The first autopsy conducted on a Chinese Covid-19 victim has highlighted the damage it causes to the lungs. The pathological features of Covid-19 were found to resemble those seen in severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars) and Middle Eastern respiratory syndrome (Mers), which are in the same family of coronavirus. The report, released on Friday, said it was too soon to draw firm conclusions about the disease, but said the lung lesions it produced were less pronounced than Sars. It also said there was not enough evidence to say whether damage to other organs was caused by Covid-19 or other...…The first autopsy conducted on a Chinese Covid-19 victim has highlighted the damage it causes to the lungs. The pathological features of Covid-19 were found to resemble those seen in severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars) and Middle Eastern respiratory syndrome (Mers), which are in the same family of coronavirus. The report, released on Friday, said it was too soon to draw firm conclusions about the disease, but said the lung lesions it produced were less pronounced than Sars. It also said there was not enough evidence to say whether damage to other organs was caused by Covid-19 or other...WW…

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday appeared to propose a face-to-face meeting with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping to find a “quick” and “humane” solution to the weeks of unrest in Hong Kong. In a series of tweets on Wednesday night Washington time, Trump also appeared to link the outlook for trade talks with China with a resolution of the Hong Kong protests. “I know President Xi of China very well,” Trump said. “He is a great leader who very much has the respect of his people. He is also a good man in a ‘tough business’.” “I have ZERO doubt that if President Xi wants to quickly and...…US President Donald Trump on Wednesday appeared to propose a face-to-face meeting with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping to find a “quick” and “humane” solution to the weeks of unrest in Hong Kong. In a series of tweets on Wednesday night Washington time, Trump also appeared to link the outlook for trade talks with China with a resolution of the Hong Kong protests. “I know President Xi of China very well,” Trump said. “He is a great leader who very much has the respect of his people. He is also a good man in a ‘tough business’.” “I have ZERO doubt that if President Xi wants to quickly and...WW…

Eating 18 grams of mushrooms a day could lower the risk of cancer, a new study suggests. Individuals who eat two medium-sized mushrooms daily have a 45 per cent lower risk of cancer compared to those who do not eat mushrooms, according to Pennsylvania State University research, published in Advances in Nutrition. For centuries, Chinese medicine practitioners have used mushrooms, which are rich in vitamins, nutrients and antioxidants, as a treatment for illness including lung disease. Some of the chemical compounds in mushrooms are believed to strengthen the immune system. The Penn research...…Eating 18 grams of mushrooms a day could lower the risk of cancer, a new study suggests. Individuals who eat two medium-sized mushrooms daily have a 45 per cent lower risk of cancer compared to those who do not eat mushrooms, according to Pennsylvania State University research, published in Advances in Nutrition. For centuries, Chinese medicine practitioners have used mushrooms, which are rich in vitamins, nutrients and antioxidants, as a treatment for illness including lung disease. Some of the chemical compounds in mushrooms are believed to strengthen the immune system. The Penn research...WW…

China SocietyPUBLISHED : Wednesday, 06 February, 2019, 5:05pmChina is facing its latest medical scandal after a large batch of human blood plasma treatment was found to be contaminated with HIV.The batch of intravenous immunoglobulin – an immune therapy treatment made with antibodies from blood plasma – was produced by China’s second-biggest medical blood products manufacturer, the state-owned Shanghai Xinxing Pharmaceutical Company.Dated Tuesday, a statement from the National Health Commission (NHC) warned hospitals to immediately suspend use of the batch after the provincial health...…China SocietyPUBLISHED : Wednesday, 06 February, 2019, 5:05pmChina is facing its latest medical scandal after a large batch of human blood plasma treatment was found to be contaminated with HIV.The batch of intravenous immunoglobulin – an immune therapy treatment made with antibodies from blood plasma – was produced by China’s second-biggest medical blood products manufacturer, the state-owned Shanghai Xinxing Pharmaceutical Company.Dated Tuesday, a statement from the National Health Commission (NHC) warned hospitals to immediately suspend use of the batch after the provincial health...WW…

XinjiangPUBLISHED : Monday, 11 February, 2019, 5:12amSeventeen Australian residents are believed to be under house arrest, in prison or detained in China’s secretive “re-education” centres in Xinjiang.The 17 cases – 15 Australian permanent residents and two on spouse visas – have been collected by Nurgul Sawut, an advocate for Uygurs in Australia, through interviews with their family members.The individuals are believed to have been detained while on trips to China visiting relatives. Many have children or spouses who are Australian citizens.It is difficult to confirm their fates, given the...…XinjiangPUBLISHED : Monday, 11 February, 2019, 5:12amSeventeen Australian residents are believed to be under house arrest, in prison or detained in China’s secretive “re-education” centres in Xinjiang.The 17 cases – 15 Australian permanent residents and two on spouse visas – have been collected by Nurgul Sawut, an advocate for Uygurs in Australia, through interviews with their family members.The individuals are believed to have been detained while on trips to China visiting relatives. Many have children or spouses who are Australian citizens.It is difficult to confirm their fates, given the...WW…

