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BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaInquiry hears of foreign meddling in Canada electionsPublished16 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will be testifying before the inquiry on WednesdayBy Nadine YousifBBC NewsA busload full of Chinese high school students coerced into voting for a Liberal candidate. An opaque cash injection of thousands of dollars from China. A proxy agent of India’s government providing illegal financial support to pro-India politicians.These allegations and more surfaced during two weeks of testimony in Canada’s ongoing public inquiry into foreign interference in its elections.The accusations – made by Canada’s spy agency in a series of redacted documents tabled before the inquiry – are to be taken with caution, officials said.The reports may include uncorroborated information that is single-sourced or incomplete, and that has not been properly investigated, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) warned.China and India have repeatedly denied any allegations of interference in Canada’s affairs, with India recently calling them “baseless allegations”. But some politicians have said interference may have affected their political careers.And testimony from members of Canada’s varied diaspora communities shone a light on alleged threats to their safety by agents tied to governments in their home countries.Why is Canada so vulnerable to foreign meddling?The inquiry, led by Quebec judge Marie-Josee Hogue, is hearing from more than 40 community members, politicians and federal election officials before its first report is tabled next month.Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is scheduled to testify on Wednesday. He has said he is “looking forward” to answering questions before the inquiry. Those affected by the alleged meddling efforts have accused officials and CSIS of not doing enough to combat it, or of keeping them in the dark altogether. And Canada’s own spy agency has said the government is not doing enough to tackle the issue, and that the country lags behind its “Five Eyes” intelligence allies – the US, UK, Australia and New Zealand.What has the inquiry heard so far?From testimony and partially unsealed classified documents, Canadians have learned some of the ways China and other foreign governments may have attempted to interfere in the last two federal elections, in 2019 and 2022.There is no evidence the results of the election were affected. CSIS has alleged that the Chinese government “clandestinely and deceptively” interfered in both elections. The interference was “pragmatic in nature and focused primarily in supporting those viewed to be either ‘pro-PRC’ or ‘neutral’ on issues of interest to the PRC government,” said a briefing by the agency.”We also observed online and media activities aimed at discouraging Canadians, particularly of Chinese heritage, from supporting the Conservative Party (and former) leader Erin O’Toole,” the briefing note added.Mr O’Toole testified last week that his campaign was marred by a deluge of misinformation that he believes lost his party up to nine seats in the 2021 election.He said that, while the overall result of the election – which his party lost to Mr Trudeau’s Liberals – was not affected, he believes it led to his ouster as leader.Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Former federal Conservative leader Erin O’Toole testified that his party may have lost some seats in the 2021 election due to foreign meddlingCSIS reports mentioned a possible C$250,000 ($184,000; £145,300) funneled from the PRC during the 2019 election to an unnamed candidate’s staff member, and then to others, in a meddling attempt.The spy agency also accused China of funding a charter bus in 2019 to send Chinese private high school students to help a Liberal politician, Han Dong, secure his party’s nomination. CSIS suggested that the students were coerced, that “their student visas would be in jeopardy and that there could be consequences for their families back in the PRC” if they did not support Mr Dong.In his testimony, Mr Dong, who now sits as an independent, said he met with Chinese students and encouraged them to register as Liberal members during his campaign. But he denied knowledge of anything nefarious. International students are allowed to vote in Liberal party nominations as long as they can prove they live in the riding (constituency or electoral district). India and Pakistan also were named by CSIS as trying to interfere in both elections.In India’s case, the spy agency said activities were carried out by a proxy agent of the Indian government, and “were centered on a small number of electoral districts” to support pro-India candidates.They were motivated by the perception that “a portion of Indo-Canadian voters were sympathetic to the Khalistani movement or pro-Pakistan political stances,” CSIS reported.Mr Trudeau previously accused India of being involved in the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Sikh separatist who was killed on Canadian soil in June 2023.Meanwhile, Pakistan’s attempted meddling was allegedly “to counter India’s growing global influence,” though it was limited in nature, CSIS reported.According to testimony, while CSIS and other officials knew about these allegations, they didn’t alert the targeted politicians or the public. Mr O’Toole said he raised concerns about meddling during the 2021 election and was not taken seriously. But Mr Trudeau’s national security advisor Nathalie Drouin, who was on a panel of top bureaucrats at the time tasked with reviewing election threats, countered by saying there was not enough proof at the time of China’s activities against the Conservative Party.”There was some risk that any intervention by the panel could create more harm than good,” she said, adding there were fears that it would incite confusion and alarm the public.Related TopicsChinaJustin TrudeauIndiaCanadaMore on this storyUS must work with Canada to stop China meddling – MPPublished13 September 2023Canada launches inquiry into foreign interferencePublished7 September 2023Canada police investigating China meddling claimsPublished13 June 2023Top StoriesWeak evidence and toxic debate letting down gender care children, report saysPublished1 hour agoArizona court reinstates abortion ban law from 1864Published4 hours agoOver 7 million struggling with bills, survey findsPublished1 hour agoFeaturesThe Papers: Major gender care review, and ‘Mr Bates vs thugs in suits’Peter Higgs – the man who changed our view of the UniverseIs this K-drama? 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[ad_1] Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expected to testify before the ongoing inquiry on Wednesday.

BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityCultureKirsten Dunst: ‘I didn’t even think to ask for equal pay’Published17 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingThis video can not be playedTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.Media caption, Kirsten Dunst opens up about the Hollywood gender pay gapBy Charlotte GallagherCulture reporterHollywood star Kirsten Dunst has said she grew up at a time when there was “major pay disparity” between herself and her male co-stars. She said she was paid less than male co-stars, even though she had more box office success, with films such as Jumanji (1995) and Bring It On (2000).”I was very young and it just felt like at the time, what do you do?” she said.”I was 17, I was still learning my taste in film. I didn’t even think to ask,” she added.Dunst has previously referred to the pay gap between her and actor Tobey Maguire, who she starred alongside in Spider-Man in 2002, as “very extreme”.Alex Garland, who directs Dunst in his latest film, Civil War, agreed it had been a major issue but “nobody questioned it, male executives didn’t question it, these were all inherited opinions. They weren’t thought about.” Olivia Colman: I’d be paid more if I was OliverOscar-winning designer speaks out on film pay gapMen out-earning women: Five things you need to knowDunst plays a war photographer documenting the United States in the grip of conflict and falling apart.The star says the dystopian movie is “very much a warning” about what can happen. The film “leaves people with so much to think about” and “is a very moving, realistic piece about journalists”, the actress adds.Dunst, 41, says it is refreshing her character is the lead in an action film and not a “damsel in distress”. She drew inspiration for the role from the famed war correspondent, Marie Colvin. Image source, Civil War, A24Image caption, The actress plays a war photographer in her new film, Civil WarIn the film, US government forces are fighting the separatist “Western Forces” led by Texas and California.The civil war of the film’s title appears to have been sparked by the president, played by Nick Offerman, who has ripped up the constitution by serving a third term in office (no-one is allowed to serve as president more than twice).Parallels have been drawn to current US politics and events such as the 6 January insurrection, when supporters of Donald Trump attacked the Capitol Building in Washington DC. But Garland, who also wrote the film, says the themes are not just about the US. “The film is set in America but really this film is about two things. It is about journalists and it’s about polarisation. Populist politics and polarisation which lead to extremism and extremist thinking.”Garland, who wrote 28 Days Later and Ex Machina, adds: “That’s happening in America but it’s happening here in this country [the UK] and it’s been happening here for a long time and it’s happening across Europe, the Middle East, Asia. I could list the countries where that would be true.” He adds that journalism is “under attack” which he finds “strange, scary and dangerous”. “You get people saying ‘Do not trust the BBC’ and you will be in places where you would be attacked and criticised for saying the unbiased news reporting organisation that you belong to.” The director says he was trying to showcase “old fashioned journalists” who document what is happening, without bias or opinion and leave other people to interpret what they do.Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Alex Garland wrote and directed the film while Nick Offerman stars as the presidentThe film has garnered largely positive reviews, with The Telegraph’s Robbie Collin awarding it five stars.”Civil War moves in ways you’d forgotten films of this scale could,” he wrote, “with compassion for its lead characters and a dark, prowling intellect, and yet a simultaneous total commitment to thrilling the audience at every single moment. “Each leg of the journey toggles between pin-drop suspense and rivetingly frantic firefights, often staged with a mesmerisingly surreal edge.”Empire’s John Nugent, giving it four stars, added: “It never lets up, always gripping, always pummelling your senses, always ghoulishly compelling. Whatever your response to its political prevarication, this is undeniably confident, intense, sweaty-palmed filmmaking at the highest level.”But the Guardian’s Adrian Horton was less keen, awarding it three stars overall. Civil War is “decidedly anti-war but firmly unspecific”, she said, “assiduously avoiding any direct correlation to current politics or, it turns out, any politics at all”.”The distance,” she concluded, “makes for an at times frustrating watch – stimulating on the level of adrenaline, not emotions.”‘Old men’Dunst grew up in front of the camera, beginning her career when she was three years old.She says pay disparity isn’t the only issue when it comes to sexism in the movie industry.One of Dunst’s leading roles in her early 20s was in Sofia Coppola’s 2006 Marie Antoinette biopic.She played the titular role and says the movie “was panned” by film critics.”The people that were watching that movie were my age, they weren’t movie reviewers. Movie reviewers were old men. So to me, the people that enjoyed Marie Antoinette have now grown up and are like ‘We loved this movie’ but they weren’t the people writing the reviews.”We grew up in a world where it’s man-kind, man-made, man this, man that, that’s how we grew up.” But Dunst does think times have changed: “Hopefully, the way I carve my path will help other actresses.”Civil War is released in the UK, US and Canada on 12 April.Related TopicsKirsten DunstFilmMore on this story’There’s a bond with female directors’Published11 July 2017Dunst praise for Lars von TrierPublished31 May 2011What happened on 6 January at the Capitol riot?Published2 August 2023Syria found liable for US reporter’s deathPublished31 January 2019Top StoriesThree British aid workers killed in Gaza namedPublished14 minutes agoWhat we know about the aid convoy strikePublished1 hour agoThree accused of TV presenter attack have left UKPublished5 hours agoFeaturesWho were the seven aid workers killed in Gaza?The Papers: Israel’s ‘tragic’ error and Labour ‘pro-building’ bid’I was deepfaked by my best friend’Brain injury: ‘How digger accident left me with depression’The sailors still stranded on ship that crashed into bridgeWhen is it going to stop raining?AttributionWeather’There is space for black women in comedy’JK Rowling and the Scottish hate crime law. 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[ad_1] Now starring in Alex Garland film Civil War, she says she experienced “major pay disparity” as a young star.

BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaBiden and Xi discuss US-China cooperation and conflictPublished1 hour agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, US President Joe Biden greets Chinese President Xi Jinping at last November’s APEC summit.By Kayla EpsteinBBC NewsUS President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping held a call on Tuesday in an effort to keep tensions between the two countries at a simmer. They discussed avenues of cooperation, including recent shared efforts to combat climate change and narcotics, according to summaries of the call.But there was significant disagreement on Taiwan and economic issues.Mr Biden stressed support for Taiwan, but Mr Xi called US interference in the South China Sea a “red line”.Mr Xi also took issue with sanctions the US has put on China and Chinese-owned companies, calling it an “endless stream of measures to suppress China’s economy, trade, science and technology”.”If the United States insists on suppressing China’s high-tech development and depriving China of its legitimate right to development, we will not sit idly by,” the Chinese leader said, according to a state media summary. Despite the areas of disagreement, the White House and Chinese state media described the conversation as “candid and constructive”. The conversation ranged from AI concerns to military communications.”I look forward to responsibly managing our relationship in the weeks and months ahead,” Mr Biden wrote on X, formerly Twitter, after acknowledging points of tensions.While the discussion did not significantly the status of the countries’ relationship, experts said that may not be the point. The call was “largely performative and an attempt to show the rest of the world that in fact the countries are committed to managing the relationship well – even though the negative dynamics in the relationship has not changed,” Robert Daly, director of the Wilson Center’s Kissinger Institute on China and the United States, said.But that does not mean that the divisions expressed on the call, which lasted an hour and 45 minutes, were inconsequential.Mr Xi stresses that Washington’s support of Taiwan and pursuit of sanctions against China was “not ‘risk reduction’ but risk creation,” the summary says. President Biden did not shrink from his administration’s backing of the Taiwanese government, according to the White House summary. The American president stressed the US’s view that it was essential to maintain “peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait” and “the rule of law and freedom of navigation in the South China Sea”. But Mr Biden also challenged Mr Xi on China’s continued support for Russia’s defence industrial base, its trade policies, and national security threats to the United States, the White House readout said.”For China, there is no other issue more important than Taiwan,” Yun Sun, senior fellow and co-director of the East Asia program at the Stimson Center, said of the call. “But for the US, there are other issues as well.”US and China agree to resume military communications Taiwan just chose a president China loathes. What now?Five things we learned from the Biden-Xi meetingMr Daly emphasised that despite both readouts placing a focus on cooperation and conversation, “this is not a sign of a thaw” between the two superpowers.”Both leaders have an interest in demonstrating responsible management of what they both know can be a very contentious relationship in the long term,” Mr Daly said.This is all about damage control and doing what you can,” he added, “But neither leader is looking for an opening to change the tenor of the relationship.”The two presidents previously met in November at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit in San Francisco, California, where they agreed to address climate change and fentanyl trafficking. The meeting was widely viewed as an effort to cool tensions between Beijing and Washington after the Chinese spy balloon incident last year.The two leaders’ discussion, which the White House said again touched on climate change and drug trafficking, comes ahead of several events that could prove crucial to US-China relationship.Next month, Taiwan will hold an inauguration for its president-elect, William Lai Ching-te, who Beijing has called a “troublemaker” and “separatist.”.” The event likely loomed over the Biden-Xi call, said Ms Sun.”The inauguration of the Taiwan president is coming up, so there is a need for China to emphasise that the US must tread carefully,” she said said.There are several key diplomatic meetings for the US and China on the horizon. US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen will soon visit China – after an American business delegation met with Mr Xi last week – and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is expected to make a trip in the coming weeks.Related TopicsXi JinpingChinaUnited StatesJoe BidenMore on this storyTaiwan just chose a president China loathes. What now?Published13 JanuaryUS and China agree to resume military communicationsPublished16 November 2023Top StoriesThree British aid workers killed in Gaza namedPublished15 hours agoWhat do we know about the aid convoy strike?Published3 hours agoJK Rowling hate law posts not criminal, police sayPublished6 minutes agoFeaturesWho were the seven aid workers killed in Gaza?’I was deepfaked by my best friend’Brain injury: ‘How digger accident left me with depression’The sailors still stranded on ship that crashed into bridgeWhen is it going to stop raining?AttributionWeather’There is space for black women in comedy’JK Rowling and the Scottish hate crime law. 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[ad_1] The two leaders discussed ways to cooperate as they work to thaw tensions between the US and China.

