Myanmar’s military-backed government released images of deposed former leader Aung San Suu Kyi receiving items sent by King Charles III of the United Kingdom, a development that brought on renewed calls for the ousted former leader’s release. Aung San Suu Kyi has been detained since the 2021 military coup that ousted her and the rest of the country’s democratically elected government from power. She was sentenced to 18 years for a broad range of crimes that include corruption and election fraud, though she maintains that she is innocent. For the…
Day: October 19, 2026
The Guardian view on Trump and Putin: Ukraine’s future is not theirs to bargain away | Editorial
Does Vladimir Putin know exactly how to play Donald Trump? The history of chummy phone calls, high-profile meetings and attempts to bring Russia in from the cold certainly suggests that Moscow’s thuggish ruler has a hold on this American president. If Mr Trump agrees to negotiate Ukraine’s future with Mr Putin and China’s Xi Jinping without Ukraine at the table, he will have handed the Russian leader a victory before talks begin. The message will be that strongmen are ruling the world and determining the fate of weaker nations. Ukraine has the right to…
Amid Economic Challenges, China Turns to Vulnerable Workforce to Fix Its Social Security Problems
“It is critical that we utilize data to identify individuals who have not contributed to the social security program. Currently, some people have not participated in the program, but we will use different means to identify and find them to encourage them to join.” These are quotes from Li Zhong, deputy minister of the Chinese Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (MOHRSS), on the government’s goal to increase the number of individuals in the Chinese social security program. Li’s remarks at the ministry’s news conference on October 10 quickly…
China’s economy grows faster than forecast after AI boom boosts exports
Roaring exports lifted China’s economic growth in the third quarter of this year, with factory output growing much faster than consumer spending. China’s GDP grew by 4.5% year-on-year between July and September, the National Bureau of Statistics of China reported on Monday. The figures were better than economists had expected and up from the second quarter’s growth rate of 4.3%. China’s economy has now grown by 4.6% in the first nine months of the year, putting it on track to hit the government’s 2026 target of 4.5%-5% growth without extra…