72 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

15 h. ago China Deploys Over 100 Vessels in Largest Show of Force in East Asia to Date

China Deploys Over 100 Vessels in Largest Show of Force in East Asia to Date  JAPAN Forward

Politics

17 h. ago ‘Breasts will be larger’: China parenting app messages leave expectant dads uneasy

A leading parenting platform in China has sparked discomfort among expectant fathers with feeds such as “her body has become the shape of S” and “you can have some sex at this stage,” leading many to voice their complaints on social media. An internet user, whose wife is 22 weeks pregnant, shared that both he and his wife are registered members of Baby Tree, an app that caters to families with pregnant women and infants. According to the Xiaoxiang Morning Herald, the couple regularly receive...

Politics

17 h. ago Hong Kong fire: dead Indonesian helper found huddled with ward hailed as selfless

The last time Sugeng Widodo spoke to his wife, Indonesian domestic worker Sri Wahyuni, something did not feel right for him. It was around 1pm Hong Kong time on November 26, just a few hours before a devastating fire would rip through Wang Fuk Court in the city’s Tai Po district, killing at least 159 people. Wahyuni, 42, would be among the dead – her body found in a room on a fourth-floor flat at the estate, hugging her employer, a 93-year-old woman, according to Widodo, citing information...

Events

23 h. ago Drones spotted near Zelensky’s flight path to Dublin spark security alert

An Irish navy ship spotted up to five drones operating near the flight path of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s aircraft as he arrived for a state visit to Ireland on Monday, local media reported on Thursday. The sighting triggered a major security alert amid fears it was an attempt to interfere with the flight path, the Irish Times reported. It quoted unnamed sources as saying the aircraft, which arrived slightly early, was not in any danger. The Ukrainian delegation arrived late on...

Events

24 h. ago Are Singaporean Chinese the ‘least attractive’? Viral image ignites debate

A widely shared image on social media depicting colour sketches of men from different regions in China has ignited debate on the physical appearance of Singaporean Chinese based on their ancestry, with online users concluding they are the least attractive of the gene pool. But psychotherapists say perceptions of beauty might be warped by media and celebrity culture, warning against the normalisation of conversations centred on physical appearance. The discussion was prompted by drawings of male...

Politics

24 h. ago Are Singaporean Chinese the ‘least attractive’? Viral image stirs debate

A widely shared image on social media depicting colour sketches of men from different regions in China has stirred debate on the physical appearance of Singaporean Chinese based on their ancestry, with online users concluding they are the least attractive of the gene pool. But psychotherapists say perceptions of beauty might be warped by media and celebrity culture, warning against the normalisation of conversations centred on physical appearance. The discussion was prompted by drawings of male...

Politics

26 h. ago China motorcyclist fulfils woman’s wish by honouring dead son at Tibet’s sacred stone

A young man in China who rode an electric motorcycle from his hometown in eastern China to Tibet has helped a woman realise her wish of bringing her deceased son’s photo to a stone renowned for being the closest place to heaven. Dou Jiaqi, who recently turned 18, completed his electric motorcycle journey from Xinyi, a small city in Jiangsu province, to Lhasa on November 24, as reported by the Xuzhou Daily. The 4,800-km journey took him 11 days, according to the report. About a week before Dou...

Sport

26 h. ago A Decade of Nurturing Potential: ASHK Blends Joyful Learning with Academic Excellence

[The content of this article has been produced by our advertising partner.] As the American School of Hong Kong (ASHK) celebrates its first decade, it reflects on its success in achieving: creating a warm and happy learning environment where students from ages 5 to 18 can thrive. Since its opening in 2016, the school has distinguished itself by striking a careful balance between academic rigour and a commitment to the all-round development of the whole child. Holistic Education and Diverse...

Politics

34 h. ago Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang Visits Republicans as Debate Over AI Chips Race with China Rages

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang Visits Republicans as Debate Over AI Chips Race with China Rages  Broadband Breakfast

Politics

39 h. ago Luxury brands face probe over alleged Chinese worker exploitation in Italy

Italian prosecutors on Thursday named Gucci, Prada, Versace and Yves Saint Laurent as among 13 luxury brands suspected of using subcontractors who exploited migrant workers in Italy, as part of a growing investigation into sweatshop conditions. Milan prosecutor Paolo Storari issued requests for information about alleged abuses by the brands, although they are not yet under formal investigation. It is the biggest expansion to date of a probe launched last year into the luxury sector, which has...

