95 m. ago Lifeline or trash? Taiwan safety guide sparks fierce debate amid Beijing threat

Taiwan’s updated crisis and war survival guide has ignited fierce political debate, hailed by officials as a lifeline amid Beijing’s mounting military pressure but blasted by critics as costly propaganda prompting fear rather than readiness. Mass distribution of In Case of Crisis: Taiwan’s National Public Safety Guide – quickly dubbed the “little orange book” – began late last month, targeting 9.83 million households. The 29-page comic-style publication explains how to stockpile food and water,...

Events

3 h. ago 6 cyclones, 5 weeks: inside the Philippines’ endless cycle of disaster

The tarpaulin barely held against the wind, sagging under days of ceaseless rain. For the earthquake survivors of San Remigio, in the central Philippines, it was all that remained – a thin sheet of plastic above a patch of mud, standing in for the homes a 6.9-magnitude quake had reduced to rubble weeks earlier. Then, in early November, Typhoon Kalmaegi barrelled through. The storm, known locally as Tino, drenched thousands of families still huddled in their makeshift shelters. Roads vanished...

Events

3 h. ago 6 cyclones, 5 weeks: Philippines can’t escape its endless cycle of disaster

The tarpaulin barely held against the wind, sagging under days of ceaseless rain. For the earthquake survivors of San Remigio, in the central Philippines, it was all that remained – a thin sheet of plastic above a patch of mud, standing in for the homes a 6.9-magnitude quake had reduced to rubble weeks earlier. Then, in early November, Typhoon Kalmaegi barrelled through. The storm, known locally as Tino, drenched thousands of families still huddled in their makeshift shelters. Roads vanished...

Events

5 h. ago China’s 2 largest food and drink chains officially step foot in the US

China’s 2 largest food and drink chains officially step foot in the US  The US Sun

Politics

8 h. ago China’s He Lifeng holds ‘constructive’ call with US officials Bessent, Greer

Top Chinese and US officials held a call on Friday to discuss trade, including ongoing efforts to implement an agreement to de-escalate their countries’ trade war. Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng had an “in-depth and constructive” video call with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, China’s official Xinhua news agency reported. Both sides agreed to promote the stable development of bilateral trade and economic ties, and “expand the list for cooperation...

Politics

8 h. ago China’s VP has ‘constructive’ call with Trump officials Bessent and Greer

Beijing and Washington held a call on Friday to discuss bilateral trade and economic ties, as a variety of practical issues – from soybean orders to computer chips – remain problematic despite the trade truce in October. Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng’s video call with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer was part of a bilateral negotiation mechanism started this year to address issues between the world’s two largest economies. The two sides had...

Politics

11 h. ago China will work with US on global narcotics control, says official

China will work with US on global narcotics control, says official  Anadolu Ajansı

Politics

14 h. ago ‘If Jesus were born in America now’: church’s nativity challenges ICE policy

Mother Mary wearing a respirator mask to protect herself from tear gas. Baby Jesus with zip-tied hands, wrapped in a thin blanket that looks like aluminium foil. Masked centurions with sunglasses and green vests labelled “ICE”. This is how the Lake Street Church of Evanston in suburban Chicago chose to assemble its nativity scene for the Christmas season. The church and its leaders have been vocal critics of the Trump administration’s Operation Midway Blitz and expressed a message with their...

Events

16 h. ago Australia on high alert as PLA naval fleet in Philippine Sea sails south

China’s deployment of a naval fleet, led by a Type 075 amphibious assault ship in the Philippine Sea this week, has triggered a rapid response from Australia. Canberra deployed a P-8 maritime patrol aircraft to track the flotilla, reviving security concerns raised after an unprecedented circumnavigation of the Australian continent by a People’s Liberation Army (PLA) fleet nine months ago. US satellite images, first reported by Australian media on Wednesday, confirmed the presence of the Chinese...

Events

16 h. ago Australia on high alert as PLA Navy fleet in Philippine Sea sails south

China’s deployment this week of a naval fleet led by a Type 075 amphibious assault ship in the Philippine Sea has triggered a rapid response from Australia. Canberra deployed a P-8 maritime patrol aircraft to track the flotilla, reviving security concerns raised after an unprecedented circumnavigation of the Australian continent by a People’s Liberation Army (PLA) fleet nine months ago. US satellite images, first reported by Australian media on Wednesday, confirmed the presence of the Chinese...

