Unable to Get Paid Before the New Year, Wage Seekers Would Rather Perish Together
In China, collective wage protests are a common phenomenon, especially before the Lunar New Year, when even more people demand their pay because they are waiting to return home for the holidays. However, the entire country remains mired in economic recession.
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Takaichi Won, Party Media Went Crazy, Netizens Burst Out Laughing!
Recently, Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi led the Liberal Democratic Party to a historic victory in the election, and the latest opinion poll results have also stunned the international community. A survey of the Japanese public shows that as many as 76% of respondents believe there is “no need to improve” relations with Beijing. At the same time, the intense reaction of Chinese Communist Party (CCP) official media to Takaichi’s victory has become a hot topic on social media....
Hard to Get a Ticket Home for the New Year, Yet Trains Run with Empty Seats — CCP Ticketing Platform Accused of Manipulation
During the New Year travel rush, train tickets across many regions in China have been extremely difficult to obtain. Numerous passengers report that on the official railway ticketing platform 12306, tickets for many popular routes show as “sold out” the moment they go on sale, while waiting lists continue to grow. Yet when passengers finally board, they find trains running with a surprisingly high number of empty seats. Related videos and complaints have spread widely across social media....
Did Zhang Youxia Escape Once, Only to Be in Peril Again?
The political atmosphere inside Zhongnanhai is currently extremely tense. On February 10, Beijing authorities announced that the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC) will convene from February 25 to 26. This routine meeting, held on the eve of the “Two Sessions,” includes on its agenda the “review of reports on the qualifications of certain deputies.”...
A Senior Official’s Daughter Willingly Becomes a Tycoon’s Fifth Concubine; Enchants Harvard President in Epstein Scandal
Recently, Caixin, a media outlet with official CCP background, disclosed details of a mysterious and extravagant private banquet held in July 2022. On the surface, it appeared to be a gathering of business tycoons for a “shareholder dividend meeting.” In reality, it was the one-month celebration for the child born to Yu Haijun, chairman of luxury car dealer Baolide, and his “Little Fifth,” Jin Keyu....
Inner Mongolia: Multiple Senior Officials Removed; Yellow Lanterns Seen as Ominous Sign of “The End”
On February 10, Sun Shaocheng, the former Party Secretary of Inner Mongolia who retired four months ago, was officially announced to have had his status as a deputy to the National People’s Congress terminated. He is the first provincial-level chief (“frontier official”) to fall this year. On the same day, four other officials were also reported to be under investigation....
Trump holding out hope deal can be reached with Iran
(The Center Square) – President Donald Trump is urging diplomacy with Iran following a meeting Wednesday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu....
U.S. House passes national voter ID bill, sends to Senate
(The Center Square) – The U.S. House passed legislation Wednesday night that would implement comprehensive election security reforms nationwide, sending it over to the Senate for approval....
Blakeman accepts GOP nomination for New York governor
(The Center Square) — Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman formally won the Republican Party's nomination to run for governor on Wednesday, setting up a clash with incumbent Democratic Gov. Kathy...
Greenland remains 'urgent issue' ahead of Munich Security Conference
(The Center Square) – Greenland's strategic significance remains a primary concern for U.S. security policy heading into the Munich Security Conference, according to an expert....
Lawmakers call for drug price transparency, lower costs
(The Center Square) - A bipartisan group of lawmakers on Wednesday called on pharmaceutical companies to provide increased price transparency and lower costs for drugs....
The Secret Behind Sanna Takashita's Resounding Victory
In the House of Representatives election held in Japan on February 8, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), led by Prime Minister Sanna Takashita, not only achieved a landslide victory but also set a record for the highest number of seats won by a single party in post-war elections....
U.S.-Japan Relations Flourish, Xi Jinping Feels Both Anger and Fear
In the recent House of Representatives election, Japanese Prime Minister Kishi Sanae led the Liberal Democratic Party to a decisive victory, which not only solidified her government's foundation but also successfully surpassed the 'two-thirds' threshold for constitutional amendments....
Everyone’s Saying It: This New Year, There’s No Money and Fewer People”
As the Lunar New Year approaches, people across China — rural and urban, northerners and southerners; residents of Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou; young and old, men and women — have been posting videos and photos online asking the same question: It’s already the twelfth lunar month, New Year is almost here. Why does everything feel so deserted? Where are the crowds? Does this even feel like the holidays?...
Sharp Drop in Publicly Available Court Judgments in China Raises Legal Community Concerns Over Judicial Transparency
The number of court judgments published on China’s online judicial database in recent years has declined significantly, drawing attention from legal professionals who worry that judicial transparency is continuing to shrink. Lawyers who have long relied on the platform say that when searching for cases from 2025, they found a dramatic reduction in publicly available decisions. Many search results consisted only of rulings to withdraw cases or very short judgments, with full reasoning and value for reference in similar cases clearly diminished....
Secretly Acting as an Agent of the CCP, California Resident Yaoning “Mike” Sun Sentenced to Four Years
Yaoning “Mike” Sun, a resident of San Bernardino County, California, was sentenced Monday (Feb. 9) to 48 months in federal prison for illegally acting as an agent of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) government while serving as a campaign consultant for a political candidate. That candidate was later elected as a city council member in Southern California....
Former Zhejiang Party Secretary Yi Lianhong Investigated — Insider Says Clique-Building Angered Xi
After the detentions of Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli, senior ministerial-level officials in the Chinese Communist Party have continued to fall. On Feb. 10, Yi Lianhong became February’s first full-minister–rank “tiger” to be taken down. A trusted member of Xi Jinping’s camp, Yi had served as governor and party secretary in Liaoning, Jiangxi, and Zhejiang....
