LinkedPrime
Jobs

News from November 1, 2025

671 articles found

China Brief – Beijing’s War on ‘Negative Energy’
Technology

China Brief – Beijing’s War on ‘Negative Energy’

Board Members Senior Fellows Subscribe to our mailing list Publications Issue Briefs China Brief Eurasia Daily Monitor Terrorism Monitor Militant Leadership Monitor Jamestown Perspectives Most Popular Special Projects Promethean Liberation: Russia’s Emerging National and Regional Movements Black Sea Battleground: Risks and Challenges in Europe’s Threatened Frontier CCP Stealth War Newsletter Commentaries Guardians of the Belt and Road New Versus Old Cold War: Assessing the Current US-China Confrontation Russia’s Path to the High-Tech Battlespace Russia in Decline Russia in the Middle East The Growing Importance of Belarus on NATO’s Eastern Flank War by Other Means Central Asia China and the Asia-Pacific Latin America Middle East The Caucasus Press/Multimedia Media Appearance Press Releases Newsletters Board Members Senior Fellows Subscribe to our mailing list Publications Issue Briefs China Brief Eurasia Daily Monitor Terrorism Monitor Militant Leadership Monitor Jamestown Perspectives Most Popular Special Projects Promethean Liberation: Russia’s Emerging National and Regional Movements Black Sea Battleground: Risks and Challenges in Europe’s Threatened Frontier CCP Stealth War Newsletter Commentaries Guardians of the Belt and Road New Versus Old Cold War: Assessing the Current US-China Confrontation Russia’s Path to the High-Tech Battlespace Russia in Decline Russia in the Middle East The Growing Importance of Belarus on NATO’s Eastern Flank War by Other Means Central Asia China and the Asia-Pacific Latin America Middle East The Caucasus Press/Multimedia Media Appearance Press Releases Newsletters Search .. Search for: Advanced Search Beijing’s War on ‘Negative Energy’ By: Shijie Wang, China Brief Notes October 31, 2025 04:45 PM Age: 1 day The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) has refocused on cultivating “positive energy” on the internet. (Source: VCG) Executive Summary: The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) has launched a new “clean and bright” campaign that redefines online frustration over youth unemployment, gender conflict, and social anxiety as “negative energy” that threatens People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) national security. Expressions that contradict the Party’s harmonious self-image are recast as foreign manipulation or malicious behavior, empowering platforms and regulators to erase alternative narratives from public discourse. Framing censorship as resisting Western ideological colonization, Beijing promotes its discourse-control framework as a legitimate, exportable form of digital authoritarianism. On September 22, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) announced that this year’s “clean and bright” (清朗) campaign would focus on the theme of “rectifying the problem of maliciously inciting negative emotions” (整治恶意挑动负面情绪问题). [1] The campaign targets four categories of online speech: “inciting extreme group antagonism” (挑动群体极端对立), “promoting fear and anxiety” (宣扬恐慌焦虑), “stoking cyber violence and hostility” (挑起网络暴力戾气), and “excessively amplifying pessimism and negativity” (过度渲染消极悲观) (CAC, September 22). By cracking down on speech that falls under these categories, the Party’s discourse apparatus seeks to alleviate social antagonism and the “lying flat” (躺平) subculture, and more specifically fan culture, online fraud, and conspiracy theories. The CAC announcement followed closely after the release of a Xinhua Institute report arguing that U.S. cognitive warfare was colonizing the minds of people around the world, as well as the CAC’s decision to penalize social media platform Xiaohongshu (known overseas as Rednote) on the grounds that it was “undermining the online ecosystem” (破坏网络生态) (Xinhua, September 7; CAC, September 11; China Brief Notes, September 12). The specific targets of the “clean and bright” campaign are not identical to those detailed in the “colonization of the mind” (思想殖民) report, but they are similar. Official media in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) often frame these phenomena along similar lines as manifestations of Western cultural infiltration. Beijing Articulates an ‘Authorized Reality’ Beijing is defining and defending an “authorized reality,” securitizing certain social governance issues in the process. It codes online expressions inconsistent with the state’s perception of society as “malicious behavior” (恶意行为) and “negative energy” (负能量) manipulated by external forces. This offers a pretext to mobilize