There is another America than the benighted mass that has twice voted Donald Trump into the White House—and this America is found above all in California.
“Welcome to California—we believe in science!” reads a banner as we approach Silicon Valley. “Welcome to California—diversity is our strength,” says another. And on the border between Nevada and California, someone has gone so far as to write: “You are now entering Trump-free territory.”
California is the most populous U.S. state, with 39 million inhabitants. The first Spanish soldiers and missionaries arrived here in 1769. Later, hundreds of thousands of settlers streamed to the state in search of gold, and it continues to attract hopeful people from all corners.
“The name California is associated with the future,” writes the American historian Kevin Starr. He points out that the state often defines itself by what does not yet exist, or by what is in the process of emerging—such as new technology, advanced research, and green industry.
søndag 1. februar 2026
Why China moved so quickly to execute 11 members of a notorious mafia family
No-one should be surprised that China has swiftly executed the 11 members of an organised crime family from north-eastern Myanmar who were sentenced to death in September. China executes more people than anywhere else in the world, according to human rights groups – the exact figure is a state secret. Officials are often executed for corruption. The accusations made against the Ming family were far more serious.
The Ming, Bau, Wei and Liu clans have dominated the remote border town of Laukkaing in Myanmar's impoverished Shan state, since 2009. They rose to power after General Min Aung Hlaing, the current coup leader in Myanmar, led a military operation to drive out the MNDAA, the ethnic insurgent army which had dominated Laukkaing and the area around it since the 1980s.
The four families, as they became known, took over and began shifting from the old dependence on opium and methamphetamine production to a new economy based on casinos and, eventually, online fraud.
The Ming, Bau, Wei and Liu clans have dominated the remote border town of Laukkaing in Myanmar's impoverished Shan state, since 2009. They rose to power after General Min Aung Hlaing, the current coup leader in Myanmar, led a military operation to drive out the MNDAA, the ethnic insurgent army which had dominated Laukkaing and the area around it since the 1980s.
The four families, as they became known, took over and began shifting from the old dependence on opium and methamphetamine production to a new economy based on casinos and, eventually, online fraud.
Healthcare, visas and whisky: What did UK and China get from Starmer's visit?
Sir Keir Starmer's visit to China this week is the clearest sign yet the two countries are seeking to end the diplomatic "ice age" that has defined their relationship. Both leaders face economic pressures at home and are seeking new opportunities for trade and investment.
For Sir Keir, the first UK prime minister to visit China since Theresa May in 2018, the trip was a chance to highlight the strength of British firms in finance, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, clean energy and car making. President Xi Jinping, meanwhile, aimed to show that China can be a reliable partner for Western economies, as US President Donald Trump continues to rattle the global trading system.
Although no sweeping free trade deal was reached, the visit marked a cautious but tangible reset of UK–China economic ties.
For Sir Keir, the first UK prime minister to visit China since Theresa May in 2018, the trip was a chance to highlight the strength of British firms in finance, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, clean energy and car making. President Xi Jinping, meanwhile, aimed to show that China can be a reliable partner for Western economies, as US President Donald Trump continues to rattle the global trading system.
Although no sweeping free trade deal was reached, the visit marked a cautious but tangible reset of UK–China economic ties.
Starmer invites Japan PM to UK after Tokyo talks
Sir Keir Starmer has invited Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to visit the UK following talks in Tokyo, saying the relationship between the countries was the "strongest" it has been "in decades". The prime minister arrived in Japan after his four-day trip to China, in which he attempted to reboot the UK's relationship with Beijing. The leaders of UK and Japan said they had discussed their "joint values" and set out plans to strengthen trade and security ties, including boosting defence and partnerships across the Indo-Pacific region.
Any UK visit will depend on the results of snap elections on February 8, with Takaichi's Liberal Democratic Party seeking a return to power.
Record 10,500 Tibetan students taken to schools in China in 2025 as Sinicization drive intensified
The number of Tibetan students sent to study in classes especially set up for them in schools in various provinces of China has increased in recent years in keeping with Beijing’s intensified drive to Sinicize Tibet and set a new record last year, reported the Tibetan-language tibettimes.net Jan 19, citing Chinese government sources. The number of such classes has also seen a sharp increase in order to accommodate the additional students.
