Author: Corey Marc Mendoza

The United States condemns the People’s Republic of China (PRC)’s November 29 unjust sentencing of journalist Dong Yuyu to seven years in prison for alleged “espionage.” His arrest and today’s sentencing highlight the PRC’s failure to live up to its commitments under international law and its own constitutional guarantees to all its citizens, which include the right to freedom of speech and freedom of the press. We celebrate Dong’s work as a veteran journalist and editor, as well as his contributions to U.S.-PRC people-to-people ties, including as a Harvard University Nieman Fellow. We stand by Dong and his family and…

In the global market, the sales of light-duty EVs reached around 6 million in the first half of 2023 (2023 H1), representing nearly 14% of new LDVs sold worldwide. The briefing provides an analysis of the electric vehicle (EV) market development and fleet carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions trends in 2023 H1, focusing on the major markets for light-duty vehicles (LDVs) (China, Europe, the United States, and India), which collectively accounted for approximately 63% of global LDV sales in that period. Most global EV sales, approximately 80%, were concentrated in those four largest markets. China remained the world’s largest EV market,…

In a blow to Democrats’ hopes of retaining control of the US Senate next year, Joe Manchin of West Virginia has said he will not run for re-election. One of the most prominent centrists in Washington, Mr Manchin, 76, has been a critical vote for his party in a chamber it controls by only one seat. But he has also antagonised President Joe Biden’s administration by standing in the way of its more ambitious plans. His decision to step aside virtually assures Republicans win back his seat. Rumours have swirled that Mr Manchin may seek a third-party presidential bid with…

The man accused of breaking into US politician Nancy Pelosi’s home and attacking her husband with a hammer was motivated by conspiracy theories, his lawyer has said as his trial begins. David DePape believed Mrs Pelosi was part of a plot to “manipulate the country” and “steal votes from Donald Trump”, a court in San Francisco heard. He faces two federal charges, including attempted kidnapping of a federal official. Mr DePape, 43, has pleaded not guilty. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison for the attempted kidnapping charge and 30 years in prison for assault on a…

Suspicious envelopes, some laced with fentanyl, have been sent to election offices in at least five US states. The letters were reported in Georgia, Nevada, California, Oregon and Washington, where the letter included a warning to “end elections now”. Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger described the letters as “domestic terrorism” that “needs to be condemned”. Fentanyl is a synthetic painkiller 50 times more powerful than heroin. It has been blamed for a rise in US drug deaths. According to the FBI and US Postal Service, fentanyl was found in four of the letters. Some of the letters were intercepted…

A suspect has been arrested two days after former US Senator Martha McSally reported being sexually assaulted while on a run in Iowa before fighting the man off and chasing him. Ms McSally said she was jogging along the Missouri River on Wednesday when the assailant approached and “molested and fondled me until I fought him off”. The ex-military pilot said she ran after him but he managed to flee. “I was in a fight, flight or freeze and I chose to fight,” Ms McSally said. Dominic Henton, 25, of Papillion, Nebraska, was taken into custody early on Friday morning…

A tentative deal between actors and Hollywood studios includes AI safeguards and requirements for intimacy co-ordinators on set. Actors’ union Sag-Aftra announced some details of its agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and TV Producers (AMPTP) on Friday. It said its national board had voted to back the agreement with 86% approval. It will be sent to the union’s 160,000 members for final ratification next week. But actors are able to return to work immediately. The agreement was announced by the union on Wednesday, bringing a likely end to a four-month strike that, combined with a separate writers’ strike,…

This week marked the end of the most dramatic phase of Donald Trump’s New York business fraud trial, which saw high-profile members of his family make the journey to Lower Manhattan one by one to answer probing questions from prosecutors. On Monday Mr Trump’s defence team will begin presenting their side, calling the former president’s oldest son back to the stand as their first witness. But legal analysts told the BBC that after two damaging weeks of testimony from members of the Trump family, salvaging their case now will be a herculean task. “It’s been a disaster from a legal…

US Republican Senator Tim Scott from South Carolina has dropped out of the 2024 presidential race. He had hoped to become the first African-American to secure the Republican nomination. He told Fox News: “I think the voters, who are the most remarkable people on the planet, have been really clear that they’re telling me: ‘Not now, Tim.'” Although Tim Scott was very well funded, he failed to make an appreciable impact in opinion polls. He has not endorsed any of the remaining candidates and he ruled out running for vice-president. “I’ll be honest with you: I ran for president to…

A Secret Service agent protecting US President Joe Biden’s granddaughter opened fire on suspects attempting to break into an unoccupied government vehicle on Sunday. The agents were in the Georgetown neighbourhood of Washington DC with Naomi Biden. None of the three suspects are believed to have been hit, according to a Secret Service statement. A search is out for the suspects who fled the scene in a red car. “There was no threat to any protectees and the incident is being investigated by the DC Metropolitan Police Department and the Secret Service,” the service said in a statement. The incident…