‘It’s hard to tell’: is Trump serious about Greenland, Panama Canal?
By Agence France-Presse
Donald Trump has threatened to seize the Panama Canal, revived calls to buy Greenland and joked about annexing Canada – leaving the world guessing once again whether he is serious or not.
By challenging the sovereignty of some of Washington’s closest allies four weeks before he even returns to the Oval Office, the US-president elect has underscored his credentials as global disrupter-in-chief.
His comments have renewed fears from his first term that Trump will end up being harsher on US friends than he is on adversaries like Russia and China.
But there are also suspicions that billionaire tycoon Trump is looking for leverage as part of the “art of the deal” – and that the former reality television star is grabbing headlines to look strong at home and abroad.
“It’s hard to tell how much of this he really wants, and how much is the latest sound bite that will be heard around the world,” said Frank Sesno, a professor at George Washington University and former White House correspondent.
“He puts other leaders in position of having to figure out what is literal and what is not,” he said.
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By Agence France-Presse
Donald Trump has threatened to seize the Panama Canal, revived calls to buy Greenland and joked about annexing Canada – leaving the world guessing once again whether he is serious or not.
By challenging the sovereignty of some of Washington’s closest allies four weeks before he even returns to the Oval Office, the US-president elect has underscored his credentials as global disrupter-in-chief.
His comments have renewed fears from his first term that Trump will end up being harsher on US friends than he is on adversaries like Russia and China.
But there are also suspicions that billionaire tycoon Trump is looking for leverage as part of the “art of the deal” – and that the former reality television star is grabbing headlines to look strong at home and abroad.
“It’s hard to tell how much of this he really wants, and how much is the latest sound bite that will be heard around the world,” said Frank Sesno, a professor at George Washington University and former White House correspondent.
“He puts other leaders in position of having to figure out what is literal and what is not,” he said.
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Experts gather in Hong Kong to tackle liver cancer together
By Advertising partner
[The content of this article has been produced by our advertising partner.]
The LEAD event brings together top liver disease experts across APAC, providing a vital platform for advancing liver disease diagnosis and management. By discussing the latest clinical evidence, emerging trends, innovative solutions, and health policy issues, the event addresses unmet medical needs and promotes end-to-end patient care in the region.
In collaboration with the Hong Kong Association for the Study of Liver Disease (HKASLD) and Hong Kong Liver Cancer and Gastrointestinal Cancer Foundation (HKLCF), LEAD APAC 2024 brought together 160 international experts from diverse disciplines in liver cancer, or hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) to discuss the clinical use of comprehensive liver disease solutions to facilitate early detection and collaborative care.
Opening the event, Lance Little, Head of Region for Roche Diagnostics Asia Pacific, spoke to the challenges of HCC in the region.
“Patients with HCC are often diagnosed at a late stage, and this significantly reduces the treatment options and prognosis for them,” he remarked, adding that the five-year survival rate is just 18 per cent, compared to 91 per cent for cancers such as breast cancer.
“There’s a lot of work ahead, especially since the Asia Pacific region has the highest incidence of HCC globally, with rates in countries like China and Vietnam two to three times above the world average,” he said, adding that early detection and cross-disciplinary collaboration are both highly important.
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By Advertising partner
[The content of this article has been produced by our advertising partner.]
The LEAD event brings together top liver disease experts across APAC, providing a vital platform for advancing liver disease diagnosis and management. By discussing the latest clinical evidence, emerging trends, innovative solutions, and health policy issues, the event addresses unmet medical needs and promotes end-to-end patient care in the region.
In collaboration with the Hong Kong Association for the Study of Liver Disease (HKASLD) and Hong Kong Liver Cancer and Gastrointestinal Cancer Foundation (HKLCF), LEAD APAC 2024 brought together 160 international experts from diverse disciplines in liver cancer, or hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) to discuss the clinical use of comprehensive liver disease solutions to facilitate early detection and collaborative care.
Opening the event, Lance Little, Head of Region for Roche Diagnostics Asia Pacific, spoke to the challenges of HCC in the region.
“Patients with HCC are often diagnosed at a late stage, and this significantly reduces the treatment options and prognosis for them,” he remarked, adding that the five-year survival rate is just 18 per cent, compared to 91 per cent for cancers such as breast cancer.
“There’s a lot of work ahead, especially since the Asia Pacific region has the highest incidence of HCC globally, with rates in countries like China and Vietnam two to three times above the world average,” he said, adding that early detection and cross-disciplinary collaboration are both highly important.
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Hong Kong cancels passports of activist Ted Hui and 6 other fugitives
By Sammy Heung
Hong Kong has revoked the passports of seven fugitives, including activist Ted Hui Chi-fung, and barred anyone from funding them, in the second such instance under the city’s domestic security law.
