Feed InformerWorld News ReviewWorld News ReviewRespective post owners and feed distributors2014-06-23T07:29:37-04:00Feed Informer http://feed.informer.com/http://app.feed.informer.com/widgets/VLZEFJTITH Biden gets Netanyahu to send delegation to Washington to resolve standoff over RafahHis national security adviser said the U.S. will propose "a better way." 2024-03-19T10:16:50Zurn:uuid:caeb060e-e799-2d96-126d-01cd4817c3067 COVID vaccines found to cut risk of heart failure, blood clots after virus infectionCOVID-19 vaccines were found to cut risk of heart failure by up to 55% and blood clots by up to 78% following COVID infection, according to a new study. 2024-03-19T10:11:37Zurn:uuid:771e086d-8dfd-542a-d1e7-78f8d94ce0b915 The average bonus on Wall Street last year was $176,500, down slightly from 2022The average Wall Street bonus fell slightly last year to $176,5002024-03-19T10:06:42Zurn:uuid:e8c03579-0b98-650d-903a-d42fe14ffac81Japan raises rates for first time in 17 yearsThe central bank had previously cut the rate below zero to try and stimulate Japan's stagnating economy.2024-03-19T09:52:40Zurn:uuid:c169cc3b-7f89-9339-a021-9831ea19326c Images taken inside Fukushima reactor show damage, but leave questions unansweredImages taken by miniature drones from deep inside a badly damaged reactor at the Fukushima nuclear plant show displaced control equipment and misshapen materials but leave many questions unanswered, underscoring the daunting task of decommissioning the...2024-03-19T09:50:17Zurn:uuid:182e4590-4fa0-0ccc-0381-66e8134354844Gambia lawmakers refer repeal of ban on female genital cutting to more committee discussionsLawmakers in Gambia referred an attempted repeal of the 2015 ban on female genital cutting for further committee discussions on Monday.2024-03-19T09:42:24Zurn:uuid:916a2d2d-0364-3e52-5c83-607a7fdae4ccThe Associated PressAnti Female Genital Mutilation protesters outside the National Assembly in Banjul, Gambia on March 18, 2024.Muhamadou BittayeGambia Female Genital MutilationRwanda scheme: Sunak clings to false hopeBig events can trigger change in public perception, but this scheme still appears niche to many voters 2024-03-19T09:40:44Zurn:uuid:3b35bff5-f292-797c-7e5f-de7eba3e4c1fSouth Korea to suspend licenses of 2 senior doctors in first punishments over walkoutSouth Korean authorities will suspend the licenses of two senior doctors in the first punishments over a large-scale walkout, one of the doctors said Monday.2024-03-19T09:38:43Zurn:uuid:ec7d16c0-4d6b-0127-8a42-73fa442ab049The Associated PressMedical workers outside a hospital in Seoul, South Korea, on Thursday. Anthony WallaceThousands of trainee medics walked off the job on February 20 to protest government plans to sharply increase the number of doctors, which it says is essential to combat shortages and serve South Korea's rapidly ageing population. US-Philippines alliance is ‘ironclad’- BlinkenThe assurance comes as tensions rise between Manila and Beijing in the South China Sea.2024-03-19T09:35:42Zurn:uuid:be07cecf-dca1-bd66-7f35-248a7bb2b5cfTrump unable to get $464m bond in New York fraud caseThe former president must either pay the full amount in cash or secure a bond to continue his appeal.2024-03-19T09:34:22Zurn:uuid:77436530-17fa-0664-0e4e-8fc1aa341078Woman mourns over husband's body following Israeli airstrike in GazaPalestinians rushed to the aid of a woman who was left holding the body of her husband following an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City near the al-Shifa hospital.2024-03-19T09:30:01Zurn:uuid:23100a7a-ee56-b8a5-b15b-d6f3f4cd9960Woman mourns over husband's body following Israeli airstrike in GazaPalestinians rushed to the aid of a woman who was left holding the body of her husband following an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City near the al-Shifa hospital.North Korea says Kim Jong Un supervised tests of rocket launchers targeting SeoulNorth Korean leader Kim Jong Un supervised a live-fire drill of rocket launchers designed to target South Korea’s capital, state media said Tuesday.2024-03-19T09:21:01Zurn:uuid:c93127d3-2980-1405-f540-749707685791The