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BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaSpain MPs back amnesty law for Catalan separatistsPublished35 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated TopicsCatalonia independence protestsImage source, Eduardo Parra/Europa PressImage caption, Catalan MPs celebrated outside Spain’s Congress of Deputies after MPs backed the amnesty lawBy Guy HedgecoeBBC News, MadridSpain’s Congress has approved a controversial amnesty law that seeks to benefit nationalists facing legal action for separatist activity in the north-eastern region of Catalonia.The law, a revised version of a bill rejected in January, received 178 votes in the 350-seat chamber. The amnesty aims to remove pending legal action against people accused of separatist activity, mainly stemming from a 2017 Catalan bid for secession.It now has to be backed by the Senate.Socialist Party spokesman Patxi López said the amnesty helped “end a period of conflict and open a time of reconciliation and unity”. The most high-profile potential beneficiary of the law is former Catalan regional president Carles Puigdemont, who led the failed independence attempt and has been living in Belgium ever since, to avoid the reach of the Spanish courts. Mr Puigdemont is being investigated for terrorism-related crimes for his alleged role in protests in 2019. However, his Together for Catalonia (JxCat) party voted against the amnesty in January, arguing that it failed to provide guarantees protecting him and several others from prosecution for terrorism. The revised version of the bill stipulates that only crimes deemed terrorism by the EU, rather than Spanish law, will be unprotected by the amnesty. The parliamentary support of Mr Puigdemont’s JxCat and the fellow pro-secession Catalan Republican Left (ERC) has been crucial in allowing Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to govern since his investiture in November. Three years ago, Mr Sánchez’s Socialist government granted pardons to nine Catalan separatists who were given long jail terms for their part in a 2017 independence declaration after a referendum declared illegal by the courts. The amnesty could benefit hundreds of people.While Mr Sánchez has insisted the initiative aims to improve the social and political climate in Catalonia, his critics say it is unconstitutional and is purely aimed at maintaining the support of nationalists. Isabel Díaz Ayuso, who is president of the Madrid region for the opposition conservative People’s Party (PP), described it as “the most corrupt law of our democracy”. PP leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo said the prime minister had now “fulfilled everything” that the separatists had asked for, with the sole aim of remaining in office “for a while”.Mr Puigdemont has been thrust further into the spotlight after Catalan President Pere Aragonès on Wednesday called a snap election for 12 May, because parties were unable to agree on the region’s annual budget. JxCat’s secretary general, Jordi Turull, has appeared to suggest that Mr Puigdemont will be the party’s candidate for president of the region. “The person we all have in mind will be in Catalonia on the day of the possible investiture debate,” he said. The timeframe of the amnesty bill’s passage means it could be implemented shortly after the election. The legislation will now go to the Senate, which, although it is controlled by the conservative PP, can only slow its progress until mid-May, when it would return to Congress for final approval. The prospect of Mr Puigdemont, who is an MEP, being free of legal charges and running for office in Spain again could provide a major boost to his JxCat as it seeks to reassert itself as Catalonia’s dominant political force.He said the amnesty did not mark an end to the story but overcame “an erroneous stage of judicial and political repression of a political movement”.The Spanish prime minister praised the vote as opening a “new period of coexistence and prosperity in Catalonia”, but the Catalan president said it marked a “new stage towards achieving liberty for Catalonia”.Related TopicsCataloniaSpainPedro SanchezCatalonia independence protestsMore on this storySpain’s congress rejects Catalan separatists billPublished30 JanuarySpain’s Pedro Sánchez wins new term as PMPublished16 November 2023Fury in Spain at Socialists’ amnesty plan for powerPublished8 November 2023Catalonia’s quarrel with Spain explainedPublished18 October 2019Top StoriesGove names groups as he unveils extremism definitionPublished1 hour agoHow gunfire and panic engulfed Gaza hospital before Israeli raidPublished2 hours agoAbbott hits out at racism in politics after donor rowPublished4 hours agoFeaturesFear and chaos await Haitian migrants forced back over borderHow a head teacher saved his pupils from a knifemanSteve Rosenberg on Russia’s stage-managed electionPost Office victim’s child: ‘Scandal left me mute’Critics say Morning Show star is magnetic on stageReality TV star Vicky Pattison: Why I’d donate my frozen eggs. 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[ad_1] Isabel Díaz Ayuso, who is president of the Madrid region for the opposition conservative People’s Party (PP), described it as “the most corrupt law of our democracy”. PP leader…

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BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityAsiaChinaIndiaKashmir: Asif Sultan, the journalist caught in ‘revolving door’ of arrestsPublished7 hours agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Asif Sultan was first arrested in 2018 when he was working at a magazine called Kashmir NarratorOn 29 February, journalist Asif Sultan arrived at his home in Srinagar in Indian-administered Kashmir after being held on remand in jail for more than 2,000 days. He barely spent five hours with his family before he was called to a local police station, where he was re-arrested.”We had no idea that he would be arrested again,” says Mohammad Sultan, his father. Asif Sultan, 36, was first arrested in August 2018 and charged under an anti-terror law called the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) which makes it extremely difficult to get bail. Police accused him of helping and sheltering anti-India militants, which he denies. His colleagues have alleged that he was targeted for writing an article in 2018 about Burhan Wani, a young militant leader whose death in a gun battle with government forces had sparked protests and deadly violence two years earlier.Militancy is a sensitive issue in Muslim-majority Kashmir, which