8 h. ago EU hits Musk’s X with US$140 million fine, risking Trump’s ire

The European Union hit Elon Musk’s X with a €120 million (US$140 million) fine on Friday for breaking its digital rules, in a move that risks a fresh clash with US President Donald Trump’s administration. The high-profile probe into the social media platform was seen as a test of the EU’s resolve to police Big Tech. US Vice-President J.D. Vance fired a warning against “attacking” US firms through “censorship” before the penalty was even made public. Imposing the first fine under its powerful...

Events

10 h. ago Experts Warn of Tool China Is Using To Play ‘Long Game’ in New Cold War

Experts Warn of Tool China Is Using To Play ‘Long Game’ in New Cold War  AMAC - The Association of Mature American Citizens

Events

11 h. ago PLA holds urban warfare drill as Taipei looks to boost ‘asymmetric capabilities’

The People’s Liberation Army has carried out an urban warfare drill, according to state media, in what appears to be a response to Taipei’s bid to fund improved “asymmetric capabilities”. In a report on Wednesday, state broadcaster CCTV aired footage of troops carrying out an operation to seize a built-up area in a war-torn city. The drill – involving reconnaissance, clearing and occupation – was part of a live-fire exercise conducted by a PLA Ground Force brigade that aimed to “test multiple...

Events

11 h. ago Returned from China, an Indonesian village chief held a rural volleyball tournament

Returned from China, an Indonesian village chief held a rural volleyball tournament  PR Newswire

Politics

12 h. ago Netflix’s US$72 billion Warner Bros deal to reshape streaming landscape

Netflix has agreed to buy Warner Bros Discovery’s TV, film studios and streaming division for US$72 billion, a deal that would hand control of one of Hollywood’s most prized and oldest assets to the streaming pioneer. The agreement, announced on Friday, follows a weeks-long bidding war in which Netflix offered nearly US$28-a-share, eclipsing Paramount Skydance’s close to US$24 bid for the whole of Warner Bros Discovery, including the cable TV assets slated for a spin-off. Buying the owner of...

Events

14 h. ago China in diplomatic push to isolate Japan in feud over Taiwan issue

China in diplomatic push to isolate Japan in feud over Taiwan issue  NPRJapan Rebuts China’s Second Letter to UN as Spat Keeps Simmering  Bloomberg.comTaiwan, Japan voice concern over Chinese military movements  Reuters

Politics

14 h. ago Hong Kong steps up mental health support for Tai Po fire victims

Hong Kong authorities will step up mental health support for people affected by the Tai Po fire, the city’s deadliest blaze in several decades, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu has announced, with about two-thirds of patients having been discharged from hospitals. Ten days since the deadly fire at Wang Fuk Court, Secretary of Health Lo Chung-mau said on Friday that all 79 patients admitted to hospital due to the fire were considered no longer at risk, but noted some expressed feelings of guilt...

Events

14 h. ago Hong Kong to focus on mental health support after fire, seek smoking ban at sites

Hong Kong authorities will make mental health support for people affected by the Tai Po blaze a priority in the aftermath of the tragedy, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu has announced, as the government said it intended to push for a blanket ban on smoking at construction sites. Speaking at a press conference on Friday, Lee said that not only the residents of Wang Fuk Court, but the entire community could move out of deep sorrow with proper mental health support. “Everyone is experiencing this...

Events

14 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

14 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

15 h. ago Chinese Forces Battle Dizzying Altitudes to Expand Military Footprint

Chinese Forces Battle Dizzying Altitudes to Expand Military Footprint  The Wall Street Journal

Events

16 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

17 h. ago Why Gulf region’s dreams of aviation domination are built on sand

We should call it the “Neom factor”: the force that transforms reasonable aggressive ambition into hallucinogenic fantasyland. It glared out at me last week in a Financial Times headline: “Three ‘Heathrows’ of growth: the unstoppable rise of Middle East airports”. In short, Dubai, Istanbul, Riyadh, Doha and Abu Dhabi in aggregate have airport expansion plans to lift passenger capacity almost threefold to around 750 million a year over the coming decades. In the words of Paul Griffiths, chief...

Politics

17 h. ago Congress warned that the U.S. faces a new space race with China

Congress warned that the U.S. faces a new space race with China  Space Daily

Events

18 h. ago The Reluctant Hegemon: China’s Strategic Rejection of Global Currency Primacy

The Reluctant Hegemon: China’s Strategic Rejection of Global Currency Primacy  Modern Diplomacy

Politics

19 h. ago Investigations reveal combat stress a key factor in costly US Navy mishaps

New investigative reports into a series of high-profile and costly US Navy mishaps during a US-led campaign against Yemen’s Houthi rebels reveal that the most intense running sea battle that the military service has faced since World War II took a toll on ships and personnel. The four reports released on Thursday cover a “friendly fire” incident in December 2024 that saw the cruiser USS Gettysburg shoot at two fighter jets from the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman, downing one, as well as...

Economics

21 h. ago US senators seek ban on Nvidia’s advanced chips to China, experts warn ‘shortsighted’ move further erodes Nvidia’s back into Chinese market

US senators seek ban on Nvidia’s advanced chips to China, experts warn ‘shortsighted’ move further erodes Nvidia’s back into Chinese market  Global Times

Events

23 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

23 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

23 h. ago China’s unmanned Moyujian strike helicopter is ready for plateau combat tests

China’s unmanned reconnaissance and strike helicopter tailored for deployment in plateau areas is ready for critical combat testing. The new multipurpose medium-sized helicopter was displayed on November 27 at an air show in Zhuhai, in southern China, where the next stage of testing was announced by its developer. The Moyujian was exhibited at the second Asia General Aviation Exhibition (Aero Asia), held from November 27 to 30. Aero Asia, jointly organised by the German General Aviation...

Events