The China Mail - Politics

UN Myanmar envoy begins talks with junta chief

The UN's new special envoy for Myanmar began meetings with top junta officials on Wednesday but did not respond to questions about whether she would seek to meet ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

UK inflation jumps to 40-year high

British inflation surged to a new 40-year high in July on rising food prices, official data showed Wednesday, adding to a cost-of-living crisis as the country faces the prospect of recession.

Forced labour, possible 'enslavement' in China's Xinjiang: UN expert

Minorities have been drafted into forced labour in China's Xinjiang region in sectors such as agriculture and manufacturing, a report by an independent UN expert has concluded, in what it said could amount to "enslavement as a crime against humanity".

Jihadists spread from the Sahel to coastal West Africa

Their campaign began in northern Mali a decade ago, advanced into the country's powder-keg centre and from there into neighbouring Niger and Burkina Faso.

Former Australian PM defends secret power grab

Australia's former leader on Wednesday defended secret arrangements he made to swear himself in to key portfolios including defence and treasury, saying he would only have used the roles in an emergency during the Covid-19 pandemic.

South Korea's Yoon says not fixated on record-low approval ratings

Battling record-low approval ratings after just three months on the job, South Korea's conservative President Yoon Suk-yeol said Wednesday he was not fixated on his dire polling numbers.

Germany's Russian gas crisis sparks coal rush

"A rush like this in the summertime, it's unheard of -- everybody wants coal," says Frithjof Engelke, a supplier of the briquettes which have become a hot commodity in the German capital.

Journalist found dead in northwest Mexico

A crime reporter has been found dead in northwestern Mexico, authorities said Tuesday -- the latest suspected murder in what is already one of the deadliest years yet for the country's press.

Top Republican Trump critic Cheney loses seat in US Congress

Republican rebel Liz Cheney lost her seat in Congress Tuesday to an election conspiracy theorist, US media projected, in the latest sign of her party's break with traditional conservatism to embrace Donald Trump's hardline "America First" agenda.

Childhood cut short: Honduran boy, 12, wielding barber's shears

Eduardo Espinal runs his own barber shop from a small zinc-roofed building in Honduras, opening the doors at 8:00 am for a 12-hour workday. He is 12 years old.

UN chief to meet Ukraine, Turkey leaders in Lviv

UN chief Antonio Guterres will meet with the leaders of Ukraine and Turkey this week, officials announced Tuesday, as Kyiv reported an "unprecedented" cyberattack on its nuclear energy agency's website.

Brazil's Bolsonaro rallies his 'army'

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro often talks about his "army," the die-hard supporters who fueled his winning campaign four years ago.

Gloves off in Brazil as Bolsonaro, Lula launch campaigns

Ex-president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and incumbent Jair Bolsonaro traded insults Tuesday as they launched their campaigns for Brazil's October elections in dueling rallies highlighting the South American giant's deep divisions.

Election defeat looms for Trump's biggest Republican critic Cheney

Republican rebel Liz Cheney braced Tuesday to lose her seat in the US Congress to an election conspiracy theorist, in the latest sign of her party's break with traditional conservatism to embrace Donald Trump's hardline "America First" agenda.

Zelensky, Erdogan, Guterres to meet Thursday in Ukraine

The United Nations said Tuesday that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan and UN chief Antonio Guterres would meet this week in Ukraine.

Bolsonaro, Lula launch campaigns in Brazil

The race for Brazil's October elections formally opened Tuesday, with dueling campaign events by far-right incumbent Jair Bolsonaro and leftist ex-president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva highlighting the South American giant's deep divides.

EU, US say studying Iran response to 'final' nuclear text

The European Union and United States said Tuesday they were studying Iran's response to a "final" draft agreement on reviving a 2015 nuclear accord with major powers the EU presented at talks in Vienna.

Sri Lanka to end state of emergency: president

Sri Lanka will not extend a state of emergency imposed to control anti-government protests as the situation in the impoverished nation has "stabilised", the president's office said Tuesday.

NBA won't schedule games on US election day

The NBA said Tuesday it will not schedule any games when voters go to the polls for pivotal US midterm elections in November.

First Lady Jill Biden tests positive for Covid: W.House

US First Lady Jill Biden has tested positive for Covid-19 and developed mild symptoms, the White House said Tuesday, two weeks after her husband Joe Biden contracted the virus for a second time.

Election defeat looms for Trump's biggest Republican critic

Republican dissident Liz Cheney looks set to lose her US Congress seat Tuesday to an election-denying conspiracy theorist, in the latest signal of her party's disavowal of traditional conservatism in favor of Donald Trump's hardline "America First" movement.

US tests ICBM after Ukraine, China-linked delays

The United States successfully tested a long-range, nuclear-capable ballistic missile Tuesday after twice postponing the launch to avoid stoking tensions over Ukraine and Taiwan, the Air Force announced.

Kenya's Odinga vows to pursue 'legal options' over vote defeat

Kenya's defeated presidential candidate Raila Odinga vowed Tuesday to pursue "all constitutional and legal options" after rejecting the outcome of elections that awarded victory to his rival William Ruto.

Ukrainian evacuees find shelter in Zaporizhzhia

After crossing the front line in Ukraine, Iryna Tyshenko, a 35-year-old woman from the southern region of Kherson, is recovering as she holds a small dragon toy that she made herself.

EU says studying Iran response to 'final' nuclear text

The European Union said Tuesday it was studying Iran's response to a "final" draft agreement on reviving a 2015 nuclear accord with major powers it presented at talks in Vienna.

Russia says blasts at military site in Crimea 'sabotage'

Russia said Tuesday that massive explosions at a military facility on the Kremlin-controlled Crimean peninsula in Ukraine that also damaged electrical power infrastructure were the result of "sabotage".

Jittery Kenya waits to hear from presidential loser after disputed vote

Jittery Kenyans were waiting Tuesday to hear from president-elect William Ruto's defeated rival Raila Odinga, with many speculating he will mount a legal challenge to the outcome of the country's close election race.

Putin accuses US of trying to 'prolong' Ukraine conflict

Russian President Vladimir Putin accused Washington on Tuesday of drawing out the war in Ukraine, as explosions rocked a Russian military facility on the Kremlin-controlled peninsula of Crimea.

Court to hear Malaysia ex-leader Najib's appeal of jail sentence

Malaysia's highest court said Tuesday it would hear former leader Najib Razak's final bid to overturn his 12-year jail sentence for corruption, with an acquittal potentially clearing the way for his return to power.

EU says mulling Iran response to 'final' nuclear text