Associated PressNorth Korean leader Kim Jong Un observing a live-fire drill at an unconfirmed location on Monday.KCNANorth Korea Rocket DrillsMessi fans to get refunds for no-show match in HKThe Argentine star has faced fury from Chinese fans since skipping the friendly last February.2024-03-19T09:15:20Zurn:uuid:553dcd32-56fb-c75d-d90d-6a0c672d20e7Uganda on alert as IS-linked fighters cross borderADF militants, blamed for a series of deadly attacks, entered Uganda on Saturday, the army says.2024-03-19T09:12:09Zurn:uuid:e67c279e-f92d-9797-37c1-25eb9929460fKonstantin Koltsov, former NHL player and boyfriend of Sabalenka, dead at 42Konstantin Koltsov, the Belarusian former pro ice hockey player and boyfriend of tennis player Aryna Sabalenka, has died at the age of 42.2024-03-19T09:07:49Zurn:uuid:50ac7407-7e86-f66f-57d3-de8e63d415c5ReutersKonstantin Koltsov playing for the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2006.Bruce BennettPittsburgh Penguins v New York IslandersKonstantin Koltsov, former NHL player and boyfriend of tennis star Sabalenka, dead at 42Konstantin Koltsov, the Belarusian former pro ice hockey player and boyfriend of tennis player Aryna Sabalenka, has died at the age of 42.2024-03-19T09:07:49Zurn:uuid:23b98de6-e086-ea59-05f7-e7b1c6a24180ReutersKonstantin Koltsov playing for the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2006.Bruce BennettPittsburgh Penguins v New York IslandersMarriages Tick Up in Asia but Long-Term Demographic Challenges PersistChina and South Korea both experienced their first increase in marriages in a decade.
<aside class="right-rail__container right-rail__container--ad"><div class="right-rail__ad__wrapper right-rail__module"><div class="right-rail__ad" id="right-rail__ad-6958285"></div></div>
<div class="OUTBRAIN right-rail__outbrain right-rail__module" data-src="https://time.com/6958285/china-south-korea-marriage-statistics-trend-increase/" data-widget-id="SB_2" data-ob-template="timemag"></div></aside>
<img decoding="async" class="wp-block-gutenberg-custom-blocks-featured-media" src="https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/marriage-asia-trends.jpg" alt="Groom putting ring on bride's finger. Rings exchange. Happy couple celebrating wedding outdoors."/>
<p>For the first time in about a decade, the number of marriages in South Korea last year increased from the previous year, according to data revealed by the country’s <a href="https://kostat.go.kr/board.es?mid=a10301010000&bid=204&list_no=429995&act=view&mainXml=Y" target="_blank">statistics office</a> on Tuesday. The same thing occurred in China, according to data released earlier this month by the country’s <a href="https://www.mca.gov.cn/n156/n2679/index.html" target="_blank">civil affairs ministry</a>.</p>
<p>The upticks were slight: in South Korea, 193,657 couples wedded in 2023, a 1% increase from 2022 and the first increase since 2011; while in China, 7.68 million couples tied the knot by late 2023, up about 847,000 from late 2022, and the first increase since 2013. But while some people may have been hopeful that this apparent shift could turn the tide for each country’s demographic misfortunes, as they suffer from <a href="https://time.com/6836949/birth-rates-south-korea-japan-decline/" >declining birth rates</a> and <a href="https://time.com/6555949/china-silver-economy-aging-population-plan/" >aging populations</a>, in reality, the data only reinforces a broader downtrend, analysts say.</p>
[time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”]
<p>In South Korea, a government official said in a <a href="https://www.korea.kr/briefing/policyBriefingView.do?newsId=156620748" target="_blank">briefing</a> that couples delaying nuptials due to the COVID-19 pandemic may have caused the rise in marriages in 2023. Meanwhile, independent Chinese demographer He Yafu pointed in a <a href="https://bbs.wenxuecity.com/financenews/25821.html" target="_blank">blog post</a> to five reasons marriages have declined over the past decade—a declining youth population, more men than women among the marriage-aged cohort, the average age of first marriages being delayed, marriage costs growing too high, and more young people simply choosing not to get married as attitudes change—all of which persist, and one reason why they rose last year: “Many young people postponed marriage due to the impact of the epidemic from 2020 to 2022. As the epidemic gradually ends, the wedding economy has rebounded significantly.”</p>