Events

18 h. ago Moore Threads aspires to become ‘leading global player’ in AI chips after IPO

Moore Threads, a five-year-old graphics processing unit (GPU) developer created by Nvidia’s former China chief, aspires to become one of the leading global players in artificial intelligence chip development, its founder and CEO Zhang Jianzhong said. Zhang, Nvidia’s China general manager from 2006 to 2020, was quoted as saying by the official Shanghai Securities Journal that the start-up would introduce a new-generation chip each year to provide key hardware for China’s AI development. “Our goal...

Politics

20 h. ago Filipinos slam official’s US$8.50 advice for Christmas feast

Marife Dhoctor, 43, a domestic helper in the Philippines, is looking forward to the traditional Christmas Eve dinner, when families gather to savour festive dishes and exchange gifts. However, rising prices of goods have forced her family of five to stretch their meagre budget as they plan for the annual feast known as Noche Buena or “the good night”. Dhoctor and her husband, who works as a construction worker, earn a combined daily wage of just over 1,000 pesos (US$17). As building projects are...

Politics

20 h. ago Anger boils in Philippines over official’s US$8.50 Christmas feast budget

Marife Dhoctor, 43, a domestic helper in the Philippines, is looking forward to the traditional Christmas Eve dinner, when families gather to savour festive dishes and exchange gifts. However, rising prices of goods have forced her family of five to stretch their meagre budget as they plan for the annual feast known as Noche Buena or “the good night”. Dhoctor and her husband, who works as a construction worker, earn a combined daily wage of just over 1,000 pesos (US$17). As building projects are...

Politics

20 h. ago China's HongShan eyes $2.9 billion Golden Goose deal by Christmas

China's HongShan eyes $2.9 billion Golden Goose deal by Christmas - paper  Reuters

Economics

25 h. ago Meta plans budget cuts as high as 30% to its metaverse efforts

Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg is expected to cut resources for building the so-called metaverse, an effort that he once framed as the future of the company and the reason for changing its name from Facebook. Executives were considering potential budget cuts as high as 30 per cent for the metaverse group next year, which includes the virtual worlds product Meta Horizon Worlds and its Quest virtual reality (VR) unit, according to people familiar with the talks, who asked not to be named while...

Politics

26 h. ago Former Chongqing political official facing corruption investigation

Sun Zhengcai, the former secretary of Chongqing Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China, has been placed under investigation on suspicion of accepting bribes, according to the Supreme People's Procuratorate on Monday.

Politics

26 h. ago Ex–New York State official accused of spying for China called Hochul 'more obedient' than Cuomo, trial reveals

Ex–New York State official accused of spying for China called Hochul 'more obedient' than Cuomo, trial reveals  Fox News

Politics

29 h. ago Officials warn about expansive, ongoing China espionage threat riding on Brickstorm malware

Officials warn about expansive, ongoing China espionage threat riding on Brickstorm malware  CyberScoop

Events

39 h. ago Give pupils, parents say on cancelling Christmas parties, Hong Kong schools told

Hong Kong education authorities have urged schools to seek a consensus with pupils and parents on whether to cancel Christmas celebrations following the Tai Po inferno, with some students expressing disappointment on social media about parties being called off. The Education Bureau’s clarification on Thursday followed a letter it sent last week asking schools to mourn the victims of the fire, which has now claimed 159 lives, and suspended festive celebratory activities from November 29 to...

Politics

39 h. ago Give pupils and parents say on axing Christmas parties, Hong Kong schools told

Hong Kong education authorities have urged schools to seek a consensus with pupils and parents on whether to cancel Christmas celebrations following the Tai Po inferno, with some students expressing disappointment on social media about parties being called off. The Education Bureau’s clarification on Thursday followed a letter it sent last week asking schools to mourn the victims of the fire, which has now claimed 159 lives, and suspended festive celebratory activities from November 29 to...

Politics