China Sanctions 4 US Officials In Retaliation Against Washington’s Pressure Over Xinjiang

The communist regime in China is imposing sanctions on four U.S. religious freedom officials, in response to Washington’s efforts to pressure Beijing over human rights abuses in Xinjiang.

The sanction targets the chair Nadine Maenza, vice chair Nury Turkel, and two commissioners of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said on Dec. 21.

The measures block their travel to mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau, and freeze any assets within China owned by those individuals, Zhao said. He added that they were “countermeasures” against recent U.S. sanctions, imposed under China’s anti-foreign sanctions law.”

The USCIRF did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Epoch Times.

The United States on Dec. 10 leveled sanctions against a Chinese company and four current and former officials that are involved in the regime’s oppression of Uyghur and other Muslim minorities in the far-western Xinjiang region. Last week, it also blacklisted dozens of Chinese entities for aiding Beijing’s abuses in the region or for advancing the regime’s military.

More than one million Uyghur and other Muslim minorities have been incarcerated in internment camps in Xinjiang, where they have been subjected to forced sterilization, torture, political indoctrination, and forced labor. The United States and other Western democracies have labeled Beijing’s actions a genocide.

https://www.ntd.com/china-sanctions-4-us-officials-in-retaliation-against-washingtons-pressure-over-xinjiang_717202.html

Elite girls-only school moving toward degendering its female pupils

Girls will no longer be called "girls" at Boston's all-girls Winsor School, according to website Legal Insurrection.

The school, which boasts a hefty approximately $54,000 annual tuition, recently adopted a diversity, equity, and inclusion statement that aims to move away from gendered language such as "she, her, hers," "daughter," and more.

What are the details?

The school's "Lift Every Voice" initiative states that while the school remains committed to its mission to help "young women" pursue their academic and professional dreams, it is implementing the new statement to recognize the apparent importance of all staff and students using inclusive language.

According to the outlet, the plan states, “External publications and communications have moved away from using ‘she, her, hers’’ and ‘your daughter,’ replacing the former with ‘they, them, theirs’ and the latter with ‘student.’ … Faculty and staff are discouraged from addressing groups of students as ‘girls’ and ‘ladies.’”

The report noted that the school also plans to change its implemented grammar curriculum to accept "they" as a singular pronoun.

Formerly known as parent conferences, such meetings are now called the "adult family member interview" instead of "parent/guardian interview."

Winsor director of community and inclusion Julian Braxton said that the school has been serious about its inclusivity since 1999.

“We had something at that time called Community Curriculum Day, which was a day devoted to talking about some diversity and inclusion issues,” Braxton said. “The topic was white heterosexual privilege — and that was another example of Winsor being willing to have difficult, uncomfortable, important, challenging conversations.”

Despite the language efforts, the Winsor Twitter account still says it is “an independent day school for girls in grades 5 through 12."

At the time of this reporting, the school's home page continues to read, "Empowering girls to lead lives of purpose."

https://www.theblaze.com/news/elite-girls-only-school-moving-away-from-referring-to-girls-as-girls

Boris Johnson: No COVID Lockdown in UK Before Christmas, Maybe After

Earlier, reports emerged in the UK media suggesting that the Conservative Party warned Prime Minister Boris Johnson of a no-confidence vote in the event of a government decision to introduce additional measures to curb the spread of the new Omicron coronavirus variant.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Tuesday that No. 10 would not be introducing new coronavirus restrictions before Christmas, but said that the government cannot rule out any further measures after 25 December.

"We don't think today that there is enough evidence to justify any tougher measures before Christmas", Johnson said. "We continue to monitor Omicron very closely and if the situation deteriorates we will be ready to take action if needed".

The idea of additional coronavirus restrictions did not evoke much enthusiasm among Conservative lawmakers. More than 100 of them last week voted against the introduction of new COVID-19 rules, and earlier reports suggested that MPs had even warned Johnson of a possible no-confidence vote should he introduce the restrictions.

https://sputniknews.com/20211221/boris-johnson-no-covid-lockdown-in-uk-before-christmas-maybe-after-1091701112.html

Florida Moves to Disentangle State Investments in China

Florida officials on Monday took action to disentangle state retirement funds from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), including revoking authority that let outside managers decide where to invest some of the state’s pension funds.

