38 h. ago China Massing Military Ships Across Region in Largest Maritime Display Yet

China Massing Military Ships Across Region in Largest Maritime Display Yet  Modern Diplomacy

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42 h. ago China massing military ships across region in show of maritime force, sources say

China massing military ships across region in show of maritime force, sources say  The Japan Times

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42 h. ago Exclusive: China massing military ships across region in show of maritime force, sources say

Exclusive: China massing military ships across region in show of maritime force, sources say  Reuters

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57 h. ago Beijing slams ‘external hostile forces’ for exploiting deadly fire in Hong Kong

Beijing’s national security arm in Hong Kong on Wednesday condemned “external hostile forces” for exploiting the deadly Tai Po fire that killed at least 159 people, as police arrested a man after he allegedly made derogatory online comments about the victims. In a strongly worded post, a spokesman for the Office for Safeguarding National Security condemned “a small clique of external hostile forces” for “stirring up trouble and taking advantage of the chaos” in the aftermath of the fire. The...

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5 d. ago North Korean air force to gain ‘strategic assets’ amid heightened tensions

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un announced the country’s air force would be equipped with “new strategic military assets”, state media said on Sunday. Kim made the announcement at an event marking the 80th anniversary of the North Korean air force on Friday, accompanied by his daughter Ju-ae, who is understood to be his recognised successor. The country’s expectations for the air force, which “will play a role in the exercise of the nuclear war deterrent”, are truly “great”, state media KCNA...

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2 w. ago Widodo hails Southeast Asia’s rise as ‘global force’ in entrepreneurship

Across Southeast Asia, millions of young people are launching start-ups and driving rapid digitalisation, with new unicorns emerging in a sign that the region is becoming a global force in entrepreneurship, according to former Indonesian president Joko Widodo. Speaking at the closing of the Bloomberg New Economy Forum on Friday, Widodo said the next unicorn – meaning a privately held start-up valued at more than US$1 billion – might emerge not from Silicon Valley or Shenzhen but from Jakarta,...

Politics

2 w. ago Baidu founder Robin Li: AI the driver of China’s ‘new productive forces’

Chinese search engine and artificial intelligence pioneer Baidu is casting AI as the engine of China’s push for “new productive forces”, touting the emerging technology as a linchpin of Beijing’s economic growth drive. “AI, as a key driver of the new wave of technological and industrial transformation, is vital for accelerating the emergence of new quality productive forces and achieving high-quality economic and social development,” said Robin Li Yanhong, founder and chief executive at...

Politics

2 w. ago US lawmakers vote overwhelmingly to force release of Epstein files

The US House voted overwhelmingly in favour of a bill on Tuesday to force the Justice Department to publicly release its files on the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, a remarkable display of approval for an effort that had struggled for months to overcome opposition from President Donald Trump and Republican leadership. When a small bipartisan group of House lawmakers introduced a petition in July to manoeuvre around House Speaker Mike Johnson’s control of which bills reach the House...

Politics

2 w. ago US Congress approves release of Epstein files, sending bill to Trump

The Republican-controlled US Congress voted almost unanimously on Tuesday to force the release of Justice Department files on the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, an outcome President Donald Trump had fought for months before ending his opposition. Two days after Trump’s abrupt about-face, the House of Representatives passed the measure with a vote of 427-1, sending a resolution requiring the release of all unclassified records on Epstein to the Republican-majority Senate, which...

Politics

2 w. ago UN approves US plan authorising an international stabilisation force in Gaza

The UN Security Council on Monday approved a US plan for Gaza that authorises an international stabilisation force to provide security in the devastated territory and envisions a possible future path to an independent Palestinian state. Russia, which had circulated a rival resolution, abstained along with China on the 13-0 vote. The US and other countries had hoped Moscow would not use its veto power on the United Nations’ most powerful body to block the resolution's adoption. The vote was a...

Politics

2 w. ago Members of Syria’s security forces detained over sectarian violence in Sweida

Members of Syria’s security and military services have been detained as part of an investigation into sectarian violence in the southern province of Sweida in July that left hundreds of people dead, investigators said on Sunday. The head of a Syrian committee investigating the violence in Sweida held a news conference in the capital, Damascus, to talk about progress made but did not release a death toll, saying this will come in the final report that is expected by the end of the year. In...

Events

2 w. ago Syria detains security forces over sectarian violence that killed hundreds

Members of Syria’s security and military services have been detained as part of an investigation into sectarian violence in the southern province of Sweida in July that left hundreds of people dead, investigators said on Sunday. The head of a Syrian committee investigating the violence in Sweida held a news conference in the capital, Damascus, to talk about progress made but did not release a death toll, saying this will come in the final report that is expected by the end of the year. In...

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3 w. ago ‘Tour de force’ by Chinese chemists could overturn high cost of drug treatments

Scientists in China have solved a 140-year-old chemistry problem in a breakthrough that could overturn traditional production methods and slash the cost of cancer treatments and other expensive medicinal compounds. The research was co-led by Zhang Xiaheng, from the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, and Xue Xiaosong, a professor with the Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, and published in the peer-reviewed journal Nature. In his review of the paper, Scott...

Economics

3 w. ago Have Chinese chemists cracked the code for cheaper medicine production?

Scientists in China have solved a 140-year-old chemistry problem in a breakthrough that could overturn traditional production methods and slash the cost of cancer treatments and other expensive medicinal compounds. The research was co-led by Zhang Xiaheng, from the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, and Xue Xiaosong, a professor with the Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, and published in the peer-reviewed journal Nature. In his review of the paper, Scott...

Politics

3 w. ago Saudi video gaming giant Savvy eyes China’s vast market and talent

Savvy Games Group, the video gaming powerhouse owned by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, is looking to the Chinese market for inspiration as it embarks on a new phase of global expansion, according to company executives. During a recent visit to Shanghai, Saudi Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan Al Saud, vice-chairman of Savvy, highlighted China’s appeal, citing its vast consumer base and exceptional talent pool. “What is unique to China is its ability to be successful in games and esports...

Politics

3 w. ago Shutdown forces some overseas US military bases to stop paying workers

The longest US government shutdown on record is doing more than grind activities to a halt at home; an ocean away in Europe, local workers at US military bases have started to feel the pain. Thousands of people working at overseas bases in Europe have had their salaries interrupted since the shutdown began almost six weeks ago. In some cases, governments hosting the US bases have stepped in to foot the bill, expecting the United States to eventually make good. In others, including in Italy and...

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3 w. ago Russia is threat that forced us to raise defence spending, Estonia minister says

European countries have been forced to boost defence spending because of the “threat” from Russia, Estonia’s Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said as he wrapped up a visit to China where he called for the country to put more pressure on Moscow to end the war in Ukraine. In an interview with the Post on Thursday, Tsahkna said: “President [Donald] Trump has been very clear that Europe must put skin in the game. Europe must take more responsibility.” Trump had previously threatened to leave Nato...

Politics

4 w. ago GoGlobal Task Force draws 500 firms to trade event promoting Hong Kong as base

Hong Kong has attracted about 500 local and mainland Chinese enterprises at its first large-scale major promotional event across the border through a newly established task force dedicated to helping businesses expand overseas, the city’s trade promoter has said. Officials went all out to promote Hong Kong’s role as a global connector in Shanghai this week, including at a conference on Thursday titled “The Ideal Platform for Mainland Enterprises in Going Global Promotion Conference”. The event...

Politics