The government announced on Tuesday that Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung had specified the seven fugitives as absconders in respect of offences endangering national security.
It also laid out a number of provisions that would be applied to former legislators Ted Hui Chi-fung and Dennis Kwok Wing-hang, lawyer Kevin Yam Kin-fung, activists Anna Kwok Fung-yee, Elmer Yuan Gong-yi, Frances Hui Wing-ting and Joey Siu Nam.
The provisions comprise cancelling the Hong Kong passports and prohibitions of making available funds, activities connected with immovable property, and connection with joint ventures or partnerships with relevant absconders.
Lawyers Kwok and Yam were also subject to the suspension of qualification of practice, while Yuan was subject to the temporary removal from office of director.
In June, similar measures were imposed on six other fugitives – Nathan Law Kwun-chung, unionist Mung Siu-tat, Finn Lau Cho-dik, Simon Cheng Man-kit, Johnny Fok Ka-chi and Tony Choi Ming-da.
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By Sammy Heung
Hong Kong has revoked the passports of seven fugitives, including activist Ted Hui Chi-fung, and barred anyone from funding them, in the second such instance under the city’s domestic security law.
The government announced on Tuesday that Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung had specified the seven fugitives as absconders in respect of offences endangering national security.
It also laid out a number of provisions that would be applied to former legislators Ted Hui Chi-fung and Dennis Kwok Wing-hang, lawyer Kevin Yam Kin-fung, activists Anna Kwok Fung-yee, Elmer Yuan Gong-yi, Frances Hui Wing-ting and Joey Siu Nam.
The provisions comprise cancelling the Hong Kong passports and prohibitions of making available funds, activities connected with immovable property, and connection with joint ventures or partnerships with relevant absconders.
Lawyers Kwok and Yam were also subject to the suspension of qualification of practice, while Yuan was subject to the temporary removal from office of director.
In June, similar measures were imposed on six other fugitives – Nathan Law Kwun-chung, unionist Mung Siu-tat, Finn Lau Cho-dik, Simon Cheng Man-kit, Johnny Fok Ka-chi and Tony Choi Ming-da.
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Cambodian man gets 31 years in jail for gunning down young couple over petty dispute
By Associated Press
A Cambodian real estate entrepreneur, whose high-profile killing of a young couple sparked public outrage, was sentenced on Monday to 31 years in prison.
The Phnom Penh Municipal Court said the sentence was the maximum for the crimes committed by Srey Sina, who was also ordered to pay more than US$2 million in compensation to the victims’ families.
Srey Sina, 51, was found guilty of fatally shooting 27-year-old Long Lysong and his fiancée Khin Kanchana, 25, on June 17 while intervening in a property dispute between neighbours in the capital, Phnom Penh. Two other victims in their early 20s sustained minor injuries in the incident, which was captured on video surveillance cameras and the footage circulated widely online.
Srey Sina reportedly told police that he was angered by Long Lysong speaking rudely to him.
The case attracted widespread attention not only because of the seemingly unprovoked killing of a soon-to-be married couple and the petty dispute that sparked it, but also because the suspect held the title of Oknha, an honorific bestowed on businesspeople who donate large sums of money to the government.
Srey Sina, whose trial was held on December 6, was sentenced to 15 years in prison for the two killings and ordered to pay compensation of US$1 million each to the victims’ families. Cambodia does not have capital punishment.
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By Associated Press
A Cambodian real estate entrepreneur, whose high-profile killing of a young couple sparked public outrage, was sentenced on Monday to 31 years in prison.
The Phnom Penh Municipal Court said the sentence was the maximum for the crimes committed by Srey Sina, who was also ordered to pay more than US$2 million in compensation to the victims’ families.
Srey Sina, 51, was found guilty of fatally shooting 27-year-old Long Lysong and his fiancée Khin Kanchana, 25, on June 17 while intervening in a property dispute between neighbours in the capital, Phnom Penh. Two other victims in their early 20s sustained minor injuries in the incident, which was captured on video surveillance cameras and the footage circulated widely online.
Srey Sina reportedly told police that he was angered by Long Lysong speaking rudely to him.
The case attracted widespread attention not only because of the seemingly unprovoked killing of a soon-to-be married couple and the petty dispute that sparked it, but also because the suspect held the title of Oknha, an honorific bestowed on businesspeople who donate large sums of money to the government.
Srey Sina, whose trial was held on December 6, was sentenced to 15 years in prison for the two killings and ordered to pay compensation of US$1 million each to the victims’ families. Cambodia does not have capital punishment.
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Chinese EV industry’s lithium demand fuels research into ‘low-quality’ sources
By Victoria Bela
As demand for the lithium that powers China’s booming electric car industry continues to grow and shortages loom, scientists are exploring ways to extract the metal from abundant but so far undeveloped sources.