IndonesiaPUBLISHED : Tuesday, 05 February, 2019, 10:11amMoscow has denied any involvement in after President Joko Widodo claimed his opponents have used “Russian propaganda” to distort facts and spread fake news.“As we know, the term ‘Russian Propaganda’ was coined in 2016 in the US during the presidential election. This term has no basis in reality,” the Russian embassy in Jakarta tweeted.“We underline the principal position of Russia is not to intervene in domestic affairs and electoral processes of foreign countries, including Indonesia, our close friend and important partner.”Widodo,...…IndonesiaPUBLISHED : Tuesday, 05 February, 2019, 10:11amMoscow has denied any involvement in after President Joko Widodo claimed his opponents have used “Russian propaganda” to distort facts and spread fake news.“As we know, the term ‘Russian Propaganda’ was coined in 2016 in the US during the presidential election. This term has no basis in reality,” the Russian embassy in Jakarta tweeted.“We underline the principal position of Russia is not to intervene in domestic affairs and electoral processes of foreign countries, including Indonesia, our close friend and important partner.”Widodo,...WW…

Censorship in ChinaPUBLISHED : Sunday, 10 February, 2019, 2:04pmChina’s leadership has started a propaganda blitz amid concerns about rising dissent among younger internet users.Observers said Beijing was seriously concerned that online media was having an “undesirable influence” on young Chinese people and was trying to ensure they got more exposure to the officially approved narrative.At the core of this drive is a team of millennial new media specialists who eschew the jargon-heavy style of traditional propaganda in favour of stories designed to resonate with younger, web-savvy...…Censorship in ChinaPUBLISHED : Sunday, 10 February, 2019, 2:04pmChina’s leadership has started a propaganda blitz amid concerns about rising dissent among younger internet users.Observers said Beijing was seriously concerned that online media was having an “undesirable influence” on young Chinese people and was trying to ensure they got more exposure to the officially approved narrative.At the core of this drive is a team of millennial new media specialists who eschew the jargon-heavy style of traditional propaganda in favour of stories designed to resonate with younger, web-savvy...WW…

China-EU relationsPUBLISHED : Sunday, 10 February, 2019, 4:11pmChina has dismissed as “groundless” claims made by the European Union that it has hundreds of spies working in Brussels, the bloc’s de facto capital.The Chinese mission to the EU issued a statement on Sunday in response to a report published a day earlier on the website of German television company Welt that said EU diplomats and military officials had been warned of “about 250 Chinese and 200 Russian spies” operating in the Belgian city.The report cited information from the European External Action Service (EEAS), the EU’s...…China-EU relationsPUBLISHED : Sunday, 10 February, 2019, 4:11pmChina has dismissed as “groundless” claims made by the European Union that it has hundreds of spies working in Brussels, the bloc’s de facto capital.The Chinese mission to the EU issued a statement on Sunday in response to a report published a day earlier on the website of German television company Welt that said EU diplomats and military officials had been warned of “about 250 Chinese and 200 Russian spies” operating in the Belgian city.The report cited information from the European External Action Service (EEAS), the EU’s...WW…

HuaweiPUBLISHED : Saturday, 09 February, 2019, 5:59amThe University of California’s flagship campus in Berkeley, one of the world’s top academic institutions, has halted new research collaborations with China’s Huawei Technologies in the wake of sweeping US criminal indictments against the telecoms equipment giant.The directive banning new funding or gifts by Huawei or any of its subsidiaries and affiliates in support of UC Berkeley research projects took effect on January 30 “after careful internal review and consultation with peer institutions” because of the “serious allegations” in the...…HuaweiPUBLISHED : Saturday, 09 February, 2019, 5:59amThe University of California’s flagship campus in Berkeley, one of the world’s top academic institutions, has halted new research collaborations with China’s Huawei Technologies in the wake of sweeping US criminal indictments against the telecoms equipment giant.The directive banning new funding or gifts by Huawei or any of its subsidiaries and affiliates in support of UC Berkeley research projects took effect on January 30 “after careful internal review and consultation with peer institutions” because of the “serious allegations” in the...WW…

IndonesiaPUBLISHED : Wednesday, 06 February, 2019, 7:17pmA British woman received a six-month jail term in on Wednesday for slapping an immigration officer after she blamed him for missing her flight.Auj-e Taqaddas, 42, was found guilty in a court in Bali’s capital, Denpasar, of violence against an officer at Ngurah Rai International Airport who was carrying out his legal duty, said Judge Esthar Oktavi.A smartphone video of the purported incident, which went viral at the time, showed an agitated Taqaddas launching into an expletive-laden rant after she was told she would have to pay a fine...…IndonesiaPUBLISHED : Wednesday, 06 February, 2019, 7:17pmA British woman received a six-month jail term in on Wednesday for slapping an immigration officer after she blamed him for missing her flight.Auj-e Taqaddas, 42, was found guilty in a court in Bali’s capital, Denpasar, of violence against an officer at Ngurah Rai International Airport who was carrying out his legal duty, said Judge Esthar Oktavi.A smartphone video of the purported incident, which went viral at the time, showed an agitated Taqaddas launching into an expletive-laden rant after she was told she would have to pay a fine...WW…