47 m. ago Gotta sell ‘em all: Malaysian offers Pokemon cards for US$441,993 or a Porsche

A collector has offered Malaysia’s growing trading-card community a chance to own a piece of Pokemon “history,” putting part of his rare trove up for sale for 1.87 million ringgit (US$441,993) with an alternative deal: he is willing to trade it for a Porsche 911 Carrera 4S plus additional cash. Damiral Imran listed his collection on social media, where he described it as “history, rarity and legacy in one vault”. According to screenshots from Shiny, a global card-valuation tracker, Damiral’s...

Politics

5 h. ago Japan’s new PM talks up ties with South Korea but her past casts a long shadow

As Japan’s new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi took office, she wasted no time extending an olive branch to South Korea, calling it an “important neighbour” and praising its culture. But how long will the goodwill last? Concerns linger in South Korea that Takaichi, known for her nationalist leanings, may eventually adopt a more hawkish stance, risking again straining ties over long-standing issues such as Japan’s wartime history and territorial disputes. “I would say there is optimism about the...

Politics

5 h. ago New Phnom Penh airport opens with fanfare as Cambodia touts regional, China ties

With an eye to transforming Cambodia into a Southeast Asian travel and cargo hub, a new US$2.3 billion airport – developed by a venture affiliated with one of the country’s wealthiest men – was opened at a grand ceremony near Phnom Penh, where officials and business leaders praised the project for enhancing regional connectivity and deepening links with Hong Kong and mainland China. Techo International Airport (TIA), which has replaced the Cambodian capital’s previous facility, has been forecast...

Politics

7 h. ago Trump, Xi and the ‘green paradox’: how China is building a climate

China and the United States often find themselves sharply at odds on policy, but nowhere is the divide between the rival powers more striking than on climate change – as their leaders made clear at last month’s United Nations General Assembly in New York. Even as US President Donald Trump dismissed climate change as “the greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world”, his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, used the moment to unveil Beijing’s latest strategies for addressing the issue. Xi said...

Politics

7 h. ago How the ‘green paradox’ is driving Trump to fossil fuels and China to renewables

China and the United States often find themselves sharply at odds on policy, but nowhere is the divide between the rival powers more striking than on climate change – as their leaders made clear at last month’s United Nations General Assembly in New York. Even as US President Donald Trump dismissed climate change as “the greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world”, his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, used the moment to unveil Beijing’s latest strategies for addressing the issue. Xi said...

Politics

9 h. ago Cruz leads Senate push to hold China accountable for Beijing church crackdown

Cruz leads Senate push to hold China accountable for Beijing church crackdown  Fox News

Politics

11 h. ago Louvre chief says heist enabled by CCTV gaps, offers to resign

The director of the Louvre on Wednesday admitted there was inadequate security camera coverage of the outside walls of the museum, three days after a brazen daytime heist stunned the French capital. Senators grilled Laurence des Cars over how thieves were able on Sunday to make off with an estimated €88 million (US$102 million) in jewels from the world-famous museum in just seven minutes. The heist has renewed scrutiny of security at French museums. “Despite our efforts, despite our hard work on...

Politics

11 h. ago Louvre chief admits CCTV gaps enabled heist, says she offered to resign

The director of the Louvre on Wednesday admitted there was inadequate security camera coverage of the outside walls of the museum, three days after a brazen daytime heist stunned the French capital. Senators grilled Laurence des Cars over how thieves were able on Sunday to make off with an estimated €88 million (US$102 million) in jewels from the world-famous museum in just seven minutes. The heist has renewed scrutiny of security at French museums. “Despite our efforts, despite our hard work on...

Politics

12 h. ago Is China’s new Type 076 assault ship being put through its paces?

Speculation has grown that China’s latest Type 076 amphibious warship, which will serve as a drone carrier and is capable of launching fixed-wing fighters, has begun testing its advanced electromagnetic catapult. The Sichuan, which is currently being fitted out at Hudong-Zhonghua Shipyard in Shanghai, was pictured on Chinese social media with its state-of-the-art launch system pointing towards the open waters of the Yangtze River, rather than facing inward towards the dock. The photo, claimed to...

Events

12 h. ago Is China’s new Type 076 drone carrier starting key catapult test?