In a paper published by the peer-reviewed journal Nature on December 11, engineers from Nanjing University assessed the potential of innovations that are being developed to extract lithium from “low-quality brines” like seawater and salt lakes.
The metal – a crucial component in EV batteries – is also present in water found in oilfields and in sedimentary deposits but extraction from these sources has not been viable so far.
“Extracting lithium from these sources presents technical challenges owing to low lithium concentrations and high magnesium-to-lithium ratios,” the researchers said in the paper.
While China is the world’s largest refiner of lithium, it is mostly derived from the highly concentrated brine found beneath the salt flats of South America or from hard rock ores which are abundant in countries like Zimbabwe in southern Africa.
To meet domestic demand for the lithium ores, Chinese mining companies have established extraction and processing operations in Zimbabwe.
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By Victoria Bela
As demand for the lithium that powers China’s booming electric car industry continues to grow and shortages loom, scientists are exploring ways to extract the metal from abundant but so far undeveloped sources.
In a paper published by the peer-reviewed journal Nature on December 11, engineers from Nanjing University assessed the potential of innovations that are being developed to extract lithium from “low-quality brines” like seawater and salt lakes.
The metal – a crucial component in EV batteries – is also present in water found in oilfields and in sedimentary deposits but extraction from these sources has not been viable so far.
“Extracting lithium from these sources presents technical challenges owing to low lithium concentrations and high magnesium-to-lithium ratios,” the researchers said in the paper.
While China is the world’s largest refiner of lithium, it is mostly derived from the highly concentrated brine found beneath the salt flats of South America or from hard rock ores which are abundant in countries like Zimbabwe in southern Africa.
To meet domestic demand for the lithium ores, Chinese mining companies have established extraction and processing operations in Zimbabwe.
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Revolution, elections and a baby hippo, this was the year in Asia
By Aidan JonesBiman MukherjiMaria SiowAmy SoodKimberly Lim
A student revolution in Bangladesh. A stunning electoral rebuke for India’s once unassailable Narendra Modi. A rare corruption conviction in Singapore and political chaos in Japan and South Korea. Asia in 2024 was characterised by turbulence and surprises.
Some developments were easier to predict. Asia’s tycoons grew richer even as ordinary people struggled under rising living costs. Scammers kept on hammering the Asian public, North Korea’s nuclear-armed leader Kim Jong-un continued provoking his southern neighbour and Myanmar’s junta refused to yield power – although its losses are mounting as the country’s civil war grinds on.
It was another year of superlatives for Asia’s environment – but the ones no nation wants to hear: the hottest on record, the heaviest rain ever, the most powerful storms … From India to Japan, Asia contended with floods, bad air and searing heat.
But it wasn’t all doom and gloom. Taylor Swift mesmerised Singapore, a film about ageing got Asian audiences weeping – and earned an Oscar’s shortlist – and a chubby hippo in a Thai zoo blew up the internet.
In July, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina unleashed her security forces on massive student-led protests across Bangladesh, killing hundreds. It was a crackdown that spectacularly backfired. On August 5 she fled to India after protests that began over contentious job quotas billowed into a call for an end to her corruption-riddled 15-year period helming the country.
As Hasina loyalists were driven from office and into self-exile, an interim government under Nobel laureate Muhammand Yunus was tasked with restoring law and order and paving the way for fresh elections.
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By Aidan JonesBiman MukherjiMaria SiowAmy SoodKimberly Lim
A student revolution in Bangladesh. A stunning electoral rebuke for India’s once unassailable Narendra Modi. A rare corruption conviction in Singapore and political chaos in Japan and South Korea. Asia in 2024 was characterised by turbulence and surprises.
Some developments were easier to predict. Asia’s tycoons grew richer even as ordinary people struggled under rising living costs. Scammers kept on hammering the Asian public, North Korea’s nuclear-armed leader Kim Jong-un continued provoking his southern neighbour and Myanmar’s junta refused to yield power – although its losses are mounting as the country’s civil war grinds on.
It was another year of superlatives for Asia’s environment – but the ones no nation wants to hear: the hottest on record, the heaviest rain ever, the most powerful storms … From India to Japan, Asia contended with floods, bad air and searing heat.
But it wasn’t all doom and gloom. Taylor Swift mesmerised Singapore, a film about ageing got Asian audiences weeping – and earned an Oscar’s shortlist – and a chubby hippo in a Thai zoo blew up the internet.
In July, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina unleashed her security forces on massive student-led protests across Bangladesh, killing hundreds. It was a crackdown that spectacularly backfired. On August 5 she fled to India after protests that began over contentious job quotas billowed into a call for an end to her corruption-riddled 15-year period helming the country.
As Hasina loyalists were driven from office and into self-exile, an interim government under Nobel laureate Muhammand Yunus was tasked with restoring law and order and paving the way for fresh elections.