The plan from Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, was approved during a meeting of the State Board of Administration of Florida, which invests and manages the state’s pension plan, one of the largest public retirement plans in the U.S., and smaller funds.

The board also approved launching a review to see how many of the state’s assets are tied up in Chinese companies and clarifying all fund managers should act solely in the financial interest of the state’s funds.

Over 5,000 proxy votes for investments have been cast since 2016, according to state data.

The revocation of proxy voting authority is important because some investment firms have “an ideological bent,” DeSantis said during the meeting.

The first-term governor noted that a leading view among policymakers has been that boosting China would help soften the country’s hardline government, but said that has not been the case.

“The whole experiment with China has been a big failure for the United States,” he said. “I think the U.S. as a whole should be disentangling from China, but certainly our investments should be disentangling.”

Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis, who also sits on the board, agreed.

Patronis pointed out that Chinese property developer Evergrande Group recently missed payments and is at risk of defaulting, which would affect businesses across the country.

Patronis also listed other reasons to disengage with China, including the CCP’s brazen violation of intellectual property rules, its increasing influence over Hollywood and Washington, the possibility the virus that causes COVID-19 originated in a Chinese laboratory, and the series of moves done at a federal level in recent weeks, including Congress passing a bill that bans sourcing items produced in Xinjiang Province, where many factories use slave labor.

“Some in Washington says we’re entering a Cold War with China. It seems like limiting our exposure to China is not only good for our country, but is financially prudent,” he said.

Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody, a Republican and member of the board, said that the financial moves were in the best interests of the retirement fund’s participants and beneficiaries.

“Chinese government control and influence over businesses operating in China should be a source of concern for anyone investing there,” Moody said in a statement. “As fiduciaries, we should understand these risks and ensure they are being evaluated by the Florida Retirement System.”

https://www.ntd.com/florida-moves-to-disentangle-state-investments-in-china_717255.html

Tasmanian mother offered zoo pass after disclosing daughter's allegations of sexual abuse to school

A single mother whose daughter was allegedly sexually abused by an older boy on school grounds was offered a year-long family pass to a zoo by the school.

Key points:

A Tasmanian mother alleges her daughter was abused at school by an older child

She's unhappy with how the Education Department has responded to the complaint, including the offer of a voucher to a zoo

The department says a range of supports are offered to children who allege they have been sexually abused

The abuse is alleged to have happened last year in a school building and in the family's driveway, and was occasionally witnessed by the woman's son.

Both the daughter and the son have intellectual disabilities.

Elaine — whose real name cannot be used to protect the children involved — said the response from the Education Department since the alleged abuse was disclosed earlier this year had left her in "absolute disbelief".

She is facing homelessness in four weeks as she struggles to secure a new property for a fresh start.

"[My children are] checking locks, they're in my bed every night having night terrors," Elaine said.

"They're asking me where they're moving and where they'll go to school and I can't give them an answer because I don't know."

Elaine's daughter, who the ABC will call Rose, disclosed the alleged abuse in July this year, telling her mum it happened over several months when she was seven.

Elaine contacted the school, police and family paediatrician, and waited about 10 days to hear from an Education Department representative.

She said police told her the boy's parents were refusing to allow him to be interviewed, meaning the case was unlikely to proceed.

Within a month, the boy returned to school, while her children were placed in online learning and offered a pass to ZooDoo.

Elaine said the professional supports offered did not cut it and was worried the boy had perpetrated abuse against other children.

"I respect they have [child protection organisation] Bravehearts to encourage children to speak up but when they speak up nothing is being done," she said.

"It's automatic damage control … I was warned the Department of Education's go-to tactic was to gaslight, but I've been in absolute disbelief."

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-12-22/mother-in-disbelief-over-response-to-abuse-allegation/100700430

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