has been a flashpoint between neighbours India and Pakistan for more than 75 years. Both countries claim the region in full but control only parts of it.Since 1989, an armed revolt has been waged against Indian rule in the region it controls, claiming tens of thousands of lives. India blames Pakistan for stirring the unrest by backing separatist militants in Kashmir – a charge Islamabad denies.For decades, journalists in Kashmir have had to tread carefully between the administration and militant groups while doing their jobs. But they say the federal government’s crackdown on press freedom has worsened since August 2019 – that’s when Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government revoked Jammu and Kashmir’s partial autonomy and divided the state into two federally-administered territories.’Any story could be your last’ – India’s crackdown on Kashmir pressThe Kashmir journalists ‘harassed’ over their jobSince the repeal of the state’s special status in 2019, at least five journalists have been charged under the UAPA. Three others have been detained under the stringent Public Safety Act (PSA), which allows detention without charge for up to two years. Some, like Mr Sultan, have been charged and detained under both. Activists say police use a tactic known as “revolving door arrests”, whereby people granted bail in one case are promptly re-arrested under another, effectively prolonging their detention.The BBC contacted police officials in Kashmir by email but they have yet to respond to our questions about why Asif Sultan was re-arrested, why other journalists have been detained or to allegations that the authorities are cracking down on media freedoms in the region.Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, A 2018 protest by journalists in Kashmir against Mr Sultan’s arrestMr Sultan was in a Srinagar prison from August 2018 until April 2022, when a court granted him bail – in that case, the police’s key witness against him had refused to identify him as an accused before the court. But before he could be released, police detained him under the PSA, describing him as a “threat to peace”.He was then transferred to a jail in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, around 1,500km (932 miles) from his home. In December 2023, a court in Srinagar quashed the detention under the PSA and ordered the authorities to release him. Despite that, it took 78 days to release him – prison authorities told online portal Newslaundry that the delay was because they had to get “clearance letters” from authorities in Kashmir.Mr Sultan had just about reached home on 29 February when he was picked up again – this time, his lawyer says, a case had been filed against him under the UAPA related to an incident of rioting that took place in Srinagar’s Central Jail in 2019, when prisoners allegedly ransacked the barracks after an argument with prison staff.”There were around 600 prisoners and he [Mr Sultan] wasn’t in the barrack which was allegedly set on fire by some inmates,” says his lawyer, Adil Abdullah Pandit, adding that they would file a bail plea soon.Asif Sultan is not the only local journalist currently jailed after being caught in the “revolving door” of arrests.Sajad Gul was arrested in January 2022, on charges of “criminal conspiracy” and granted bail after nine days – but he was then detained under the PSA and transferred to a jail in Jammu, 300km from his home. Despite a local court ordering him to be freed last November, he remains in police custody. Kunal Majumder, India representative of the Committee to Protect Journalists, says that the pattern of targeting journalists in Kashmir with multiple cases sends a “concerning signal” about the government’s stance on press freedom. “By repeatedly arresting journalists on various charges, often after they’ve been granted bail on previous ones, it suggests a systematic effort to intimidate and suppress critical voices,” he said.Even though they have been living in despair for years, Mr Sultan’s father says there is always “light at the end of the tunnel”.”There is nothing serious in the case. We are hopeful that we will see him again soon,” he said.Read more India stories from the BBC:Indian troops to exit Maldives as China gains footholdTight security in Kashmir for Modi pre-election tripIndia economy beats expectations with 8.4% growthIn pictures: Bollywood stars and billionaires at lavish partyIndia village in the eye of a political stormRelated TopicsAsiaIndiaKashmirMore on this storyAny story ‘could be your last’Published1 September 2023India minister assures justice after Kashmir deathsPublished28 December 2023Direct rule grew your economy, Modi tells KashmirPublished5 days agoTop StoriesBBC report into treatment of Gaza medics ‘very disturbing’ – CameronPublished2 hours agoGaza medics tell BBC that Israeli troops beat and humiliated themPublished13 hours agoPM says alleged comments about Abbott were racistPublished2 minutes agoFeaturesThe gangsters and rebels jostling over power in HaitiIs pressure on Kate after photo chaos unfair?The Ukrainian sea drones hunting Russian warshipsHow the miners’ strike changed the role of womenMeet the pop star who brought some cheek to the Brit AwardsWhat is TikTok and could the US ban it?’We don’t feel the joy of Ramadan in Rafah’ Video’We don’t feel the joy of Ramadan in Rafah’Schoolboy recounts daring escape from Nigerian kidnap gangWhen wind turbine blades get old what’s next?Elsewhere on the BBCThe powerful emotional impact of Pink Floyd’s musicShine On You Crazy Diamond has helped people through their hardest timesAttributionSoundsFrom the largest ship to disasters on deck…A closer look at times when cruise ships have caused commotionAttributioniPlayer’I was mad for stuff but I didn’t realise I wasn’t happy’Stuart Mitchell’s search for happiness will make us all question the true cost of livingAttributionSoundsMisled with the promise of a home…Panorama investigates the mobile home swindleAttributioniPlayerMost Read1The gangsters and rebels jostling over power in Haiti2Prince William attends Thomas Kingston’s funeral3Ashes and 35 bodies removed from funeral home4Badenoch calls donor’s alleged Abbott remark racist5Andrew Tate and brother can be extradited to UK6BBC report into Gaza medics ‘disturbing’ – Cameron7Ukraine-based groups claim raids into Russia8Hollywood stars lead the way at Olivier nominations9Tate unveils counterpoint to offensive mural10Baptisms ‘a ticket’ for some asylum seekers – vicar

[ad_1] Asif Sultan was swiftly re-arrested after years in jail awaiting trial for militant links he denies.