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Taiwanese lawmakers brawl in parliament over controversial bills
By Yannis Tan
Taiwan’s lawmakers scuffled in chaotic disputes over controversial legislation on December 20.
The major opposition Kuomintang party and its allies have pushed for amendments to laws aimed at ousting elected officials, as well as those that concern the government budget and changes to the constitutional court.
The ruling Democratic People’s Party said in a statement the amendments could “cause significant and irreversible damage to Taiwan’s civil society and democratic system” and that the self-governed island’s “democratic self-checking and self-repairing mechanism will be gone”.
Beijing sees Taiwan as part of China to be reunited by force if necessary. Most countries, including the US, do not recognise Taiwan as an independent state, but Washington is opposed to any attempt to take the self-governed island by force and is committed to supplying it with weapons.
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By Yannis Tan
Taiwan’s lawmakers scuffled in chaotic disputes over controversial legislation on December 20.
The major opposition Kuomintang party and its allies have pushed for amendments to laws aimed at ousting elected officials, as well as those that concern the government budget and changes to the constitutional court.
The ruling Democratic People’s Party said in a statement the amendments could “cause significant and irreversible damage to Taiwan’s civil society and democratic system” and that the self-governed island’s “democratic self-checking and self-repairing mechanism will be gone”.
Beijing sees Taiwan as part of China to be reunited by force if necessary. Most countries, including the US, do not recognise Taiwan as an independent state, but Washington is opposed to any attempt to take the self-governed island by force and is committed to supplying it with weapons.
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Hong Kong restaurants expect Christmas boom thanks to Shenzhen visa change
By Cannix YauOscar Liu
Hong Kong’s beleaguered catering industry may enjoy a bumper Christmas as many restaurants are fully booked and a 10 per cent year-on-year rise in business is expected over the holiday, thanks to a revived multiple-entry visa scheme for Shenzhen residents.
Industry leaders said Hong Kong’s retail scene had been gaining momentum since the scheme, which allows Shenzhen residents to make an unlimited number of visits to the city within a year, resumed on December 1.
They added that the Hong Kong Brands and Products Expo, one of the city’s largest annual bazaars, had seen a 5 per cent increase in business last week due to the visa change. The fair in Victoria Park opened on December 14 and will run until January 6.
Simon Wong Ka-wo, president of the Hong Kong Federation of Restaurants and Related Trades, said outlets would enjoy a 10 per cent rise in business during the festive season compared with that of last year, owing to the visa scheme.
“The resumption of the scheme has recently triggered an uptick in the number of mainland tourists to Hong Kong, while the sentiment for local consumption is rising due to various discounts and promotions at eateries for the Christmas season,” he said.
“Many restaurants enjoy full bookings this Christmas, especially some famous outlets such as Michelin-star ones. A series of activities by the Tourism Board such as panda activities have boosted business. The vibes are really vibrant.”
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By Cannix YauOscar Liu
Hong Kong’s beleaguered catering industry may enjoy a bumper Christmas as many restaurants are fully booked and a 10 per cent year-on-year rise in business is expected over the holiday, thanks to a revived multiple-entry visa scheme for Shenzhen residents.
Industry leaders said Hong Kong’s retail scene had been gaining momentum since the scheme, which allows Shenzhen residents to make an unlimited number of visits to the city within a year, resumed on December 1.
They added that the Hong Kong Brands and Products Expo, one of the city’s largest annual bazaars, had seen a 5 per cent increase in business last week due to the visa change. The fair in Victoria Park opened on December 14 and will run until January 6.
Simon Wong Ka-wo, president of the Hong Kong Federation of Restaurants and Related Trades, said outlets would enjoy a 10 per cent rise in business during the festive season compared with that of last year, owing to the visa scheme.
“The resumption of the scheme has recently triggered an uptick in the number of mainland tourists to Hong Kong, while the sentiment for local consumption is rising due to various discounts and promotions at eateries for the Christmas season,” he said.
“Many restaurants enjoy full bookings this Christmas, especially some famous outlets such as Michelin-star ones. A series of activities by the Tourism Board such as panda activities have boosted business. The vibes are really vibrant.”
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Did South Korea’s Yoon use fortune-telling to plan his failed martial law bid?
By Park Chan-kyong
A retired intelligence chief arrested in connection with South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol’s failed martial law bid has come under the spotlight over allegations that he was also a fortune-teller who might have played a key role in the political fiasco.
Noh Sang-won, the former head of South Korea’s Army Intelligence Command, was taken into custody on charges of helping to orchestrate Yoon’s plan to declare martial law on December 3.
Noh was reportedly doubling as a fortune-teller while exploiting his extensive network in the military and government to meddle in military promotions and later intervened in the planning and imposition of the martial law decree.
Yoon and his wife, Kim Keon-hee, have long been dogged by allegations that they frequently consult fortune-tellers on key matters, ranging from relocating the presidential office and residence to selecting dates for official overseas trips.
