International Relations News

The European country of Russia and the communist country of China have asked the United Nations to free the iron curtain country of North Korea from the clutches of economic sanctions.

All talks, conducted so far between the US and North Korea to bring peace to the Korean peninsula, have gone unsuccessful.

Russia and China are close partners of North Korea. They always stand with their all-time partner.

The International sanctions make it difficult for Beijing and Moscow to support Pyongyang – which is at present under a severe economic crisis.

Though China and Russia demand a complete removal of sanctions, if the UN gives a slight relaxation to North Korean’s coal, iron, iron ore and textile exports, they may agree without pushing anything further.

North Korea recently upgraded its nuclear capacity further. It asked the US to come up with a feasible agreement within this year.

Actually, Russia and Chine present the new demand as a humanitarian concern. The demand is presented as an effort to improve the standard of living of the people of the iron curtain country of North Korea.

It is yet to see whether the issue will be viewed though humanitarian angle or through security angle by the United Nations – more accurately, the other core members of the UN.


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Trending

China has released the confession video of an UK embassy worker, who was arrested a couple of weeks ago on the charge of soliciting prostitution.

It is alleged that the employee of the UK’s Hong Kong embassy was tortured and forced to give a confession against his wish. It is said that he was threatened with the serious charge of espionage.

Many see a clear connection between the arrest of the UK embassy official and the ongoing protest in Hong Kong against China.

In the recent past, the city of Hong Kong has witnessed several demonstrations in support of the UK embassy official.

The release of the confession video is seen as a tactics of China to avoid the ire of the United Kingdom, which is unhappy with the move of the Communist Country that has created serious difficulty to its embassy employee.

The situation in Hong Kong has matured from bad to worst. Many western powers, including the UK and the US, have warned China.


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Politics Trending

A Hong Kong pro-democratic activist, who has found himself emotionally disturbed due to the ongoing confrontation between the pro-democracy camp and the Hong Kong administration controlled by the mainland, has alleged, in a footage appeared in a leading International Media website, that the United Kingdom sold out his city to the Communist Country of China during the 1980s.

Until the year 1997, the city of Hong Kong was under the UK. In that year, it was handed over to China – but, with a condition that it would not threaten the lifestyle and values the people of the city inherited from their colonial master.

But, the present reality is different. Now, there are many in the city who shares the same opinion as that of the aforementioned activist.

It is the China’s increased interference in the internal affairs of the city that has fuelled the formation of a strong anti-China sentiment in the minds of the youngsters of the city.

At present, China rules Hong Kong as per a one country two system policy. What the pro-democratic faction fears is the gradual transformation of this policy to a much-aggressive one country one system policy – which is capable enough to threaten the present lifestyle and values of the people of the city.

They consider some of the policies the pro-China Hong Kong administration have introduced in the recent past including the much opposed bill seeking the easy extradition of crime suspects from the city to the mainland as the predecessor of that possible transformation.


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International Relations News

The western powers, such as the US, UK, Germany and France, are closely observing the developments in the Asian city of Hong Kong.

For the last few months, the city has been struggling under the clutches of violence. Several people have lost their life due to violence in the city.

Recently, an elderly man, who was working as a cleaning staff, lost his life when he accidently trapped between two protesting groups aggressively throwing stones against each other. He was struck by a stone. He later succumbed to his injuries while undergoing treatment in a hospital.

Similarly, a young protester has lost his life last week when he had fallen from a building while resisting a police action.

Protesters say that as the police use fatal weapons against them they find it important to upgrade the materials they use for their defence.

What the streets of the city have been witnessing for the last few days has been nothing less than an aggressive street war between the police and the protesters.

When the police have used real bullets against the protesters, the latter has increased the effectiveness of their defence materials, like petrol bombs and stones, considerably.

With China not ready to pay heed to what its integral part has to say, it is up to the west to decide whether this city deserves peace or not.

The west earlier urged the Asian country of China to take a humanitarian stand on the issue concerning to the city of Hong Kong.

What has China repeatedly proved is the country is not ready to consider the Hong Kong issue through the prism shown to them by the west.

Actually, the west is the backbone of the Hong Kong economy. For that reason, the opinion of the west on the issue cannot be dismissed that easily.


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Crime News

A shocking report from Hong Kong has jolted the social media platforms today. It is the report about a young boy who has been gunned down by a policeman.

It is not the first time a report about police atrocity has come from the former British colony.

The region for last few months is in a disturbed state. In the recent past, several time agitated Hong Kongers have confronted the police.

The protesters want China to exercise less authority over the internal affairs of their region.

They are not of the opinion that Hong Kong is an integral part of China. And, they are not happy with the centralised government policy, but are in support of the two government policy – thus, the idea of greater autonomy to Hong Kong.

The continuing police atrocities mean that the Hong Kong government, which is under the control of China, is ready to go to any extent to suppress the protest against the government.

The government has recently attracted severe criticism from the west, especially from the European countries such as Germany.

The government knows very well that it cannot continue like this forever. It is also worried about the warned exist of multinational companies from the region.

The economy of the country heavily relies on the MNCs based in the region. If the MNCs leave this land, it will bring a huge disaster.

It was a bill, which seeks the easy extradition of criminals from Hong Kong to China, triggered the protest. The bill was later shelved permanently. But, the protesters were not ready to settle with that alone. Thus, the protest, emerged as a small agitation against an unwelcoming bill, transformed into a huge political movement aimed to achieve greater autonomy and less foreign (especially, Chinese) intervention.

The entire world is watching the developments in Hong Kong.

Are you in Hong Kong? If it is safe to do so, please share us about the present political situation in the region. The world wants to hear you!


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Gadgets News Technology

Apple Inc has united up with Ant Financial Services Group and several local banks to offer interest-free financing. Apple hopes to revitalize sales in China, by the collaboration with Ant Financial which is the world’s largest financial-technology company.

It is its first such move in the country as it looks to boost waning smartphone sales. With this China website, apple comes with a new scheme in which the customers can pay 271 yuan ($40.31) monthly, for buying an iPhone XR and 362 yuan monthly for purchasing iPhone XS. The customers trading in old models can avail cheaper installments.

Interest-free financing schemes are offered for the customers who buys an Apple product worth a minimum of 4,000 yuan. They can pay the money with three, six, nine, 12 or 24 months, as the website says.

Ant Financial Services Group, formerly known as Alipay, is an affiliate company of the Chinese Alibaba Group. Ant Financial is the highest valued fintech company in the world, and the world’s most valuable unicorn (start-up) company, with a valuation of US$150 billion.

Sunaya Paison
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