4 h. ago AI could cut a submarine’s survival chance to 5%: Chinese defence scientists

A new defence industry study from China suggests that artificial intelligence (AI) could soon make it extremely hard – even nearly impossible – for submarines to survive in a future naval conflict. The research, published in the peer-reviewed journal Electronics Optics & Control and led by senior engineer Meng Hao with the China Helicopter Research and Development Institute in August, unveiled for the first time an advanced AI-driven anti-submarine warfare (ASW) system capable of hunting even...

Events

4 h. ago Thai nurse aids accident rescue, finds trapped driver is fatally injured boyfriend

A nurse in Thailand who stopped to help at the scene of a car accident on her way home from work was devastated to discover that the victim was her own boyfriend. The incident occurred at around midnight on September 6, on Highway 347 in Ayutthaya province, central Thailand. It has sparked a wave of sympathy online. A white Mitsubishi SUV is believed to have veered out of control and smashed into an electricity pole on the central divider. The impact caused severe damage, leaving the entire...

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4 h. ago US and China resume trade talks in Madrid with TikTok deadline looming

US and China resume trade talks in Madrid with TikTok deadline looming  Nation Thailand

Events

6 h. ago ‘Chilling’ corruption over flood projects in Philippines fuels campus activism

A growing wave of anger in the Philippines over corruption-tainted flood control projects is spurring activism among university students and other Filipinos that observers say evokes the spirit of past political uprisings. At the University of the Philippines’ main campus in Quezon City, over 3,000 students and lecturers left their classrooms to rally on Friday against what they described as systemic corruption. The university has long been a cradle of student activism and political dissent. Its...

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27 h. ago Hong Kong tobacco control bill: will the measures help or hurt the city?

Hong Kong recently passed a controversial tobacco control bill that sought to further reduce the city’s smoking rate, prompting some lawmakers to raise concerns about the possible impact on tourism and the illicit cigarette trade. The bill covers eight of the 10 tobacco control measures raised by the government in June last year, including a ban on the possession or use of alternative smoking products in public by April 30 of next year, and the sale of flavoured cigarettes other than menthol in...

Politics

28 h. ago Myanmar air strike kills at least 19 youngsters while they sleep

A Myanmar ethnic minority armed group said on Saturday that a junta air strike killed at least 19 students, including children, in western Rakhine state. The Arakan Army (AA) is engaged in a fierce fight with Myanmar’s ruling military for control of Rakhine, where it has seized swathes of territory in the past year. The Rakhine conflict is one element of the bloody chaos that has engulfed Myanmar since the military ousted Aung San Suu Kyi’s civilian government in a 2021 coup, sparking a...

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32 h. ago Philippine defence, military chiefs slam call to dump Marcos as scandal flares

The Philippine defence and military chiefs rejected a call for the country’s armed forces to withdraw support from President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr in response to public outrage over allegations of massive corruption in flood control projects that have implicated several congressmen and public works officials and sparked pockets of street protests. Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jnr and military chief of staff General Romeo Brawner Jnr issued a joint statement late on Friday expressing their...

Events

36 h. ago Hong Kong woman dies after car crashes into parked truck near border

A Hong Kong woman has died after the car she was driving crashed into a truck near the border with mainland China. Police received a report at 4.55am on Saturday that the car heading to the border control point slammed into the truck, which was parked on the side of Man Kam To Road near Sha Ling Road in the North District. The woman, in her thirties, was declared dead at the scene by emergency personnel, while the truck driver, 50, reported no injuries. Photos and footage from local media showed...

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36 h. ago Hong Kong woman, 37, dies after car crashes into parked truck near border

A Hong Kong woman has died after the car she was driving crashed into a truck near the border with mainland China. Police received a report at 4.55am on Saturday that the car heading to the border control point slammed into the truck, which was parked on the side of Man Kam To Road near Sha Ling Road in the North District. The woman 37, sustained serious head injuries and was declared dead at the scene by emergency personnel, while the truck driver, 50, reported no injuries. Photos and footage...

Events

37 h. ago Anutin’s ascent: how ‘the new face of Thailand’s elite’ took control

In Thailand, elections do not necessarily decide who governs. Over the past few weeks, that paradox has played out once more, with a prime minister ousted, the country’s best-known political dynasty sidelined and a new leader taking the reins. For young Thai activist Aitarnik Chitwiset, the endless chaos feels like it has no off-ramp. “I’m disillusioned and exhausted by our politics,” she told This Week in Asia. At just 28, Aitarnik is deeply invested in her country’s future. But like many young...

