As the world economy becomes increasingly dependent on the internet, major powers are becoming aware of its potential as a staging ground for operations which serve to increase their power in the world. China is rising. That is clear. The rise of China is in no small part attributable to their online prowess. They have been accused by many states… Read more »
(Asia Times) Australia’s New South Wales police have disproportionately targeted Aboriginal children under a repeat offender monitoring scheme, a report has said. The Law Enforcement Conduct Commission (LECC) looked into the cases of 429 children in 2016-18 under the Suspect Target Management Plan (STMP). It found that 72% of the children, aged nine to 17, were “possibly Aboriginal and Torres… Read more »
(The Atlantic) The US Justice Department announced indictments of four members of China’s People’s Liberation Army for alleged involvement in the massive 2017 hack of the database of giant US credit rating agency Equifax. The Justice Department raised eyebrows on Monday when it unveiled charges against four members of China’s People’s Liberation Army for hacking into the credit-reporting agency Equifax and stealing… Read more »
(Asia Times) The US may become the first country to pull its diplomats and expatriates out of Hong Kong after reports that staff at its consulate general can choose to return home if they feel the coronavirus in the city may affect them. The consulate stressed in a reply to media inquiries that the measure was merely a “precautionary one”… Read more »
(Asia Times) Trade of the Day: Stocks, futures tiptoe higher; US Treasuries and gold see strong demand. Quote of the Day: “These days we encounter an almost universal consensus that a persistent lack of inflation will allow global central banks to prop up carry trades across asset classes, including EM debt. But EM is not Europe or Japan. Loose policy… Read more »
(Asia Times) The Johns Hopkins Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) has built and is regularly updating an online dashboard for tracking the worldwide spread of the coronavirus outbreak that began in the Chinese city of Wuhan, Johns Hopkins Magazine reported. Lauren Gardner, a civil engineering professor and CSSE’s co-director, spearheaded the effort to launch the mapping website on Wednesday. The… Read more »
Rodrigo Duterte, president of the Philippines has threatened to force U.S. troops out of the strategically vital nation, in a move strategically aligning the Philippines closer to China and Russia. This change in policy reflects that of Turkey as well, and a growing number of countries around the world which see the change in global polarity from a hegemonic to… Read more »
Australia’s bushfires have been described as “apocalyptic” this season. Day after day, images of flames, destruction and smoke have filled television and social media screens. Amid the chaos, fire service officials have been praised for their leadership. One in particular has become a face of the crisis – and a household name. Shane Fitzsimmons, 50, is the commissioner of the… Read more »
The Chinese city of Wuhan is set to complete a hospital in six days in order to treat patients suspected of contracting the coronavirus. There are now about 10,000 confirmed cases in China, 213 of whom have died. The outbreak began in Wuhan, home to around 11 million people. Hospitals in the city have been flooded with concerned residents and… Read more »
(Asia Times) Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has renewed a longstanding threat to sever security cooperation with the United States, an angry response to recent travel bans imposed on Filipino officials involved in alleged rights abuses. The firebrand Filipino leader has also reportedly turned down US President Donald Trump’s invitation to attend a special US-Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit… Read more »