<p>Stuart Gietel-Basten, professor of social science and public policy at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, tells TIME that marriage still looks to be on a downward trend in Asia. “What we’ve actually seen is kind of a constant decline, but then that decline was accelerated during COVID,” he says. “It’s not as if there’s been some miracle in policy, or that there’s a big new change that supported couples to get married, or that they’ve put something in the water.”</p>
<p>The governments of South Korea and China, as well as of neighboring countries facing similar demographic issues such as Japan, have been trying to encourage marriages in a bid to lift birth rates and counter the effects of a rapidly aging population. Last year, <a href="https://news.creaders.net/china/2023/08/28/2642279.html" target="_blank">one region in China offered a reward of 1,000 yuan</a> ($138) for newlywed heterosexual couples if the bride was under 25, in a bid to promote “age-appropriate marriage and childbearing.” In South Korea, which has the <a href="https://time.com/6835865/south-korea-fertility-rate-2023-record-low/" >lowest birth rate in the world</a> and a <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/2/28/fears-for-future-as-south-koreas-fertility-rate-drops-again" target="_blank">population expected to halve by 2100</a>, successive governments have spent <a href="https://www.nabo.go.kr/Sub/01Report/01_02_Board.jsp?funcSUB=view&bid=19&arg_cid1=0&arg_cid2=0&arg_class_id=0&currentPage=0&pageSize=10&currentPageSUB=0&pageSizeSUB=10&key_typeSUB=&keySUB=&search_start_dateSUB=&search_end_dateSUB=&department=0&department_sub=0&etc_cate1=A&etc_cate2=&sortBy=reg_date&ascOrDesc=desc&search_key1=&etc_1=0&etc_2=1&tag_key=%EC%98%88%EC%82%B0%EB%B6%84%EC%84%9D&arg_id=8206&item_id=8206&etc_1=1&etc_2=1&name2=1&" target="_blank">some 380 trillion Korean won ($283 billion)</a> over the last 20 years to try to respond to the nation’s aging society and boost fertility rates.</p>
<p><strong>Read More: </strong><a href="https://time.com/6306151/china-low-fertility-trap-birth-rate-policies/" ><em>China Is Desperate to Boost Its Low Birth Rates. It May Have to Accept the New Normal</em></a></p>
<p>Gietel-Basten says that “in an arithmetical way,” increasing the number of marriages will also increase the birth rates, assuming married women are more likely to have children than unmarried women. But, “to a degree, this slightly misses the point,” he adds, explaining that a simultaneous trend of women having fewer children, on top of a significant number not having any at all, means that the birth rate will still decline.</p>
<p>Demographers have long attributed the decline of marriage to the lack of appeal of the associated costs surrounding marriage. “It’s not just a rejection of marriage. It’s not that people don’t want to get married at all,” says Gietel-Basten, “but it’s a rejection of what we call that marriage package.” That includes, he says, social expectations around caring for in-laws, the freedom and autonomy women are expected to give up, and the high costs of child-rearing. As a result, some people are not marrying altogether, as the decadelong data show, while many are putting off getting married until they’re older.</p>
<p>China’s historical census data shows the average age at first marriage in 2010 was 25.75 years old for men and 24 for women. In 2020, that rose to 29.38 years old for men and 27.95 for women. In South Korea, the average marrying age of a man in 2023 was 34 and for a woman was 31.5—compared to 10 years ago, when the average age was 32.2 and 29.6, respectively.</p>
