Mark Gurman writes in the Power On newsletter that Apple's thinnest iPhone yet could be called the iPhone 17 Air.

It was late at night, and Darim's animation studio had just finished designing a new look for a character in one of South Korea's most popular video games, MapleStory.

Darim was proud of her work. So, sitting alone on the floor of her small studio apartment, she posted the trailer on social media. Almost immediately, she was flooded with thousands of abusive messages, including death and rape threats.

Young male gamers had taken issue with a single frame in the trailer, in which the female character could be seen holding her thumb and forefinger close together.

They thought it resembled a hand gesture used by a radical online feminist community almost a decade ago to poke fun at the size of Korean men's penises.

Mexico sent a team of firefighters to California on Saturday to help teams battling the raging wildfires that have devastated parts of Los Angeles.

"The humanitarian aid group is leaving for Los Angeles, California," Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum wrote [on social media], posting photos of firefighters holding the flags of Mexico and California and standing on the runway in front of two planes.

"We are a country of generosity and solidarity," she added.

Six simultaneous blazes that have ripped across Los Angeles County neighborhoods since Tuesday have killed at least 11 people and damaged or destroyed 10,000 structures. The toll is expected to mount when firefighters are able to conduct house-to-house searches.

California Governor Gavin Newsom thanked Mexico in a message on Friday after the deployment was announced.

"California is deeply grateful for President Sheinbaum's support as we work to suppress the Los Angeles wildfires," he wrote.

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In the heart of bustling Bangkok, a grim drama is unfolding—a story that has gripped not just Thailand but has echoed around the world due to its dire human rights implications. A group of 43 Uyghur men is trapped in a limbo that has lasted for over a decade. These men, hailing from China’s Xinjiang region, have long been stranded in a place few would willingly choose to stay: the Suan Phlu immigration detention center. Their story is a complex tapestry woven with threads of desperation, international politics, and human rights concerns, and it urgently demands our attention.

For more than ten years, these individuals have been stuck in Thailand after fleeing what activists describe as severe repression in China. Their goal? To reach Turkey, which historically has been a sanctuary for Uyghur refugees. Sadly, fate and bureaucratic entanglements have kept them detained in Thailand in conditions that are harsh to say the least. According to the detainees’ pleas, documented in a letter to the Thai government and obtained by the Associated Press, they now face the terrifying prospect of deportation back to China. Such a move, they warn, could spell out a grim destiny involving imprisonment, persecution, and even death.

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Cross posted from: https://beehaw.org/post/17980478

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In yet another blatant display of coercion, China has invoked its rarely enforced 1984 Military Service Law in the Tibetan county of Ruthog, Ngari Prefecture. This move, ostensibly aimed at bolstering the ranks of the struggling People’s Liberation Army (PLA), exposes Beijing’s growing desperation to mask its internal military dysfunction. Ruthog, strategically located near the India-China border, has become the latest pawn in China’s aggressive and exploitative campaign to conscript Tibetan youths, under the pretext of national service.

Despite its ostentatious displays of military might, the PLA is grappling with an increasingly evident crisis. China’s reliance on voluntary enlistment has crumbled under the weight of strict recruitment standards, gruelling service conditions, and widespread discontent. Reports indicate a mass exodus of soldiers opting for early retirement, particularly from harsh deployments in Tibet and Xinjiang.

Instead of addressing the root causes of dissatisfaction within its military ranks, Beijing has chosen the path of least resistance—targeting minority populations like Tibetans. The PLA’s inability to attract willing recruits from its Han-majority population speaks volumes about the morale and disillusionment within the force.

[...]

For Tibetans, this is not an “opportunity” but a grim reality. Decades of political and cultural repression under Beijing have eroded any trust in the Chinese government. Enlisting in the PLA is not a matter of pride for Tibetans; it’s a survival tactic under duress.

[...]

Beijing’s rhetoric about economic development is as hollow as its promises to Tibetans. These projects serve one purpose: to create a militarized buffer zone against India. The PLA’s outreach to Tibetan youths—through propagandist events and lectures—further underscores its intent to weaponize the region’s population in its geopolitical ambitions.

[...]

Beijing’s actions in Ruthog are a stark reminder that its vision of national security comes at the expense of its most vulnerable communities. The militarization of Tibet, coupled with the forced conscription of its youth, is yet another chapter in China’s long history of exploiting its minorities for political and military gain.