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BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaAl-Qaeda’s Yemen branch announces death of leader Khalid BatarfiPublished1 hour agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated TopicsYemen crisisImage source, AQAPImage caption, The US had offered a $5m bounty for Khalid Batarfi, seen here in a 2021 video messageBy David GrittenBBC NewsAl-Qaeda’s Yemen branch has announced the death of its leader, although the circumstances remain unclear.A video published by al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) showed Khalid Batarfi’s body wrapped in a funeral shroud and the group’s banner.A statement read by a senior figure did not indicate how he died, but it used wording that did not suggest he was killed like his predecessor.Batarfi, a Saudi national who was in his 40s, became AQAP’s leader in 2020.The US designated him a global terrorist in 2018 and placed a $5m (£3.9m) bounty on his head.In the video posted on the group’s outlets on social media on Sunday, AQAP official Abu Khubaib al-Sudani read out a statement that offered no details about Batarfi’s death. However, BBC Monitoring jihadist media analyst Mina al-Lami said he described him as one “who Allah took” – a phrase mostly used to describe a person who passes away, rather than someone who is killed.Sudani also announced that AQAP’s shura council had chosen Saad bin Atef al-Awlaki as the group’s new chief. UN experts said in a report last July that Batarfi and Awlaki led “conflicting wings in the group”, with the latter enjoying the support of some tribes. AQAP was once considered by the US to be the most active and dangerous regional affiliate of al-Qaeda.It carried out a series of deadly attacks in Yemen and Saudi Arabia, as well as sophisticated airline bomb plots targeting the US that were foiled.The group also claimed it was behind the 2015 attacks in France, in which 17 people were killed, and a 2019 attack in the US which left three dead.The UN experts assessed that AQAP persisted as a threat in Yemen and the region, but that it was facing “setbacks and leadership losses due to sustained counter-terrorism pressure”. They cited a drone strike in February 2023 that killed a top leader, Hamad al-Tamimi, and another man who oversaw media and financial matters.The experts said it was difficult to measure precise number of AQAP fighters because it was embedded within local tribes, but that it was estimated to be in the low thousands. Most top leaders were believed to be in the Wadi Ubaydah area, in the central province of Marib, while others were thought to be in Hadramawt province, to the east, and Shabwa and Abyan, to the south, they added.The group’s fighters have a strong presence in Shabwa and Abyan, where they have been use hit-and-run tactics to attack Yemeni government forces and militias affiliated to the separatist Southern Transitional Council.Related TopicsYemenal-QaedaYemen crisisMore on this storyAl-Qaeda leader in Yemen killed by US strikePublished7 February 2020Top al-Qaeda commander confirmed deadPublished16 June 2015Does killing militant leaders work?Published16 June 2015Top StoriesKate says she edited Mother’s Day photoPublished35 minutes agoMurphy wins best actor as Oppenheimer sweeps OscarsPublished10 hours agoThe outfits: Best actress Emma Stone and others show off classic stylesPublished11 hours agoFeaturesSeven of the best moments from the OscarsBarbie, Oppenheimer & a wardrobe mishap? The Oscars in 60 seconds. VideoBarbie, Oppenheimer & a wardrobe mishap? The Oscars in 60 seconds’I was tricked into buying a holiday caravan as a full time home’My abusive ex-boyfriend was given a verbal warningIs Europe doing enough to help Ukraine?Listen: Oscars Newscast Special. AudioListen: Oscars Newscast SpecialAttributionSoundsGeoff Norcott: Should my son bother going to uni?’HMRC gave me £49,000 relief, but wants it back’China says it’s open for business – do we buy it?Elsewhere on the BBCPractical, passionate and hilarious conversationsJoanna Lumley and Roger Allam return with their award-winning comedy playing a long-married coupleAttributionSounds’I will lie on my deathbed wishing I’d done more’Former spin doctor Alastair Campbell on what he’s learned from his life so farAttributionSoundsA flaming ball in the skies of KentMust-see moments from news stories big and small, captured on cameraAttributioniPlayerDid one man from Iraq make Norway rich?Meet the man behind Norway’s rise to oil richesAttributionSoundsMost Read1Kate says she edited Mother’s Day photo2Catfishing abuser admits girl’s manslaughter3Ex-Tory MP Lee Anderson defects to Reform4Seven of the best moments from the Oscars5Trump will not fund Ukraine, says Hungary PM6Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard debut on This Morning7Murphy wins best actor as Oppenheimer sweeps Oscars8’HMRC gave me £49,000 relief, but wants it back’9Oscars red carpet fashion: Stars turn on the style10Vinyl and air fryers added to inflation measure

[ad_1] Khalid Batarfi, a Saudi with a $5m US bounty on his head, had been leader of the branch since 2020.

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BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityCultureThe ‘banned’ Star Trek episode that promised a united IrelandPublished2 hours agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated TopicsThe TroublesImage source, ParamountImage caption, Android character Data describes the “Irish unification of 2024” as a successful example of violence used to achieve political aimsBy Michael Sheils McNameeBBC NewsWhen sci-fi writer Melinda M Snodgrass sat down to write Star Trek episode The High Ground, she had little idea of the unexpected ripples of controversy it would still be making more than three decades later. “We became aware of it later… and there isn’t much you can do about it,” she says, speaking to the BBC from her home in New Mexico. “Writing for television is like laying track for a train that’s about 300 feet behind you. You really don’t have time to stop.” While the series has legions of followers steeped in its lore, that one particular episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation has lived long and prospered in infamy.It comes down to a scene in which the android character Data, played by actor Brent Spiner, talks about the “Irish unification of 2024” as an example of violence successfully achieving a political aim. Originally shown in the US in 1990, there was so much concern over the exchange that the episode was not broadcast on the BBC or Irish public broadcaster RTÉ. At the time, US TV shows often debuted internationally several years after their original broadcast. Satellite broadcaster Sky reportedly aired an edited version in 1992, cutting the crucial scene. But The High Ground was not shown by the BBC until 02:39 GMT, 29 September 2007 – and BBC Archives says it is confident this is its only transmission. Michelle O’Neill makes history as NI first ministerIs Sinn Féin’s election success a turning point?The decision not to air the episode reflects a time when a bloody conflict continued to rage in Northern Ireland, with the Provisional IRA – a paramilitary group with the stated aim of ending British rule in Northern Ireland – one of its main protagonists. Now it is 2024 – and Sinn Féin, which emerged as the political wing of the IRA, is the largest party in the devolved Stormont assembly.The party’s leader in Northern Ireland, Michelle O’Neill, became first minister last month and has predicted a referendum on Irish unity within a decade.She strikes a very different tone to Sir Keir Starmer, favourite to be the UK’s next prime minister, who has said such a poll is “not even on the horizon”.This video can not be playedTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.Media caption, Michelle O’Neill