IOC Won’t Address China’s Slave Labor Problem

IOC Won’t Address China’s Slave Labor Problem

Ivo Fysic January 4, 2022

Faced With Questions About Forced Labor in China, the I.O.C. Is Tight-Lipped

From www.nytimes.com
2022-01-04 11:13:47
Vivian Wang
Excerpt:

Informal efforts to arrange a conversation between the I.O.C. and the Coalition to End Forced Labor in the Uyghur Region — a group of more than 300 organizations established last year — began in May, according to Mr. Freeman. Finally, in the fall, the I.O.C. invited the coalition to send a formal request to meet, which it did, on Oct. 8.

Officials at first offered a written response instead. In an email on Oct. 29, Ms. Martowicz, the head of human rights, replied to Mr. Freeman to say that the I.O.C.’s sourcing policies banned forced labor. But she did not say how the I.O.C. enforced that ban, other than “from time to time” “engaging with our suppliers” — in other words, the companies themselves — “to request evidence of compliance.”

Third-party checks, she added, were something the I.O.C. “will be looking at” in “coming months.”

Critics say the I.O.C. has been slow to adopt a human rights framework, compared with corporations or even other global sports…

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Italians to Elect New President

Mark Clouse January 4, 2022

Italy sets Jan 24 to start voting for new Italian president

From abcnews.go.com
2022-01-04 11:25:59

Excerpt:

ROME — Italy’s lower chamber of Parliament on Tuesday set Jan. 24 as the start date to begin voting for a new president, officially kicking off a campaign that is expected to see Premier Mario Draghi and ex-Premier Silvio Berlusconi vie for the prestigious job.

The victor, who is chosen by around 1,000 “big electors” among lawmakers and regional representatives, will replace President Sergio Mattarella, whose seven-year term ends Feb. 3. The voting is expected to last several rounds over several days.

The Italian presidency has limited powers and is largely ceremonial. But the president plays a key role in resolving political impasses, which aren’t uncommon in Italy. And this election comes before a new season of campaigning before the 2023 parliamentary election.

During Italy’s political…

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Biden Commits to “Act Decisively” If Russia Touches Ukraine

Parker Davis January 3, 2022

President Joe Biden is alleged to have told Ukraine’s President, Volodymyr Zelensky, that the United States and its allies will “act decisively” if Russia invades his country. The comment came through a phone call the President made to the Ukrainian President from his Wilmington, Delaware home, where he headed after he had declared that there was no federal solution to the covid problem.

Joe Biden vows US to act decisively if Russia invades Ukraine

From timesofindia.indiatimes.com
2022-01-03 01:37:02

Excerpt:

WILMINGTON: President Joe Biden conferred on Sunday with Ukraine‘s leader over the Russian troop buildup near its border, promising that the US and allies will act “decisively” if Russia further invades the Eastern European nation.
Biden and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy‘s call came as the US and Western allies prepared for a series of diplomatic meetings to try to de-escalate a crisis that Moscow said could rupture ties with Washington.
“President Biden made clear that the United States and its allies and partners will respond decisively if Russia further invades Ukraine,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement following the call.
Psaki added that Biden underscored his commitment to the principle of “nothing about you without you,” the tenet that it won’t negotiate policy that impacts Europe without its allies’ input.
Biden has spoken of hitting Russia with economy-jarring sanctions if it moves on Ukraine’s territory, but he said last month that US military action is not on the table.

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Russia to Grease Taliban Coffers Through Petroleum Deal

Ivo Fysic January 3, 2022

It looks like Russia is taking another whack at establishing a presence in Afghanistan, this time by working with the Islamo-fascists that now control the country, the Taliban. Russia is prepared to help the Taliban make a lot of money, and make some for herself as well, extracting and refining Afghanistan’s petroleum.

