Transnational Bodies

Hong Kong Pro-Democracy Media Tycoon Jimmy Lai Released on Bail

December 29, 2020

Media tycoon and democracy advocate Jimmy Lai was released on bail in Hong Kong, three weeks after being arrested under China's new Hong Kong national security law for allegedly colluding with a foreign country.
Russia Includes Nalvany Foundation on Expanded List of "Foreign Agents"

December 28, 2020

The Russian Justice Ministry has expanded the list of so-called "foreign agents" to include a foundation of Kremlin critic Aleksei Navalny and other human rights and health-care organizations, requiring a report of their activities and potential financial audits.
CCP Think Tank Staffer Offered to Pay for Sources

December 28, 2020

Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian writes in Axios about her experience with an individual on LinkedIn claiming to work for a think tank run by a high-ranking Chinese Communist Party department who offered financial compensation for the names of her sources.
U.S. Recognizes Morocco's Sovereignty Over Western Sahara

December 28, 2020

The United States will soon be adding a consulate in Western Sahara after U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced President Donald Trump’s decision to recognise Morocco’s sovereignty over the disputed region.
U.S. Commerce Dept. Blacklists Over 60 Chinese Companies

December 21, 2020

The Los Angeles Times reports that the U.S. Commerce Department blacklisted more than 60 Chinese companies, including those that enable human rights abuses, support unlawful maritime claims in the South China Sea, and persons that engage in the theft of U.S. trade secrets.
Multiple U.S. Agencies Hit By Russian Hack

December 16, 2020

Trump administration officials acknowledged that the State Department, the Department of Homeland Security and parts of the Pentagon have been compromised by a sophisticated Russian hack that investigators are still in the process of analyzing the extent of information accessed.
Russian Opposition Leader Navalny May Have Survived Second Poisoning

December 16, 2020

According to western intelligence agencies, Russian dissident Alexei Navalny likely survived a second poisoning attempt while he was in a coma produced from the first assassination attempt.
U.S. Supreme Court Rejects Texas AG's Bid to Block Ballots

December 14, 2020

CNN reports that the United States Supreme Court rejected a bid from Texas' attorney general Ken Paxton that was supported by President Donald Trump, to block the ballots of millions of voters in battleground states that went in favor of President-elect Joe Biden.
Forbes: Hong Kong Media Tycoon Arrested Under China's National Security Law

December 11, 2020

As Mainland China continues to expand their control over the region and enforce their new national security law, Hong Kong business tycoon Jimmy Lai, owner of the pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily, has been arrested and charged with conspiring with foreign forces to endanger national security.
NY Post: Texas Lawsuit Against Four Battleground States Grows

December 11, 2020

Seventeen states and President Trump have filed a brief with the U.S. Supreme Court joining a Texas lawsuit against four battleground states , charging that, prior to the November 2020 election, they unlawfully changed their election laws in a manner that violates the constitutional rights of citizens in other states.