Economics

41 h. ago Malaysian man stranded by Thai floods with ‘colleagues’ exposed holidaying with lover

A Malaysian man who informed his wife that he was on a business trip with colleagues was discovered to be stranded with his mistress amid severe floods in Thailand. Heavy flooding, triggered by torrential rains, has struck southern Thailand, claiming over 80 lives and affecting three million people across 12 provinces, including Hat Yai, the largest city in southern Thailand. On November 24, a Malaysian woman, who had been sharing rescue updates in Hat Yai, posted that a distressed Malaysian...

Events

42 h. ago World’s first ‘ethical AI’ wades into risks of China’s new drug abuse law

A new Chinese AI system called Wen Dao – billed as the world’s first such model to be designed explicitly for ethical risk detection – has landed in the middle of its first major moral dilemma. Its immediate challenge is to navigate one of 2025’s most explosive social debates: whether the country should automatically seal the records of convicted drug users under the newly revised Public Security Administration Punishments Law. Effective January 1, an amendment to the law known as Article 136...

Events

42 h. ago In wake of Hong Kong blaze, Southeast Asia’s fire hazards come under scrutiny

Last year, Mutalib Uthman was forced to look on helplessly as his house burned to the ground and all his possessions were incinerated in a wall of flames and thick, black smoke. The book publisher from Selangor said a faulty fuse box on the lower floor sparked the blaze inside his home in Bandar Baru Bangi. His two-storey house in the town near Putrajaya was destroyed quickly despite a neighbour trying to help with a fire extinguisher. “The box was inside the store room, which was full of unused...

Events

49 h. ago Oxford slammed for not naming Indonesian researchers in rare flower find

A recent rediscovery of the extremely rare Rafflesia hasseltii, a giant parasitic red flower, in a forest in Indonesia’s West Sumatra has sparked backlash following an initial social media post by Oxford University that left out local researchers involved in the search and credited only its scientist. The uproar has exposed the perceived lack of equal recognition for Western researchers and their Global South counterparts when they collaborate, and the lingering legacy of colonialism in...

Politics

50 h. ago Japan idol posts belly photo, asks fans to retouch for more flattering look, sparks debate

A Japanese pop idol has gone viral after posting a photograph online showing her belly fat. The picture has attracted responses asking women to embrace their imperfect bodies. Shirasu Ayano, from the six-member idol group Melty BeaR, posted a photo of herself on stage on November 20. In the picture, she bends slightly to one side and the fat on her belly forms a small wrinkle. The 27-year-old from Kyoto reposted the image on the next day, inviting people to retouch it to beautify her tummy. The...

Sport

51 h. ago Nvidia's Jensen Huang courts Washington amid China chip export debate

Nvidia's Jensen Huang courts Washington amid China chip export debate  thenationalnews.com

Events

57 h. ago Israel receives body from Hamas, says Rafah crossing could soon open

Israel received a body that Hamas said was one of the last two deceased hostages in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, as Israel said it would allow Gaza’s gateway to Egypt to open once all hostages were returned. A body has been transferred by the Red Cross to the Israeli military and will undergo forensic identification, a statement from the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office said. Hamas also handed over remains on Tuesday, which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office later said were not of any...

Politics

62 h. ago Lebanon and Israel hold first direct civilian talks in decades

Lebanese and Israeli civilian representatives held their first direct talks in decades on Wednesday under the auspices of a year-old ceasefire monitoring mechanism, though Lebanon’s premier cautioned the new diplomatic contact did not amount to broader peace discussions. The two sides met at the UN peacekeeping force’s headquarters in Lebanon’s Naqura near the border with Israel, where the guarantors of the November 2024 ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah regularly convene. Lebanon and...

Politics

63 h. ago Macron’s Beijing visit reflects Europe’s diplomatic limits as Ukraine debate intensifies

Macron’s Beijing visit reflects Europe’s diplomatic limits as Ukraine debate intensifies  TVP World

Politics