<p>Zheng Mu, assistant professor in the sociology and anthropology department at the National University of Singapore, tells TIME that policymakers have to go beyond simply pushing for more marriages and need to consider the wider, related issues instead. “I think they are still just scratching the surface in comparison to how fundamental, how deep this issue is,” she says. “Until you make people feel really at ease to pursue their life in a relatively autonomous way, I don’t think it would be effective.”</p>
<p>Gietel-Basten argues that instead of trying to undo the effects of a demographic shift, governments must learn to adapt. “We’ve got to stop trying to reverse it. Because it’s very difficult, if not impossible to reverse. This is just the way it is.”</p>
2024-03-19T09:00:56Zurn:uuid:a5886ffd-7b99-930d-aff9-385342f47cedChad de GuzmanRenault calls for European war chest to tackle Chinese EV competitionIndustry grapples with slowdown in sales and rise of cheaper models from China2024-03-19T09:00:44Zurn:uuid:919aa755-29dd-c2b4-e186-8ae1d5c00ef2Japan raises interest rates for first time in 17 yearsThe historic move is the first time the country's central bank has raised interest rates for 17 years.2024-03-19T08:59:18Zurn:uuid:733936b8-6fe0-66c3-f196-25348c5eba41Images taken deep inside melted Fukushima reactor show damage, but leave many questions unanswered2024-03-19T08:51:09Zurn:uuid:2cd0d195-f825-9472-4838-60c6d226efe4Trump Golf Club Settlement Hangs Alina Habba Out to Dry2024-03-19T08:42:03Zurn:uuid:29038429-b205-ff79-f931-bd18fa82e054Bank of Japan’s historic shift will boost local lendersMoving interest rates closer to the central bank’s 2% inflation target could take much longer than expected2024-03-19T08:39:04Zurn:uuid:92c7e3fb-6291-fdc2-5ef0-19453fdd6969North Korean leader Kim Jong Un supervises a live-fire drillNorth Korean leader Kim Jong Un supervised a live-fire drill of nuclear-capable “super-large” multiple rocket launchers designed to target South Korea’s capital.2024-03-19T08:36:42Zurn:uuid:2327ac20-0be0-685d-a3fb-7ef395f87a5aNorth Korean leader Kim Jong Un supervises a live-fire drillNorth Korean leader Kim Jong Un supervised a live-fire drill of nuclear-capable “super-large” multiple rocket launchers designed to target South Korea’s capital.The big test is yet to come for the BoJMilestone return to positive interest rates is only the beginning2024-03-19T08:36:22Zurn:uuid:f74189c6-6e92-4425-73a5-de777bee8f0fGlobal inflation and interest rates tracker: see how your country comparesInflationary pressures are beginning to wane but not all central banks have taken action yet. See how this affects you2024-03-19T08:11:00Zurn:uuid:4b8e89f4-bedf-dfb4-6101-41649053448dEx-Trump Aide Says This Letitia James Move Would 'Absolutely Devastate' Trump2024-03-19T08:08:12Zurn:uuid:596b5472-ba96-62ff-9538-0892cb9cdba5Japan hikes rates as its inflation wish comes trueThe historic move is the first time the country's central bank has raised interest rates for 17 years.2024-03-19T07:45:14Zurn:uuid:d71bfe61-fb7b-1320-e94e-315d886352b5Singapore opposition leader charged with lying to parliamentIf found guilty, Pritam Singh could face fines and possibly lose his seat.2024-03-19T07:35:54Zurn:uuid:f2879392-b9e8-067f-f6b9-dc21b58eb9beMichigan school shooter’s father threatened to destroy the prosecutor in case against him, sources confirm2024-03-19T07:04:55Zurn:uuid:46e4979f-196c-aee9-112c-44c6ad797295Armenia's PM says he must return disputed areas to Azerbaijan or face war -TASS2024-03-19T06:53:13Zurn:uuid:6d8cf08c-1bcd-2b5c-5d31-a5e33c4d34a4Armenia's PM says he must return disputed areas to Azerbaijan or face war2024-03-19T06:53:13Zurn:uuid:626ac105-4571-cac3-3060-3f3afc19cf6bUS reports death of senior Hamas military leaderDetails are also released of President Biden's high-stakes call to Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu.2024-03-19T06:43:34Zurn:uuid:9b3c40b1-c0ed-5595-e929-187b966c8dd2Biden to Host Leaders of Japan and Philippines for Historic Trilateral Summit in AprilThe White House said the leaders would discuss efforts to expand cooperation on economic security, clean energy, human rights and democracy.
