourage the church to welcome them “without discrimination.” A group of clergy abuse survivors from Germany also handed a letter to Francis calling for a more robust response to the crisis of sexual and spiritual abuse in the Catholic Church. In addition to these events, Francis interrupted the audience in order to answer a mobile phone call; the Vatican provided no details concerning the conversation.
Biden off to Japan for Group of Seven summit, says there’s ‘work to do’ on global stage
The Toronto Star
23-05-17 17:05
US President Joe Biden has warned that there is “work to do” on the global stage, amid high-stakes negotiations in Washington over a federal default and geopolitical concerns over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and China’s assertiveness in the Pacific. Although Biden pledged to remain in contact with negotiators in the capital while travelling overseas, his trip has already been cut short. Speaking before leaving the White House, Biden stated that he had made “clear America is not a deadbeat nation”, amid concerns that a federal default would not just spark a deep recession but could also weaken its standing on the international stage.
El Salvador sends troops to surround town after police officer killed
The Toronto Star
23-05-17 17:02
The president of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, has deployed 5,000 soldiers and 500 police to the northern town of Nueva Concepción after a member of the national police was killed by gang members. The town has been encircled and searched for those responsible for the murder and other gang members still hiding there. Last week, the Congress extended emergency powers, granted to the president to tackle the country’s street gangs, for the 14th time. The powers include the suspension of fundamental rights and have allowed authorities to arrest more than 68,500 alleged gang members or supporters.
2 Democrats head to runoff for suburban Atlanta state House seat
The Toronto Star
23-05-17 16:58
Two former Democrat lawmakers, ex-councilman Mark Baker and former state House representative Derrick Jackson, will contest a runoff on 13 June for Georgia House District 68 in a substitution election. Baker finished with nearly one-third of the vote, while Jackson, who held the seat for three terms before running for lieutenant governor last year, trailed narrowly behind. The seat, which represents Atlanta suburbs in southern Fulton and northern Fayette counties, has become available after the death of Letitia "Tish" Naghise from illness in March. Five candidates originally stood for the vacant seat.
