8 h. ago Repression of religion in China more subtle and pervasive, report says

Repression of religion in China more subtle and pervasive, report says  www.christiandaily.com

Politics

12 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

22 h. ago Japan Issues Safety Advisory in China Ahead of Nanjing Massacre Anniversary

Japan Issues Safety Advisory in China Ahead of Nanjing Massacre Anniversary  U.S. News & World Report

Events

25 h. ago Emerging markets to outperform US stocks as dollar weakness continues: report

Global investors should consider reducing their US equities exposure as emerging market stocks are on track to outperform those in developed nations for the first time in five years amid a weakening US dollar, according to global investment firm Cambridge Associates. The recommendation comes as the dollar has experienced significant weakness this year, falling by 10 per cent at one point after a decade-long bull run that started in 2011. However, the greenback still remains 29 per cent above its...

Politics

25 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

27 h. ago Admiral denies ‘kill them all’ order in boat attack but video alarms lawmakers

A Navy admiral commanding the US military strikes on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean told lawmakers on Thursday that there was no “kill them all” order from Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth but a stark video of the attack left grave questions as Congress scrutinises the campaign that killed two people. Admiral Frank Bradley appeared for a series of closed-door classified briefings at the Capitol as lawmakers conduct an investigation after a report that he ordered the follow-on attack that...

Events

27 h. ago US admiral denies ‘kill them all’ order in Caribbean boat strike

A US Navy admiral commanding the US military strikes on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean told lawmakers Thursday that there was no “kill them all” order from Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, but a stark video of the attack left grave questions as Congress scrutinises the campaign that killed two survivors. Admiral Frank “Mitch” Bradley appeared for a series of closed-door classified briefings at the Capitol as lawmakers conduct an investigation after a report that he ordered the follow-on...

Events

37 h. ago UK Novichok report blames Putin for ‘reckless’ poisoning of ex

Russian President Vladimir Putin must have ordered the Novichok nerve agent attack on Russian double agent Sergei Skripal in 2018, in an “astonishingly reckless” act that led to the death of an innocent woman, a UK public inquiry concluded on Thursday. Skripal was found along with his daughter Yulia slumped unconscious on a public bench in the southern English city of Salisbury in March 2018 after Novichok was applied to the front door handle of his nearby home. About four months later,...

Politics

37 h. ago China Expanding Surveillance Hardware in South China Sea: Report

China Expanding Surveillance Hardware in South China Sea: Report  The China-Global South Project

Events

38 h. ago ‘Complete mayhem’: chaos after India’s largest airline cancels 1,200 flights

Chaos gripped Indian airports on Thursday after the country’s largest airline IndiGo cancelled more than 1,200 flights, stranding thousands of passengers. The company blamed the disruption on “unforeseen operational challenges” including technical glitches, adverse weather and new rules for workers. India’s aviation watchdog ordered an investigation and demanded that IndiGo respond with plans to ease the interruptions, which have persisted since Monday. Passengers vented their anger online, with...

Events

41 h. ago Mainland China’s billionaire count surges as BYD and Mixue bosses power gains

Mainland China’s billionaires have tightened their grip as Asia-Pacific’s wealthiest after their combined fortunes swelled to nearly US$1.8 trillion, with electric-vehicle (EV) maker BYD’s founder Wang Chuanfu and bubble tea chain Mixue’s bosses among the biggest drivers of that growth, according to a UBS report. Backed by a booming tech sector and surging asset prices, the wealth of mainland China’s billionaires jumped 22.2 per cent year on year to US$1.77 trillion in the 12 months to early...

Economics

45 h. ago Poisoned skies: How China tackled pollution — if Beijing can, why can’t Delhi?

Poisoned skies: How China tackled pollution — if Beijing can, why can’t Delhi?  The Times of India

Politics

49 h. ago Hong Kong’s investment body posts US$300 million income in first year

The Hong Kong Investment Corporation (HKIC) earned HK$2.34 billion (US$300.7 million) in investment income last year, as the city’s wholly owned investment vehicle made an impressive report after its first year of operation. HKIC posted HK$2.25 billion in operating income for the year that ended on December 31, on HK$64 billion in total assets, while deploying less than one-fifth of its initial capital of HK$62 billion, according to a report on Thursday. “HKIC is the patient capital investment...

Economics

50 h. ago Trump says next steps for Ukraine talks unclear after Putin meeting

The path ahead for Ukraine peace talks is unclear, US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday, after what he called “reasonably good” talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US envoys. The Kremlin said on Wednesday that Putin accepted some US proposals aimed at ending the war in Ukraine and was prepared to keep working to find a compromise. US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner spent hours at the Kremlin, departing in the early hours of...

Politics

54 h. ago Hegseth’s use of Signal posed risk to US personnel, Pentagon watchdog finds

The Pentagon’s watchdog found that US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth put American personnel and their mission at risk when he used the Signal messaging app to convey sensitive information about a military strike against Houthi militants in Yemen, two people familiar with the findings said on Wednesday. Hegseth, however, has the ability to declassify material and the report did not find he did so improperly, according to one of the people familiar with the report’s findings who spoke on condition...

Events

54 h. ago Hegseth’s use of Signal posed risk to US troops, Pentagon watchdog finds

The Pentagon’s watchdog found that US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth put American personnel and their mission at risk when he used the Signal messaging app to convey sensitive information about a military strike against Houthi militants in Yemen, two people familiar with the findings said on Wednesday. Hegseth, however, has the ability to declassify material and the report did not find he did so improperly, according to one of the people familiar with the report’s findings who spoke on condition...

Events

54 h. ago Hegseth’s Signal use posed risk to US forces, Pentagon review finds

The Pentagon’s watchdog found that US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth put US personnel and their mission at risk when he used the Signal messaging app to convey sensitive information about a military strike against Yemen’s Houthi militants, two people familiar with the findings said on Wednesday. Hegseth, however, has the ability to declassify material and the report did not find he did so improperly, according to one of the people familiar with the findings who spoke on condition of anonymity to...

Events

62 h. ago Collapsed UK China spy case due to ‘shambolic’ failures, not conspiracy: inquiry

A high-profile case against two British men accused of spying for China collapsed because of “systemic failures” and not a government conspiracy, a UK parliamentary inquiry concluded on Wednesday. The handling of the case against Christopher Cash and Christopher Berry was at times “shambolic” and reforms are needed to prevent “similar issues” happening again, the cross-party committee of MPs and members of the House of Lords said in its report. Ex-parliamentary researcher Cash and China-based...

Events

62 h. ago China ramps up surveillance equipment at Spratly Islands bases: US think tank

China has carried out extensive upgrades to its surveillance and electronic warfare systems across its Spratly Islands outposts to improve its intelligence gathering in the South China Sea, according to an American think tank. The Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative under the Washington-based Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) said in a report on Tuesday that satellite images revealed new and upgraded radar sites, antenna fields and other reinforced electronic warfare...

Events

63 h. ago Filipino helper on her second day of work when Tai Po fire hit; escapes with baby

Filipino domestic helper Rhodora Alcaraz arrived in Hong Kong on Tuesday last week and went straight to work at her employer’s flat in Tai Po, finding herself battling flames a day later to make a miraculous escape with a three-month-old baby in her arms. The 27-year-old is now in an intensive care unit, unable to speak above a whisper, after suffering injuries, including to her throat, which made her feel like she had “poison pouring down her throat”. Last week, she arrived from her Central...

Events