administrative enforcement under the framework of the “total national security concept” (总体国家安全观). The Xinhua Institute report explicitly defines “external cognitive warfare/ideological infiltration” (境外认知战/意识形态渗透) as a national security threat. This framing provides both the explanatory context and the legitimacy for the current “clean and bright” campaign. The new campaign’s criteria for online content that must be removed remains vague, leading platforms to adopt the safest approach to enforcement. Rather than making careful distinctions, platforms have opted to indiscriminately throttle posts, or to delete them outright. In this sense, the campaign is designed not to offer objective standards but to redefine which forms of expression are recognized as “real” and which must be suppressed. In the People’s Republic of China (PRC), political mechanisms for expressing frustration are largely absent. People often turn to the Internet to vent and voice their concerns. A vivid example is the ongoing “gender war” (性别对立) in which women complain about unfair treatment both at home and at work, while men express grievances over perceived inequities in marriage, dating, and public opinion. Although much of this discussion is expressed in extreme terms, the underlying conflicts cited by both sides are rooted in their respective lived social experiences. [2] These experiences, however, stand in tension with the “authorized reality.” The PRC portrayed in official propaganda is positive, harmonious, and orderly. Under the Party’s “scientific leadership” (科学领导), society should not be plagued by social conflicts, which it frames as phenomena unique to Western societies. Even when such conflicts do appear, they are to be understood as isolated or exceptional cases, and are sometimes attributed to the infiltration of Western ideas (Xinhua, December 4, 2021; China Digital Times, April 12, 2022). When empirical reality clashes with the state-sanctioned version of reality, the former is recast as the effects of Western cognitive warfare or the malicious incitement of negative energy. For example, on the very first day of the campaign, Zhang Xuefeng (张雪峰), an education influencer with a total following of 65 million across major social media platforms, had all of his accounts banned. Although the authorities did not specify the reason for his cancellation, his frequent discussions about the difficulties college graduates face finding jobs likely were the primary cause (Nanfang Daily, September 25). [3] On the same day, another influencer, Hu Chenfeng (户晨风), a political commentator with over 10 million followers, was also banned across all platforms. Again, no official explanation was provided. Many observers believe the ban stemmed from his frequent remarks contrasting what he called the PRC’s “base” (基本盘)—poorer, nationalist, and socially conservative users who prefer domestic android phones—with the urban petite bourgeoisie of coastal cities, who tend to use iPhones and espouse more liberal, cosmopolitan values. In Beijing’s view, such ideological divisions are acceptable only in societies that practice “Western-style democracy” (西式民主). Hu’s commentary was therefore seen as crossing a political red line under the “clean and bright” campaign (China News, September 20). Securitization Represses ‘Negative Energy’ Three of the four targets of this “clean and bright” campaign—“inciting antagonism,” “promoting anxiety,” and “excessive negativity”—correspond directly to three major issues that are frequently discussed among today’s youth. These are the so-called gender war, high unemployment, and overwhelming societal pressure. The CAC document does not confront these issues directly. But it reframes them in ways that make it easier to externalize their causes. This practice has appeared sporadically in recent years (Guancha, May 14, 2021; The Paper, November 2, 2021; Global Times, August, 22; iFeng, September 23). But its deployment in two documents released by separate parts of the Party’s discourse apparatus at roughly the same time indicates that Beijing is now institutionalizing the securitization of domestic social governance challenges. By reframing “negative energy” as a national security issue, the government empower platforms and regulators to employ far more forceful measures to erase “non-authorized reality” from public view. Xi Jinping’s concept of “total national security,” first announced in 2014, extends the scope of security to encompass the political, cultural, social, and cyber domains (Xinhua, April 15, 2014). The pairing of the Xinhua Institute report (which defines an extant threat) with the CAC’s “clean and bright” campaign (which calls for eliminating that threat) is downstream of this framework. All forms of social sentiment that deviate from Beijing’s authorized view of reality can now be labeled as malicious negative energy that is harmful to national security. In this framework, social governance aimed at alleviating tensions is transformed into national security work. Beijing’s developing approach to social governance at home is likely to be promoted abroad. By emphasizing “resisting the external colonization of the mind” (抵御外部思想殖民) by the West and “purifying cyberspace” (净化网络空间), it is likely to gain traction among authoritarian regimes in the Global South, especially when attached to PRC technology exports. For these countries, Beijing offers a legitimizing discourse in which social discontent and antagonistic sentiment are not the result of domestic policy missteps but the result of external infiltration. This allows the PRC to position itself as a champion of “decolonization” while profiting from the sales of a toolkit for digital authoritarian governance. [1] The “clean and bright” campaign (清朗行动), formally known as the “clean and bright” series of special operations (清朗系列专项行动), is a nationwide cyberspace governance initiative led by the CAC, with joint participation from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), the Ministry of Public Security (MPS), the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the State Administration for Market Regulation, and the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television. The first “clean and bright” campaign was launched in 2016, primarily targeting illegal content, including child pornography, fraud, and gore (Xinhua, December 31, 2016). The next campaign did not occur until 2020, when Beijing announced an eight-month operation focused on protecting the online environment for minors (CAC, July 13, 2020). Since then, Beijing has conducted multiple “clean and bright” campaigns every year, each framed around themes such as combating so-called “online chaos” (互联网乱象), “harmful information” (不良信息), “false information” (不实信息), and “malicious behaviors” (恶意XX行为), categories that are often subjective in nature and open to broad political interpretation. [2] Liao, S. (2024). Unpopular feminism: Popular culture and gender politics in digital China. Communication and the Public, 10(2), 86-93. https://doi.org/10.1177/20570473241268066 [3] On October 22, Zhang Xuefeng’s accounts were unblocked, again without any official explanation. In his first livestream after being reinstated, Zhang stated that every university major “has great potential” (大有可为) and that graduates from any field can find satisfying jobs after graduation (Dahe Daily, 26 October). Illicit PRC-linked Finance Enables Arms ..Next Beijing’s Latest Global Leadership Bid Support Jamestown Subscribe to Our Publications Visit Jamestown's Substack Publications Follow Jamestown twitter Recent Special Projects Watch the Videos – Russia’s Future: A Challenge for U.S. Policy The conference “Russia’s Future: A Challenge for U.S. Policy” was...MORE Media Appearances Jamestown Analyst Richard Arnold Interviewed by Politifact Jamestown analyst Richard Arnold was interviewed by Politifact’s Louis Jacobson for the article “Why does Russia want the Donbas region?”. Arnold provides insight into how...MORE Books and Reports 2015 Ninth Annual Terrorism Conference DVD On December 8, 2015, The Jamestown Foundation held its ninth annual terrorism conference on The War in Syria, Islamic State and the Changing Landscape of Asymmetric Threats, at the University Club in Washington, DC. This full-length set of DVDs covers opening remarks, three conference panels and a keynote closing address...MORE Board Members Senior Fellows Publications Issue Briefs China Brief Eurasia Daily Monitor Terrorism Monitor Militant Leadership Monitor Jamestown Perspectives Special Projects Promethean Liberation: Russia’s Emerging National and Regional Movements Black Sea Battleground: Risks and Challenges in Europe’s Threatened Frontier CCP Stealth War Newsletter Commentaries New Versus Old Cold War: Assessing the Current US-China Confrontation Russia in Decline Russia in the Middle East Russia’s Path to the High-Tech Battlespace The Growing Importance of Belarus on NATO’s Eastern Flank War by Other Means Central Asia China and the Asia-Pacific Latin America Middle East The Caucasus Press/Multimedia Conferences & Events Media Appearances Newsletters Multimedia News 1310 L St. NW, Suite 810 Washington DC, 20005 PHONE: 202.483.8888 FAX: 202.483.8337 E-MAIL: pubs@jamestown.org facebook twitter © 2025 The Jamestown Foundation All rights reserved.