Taliban say Russian investors expressed willingness to extract Afghanistan’s petroleum

From timesofindia.indiatimes.com
2022-01-03 12:23:44

Excerpt:

KABUL: The Taliban have said that Russian investors have expressed their willingness to extract Afghanistan‘s petroleum and gas while meeting with a top leader of the country, reported local media.
Russian investors met the Taliban’s Deputy Prime Minister in the interim government Abdul Salaam Hanafi on Sunday and discussed a number of economic projects including refinement and excavation of gas and petroleum, reported Khaama Press citing the Taliban’s spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid as saying.
The spokesperson also said that Hanafi accompanied by Afghan traders and investors called on Russian investors in his office and discussed founding a cement factory, separate plants of LNG beside refinement and extraction of oil and gas in the country.
Mujahid further informed that Hanafi appreciated and welcomes the willingness of the Russian investors to extract the country’s gas and oil, according to Khaama Press.
The Taliban leader also assured the investors of providing a conducive…

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Another Top Political Leader Arrested by Myanmar Junta

Mark Clouse December 22, 2021

The Myanmar Junta has now arrested the NLD Deputy Parliament Speaker in a bid to hold on to a power they have not yet been able to consolidate after more than a year in power. The arrest follows the 4 year jail sentencing of the former Prime Minister.

Myanmar Junta Jails Ousted NLD Deputy Parliament Speaker

From www.irrawaddy.com
2021-12-22 14:30:15

Excerpt:

A Myanmar junta court sentenced former lower house deputy speaker U Tun Tun Hein, also known as U Tun Aung, to four years in jail with labor for denouncing the coup in February.

Sources close to his legal team told The Irrawaddy that a court inside Lashio Prison in Shan State found him guilty of sedition under Article 505(a) and (b) of the Penal Code on Wednesday. They said the legal team would appeal.

U Tun Tun Hein, a central executive committee member of the ousted National League for Democracy (NLD), was initially put under house arrest in Naypyitaw during the military coup on Feb. 1.

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China Gets Tennis Star to Revoke Sex Charge Claims

Ivo Fysic December 20, 2021

Peng Shuai, Chinese Tennis Player, Denies Sexual Assault Claim

From Freedomist.com

Excerpt:

The Philippines has been hit by a massive typhoon named Rai. The typhoon struck the Philippines this past Thursday, December 16th and rescue and recovery efforts have been ongoing ever since. So far, the death toll has gone past 375, with the final toll expected to be much higher.

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Typhoon Rai Devastates Philippines with Death Toll Rising

Parker Davis December 20, 2021

The Philippines has been hit by a massive typhoon named Rai. The typhoon struck the Philippines this past Thursday, December 16th and rescue and recovery efforts have been ongoing ever since. So far, the death toll has gone past 375, with the final toll expected to be much higher.

Here are a couple of YouTube videos and news blurbs that have covered this still emerging story.

Philippines Super Typhoon Rai death toll surges

From www.bbc.co.uk
2021-12-20 13:03:15

Excerpt:

At least 375 people are now known to have died after a powerful storm struck the Philippines on Thursday, police say.

Super Typhoon Rai – with winds of about 195km/h (120mph) – sent some 400,000 people running for safety when it hit the country’s south-eastern islands.

At least 500 people were injured and 56 others have been reported missing by local police.

Rescue teams have described scenes of “complete carnage”.

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Philippines Grapples With Typhoon Aftermath As Death Count Tops 300

From www.ndtv.com
2021-12-20 14:26:50

Excerpt:

More than 300 people have been in killed by a powerful typhoon in the Philippines that destroyed homes, flooded towns, severed power and communications lines and displaced hundreds of thousands in its central and southern regions.

Military airplanes and naval vessels were dispatched on Monday to carry aid to areas devastated by Typhoon Rai, as the country grappled with the strongest of 15 such storms to hit the archipelago this year.

“We are still assessing the damage, but it is huge,” Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana told reporters on Monday. “The first thing we are doing is address the food and water (supplies) and medical care of the injured.”

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Typhoon Rai: 208 deaths confirmed after 168mph ‘carnage’ storm in Philippines | World | News

From www.express.co.uk
2021-12-20 12:18:00

Excerpt:

The death toll in the Philippines has surpassed 200 on Monday following a 168mph typhoon — the country’s strongest storm this year — on Thursday. Described as “complete carnage”, it caused widespread flooding and landslides that impacted the lives of hundreds of thousands of residents.

The horrific typhoon, which hit the southern and central regions of the Philippines, also destroyed homes and infrastructure.

According to the government, more than 300,000 residents had to evacuate their homes, and a total of about 780,000 people were affected in one way or another.

