The International Olympic Committee’s position is clear. Human rights be damned. Refugees be damned. The Games must go on. The rest is window dressing.
New Zealand’s geographical distance will be no defence against the consequences of a protracted crisis. So why has there been so little discussion about the threats?
Rhino horn is coveted for rumoured medicinal properties and as a status symbol.
Amit/GettyImages
The economy doesn’t have a real inflation problem, and not recognising the difference is the biggest danger.
A woman poses for a photo with a statue of the Winter Olympic mascot Bing Dwen Dwen near the Olympic Green in Beijing on Jan. 12, 2022.
(AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
The Olympics, and all “mega sports,” are inevitably embedded in the political contexts of their times. To dismiss or bypass the political issues that arise seems naïve at best.
The electric vehicle market across the world is growing fast.
CSUF Photos/Flickr
Large-scale job losses in the US due to trade with China will lead to enduring demographic and political aftershocks without the implementation of policies that promote widespread job growth.
U.S. Army soldiers walk to their C-17 cargo plane for departure on May 11, 2013, at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan.
Robert Nickelsberg/Getty Images
If the United States expects to sustain its global influence, it will have to navigate increasing international and domestic pressure against its foreign military presence.
Protesters rally against the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Los Angeles in December.
Damian Dovarganes/AP
China has been unfazed by diplomatic boycotts by the west. In Beijing’s eyes, the Olympics still have broad support by many nations and, importantly, corporate sponsors.
A vulnerability in Log4j, a humble but widespread piece of software, has put millions of computers at risk.
SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
Log4Shell is the latest hacker exploit rocking the internet, and it’s arguably the worst yet. The vulnerability is in an obscure piece of software used on millions of computers.
Colors, sparks, booms and whistles all require different pyrotechnic recipes.
chensiyuan/WikimediaCommons
China and the US have differing interpretations of the law of the sea – and this is fuelling deep distrust and suspicion.
There is no mechanism under international or Chinese law for the Uyghur claims to be heard without consent of the accused Chinese state.
philipus / Alamy Stock Photo
Governments declined to take part in the Uyghur Tribunal’s investigation. But the body of scholarly evidence for its claims, and its ruling, is thorough and extensive.
Australia will impose a diplomatic boycott on the February Winter Olympics in China. But the Australian team will still take part.
The ongoing construction of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project, near Kamloops, B.C., in September 2021. China’s clean energy plans could create problems for Canada.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward
In China, the wildlife trade is thriving, driven by the increased demands for luxury goods and traditional medicine. But there is real concern about the threat of diseases that can cross over to humans.
US president Joe Biden and Democratic Republic of Congo president Felix Tshisekedi at the G20 summit in October 2021.
Photo by Erin Schaff/Pool/AFP via Getty Images
Africa can make important contributions to the issues on the agenda: defending against authoritarianism; fighting corruption; and respect for human rights.