Cindy Carter,Vcg
Katie Uhlaender doesn't make US World Cup skeleton team, leaving Olympic hopes uncertain - AP News
Technology

Katie Uhlaender doesn't make US World Cup skeleton team, leaving Olympic hopes uncertain - AP News

Katie Uhlaender’s bid to become the first American women’s slider to make six Olympic teams hit a major bump Saturday when she didn’t qualify for the U.S. World Cup team that will start competing later this month. The team, which was finalized after the completion of selection races on the 2002 Olympic track in Park City, Utah, includes world silver medalist Mystique Ro, Sara Roderick, 2022 Olympian Kelly Curtis and Kendall Wesenberg on the women’s team, along with Austin Florian, Dan Barefoot and Nick Tucker on the men’s team. Ro and Florian combined to win the mixed team world championship last season. Not making the World Cup team doesn’t necessarily end Uhlaender’s hopes of competing at the Milan-Cortina Olympics in February. U.S. team officials will re-evaluate the World Cup roster somewhere around the halfway point of the season before determining the Olympic team. There are other circuits besides the World Cup for athletes to compete, including North American Cup and Europe Cup. The team will be leaving within the coming days for Europe to resume training, when most sliders will get their first look at the venue where the Olympics will be held in February. The first World Cup races for men’s and women’s skeleton this season are at the rebuilt Olympic track in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, on Nov. 21. Uhlaender was the top American women’s skeleton slider at the 2022 Beijing Games, placing sixth. It was widely believed that would be her final Olympic cycle, though she never announced her retirement and competed in 13 World Cup races over the last two years. She was sixth at the 2006 Turin Games, 11th at the 2010 Vancouver Games, fourth at the 2014 Sochi Games — despite the Americans still believing she deserved bronze because of a Russian slider’s involvement in that country’s doping scandal — and 13th at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games. Skeleton is the headfirst sliding discipline where athletes can reach speeds of around 80 mph. Ro had a bye onto the World Cup team after her silver-medal finish at the worlds, and most of the other spots on the team essentially came down to races held Friday and Saturday. AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/winter-olympics

Tim Reynolds
Chicago Cubs advised to target Baltimore Orioles star in anticipation of 2026 catcher shakeup
Health

Chicago Cubs advised to target Baltimore Orioles star in anticipation of 2026 catcher shakeup

The 27-year-old Rutschman had a dip in productivity last season, posting a .220 batting average and .673 OPS with just 9 home runs. Prior to 2025, though, the switch-hitter delivered 20 home runs and 19 home runs in 2023 and 2024, respectively. He’s also considered a strong defensive player and a smart pitch caller. Rutschman has two more years of team control, earning about the same $5.5 million salary as Kelly right now. Would the Cubs be willing to move on from what was a strength in 2025, even if the writing on the wall seems to indicate that the catching crew is due for a downturn? Would the Orioles’ asking price be too steep? Could the Cubs be convinced of Rutschman’s health and durability? Would the goal in acquiring Rutschman be the acquisition of DH insurance rather than a starting catcher as Seiya Suzuki likely moves back to right field? Add these questions to the many more facing the Cubs this offseason.

ChiCitySports,Paul Magno
First look at Paddington Bear for new West End musical
Technology