This practice might have extended to the planning of the martial law decree, critics say.
“We cannot rule out the possibility that the date of the failed coup was chosen based on advice from fortune-tellers,” said Lee Jun-han, a political-science professor at Incheon National University.
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By Park Chan-kyong
A retired intelligence chief arrested in connection with South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol’s failed martial law bid has come under the spotlight over allegations that he was also a fortune-teller who might have played a key role in the political fiasco.
Noh Sang-won, the former head of South Korea’s Army Intelligence Command, was taken into custody on charges of helping to orchestrate Yoon’s plan to declare martial law on December 3.
Noh was reportedly doubling as a fortune-teller while exploiting his extensive network in the military and government to meddle in military promotions and later intervened in the planning and imposition of the martial law decree.
Yoon and his wife, Kim Keon-hee, have long been dogged by allegations that they frequently consult fortune-tellers on key matters, ranging from relocating the presidential office and residence to selecting dates for official overseas trips.
This practice might have extended to the planning of the martial law decree, critics say.
“We cannot rule out the possibility that the date of the failed coup was chosen based on advice from fortune-tellers,” said Lee Jun-han, a political-science professor at Incheon National University.
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One of the world’s most active volcanoes – Hawaii’s Kilauea – is erupting again
By Associated Press
Lava began bubbling on Monday through the crust of one of the world’s most active volcanoes – Kilauea, on Hawaii’s Big Island.
The eruption was confined to the volcano’s summit caldera, in a remote, closed area of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, the Hawaii Volcano Observatory reported.
Increased earthquake activity began at about 2am local time and within about half an hour webcam images began to show lava emerging through fissures in the caldera or spurting in fountains.
The most immediate threat was from volcanic smog that could reach homes downwind, the observatory said. Such “vog” contains sulphur dioxide and can worsen symptoms for people who have conditions like asthma, other respiratory issues or cardiovascular disease.
The area where the eruption is taking place has been closed to the public since 2007 because of hazards that include crater wall instability, ground cracking and rockfalls.
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park encompasses the summits of two of the world’s most active volcanoes: Kilauea and Mauna Loa. Kilauea also erupted in June and September.
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By Associated Press
Lava began bubbling on Monday through the crust of one of the world’s most active volcanoes – Kilauea, on Hawaii’s Big Island.
The eruption was confined to the volcano’s summit caldera, in a remote, closed area of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, the Hawaii Volcano Observatory reported.
Increased earthquake activity began at about 2am local time and within about half an hour webcam images began to show lava emerging through fissures in the caldera or spurting in fountains.
The most immediate threat was from volcanic smog that could reach homes downwind, the observatory said. Such “vog” contains sulphur dioxide and can worsen symptoms for people who have conditions like asthma, other respiratory issues or cardiovascular disease.
The area where the eruption is taking place has been closed to the public since 2007 because of hazards that include crater wall instability, ground cracking and rockfalls.
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park encompasses the summits of two of the world’s most active volcanoes: Kilauea and Mauna Loa. Kilauea also erupted in June and September.
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Saturday Night Live takes on New Jersey’s ‘mystery drones’ in skit starring Bowen Yang
By Tribune News Service
Bowen Yang has entered the ring for “mystery drone” commentary.
Over the weekend Yang, Saturday Night Live’s first Chinese-American comedian, appeared on the show’s “Weekend Update” segment dressed as one of the drones seen flying over New Jersey over the last month.
“What are you?” anchor Michael Che asked Yang, whose arms and shoulder blades were made to look like propellers. “No, see, we’re not going to do that,” Yang responded. “I know what I am – and I don’t have to explain myself to anyone at any time for any reason.”
The skit was part of SNL’s final episode of 2024. It was a nod to the series of drone sightings across the Northeast, and the FAA’s recent enactment of temporary flight restrictions over the state for the rest of the year.
“Who’s controlling you,” Che asked Yang’s drone character. “Who’s controlling you, Michael?” Yang responded. “People are like: ‘Is it a UFO? Is it a drone? Is it a promo for SNL 50?’ Meanwhile, I’m just minding my own business, hovering over people’s homes, maybe filming them.”
During the skit, Yang showed love for New Jersey – a rarity on the show that for years has made the Garden State the butt of its jokes, with past jabs at the state’s smell, residents’ appearances and past governors.
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By Tribune News Service
Bowen Yang has entered the ring for “mystery drone” commentary.
Over the weekend Yang, Saturday Night Live’s first Chinese-American comedian, appeared on the show’s “Weekend Update” segment dressed as one of the drones seen flying over New Jersey over the last month.
“What are you?” anchor Michael Che asked Yang, whose arms and shoulder blades were made to look like propellers. “No, see, we’re not going to do that,” Yang responded. “I know what I am – and I don’t have to explain myself to anyone at any time for any reason.”
