3 h. ago Did China, Russia, Iran joint naval drills in South Africa mark notable Brics shift?

Last week’s naval drills involving China, Russia, Iran and host country South Africa signalled a notable shift for Brics beyond its traditional focus on economic cooperation, analysts said, as the US noted it had closely monitored the exercise. However, observers also described the high-profile exercise as largely symbolic, calling it a diplomatic statement of intent rather than a step towards a formal military alliance. The Will for Peace 2026 drills were launched at a port in Cape Town on...

Politics

3 h. ago Did China, Russia, Iran joint naval drills in South Africa mark Brics shift?

Did China, Russia, Iran joint naval drills in South Africa mark Brics shift?  South China Morning Post

Politics

3 h. ago Viral bullying clips, mass murder threat sound alarm in Japan over school violence

Recent viral clips in Japan of bullying, including one which later led to a mass murder revenge threat, have sparked concerns in the country about school violence. The latest case centres on an email message sent to the board of education in Oita city, in Kyushu, at 11pm on January 11 warning of an imminent attack. “On Thursday, January 15, I will intrude into the junior high school where the bullying video spread, together with several accomplices, and carry out a mass killing of students and...

Events

5 h. ago Trump wants nations to pay US$1 billion to stay on his Board of Peace

The Trump administration is asking countries that want a permanent spot on his new Board of Peace to contribute at least US$1 billion. According to a draft charter for the proposed group seen by Bloomberg, US President Donald Trump would serve as its inaugural chairman and would decide on who is invited to be members. Decisions would be taken by a majority, with each member state present getting one vote, but all would be subject to the chairman’s approval. “Each Member State shall serve a term...

Economics

11 h. ago Britain’s China dilemma: Opposition protests Beijing's 'mega embassy' as decision deadline looms

Britain’s China dilemma: Opposition protests Beijing's 'mega embassy' as decision deadline looms  Firstpost

Events

13 h. ago Book Scene: Finding light in gig work: “I Deliver Parcels in Beijing”

Book Scene: Finding light in gig work: “I Deliver Parcels in Beijing”  Yakima Herald-Republic

Culture

13 h. ago Beijing slams US senators for ‘malicious’ bill targeting Hong Kong trade offices

Beijing’s foreign affairs arm in Hong Kong has “strongly condemned” a group of US senators for pushing what it calls “malicious legislation” that seeks to strip the city’s trade offices in the United States of their special privileges and potentially force their closure. A spokesman for the Commissioner’s Office of the Foreign Ministry in Hong Kong said the senators’ move exposed their “deep-rooted ideological prejudice” and “Cold War mentality”. “Any attempts to smear Hong Kong’s freedom and...

Events

14 h. ago Before Maduro’s capture in Venezuela, US spoke with minister who is his loyal ally

Trump administration officials had been in discussions with Venezuela’s hardline Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello months before the US operation to seize the country’s leader, Nicolas Maduro, and have been in communication with him since then, according to multiple people familiar with the matter. The officials warned Cabello, 62, against using the security services or militant ruling-party supporters overseen by him to target the country’s opposition, four sources said. That security...

Politics

14 h. ago CBC omits Carney’s ‘new world order’ line in spliced Beijing clip

CBC omits Carney’s ‘new world order’ line in spliced Beijing clip  Juno News

Politics

15 h. ago How US actions in Venezuela and beyond could spell opportunity for China

America’s military action in Venezuela and President Donald Trump’s talk of owning Greenland are stoking concerns that the United States is dismantling the rules-based global order. But this could also be a diplomatic opening for China as it tries to portray itself, in contrast, as a more responsible and stabilising power. Analysts said while this aligned with Beijing’s push to strengthen ties with its neighbours – a strategic move as its rivalry with Washington has intensified – concrete...

Politics

15 h. ago Snøhetta and BIAD Break Ground on Beijing Art Museum, Set to Open in 2029

Snøhetta and BIAD Break Ground on Beijing Art Museum, Set to Open in 2029  parametric-architecture.com

Politics

15 h. ago Beijing's performance arts market reports record high revenue in 2025

Beijing's performance arts market reports record high revenue in 2025  Xinhua

Politics

16 h. ago Infrequent yet unforgettable: Hong Kong’s rare cases of police opening fire on duty

Hong Kong police officers rarely fire their guns, but when they do, it grips the city’s attention. On Thursday, officers shot dead a man who had taken a woman hostage while brandishing a 30cm knife at a shopping centre in Tuen Mun. Under police guidelines, officers may open fire to protect anyone – including themselves – from death or serious injury. They may also use lethal force against anyone believed to have committed a serious or violent crime and who is attempting to evade arrest. Firearms...

Events

16 h. ago Hong Kong’s rare cases of police officers opening fire on duty

Hong Kong police officers rarely fire their guns, but when they do, it grips the city’s attention. On Thursday, officers shot dead a man who had taken a woman hostage while brandishing a 30cm knife at a shopping centre in Tuen Mun. Under police guidelines, officers may open fire to protect anyone – including themselves – from death or serious injury. They may also use lethal force against anyone believed to have committed a serious or violent crime and who is attempting to evade arrest. Firearms...

Events

16 h. ago Chinese, Japanese groups issue joint call for Japan to return Tang dynasty stele

Chinese researchers and Japanese activists have renewed calls for Japan to return a Tang dynasty relic looted over 120 years ago. The effort to recover the Tang Honglu Well Stele comes amid rising regional tensions and Beijing’s ongoing national campaign to reclaim cultural heritage. Shanghai University’s Research Centre for Chinese Relics Overseas and Japanese cultural groups issued a joint declaration on Friday urging Tokyo to “correct historical errors” and return the stone monument, Chinese...

Politics

16 h. ago REPOST: The Prescient Warning Behind Ottawa’s China Influence File—and Carney’s Beijing Electric Vehicle Gamble

REPOST: The Prescient Warning Behind Ottawa’s China Influence File—and Carney’s Beijing Electric Vehicle Gamble  The Bureau | Sam Cooper

Events

17 h. ago Taiwan faces possible Beijing squeeze after US quits WHO and other agencies

The United States’ decision to withdraw from dozens of UN and other international organisations may have dealt another blow to Taiwan’s efforts to raise its global profile amid mounting pressure from Beijing. While Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te’s government has sought to play down the impact, observers have warned that Washington’s retreat could further squeeze the island’s already narrow international space. US President Donald Trump on January 7 ordered the US to exit 66 international...

Politics

17 h. ago Will US exit from world bodies deal fresh blow to Taiwan’s push to raise global profile?

The United States’ decision to withdraw from dozens of UN and other international organisations may have dealt another blow to Taiwan’s efforts to raise its global profile amid mounting pressure from Beijing. While Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te’s government has sought to play down the impact, observers have warned that Washington’s retreat could further squeeze the island’s already narrow international space. US President Donald Trump on January 7 ordered the US to exit 66 international...

Events

17 h. ago Delhi eying ‘Beijing model’? CAQM proposes doubling Metro network to combat toxic air

Delhi eying ‘Beijing model’? CAQM proposes doubling Metro network to combat toxic air  The Financial Express

Events

18 h. ago As Trump urges cap on credit card rates, could China follow suit for online loans?

US President Donald Trump’s call for American credit card interest rates to be capped at 10 per cent for a year has sparked a debate in China about whether Beijing should impose a similar limit on online loans. The discussion comes as many in China – especially younger people – are being enticed by credit offers amid a weak job market and a boom in online loan services. “Apps now keep luring young people into borrowing,” a finance blogger with nearly 500,000 followers wrote in a social media...

Politics