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The London Stock Exchange (LSE) has been asked what checks are in place to vet firms after fast-fashion retailer Shein refused to answer "basic questions" over its supply chain.

Liam Byrne, chair of the Business and Trade Committee, wrote to Dame Julia Hoggett asking if the stock market had tests in place to "authenticate statements" by firms seeking to list, "with particular regard to their safeguards against the use of forced labour in their products".

It comes after MPs branded the evidence of a Shein lawyer "ridiculous" when she refused to say if the company sold products containing cotton from China.

Byrne told Dame Julia that MPs were "profoundly concerned at the lack of candid and open answers".

"The committee would like to draw your attention to the concerning evidence we heard," he said in a letter to the LSE chief executive on Friday.

The BBC understands Shein, founded in China but now headquartered in Singapore, has filed initial paperwork to list in the UK, which could value it at £50bn. It follows the retailers rapid rise to one of the biggest fast fashion firms globally, shipping to customers in 150 countries.

But questions remain over the company's supply chain amid allegations of forced labour and human rights abuses.

[...]

cross-posted from: https://lemm.ee/post/52273397

cross-posted from: https://lemm.ee/post/52306691

• The biggest direct exporters of machinery and technology to Russia are now China, Taiwan, and South Korea,” the researcher said.
• Taiwan is one of the largest exporters of high-tech parts to Russia. In 2023 and the first quarter of 2024, Taiwan had the highest number of companies after China that directly exported parts to Russia,” Hutyk said.

cross-posted from: https://lemm.ee/post/52280856

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As it turns out, sources have told Danish news outlet DR News that the supporters wearing fresh MAGA hats during a visit from Trump’s representatives Don Jr and Charlie Kirk were homeless and socially disadvantaged people who were bribed with hotel dinners:

“Several sources now tell DR that a portion of the people who appear in the video from Trump's campaign people …are homeless and socially disadvantaged, who often find themselves outside the Brugsen in Nuuk …which is located directly opposite Hotel Hans Egede.”

Don Jr and Charlie Kirk described the warm reception from what was described as a group of Greenlandic Trump supporters. MAGA accounts on social media used the footage of Trump talking on speaker phone to the group as evidence for his proposal to annex Greenland as part of the United States.

Now we learn the group support was likely transactional. DR reported:

“All they have to do is put on a cap and be in the Trump staff's videos. They are being bribed, and it is deeply distasteful.”

DR News reported on others who were able to identify individuals who traded support for a nice meal at a hotel. Trump's team found one of the men living under a bridge. This isn’t the first time Trump has staged events.

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cross-posted from: https://lemm.ee/post/52242140

themoscowtimes.com/2025/01/09/…

cross-posted from: https://lemm.ee/post/52306851

cross-posted from: https://beehaw.org/post/17960414

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The thermometer read over 30 degrees Celsius (around 90 Fahrenheit) in the early hours of December 23, when Brazilian authorities turned up at the construction site of car giant BYD's new factory in Camacari, in the northern state of Bahia.

MPT investigators told DW that they rescued 163 Chinese workers from "slavery-like" working conditions at the site.

In the dormitories of the Jinjiang Group, the company hired by BYD to carry out the work, there were no mattresses on the beds, and the few toilets served hundreds of workers in extremely unhygienic conditions. The workers also had food stored without refrigeration.

The Brazilian Labor Prosecutor's Office (MTP) also accused the companies of withholding the workers' passports and keeping 60% of their wages; the remaining 40% would be paid in Chinese currency.

After authorities claimed that the workers were victims of international human trafficking, the site was shut down. The factory had been due to open in 2025.

[...]

Experts [said] hat the case pits the importance of Chinese investment against upholding local standards.

"This action was all the more significant because it took place in a company that enjoys strong political support, both in the federal government and in Bahia, due to the importance of its investments in Brazil for President Lula's reindustrialization projects," said Mauricio Santoro, a political scientist and professor of international relations at the State University of Rio de Janeiro. China's overseas production in focus

On Tuesday, MPT investigators met with representatives of BYD and the companies involved in the construction.

All of the rescued workers have already received their termination payments and returned to China. A report on the inspection of the site will be completed next week, and compensation for the workers will be discussed at a subsequent meeting.

[...]

