The Philippines’ Department of Foreign Affairs said Saturday that it has lodged a diplomatic protest against the “continuing illegal presence” of Chinese vessels in the Pag-asa Islands of the South China Sea. The statement complained of the “incessant deployment, prolonged presence, and illegal activities of Chinese maritime assets and fishing vessels” in and around the [...]
The Constitutional Court of Mali on Friday declared Assimi Goïta, the colonel who led a military coup against interim President Bah Ndaw, as the new interim president of Mali. The court made the move following what it described as a “vacancy in the presidency,” which emerged after the alleged forced resignation of Ndaw. Soldiers backing [...]
The Louisiana House of Representatives Thursday passed the controversial Senate Bill 156 requiring schools to designate athletic teams and sporting events based on the biological sex of the team members. The bill, which was sponsored by Republican Senator Beth Mizell and which had passed the Louisiana Senate earlier this month with a vote of 29-6, passed [...]
The US Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) Friday issued a withhold release order against Chinese fishing company Dalian Ocean Fishing. Withhold Release Orders are targeted bans on the import of products from a company or region based on the use of forced labor. Recently, CBP also banned the import of cotton and tomatoes from Xinjiang over [...]
On Friday, US President Joe Biden signed an executive order establishing the White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (AA and NHPI) and the President’s Advisory Commission on AA and NHPI. In recent months, hate crimes against Asian-Americans have increased due to the xenophobic rhetoric that blames Asians for the spread [...]
A Nevada resident was arraigned Friday on charges that she knowingly exported electronics and other goods to Iran in violation of US sanctions. The indictment alleges that Tina Chen purchased goods from US companies through her business, Top Zone Inc., and shipped them to Iran. The products were ultimately meant for Zanjan University, one of [...]
The US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit held Thursday that Michigan’s redistricting commission can bar people with political connections from serving on the commission. In 2018 61 percent of Michigan voters approved a constitutional amendment that creates a 13-person commission to draw the state legislative districts following the 2020 election. The amendment prohibits [...]
The Hong Kong District Court has sentenced 10 pro-democracy activists to jail on charges under the new national security law Friday. The activists were charged with several unauthorized assembly offenses for protesting in Hong Kong during China’s 70th anniversary. The protests violated several provisions of the Public Order Ordinance, and their punishments were set out [...]
US Senate Republicans blocked the creation of a bipartisan inquiry into the January 6 Capitol insurrection Friday, using their filibuster power for the first time this year. The result ends efforts by Democrats and moderate Republicans to account for the circumstances surrounding the deadliest event at the Capitol building in 200 years. Trump supporters, after [...]
The Federal Republic of Germany on Friday formally recognized the crimes committed by its colonial troops in the early 20th century against the Herero and Nama people, in what is now modern day Namibia, as “genocide”. From 1904 to 1908, German colonial forces are alleged to have called committed genocide against indigenous people in the [...]
