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Archives: Dispatches

All Lingua Sinica Dispatches

Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan

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The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan is a de facto administration established following the Taliban’s seizure of control on August 15, 2021, after the collapse of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. The Taliban regime refers to itself as the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and positions itself as a caretaker government led by the Afghan cleric Haibatullah Akhundzada — identified as the “supreme leader” — from Kandahar, while maintaining ministries in Kabul. According to assessments from the US Congress, the administration claims authority over Afghanistan’s approximately 39 million people, with all government members being male and the vast majority ethnic Pashtuns. The regime has implemented severe restrictions on women’s education, employment, and movement, according to the United Nations. Under Taliban rule since 2021, Afghanistan has faced international isolation, with Russia becoming the first country to recognize the Taliban government in July 2025.

Propaganda Office of the Yunnan Provincial Committee of the CCP

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The Propaganda Department of the Chinese Communist Party’s Yunnan Provincial Committee serves as the primary ideological oversight body for the province, controlling all state media operations including its flagship publication, Yunnan Daily (云南日报). Based in Kunming, the provincial capital, the department executes propaganda directives from both central party headquarters and provincial leadership to ensure “correct” political messaging across all local media platforms. The department regulates information dissemination, shapes public discourse, orchestrates propaganda initiatives, and supervises cultural activities throughout Yunnan Province — guaranteeing that all communication channels uniformly promote party doctrine and reinforce official policy positions.

United Group

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United Group is a telecommunications and media company formed in 2007 through the merger of Serbia Broadband (SBB) and Telemach from Slovenia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Founded by Serbian businessman Dragan Šolak, the company is headquartered in Amsterdam and operates across eight countries in Southeastern Europe. United Group provides television, internet, and mobile telephony services through its portfolio of television stations, film and TV production, telecommunications platforms, and media channels, including N1, Nova TV, and Sport Klub. 

Belarus Today

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Belarus Today (СБ. Беларусь сегодня) is a state-run media enterprise and publishing house established on August 2, 1927, and headquartered in Belarus. The outlet controls multiple media entities including print, radio, television, and online publications. The organization was previously known as Rabochy until 1937, then Soviet Belarus until 2018, when it was renamed to Soviet Belarus — Belarus Today, with ownership under the Presidential Administration of Belarus. The organization positions itself as a media holding that merged four major publications in 2013 and has engaged with international archival projects, including digitizing Belarusian partisan records with the National Archives of the Republic of Belarus. According to media monitoring research, the publication was classified as having “few publications containing explicit pro-Russian propaganda messages” with content characterized as “neutral and secure” regarding Belarus-Russia relations.

OBS Gyeongin TV

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OBS Gyeongin TV (韓國OBS電視台) is a South Korean free-to-air television station covering Gyeonggi Province, Incheon, and Seoul. Founded on August 30, 2006, and launching broadcasts on December 28, 2007, OBS is the only regional television network in South Korea operating independently without affiliation to any national broadcast network. The station is headquartered in Bucheon and broadcasts on digital channel 36. OBS is owned by OBS Gyeongin TV Ltd., with major shareholders including Young-An Hat Company, Media Will, and KD Group. The network expanded its operations by launching OBS Radio on March 30, 2023, operating on the former frequency of Gyeonggi Broadcasting Corporation.

Telam

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Télam or Telenoticiosa Americana was an Argentine government-run national news agency founded in April 1945 by then-Secretary of Labor Juan Perón during the presidency of Edelmiro Julián Farrell. The service was suspended in March 2024 by the government of President Javier Milei, who announced during a speech to Congress that he would close what he called “a Kirchnerist propaganda agency.” At the time of suspension, Télam had approximately 700 employees and provided news and information to about 300 subscribers, including government entities and national and international media. Milei’s administration cited losses of AR$20 billion (approximately US$23 million) as justification for the decision to shutter the agency. In July 2024, Télam was officially dissolved and renamed “Agencia de Publicidad del Estado S.A” — or “State Advertising S.A.”

Ministry of Popular Power for Communication and Information

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Venezuela’s Ministry of Popular Power for Communication and Information (MINCI), founded in August 2002 by then-President Hugo Chávez, serves as the Venezuelan government’s central communications body overseeing state media, including the TV channel Venezolana de Televisión and the regional broadcaster teleSUR. By 2011 the Venezuelan news website analítica.com noted that much of MINCI’s budget had been allocated for government propaganda. In 2025, the news organization Caracas Chronicles noted MINCI as part of the “secret network powering Maduro’s propaganda machine.” 

The City Review

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The City Review, self-described as “South Sudan’s most authoritative Newspaper,” provides comprehensive coverage across multiple sectors including national news, business, world affairs, sports, health, and education. Based in Juba with offices in Building House, the publication organizes content into clearly defined categories spanning from local arts and culture to international news from five continents. Its business section covers agriculture, innovation, and technology, while its editorial department features opinion pieces and analysis. The newspaper maintains both print and digital platforms, and also has an active account on X. In July 2024, journalists at City Review went on strike over low pay and alleged discrimination, claiming expatriate staff earned up to $2,500 monthly while the highest-paid national staff received less than $100. The protesting journalists ceased submitting stories after receiving what they described as a “bucket of intimidation” in response to their grievances.

Malay Mail

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The Malay Mail, Malaysia’s oldest English-language newspaper, was first published on December 1, 1896, when Kuala Lumpur served as the capital of the newly established Federated Malay States. Originally founded as a four-page publication by former civil servant JHM Robson, the newspaper became the first daily newspaper to appear in the Federated Malay States. After 122 years of print operations, the Malay Mail ceased its print edition on December 1, 2018, and transitioned to become a fully digital news portal. The publication, which once operated under the tagline “The Paper That Cares,” now focuses on providing local and international news coverage through its digital platform. Currently owned by Malay Mail Sdn. Bhd under Ancom Berhad, the publication is led by Dato’ Siew Ka Wei as publisher, with an editorial team including managing editor Leslie Lau and executive editor Joan Lau.