First look at Paddington Bear for new West End musical

First-look images have been released of the bear portraying Paddington for the new West End musical inspired by the beloved children’s books and films. Paddington The Musical, which begins previews at London’s Savoy Theatre on Saturday, follows the small bear from Peru as he is taken in by the Brown family after a chance meeting at a London railway station. Photos show the bear, known for his love of marmalade sandwiches, arriving to London with his red hat, brown trunk and tag that says “please look after this bear”. In another image he is seen sitting on a bed wearing his blue duffle coat while holding what appears to be a letter. A trailer shows the character sitting on a box at Paddington, the station he is named after, while a voiceover says: “This is a passenger announcement, the station is now closing, please go home.” Voicing Paddington is off-stage performer and remote puppeteer James Hameed, with on-stage actress Arti Shah also helping in the portrayal of the bear. The production has been adapted from the books by Michael Bond and hit films, which feature Ben Whishaw as the voice of the bear. Among the other cast members are Amy Ellen Richardson as Mrs Brown, Adrian Der Gregorian as Mr Brown, and Doctor Who star Bonnie Langford as Mrs Bird. Producers Sonia Friedman and Eliza Lumley said: “After many years of exploration and development, we are thrilled, alongside StudioCanal, to finally bring Paddington to life on stage. “What we as producers always hoped to achieve was, quite simply, Paddington on stage — and thanks to the immensely talented artists, both on and off stage, we believe we’ve realised that.” The musical has been written by Jessica Swale with music and lyrics by McFly singer Tom Fletcher. Paddington, first published on October 13 1958, has seen a number of adaptations over the years, including a BBC TV version in 1976, voiced by the late Sir Michael Hordern. More recently there were movies released in 2014, 2017 and 2024, which all performed well at the box office. The story of Paddington, and the bear’s image, also inspired the latest series of puppet-based satirical series Spitting Image. StudioCanal, which makes the Paddington films, and Paddington and Company are bringing legal action against Avalon, producer of the series, alleging copyright infringement. Paddington The Musical is now booking until October 25 2026.

Hannah Roberts
Strictly Come Dancing fans make bold prediction La Voix will replace Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman
Technology

Strictly Come Dancing fans make bold prediction La Voix will replace Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman

Strictly Come Dancing will need new hosts in 2026. Both Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman are set to leave. Fans have made a bold prediction about a potential replacement. La Voix might be hitting the ballroom floor this year, but fans think she could be back on Strictly Come Dancing next year on the other side of the mic. The iconic dance show is looking for a new host/ hosts after Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman both announced their departures at the end of series 23. The duo are set to call it a day following this year’s Christmas special. Sign up for our daily national newsletter - in your inbox Mon-Fri Having secured her biggest score so far from the judges in week six, fans have made a totally different Strictly prediction for La Voix. Here’s all you need to know: Strictly fans make bold prediction about the next host La Voix has charmed audiences weekly on series 23 of Strictly Come Dancing. Not one of the household names on the cast - aside from with RuPaul’s Drag Race UK fans - it has been a memorable turn so far from the performer. However, fans are starting to wonder if La Voix could be in line to replace Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman. Speculation continued to grow this week after she introduced herself before her Halloween week performance tonight (November 1). One fan wrote: “La Voix proving she’d be the perfect replacement host.” Another added: “Not La Voix introducing herself 😅 Strictly 2026 host?” A viewer said: “Really like La Voix as a person and character. Brilliant contender for a show host since they're looking to replace.” One suggested: “Do we just take it for granted that La Voix is going to be the new host of #StrictlyComeDancing because they aren't even trying to hide it.” Another said: “Interesting how much time they're giving La Voix to speak on @bbcstrictly tonight. Chris Dennis (La Voix) is the most genuinely entertaining & witty contestant on the show. “I think the penny has just dropped at the BBC. Is he being considered to be a new host? He'd be excellent.” Do you think La Voix should take over as a host of Strictly Come Dancing in the future? Let me know your thoughts: matt.mohan-hickson@nationalworld.com. Follow all the scores from Strictly Come Dancing as the Leaderboard starts to take shape in Halloween Week. See who is at the top - and who is at risk!

Matthew Mohan,Matthew Mohan-Hickson
Three people killed and two missing after avalanche in Italy
Technology

Three people killed and two missing after avalanche in Italy

The alarm was raised at around 3.50pm today (Picture: Getty) Three people have died after an avalanche pummeled through them in Italy’s Ortles mountain today. The incident happened as two groups of hikers reached 3,200 metres in Cima Vertana, a train in the South Tyrol. The first, which consisted of three people, was engulfed engulfed by the monstrous flow of snow and ice. A woman and two men were killed, while two others are injured. Another two mountaineers are still missing. The victims have been identified as German nationals. They have not yet been named, but all were all ‘young’, AGI News reported. The alarm was raised around 3.50 PM after the avalanche reportedly broke away from below the summit. Two helicopters, ‘Pelikan 1’ and ‘Pelikan 3,’ were dispatched to the scene, along with volunteer firefighters and rescue teams. Among mountaineering and ski mountaineering enthusiasts, the 3,545-metre-high Cima Vertana is one of the most popular peaks in the area. Search operations are ongoing to find the two hikers who are still missing and possibly trapped in the snow. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk. For more stories like this, check our news page.

