A review of this week’s stories: update on conflict in Ukraine, protests by Hualong Textile’s former employees who never received their pension and severance pays, more old heritage sites in Taipei under threat by developers, and China’s influence in arms trade in Africa. Tune in now:

  • The conflict in eastern Ukraine between pro-Russian separatists and government forces was suspended for now to allow for humanitarian missions, according to Russia’s foreign minister Sergey Lavrov on Monday.
  • On Friday, former employees of Hualong Textiles protested in front of the Ministry of Labor, demanding that the Ministry honor its promise 10 days ago to resolve the pension and severance pay that was owed to the workers since as early as 2003, amounting to approximately NT$300 million dollars. (See here)
  • On August 4th, Taiwan NGO Collective of Sex Workers and Supporters (日日春關懷互助協會, COSWAS) protested outside an event attended by the Taipei Department of Cultural Affairs chief Liu Wei-kong (劉維公) to petition for preserving Wenmeng Pavilion (文萌樓), a former public brothel with historical significance for sex workers’ rights. (See here)
  • As the first ever U.S. African Leaders Summit held in D.C. concluded on Wednesday, 50 African heads of states walked out of the three-day summit with trade and investment deals, but did little regarding issues pertinent to democracy, governance and some of the most urgent humanitarian crises. (See here)

(Feature photo of pro-Russian protests in Ukraine, by Andrew Butko on Wikicommons, CC BY-SA 3.0)

A well informed citizenry is the foundation of our modern society. Every week, our news team brings you the most important stories on current affairs, diplomacy, business and human rights, in Asia and around the globe. Not only can we be well informed, but better informed, about the relationship between our lives, our communities, and the common world.
The Debrief