National Security

Chinese Media: U.S. Elections Are ‘Petty Shows’

Chinese state media mocked American democracy on Tuesday, dismissing it as a turgid form of entertainment enjoyed by Chinese citizens who “became bored while staying at home most of the year in 2020 due to the [Chinese coronavirus] epidemic,” as the Global Times put it.

ATLANTA, GA - NOVEMBER 04: Election workers count Fulton County ballots at State Farm Arena on November 4, 2020 in Atlanta, Georgia. The 2020 presidential race between incumbent U.S. President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden is still too close to call with outstanding ballots to count. (Photo by …

Report: North Korea, Which Claims Zero Coronavirus Cases, Requests Vaccines

The Wall Street Journal claimed Monday, citing one “person familiar with the matter,” that the communist regime governing North Korea formally submitted a request to participate in a global plan to distribute Chinese coronavirus vaccines, despite insisting it has not confirmed a single case of coronavirus disease within its borders.

Health workers spray disinfectant inside the Pyongyang Department Store No. 1 prior to opening for business, in Pyongyang on December 28, 2020. (Photo by KIM Won Jin / AFP) (Photo by KIM WON JIN/AFP via Getty Images)

Saudi Arabia Ends Embargo Against Qatar

Prince Faisal bin Farhan, the foreign minister of Saudi Arabia, told reporters at a summit of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) on Tuesday that his country and its allies will “fully set our differences aside” with Qatar, ending a virtual blockade that has endured for over three years.

Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan al-Saud holds a press conferece at the end of the 41st Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit, in the city of al-Ula in northwestern Saudi Arabia on January 5, 2021. - Gulf leaders signed a "solidarity and stability" deal after the leaders of Saudi Arabia …

Chinese Media: Missing Billionaire Jack Ma Is ‘Embracing Supervision’

A few days after international media noticed that not only did Chinese tech tycoon Jack Ma lose much of his corporate empire and $12 billion of his net worth after criticizing the Communist Party in late October, but he also appears to have vanished from the face of the Earth, Hong Kong’s Asia Times Financial (ATF) reported Chinese state media are claiming Ma has “embraced supervision,” while Beijing’s army of Internet trolls denounces him as a greedy traitor.

Jack Ma, CEO of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, speaks during his visit at the Vivatech startups and innovation fair, in Paris on May 16, 2019. (Photo by Philippe LOPEZ / AFP) (Photo credit should read PHILIPPE LOPEZ/AFP via Getty Images)

Iran Denies Holding South Korean Tanker and Crew Hostage

The Iranian government on Tuesday denied that it is holding a South Korean-flagged tanker and its crew hostage, retorting that South Korea is the “hostage” taker for freezing $7 billion in Iranian funds after the United States re-imposed sanctions against Tehran.

In this photo released Monday, Jan. 4, 2021, by Tasnim News Agency, a seized South Korean-flagged tanker is escorted by Iranian Revolutionary Guard boats on the Persian Gulf. Iranian state television acknowledged that Tehran seized the oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz. The report on Monday alleged the MT …