The report cited a recent announcement from the Shigatse City government, Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), as saying that in 2025, a total of 10,500 students from across Tibetan regions were enrolled in Tibet Classes set up in schools in provinces and provincial-level cities across China. It was stated to have been announced as the highest number of enrolment of Tibetan students in such classes in such schools in China thus far.
The report cited a recent announcement from the Shigatse City government, Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), as saying that in 2025, a total of 10,500 students from across Tibetan regions were enrolled in Tibet Classes set up in schools in provinces and provincial-level cities across China. It was stated to have been announced as the highest number of enrolment of Tibetan students in such classes in such schools in China thus far.
Himalayan populations have strongest genetic links with Tibet, Siberia, less so with China
The Himalayan populations have strongest of ancestral affinity with Tibet and Siberia but less with China, reported the timesofindia.com Jan 31, citing a recent DNA study presented at an ongoing international conference. A recent DNA study on Himalayan populations reveals the strongest genetic ties with Tibet and Siberia, while links to China are relatively weaker, the report said, citing Rakesh Tamang, a Himalayan gene expert from the Calcutta University.
Tamang’s finding has highlighted the fact that the MYBPC3 gene, a major contributor to heart attacks in South Asia, is almost absent in Himalayan populations, translating to a lower risk of heart attacks linked to this gene.
He has revealed his finding in a lecture he delivered on the second day of an ongoing international conference ICAB-2026 at Banaras Hindu University, where he presented the findings of his DNA study on the people of the Himalayan region.
Tamang’s finding has highlighted the fact that the MYBPC3 gene, a major contributor to heart attacks in South Asia, is almost absent in Himalayan populations, translating to a lower risk of heart attacks linked to this gene.
He has revealed his finding in a lecture he delivered on the second day of an ongoing international conference ICAB-2026 at Banaras Hindu University, where he presented the findings of his DNA study on the people of the Himalayan region.
World leaders flock to Beijing, hedging against U.S. disruptions
Countries that shunned China during its trade dispute with the U.S. are now sending their leaders to Beijing for meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping — and are keen to strike business deals.
At least five national leaders, including British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, have visited Xi in January alone. Uruguay’s President Yamandú Orsi is due to make the trip next week — the first by a South American leader since U.S. President Donald Trump captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife in early January.
The Canadian and British leaders’ trips are the first in at least eight years, while a visit by Ireland’s prime minister on Jan. 5 was the first in 14 years. China had closed its borders during the Covid-19 pandemic and only reopened them in earnest in early 2023.
“These visits reflect managed, selective resets under rising U.S. policy uncertainty, rather than a strategic pivot to China,” said Yue Su, principal economist at the Economist Intelligence Unit.
At least five national leaders, including British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, have visited Xi in January alone. Uruguay’s President Yamandú Orsi is due to make the trip next week — the first by a South American leader since U.S. President Donald Trump captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife in early January.
The Canadian and British leaders’ trips are the first in at least eight years, while a visit by Ireland’s prime minister on Jan. 5 was the first in 14 years. China had closed its borders during the Covid-19 pandemic and only reopened them in earnest in early 2023.
“These visits reflect managed, selective resets under rising U.S. policy uncertainty, rather than a strategic pivot to China,” said Yue Su, principal economist at the Economist Intelligence Unit.
How China Caught Up on AI—and May Now Win the Future
It was a controversy laced with pride for He Xiaopeng. In November, He, the founder and CEO of Chinese physical AI firm XPeng, had just debuted his new humanoid robot, IRON, whose balance, posture shifts, and coquettish swagger mirrored human motion with such eerie precision that a slew of netizens accused him of faking the demonstration by putting a human in a bodysuit.
To silence the naysayers, He boldly cut open the robot’s leg live on stage to reveal the intricate mechanical systems that allow it to adapt to uneven surfaces and maintain stability just like the human body. “At first, it made me sad,” He tells TIME in his Guangzhou headquarters. “The robot is like our classmate, our child. But later, I was proud.”