The skit was part of SNL’s final episode of 2024. It was a nod to the series of drone sightings across the Northeast, and the FAA’s recent enactment of temporary flight restrictions over the state for the rest of the year.
“Who’s controlling you,” Che asked Yang’s drone character. “Who’s controlling you, Michael?” Yang responded. “People are like: ‘Is it a UFO? Is it a drone? Is it a promo for SNL 50?’ Meanwhile, I’m just minding my own business, hovering over people’s homes, maybe filming them.”
During the skit, Yang showed love for New Jersey – a rarity on the show that for years has made the Garden State the butt of its jokes, with past jabs at the state’s smell, residents’ appearances and past governors.
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Trump’s TikTok love raises stakes in battle over app’s fate
By Agence France-Presse
US president-elect Donald Trump’s repeated support for TikTok has sparked speculation about potential solutions to prevent the app’s impending ban in the United States, though the path forward remains unclear.
“We got to keep this sucker around for a little while,” Trump told supporters on Sunday, just days after meeting TikTok CEO Chew Shou Zi in Florida.
Trump, who credits the wildly popular platform with delivering him a large young user base, opposes banning TikTok partly because he believes it would primarily benefit Meta, the Mark Zuckerberg-led company behind Instagram and Facebook.
The situation is complex, according to University of Richmond School of Law professor Carl Tobias, given the various potential solutions and Trump’s unpredictable nature.
Congress overwhelmingly passed legislation, signed by US President Joe Biden in April, that would block TikTok from US app stores and web hosting services unless Beijing-based ByteDance sells its stake by January 19.
US officials and lawmakers grew wary of the potential for the Chinese government to influence ByteDance or access the data of TikTok’s American users.
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By Agence France-Presse
US president-elect Donald Trump’s repeated support for TikTok has sparked speculation about potential solutions to prevent the app’s impending ban in the United States, though the path forward remains unclear.
“We got to keep this sucker around for a little while,” Trump told supporters on Sunday, just days after meeting TikTok CEO Chew Shou Zi in Florida.
Trump, who credits the wildly popular platform with delivering him a large young user base, opposes banning TikTok partly because he believes it would primarily benefit Meta, the Mark Zuckerberg-led company behind Instagram and Facebook.
The situation is complex, according to University of Richmond School of Law professor Carl Tobias, given the various potential solutions and Trump’s unpredictable nature.
Congress overwhelmingly passed legislation, signed by US President Joe Biden in April, that would block TikTok from US app stores and web hosting services unless Beijing-based ByteDance sells its stake by January 19.
US officials and lawmakers grew wary of the potential for the Chinese government to influence ByteDance or access the data of TikTok’s American users.
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China’s massive solar rooftop roll-out gains traction, but grid struggles to keep pace
By Alice Li
Former construction contractor Gao Shouguang switched careers last year, abandoning the troubled property sector to become a solar panel distributor – and another example of China’s economic transition – in the southwestern Chinese megacity of Chongqing.
Gao and his team are busy every day, shuttling around the county where they are based to install rooftop solar panels on houses.
Mounted on steel frames, the gleaming striped panels absorb sunlight and generate electricity that can be sold to grid companies, while also shielding the house from rain and heat.
“Solar panels offer waterproofing and can help households earn additional income,” Gao said. “They’re becoming increasingly well-received by farmers.”
Installing solar panels on a typical 100 square metre (1,076 sq ft) rooftop costs more than 100,000 yuan (US$13,700), and that sees most residents opt to rent their rooftop space to solar panel distributors like Gao.
He offers them 25-year contracts that pay 15 yuan per panel a year, plus a first-year incentive payment of 50 yuan a panel. With each solar panel covering about three square metres, the owner of a 100 square metre rooftop can earn around 450 yuan a year.
Solar panel companies can earn an average of about 780 yuan a month by selling the electricity generated by those panels to grid companies, a technician at a power supply station in one Chongqing county said, adding that they purchase the electricity at about 0.39 yuan per kilowatt-hour and distribute it for local use.
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By Alice Li
Former construction contractor Gao Shouguang switched careers last year, abandoning the troubled property sector to become a solar panel distributor – and another example of China’s economic transition – in the southwestern Chinese megacity of Chongqing.
Gao and his team are busy every day, shuttling around the county where they are based to install rooftop solar panels on houses.
Mounted on steel frames, the gleaming striped panels absorb sunlight and generate electricity that can be sold to grid companies, while also shielding the house from rain and heat.
“Solar panels offer waterproofing and can help households earn additional income,” Gao said. “They’re becoming increasingly well-received by farmers.”
Installing solar panels on a typical 100 square metre (1,076 sq ft) rooftop costs more than 100,000 yuan (US$13,700), and that sees most residents opt to rent their rooftop space to solar panel distributors like Gao.
