UK's 'golden era' with China in balance after Queen comments | TheNews Linzer

Monarch heard accusing Chinese officials of being rude to ambassador in connection with President Xi’s state visit last year



China has refused to say whether a “golden era” of relations with Britain still exists, after the Queen was caught on camera accusing Beijing officials of being rude.

In a discussion with a senior Metropolitan police officer, the Queen was heard accusing unnamed Chinese representatives of being “very rude” to the British ambassador in connection with President Xi Jinping’s first state visit to Britain last year.

The Queen was apparently unaware that the camera had picked up her comments to Metropolitan police commander Lucy D’Orsi, filmed by a pool cameraman working on behalf of British broadcasters during a garden party at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday.

When D’Orsi was introduced as the officer responsible for security during the visit, the Queen was heard to say: “Oh, bad luck.” Continue reading...





Published By - Theguardian.com- Tech News, Politics news, UK and world political comment and analysis: Wednesday 11 May 2016 11.10 BST

Obama visit to Hiroshima should not be viewed as an apology, White House says | TheNews Linzer

Obama ‘will not revisit the decision to use the atomic bomb’ at the end of the second world war as he makes first visit to city by a sitting US president

Barack Obama’s historic visit to Hiroshima should not be interpreted as an apology, his spokesman said on Tuesday in the wake of the announcement that Obama would become the first sitting president to visit the site where the US dropped an atomic bomb in 1945, killing an estimated 140,000 people in the final days of the second world war.

Asked if the trip might be seen as an apology, the White House press secretary, Josh Earnest, replied: “If people do interpret it that way, they’ll be interpreting it wrongly.”

Earnest declined to comment on the morality of America’s decision to drop the atomic bomb, for which there have been calls for the country to apologise. He said: “The president intends to visit to send a much more forward-looking signal for his ambition of realising the goal of a planet without nuclear weapons.” Continue reading...





Published By - Theguardian.com- Tech News, Politics news, UK and world political comment and analysis: Tuesday 10 May 2016 20.07 BST

Twitter's appointment of new chief in China incenses rights activists

Kathy Chen criticised by pro-democracy activists for her government and military background as she joins social media site still blocked by Beijing

China’s Communist party-controlled media has criticised “narrow-minded” and “prejudiced” online activists who are questioning Twitter’s decision to appoint as its first regional chief a former member of the People’s Liberation Army who once had ties to the country’s security services. Kathy Chen – a former Microsoft manager whose Twitter handle describes her as a “curious explorer” – was named as the social network’s managing director for mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan last week.

Chen’s appointment has incensed Chinese dissidents and pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong who use Twitter, a service that has been blocked in mainland China since mid-2009. Continue... 

Published By - Theguardian.com - Sports New, LifeStyle News, Politics news, UK and world political comment and analysis: Wednesday 20 April 2016 07.53 BST