To silence the naysayers, He boldly cut open the robot’s leg live on stage to reveal the intricate mechanical systems that allow it to adapt to uneven surfaces and maintain stability just like the human body. “At first, it made me sad,” He tells TIME in his Guangzhou headquarters. “The robot is like our classmate, our child. But later, I was proud.”
Millions of Delhi residents lost water for days. Some say it’s still toxic
Ravinder Kumar wades through ankle-deep sludge every day to leave his home in Sharma Enclave in northwest Delhi – yet inside the brick tenement, he does not have a drop to drink. Surrounded by filth, the 55-year-old twists his plastic taps regularly, hoping for relief. “Water comes once every three days, and even then, you only get clean water for an hour,” the father of three told CNN on Monday. “It’s difficult to bathe. The water is black at times. We wash once every four or five days.”
Kumar is one of millions of residents in the Indian capital suffering sporadic water shortages due to rising ammonia levels in the Yamuna River that last week forced six of the city’s nine major water plants to shut down.Water from the Yamuna – considered sacred and worshipped by millions – has become so polluted by ammonia from industrial waste that water plants have been unable to treat it.
lørdag 31. januar 2026
China to take 'necessary action' after Panama port ruling
China on Friday said it would be taking "necessary measures" following a ruling by Panama's Supreme Court, that Chinese control of Panama Canal ports was unconstitutional. Late on Thursday, Panama's top court annulled the concession held by Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison Holdings, to operate ports on either side of the canal.
The ruling comes in the wake of an audit conducted by Panama's comptroller, which raised concerns over the 25-year extension of the concession granted in 2021.The Chinese side will take all necessary measures to resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies," Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told a regular briefing.
No mention was made of the potential next steps Beijing would be taking.
The ruling comes in the wake of an audit conducted by Panama's comptroller, which raised concerns over the 25-year extension of the concession granted in 2021.The Chinese side will take all necessary measures to resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies," Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told a regular briefing.
No mention was made of the potential next steps Beijing would be taking.
Myanmar marks bitter 5-year anniversary of 2021 coup
Only two years ago, reports about Myanmar were rife with speculation that the Tatmadaw, the Burmese term for the military, might be on its last legs. Now, five years since the junta toppled a democratically elected government on February 1, 2021 and set off a bloody civil war, that talk is all but over.
"The early-2024 speculation about regime collapse is clearly all in the rearview mirror," said Anthony Davis, an analyst with the Janes defense and security publications.
Over the past year, the military has reclaimed key towns and trade routes in the northeast that had fallen to a trio of armed groups. It has also rebuilt battalions depleted by death and desertion and conducted phased elections, which concluded on January 25.
"The early-2024 speculation about regime collapse is clearly all in the rearview mirror," said Anthony Davis, an analyst with the Janes defense and security publications.
Over the past year, the military has reclaimed key towns and trade routes in the northeast that had fallen to a trio of armed groups. It has also rebuilt battalions depleted by death and desertion and conducted phased elections, which concluded on January 25.
Panama Court Hands Trump a Win Against China Over Canal Ports Control
The lease contracts for ports at opposite ends of the Panama Canal held by Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison are unconstitutional, Panama’s Supreme Court ruled late on Thursday
The decision is a win for President Donald Trump, who has sought to curb Chinese influence in Latin America as the White House pivots toward the "Donroe Doctrine," a national security outlook of maintaining U.S. primacy in the Western Hemisphere including Latin America, which the United States has historically viewed as its doorstep.Since returning to office one year ago, Trump has asserted that the Panama Canal has fallen under Chinese control, a claim rejected by both Beijing and Panama City.
The decision is a win for President Donald Trump, who has sought to curb Chinese influence in Latin America as the White House pivots toward the "Donroe Doctrine," a national security outlook of maintaining U.S. primacy in the Western Hemisphere including Latin America, which the United States has historically viewed as its doorstep.Since returning to office one year ago, Trump has asserted that the Panama Canal has fallen under Chinese control, a claim rejected by both Beijing and Panama City.
