Daily Archives: 12/15/2021


Report Indicates Greater Huawei Involvement in Surveillance

The Chinese telecom giant Huawei has consistently claimed it does not actively partner with the Chinese government in gathering intelligence on individuals within China, but a report by The Washington Post this week showing the company appears to have marketed …


China to Crack Open ‘Great Firewall’ for Winter Olympic Athletes

Chinese authorities are pledging unrestricted internet access for foreign athletes at February’s Beijing Winter Olympics, but rights advocates say athletes will likely be cautious about exploiting the rare crack in China’s “Great Firewall.” China has been strengthening that firewall for …


NASA Probe Becomes First Spacecraft to Enter Sun’s Atmosphere

The U.S. space agency NASA says its Parker Solar Probe this week became the first spacecraft to enter the Sun’s atmosphere, also known as the corona.  The space agency announced the news Tuesday at a press conference during a meeting of the American Geophysical Union in New Orleans.  In a statement, NASA …


Stay Calm, Don’t Panic, Says South African Doctor

The head of the South African Medical Association says there is a major difference between the delta and omicron variants of the coronavirus and warns politicians against hyping the threat from the new strain. Dr. Angelique Coetzee criticized Tuesday what …


African Leaders Call for More Investment in Healthcare

African leaders have called on governments across the continent to invest more in healthcare to fight the coronavirus and future pandemics. The appeal came as the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the African Union this week held …


Spain’s Language Wars Reignite in Catalonia

A family who went to court to ensure a quarter of the classes for their five-year-old son at a primary school are taught in Spanish were offered police protection Wednesday after they said they were harassed and abused.  The family, …


China Promotes Vaccines Around the World but Critics Point to Lower Efficacy

COVID-19 was first discovered in China, which became the first country to produce a vaccine. Sinovac and Sinopharm are China’s leading vaccine makers, and both manufacture World Health Organization-approved COVID-19 vaccines.   What’s the difference between the two companies?   Sinovac is a privately owned company, while Sinopharm is government-run. Scientists at both companies use …


Rumba Shimmies onto UNESCO Cultural Heritage List

Congolese rumba is among at least nine new entries on UNESCO’s “representative list of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity.” UNESCO is making its 2021 designations this week, recognizing cultural heritage ranging from Arabic calligraphy to falconry to Nordic clinker …


Why China’s Advancements in Quantum Technology Worry Others 

China’s advances in quantum computing will give a new advantage to its armed forces, already the world’s third strongest, analysts say. Quantum refers to a type of computing that lets high-powered machines make calculations that are too complex for ordinary …