The petition alone won’t change much, but it could be one step in the right direction when we are willing to keep going a long way. That sounds pathetic, and maybe it fails, but being indifferent and doing nothing is certainly not an option as we know. As Biden said in his recent speech, “Setbacks are inevitable, giving up is unforgivable.”

This is somehow related:

China and the South China Sea: Tailoring history to propaganda

Recent research by Nasa on Pacific Islands:

NASA Analysis Shows Irreversible Sea Level Rise for Pacific Islands

In the next 30 years, Pacific Island nations such as Tuvalu, Kiribati, and Fiji will experience at least 6 inches (15 centimeters) of sea level rise, according to an analysis by NASA’s sea level change science team. This amount of rise will occur regardless of whether greenhouse gas emissions change in the coming years.

“Sea level will continue to rise for centuries, causing more frequent flooding,” said Nadya Vinogradova Shiffer, who directs ocean physics programs for NASA’s Earth Science Division."

Canada could help balance the scales with China as tensions rise in South China Sea, experts say

Wider conflict could slow down trillion of dollars in trade moving through disputed waterway

No clue, but these guys might know it: https://www.votefromabroad.org

As I wrote in tbe other comment in this thread: That’s just a fraction aimed at specific children-related projects. Canada’s total support is much higher as we know.

That’s just a fraction aimed at specific children-related projects. Canada’s total support is much higher as we know.

Competition aka market economy only works if every player respects the same rules. It’s obvious that this isn’t the case here. TikTok -the ‘Western’ version of ByteDance’s product- isn’t allowed even in China as you will know. So why does TikTok complain if it gets banned in the West, while it seems fine to be banned in China? Isn’t that a double standard?

Also, if we’re talking about competition, then this doesn’t work in a centrally planned economy like China’s. The competition argument coming from a Chinese perspective isn’t valid, as it is the Chinese government itself which rejects exactly this very competition for itself.

Myanmar soldiers cut off tattoos and gave detainees urine to drink, witnesses say

Eyewitnesses told the BBC the village [in the Rakhine State] was subjected to two-and-half days of terror as soldiers blindfolded and beat them up, poured burning petrol on their skin and forced some of them to drink their urine.

Warning: You may find some of the details in this piece disturbing

Trump had 4 years to seriously do it, but nothing happened. It’s just a footnote in his election campaign.