News

Is China an “inappropriate government” to host Olympics?

Published

4 years ago

December 1, 2021

Brittany Coles

Human Rights Watch has accused the International Olympic Committee of being complicit in China’s rights abuses ahead of the 2022 Beijing Winter Games

@SophieHRW
China Director @hrw

This follows the IOC president’s call with Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai.

Peng disappeared for nearly three weeks after alleging on social media that China’s former Vice-Premier had sexually assaulted her, and since that time, nobody has been able to speak independently to her and all of her messages have been mediated through Chinese government run media, and or the International Olympic Committee.

"To see the IOC participate in an exercise that could only have happened with Chinese officials permission, is really quite distressing"@SophieHRW China Director @hrw on a senior Olympic official defending #IOC efforts to confirm the safety of Peng Shuai #WhereIsPengShuai pic.twitter.com/4HdH80G5ZQ
— ticker NEWS (@tickerNEWSco) November 30, 2021

Sophie Richardson is the Human Rights Watch China director and says there is something bigger at play here, while concerns grow about Peng’s wellbeing.

“I think will believe it when she is able to say that herself freely and directly. I mean, let’s recall that this is the government that says that everyone in the Uyghur region or Xinjiang western region of China is happy and fine, up to an including the millions of people who have been arbitrarily detained for months at a time,” Richardson told ticker NEWS.

“It’s the government that regularly refers to the Dalai Lama as a terrorist. So really to take only the Chinese government’s word for it, or a deeply vested body like the IOC is problematic.”

There have been repeated calls for the upcoming Olympic games to be boycotted.

Richardson says the statistics of sexual abuse in China are disturbing and it’s not just for famous athletes.

“One fear is that what happens to these allegations is what happens to a lot of allegations about sexual violence and harassment inside China, which is that they’re ignored,” she said.

“A recent government report suggested that one in every four women in China is subjected at some point in her life to domestic violence,

“Yet there are very few prosecutions of that there’s only a law about domestic violence until relatively recently. This is enormously problematic.”

Richardson says Peng’s story is going to persist through the games in February as one of the examples, not just the Chinese government’s brutality towards individuals, even famous people like star athletes, but also why it is “just an inappropriate government to host an Olympic Games. Absolutely.”

What is the Human Rights Watch doing to support?

Richardson says the organisation is certainly going to keep leaning on the IOC to reveal what it knows about the origins of that call and the circumstances.

“But we’ve also called on the top sponsors of the games, the companies that literally pay for the games, to do their own human rights due diligence to explain how their sponsorship doesn’t contribute to problems,” she said.

“We’ve called on governments to engage in a diplomatic boycott of the games, because the last thing that trainees officialdom needs right now is a greater imprimatur of legitimacy, particularly from democratic governments.”

News

Epstein hearing explodes over redactions and hidden names

Lawmakers accuse AG Pam Bondi of hiding Epstein-linked names amid congressional hearing, questioning redactions related to billionaire Wexner.

Published

10 hours ago

February 12, 2026

Harvey Vargas

Lawmakers accuse AG Pam Bondi of hiding Epstein-linked names amid congressional hearing, questioning redactions related to billionaire Wexner.

US lawmakers have accused Attorney General Pam Bondi of withholding key names linked to Jeffrey Epstein during a fiery congressional hearing. The confrontation centred on redactions within investigative files that critics argue should have been fully disclosed under federal law.

Representative Thomas Massie pressed the Justice Department over blacked-out sections, specifically questioning references to billionaire Leslie Wexner. Bondi maintained that Wexner’s name was released promptly once flagged, defending the department’s handling of the documents.

Frustration boiled over as lawmakers challenged the extent of the redactions, leading to an extraordinary moment in the hearing as Bondi pushed back and praised President Donald Trump while standing by the department’s review process.

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#EpsteinFiles #PamBondi #USPolitics #Congress #JeffreyEpstein #BreakingNews #PoliticalDrama #TickerNews

News

Angus Taylor moves to challenge Sussan Ley for party leadership

Angus Taylor resigns from Coalition frontbench to challenge Sussan Ley amid Liberal Party divisions and declining poll support.

Published

10 hours ago

February 12, 2026

Harvey Vargas

Angus Taylor resigns from Coalition frontbench to challenge Sussan Ley amid Liberal Party divisions and declining poll support.

Angus Taylor has resigned from the Coalition frontbench to launch a leadership challenge against Sussan Ley, declaring he lacks confidence in her ability to rebuild support for the Liberal Party. His move sets up a high-stakes internal contest that could reshape the party’s direction.

Supporters of Mr Taylor are expected to push for a meeting by Friday to trigger a potential leadership spill, intensifying pressure on Ms Ley. Moderate MPs are calling on her to demand clear proof of numbers before any ballot takes place.

With the Liberals trailing in the polls and facing mounting questions over strategy, both camps are outlining starkly different visions for the party’s future as tensions rise in Canberra.

#AustralianPolitics #LiberalParty #AngusTaylor #SussanLey #LeadershipSpill #Canberra #AusPol #PoliticalNews

News

Iran buries nuclear site entrances amid rising tensions with the U.S.

Published

1 day ago

February 11, 2026

Harvey Vargas

Satellite images reveal that Iran has buried all three tunnel entrances at its Isfahan nuclear complex. Analysts say the move mirrors defensive preparations taken before U.S. airstrikes devastated the facility last year, with no vehicle or personnel activity visible around the entrances.

The burial appears aimed at limiting damage from potential airstrikes and complicating any ground raid targeting enriched uranium stored in the underground facility. Experts suggest equipment or materials may have been moved into the tunnels for protection, though this remains unconfirmed.

The fortification comes amid ongoing U.S.-Iran tensions. President Trump has demanded Iran curb its nuclear program, warning of military action, while Tehran insists halting uranium enrichment is unacceptable. Recent indirect talks in Oman showed little progress toward a new deal.