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Niki J.P. Alsford

Reader in Asia Pacific Studies, Director of the International Institute of Korean Studies, University of Central Lancashire

Dr. Niki Alsford is Reader in Asia Pacific Studies and Director of the International Institute of Korean Studies. He is also Research Associate at the Centre of Taiwan Studies at SOAS, the University in London. He received his PhD in Modern East Asian History from SOAS and his research is grounded on late-nineteenth and early-twentieth century Taiwan social history. His most recent publications include: Transitions to Modernity in Taiwan: The Spirit of 1895 and the Cession of Formosa to Japan (Routledge, 2017); Buried Treasurers: Taiwan Indigenous Peoples’ Archives Held at the School of Oriental & African Studies, the University of London (2017); Torn Between Two Worlds: Rev. Shoki Coe, Domesticity, and the Taiwanese Self-Determination Movement, a chapter in Paul Woods’s The Shaping of Christianity in China (2017); and Carstairs Douglas (1830-1877) and his Chinese-English Dictionary of the Vernacular or Spoken Language of Amoy (1873), which he co-wrote with Bernhard Fuehrer for Translation Studies 1:1 (2017): 137-182.

North Korea insists it has no coronavirus – how the state is managing the story

Apr 13, 2020 15:30 pm UTC| Insights & Views

North Korea continues to insist that it is completely free of coronavirus. The World Health Organizations representative to the country said that 709 people had been tested with no confirmed cases as of April...

Hong Kong: why the 'one country, two systems' model is on its last legs

Jun 23, 2019 14:29 pm UTC| Insights & Views Politics

Protest organisers in Hong Kong claim that nearly two million people, most clad in black and many carrying white flowers as a symbol of mourning, took to the streets on June 16 as demonstrations continued over proposed...

How Japan's renewables-powered Olympics could kick off a global race for clean energy

May 20, 2019 22:36 pm UTC| Insights & Views Sports

Japan is aiming to host the first Olympic Games powered solely by renewable sources. If successful, this could help the country carve a new niche in the global order as a champion of climate action and environmental...

Global Geopolitics Series

Trump-Kim deal: why the two Koreas will probably never become one country again

Jun 13, 2018 02:50 am UTC| Insights & Views

It seems ages since a lingering handshake began across the demarcation line that separates North and South Korea. Much has happened since and now, the once unthinkable has happened with a summit between North Koreas Kim...

Economy

Fed Unveils Stablecoin Rules Under GENIUS Act

The Federal Reserve has proposed a broad regulatory framework for payment stablecoin issuers, moving forward with implementation of the GENIUS Act and efforts to bring dollar-backed digital assets further into the...

U.S. Dollar Hits Two-Month High as Oil, Treasury Yields Surge

The U.S. dollar strengthened for a fourth consecutive session on Thursday, reaching its highest level in nearly two months as rising oil prices, surging Treasury yields and expectations for further Federal Reserve rate...

U.S. Treasury Yields Surge as 30-Year Hits 22-Year High

U.S. Treasury yields surged again Thursday as investors sold government bonds amid rising inflation concerns, strong economic data and growing expectations that the Federal Reserve will continue raising interest rates. The...

Soybean Futures Slip as Traders Await Trump-Xi Trade Signals

Chicago soybean futures edged lower on Thursday as traders closely watched Chinese President Xi Jinpings state visit to Washington for signs of progress on U.S.-China agricultural trade and future soybean purchases. CBOT...

European Stocks Fall as Bond Yields and Geopolitical Risks Weigh

European stocks closed lower on Thursday as rising bond yields, geopolitical uncertainty in the Middle East and concerns surrounding artificial intelligence weighed on investor sentiment. The pan-European STOXX 600 dropped...

Politics

North Korea Warns South Korea Over US-Led Defense Role

North Korea warned that South Korea could become a decisive target for collective retaliation if Seoul develops into a central hub for a US-led collective defense system, according to state media KCNA on Friday. The...

Pezeshkian Says US Must Choose When Iran War Ends

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said the United States holds the key to ending the Iran war, signaling that Tehran does not want the conflict to continue but will not surrender under US pressure. Asked whether the war...

Trump Asks Supreme Court to Restore Third-Country Deportations

President Donald Trumps administration asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday to allow it to continue deporting migrants to countries other than their homelands without automatically giving them an opportunity to raise...

Netanyahu Defends Israel at UN as Delegates Stage Walkout

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a defiant address to the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday, defending Israels military actions as dozens of delegates walked out in protest. The speech came as...

US Backs Musk in Fight Against EU’s €120 Million X Fine

The U.S. government has formally moved to join Elon Musks legal challenge against a 120 million ($136.5 million) European Union fine imposed on his social media platform X, escalating a dispute over the reach of European...

Science

Blue Origin New Glenn Explosion Could Delay Launch Operations Until 2028

Blue Origin is facing a significant setback after a dramatic explosion involving its New Glenn rocket severely damaged a launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida. According to NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, repairs to the...

Blue Origin New Glenn Rocket Explodes During Launch Pad Test, Delaying Space Ambitions

Blue Origin suffered a major setback after its uncrewed New Glenn rocket exploded during a launch pad test in Florida on Thursday, raising new challenges for Jeff Bezos space company as it competes with Elon Musks SpaceX...

SpaceX Delays Starship V3 Launch Ahead of Potential Record IPO

SpaceX on Thursday postponed the highly anticipated launch of its 12th Starship rocket test from Texas after technical issues interrupted the final countdown. The company now plans to attempt the Starship V3 launch again...

Trump Administration Releases New UFO Files and Apollo Mission Records

The U.S. Defense Department has released dozens of previously classified UFO-related files following an order from President Donald Trump, sparking renewed debate over unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and government...

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

Technology

Jeff Bezos Invests $32 Billion in Blue Origin as Space Firm Targets Major Growth

Jeff Bezos has invested about $32 billion in Blue Origin since founding the space company in 2000, underscoring the Amazon founders long-term commitment to competing in the rapidly expanding commercial space industry....

OpenAI to Preview GPT-6 Cyber AI Model for Cybersecurity

OpenAI is preparing to preview GPT-6 Cyber, a new artificial intelligence model focused on cybersecurity, within days as the company expands its push into AI-powered security tools, according to a Fortune report cited by...

Former OpenAI Data Center Chief Chris Malone Joins Nvidia

Chris Malone, the former head of data centers at OpenAI, has joined Nvidia as vice president of its DSX Platform, strengthening the chipmakers leadership team as demand for artificial intelligence infrastructure continues...

Akamai Shares Surge on $11.6B Anthropic AI Cloud Deal

Akamai Technologies shares jumped as much as 20% in after-hours trading Thursday after the cloud computing company announced an $11.6 billion, seven-year agreement with artificial intelligence firm Anthropic. The contract...

Oracle Shares Fall as New Mexico AI Data Center Faces Power Delays

Oracle Corp. shares fell after reports that the technology giant is seeking protection from financial obligations linked to its massive artificial intelligence data center project in New Mexico amid regulatory and...