Jimmy Lai and Gao Zhisheng — Wise Protagonists in a New Investiture of the Gods
On Feb. 9, 2026, Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Magistrates’ Court handed down the heaviest sentence yet since Beijing imposed the Hong Kong version of the National Security Law: 78-year-old Jimmy Lai, founder of Next Digital, was sentenced to 20 years in prison....
Xi Visits Retired Senior Military Officers — Do Multiple Details Expose an Internal Crisis in the PLA?
After the sudden downfall of Central Military Commission Vice Chairman Zhang Youxia, political tension at the top levels has continued to simmer. CCP leader Xi Jinping recently attended a Lunar New Year gala performance to慰问 (extend greetings to) retired military officials in Beijing. Observers say several details from the event reveal deep internal problems within China’s armed forces....
Gangster-Style Gun-Waving? PLA Jets Carry Out Extremely Dangerous Provocations Against Taiwan’s F-16 Fighters
The situation in the Taiwan Strait is entering an extremely dangerous and unpredictable new phase. According to the Financial Times, citing informed sources and the latest report Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense provided to the United States, during an unannounced PLA exercise encircling Taiwan on December 29 last year, Chinese military aircraft carried out multiple “extremely dangerous” and “unprofessional” provocative maneuvers against Taiwan’s F-16 fighter jets, including the firing of flares and close-range intimidation. On February 9, the U.S. House of Representatives passed what has...
Cai Qi Shakes the Foundations of the CCP State — Xi Jinping May Not Even Make It to 2027
The arrest of Central Military Commission Vice Chairman Zhang Youxia means that of the six CMC members personally appointed by CCP leader Xi Jinping in 2022, only one now remains. Observers believe this is not merely Zhang Youxia’s personal downfall. It marks a complete rupture between Xi and the families of his closest former allies, and could trigger systemic fractures within the armed forces—the pillar upon which the CCP regime relies—leading to an unprecedented political shockwave, comparable to the upheaval caused by Lin Biao’s defection in 1971....
Zhang Youxia’s Failed Move Against Xi — Liu Yuan and Deng Pufang Preparing a Counterattack at the 21st Party Congress
The investigation of Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli has not resolved the crisis triggered by the rift between Xi Jinping and senior military commanders. Recently, an insider revealed that “princeling” figures Liu Yuan and Deng Pufang, representing prominent red political families, are planning to propose a motion at the 21st Chinese Communist Party Congress in 2027 to block Xi Jinping from securing another term....
U.S. adds 130,000 jobs in January, unemployment 4.3%, defying expectations
(The Center Square) – The U.S. economy added 130,000 jobs in January, according to new data released from the Bureau of Labor Statistics....
Caught Off Guard! The CCP Takes Two Heavy Blows in Two Days
On February 8, Japan’s general election showed that the party of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi secured three-quarters of the seats in parliament. On February 9, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the PROTECT Taiwan Act by an overwhelming vote of 395 to 2. These two developments delivered two direct heavy blows to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), highlighting consecutive failures of Beijing’s so-called “wolf warrior diplomacy.”...
If Zhang Youxia Followed Zhang Guotao’s Path, Would the Outcome Be the Same?
After Xi Jinping removed Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli, reporting by military and state media again shifted tone. Xi has once more become the central figure in coverage, and top Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials have increased their public expressions of loyalty to him. Mentions of the “collective, unified leadership of the Party Central Committee” have become rare. Amid continuing instability, Xi’s foremost goal is to secure the military’s loyalty. Therefore, reviving the theme of “politically building the military” is unsurprising. Over the past year or more, when Zhang Youxia was effect...
Airspace around El Paso closed for 10 days, citing security reasons
(The Center Square) – An American city with over 600,000 residents has grounded all flights and imposed a 10-day no-fly restriction, citing security reasons, according to the Federal Aviation Administration....
White House says Trump can protect ranchers while importing more beef
(The Center Square) – The White House said it can protect U.S. ranchers while still importing additional beef from Argentina despite concerns from U.S. lawmakers in cattle states....
Trump weighs sending second aircraft carrier to Middle East
(The Center Square) – President Donald Trump is weighing deploying a second aircraft carrier to the Middle East as the U.S. continues talks with Iran over its nuclear program....
GOP leaders eye second DHS funding stopgap after Dems reject White House offer
(The Center Square) – With the deadline to fund the Department of Homeland Security only days away, Democrats have refused an offer from the White House to strike a compromise...
Trump warns Canada over bridge, deal he says will eliminate hockey
(The Center Square) – President Donald Trump warned Canada over plans for a bridge and a deal with China that he says would eliminate ice hockey and the Stanley Cup...
“God Is Communicating With Us” — Shen Yun’s 33 Shows in Taiwan Completely Sold Out
“It gave me tremendous spiritual nourishment!” On the afternoon of February 8, 2026, the U.S.-based Shen Yun New Era Company once again played to a full house in its third performance at Taichung Chungshan Hall in Taiwan. This performance was also the New Era Company’s final show in Taiwan for 2026. Some audience members said they “hope more people will be able to see this performance.” Others said Shen Yun is worth “treasuring in one’s heart,” and is a form of “respect and reverence for Chinese culture.” They described Shen Yun artists as “living art,” saying they are “works of art created wi...
Jimmy Lai, Founder of Next Digital, Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison
Jimmy Lai, founder of Hong Kong’s Next Digital, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison after being found guilty on three charges, including conspiracy to collude with foreign forces. Other defendants in the same case — including six former senior executives of Apple Daily and two members of the “Stand With Hong Kong” group — received prison terms ranging from 6 years and 3 months to 10 years. Three Apple Daily–related companies had earlier been convicted of “conspiracy to publish seditious publications” and “conspiracy to collude with foreign or external forces,” and were each fined HK$3,004...