The Daily Populous

Thursday March 17th, 2022 night edition

image for Xi Jinping’s Faltering Foreign Policy

Xi’s ill-advised support for Moscow on the eve of Russia’s disastrous military campaign is not his first major foreign policy misstep.

And the Chinese military’s 2020 clash with the Indian army in the Galwan Valley galvanized hard-line opinion in New Delhi.

As Putin’s reckless gambit in Ukraine has proved, an autocratic leader surrounded by sycophants and fueled by historical grievances and territorial ambitions is a menacing prospect.

Xi is not Putin, and China is not Russia, but it would be unwise to ignore the growing parallels.

To say that Xi has consolidated power in China is to state the obvious.

Yet the implications of this reality are insufficiently appreciated, especially its impact on the behavior of the Chinese party-state.

To compensate, the United States and its allies must prioritize direct communication with Xi to ensure that alternative ideas puncture his leadership bubble. »

Ex-Trump national security advisor John Bolton says 'Putin saw Trump doing a lot of his work for him,' so he chose not to invade Ukraine

Authored by businessinsider.com

Former national security advisor John Bolton said "Putin saw Trump doing a lot of his work for him.".

Bolton said it's one of the reasons that Putin did not invade Ukraine during Trump's time in office.

John Bolton, who served as President Donald Trump's national security advisor, on Wednesday said that Russian President Vladimir Putin didn't invade Ukraine while Trump was in office because "Putin saw Trump doing a lot of his work for him.". »

Tokyo schools drop controversial dress code on hair and underwear color

Authored by edition.cnn.com

Under the public school system's dress code, all students had to dye their hair black, certain hairstyles were prohibited and even their underwear had to be a designated color.

Tokyo isn't the only Japanese city with a strict dress code -- similar rules are in effect around the country, with many schools requiring students to wear shoes and socks of a designated color.

Like Tokyo, Fukuoka conducted a public survey last year, in which students complained that the dress code caused them stress and limited their self-expression, Asahi reported. »

Ukraine war: People buried under rubble after Mariupol theatre sheltering hundreds is hit by Russian bomb, officials say

Authored by news.sky.com

Earlier, Russian forces shot and killed 10 people queuing for bread in Chernihiv, northern Ukraine, the US embassy in Kyiv has said.

The UK Ministry of Defence, meanwhile, has said Ukraine is "adeptly exploiting" Russian forces' "lack of manoeuvre" and inflicting heavy losses.

Russian forces have struck more than 400 educational establishments and 59 of them have been destroyed, Iryna Venediktova said on Facebook. »

World Court orders Russia to cease military operations in Ukraine

Authored by reuters.com
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AMSTERDAM, March 16 (Reuters) - The International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordered Russia on Wednesday to stop the military actions it started in Ukraine on Feb. 24.

"The Russian Federation shall immediately suspend the military operations that it commenced on Feb 24, 2022 in the territory of Ukraine," the judges said.

The judges added Russia must also ensure that other forces under its control or supported by Moscow should not continue the military operation. »