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British PM Sunak says ‘golden era’ of UK-China relations is over

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British PM Sunak says ‘golden era’ of UK-China relations is over

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has mentioned China poses a “systemic” problem to UK values and pursuits as his authorities condemned Beijing after a BBC journalist was crushed whereas overlaying Shanghai protests.

In his first main overseas coverage speech, Sunak mentioned the so-called “golden period” of UK relations with China was “over, together with the naive concept that commerce would mechanically result in social and political reform”.

The UK would “must evolve our method to China” because of this, he mentioned in his speech on the Lord Mayor’s Banquet in London, including that Beijing was “consciously competing for world affect utilizing all of the levers of state energy”.

“Let’s be clear, the so-called ‘golden period’ is over, together with the naive concept that commerce would result in social and political reform,” Sunak mentioned, a reference to former Finance Minister George Osborne’s description of Sino-British ties in 2015.

His authorities will prioritise deepening commerce and safety ties with Indo-Pacific allies, he mentioned, including that “economics and safety are indivisible” within the area.

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Some in Sunak’s Conservative Occasion have been important of the prime minister, concerning him as much less hawkish on China than his predecessor Liz Truss.

Whereas operating for the highest job in opposition to Liz Truss, he promised to get robust on China if he received, calling the Asian superpower the “primary menace” to home and world safety.

Nonetheless, a deliberate assembly between Sunak and China’s President Xi Jinping at this month’s G20 summit in Bali fell by means of, and final week London banned Chinese language-made safety cameras from delicate authorities buildings.

“We recognise China poses a systemic problem to our values and pursuits, a problem that grows extra acute because it strikes in direction of even larger authoritarianism,” he mentioned, referring to the BBC assertion that one in all its journalists had been assaulted by Chinese language police.

“In fact, we can not merely ignore China’s significance in world affairs — to world financial stability or points like local weather change. The US, Canada, Australia, Japan and plenty of others perceive this too.”

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The speech got here as tensions have been additional strained between the 2 nations after Ed Lawrence, working in China as an accredited BBC journalist, was arrested at a COVID lockdown demonstration in Shanghai and detained for a number of hours.

The UK public broadcaster says he was assaulted and kicked by police.

After his launch, Lawrence tweeted on Monday to thank his followers, including he believed “a minimum of one native nationwide was arrested after making an attempt to cease the police from beating me”.

UK International Secretary James Cleverly referred to as the incident “deeply disturbing”.

“Media freedom and freedom to protest should be revered. No nation is exempt,” he tweeted.

“Journalists should have the ability to do their job with out intimidation.”

A whole lot of individuals took to the streets in China’s main cities on Sunday in a uncommon outpouring of public anger in opposition to the state over its dogged dedication to zero COVID.

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China’s overseas ministry mentioned on Monday that Lawrence had not recognized himself as a journalist.

“Primarily based on what we discovered from related Shanghai authorities, he didn’t determine himself as a journalist and didn’t voluntarily current his press credentials,” mentioned International Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian.

He informed worldwide media to “comply with Chinese language legal guidelines and laws whereas in China”.

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US military conducts successful airstrikes on Houthi rebel forces in Yemen

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US military conducts successful airstrikes on Houthi rebel forces in Yemen

The U.S. military confirmed it conducted airstrikes in Yemen, saying it targeted a missile storage site and a command-and-control center operated by Iran-backed Houthi rebels.

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced the successful strikes in a release Saturday, saying they were meant to “disrupt and degrade” Houthi operations.

“CENTCOM forces conducted the deliberate strikes to disrupt and degrade Houthi operations, such as attacks against U.S. Navy warships and merchant vessels in the Southern Red Sea, Bab al-Mandeb and Gulf of Aden,” CENTCOM said in a news release.

DISAPPROVAL MOUNTS BOTH AT HOME AND ABROAD AS US AVOIDS DIRECT ACTION AGAINST HOUTHI REBELS

The U.S. military successfully conducted airstrikes in Yemen, saying it targeted a missile storage site and a command-and-control site operated by Iran-backed Houthi rebels. (CENTCOM via X)

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Footage from CENTCOM showed F/A-18’s taking off. The agency said it also used assets from the Navy and the Air Force.

US NAVY SHIPS REPEL ATTACK FROM HOUTHIS IN GULF OF ADEN 

“The strike reflects CENTCOM’s ongoing commitment to protect U.S. and coalition personnel, regional partners and international shipping,” it said.

Houthi rebels

Houthi followers burn the Israeli and American flags on the outskirts of Sana’a, Yemen. (Mohammed Hamoud/Getty Images)

The attacks against shipping are ongoing, and Houthi militants have vowed to continue until Israel ends its campaign in Gaza.

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The terrorist group has targeted more than 100 merchant vessels since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in October 2023.

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Fact check: How deadly was 2024 for journalists?

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Fact check: How deadly was 2024 for journalists?

An estimated 104 journalists lost their lives in 2024, with Palestine the most dangerous territory.

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An estimated 104 journalists were killed worldwide over the past year, according to data shared earlier this month by the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ).

Another report by NGO Reporters Without Borders (RSF) puts the figure at 54, but its methodology means it only includes killings that are considered “directly related” to journalists’ professional activity.

Both organisations say that Palestine is the deadliest place on earth for journalists. More than half (55) of the 104 killings reported by IFJ were Palestinian media professionals in Gaza, while a further six were killed in Lebanon.

At least 138 journalists have been killed in Gaza since the war between Israel and Hamas broke out on 7 October 2023, making the country one of the “most dangerous in the history of modern journalism, behind Iraq, the Philippines and Mexico,” according to the IFJ.

Reporters without Borders has described the number of killings in Gaza as “an unprecedented bloodbath”.

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Israel firmly denies it has intentionally targeted any journalists, but has recognised some that have been killed in its airstrikes on Gaza.

The 104 total killings reported by the IFJ is a slight decrease on the 129 they reported on in 2023, which is considered the bloodiest year for journalists since 1990.

How do other world regions fare?

Asia Pacific is the world’s second most dangerous region for journalists, after the Middle East, according to the IFJ.

It recorded 20 deaths in the region in 2024, of which 70% happened in the southern Asian countries of Pakistan, Bangladesh and India.

The region has seen an “upsurge” in violence, according to the IFJ, with deaths increasing sharply from the 12 recorded in 2023.

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Africa was the third most dangerous region for journalists at eight deaths, five of them in war-torn Sudan.

The number of journalists killed in south, central and north America has dropped sharply over the past two years, from 30 in 2022 to six in 2023, and another six in 2024. Mexico, considered to be one of the deadliest places in the world to do journalism, continues to see “threats, intimidation, kidnappings and murders” against journalists, particularly due to reporting on drug trafficking.

Number of journalists behind bars on the rise

According to IFJ estimates on 10 December, there were 520 journalists in prison across the world, considerably more than in 2023 (427) and 2022 (375).

China, including Hong Kong, accounts for most of journalists behind bars, followed by Israel and Myanmar.

The IFJ says the figures show how “fragile” the independent press is and how “risky and dangerous” the profession of journalism has become.

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Italian state railways plans 1.3 bln euro investment in solar plant

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Italian state railways plans 1.3 bln euro investment in solar plant
Italian state railways Ferrovie dello Stato plans to invest 1.3 billion euros ($1.36 billion) in a photovoltaic plant with an initial 1 gigawatt (GW) capacity that would cover 19% of its energy needs by 2029, the CEO said in a newspaper interview.
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