<aside class="right-rail__container right-rail__container--ad"><div class="right-rail__ad__wrapper right-rail__module"><div class="right-rail__ad" id="right-rail__ad-6958275"></div></div>
<div class="OUTBRAIN right-rail__outbrain right-rail__module" data-src="https://time.com/6958275/biden-kishida-marcos-us-japan-philippines-summit/" data-widget-id="SB_2" data-ob-template="timemag"></div></aside>
<img decoding="async" class="wp-block-gutenberg-custom-blocks-featured-media" src="https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/kishida-marcos.jpg" alt="Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. deliver a joint statement at Malacanang Palace on Nov. 3, 2023 in Manila, Philippines. "/>
<p>WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden will host Japanese Prime Minister <a href="https://time.com/6278122/fumio-kishida-japan-prime-minister-interview-g7/" >Fumio Kishida</a> and Philippines President <a href="https://time.com/6176471/marcos-philippines-geopolitics-us-china/" >Ferdinand Marcos Jr</a>. for a White House summit next month amid growing concerns about <a href="https://time.com/6266737/north-korea-ballistic-missile-tests-2023/" >North Korea’s nuclear program</a>, <a href="https://time.com/6318671/philippines-south-china-sea-international-court/" >provocative Chinese action in the South China Sea</a> and differences over a Japanese company’s plan to buy an iconic American steel company.</p>
[time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”]
<p>White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre in a statement on Monday said the first-ever U.S.-Japan-Philippines leaders’ summit is an opportunity to highlight the countries’ “growing economic relations, a proud and resolute commitment to shared democratic values and a shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific.”</p>
<p>The three leaders have no shortage of issues to discuss.</p>
<p>The announcement came as North Korea’s state media reported that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un supervised a live-fire drill of nuclear-capable “super-large” multiple rocket launchers designed to target South Korea’s capital. The North Korean claim followed the South Korean and Japanese militaries reporting on Monday that they had detected North Korea firing multiple short-range ballistic missiles toward waters off its eastern coast, adding to a streak of weapons displays that have raised regional tensions.</p>
<p>The U.S.-Japan relationship is facing a rare moment of friction after Biden announced last week that he opposes the planned sale of Pittsburgh-based U.S. Steel to Nippon Steel of Japan. Biden argued in announcing his opposition that the U.S. needs to “maintain strong American steel companies powered by American steelworkers.”</p>
<p><a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-steel-nippon-steel-acquired-industrialization-1a174c359756efd3ee0f0f9172a3bd6b" target="_blank">Nippon Steel</a> announced in December that it planned to buy U.S. Steel for $14.1 billion in cash, raising concerns about what the transaction could mean for unionized workers, supply chains and U.S. national security.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, long-running Philippines-Chinese tensions have come back into focus this month after Chinese and Philippine coast guard vessels collided in the disputed South China Sea.</p>
<p>The Chinese coast guard ships and accompanying vessels blocked the Philippine coast guard and supply vessels off the disputed Second Thomas Shoal and executed dangerous maneuvers that caused two minor collisions between the Chinese ships and two of the Philippine vessels, Philippine officials said.</p>
<p>A small Philippine marine and navy contingent has kept watch onboard a rusting warship, the BRP Sierra Madre, which has been marooned since the late 1990s in the shallows of the Second Thomas Shoal.</p>
<p>China also claims the shoal lying off the western Philippines and has surrounded the atoll with coast guard, navy and other ships to press its claims and prevent Filipino forces from delivering construction materials to fortify the Sierra Madre in a decades-long standoff.</p>
<p>Close U.S.-Philippines relations were not a given when Marcos, the son and namesake of the former Philippines strongman, took office in 2022.</p>
<p>But both Biden and Marcos have thrown much effort into strengthening the historically- complicated relationship between the two countries, with the two leaders sharing concerns about aggressive Chinese action around the region.</p>
<p>A U.S. appeals court in 1996 upheld damages of about $2 billion against the elder Marcos’ estate for the torture and killings of thousands of Filipinos. The court upheld a 1994 verdict of a jury in Hawaii, where he fled after being forced from power in 1986. He died there in 1989.</p>
<p>The elder Marcos placed the Philippines under martial law in 1972, a year before his term was to expire. He padlocked the country’s congressional and newspaper offices, ordered the arrest of many political opponents and activists and ruled by decree.</p>
<p>The younger Marcos made an official visit to Washington last year, the first by a Philippine president in more than 10 years. The U.S. made the announcement of Marcos’ coming trip to Washington as Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Manilla.</p>
<p>Jean-Pierre said that in addition to the leaders’ summit Biden will hold one-on-one talks with Marcos. She said the leaders would discuss efforts to expand cooperation on economic security, clean energy, people-to-people ties, human rights and democracy.</p>
<p>Biden is set to honor Kishida a day before the leaders summit with a state visit. The White House announced the state visit in January.</p>
2024-03-19T06:30:00Zurn:uuid:54874001-10dc-96a6-53e1-4cdca83da8d9Aamer Madhani / APWATCH: Authorities seize alligator kept illegally in New York home's swimming poolA man is fighting to keep his pet alligator, named "Albert," after New York state officials said it was seized from his home where it was being kept illegally.2024-03-19T06:19:13Zurn:uuid:af7606f1-9171-29f2-d125-59ceb3a2474c16South Korea Suspends Licenses of Two Doctors in First Punishments for Weekslong StrikeThe first punishments, issued to two doctors accused of instigating the collective action, comes as the prolonged walkout has put a strain on the nation’s medical system.