Politics

44 h. ago Armani’s will sets stage for sale of fashion empire, in surprise twist

Late designer Giorgio Armani instructed heirs to gradually sell the fashion house he created 50 years ago or seek a market listing, his will said, setting off a race to control one of the world’s best-known brands and a major shift for a company highly protective of its independence and Italian roots. The designer, known in the industry as “King Giorgio”, died on September 4, at 91 and with no children to inherit his fashion empire, which industry analysts value at between €5 billion and €12...

Politics

44 h. ago Armani’s will sets the stage for the sale of his fashion empire in a surprise twist

Late designer Giorgio Armani instructed heirs to gradually sell the revolutionary fashion house he created 50 years ago or seek a market listing, his will said, setting off a race to control one of the world’s best-known brands and a major shift for a company highly protective of its independence and Italian roots. The designer, known in the industry as “King Giorgio”, died on September 4 at 91 with no children to inherit his fashion empire, which industry analysts value at between €5 billion...

Politics

48 h. ago ‘Explosions never stop’: Israel intensifies Gaza strikes, dozens killed

strikes killed at least 40 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip on Friday, local health authorities said, most of them in Gaza City where many residents are staying put despite Israeli evacuation orders because they have nowhere safe to go. Israel has stated its intention to take full control of the ruined city, where about a million people are sheltering, as part of its plan to wipe out the militant group Hamas, and has been intensifying its attacks, residents said. “The explosions never stopped...

Events

51 h. ago Lions that killed zookeeper at Thai safari park to be retrained

Thailand’s Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) has ordered the retraining of five lions that fatally mauled a veteran zookeeper at Safari World in Bangkok. The case has since prompted the closure of the park’s predator zone and sparked a review of safety practices at wildlife attractions across Thailand. Jian Rangkharasamee, a 58-year-old keeper who had worked with lions and tigers for two decades, was killed on Wednesday after reportedly stepping out of his...

Events

54 h. ago How Nepal’s ‘nepo kids’ lit the fire of Gen Z rebellion demanding change

From sparking protests that toppled the prime minister to giving young people a platform to discuss their country’s political future, social media was key to Nepal’s extraordinary uprising this week. Fuelled in part by anger over flashy lifestyles flaunted by elites, young anti-corruption demonstrators, mainly in their 20s rallied on Monday. The loose grouping, largely viewed as members of Gen Z, flooded the capital Kathmandu to demand an end to a ban on Facebook, YouTube and other popular...

Events

59 h. ago Evergrande liquidators get initial offers for control of property services arm

Evergrande liquidators get initial offers for control of property services arm  Reuters

Politics

62 h. ago China’s bull run tests Beijing as it aims to guide US$12 trillion stock market

Stunning gains in Chinese stocks are testing regulators’ ability to manage the ascent, as Beijing seeks to fulfil its long-standing goal of positioning the nation’s US$12 trillion equity market as a steady source of household income that can support consumer spending and economic growth. As the property market remains in the doldrums, eroding the wealth of Chinese investors who are sitting on a record 160 trillion yuan (US$22.5 trillion) in bank savings, the stock market has become a focus of...

Economics

3 d. ago CCP Media Control and Election Interference Drive Canada’s Largest Global Surge in Dependence on Beijing

CCP Media Control and Election Interference Drive Canada’s Largest Global Surge in Dependence on Beijing  The Bureau | Sam Cooper

Politics

3 d. ago Hong Kong lawmakers pass controversial tobacco control bill to cut smoking rate

Hong Kong lawmakers have passed a controversial tobacco control bill that aims to further lower the city’s smoking rate, with a minister saying the proposed measures have already considered a variety of opinions. The Tobacco Control Legislation (Amendment) Bill was passed on Thursday after the second and third readings, following a last-ditch effort by two lawmakers to delay and amend the government-proposed measures earlier this week. Among the 83 lawmakers who attended the meeting, 74...

Politics

3 d. ago Is China’s rare earths policy frustrating US upgrades to the F

America’s upgrade programme for its F-35 stealth fighter jet is facing further delays and China’s control of rare earths and metals could be a contributing reason, according to industry assessments. The F-35 has consistently improved its combat capabilities through upgrades named blocks, ranging from 1A to 3F. In 2019, the US Defence Department launched its Block 4 upgrade initiative to improve the aircraft’s detection range, air-to-air engagement and precision strike abilities. However, the...

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