U.S. Allies Play Risky Game With Tilt to China
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s mission to China this week earned a five percent reduction in tariffs on scotch whisky exports and a stiff warning from U.S. President Donald Trump. "
Very dangerous," was the way Trump put it.
But Starmer was only the latest NATO ally leader to pay a visit to Chinese President Xi Jinping. Many pillars of the West are seeking to balance their global relationships because of the unpredictability of a U.S. president who has challenged longstanding norms, started tariff wars with both friends and adversaries, and threatened to take over Greenland and maybe Canada. Starmer’s pilgrimage to Beijing followed visits by France’s president and Canada’s prime minister. Germany’s chancellor is due there next month. Trump himself is also visiting in April.
Very dangerous," was the way Trump put it.
But Starmer was only the latest NATO ally leader to pay a visit to Chinese President Xi Jinping. Many pillars of the West are seeking to balance their global relationships because of the unpredictability of a U.S. president who has challenged longstanding norms, started tariff wars with both friends and adversaries, and threatened to take over Greenland and maybe Canada. Starmer’s pilgrimage to Beijing followed visits by France’s president and Canada’s prime minister. Germany’s chancellor is due there next month. Trump himself is also visiting in April.
Japan prepares for the Feb. 8 election to the Lower House
As Japan heads to the polls on Feb. 8, voters are weighing familiar concerns such as the cost of living, wages and the weak yen as they cast ballots in the Lower House election.
Beyond the economy, however, the vote is also shaping up as a test of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi herself, with analysts saying the fiercely conservative leader has effectively turned the election into a referendum on her leadership. “She’s trying to make it as a referendum on whether the people accept [her] as a prime minister or not,” said Kazuto Suzuki, director at the Institute of Geoeconomics, a Tokyo-based think tank.
Takaichi has made little effort to downplay the personal stakes. On Jan. 19, she said she was “putting my future as prime minister on this election” and asked voters to decide whether they could entrust the management of the country to her.
Beyond the economy, however, the vote is also shaping up as a test of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi herself, with analysts saying the fiercely conservative leader has effectively turned the election into a referendum on her leadership. “She’s trying to make it as a referendum on whether the people accept [her] as a prime minister or not,” said Kazuto Suzuki, director at the Institute of Geoeconomics, a Tokyo-based think tank.
Takaichi has made little effort to downplay the personal stakes. On Jan. 19, she said she was “putting my future as prime minister on this election” and asked voters to decide whether they could entrust the management of the country to her.
Scenic trains, cruises and concerts: China’s new plan to get consumers spending again
As Chinese households remain reluctant to spend on big-ticket goods, Beijing is leaning on a new lever to revive consumption: experiences and everyday services.
China’s cabinet on Thursday rolled out a work plan to boost services consumption — from cruise and yacht tourism to elder care services and more sports events — as policymakers sought to boost the share of consumption in its economy over the next five years. The plan aims to “accelerate the cultivation of new growth drivers in service consumption” and to “improve and expand the supply of services,” the notice said.
Beijing’s renewed push came as officials try to shore up domestic demand amid a prolonged property slump, bleak job market and income uncertainty that have kept consumers cautious about major purchases. Concerns are also growing that the export boom that cushioned the economy from U.S. tariffs last year may prove difficult to sustain.
China’s cabinet on Thursday rolled out a work plan to boost services consumption — from cruise and yacht tourism to elder care services and more sports events — as policymakers sought to boost the share of consumption in its economy over the next five years. The plan aims to “accelerate the cultivation of new growth drivers in service consumption” and to “improve and expand the supply of services,” the notice said.
Beijing’s renewed push came as officials try to shore up domestic demand amid a prolonged property slump, bleak job market and income uncertainty that have kept consumers cautious about major purchases. Concerns are also growing that the export boom that cushioned the economy from U.S. tariffs last year may prove difficult to sustain.
China has spent decades making inroads in Latin America. Will the ‘Donroe doctrine’ push it out?
As the dust cleared around the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro in a surprise military strike earlier this month, US officials left little question that they had another target too: China.
