In South Korea, even romance has become a political target. Across the country, local governments are hosting dating events, offering marriage incentives and designing matchmaking programs that resemble reality TV shows. In Hampyeong County, a couple who meets at a government-sponsored event and eventually gets married can receive up to 10 million won (about $6,600). In Seoul, a city-backed dating event on the Han River reportedly attracted more than 3,000 applicants for just 100 spots. Seongnam’s “SoloMon’s Choice”, launched in 2023, has attracted thousands of participants and produced hundreds of matched couples. These programs may seem light: a meeting sponsored…
Author: Frank M. Everett
On May 27, Penpa Tsering, who was re-elected during elections organized by the Tibetan community in exile, was sworn in for a new term as Sikyong of Central Tibetan Administration (CTA). Formal Sino-Tibetan dialogue has remained stalled since January 2010. While Penpa Tsering’s re-election may not open a new window for formal negotiations with Beijing, it reveals a deeper historical turning point facing the Tibetan movement: whether Tibetan exile policy can transform a political cause long dependent on the personal moral authority of the Dalai Lama into one sustained by institutional continuity. The CTA elections are generally seen as a…
On May 16, 2026, Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping officially recognized what had been in motion for a long time: a paradigm shift in China-US relations. Beijing describes it as “constructive strategic stability”; US Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks of a “point of strategic stability”. For the first time in decades, the United States admits that China now matches its economic and military clout – a balance no other nation has achieved since the Cold War. This recognition cements Sino-US ties as an axis of global order and international security. It also signals a new deterrent reality: China…
On May 19, 2026, the Myanmar Armed Forces (Tatmadaw) and the Zomi Revolutionary Army (ZRA) resumed Tonzang, a strategically vital town located on the Tedim-Kale trade route, of the Chin Ethnic Armed Organizations (EAO). This is part of the Myanmar government’s ongoing broader offensive in the mountainous Chin state in western Myanmar. Last month, Myanmar government forces recaptured Falam, the second-largest town in Chin State. Now the Tatmadaw can potentially develop its offensive towards Rihkawdar, located on the Indo-Burma border. Due to the timing of the offensive, the geographical location of Chin State and the political situation in neighboring Indian…
Hieromonk Iakov Vorontsov, former Russian Orthodox priest who was defrocked in 2023 after publicly criticizing Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine, had already spent more than three months in detention when he was transferred by Kazakh authorities to a psychiatric facility in Almaty last week. Vorontsov was arrested in February on drug charges that he and his supporters have called politically motivated. After his remand in custody, the former priest’s beard was shaved, his hair cut short and his Bible and prayer book were confiscated. He is now forced to undergo a mandatory psychiatric evaluation while detained in a psychiatric facility,…
On May 24, Pakistani and Chinese officials, business leaders and investors gathered in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province of China, for the Pakistan-China B2B (Business-to-Business) Investment Conference. More than 500 major companies from both countries attended the event, during which Islamabad and Beijing signed several new memoranda of understanding (MoU). The Pakistan-China B2B Investment Conferences are a series of meetings between the two countries aimed at strengthening strategic and economic ties through technology and other sector-specific partnerships. The first conference was held in Shenzhen in June 2024, which resulted in several trade agreements. More than 600 Chinese companies participated in the second…
Indonesia’s conservative Aceh province has once again carried out mass public caning. On May 12, the Southeast Aceh Prosecutor’s Office punished around 15 convicts by whipping the group with more than 200 strokes of the rattan cane collectively. This is the highest number of beatings in a single session in the regency, and indicates that Sharia sanctions in Aceh continue to be enforced by law enforcement with apparently strong public support. Of the 15 offenders, only one was a woman, but she received the harshest punishment of all: 100 strokes of the cane after being found guilty of the crime…
Tom Morello of Rage Against The Machine has announced a one-day music festival in the Washington, DC area designed to protest Donald Trump and prepare America for the midterm elections.PoliticusUSA provides 100% independent news and opinions, free from billionaire, corporate, or political party influence. Support us by becoming a subscriber.According to the press release announcing the festival:The day-long festival will feature special performances from an extraordinary lineup of artists and activists, including Foo Fighters, Dave Matthews, Bruce Springsteen, Joan Baez, Brittany Howard, Dropkick Murphys, Jack Black (featuring Roman Morello, Revel Ian, Yoyoka Soma and Hugo Weiss), Serj Tankian, Cypress Hill,…
TAMUNING, Guam – Jacqueline Guzman has lived with her husband in a small apartment in Maite Village for 18 years, but now finds herself having to adapt her lifestyle to be able to pay her rent.”Our rent has increased by $300, from $850 to $1,150. The increase has only happened in the last four years,” she told Radio Free Asia. “Housing is definitely challenging because it’s hard to find affordable housing that provides safe and attractive spaces. »Guzman tried three times to buy property, but was “scared off by mortgage prices and length of debt.”The couple is not alone. Housing…
In May 2026, the US Department of Energy selected USA Rare Earth for a $50.5 million proposed separation in Oklahoma. This move alone is modest, but its importance lies in how it fits into a broader pattern of U.S. support for the rare earths industry. The United States is trying to build a system that can make non-Chinese suppliers commercially viable. This shift is necessary, but it also raises an important question for U.S. rare earths strategy: Can Washington maintain lasting support for the industry? China’s dominance in the rare earth supply chain makes its export controls particularly powerful. In…