76 m. ago Hongkongers learn how to ‘break the gates of hell’ for Hungry Ghost Festival

Forming a circle in front of a temple in Yuen Long, a group of Hongkongers make sweeping, dance-like movements before smashing ceramic tiles on the ground with wooden swords under the guidance of their coach. They are learning to perform the solemn ritual of “breaking hell’s gate”, a traditional funeral practice that is typically performed by Taoist priests and long considered taboo by many. Thursday’s workshop was part of a three-day “soul deliverance” ceremony at Tin Hau Temple in Yuen Long’s...

Politics

8 h. ago Navy Seals killed North Korean civilians in botched 2019 mission: US report

US Navy Seals shot and killed a number of North Korean civilians during a botched covert mission to plant a listening device in the nuclear-armed country during high-stakes diplomatic negotiations in 2019, The New York Times reported on Friday. Citing unidentified sources, including current and former military officials with knowledge of the still-classified details, the newspaper said US President Donald Trump approved the operation during his first administration, as he was involved in...

Events

10 h. ago China Plans To Sideline Lithium Competition. Albemarle Stock Rises.

China Plans To Sideline Lithium Competition. Albemarle Stock Rises.  Barron's

Politics

10 h. ago US Ally Plans 'Bodyguard' Against Russia and China's 'Satellite Killers'

US Ally Plans 'Bodyguard' Against Russia and China's 'Satellite Killers'  Newsweek

Events

12 h. ago Seoul expresses ‘concern’ over US immigration raid at Hyundai’s Georgia plant

South Korea on Friday expressed “concern and regret” over a major US immigration raid at a sprawling Georgia site where South Korean auto company Hyundai manufactures electric vehicles. South Korean Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lee Jaewoong described the number of detained South Koreans as “large”, though he did not provide an exact figure. His ministry would not confirm or deny South Korean media reports saying that about 300 South Koreans were detained in Georgia on Thursday. The Atlanta...

Politics

14 h. ago Tesla to award Musk an unparalleled $1 trillion depending on performance

Tesla’s board has proposed a US$1 trillion compensation plan for CEO Elon Musk in what would be the largest corporate pay package in history, underscoring the hold Musk has over the carmaker as it attempts to transform into an AI and robotics powerhouse. The world’s richest person has consistently said he needs more of a stake in the company, even as a legal battle over his 2018 pay package – then valued at a mere US$56 billion – continues. The regulatory filing puts Musk on a different plane...

Events

14 h. ago Tesla to award Musk an unparalleled US$1 trillion depending on performance

Tesla’s board has proposed a US$1 trillion compensation plan for CEO Elon Musk in what would be the largest corporate pay package in history, underscoring the hold Musk has over the carmaker as it attempts to transform into an AI and robotics powerhouse. The world’s richest person has consistently said he needs more of a stake in the company, even as a legal battle over his 2018 pay package – then valued at a mere US$56 billion – continues. The regulatory filing puts Musk on a different plane...

Events

14 h. ago China's AI startup Zhipu offers plan for Claude AI users to migrate to its own model

China's AI startup Zhipu offers plan for Claude AI users to migrate to its own model  Reuters

Politics

18 h. ago Germany's Hansgrohe plans to quadruple India production as China sales slow

Germany's Hansgrohe plans to quadruple India production as China sales slow  Reuters

Politics

18 h. ago Kenya’s plan to switch debt payments from US dollars to yuan is a ‘win

Kenya’s plan to convert its US dollar-denominated Chinese debt to yuan is a “win-win”, as it is expected to reduce interest payments for the African nation while advancing China’s goal of increasing the global use of its currency, according to analysts. The deal would be precedent-setting and could establish a new rule book for future debt restructuring and possibly cut reliance on the US dollar. In late August, Kenya’s Treasury announced that talks with the Export-Import Bank of China were at...

Economics

18 h. ago China closes biotech gap with US as new drugs, pipelines top 30% of global total

China’s push to become a biotech powerhouse is paying off, with innovative R&D pipelines and newly approved drugs accounting for over 30 per cent of the global total, according to the country’s top economic planner. The sector was showing strong momentum, said Xiang Libin, deputy chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), who cited the figures at the 17th China Bioindustry Convention in Wuhan, Hubei province, on Thursday. China’s bioeconomy, encompassing the research,...

Events

19 h. ago Putin says planned gas pipeline to China will be mutually beneficial, use market price formula

Putin says planned gas pipeline to China will be mutually beneficial, use market price formula  Reuters

Politics

20 h. ago Rail life story? Cartoon featuring South Korea’s Yoon returns to comics festival

A controversial cartoon featuring South Korea’s disgraced former first couple Yoon Suk-yeol and Kim Keon-hee is set to be displayed in public again this month, three years after its initial showing was cut short under government pressure. Yoonsukyeolcha by Park Se-eun from Chonnam Arts High School will be included in the annual Bucheon International Comics Festival as part of a retrospective show of prize-winning works from 2021 to 2025, the Korea Manhwa Contents Agency announced on Wednesday,...

Politics

22 h. ago Thaksin flies to Dubai after missing Singapore airport landing deadline

Thailand’s former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra made a sudden and surprising departure from the country on Thursday, just five days before a court ruling that could open him up to a new prison sentence. Thaksin told Thai immigration authorities at Bangkok’s Don Mueang Airport that his private jet was headed for Singapore. A police statement confirmed his plane was allowed to take off shortly after 7pm because he had no arrest warrant or court order preventing him from leaving the...

Events

22 h. ago Thailand’s Thaksin flies to Dubai after missing Singapore landing deadline

Thailand’s former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra made a sudden and surprising departure from the country on Thursday, just five days before a court ruling that could open him up to a new prison sentence. Thaksin told Thai immigration authorities at Bangkok’s Don Mueang Airport that his private jet was headed for Singapore. A police statement confirmed his plane was allowed to take off shortly after 7pm because he had no arrest warrant or court order preventing him from leaving the...

Events

24 h. ago Chinese firms still want Nvidia chips despite Beijing concerns: sources

Alibaba Group Holding, ByteDance and other Chinese tech firms remained keen on Nvidia’s artificial intelligence chips despite regulators in Beijing strongly discouraging them from such purchases, four people with knowledge of procurement discussions said. They wanted reassurance that their orders of Nvidia’s H20 model, which the US firm in July regained permission to sell in China, were being processed, and were closely monitoring Nvidia’s plans for a more powerful chip, tentatively named the...

Politics

25 h. ago Chinese province floats new use for digital yuan: paying long

China is mulling the application of its digital yuan – the central bank-backed currency also known as the e-CNY – to tackle persistent payment defaults, a move that would broaden the asset’s scope beyond the set of use cases explored by Beijing since the currency’s launch in 2019. Authorities in the central province of Hunan touched upon the subject when detailing plans to expand the digital currency’s application scenarios and scale, according to a document published last month. Hunan will...

Politics

29 h. ago Former F.B.I. Spy Hunter Compromised China Inquiry, Watchdog Says

Former F.B.I. Spy Hunter Compromised China Inquiry, Watchdog Says  The New York Times

Politics

30 h. ago Mexico considering imposing tariffs on China, President Sheinbaum says

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Thursday that her government is considering imposing tariffs on imports from countries that do not have trade agreements with Mexico, including China. The tariffs would be part of “Plan Mexico”, an initiative to boost domestic industry amid tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump on some imports from Mexico. “We are considering tariffs as part of Plan Mexico, which we’ve proposed since we came into office,” said Sheinbaum. China is among countries...

Politics

35 h. ago China’s urban planners could determine the future of city life

China’s urban planners could determine the future of city life  The Economist

Politics