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The Bidens are a prop in Angel Reese’s personal branding campaign

LSU Lady Tigers forward Angel Reese (10) gestures to Iowa Hawkeyes guard Caitlin Clark (22) after the game during the final round of the Women’s Final Four NCAA tournament at the American Airlines Center.Kevin Jairaj In the world U.S. First Lady Jill Biden comes from – one of politics – sports are a lever. Whenever […]

IMF chief calls on central banks around the world to continue fighting inflation

International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva. Reuters File Washington, United States: Despite continued concerns about financial stability, central banks around the world should continue to fight inflation by raising interest rates, the chief of the International Monetary Fund told AFP on Thursday. Since last year, central banks have been hiking their benchmark lending rates […]

Data recap: LIC’s gains, Twitter blues, RIL loan, and more

Every Friday, Plain Facts publishes a compilation of data-based insights, complete with easy-to-read charts, to help you delve deeper into the stories reported by Mint in the week gone by. Two international agencies lowered their growth projections for India for 2023-24 this week. Twitter continued to hog the limelight over its new verification process. Meanwhile, […]

From Google Maps to Pokémon Go, John Hanke is programming the future

It’s not often you meet someone who’s genuinely changed the world, but that’s what happens the day I greet Niantic CEO John Hanke. Sipping his coffee alone in a gargantuan San Franciscan boardroom, I wonder whether the man on the other end of this Zoom call realises just how often people use his former company’s […]

Made-in-India iPhones increase as Apple shifts production from China

iPhones made in India increased in volume and value last year as Apple moved to shift some of its production away from China. In 2022, the shipment volumes of iPhones manufactured in India increased by 65 per cent year on year. Last year, Apple accounted for 25 per cent of the value of India’s total […]

Made-in-India iPhones increase as Apple shifts production from China

iPhones made in India increased in volume and value last year as Apple moved to shift some of its production away from China to diversify its supply chain, South China Morning Post reported. In 2022, the shipment volumes of iPhones manufactured in India increased by 65 per cent year on year. In addition, the value […]

China is launching a two-pronged attack on Bhutan and Arunachal-with strategic ‘lawfare’

Beijing isn’t hiding its plan to undermine India’s historical ties with Bhutan by alleging New Delhi’s ‘hegemonic’ sway over Thimphu. The storm started when Bhutanese Prime Minister Lotay Tshering told Belgian newspaper La Libre Belgique that China is a party to the Doklam tri–junction border dispute. In the interview, Tshering also brushed aside all concerns about Beijing constructing villages […]

China restraint on Taiwan shows Xi has bigger concerns right now

The Chinese president has several reasons to hold fire for the moment, even if he plans a more aggressive military response in the coming days. Bloomberg News Apr 6, 2023 – 3.09pm Beijing | After former US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi touched down in Taiwan last year, it took less than an hour for China […]

Ukraine diplomacy in focus amid planning for new offensive

Pavel Polityuk Apr 5, 2023 – 6.29pm Kyiv | A diplomatic effort to end the war in Ukraine was back in focus on Wednesday even as the US pledged more weapons to help Kyiv prepare for a counter-attack and Russian forces mounted relentless attacks in the frontline city of Bakhmut. After weathering a punishing, months […]

Which countries have banned TikTok? Australia bans use on government phones

A ustralia, the most recent country to take action against the Chinese-owned video app, banned TikTok on Tuesday (April 4) from all federal government-owned devices due to security concerns. The ban highlights rising concerns that China may utilise the Beijing-based business, which is owned by ByteDance Ltd, to collect user data for political purposes and jeopardise Western […]

Diners in Japan arrested for dipping own chopsticks in communal bowl of ginger

Japan’s crackdown on errant diners in the wake of “sushi terrorism” has intensified after two men were arrested for using their chopsticks to remove a condiment from a communal container at a restaurant in Osaka. The arrests of Toshihide Oka and Ryu Shimazu came as the country’s budget food service sector attempts to contain a […]

Japanese melon butter, where have you been all our lives? 【Taste Test】

Melon butter is here to make everything better.  With summer just around the corner, our taste buds are beginning to crave fruity cool sensations, and here to help is import food chain Kaldi, with a product called Melon Butter. Unlike a lot of their products, which are imported from a wide variety of countries, this […]

BurdaLuxury names new associate publisher for

BurdaLuxury, a subsidiary of Hubert Burda Media, has named Natasha Kraal (pictured) as its new associate publisher for BurdaLuxury Kuala Lumpur, effective immediately. In this role, Kraal will oversee the editorial and marketing strategy for the company’s brands in Malaysia such as Prestige, Lifestyle Asia, PIN Prestige, and Augustman. An industry veteran with over 25 years […]

