37 h. ago Putin offers Moscow as mediator in Iran crisis amid tensions with Israel, Trump threat

Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the situation in Iran in separate calls on Friday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, and said that Moscow was willing to mediate in the region, the Kremlin said. Tehran has cracked down hard on nationwide protests that broke out late last month, prompting US President Donald Trump to warn he might intervene. Last year, Israel and the United States both bombed Iranian nuclear sites, and Iran fought...

Politics

60 h. ago Kremlin warns Ukraine running out of time to accept peace terms as winter crisis deepens

The Kremlin said on Thursday that Ukraine was running out of options to strike a deal to end almost four years of war with Russia, as thousands were without heating in Kyiv in -12 degrees Celsius (10 degrees Fahrenheit) temperatures following waves of Russian strikes on the country’s energy grid. Moscow has not backed down from its intention to seize the rest of east Ukraine as the fourth anniversary of its offensive – Europe’s worst war since World War II – looms. “The situation is...

Events

63 h. ago China folk custom beats women to boost fertility, with dire consequences if fail to conceive

An uncivilised folk custom in ancient China known as Pai Xi, or “Beating for Joy”, involved striking women with sticks in an attempt to exorcise evil spirits and pray for conception. Pai Xi, also known as Da Sheng, meaning “Beating for Birth”, is believed to have originated in southern China, particularly in Jiangsu and Fujian provinces. It was a fertility ritual that gained popularity during the Song dynasty (960–1279). According to the Records of National Customs of China, in rural areas of...

Events

63 h. ago China folk custom beats women to boost fertility, with dire consequences for not conceiving

An uncivilised folk custom in ancient China known as Pai Xi, or “Beating for Joy”, involved striking women with sticks in an attempt to exorcise evil spirits and pray for conception. Pai Xi, also known as Da Sheng, meaning “Beating for Birth”, is believed to have originated in southern China, particularly in Jiangsu and Fujian provinces. It was a fertility ritual that gained popularity during the Song dynasty (960–1279). According to the Records of National Customs of China, in rural areas of...

Politics

3 d. ago How Putin’s focus on Ukraine war leaves allies Venezuela, Iran and Cuba exposed

As Russian President Vladimir Putin focuses his attentions on Moscow’s war in Ukraine, his strategic allies around the world have been left feeling neglected – or worse. In Venezuela, officials now think their years-long security relationship with Moscow was a paper tiger. They’re not alone: From Damascus and Tehran to Havana, over the last 13 months authoritarian regimes which previously benefited from their close ties to the Kremlin have found Russian support lacking when it mattered...

Politics

3 d. ago New Zealand central bank chief told to ‘stay in her lane’ after backing US Fed’s Powell

New Zealand Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters rebuked the country’s new Reserve Bank governor, Anna Breman, for wading into US domestic politics after she signed a statement with other global central bankers backing Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. “The RBNZ has no role, nor should it involve itself, in US domestic politics. We remind the governor to stay in her New Zealand lane and stick to domestic monetary policy,” Peters wrote on social meida. He added that the Ministry of Foreign...

Politics

3 d. ago As China’s US exports plunge in 2025, Beijing banks on diversification for 2026 growth

China’s exports defied a turbulent year of trade tensions to perform better than expected in 2025, cementing a record US$1.19 trillion annual surplus as manufacturers diversified markets to offset a sharp decline in shipments to the United States. Exports grew 5.5 per cent, year on year, in 2025 to US$3.77 trillion, according to customs data released on Wednesday, higher than the 5 per cent growth projected by financial data provider Wind. Imports for the same period remained flat at US$2.58...

Politics

3 d. ago Breaking | As China’s US exports plunge, Beijing banks on diversification for 2026 growth

Breaking | As China’s US exports plunge, Beijing banks on diversification for 2026 growth  South China Morning Post

Politics

3 d. ago Developing | As China’s US exports plunge, Beijing banks on diversification for 2026 growth

Developing | As China’s US exports plunge, Beijing banks on diversification for 2026 growth  South China Morning Post

Politics

3 d. ago As China’s US exports plunge, Beijing banks on diversification for 2026 growth

As China’s US exports plunge, Beijing banks on diversification for 2026 growth  South China Morning Post

Politics

4 d. ago As Carney visits China to diversify Canada’s trade, the ‘Donroe Doctrine’ further strains US relations

As Carney visits China to diversify Canada’s trade, the ‘Donroe Doctrine’ further strains US relations  Chatham House

Politics

4 d. ago Bessent, allies discuss diversifying rare earth supply chains away from China

Bessent, allies discuss diversifying rare earth supply chains away from China  Seeking Alpha

Politics

4 d. ago UBS projects rosy view of Chinese stocks in 2026 as investors diversify holdings

UBS projects rosy view of Chinese stocks in 2026 as investors diversify holdings  South China Morning Post

Economics

8 d. ago China tutoring school’s promotion links civil service exam success to higher bride prices

A Chinese civil service exam tutoring company has sparked controversy by claiming that they can help clients pass the test and then demand an additional 200,000 yuan (US$29,000) in bride price. On December 28, a netizen posted a video claiming that a civil service exam tutoring institution in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, northern China, had used a controversial banner to promote its business. The Inner Mongolia branch of Beijing Chongzheng Education Consulting Co., Ltd., was established in October...

Politics

8 d. ago Nevada eyes Chinese tech cooperation to boost economic diversification

Nevada eyes Chinese tech cooperation to boost economic diversification  China Daily - Global Edition

Economics

9 d. ago Russia slams Western ‘axis of war’ as Kyiv claims US guarantees ‘essentially ready’

Russia on Thursday slammed a plan for European peacekeepers to be deployed to Ukraine as “dangerous” and dubbed Kyiv and its allies an “axis of war”, dousing hopes the plan could be a step towards ending the almost four-year war. US President Donald Trump has been pushing the warring sides to strike a deal to halt the conflict, running shuttle diplomacy between Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky and Russia’s Vladimir Putin in a bid to get an agreement across the line. An initial 28-point plan which...

Events

1 week ago Why China custom requires new wife to leave husband’s home, hide from family lantern

A traditional custom in northern China known as “hiding from the lanterns” requires that newly married women leave their husband’s home and avoid the groom’s family lantern on their first Lantern Festival after marriage. In China, lanterns are commonly seen as symbols of light and hope. However, during the Lantern Festival, celebrated on the fifteenth day of the first month in the lunar calendar, they become a taboo for newly married women in some areas. In a tradition popularly known as...

Society

1 week ago Ukraine’s Zelensky replaces security chief and hires Canada’s former deputy PM

President Volodymyr Zelensky replaced the head of Ukraine’s security service on Monday, continuing a top-level reshuffle ahead of a trip to Paris where he hoped to finalise agreements with allies on how to ensure that Russia doesn’t repeat its invasion if a peace agreement is signed. Zelensky is trying to revamp his administration as the grinding war of attrition with Russia marks its fourth anniversary next month. He is keen to keep up the momentum of US-led peace talks as well as sharpen...

Events

1 week ago China acts to end debilitating battle for market share in Central Asia’s auto market

China acts to end debilitating battle for market share in Central Asia’s auto market  Eurasianet

Events

1 week ago Trump says Ukraine did not target Putin residence, disputing Russian claim of drone attack

US President Donald Trump on Sunday told reporters that US officials have determined that Ukraine did not target a residence belonging to Russian President Vladimir Putin in a drone attack last week, disputing Kremlin claims that Trump had initially greeted with deep concern. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov last week said Ukraine launched a wave of drones at Putin’s state residence in the northwestern Novgorod region that the Russian defence systems were able to defeat. Lavrov also...

Events