59 m. ago ‘False pride’: Indonesia’s UN rights role clashes with its domestic record

Indonesia begins its tenure as president of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) this month under a cloud of contradiction, with officials hailing the prestige of the largely ceremonial role even as activists raise uncomfortable questions about the country’s own rights record. The 47-member body, a subsidiary of the UN General Assembly, has a mandate to promote and protect human rights globally. Indonesia’s ambassador was elected president on January 8 after being put forward as the Asia‑Pacific...

Politics

2 h. ago Did China, Russia, Iran joint naval drills in South Africa mark notable Brics shift?

Last week’s naval drills involving China, Russia, Iran and host country South Africa signalled a notable shift for Brics beyond its traditional focus on economic cooperation, analysts said, as the US noted it had closely monitored the exercise. However, observers also described the high-profile exercise as largely symbolic, calling it a diplomatic statement of intent rather than a step towards a formal military alliance. The Will for Peace 2026 drills were launched at a port in Cape Town on...

Politics

2 h. ago Did China, Russia, Iran joint naval drills in South Africa mark Brics shift?

Did China, Russia, Iran joint naval drills in South Africa mark Brics shift?  South China Morning Post

Politics

7 h. ago Canada inks trade deal with China in break from Trump agenda

Canada inks trade deal with China in break from Trump agenda  LimaOhio.com

Politics

11 h. ago Britain’s China dilemma: Opposition protests Beijing's 'mega embassy' as decision deadline looms

Britain’s China dilemma: Opposition protests Beijing's 'mega embassy' as decision deadline looms  Firstpost

Events

13 h. ago Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni wins seventh term in election marred by fraud claims

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni won his seventh term with 71.65 per cent of votes, according to official results Saturday, in an election marred by an internet shutdown and fraud claims by his youthful challenger, who rejected the outcome and called for peaceful protests. The musician-turned-politician best known as Bobi Wine took 24.72 per cent of the vote, the final results showed. Wine, whose real name is Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, has condemned what he described as an unfair electoral process...

Politics

15 h. ago Snøhetta and BIAD Break Ground on Beijing Art Museum, Set to Open in 2029

Snøhetta and BIAD Break Ground on Beijing Art Museum, Set to Open in 2029  parametric-architecture.com

Politics

15 h. ago Beijing's performance arts market reports record high revenue in 2025

Beijing's performance arts market reports record high revenue in 2025  Xinhua

Politics

16 h. ago Iran’s leader says ‘thousands’ killed in protests, Trump a ‘criminal’

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday said “several thousand people” died in this month’s anti-government demonstrations, his first acknowledgment of the deadly scale of the unrest. Some of those were killed “brutally and inhumanely”, Khamenei said without offering details in a public meeting broadcast on state TV. He accused the US and Israel of aiding the killings and said the Islamic Republic had evidence to support the claim. Iran did not intend to push the country towards...

Events

17 h. ago China’s AI and EV boom drives record power demand, widening energy gap with US

China’s total electricity consumption hit a record high of 10.4 trillion kilowatt-hours (kWh) in 2025, more than double that of the US, the National Energy Administration (NEA) said on Saturday. The 5 per cent jump from the previous year marked the first time in China’s history that annual electricity consumption had surpassed 10 trillion kWh – the highest in the world and more than the combined total of the European Union, Russia, India and Japan, state broadcaster CCTV said, citing NEA...

Politics

21 h. ago Scam and corruption cases spark debate in China over cryptocurrencies’ future

The seizure of enormous cryptocurrency caches in two high-profile criminal cases in China – a former head of the central bank’s digital currency research institute accused of corruption, and an alleged scam centre kingpin linked to about US$15 billion in bitcoin – have sparked questions in the country about the safety and future of virtual money. But analysts said the long-term trend for the assets, especially bitcoin, depended on institutional capital, interest rate expectations and the...

Politics

30 h. ago Iran’s Protest Crackdown Followed China’s Playbook. There’s a Reason for That.

Iran’s Protest Crackdown Followed China’s Playbook. There’s a Reason for That.  Kharon

Events

33 h. ago Trump thanks Iran for ‘cancelling’ hanging of hundreds of political prisoners

US President Donald Trump took the unusual step on Friday of thanking the Iranian government for not following through on executions of what he said was meant to be hundreds of political prisoners. “Iran cancelled the hanging of over 800 people,” Trump told reporters while leaving the White House to spend the weekend at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida. He added, “and I greatly respect the fact that they cancelled”. The Republican president also suggested on his social media site...

Politics

33 h. ago IMAX Hits Record In China As Moviegoing Morphs Into Social Event

IMAX Hits Record In China As Moviegoing Morphs Into Social Event  Forbes

Events

34 h. ago China Won’t Save Iran’s Regime – But Chinese Surveillance Technology Might

China Won’t Save Iran’s Regime – But Chinese Surveillance Technology Might  The Diplomat – Asia-Pacific Current Affairs Magazine

Science

35 h. ago How much is China willing to risk to protect its ties with Iran?

How much is China willing to risk to protect its ties with Iran?  RFI

Events

36 h. ago EXCLUSIVE: China remains key financial lifeline for Iran’s revolutionary guards, intel agency says

EXCLUSIVE: China remains key financial lifeline for Iran’s revolutionary guards, intel agency says  Euractiv

Politics

36 h. ago Iran cleric demands death for protesters, threatens Trump amid unrest

A hardline cleric leading Friday prayers in Iran’s capital demanded the death penalty for protesters detained in a nationwide crackdown and directly threatened US President Donald Trump, showing the rage gripping authorities in the Islamic Republic over demonstrations that have challenged their authority. Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami’s sermon, carried by Iranian state radio, sparked chants from those gathered for prayers, including: “Armed hypocrites should be put to death!” Executions, as well as...

Events

37 h. ago South Africa Eyes Confrontation With Trump Over Growing Ties to China, Russia, Iran

South Africa Eyes Confrontation With Trump Over Growing Ties to China, Russia, Iran  Foundation for Defense of Democracies

Politics

37 h. ago Canada agrees to cut tariff on Chinese electric vehicles in break with the U.S.

Canada agrees to cut tariff on Chinese electric vehicles in break with the U.S.  CBS News

Politics