became Northern Ireland’s first minister last month, the first time a Irish nationalist politician has held that roleOn social media, people have been sharing screenshots of Data’s prediction and drawing links to Sinn Féin’s electoral success.Back when Ms Snodgrass was writing the script, she did not think it would cause any problems. “Science fiction is incredibly important because it allows people to discuss difficult topics – but at arm’s length,” she says.In the episode, Data’s line does not come out of the blue.The High Ground is based on the theme of terrorism, after the Starship Enterprise’s chief medical officer Dr Beverly Crusher is abducted by the separatist Ansata group, who use murder and violence to pursue their aim of independence. “I’ve been reviewing the history of armed rebellion, and it appears that terrorism is an effective way to promote political change,” says Data.”Yes it can be,” responds Captain Jean-Luc Picard, played by Patrick Stewart, “but I have never subscribed to the theory that political power flows from the barrel of a gun.””Yet there are numerous examples of when it was successful,” Data says. “The independence of the Mexican state from Spain, the Irish unification of 2024, and the Kenzie rebellion.”Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Star Trek: The Next Generation featured Sir Patrick Stewart as Captain Jean-Luc Picard, in what has become one of his most iconic roles”I’m aware of them,” says Picard, to which Data asks: “Would it then be accurate to say that terrorism is acceptable when all options for peaceful settlement have been foreclosed?””Data, these are questions that mankind has been struggling with throughout history. Your confusion is only human.”The story has parallels with the situation in Northern Ireland at the time – something Ms Snodgrass says was deliberate. “I was a history major before I went to law school and I wanted to get into that; discuss the fact that one man’s freedom fighter is another man’s terrorist,” she says.”I mean, these are complicated issues. And when do people feel like their back is so much against the wall that they have no choice but to turn to violence? And is that actually ever justified?”I think what I wanted to say was: if we’re talking and not shooting, we’re in a better place.”Image caption, Melinda M Snodgrass says science fiction provides a way of examining current issues through a different lensIn 1992, when the episode was due to air in the UK, the IRA ceasefire of 1994 and 1998 Good Friday Agreement were still years away.In April of that year, the Baltic Exchange bombing carried out by the IRA in the heart of London’s financial centre killed three people, and injured more than 90.Such was the atmosphere from 1988 to 1994, a ban was enforced on broadcasting the voices of members of certain groups from Northern Ireland on television and radio. Restrictions were seen as specifically targeting Sinn Féin. It resulted in the bizarre situation where prominent politicians including Martin McGuinness and Gerry Adams had their voices dubbed by actors (Mr Adams, famously, was voiced at times by Oscar-nominated actor Stephen Rea). Reflecting on the Star Trek episode, Prof Robert Savage of Boston College says: “It was amazing it was censored.”His latest book – Northern Ireland, the BBC, and Censorship in Thatcher’s Britain – covers the period when the episode was pulled. “The argument I think the robot [Data] asks you is basically just: does terrorism work? If there are no alternatives, if you’ve tried every other avenue to try to affect change, is it acceptable? To use terrorism?”And it’s a very human question. But [Jean-Luc Picard] doesn’t answer the question! That would have unsettled somebody like Thatcher,” Prof Savage adds.This video can not be playedTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.Media caption, The roots of Northern Ireland’s Troubles lie deep in Irish historyThere is some murkiness about how a decision was reached not to broadcast the programme at the time. BBC Archives confirmed the 2007 broadcast of the episode and was “satisfied” any other screening would have been listed.The BBC’s press office said it had spoken to “a number of people” about why a ban may have been implemented, but was unable to get this information “as it dates quite far back”.A spokesman for Sky said he had looked into it, but could not confirm it had broadcast an edited version of the episode in 1992 – or what its reasoning might have been for doing so.RTÉ noted that TV guides from the time show it had broadcast Star Trek: The Next Generation, but did not have further information in its acquisitions system, and could not find anyone from the time to speak to. “I think this would probably have stirred a memory if I had been made aware of this at the time, but I am afraid it rings no bells at all,” said Lord John Birt, who was director general of the BBC from 1992 to 2000, and before this served as deputy director general. If the episode had been removed, it would probably have been a decision made at operational level in Network Television, he said.More than three decades on, the picture in Northern Ireland has changed. Ms Snodgrass says she was “thrilled” when the Good Friday Agreement was signed, adding it had allowed Northern Ireland to prosper. She notes Games of Thrones, a television series based on books by George RR Martin (who she knows well and has co-authored work with) was filmed in the region in recent years – something which has given a big boost to the economy. “[At the time] 2024 seemed a long way away. I probably should have made it, you know, 2224! I just pulled that number and it didn’t occur to me that suddenly we would be here.”Related TopicsSinn FéinNorthern IrelandThe TroublesStar TrekMore on this storyHow am-dram sent Sir Patrick Stewart to the starsPublished7 October 2023Star Trek predicts a united IrelandPublished14 April 2007Michelle O’Neill makes history as NI first ministerPublished3 FebruaryTop StoriesGaza receives first airdrop of US humanitarian aidPublished8 hours agoGazans crowdfund thousands for uncertain escapePublished4 hours agoRaye makes history by winning six Brit AwardsPublished3 hours agoFeaturesBrits red carpet: Black dresses, pops of neon and a giraffeThe Papers: Hunt aims to cut tax or risks ‘losing grey vote’How Israel-Gaza war is spilling into cultural life’There was heartache but we had to keep going’Kate, the King and three other big challenges for royalsFive ways to save on train tickets as fares riseThe ‘banned’ Star Trek episode that promised a united Ireland’King of Chaos’ Imran Khan keeps winning even behind barsCan green ‘super powders’ really make you healthy?Elsewhere on the BBCFrom the seizure of Crimea to the war in UkraineThe story of a decade of clashes, told by the Western leaders who traded blows with PutinAttributioniPlayerFrom the largest ship to disasters on deck…A closer look at times when cruise ships have caused commotionAttributioniPlayer’I never tried to be famous…it was accidental’Michael Parkinson with guests Ricky Gervais, Michael Palin and Kate AdieAttributioniPlayerIt’s make or break timeAnother set of eager entrepreneurs hope to impress the fearsome panelAttributioniPlayerMost Read1Nadiya Hussain: A letter to my teenage daughter2The ‘banned’ Star Trek episode that promised a united Ireland3Hunt aims to cut tax or risks ‘losing grey vote’4Raye makes history by winning six Brit Awards5Russia publishes German army meeting on Ukraine6Gazans crowdfund thousands for uncertain escape7Brits red carpet: Black dresses, pops of neon and a giraffe8AI and drones in £800m Budget technology package9’There was heartache but we had to keep going’10Kate, the King and three other big challenges for royals

[ad_1] A scene discussing Ireland’s “2024 unification” stopped the episode from being shown in the UK.

