The Next Cold War?

Staff / Truthdig May 26, 2007 The Pentagon, possibly suffering from a superpower complex, has accused China of spending substantially more on its military buildup than publicly stated In a report to Congress, the US military also warns of advanced nuclear capability and a possible conflict over Taiwan Still, even if China spends two or three times the $46 billion on defense it claims, it couldn't hope to keep pace with the hundreds of billions the U throws at the military every year. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Gore Vidal on Cuba

Staff / Truthdig May 14, 2007 The iconic author and historian speaks with Truthdig Editor Robert Scheer about his recent tour of Cuba, why he thinks the island has a bright future and why the United States, the world's only superpower, has an inferiority complex. Dig deeper ( 7 Min. Read )

China and Russia Deny Involvement in Darfur Genocide

Staff / Truthdig May 8, 2007 Amnesty International has accused China and Russia of violating a U.N. arms embargo against Sudan. The human rights organization says the weapons end up in Darfur, where they are used against civilians in the ongoing genocide. The two Security Council members deny any wrongdoing. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Yahoo Sued for Collaborating With China

Staff / Truthdig Apr 20, 2007 A human rights organization is suing Yahoo for assisting the Chinese government in arresting dissidents by providing information on its users. Like Google and Microsoft, Yahoo has defended the practice of handing over data to China as a necessary evil mitigated by the benefits of the Internet, crippled and corrupt though it may be. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Chinese Transit Revs Up

Staff / Truthdig Apr 18, 2007 Mass transit is speeding up in China with the introduction of high-speed trains, a welcome development in a country that carried "25% of the world's passengers and freight" last year and has been struggling to accommodate commuters, according to the BBC. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

UK Forces Climate Talks at U.N.

Staff / Truthdig Apr 18, 2007 Over the objections of other members, the UK has brought the climate change debate to the UN Security Council Russia, China and Pakistan said it was the wrong venue for the issue, but U Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon and British Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett pointed out that rising sea levels, mass migration and economic catastrophe would almost certainly impact global security. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Gay TV Comes to China

Staff / Truthdig Apr 6, 2007 A Hong Kong broadcaster is about to release China's first gay-themed TV show. Although the program will air only over the Internet, it's a big step for a country that treated homosexuality, or "buggery," as a mental illness until 2001. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

North Korea: Show Me the Money

Staff / Truthdig Mar 21, 2007 North Korea simply refuses to engage in the six-party talks until it receives $25 million in disputed funds. The disarmament deal struck by Washington and Pyongyang is now being held up by "technical problems." U.S. negotiator Christopher Hill expressed his frustration: "The problem is, you can't expect all these large delegations to sit around while it is being sorted out." Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Cuba Leads Charge to End U.N. Human Rights Investigations

Staff / Truthdig Mar 20, 2007 The newly formed U.N. Human Rights Council is debating whether to do away with the special rapporteurs whose job is to investigate global human rights abuses. A group of countries typically subjected to such scrutiny, with Cuba and China at the helm, argues that domestic reports should be sufficient. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Rising Bus Costs Spark Chinese Riots

Staff / Truthdig Mar 12, 2007 As many as 20,000 rural Chinese workers, unhappy with government corruption and increasing public transportation costs, faced off with about 1,000 police officers in China's Hunan province this weekend. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

China to U.S.: You Should Talk

Staff / Truthdig Mar 8, 2007 The State Department recently released its regular report of human rights abuses around the world and, as expected, listed China as one of the worst offenders. But Beijing fired back with its own report and a long list U.S. violations, including everything from disregard for civilian casualties to treating racial minorities as an underclass. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Japanese PM Doth Protest Too Much

Staff / Truthdig Mar 3, 2007 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is dabbling in revisionist history. Despite the historical evidence, and a 1993 apology by a government official, Abe now denies any Japanese military involvement in forcing thousands of women into brothels throughout Asia in the 1930s and '40s. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )