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

14 h. ago China’s economic focus in 2026: what to expect as leaders prep for major meeting

As the Chinese leadership prepares to set the economic agenda for the year ahead, analysts expect Beijing to mostly maintain this year’s policy tone but say it could tolerate a slightly lower growth target. Chinese leaders will hold a closed-door meeting to discuss next year’s main policy goals during the central economic work conference, which usually takes place in early or mid-December. “To address the demand slump, we expect Beijing to maintain its proactive fiscal policy stance, with a...

Politics

55 h. ago Video: Taiwan’s President Warns of Growing Chinese Military Aggression

Video: Taiwan’s President Warns of Growing Chinese Military Aggression  The New York Times

Events

57 h. ago Taiwan’s President Warns That China’s Military Aggression Is Growing

Taiwan’s President Warns That China’s Military Aggression Is Growing  The New York Times

Events

3 d. ago South Korean lawmakers push for special court as distrust of judiciary grows

A year after former president Yoon Suk-yeol declared martial law, South Korea’s ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) is pushing ahead with a bill to create a separate court dedicated to handling cases linked to the decree, in response to widespread public distrust of what critics describe as a “biased” judiciary. President Lee Jae-myung warned on social media ahead of the December 3 anniversary of the decree: “If we leave hidden acts of insurrection as they are, insurrection will certainly...

Events

3 d. ago South Korea proposes special court to address ‘mockery of judicial process’

A year after former president Yoon Suk-yeol declared martial law, South Korea’s ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) is pushing ahead with a bill to create a separate court dedicated to handling cases linked to the decree, in response to widespread public distrust of what critics describe as a “biased” judiciary. President Lee Jae-myung warned on social media ahead of the December 3 anniversary of the decree: “If we leave hidden acts of insurrection as they are, insurrection will certainly...

Events

5 d. ago Trump’s world view offers Beijing a window of opportunity on Taiwan

Since Donald Trump’s return to the White House, a growing chorus of Chinese officials and analysts have talked of an unprecedented window of opportunity for Beijing to recalibrate its domestic and international strategies. At its heart lies the Taiwan question, a perennial flashpoint in relations between Washington and Beijing. As the Trump administration ramps up its “America first” policies abroad, the US – the self-appointed world’s policeman for seven decades – has embarked on an...

Politics

6 d. ago Consider Venezuela airspace ‘closed in its entirety’, says Trump

US President Donald Trump warned on Saturday that the airspace above and near Venezuela should be considered closed, the latest escalation in a stand-off with leftist leader Nicolas Maduro. “To all Airlines, Pilots, Drug Dealers, and Human Traffickers,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social network, “please consider THE AIRSPACE ABOVE AND SURROUNDING VENEZUELA TO BE CLOSED IN ITS ENTIRETY”. The president did not elaborate. Trump’s administration is piling pressure on Venezuela, with a major military...

Politics

6 d. ago China gives disputed Scarborough Shoal a clean bill of health

Coral reefs at the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea are healthy and resilient to climate change, but growing thermal stress poses a potential bleaching risk, according to a Chinese environmental assessment. The report rated the atoll’s maritime environment as excellent, with no signs of cyanide in seawater, sediment or fish samples. Scarborough Shoal, known as Huangyan Island in China and Panatag Shoal in the Philippines, is claimed by both countries, and Manila has accused...

Science

9 d. ago Italian eatery owner slammed for insulting 16 Taiwan tourists for sharing 5 pizzas

A pizzeria owner in Italy has found himself in hot water after releasing a video in which he verbally abused 16 tourists from Taiwan for simply ordering five pizzas to share. The clip provoked such immense backlash that he swiftly deleted it and posted another video to apologise, as reported by Taiwan EBC News. The pizza establishment, located in Montecatini Terme – a town in Tuscany, known for its hot springs – was the setting for this incident. In early November, a group of 16 Taiwanese...

