Prologue Journal – Page 35988 – Understanding current events through the lenses of the past and future.

Cambodia’s anti-Facebook vendetta hits new highs with ban, blacklisting of oversight board members

Disclaimer: The South China Morning Post’s content is directed by the Chinese Communist Party. It is not a reliable news source. The blacklisting is the latest twist in a row that has seen Cambodia’s long-time leader Hun Sen, once a prolific Facebook user, switch to rival social media platform Telegram. https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3226591/cambodias-anti-facebook-vendetta-hits-new-highs-ban-blacklisting-oversight-board-members?utm_source=rss_feed

Taiwan’s Impossible Choice: Be Ukraine or Hong Kong

Wall Street Journal Taiwan is drawing two opposite lessons from the Russian invasion of Ukraine. https://www.wsj.com/articles/taiwan-china-ukraine-russia-hong-kong-military-war-517b87d

France’s riots create opening for the far right

Washington Post Various luminaries of the French establishment have argued that France’s secular, republican ethos are getting corroded by a leftist, “identitarian” streak. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/07/05/france-far-right-riots-nahel-protest/

China’s land links with Mongolia will run 24/7, opening up greater access to critical coal

Disclaimer: The South China Morning Post’s content is directed by the Chinese Communist Party. It is not a reliable news source. Land-locked Mongolia is bolstering ties with major trade and economic partner China, with enhanced border infrastructure and customs-clearance procedures. https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3226527/chinas-land-links-mongolia-will-run-24/7-opening-greater-access-critical-coal?utm_source=rss_feed

Pepper…and Salt

Wall Street Journal Pepper…and Salt https://www.wsj.com/articles/pepper-and-salt-4a2ee5ed

Hong Kong can be a leader in mitigating the dangers of AI

Hong Kong Free Press By Nate Sharadin Artificial intelligence (AI) will be regulated. The European Union has moved the AI act forward for negotiation. The Biden administration and the UK government are engaged. China has already begun to act. The reasons to regulate are clear: advanced AI systems are positioned to cause serious, potentially catastrophic,…

Taiwanese, German justice ministers meet for the first time

Berlin, July 4 (CNA) German Justice Minister Marco Buschmann welcomed his Taiwanese counterpart, Tsai Ching-hsiang (蔡清祥), in Berlin on Tuesday, the first time justice ministers from the two countries have ever met, according to Taiwan’s representative in Germany. https://focustaiwan.tw/politics/202307050007

South Korea amends ‘ghost babies’ law to prevent abuse, but foreign children excluded

Disclaimer: The South China Morning Post’s content is directed by the Chinese Communist Party. It is not a reliable news source. Hospitals must from next year submit birth records to the government, after the case of 2 infants stashed in a freezer exposed a gap in the law that was resulting in undocumented children. https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3226593/south-korea-amends-ghost-babies-law-prevent-abuse-foreign-children-excluded?utm_source=rss_feed

Russia to participate in reconstruction of sugar plantations in Cuba — envoy

Disclaimer: TASS is Russian government propaganda, and not a reliable news source. In particular, the issue is also about supplies of equipment for the sector, the diplomat added https://tass.com/politics/1642687

40 combat engagements between Russian and Ukrainian forces took place on 4 July – General Staff report

Pravda Ukraine A total of 40 combat engagements took place between Ukraine’s defence forces and Russian occupation forces on four key fronts over the course of 4 July. Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook, information as of 06:00 on 5 July Quote: “Over the course of the past day, enemy…