Kevin McCarthy meets Taiwan president despite dire warnings from Beijing

Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy. Photo- Reuters Los Angeles: US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy sits down with Taiwan’s president on Wednesday for a highly symbolic meeting in California that has already prompted outrage and dire warnings from China. The meeting outside Los Angeles comes on what is technically a stopover for President Tsai Ing-wen, […]

Why French president Emmanuel Macron’s visit to China is significant

France’s Emmanuel Macron is heading to China. The French president, who last year drew fire from Western allies for a call not to ‘humiliate’ Russia in the backdrop of its war with Ukraine, faces a delicate balancing act in Beijing. Let’s take a closer look at what we can expect from Macron’s visit: Macron is […]

Wrestling in mourning as beloved Hall of Famer Bushwhacker Butch dies aged 78

The pro-wrestling world is in mourning after the death of beloved Hall of Famer ‘Bushwhacker Butch’. The sad news was confirmed by Bushwhacker Butch’s longtime tag-team partner, Bushwhacker Luke, in an emotional Facebook post. WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Dangerfield hits back at critics after Geelong’s horror start to 2023. Watch the latest sport on Channel […]

Esquire turns back on decision to exit

Hearst Magazines International will be relaunching men’s lifestyle magazine Esquire Singapore under a multi-year, multi-platform licensing agreement with Heart Media Group in Singapore. The news comes just about three months after the magazine revealed that it would be ceasing publication in Singapore with Media Publishares, and the last issue being its December 2022-January 2023 edition. During the […]

CNBC Daily Open: Oil is the Fed’s new problem

WASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 21: The Federal Reserve Headquarters are pictured on March 21, 2023 in Washington, DC. Kevin Dietsch | Getty Images News | Getty Images This report is from today’s CNBC Daily Open, our new, international markets newsletter. CNBC Daily Open brings investors up to speed on everything they need to know, no […]

Sanjyot Kheer: I Feel Food Is An Art And All Culinary Creations Are Beautiful

Sanjyot Keer is a renowned Indian chef, food stylist, and social media influencer. He is widely known for his popular food channel ‘Your Food Lab’ on YouTube, which has millions of subscribers. Sanjyot’s creative and innovative approach to cooking has earned him a massive following on social media platforms, including Instagram and Facebook. His food […]

Australia bans TikTok from federal government devices

CANBERRA – Australia has become the last of the “Five Eyes” security partners to ban the Chinese-owned video-sharing app TikTok from its federal government’s devices. Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus said in a statement Tuesday that based on intelligence and security agencies’ advice, that ban would come into effect “as soon as practicable.” The so-called Five Eyes […]

After New Zealand, Australia bans TikTok on official devices

Australia joined a long list of western countries banning TikTok on official devices today. Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus announced the move and said the prohibition will be implemented  “as soon as practicable.” In the announcement, Dreyfus said that the decision was taken “after receiving advice from intelligence and security agencies.” breaking: attorney-general Mark Dreyfus confirms a ban […]

Australia to ban TikTok on govt devices over security concerns

The Australian government said on Tuesday it will remove TikTok from all federal government-owned devices over security concerns, becoming the latest U.S. allied country to initiate action against the Chinese-owned video app. The move underscores growing worries that China’s government could use the Beijing-based company, owned by ByteDance Ltd, to harvest users’ data to advance […]

Japan likely to deploy long-range missiles to counter Chinese military threat

Representative image. AFP Tokyo: Japan’s Defence Ministry is highly likely to deploy Long-range missiles in the Nansei chain of islands in future to counter Chinese military activities. Japan, has recently established a Ground Self-Defense Force camp on Ishigaki Island last month, where all the high-level weapons including type-12 surface-to-ship batteries and other missile units were […]

TikTok lures Malaysian users with Raya

TikTok Malaysia has introduced its festive campaign with the hashtags #InspirasiRamadan and #InspirasiRaya to encourage the community to inspire each other through tips and tricks during the fasting month and document their Raya moments respectively. Users can draw inspiration from top creators in Malaysia as they challenge each other to share the best tips and […]

Five Chinese planes, four naval ships detected around Taiwan

Representational image. AP Taipei: Taiwan’s Defence Ministry detected 5 Chinese military aircraft and four naval ships around Taiwan between 6 a.m. on Sunday (April 2) and 6 am on Monday (April 3). Taking to Twitter, Taiwan’s Defence Ministry said, “5 PLA aircraft and 4 PLAN vessels around Taiwan were detected by 6 am (UTC+8) today. […]

TikTok banned on government devices, more social media laws considered

Apr 4, 2023 – 11.50am The Albanese government is banning Chinese-owned TikTok on government-issued devices as it mulls further measures to tackle national security concerns and protect the social media data of Australians. Australia joins its Five Eyes allies the US, Canada, New Zealand and United Kingdom in banning TikTok on government devices, and the […]