<aside class="right-rail__container right-rail__container--ad"><div class="right-rail__ad__wrapper right-rail__module ad-300-250"><div class="right-rail__ad" id="right-rail__ad-6958272"></div></div>
<div class="OUTBRAIN right-rail__outbrain right-rail__module video-2" data-src="https://time.com/6958272/south-korea-doctors-license-suspension-strike/" data-widget-id="SB_4" data-ob-template="timemag"></div></aside>
<img decoding="async" class="wp-block-gutenberg-custom-blocks-featured-media" src="https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/South-Korea-Doctors-Strike-Medical-License-Suspended.jpg" alt="South Korean doctors hold placards during a protest"/>
<p>South Korean authorities have issued notices to temporarily suspend the licenses of two doctors in its first punishment since trainee doctors <a href="https://time.com/6696591/south-korea-doctor-strike/" >walked off their jobs about a month ago</a> in protest of a government plan to increase medical school enrollment.</p>
<p>Two senior members of the Korean Medical Association received a three-month license suspension notice that takes effect from April 15, the group said Tuesday, adding the doctors are being accused of instigating collective action despite the government order not to do so. </p>
[time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”]
<p><strong>Read More: </strong><em><a href="https://time.com/6836733/south-korea-doctors-strike-deadline-return-to-work-government-order/" >Thousands of Striking Doctors in South Korea Defy Government’s Return-to-Work Deadline</a></em></p>
<p>“We will immediately file a lawsuit because we cannot accept this matter,” Joo Sooho, a KMA spokesperson said in a telephone interview. KMA represents about 15,000 doctors, including trainees. </p>
<p>The latest punishment comes as the prolonged walkout has been <a href="https://time.com/6899648/south-korea-doctors-strike-military-hospitals/" >putting a strain on the medical system</a>. Medical school professors, who also dispense health care, have said they would join the labor action and resign if the government does not take steps to resolve the standoff. </p>
<p>Thousands of trainee doctors, who play key roles in providing emergency care and surgeries, walked off the job in late February to protest a government plan to increase enrollment at medical schools by 2,000 spots a year from the current 3,058. President Yoon Suk Yeol has <a href="https://time.com/6752736/south-korea-protests-junior-doctors-submit-resignations-hospitals/" >shown no signs of backing down from the plan</a>, saying it is essential to fix a doctor shortage that ranks among the most acute in the developed world.</p>
<p>The South Korean government contends the enrollment plan is essential for providing care in the rapidly aging nation, and that medical seat numbers have not increased for nearly three decades. Doctors leading the protest say the plan won’t fix fundamental problems such as a dearth of physicians in vital fields, a concentration of doctors in urban areas and an array of legal risks. </p>
<p>South Korean doctors rank among the best paid among Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries in comparison to average wages, which has led to criticism the labor action may be more about protecting the earning power of physicians rather than improving the health-care system.</p>
2024-03-19T06:15:00Zurn:uuid:2949f4fd-dbc7-45f9-5b0a-b18ef42a5c57Jenny Lee and Soo-Hyang Choi / BloombergWhy Moldova raring to start its EU accession talksAlso in this newsletter: how puppies have triggered critics of EU trade measures2024-03-19T06:00:44Zurn:uuid:6061855c-7313-4857-1cd3-90e5a57a0145Why Moldova is raring to start its EU accession talksAlso in this newsletter: how puppies have triggered critics of EU trade measures2024-03-19T06:00:44Zurn:uuid:098aa92f-d321-3399-4521-50f6ab586f5eBank of Japan ends era of negative interest ratesCentral bank becomes world’s last to unwind ultra-loose monetary policy after signs of lasting end to decades of deflation2024-03-19T05:50:36Zurn:uuid:660b6416-585c-737e-76fc-3187a41a817bChicago begins evicting migrants from shelters as residents decry a 'lack of respect'2024-03-19T05:21:56Zurn:uuid:a9d2e30a-6caf-19c9-3988-6c027fe08980What to Know About Hong Kong’s Controversial New National Security LawA long-shelved security law that once kindled fear of eroding rights and galvanized Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement is making a comeback.