Gergana Krasteva
Man Utd fan ‘heartbroken’ as haircut hopes fade following Nottingham Forest draw
Technology

Man Utd fan ‘heartbroken’ as haircut hopes fade following Nottingham Forest draw

Frank Ilett will have to wait to get his haircut after Man Utd were held to a 2-2 draw by Nottingham Forest (Picture: TikTok / Getty) It’s back to the drawing board for Manchester United fan Frank Ilett whose hopes of a much needed haircut went up in smoke following Saturday’s 2-2 draw against Nottingham Forest. The United Srand’s infamous locks haven’t been trimmed for 392 days with Ilet refusing to visit the barbers until his beloved Red Devils win five games in a row. A run of three consecutive victories had seen optimism rise to almost unprecedented levels but a share of the spoils at the City Ground on Saturday means the challenge resets. Ilett took to TikTok in the immediate aftermath of the game and although he confessed he was ‘heartbroken’ by the result he maintains there are enough encouraging signs to suggest his long wait for a haircut will be over before Christmas. He said: ‘I so thought we had that. Even right at the end, Amad’s shot cleared off the line. I genuinely felt sick. I’m not going to lie I do feel completely heartbroken. ‘But of course I have already been looking at the next possible haircut date. To be honest I do feel quite optimistic. The next time it could happen is December 8 after the Wolves game which will be day 429. ‘If you look at our next 11 fixtures, we’re playing Spurs, Everton, Palace, West Ham, Wolves, Bournemouth, Aston Villa, Newcastle, Wolves again Leeds and then Burnley. @theunitedstrand ♬ original sound – TheUnitedStrandVlogs ‘Surely in that period of games we can get a run of five wins in a row. ‘I’d personally say every single one of those games are winnable so I don’t think the haircut moment will be delayed too much. ‘In terms of the performance we did seem to switch off at parts of the game but I do think there are positives to take. Some of the link up play was as slick as I can remember it for quite some time. ‘There’s definite progress to be seen but of course these things take time. I’m bitterly disappointed at the result today and be back at zero for the challenge. ‘Before the game it felt like it was going to be an easy win but we keep going and I know those wins will come soon.’ Ruben Amorim, meanwhile, believes United’s late leveller shows there has been a mentality shift from the side that last season would have lost in the same circumstances. Amad Diallo earned Manchester United a point (Picture: Getty) Saturday marked the one-year anniversary of the Portuguese’s appointment and Casemiro’s header from a controversially awarded corner put them on course for a fourth straight win. But United were caught napping at the start of the second half, with Morgan Gibbs-White and Nicolo Savona scoring in quick succession to leave the visitors facing another Premier League defeat against Forest. That drop off in display was all too familiar last term, but the visitors dug deep and Amad Diallo’s fantastic late volley made it 2-2, with Murillo’s goal-line clearance then denying him a stoppage-time winner. ;We lost control of the game for five minutes and we paid the price,’ United boss Amorim said. ‘I think we did some things well. Nottingham Forest came from behind to lead (Picture: Getty) ‘I think also that our level of energy dropped a little bit and when our team drops a little bit the energy you can feel it. We can play well, but it is not in full power. ‘But my feeling is that the players tried, really tried. They tried during the week and they tried today. ‘In the past, if we had this kind of bad five minutes and we suffered two goals, we didn’t recover. Today is a different feeling. ‘You can sense that we could not win this game, but we are not going to lose and that is a feeling that a big team sometimes has to have. ‘We have a big opportunity to win in the end, but my feeling is we dropped two points here and we should have done better.’

James Goldman
Previous 3 4 5 6 7 Next