Politics

1 week ago Italian police raid Amazon sites in probe involving Chinese goods

Italian police raided two Amazon sites on Monday as part of a growing investigation into alleged customs and tax fraud involving Chinese imports, three sources with direct knowledge of the case said. Prosecutors suspect the e-commerce giant acted like a “Trojan horse”, bringing Chinese goods into Italy without paying sales taxes or customs duties, according to a court document seen by Reuters. The scheme could have cost the state hundreds of millions of euros and may extend across the European...

Events

1 week ago Chanel cosmetics, fur coats expose North Korea’s widening wealth chasm

North Korea’s wealth gap is reportedly widening, as luxury goods circulate among affluent border residents while ordinary citizens face growing extreme poverty. Economic disparities in areas near the Chinese border have become more pronounced compared with the period before trade resumed, according to Daily NK on Friday. In cities such as Hoeryong in North Hamgyong province and Hyesan in Ryanggang province, cross-border commerce through customs offices has increased, and the number of high-end...

Politics

1 week ago Why US economist Nicholas Lardy thinks the ‘peak China’ theory has peaked

Nicholas Lardy is a non-resident senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, both Washington-based think tanks. He has studied the Chinese economy extensively, publishing several books on its growth and development since the late 1970s. His most recent, 2019’s The State Strikes Back, posits a rollback of Beijing’s economic reforms via renewed government intervention into the market. This interview first appeared in SCMP...

Politics

1 week ago ‘A mistaken view’: US economist Nicholas Lardy on the ‘peak China’ hypothesis

Nicholas Lardy is a non-resident senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, both Washington-based think tanks. He has studied the Chinese economy extensively, publishing several books on its growth and development since the late 1970s. His most recent, 2019’s The State Strikes Back, posits a rollback of Beijing’s economic reforms via renewed government intervention into the market. This interview first appeared in SCMP...

Politics

1 week ago How VW is tackling uneven EV transition, U.S. tariff hit and growing Chinese challenge

How VW is tackling uneven EV transition, U.S. tariff hit and growing Chinese challenge  Automotive News

Events

2 w. ago US warnings over Chinese API control and growing scientific prowess

US warnings over Chinese API control and growing scientific prowess  The Pharma Letter

Events

2 w. ago UK warns Putin of ‘military options’ as Russian military ship enters its waters

The Russian spy ship Yantar is operating on the edge of UK waters and has directed lasers at pilots of surveillance aircraft monitoring its activities, Defence Secretary John Healey said. Healey said Britain was “ready” to respond, with “military options” drawn up if the ship heads south, in a warning to Russian President Vladimir Putin. The vessel, designed for gathering intelligence and mapping crucial undersea cables, is loitering off the northern coast of Scotland, having entered wider UK...

Events

2 w. ago Chinese economist calls on Beijing to add consumption target to long

China should add a quantitative target for consumption growth as part of its long-term modernisation goals to help sustain growth momentum as the country’s population declines, a prominent Chinese economist said. “In addition to setting a gross domestic product growth per capita target through 2035, we should also establish a target for the household final consumption rate – meaning the share of household consumption in GDP should be increased as well,” said Cai Fang, an academician at the...

Events

4 w. ago China’s exports fall in October as firms wait out trade war reset

China’s exports fell in October amid a volatile trade war with the United States – though recent high-level talks between the world’s two largest economies have since eased tensions. Outbound shipments fell 1.1 per cent year on year to US$305.35 billion last month, customs data showed on Friday. The figure was lower than September’s 8.3 per cent increase – a six-month high – and fell short of the 2.84 per cent growth forecast by Chinese financial data provider Wind. Imports in October stood at...

Events

4 w. ago Alibaba’s ‘instant commerce’ bet pays off: Taobao hits 100 million new orders

Alibaba Group Holding is seeing solid early results from its push into “instant commerce”, a shopping model the Chinese technology giant hopes will drive sales growth amid sluggish consumer spending and intensifying e-commerce competition. According to the latest company data, Taobao Shangou – Alibaba’s “instant buy and instant delivery” service – generated more than 100 million non-food orders from new users during the first two weeks of the Singles’ Day shopping festival as of Wednesday. The...

Economics