A longtime friend to the government in Caracas, China has for years pumped money into the oil fields and infrastructure of the South American country. Maduro’s ouster is a blow to that partnership that could leave Chinese banks facing billions in unpaid Venezuelan debt.
But viewed from Beijing, the stakes are much higher than that. The shake-up was also the loudest warning shot yet of a deeper campaign for the Trump administration: to root out China’s influence across Latin America.
A longtime friend to the government in Caracas, China has for years pumped money into the oil fields and infrastructure of the South American country. Maduro’s ouster is a blow to that partnership that could leave Chinese banks facing billions in unpaid Venezuelan debt.
But viewed from Beijing, the stakes are much higher than that. The shake-up was also the loudest warning shot yet of a deeper campaign for the Trump administration: to root out China’s influence across Latin America.
fredag 30. januar 2026
Torbjørn Færøvik: Taken from Home - Childhood in China's Boarding Schools
The year that passed. Another year without Mom and Dad.
In China, millions of children are separated from their parents in order to attend boarding schools. The practice is particularly widespread in Tibet and the western region of Xinjiang, but it is also becoming more common in other parts of the country. The aim is to shape the children into true patriots, good socialists, and resolute supporters of Party leader Xi Jinping. “Uncle Xi, you are our friend and guide,” they sing in the schoolyard every morning.
In Tibet and the neighboring provinces with large Tibetan populations, around 800,000 children attended such schools in 2021, according to a report. An additional 100,000 children between the ages of four and six had been torn away from their parents to live in kindergartens. Today’s figures may be even higher.
The boarding schools and kindergartens are located in cities and densely populated areas, often several days’ travel from the children’s homes. Both teaching and play take place in Mandarin Chinese.
As time passes, parents and children gradually become strangers to one another. When the children are rarely allowed to visit their parents, they struggle to express themselves in their own mother tongue. The Tibetan sociologist Gyal Lo says of the children that they feel disoriented and uncertain about where they truly belong: “It is both tragic and painful to witness what is happening.”
In China, millions of children are separated from their parents in order to attend boarding schools. The practice is particularly widespread in Tibet and the western region of Xinjiang, but it is also becoming more common in other parts of the country. The aim is to shape the children into true patriots, good socialists, and resolute supporters of Party leader Xi Jinping. “Uncle Xi, you are our friend and guide,” they sing in the schoolyard every morning.
In Tibet and the neighboring provinces with large Tibetan populations, around 800,000 children attended such schools in 2021, according to a report. An additional 100,000 children between the ages of four and six had been torn away from their parents to live in kindergartens. Today’s figures may be even higher.
The boarding schools and kindergartens are located in cities and densely populated areas, often several days’ travel from the children’s homes. Both teaching and play take place in Mandarin Chinese.
As time passes, parents and children gradually become strangers to one another. When the children are rarely allowed to visit their parents, they struggle to express themselves in their own mother tongue. The Tibetan sociologist Gyal Lo says of the children that they feel disoriented and uncertain about where they truly belong: “It is both tragic and painful to witness what is happening.”
Why China’s Young Urbanites Are Ditching Cities for Villages
After graduating with a degree in art design from Beijing Jiaotong University, most would have expected Li Zezhou to set his sights on a career in a big city. Instead, he returned to the forests and fields he’d known as a child.
In early 2024, he and a friend set up a design studio in a rented two-story building in Bishan, an ancient village in China’s eastern Anhui province. They called it Slime Club, seeing slime molds’ ability to stretch outward and link with other organisms as a metaphor for the kind of collaboration they hoped to achieve among young graduates.
Since then, the collective has transformed its mission to help the local community, swelling from four permanent staff to 11, along with a host of contributors. Most arrive in the village intending on just a brief stay, but few ever leave.
In early 2024, he and a friend set up a design studio in a rented two-story building in Bishan, an ancient village in China’s eastern Anhui province. They called it Slime Club, seeing slime molds’ ability to stretch outward and link with other organisms as a metaphor for the kind of collaboration they hoped to achieve among young graduates.
Since then, the collective has transformed its mission to help the local community, swelling from four permanent staff to 11, along with a host of contributors. Most arrive in the village intending on just a brief stay, but few ever leave.
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