Using Chinese workers to build the BYD plant is similar to how Chinese multinationals operate in Africa and other Latin American countries, said Paulo Feldmann, an economist and professor at the FIA Business School in Sao Paulo.

The practice brings little benefit to the countries that receive the investment, he [said].

"For Brazil, it would have been better if these workers had been local, because of the income they would have generated for themselves and their families, the positive impact on their communities and the professional training they would have acquired. It would also be easier to monitor their working conditions," he said.

[...]

In the aftermath of the scandal, BYD and its contractor, Jinjiang Group, have denied the allegations. They called them part of a smear campaign against Chinese brands, a narrative supported by many Chinese nationalists.

[...]

But not everyone in China has accepted the idea of blaming "foreign forces."

Some Weibo users wrote that working conditions at BYD factory in Brazil were similar to those of construction workers in China. This sparked online discussions about how many workers in China could be living in conditions that are slavery-like by international standards.

The Chinese labor market is notorious for its so-called "996" work culture, which involves working from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. six days a week, in violation of labor laws. This phenomenon is particularly prevalent in the technology sector.

"I stand with Brazil. Chinese workers are being ruthlessly exploited," one comment stated under a Weibo post paralleling the working conditions at BYD's Brazilian factory with those at local construction sites.

"I feel that domestic factories often don't treat people as humans, but rather as machines," another comment said.

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cross-posted from: https://lemm.ee/post/52291258

A total of 33 organizations and 12 individuals, including a North Korean national, were added to the Japanese list of asset freeze targets under the foreign exchange and foreign trade law, and 53 organizations from countries including Russia and China newly became subject to export bans and other measures.

Also, Japan will ban the export of 335 more goods, including small motorcycles and components for special-purpose vehicles such as cranes, to Russia, starting on Jan. 23.

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cross-posted from: https://lemm.ee/post/52198352

cross-posted from: https://lemm.ee/post/52214419

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday said he supports the deployment of Western troops to Ukraine as one of the "best instruments" to "force Russia to peace."

The Ukrainian leader also said Europe was entering a "new chapter" of cooperation and would have "new opportunities" with Donald Trump returning to the White House later this month.

"Our goal is to find as many instruments as possible to force Russia into peace," Zelensky told a meeting of Ukraine's defense allies in Germany.

Referring to discussions about the possibility of NATO countries sending troops to Ukraine, he said: "I believe that such deployment of partners' contingents is one of the best instruments."

"Let's be more practical in making it possible," he added.

[...]

cross-posted from: https://lemm.ee/post/52203462

cross-posted from: https://beehaw.org/post/17960182

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Over the past two years, a growing number of dramatic attempts to escape the People’s Republic of China have been covered by global news media. Some of the individuals in question successfully managed to find refuge and asylum, while others were – and unfortunately continue to be – sent back to China by Governments friendly or subservient to the CCP [Chineses Communist Party].

Often missing from these stories is the wider picture: each of these individuals – often human rights defenders – is but one in a rapid escalation of individuals desperate to leave China since Xi Jinping came to power.

Data released by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) show a clear trend: between 2012 and mid-2024, over one million Chinese have sought asylum abroad.

The number is even more staggering considering the increasing exit controls (including exit bans) placed on determinate categories of Chinese citizens by Chinese authorities. The continuing upward trend also serves as a stark reminder that China’s domestic human rights abuse is not the mere “internal affair” as it so often likes to claim.

Highlights:

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• The number of asylum seekers in 2024 is up 169% compared with the Pre-Covid period (2019: 104,259)

• The number of asylum seekers in 2024 is up 1426% compared with the year Xi Jinping rose to power (2012: 12,362)

• In 2024, the number of Chinese asylum seekers since Xi Jinping took power in 2012 broke the one million mark (2012-2024: 1,158,739).

• To put things into perspective: in 2022 alone, the number of Chinese asylum-seekers abroad was the same as during the entire 10-year Hu Jintao era.

[...]

Data for 2021: the United States remained by far the most popular choice, with 88,722 persons seeking asylum there. The only other place that has been consistently popular is Australia, with 15,774 Chinese asylum-seekers last year.

Canada, Brazil, South Korea, and the UK also saw thousands of Chinese asylum-seekers.

Europe was far less popular, with Spain taking in 900, compared to Germany’s 379 and France’s 248. Other European countries, as well as most Asian and African countries, received almost no requests in 2021.

[...]