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February 22, 2024
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BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityAsiaChinaIndiaUS-Taiwan: Why are so many Congressmen heading for Taipei?Published7 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, EPAImage caption, Protesters ahead of Nancy Pelosi’s visit in 2022By Rupert Wingfield-HayesBBC News, Taiwan”How would you like it if we started sending official delegations to Honolulu to meet with separatist leaders who want Hawaiian independence from the United States? What would you do if we started selling them weapons?” It might seem like a false equivalence, but this is a line of argument often deployed by China’s legion of armchair warriors, who take to social media to condemn any visit to Taiwan by US government officials – and especially members of the US Congress. China sees self-ruled Taiwan as a breakaway province that will eventually be under Beijing’s control, and so, to these social media users, such visits are an unacceptable provocation and interference in China’s internal affairs.Of course, these visits – like the one being made by Representative Mike Gallagher, head of the US House’s China committee, this week – are viewed very differently in Washington and Taipei, which sees itself as distinct from the Chinese mainland, with its own constitution and democratically-elected leaders. But it does raise the question, what is their purpose? Are they a genuine show of support that helps deter China – or are they publicity stunts that serve to provoke Beijing, and solidify the view that Washington is intent on the permanent separation of Taiwan? The visits are not without consequence. How the US handles its relationships with Beijing and Taipei will do much to determine whether the current tense stalemate across the Taiwan Straits remains that way, or gets a lot worse. “We have come here to reaffirm US support for Taiwan and express solidarity in our shared commitment to democratic values,” said Congressman Ami Bera and Mario Díaz Balart as they wound up a trip here in January. They were the first to make the pilgrimage to Taipei following the 13 January presidential election. Now, the hawkish Rep Gallagher – who told the Guardian last year Beijing was aiming “to render us subordinate, humiliated and irrelevant on the world stage” – arrives with a number of colleagues a month later. It is likely they will not be the last. Since 2016, the number of US congressional delegations crossing the Pacific has increased dramatically. In 2018, for example, six lawmakers made the trip. Last year, 32 visited, according to a tally by Global Taiwan.Image source, EPAImage caption, President Tsai Ing-wen met US Representatives Ami Bera (right) and Mario Díaz-Balart in JanuaryThat trend has been actively encouraged by Taiwan’s current President Tsai Ing-wen, and does not appear to have been discouraged on the US side. Indeed, President Joe Biden has been the most explicit of any US leader yet in his defence of Taiwan – albeit while still continuing a commitment to America’s One China policy.What is the ‘One China’ policy?”It’s important,” says J Michael Cole, a former Canadian intelligence officer and one-time advisor to President Tsai. “The United States keeps saying we have a rock-solid commitment to Taiwan. But you need a public component to that exercise. That’s what rattles Beijing, that’s what gets journalists writing about it.” And unlike the $80m (£63m) grant signed off by Biden in November, these visits also represent a low-cost way for the US to re-assure the people of Taiwan that they do mean what they say.”We have research that shows high-level visits increase people’s confidence in the US-Taiwan relationship,” says Chen Fang-yu, a political scientist at Soochow University in Taipei. Such visits promote a more friendly attitude towards America from those who remain sceptical of whether the US would actually turn up if Taiwan were attacked by China, he explains. However, there are others here who have imbibed conspiracy theories, many of which originate from across the Taiwan Strait, that America is pushing Taipei down the road to war with China, just as conspiracy theorists say it did with Ukraine’s war with Russia. Meanwhile, American congressmen and women have their own, not always selfless, reasons for coming here. The pilgrimage to Taipei is increasingly a way for those on the right to burnish their anti-China credentials to voters back home – although these days, the left appears just as keen to prove their own tough stances when it comes to Beijing. This video can not be playedTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.Media caption, Nancy Pelosi in Taiwan: Democracy a source of strengthThe increased frequency, and unabashed publicity, shows how much has changed between Washington and Beijing.”Before 2016, people thought visits here should be low key,” says Chen Fang-Yu. “They wanted to avoid angering China. But now more and more people realise that no matter what they do, they will anger China.”Taiwan just chose a president China loathes. What now?The Taiwan that China wants is vanishingThe paradise islands caught in the US-China crosshairsTaiwan’s relationship with the US Congress is deep and long. When in 1979, President Jimmy Carter broke relations with Taipei, and recognised Beijing, it was the US Congress that forced him to sign the Taiwan Relations Act. That act is what underpins the relationship with Taipei to this day. It explicitly commits the US to opposing any attempt to change the status quo across the Taiwan Strait by force, and to supplying Taiwan with sufficient weaponry to defend itself against China. In the 1970s, Taiwan was a military dictatorship. Its US allies were Republican. The cold war was still very chilly, and the islands were seen as a bulwark against Communism. Today, anti-communism may still play a small part. But far more important is solidarity with a fellow democracy. Taiwan is no longer a Republican Party cause. In the wake of things like Trump’s trade wars, arguments over Covid’s origins and spy balloons being spotted in the US, support for Taiwan among Americans now spreads through both parties. Added to this, the US also has major national security and economic interests tied to Taiwan – in particular, the semiconductor trade.It all means that, unlike with Ukraine, there a no voices in Congress calling for the US to cut military support for Taiwan. If anything, it is the opposite. Image source, ReutersImage caption, Reaction to the Pelosi visit in Chinese mediaBut that question remains. Do the visits do more harm than good? When Nancy Pelosi came here in the summer of 2022, Beijing responded by firing ballistic missiles over the top of the island for the first time, including over the capital Taipei. Opinion polls taken after the visit showed a majority here thought the visit had damaged Taiwan’s security. It is quite common these days to hear those who specialise in Taiwan studies quoting the old maxim from President Theodore Roosevelt to “speak softly and carry a big stick”. J Michael Cole says that is exactly what the US and Taiwan are doing. He says the US congressional visits might be symbolic, but they are good PR for Taipei and for the members of Congress. With the exception of the Pelosi visit, they also fall below the threshold of what really upsets Beijing. But, says J Michael Cole, what do these visits really mean for US-Taiwan relations? After all, “the really substantive aspect … such as the increasingly high-level exchanges on things like intelligence, like defence, those don’t make the news”. “Those are constructive,” he continues. “And the United States is adamant that those shall not be publicised by Taiwanese government.”Related TopicsChinaTaiwanUS CongressChina-US relationsMore on this storyChina tells US it will ‘never compromise’ on TaiwanPublished10 JanuaryThe Taiwan that China wants is vanishingPublished10 JanuaryWhat’s behind China-Taiwan tensions?Published8 JanuaryTaiwan just chose a president China loathes. What now?Published13 JanuaryUS angers China with high-profile Taiwan visitPublished10 August 2020What is the ‘One China’ policy?Published6 October 2021Top StoriesCommons descends into chaos over Gaza votePublished2 hours agoWatch: Angry scenes as MPs clash over ceasefire vote. VideoWatch: Angry scenes as MPs clash over ceasefire votePublished4 hours agoAnti-terror failures leave public at risk – ex-adviserPublished3 hours agoFeatures’Dad, please don’t go out’: The Gazans killed as Israel freed hostages’Premier League caught my online troll. Should I forgive him?’Watch: Chaos in the Commons over Gaza ceasefire vote. VideoWatch: Chaos in the Commons over Gaza ceasefire voteListen: Newscast – Disorder Disorder in the House of Commons. AudioListen: Newscast – Disorder Disorder in the House of CommonsAttributionSoundsK-Pop acts outsold everyone except Taylor Swift in 2023The strangers who saved each other’s livesWatch Big Keith’s iconic scotch egg scene from The Office. VideoWatch Big Keith’s iconic scotch egg scene from The Office’I was raped more than 100 times by grooming gang’Election poll tracker: How do the parties compare?Elsewhere on the BBCCan Molly keep her life afloat?A moving portrayal of a daughter’s love in the face of her father’s struggleAttributioniPlayerThe Swedish furniture king’s billionaire lifestyleDeconstructing IKEA founder Ingvar Kamprad and his eccentric way of livingAttributionSoundsWhat is it really like to be a monk?’To be a monk is something very vast, very high and very beautiful’AttributioniPlayerHow did a booming computer manufacturer go bust?Commodore computers were huge in the 1980s, so why couldn’t the business adapt and survive?AttributionSoundsMost Read1Commons descends into chaos over Gaza vote2Russia ‘struggling with supply of weapons’ for war3New images show British ship in Red Sea has not sunk4Australian bishop Christopher Saunders charged with rape5The Office actor Ewen MacIntosh dies aged 506Met Police take no further action against Wootton7Prevent failures leave public at risk – ex-adviser8King ‘reduced to tears’ by cancer support messages9Cordon around unexploded WW2 bomb to be extended10UK aid supplies air-dropped into Gaza for first time