He offers them 25-year contracts that pay 15 yuan per panel a year, plus a first-year incentive payment of 50 yuan a panel. With each solar panel covering about three square metres, the owner of a 100 square metre rooftop can earn around 450 yuan a year.
Solar panel companies can earn an average of about 780 yuan a month by selling the electricity generated by those panels to grid companies, a technician at a power supply station in one Chongqing county said, adding that they purchase the electricity at about 0.39 yuan per kilowatt-hour and distribute it for local use.
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Chinese workers found in ‘slavery-like conditions’ at BYD construction site in Brazil
By Reuters
Brazilian officials found 163 Chinese nationals working in “slavery-like conditions” at a construction site for a factory owned by Chinese electric vehicle producer BYD in Brazil’s Bahia state, the local labour prosecutor’s office said during a news conference on Monday.
According to the authorities, the workers were hired in China by another firm and brought to Brazil irregularly. They were labouring for long hours, in excess of what is permitted by Brazilian law, sometimes for seven days a week straight, while being kept in what authorities described as degrading conditions in their accommodation, among other labour violations.
BYD did not immediately reply to a request for comment. The labour authorities did not disclose the names of the firms involved in hiring the workers.
In Brazil, “slavery-like conditions” include forced labour, but also covers debt bondage, degrading work conditions, long hours that pose a risk to workers’ health and any work that violates human dignity.
The workers had to request permission to leave their lodgings, and at least 107 also had their passports withheld by their employer, said labour inspector Liane Durao, adding that conditions at the work site were dangerous.
“We found that the work of … these 163 workers, was carried out in slavery-like conditions,” she said.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
By Reuters
Brazilian officials found 163 Chinese nationals working in “slavery-like conditions” at a construction site for a factory owned by Chinese electric vehicle producer BYD in Brazil’s Bahia state, the local labour prosecutor’s office said during a news conference on Monday.
According to the authorities, the workers were hired in China by another firm and brought to Brazil irregularly. They were labouring for long hours, in excess of what is permitted by Brazilian law, sometimes for seven days a week straight, while being kept in what authorities described as degrading conditions in their accommodation, among other labour violations.
BYD did not immediately reply to a request for comment. The labour authorities did not disclose the names of the firms involved in hiring the workers.
In Brazil, “slavery-like conditions” include forced labour, but also covers debt bondage, degrading work conditions, long hours that pose a risk to workers’ health and any work that violates human dignity.
The workers had to request permission to leave their lodgings, and at least 107 also had their passports withheld by their employer, said labour inspector Liane Durao, adding that conditions at the work site were dangerous.
“We found that the work of … these 163 workers, was carried out in slavery-like conditions,” she said.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
Besides the border, 4 issues obstruct warmer China-India ties
By Liu Zongyi
India and China took another step towards healthy and stable relations last week as India’s national security adviser Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held border talks in Beijing. It was the 23rd meeting between the countries’ special representatives under the established mechanism for border discussions – and the first to be held in five years.
Relations cooled after the deadly Galwan Valley clash in 2020, with Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar frequently critical of border affairs. The Wang-Doval meeting returns discussions over long-standing border issues back to the normal track.
Described as substantive and constructive, the meeting reflected a warming of Sino-India relations. Trust will need to be re-established and that will take time. Beyond border and bilateral relations, China and India can also improve mutual understanding and build trust by clarifying issues regarding the international order – on which they share similarities but also sharp differences.
First, the international order is undergoing a transformation. The driving forces are seen variously as the rise of the East and the decline of the West, or the rise of the South and the decline of the North. China has repeatedly referred to changes “not seen in a century”. Both China and India are part of this transformation.
Both see as unfair the international order led by the United States and western Europe. Like China, India is part of the Brics bloc (whose name comes from initial members Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa), which seeks to reshape global governance. India is also pushing for more equitable representation through reforms to the UN Security Council, including a seat for India – which permanent member China has publicly opposed.
In a September talk in New York, Jaishankar spoke of the “parallel rises of India and China”, which “present a very, very unique problem”. China, undeniably the biggest driving force behind the changing international order, hopes for a smooth transition. It stands as a major force in maintaining peace and stability, especially in the Asia-Pacific.
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By Liu Zongyi
India and China took another step towards healthy and stable relations last week as India’s national security adviser Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held border talks in Beijing. It was the 23rd meeting between the countries’ special representatives under the established mechanism for border discussions – and the first to be held in five years.
Relations cooled after the deadly Galwan Valley clash in 2020, with Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar frequently critical of border affairs. The Wang-Doval meeting returns discussions over long-standing border issues back to the normal track.
Described as substantive and constructive, the meeting reflected a warming of Sino-India relations. Trust will need to be re-established and that will take time. Beyond border and bilateral relations, China and India can also improve mutual understanding and build trust by clarifying issues regarding the international order – on which they share similarities but also sharp differences.
