Twitter ‘Deletes’ China’s Communists, Zoom ‘Deletes’ Dissidents
U.S. social media giants have reacted differently to China’s mounting censoring pressure, Worthy News monitored Friday.
China
Russia, China build case at U.N. to protect Iran from U.S. sanctions threat
Russia and China have started making the case at the United Nations against Washington’s claim that it can trigger a return of all sanctions on Iran at the Security Council, with Moscow invoking a 50-year-old international legal opinion to argue against the move.
Washington Outraged Over Beheading of Christians And Other Religious Rights Abuses
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo expressed concern Wednesday about ongoing beheadings and other abuses of Christians and other faith groups in several nations.
US Condemns China Over ‘Repression’ of Christians and other Minorities
The United States accused China’s leadership on Wednesday of increasing repression of Christians and other minorities while forcing religious groups to adopt its communist ideology. In remarks obtained by Worthy News, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that “In China, state-sponsored repression against all religions continues to intensify.”
U.S and Russia Invite China to Join Nuclear Weapons Talks
The US and Russia have invited China to attend nuclear arms control talks this month, the Washington Times reports. The 2021 deadline for renewal of the US-Russia New START nuclear arms limitation treaty is fast approaching, and Russia is willing to extend for another five years. However, the US reportedly wants China to come to the negotiating table and join a trilateral treaty.
Iran Closer Than Ever To Nuclear Weapon, U.N. Report Suggests
With much of the world in lockdown amid the coronavirus pandemic, Iran rushed to increase its stockpiles of enriched uranium and has come closer than ever to develop a nuclear weapon, findings by the United Nations watchdog showed.
Germany Furious About U.S. Planned Withdrawal of Troops
Senior legislators from German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservative block condemned Saturday the reported decision by U.S. President Donald Trump to withdraw a quarter of the American troops stationed in Germany.
China Government Resumes Crack-Down on Churches
Having relaxed its COVID-19 restrictions, in April the Chinese government resumed and intensified its crack-down on churches, the Christian Post reports. At least 48 Three-Self churches and meeting places were reportedly shut down in Yugan County in the province of Jiangxi from April 18 to 30. Over 10 percent of the more than 1 million residents of Yugan County are Protestants attending some 300 official Three-Self churches.
Europe, World Shocked Over U.S. Violence
Protestors in Europe and other countries have joined demonstrators in the United States to express outrage over the death of George Floyd. The unarmed black man died in the U.S. city of Minneapolis after a white police officer pressed his knee on Floyd’s neck until he stopped breathing.
Trump: US ‘terminating’ relationship with WHO
President Trump said Friday that the United States is “terminating” its relationship with the World Health Organization (WHO) over its response to the novel coronavirus, following through on a threat issued earlier this month.
Pompeo: Hong Kong No Longer Warrants Special Treatment Compared to Mainland China
On Thursday, China’s legislature passed national security, anti-sedition laws that will affect Hong Kong in such a way as to suppress protests against the central government. In anticipation of the widely publicized move, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said yesterday that Hong Kong “does not continue to warrant” special US treatment as compared to mainland China.
Russia Intercepts U.S. Navy Aircraft Rising Tensions
Two Russian fighter planes intercepted a U.S. Navy aircraft over the Eastern Mediterranean amid rising military tensions between the two superpowers, footage seen by Worthy News showed.
China Warns US As Tensions Escalate to the “Brink of a New Cold War”
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Sunday that American officials are endangering world peace by attempting to push the US and China “to the brink of a new cold war,” Time reports. Amid rising tensions between the two countries on a range of issues, including China’s response to the COVID-19 outbreak, last week the US Senate unanimously passed a bill that could prevent some Chinese companies from being listed on American stock exchanges.
No Limits on US – Russia Nuclear Arms if Trump Does Not Renew Expiring Reduction Treaty
The world will be left with no restrictions on US and Russian nuclear weapons unless President Donald Trump extends the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) before it expires on February 5 next year, Defense News reports. Signed by the two countries in 2010, the nuclear arms reduction treaty limits the number of long-range nuclear warheads and launchers America and Russia can have.
Hong Kong Police Breakup Pro-Democracy Protests
Smoke and screams of panicked people filled central Hong Kong on Sunday as security forces fired tear gas and water cannon to disperse thousands of pro-democracy demonstrators.
Trump Administration Spending Billions Developing Hypersonic Missiles
The Pentagon is spending billions of dollars on developing two main types of ultra-fast hypersonic missiles in order to “dominate future battlefields,” the Times of Israel reports. Referring to Russia and China in an explanation for the move, President Trump told reporters on Friday: “We have no choice, we have to do it, with the adversaries we have out there.”
China: ‘108 Million People In Lockdown’ As Virus Spreads Again
While several nations began to reopen after months of lockdowns, China put a whopping 108 million people under a stay-at-home order.
Senator Rubio chosen as acting Intelligence Committee chairman
U.S. Senator Marco Rubio will serve as acting chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said on Monday, after Senator Richard Burr announced he would step aside from the position during a federal investigation of his stock trades.
U.S. Retail Sales Plunge To Record Low
U.S. stocks sank Friday after figures showed retail sales in the country plunged by a record 16.4 percent last month, the worst decline in decades.
US: “China Hacks Vaccine Research”
The United States has accused China of hacking American vaccine research amid a global coronavirus pandemic.