TikTok briefly went dark in the US over the weekend after the Supreme Court denied a last-ditch challenge from its Chinese owner ByteDance to overturn a law banning the platform. But it was back after a day with a message thanking incoming president Donald Trump for his “efforts” in restoring the app. The US Supreme […]
Category Archives: WORLD NEWS
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Jan
Catch up on some of SCMP’s biggest China and economy stories of the day. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing . 1. With Trump’s inauguration, US-China rivalry opens new and uncertain chapter When Donald Trump is sworn in as the 47th president of the United States on Monday, a new chapter of geopolitical uncertainty will be written, potentially ushering in an intensified rivalry between the US and China under his “America First” policy. 2. Han and Vance strike positive tone for US-China ties ahead of Trump inauguration Chinese Vice-President Han Zheng held talks with the US vice-president-elect J.D. Vance and tech billionaire Elon Musk at separate meetings in Washington ahead of Donald Trump’s inauguration, with both sides reaffirming their commitment to a “long
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The Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) has been awarded the highest accreditation by an internationally recognised halal travel promotion company, the first of such venues to obtain such a certification, giving a boost to the city’s effort to tap Muslim markets for more tourists. The centre’s management company on Monday announced Singapore-based research and consultancy firm CrescentRating had accredited it with the Gold Certification for meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions – or MICE venues – last month. “The HKCEC is the first MICE venue in Hong Kong to receive this Gold Certification, the highest ranking of the certification scheme, reflecting the good experiences that the exhibition centre has created for Muslim exhibitors and visitors,” its spokesman said. “In order to support the [government’s] initiative of promoting Muslim-friendly business
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The Dangote Refinery was commissioned in May 2023. Dangote Refinery has said that the recent adjustment in the company’s ex-depot price of petrol “is directly related to the significant increase in global crude oil prices”. The company assured Nigerians that three of its partners will sell petrol for ₦970 per litre nationwide despite the company’s recent increase in the ex-depot price of petrol. A spokesman for the refinery Anthony Chiejina in a statement on Sunday said, “While we have made a 5% adjustment to our ex-depot price from N899.50 to N950 per litre, it is important to note that this increase is considerably lower than the 15% rise in global crude oil prices, which has seen Brent Crude rise from $70 to $82 in a matter of days, in addition to
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Humberside Police Officers found £800,000-worth of cannabis plants and £100,000-worth of equipment in the building Two men are in custody after a cannabis grow worth an estimated £800,000 was found in a vacant building. Humberside Police was called to reports of the suspected cannabis grow on Bull Ring Lane, Grimsby, on 14 January. The plants and £100,000-worth of equipment were found. The men, aged 33 and 48, have been charged with production of a Class B drug and illegally abstracting electricity. Following a hearing at Grimsby Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, they were remanded into custody ahead of a pre-trial hearing at Grimsby Crown Court on 17 February. Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds , watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you
16
Jan
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The UK economy grew for the first time in three months, driven in part by a boost in trade for pubs and restaurants. Official figures showed an expansion 0.1% after the economy shrank in each of the two previous months. The return to growth will be a welcome sign for the government after recent turbulence in financial markets sent its borrowing costs to the highest level for several years and the value of the pound fell. But the figure was lower than economists had expected, with declines in manufacturing and business rentals and leasing. Chancellor Rachel Reeves reiterated her pledge to go “further and faster” to improve economic growth in order to boost living standards, declaring it was the “number one priority” for the government. “That means generating investment, driving
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South Korea’s impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol faced renewed questioning on Thursday, a day after his dramatic arrest over a failed martial law declaration, but his lawyers said he would not take part. The Constitutional Court was also to hold its second hearing in a trial that will decide whether to uphold Yoon’s impeachment, after the dawn raid that made him the country’s first-ever sitting president to be detained. The former star prosecutor – facing charges of insurrection – was questioned for hours on Wednesday but exercised his right to remain silent before being moved to a detention centre. Investigators from the Corruption Investigation Office (CIO) were to resume Yoon’s questioning on Thursday at 2pm local time, but his lawyer said he could not for health reasons, the Yonhap news agency
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BBC The area in Gaza which Israel’s military has told people to go to “for their safety” has been hit by 97 strikes since May, BBC Verify analysis has revealed. The findings come as negotiations for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas appear to be nearing a breakthrough. Mediators in Qatar say talks are in their final stages, raising hopes that an agreement could be reached soon. The “humanitarian zone” was first established by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in October 2023 to protect civilians and keep them out of harms way. On 6 May 2024, the IDF significantly expanded the zone to include the cities of Khan Younis and Deir al-Balah. The area – much of which is a strip of land along the Mediterranean sea – is densely