<aside class="right-rail__container right-rail__container--ad"><div class="right-rail__ad__wrapper right-rail__module"><div class="right-rail__ad" id="right-rail__ad-6958258"></div></div>
<div class="OUTBRAIN right-rail__outbrain right-rail__module" data-src="https://time.com/6958258/hong-kong-national-security-law-2024-explainer/" data-widget-id="SB_2" data-ob-template="timemag"></div></aside>
<img decoding="async" class="wp-block-gutenberg-custom-blocks-featured-media" src="https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/hong-kong.jpg" alt="The Hong Kong skyline in on Feb. 27, 2024 "/>
<p>A long-shelved security law that once kindled fear of eroding rights and galvanized Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement is making a comeback. Efforts to complete the legislation to protect the Chinese state will enter their final stages Tuesday, when lawmakers meet to resume their debate of the draft law and possibly vote to pass it. This will be a long-awaited victory for the authorities, whose 2003 attempt to make the law prompted the largest demonstrations the former British colony had seen since it returned to Chinese rule.</p>
[time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”]
<p>Those protests became an annual tradition drawing tens of thousands of democracy advocates and helping opposition parties raise funds. That stopped only after <a href="https://time.com/5867000/hong-kong-china-national-security-law-effect/" >Beijing imposed a national security law in 2020</a>, silencing dissent and wiping out many activist groups, including the one coordinating the annual march. Approval of the legislation isn’t in doubt as the government previously took steps to ensure <a href="https://time.com/6344588/hong-kong-district-elections-low-turnout-arrests/" >only “patriots” could be lawmakers</a>.</p>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What is the new security law?</h2>
<p>The new local legislation is known as Article 23, which refers to the section of Hong Kong’s mini constitution that requires the city to make its own law to protect national security. The city’s leader in January announced a proposal to fulfill that obligation with a new law called the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance. It seeks to create new offenses such as insurrection and external interference, and update colonial-era laws concerning state security. </p>
<p>It also looks to expand the definition of key ideas such as state secrets. Current laws protecting such information mostly concern defense and intelligence matters, and don’t prohibit government workers from revealing confidential documents to endanger national security — something the new law would change. Hong Kong is expanding the term to include information relating to the economic and social development of the city, as well as major policy decisions and scientific technology, mirroring mainland China’s language on state secrets. People and companies handling sensitive documents should pay attention.</p>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Why draft this law now?</h2>
<p>Chief Executive John Lee, Hong Kong’s leader, cited increasingly complex geopolitics and rising threats of foreign spying in justifying the legislation. A footnote in the proposal cited the CIA’s establishment of a China Mission Center to focus on the Asian giant and remarks by the chief of the U.K.’s MI6 on recruiting more agents to spy on China. The document also alleges “barbaric and gross interference” from foreign governments and gives examples of overseas politicians threatening to impose sanctions on city officials. At a press conference, Lee said the city can’t afford to delay: “For 26 years we have been waiting,” he said, referring to the number of years since Hong Kong’s 1997 handover. The conditions are also ripe. The China-imposed security law has wiped out dissent, meaning Lee will face little opposition.</p>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What about the existing national security law?</h2>
<p>Beijing imposed the national security law in Hong Kong in June 2020 in response to anti-government unrest the previous year. That law will continue to exist and is expected to work in tandem with the proposed new local legislation. The planned law, for example, won’t deal with secession and subversion, offenses already covered by the NSL. An official <a href="https://www.sb.gov.hk/eng/bl23/doc/Leaflet_23_EN.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">leaflet</a> about the proposal said the new law should complement and converge with the one imposed by Beijing.</p>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What are the new offenses?</h2>
<p>The government has proposed several new crimes, including:</p>