First, the international order is undergoing a transformation. The driving forces are seen variously as the rise of the East and the decline of the West, or the rise of the South and the decline of the North. China has repeatedly referred to changes “not seen in a century”. Both China and India are part of this transformation.
Both see as unfair the international order led by the United States and western Europe. Like China, India is part of the Brics bloc (whose name comes from initial members Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa), which seeks to reshape global governance. India is also pushing for more equitable representation through reforms to the UN Security Council, including a seat for India – which permanent member China has publicly opposed.
In a September talk in New York, Jaishankar spoke of the “parallel rises of India and China”, which “present a very, very unique problem”. China, undeniably the biggest driving force behind the changing international order, hopes for a smooth transition. It stands as a major force in maintaining peace and stability, especially in the Asia-Pacific.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
Israel for first time claims responsibility for Hamas leader’s assassination
By Reuters
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz admitted for the first time publicly to Israel’s killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran in July.
The admission further risks tensions between Tehran and its arch-enemy Israel in a region shaken by Israel’s war in Gaza and the conflict in Lebanon.
Meanwhile, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said it killed a high-ranking member of Hamas on Saturday. Tharewat al-Beik was the head of Hamas’ internal security department, which was also responsible for protecting the Hamas leadership.
According to local sources, however, al-Beik was the chairman of the government committee for the Legislative Council.
He was killed along with another important Hamas member when a rocket hit his car in Jabalia in northern Gaza.
Hamas has not confirmed the deaths.
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By Reuters
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz admitted for the first time publicly to Israel’s killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran in July.
The admission further risks tensions between Tehran and its arch-enemy Israel in a region shaken by Israel’s war in Gaza and the conflict in Lebanon.
Meanwhile, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said it killed a high-ranking member of Hamas on Saturday. Tharewat al-Beik was the head of Hamas’ internal security department, which was also responsible for protecting the Hamas leadership.
According to local sources, however, al-Beik was the chairman of the government committee for the Legislative Council.
He was killed along with another important Hamas member when a rocket hit his car in Jabalia in northern Gaza.
Hamas has not confirmed the deaths.
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Former Greek royal family expresses ‘deep emotion’ after regaining citizenship
By Associated Press
Members of Greece’s former royal family expressed “deep emotion” Monday at a decision to reinstate their Greek citizenship, ending a decades-old dispute with the country’s government.
Greece abolished the monarchy in a 1974 referendum and the former royal family was stripped of its citizenship two decades later during a dispute over the former royal estate that passed to state control.
In a decision published in the government gazette, dated Friday, citizenship was granted to 10 members of the former royal family. They include the five children of the late King Constantine II and former Queen Anne-Marie as well as to five of their grandchildren.
“It is with deep emotion that, after 30 years, we hold the Greek citizenship again. The law of 1994 deprived us of our citizenship, rendering us stateless with all that this entails in terms of individual rights and great emotional distress,” the former royal family said in a statement in Greek and English.
“Our father and our family fully respected the result of the 1974 referendum,” the statement said. “However, the provision of the 1994 law on citizenship, a result of the political status at the time, was not befitting of a former head of the Greek state and an institution that served the country faithfully. The passing of our father marked the end of an era.”
Constantine died last year at 82 having only returned to Greece in his 70s. He remained a controversial figure over claims that he failed to distance himself from heated political rivalries while he reigned as king between 1964 and 1973. He was ousted during a military dictatorship that collapsed the following year.
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By Associated Press
Members of Greece’s former royal family expressed “deep emotion” Monday at a decision to reinstate their Greek citizenship, ending a decades-old dispute with the country’s government.
Greece abolished the monarchy in a 1974 referendum and the former royal family was stripped of its citizenship two decades later during a dispute over the former royal estate that passed to state control.
In a decision published in the government gazette, dated Friday, citizenship was granted to 10 members of the former royal family. They include the five children of the late King Constantine II and former Queen Anne-Marie as well as to five of their grandchildren.
“It is with deep emotion that, after 30 years, we hold the Greek citizenship again. The law of 1994 deprived us of our citizenship, rendering us stateless with all that this entails in terms of individual rights and great emotional distress,” the former royal family said in a statement in Greek and English.
“Our father and our family fully respected the result of the 1974 referendum,” the statement said. “However, the provision of the 1994 law on citizenship, a result of the political status at the time, was not befitting of a former head of the Greek state and an institution that served the country faithfully. The passing of our father marked the end of an era.”
Constantine died last year at 82 having only returned to Greece in his 70s. He remained a controversial figure over claims that he failed to distance himself from heated political rivalries while he reigned as king between 1964 and 1973. He was ousted during a military dictatorship that collapsed the following year.
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