[ad_1] Representative Mike Gallagher, head of the House’s China committee, is the latest one to make the trip

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BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaIs a waning Canadian dream fuelling reverse migration in Punjab?Published5 hours agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage caption, Balkar returned home after a year in TorontoBy Nikhil InamdarBBC News, Bathinda, India Canada has long been a draw for people from India’s Punjab province seeking new opportunities elsewhere. But has the Canadian dream soured?It’s hard to miss the ardour of Punjab’s migrant ambitions when driving through its fertile rural plains.Billboards promising easy immigration to Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the UK jut out through ample mustard fields.Off the highways, consultancies offer English language coaching to eager youth.Single-storey brick homes double up as canvasses for hand-painted mural advertisements promising quick visas. And in the town of Bathinda, hundreds of agents jostle for space on a single narrow street, pledging to speed up the youth’s runaway dreams.For over a century, this province in India’s northwest has seen waves of overseas migration; from the Sikh soldiers inducted into the British Indian Army travelling to Canada, through to rural Punjabis settling in England post-independence.But some, especially from Canada, are now choosing to come back home.One of those is 28-year-old Balkar, who returned in early 2023 after just one year in Toronto. Citizenship was his ultimate goal when he left his little hamlet of Pitho in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. His family mortgaged their land to fund his education. But his Canadian dream quickly lost its allure a few months into his life there.”Everything was so expensive. I had to work 50 hours every week after college, just to survive,” he told the BBC. “High inflation is making many students leave their studies.”Balkar now runs an embroidery business from a small room on one side of the expansive central courtyard in his typical Punjabi home. He also helps on his family’s farm to supplement his income. Opportunities for employment are few and far between in these rural areas, but technology has allowed entrepreneurs like him to conquer the tyranny of distance. Balkar gets the bulk of his business through Instagram.”I have a good life here. Why should I face hardships there when I can live at home and make good money?” he asks.The BBC spoke to at least half a dozen reverse migrants in Punjab who shared similar sentiments.It was also a common refrain in the scores of videos on YouTube shared by Indians who had chosen to abandon their life in Canada and return home. There was a stark difference one young returnee told the BBC between the “rosy picture” immigration agents painted and the rough reality of immigrant life in Toronto and Vancouver.Image caption, Immigration services are a big business in PunjabThe “Canada craze” has let up a bit – and especially so among well-off migrants who have a fallback option at home, says Raj Karan Brar, an immigration agent in Bathinda who helps hundreds of Punjabis get permanent residencies and student visas every year.The desire for a Canadian citizenship remains as strong as ever though among middle- and lower middle-class clients in rural communities. But viral YouTube videos of students talking about the difficulty in finding jobs and protests over a lack of housing and work opportunities has created an air of nervousness among these students, say immigration agents.There was a 40% decline in applications from India for Canadian study permits in the second half of 2023, according to one estimate. This was, in part, also due to the ongoing diplomatic tensions between India and Canada over allegations Indian agents were involved in the murder of Canadian Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar. There are also hints of deeper cultural factors at play, for a waning Canadian dream among an older generation of Indian migrants.The tricky problem of banning Canadian work experience requirementsCanada adds million to population inside a yearHow India-Canada ties descended into a public feudKaran Aulakh, who spent nearly 15 years in Edmonton and achieved career and financial success, left his managerial job for a comfortable rural life in Khane ki Daab, the village where he was born in 1985.He told the BBC he was upset by LGBT-inclusive education policies in Canada and its 2018 decision to legalise recreational cannabis.Incompatibility with the Western way of life, a struggling healthcare system, and better economic prospects in India were, he said, key reasons why many older Canadian Indians are preparing to leave the country.”I started an online consultancy – Back to the Motherland – a month and a half ago, to help those who want to reverse migrate. I get at least two to three calls every day, mostly from people in Canada who want to know what job opportunities there are in Punjab and how they can come back,” said Mr Aulakh.Image caption, Karan Aulakh left Canada after 15 years in the countryFor a country that places such a high value on immigration, these trends are “concerning” and are “being received with a bit of a sting politically”, says Daniel Bernhard of the Institute of Canadian Citizenship, an immigration advocacy group.A liberalised immigration regime has been Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s signature policy to counter slowing economic growth and a rapidly aging population.According to Canada’s statistics agency, immigration accounted for 90% of Canada’s labour force growth and 75% of population growth in 2021.International students contribute to over C$20bn ($14.7bn; £11.7bn) to Canada’s economy each year, a bulk of them Indians who now make up one in five recent immigrants to the country.India was also Canada’s leading source for immigration in 2022. The numbers of those leaving are still small in absolute terms with immigration levels at all-time highs in Canada – the country welcomed nearly half a million new migrants each year over the past few years.But the rate of reverse migration hit a two decade high in 2019, signalling that migrants were “losing confidence” in the country said Mr Bernhard.Image caption, Immigration agencies in Bathinda jostle for attentionCountry specific statistics for such emigrants, or reverse migrants, are not available.But official data obtained by Reuters shows between 80,000 and 90,000 immigrants left Canada in 2021 and 2022 and either went back to their countries, or onward elsewhere.Some 42,000 people departed in the first half of 2023.Fewer permanent residents are also going on to become Canadian citizens, according to census data cited by the Institute for Canadian Citizenship. In 2001, 75% of those eligible became citizens. Two decades later, it was 45%.Canada needs to “restore the value of its citizenship,” said Mr Bernhard.It comes as Canada debates its aggressive immigration targets given country’s struggle to absorb more people.A recent report from National Bank of Canada economists cautioned that the population growth was putting pressure on its already tight housing supply and strained healthcare system.Canada has seen a population surge – an increase of 1.2 million people in 2023 – driven mostly by newcomers.The report argued that growth needed to be slowed to an annual increase of up to 500,000 people in order to preserve or increase the standard of living.There appears to have been a tacit acceptance of this evaluation by policymakers.Mr Trudeau’s Liberal government recently introduced a cap on international student permits that would result in a temporary decrease of 35% in approved study visas.It’s a significant policy shift that some believe may end up further reducing Canada’s appeal amid a wave of reverse migrations.Related TopicsIndiaCanadaMore on this storyCanada sets two-year cap on foreign studentsPublished22 JanuaryIndia suspends visas for Canadians as row escalatesPublished21 September 2023India says will resume Canada visas if diplomats safePublished23 October 2023Canada puts on hold deportation of India studentsPublished14 June 2023Top Stories’My memory is fine’ – Biden hits back after report on classified filesPublished1 hour agoPutin takes charge as Carlson gives free rein to KremlinPublished20 minutes agoLive. 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[ad_1] There was a 40% decline in applications from India for Canadian study permits in the second half of 2023, according to one estimate. This was, in part, also due…