<p><strong>Treason: </strong>The existing treason law punishes anyone who harms or levies war against “Her Majesty” — language that’s clearly out-dated. The new offense will include the use or threat of force with the intention to endanger national sovereignty or territorial integrity. This should also apply to residents who commit acts of treason outside the city.</p>
<p><strong>Insurrection: </strong>The government says Hong Kong needs an “insurrection” offense to address events such as the citywide protests of 2019, which it claims existing riot laws are in inadequate to handle. The new offense will escalate civil disturbance to a national security crime.</p>
<p><strong>Sabotage: </strong>Vandalism of public infrastructure and damage to transport facilities with intent to endanger national security would be a crime under the proposed law. Digital acts, such as hacking the city’s financial systems, are to be considered more severe crimes. The proposal says existing laws on abusive use of computers don’t reflect the seriousness of such acts. The government is also looking to address future security risks from artificial intelligence.</p>
<p><strong>External interference: </strong>Collaborating with external forces to influence policy making, lawmaking and elections will become a crime. The proposal says Hong Kong has been used as a “a bridgehead for anti-China activities” and emphasizes the risks of foreign forces harming national security through local non-governmental groups. The government considered setting up a system to require foreign agents to register, as the U.S. does, but decided instead to create a new offense to deal with the issue.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-datawrapper wp-block-embed-datawrapper"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" title="[ Insert title here ]" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/BDHBZ/2/#?secret=df5mGcssAO" data-secret="df5mGcssAO" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" height="383"></iframe>
</div></figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What’s the time frame?</h2>
<p>The city’s Legislative Council will convene on March 19 to resume second reading of the bill in a fast-tracked legislative process. Lawmakers completed a clause-by-clause scrutiny of the 212-page bill on March 15 after the draft law was published just a week earlier, several days after a one-month public consultation period ended.</p>
2024-03-19T05:11:00Zurn:uuid:1c85f885-ce78-430a-c377-1c03e7392f0cAlan Wong / BloombergFirstFT: Nvidia unveils AI ‘superchip’Also in today’s newsletter, Nelson Peltz’s Trump vote and ‘Basel Endgame’2024-03-19T05:09:48Zurn:uuid:9c0a7475-e36f-55c5-b6d7-fa82c8b8c93eThe ferocious US pushback against new banking rulesAmerica’s regulators are proposing a regime that is stricter than the globally agreed standard, provoking a backlash from its banks2024-03-19T05:00:44Zurn:uuid:46a6ef0b-d44c-f37e-e9c2-398fffeb4b29Why Russians in ‘original frozen conflict’ skipped Putin’s re-electionTurnout in Moldova’s breakaway region of Transnistria was lowest in 18 years2024-03-19T05:00:44Zurn:uuid:43a798fa-eae1-8b76-55ce-e6f5c534a6eeVested interests must not block the EU’s capital markets unionEurope’s global economic standing requires progress on a project that has been in the works since 20152024-03-19T05:00:44Zurn:uuid:8d709548-b14a-46c1-9eb9-8035901c6ff9Bill Gates’ TerraPower plans to build first US next-generation nuclear plant Company applies to start constructing sodium-cooled reactor near coal plant in Wyoming in June 2024-03-19T05:00:44Zurn:uuid:c4fbfe87-1d5a-1b9a-b568-01813a1e9fcbEurope must step up to a war footing, says leading ammunition group chiefDefence sector access to electricity and critical machinery should come first, argues Nammo CEO2024-03-19T05:00:44Zurn:uuid:792056ad-1786-21a3-bc9a-f5e05c046c4eThreat of regional war intensifies as DR Congo rebels close in on GomaAid agencies warn of humanitarian catastrophe as resurgent M23 militia fights its way through mineral-rich region2024-03-19T05:00:44Zurn:uuid:c4ccb36a-3626-6d45-c96e-78004caf2608EU to impose tariffs on Russian grain Brussels has long resisted pressure to levy import duties on food from Russia and Belarus2024-03-19T05:00:44Zurn:uuid:8ab0cdaf-44b1-dd5e-c5e0-fcdbe0dad13fThis Nowruz, Iran is dancing between tradition and modernityThe Kurdish festival has brought the people out on to the streets in a defiant show of freedom2024-03-19T05:00:44Zurn:uuid:e9f75e84-2b54-bb62-2a7a-d16b717466f1Sport and the city: where to run, cycle, swim and more in RomeFrom the centro storico and out to the coast, the Eternal City offers a plethora of ways to stay active2024-03-19T05:00:44Zurn:uuid:1a8a07bc-6d10-72b5-7e52-9fe77547ad42