Speculation has grown that China’s latest Type 076 amphibious warship, which will serve as a drone carrier and is capable of launching fixed-wing fighters, has begun testing its advanced electromagnetic catapult. The Sichuan, which is currently being fitted out at Hudong-Zhonghua Shipyard in Shanghai, was pictured on Chinese social media with its state-of-the-art launch system pointing towards the open waters of the Yangtze River, rather than facing inward towards the dock. The photo, claimed to...

Events

12 h. ago Ukraine could buy up to 150 Gripen fighter planes from Sweden

Ukraine could buy up to 150 Gripen fighter jets, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said Wednesday after the signing of a letter of intent on stepping up aviation cooperation between the two countries. Speaking alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at a press conference, Kristersson said the letter of intent would create the conditions for a “very large defence industry deal”. “Probably somewhere between 100 and 150 fighter jets of the model Gripen E that are now beginning to be...

Politics

15 h. ago Israel advances West Bank annexation bill during J.D. Vance visit

A bill applying Israeli law to the occupied West Bank, a move tantamount to annexation of land which Palestinians want for a state, won preliminary approval from Israel’s parliament on Wednesday. The vote was the first of four needed to pass the law, and it coincided with the visit of US Vice-President J.D. Vance to Israel, a month after President Donald Trump said that he would not allow Israel to annex the West Bank. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party did not support the...

Politics

15 h. ago In Beijing and Delhi, Sri Lankan Prime Minister Aimed to Balance Consequential Relationships

In Beijing and Delhi, Sri Lankan Prime Minister Aimed to Balance Consequential Relationships  The Diplomat – Asia-Pacific Current Affairs Magazine

Politics

15 h. ago Singapore cyber summit stresses need for unified front amid rising threats

Experts and officials at a major cybersecurity summit in Singapore have called for deeper collaboration between governments and tech giants, warning that fragmented efforts are no match for increasingly sophisticated digital threats. Speaking at the Singapore International Cyber Week, policymakers and industry leaders said closer partnerships were essential to sharing threat intelligence, innovating jointly and mounting coordinated responses to cyberattacks. These partnerships were crucial as...

Politics

15 h. ago Global leaders’ meeting on women in Beijing promotes new, accelerated process for development

Global leaders’ meeting on women in Beijing promotes new, accelerated process for development  EUobserver

Politics

16 h. ago China Leadership Meeting To Highlight Tech Goals: DGA’s Ken Jarrett

China Leadership Meeting To Highlight Tech Goals: DGA’s Ken Jarrett  Forbes

Politics

17 h. ago Prince Harry, Meghan join calls to halt AI surpassing human intelligence

Prince Harry and his wife Meghan have joined prominent computer scientists, economists, artists, evangelical Christian leaders and American conservative commentators Steve Bannon and Glenn Beck to call for a ban on AI “superintelligence” that threatens humanity. The letter, released on Wednesday by a politically and geographically diverse group of public figures, is squarely aimed at tech giants like Google, OpenAI and Meta Platforms that are racing each other to build a form of artificial...

Politics

18 h. ago Hong Kong court orders authorities to review murderer’s life sentence anew

A Hong Kong court has ordered authorities to review a murder convict’s life sentence anew after finding it wrong in law for them to oppose his early release just because he has not served enough time. Lo Hon-hing on Wednesday won a judicial challenge in the High Court that compels the Long-term Prison Sentences Review Board to adopt a “holistic” approach in assessing his suitability for early release, also taking into account his rehabilitation and the risk he poses to society. The ruling does...

Events

18 h. ago Rethink ‘repetitive’ handling of murderer’s early release review: Hong Kong court

A Hong Kong court has found that authorities were wrong in law to oppose the early release of a convicted murderer on the grounds that he has not served enough time, ordering them to take into consideration all relevant factors for his next review. Lo Hon-hing on Wednesday won a judicial challenge in the High Court that compels the Long-term Prison Sentences Review Board to adopt a “holistic” approach in assessing his suitability for early release, taking into account his rehabilitation and the...

Events

18 h. ago Can foreigners lead Indonesia’s state firms and make them world

Indonesia is opening the door for foreigners to lead state-owned enterprises (SOEs), a landmark move that President Prabowo Subianto has said will bring international expertise to the country’s corporate sector, even as critics warn about a lack of oversight and accountability. Speaking during the Forbes Global CEO Conference in Jakarta last week, Prabowo said a law on SOEs had been revised to allow non-Indonesians to assume top positions in the sector with roughly 1,000 state firms. “I’ve...

Politics