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Search and rescue efforts continue in Philippines after Typhoon Rai

From www.csmonitor.com
2021-12-19 21:31:00
Jim Gomez
Excerpt:

The death toll in the strongest typhoon to batter the Philippines this year has reached at least 146. Search and rescue efforts continued across the region, three days after super Typhoon Rai struck. On Sunday, the governor of an island province especially hard-hit by the typhoon said there may be even greater devastation that has yet to be reported.

Gov. Arthur Yap of Bohol province in the central Philippines said 72 people died there, 10 others were missing and 13 injured, and suggested the fatalities may still considerably increase because only 33 of 48 mayors were able to report back to him due to downed communications. Officials were trying to confirm a sizable number of deaths caused by landslides and extensive flooding elsewhere.

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Typhoon Rai death toll tops 200 as Philippines grapple with dozens still missing – National

From globalnews.ca
2021-12-20 05:39:05

Excerpt:

The death toll rose to more than 200 following the strongest typhoon to batter the Philippines this year, with 52 people still missing and several central towns and provinces grappling with downed communications and power outages and pleading for food and water, officials said Monday.

At its strongest, the typhoon packed sustained winds of 195 kilometers (121 miles) per hour and gusts of up to 270 kph (168 mph) before it blew out Friday into the South China Sea.

At least 208 people were killed, 52 remained missing and 239 were injured, according to the national police. The toll was expected to increase because several towns and villages remained out of reach due to downed communications, power outages and clogged roads, although massive clean-up and repair efforts were underway with the improved weather.

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Without Immediate Talks, Russia Tells US War More Likely

Mark Clouse December 20, 2021

Russia Demands ‘Urgent’ U.S. Talks, Warning of ‘Military Response’ to NATO Activity

From www.themoscowtimes.com
2021-12-20 14:51:05

Excerpt:

Russia demands immediate talks with the United States on security guarantees from NATO, a senior diplomat said Monday, while President Vladimir Putin’s chief arms control negotiator warned of a “military response” if the alliance continues to step on Moscow’s “sore spots.”

Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov spoke days after Moscow made public a list of demands that seek to limit the U.S.-led Western military bloc’s role in Ukraine and the former Soviet space.

“We need [answers] urgently since the situation is very serious and may get more complicated,” the state-run RIA Novosti news agency quoted Ryabkov as saying.

Konstantin Gavrilov, who heads Russia’s delegation on military security and arms control talks in Vienna, echoed Ryabkov’s earlier warning of military action from Moscow in response to what it views as NATO’s threatening activities.

“Everyone in NATO understands well that, despite all [its] strength and power, it needs to take concrete political actions,” Gavrilov said in a state television broadcast.

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Chile Falls to Marx

Mark Clouse December 20, 2021

Communist Candidate Wins Chile Presidential Election After Year of Leftist Mob Violence

From www.breitbart.com
2021-12-20 14:26:51
Frances Martel
Excerpt:

Chile elected Gabriel Boric its president on Sunday, a sharp turn left after two years of Marxist mob violence targeting churches and government institutions. Boric is a far-left radical protest organizer endorsed by the Communist Party.

Boric defeated conservative candidate José Antonio Kast, who won the first round of presidential voting in November. Kast conceded on Sunday night. In the past month – during which Boric and Kast had the election to themselves after defeating a large slate of candidates in round one – rising numbers of violent attacks by leftists on Kast supporters and staffers had come to define the election.

“I have just spoken to [Gabriel Boric] and congratulated him for his great victory,” Kast wrote on Twitter on Sunday night. “From today on he is the president-elect of Chile and deserves all our respect and constructive collaboration. Chile is always first.”

Acabo de hablar con @gabrielboric y lo he felicitado por su gran triunfo. Desde…

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China’s Candidates Sweep Hong Kong Elections

Ivo Fysic December 20, 2021

Hong Kong: Pro-Beijing candidates sweep controversial LegCo election

From www.bbc.co.uk
2021-12-20 13:04:23

Excerpt:

Pro-Beijing candidates have claimed a victory in Hong Kong’s Legislative Council (LegCo) election, as the city saw its lowest-ever voter turnout.

It was the first LegCo election since China made sweeping and controversial changes to the city’s electoral system.

Officials argue the changes were needed to ensure stability, but critics say they weakened democracy.

On Monday, Beijing also unveiled a statement outlining “democracy with Hong Kong characteristics”.

In a white paper released hours after election results were announced, China said Hong Kong was now entering a new stage of “restored order” as a result of these Beijing-introduced changes.

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