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The updated Tesla Model Y is going into production today in Germany. The report comes from the German newspaper Handelsblatt. American customers will have to wait a little longer to get their hands on the facelifted crossover. The updated Tesla Model Y is reportedly going into production today at the company’s European factory in Germany. According to the German newspaper Handelsblatt , employees at Tesla’s Gigafactory Berlin facility were informed of the product launch yesterday, with assembly set to begin today, January 14. Tesla’s sole manufacturing facility in Europe only assembles the Model Y, which was once again the best-selling electric vehicle in the world last year. However, Tesla’s grip on the car world slipped slightly in 2024 when it saw global delivery numbers fall for the first time, despite
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Indian corporate titan S.N. Subrahmanyan has provoked outrage by championing a seven-day work week and holding up Chinese professionals’ gruelling schedules as a benchmark, reigniting fierce debates about India’s culture of overwork and the future of productivity. Subrahmanyan, chairman of the conglomerate Larsen & Toubro, was filmed in an undated video that surfaced on January 10 asking employees, “How long can you stare at your wife?” as part of a call for professionals to spend less time at home. He went on to praise Chinese workers for their commitment, claiming they “work 90 hours a week”, while contrasting them with Americans, who he said “work only 50 hours a week”. “If you have got to be on top of the world, you have to work 90 hours a week,” he
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The United States finds itself increasingly challenged by China’s strategic position. China’s proverbial traffic lights – control over raw materials and its fast-growing edge in artificial intelligence (AI) – are squeezing the US-led semiconductor and technology ecosystem. China is not only circumventing US efforts to restrict its access to advanced technology but also redefining the rules of global competition. However, the US has built a traffic light of its own with some allies joining efforts to contain China’s technological development. The US can keep the red light on to stop the outflow of semiconductors and the inflow of Chinese products and services across various sectors from information technology to social media applications . Since the US began curtailing China’s technology development, smaller Chinese firms have exited the industry. I wrote
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Peter Thiel, longtime Trump supporter and billionaire master of the universe, published an op-ed in Financial Times that perfectly replicates the experience of being cornered by a sweaty cokehead at an Austin, Texas house party. “A time for truth and reconciliation,” is the piece’s ominous title. The reference to South Africa’s post-Apartheid era policies is the most coherent line in the article. The subhed immediately takes us into drug-rant territory: “Trump’s return to the White House augurs the ‘apokálypsis’ of the ancien regime’s secrets.” To hear Thiel tell it, the incoming Trump presidency is the dawn of a new age. Thiel uses ancient, I’m sorry “ancien,” spellings of many words. Words like “apokálypsis” which he says will lead to the grand unveiling of multiple truths. Who killed Jeffrey Epstein? What’s
13
Jan
Jan
Chinese telecommunications gear giant Huawei Technologies will work with the steel and aviation industries to drive the use of digital and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies through a deal with industrial conglomerate Fangda Group Industrial. Huawei signed strategic partnership deals on Friday with Hainan Airlines Holding and Fangda Special Steel Technology, both owned by Fangda Group. The collaboration focuses on smart transformation, trial applications of AI large language models (LLM), the low-altitude economy and other areas, according to a statement issued by the conglomerate, whose business interests also cover the carbon, healthcare and commerce sectors. The deal between Huawei and Fangda comes as the Shenzhen-based technology giant is deepening its footprint in traditional industries to empower China’s conventional businesses with its AI and communication technologies. Fangda chairman Fang Wei said the
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Dr. Shay Har-Zvi discusses what Trump’s return means for US economic and foreign policy, especially in the Middle East and the question of Iran. By PELED ARBELI JANUARY 12, 2025 09:54 US PRESIDENT Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signed the Abraham Accords in 2020. (photo credit: TOM BRENNER/REUTERS) “[President-elect Donald] Trump’s return to the White House will inevitably lead to significant shifts in US policy, both internationally and regionally, due to his contrasting worldview and leadership style compared to Biden,” US policy expert and a senior researcher at the Institute for Policy and Strategy at Reichman University, Dr. Shay Har-Zvi told Maariv on Sunday. “This time, Trump seems more prepared and focused. He understands the governmental system more deeply and is aware that this may be his last
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NAIROBI, Kenya Jan 11 Nairobi residents are celebrating the new free Saturday parking initiative, introduced by Governor Sakaja Johnson, which is giving drivers a break from the usual parking fees. Gone are the days when Kanjo officers patrolled the streets on Saturdays, enforcing parking payments. The new policy, which exempts motorists from parking fees on weekends, was introduced as part of efforts to ease the financial burden on Nairobians while still ensuring weekday revenue collection. “Yes, parking is now free on Saturdays. You can come to town, park your car, and not pay anything. Previously, only Sundays were free, but now we’ve expanded this to Saturdays as well,” Governor Sakaja confirmed. “This ensures we maximize revenue collection on weekdays, while allowing Nairobians to enjoy free parking over the weekend.” The