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Saudi Arabia to host 2027 Asian Cup, World Cup next?

Saudi Arabia’s minister of sports, Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Saud receives the certificate of hosting the 2027 AFC Asian Cup, during the 33rd AFC Congress. Reuters Saudi Arabia was confirmed as host of football’s 2027 Asian Cup on Wednesday, an expected prelude for a World Cup bid as the oil-rich kingdom spends big on […]

Republican U.S. lawmaker meets with TikTok, but unpersuaded

U.S. Republican Representative Mike Gallagher met with TikTok on Wednesday about the Chinese-owned short video app’s U.S. data security plans but still plans to seek to ban TikTok in the United States, a spokesperson for the lawmaker said. Gallagher, the Republican chair of a U.S. House of Representatives select committee on China, met with TikTok […]

Myanmar resistance steadfast against army rule 2 years later

BANGKOK – The prospects for peace in Myanmar, much less a return to democracy, seem dimmer than ever two years after the army seized power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, experts say. On Wednesday, legions of opponents of military rule heeded a call by protest organizers to stay home in what […]

VIRAL: Bangladeshi kid playing hide and seek reaches Malaysia

Unexpectedly, a 15-year-old Bangladeshi kid wound up 2,000 kilometers away in Malaysia after accidentally dozing off while playing hide and seek. The child decided to hide inside a shipping container while playing with his friends, according to the Daily Mail report. But because he was so exhausted, he dozed off and awoke six days later […]

iCET: India-US initiative to break down barriers to closer technology and defence cooperation

Washington: With the launch of the India-US initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET) by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and his American counterpart Jake Sullivan, experts believe the step will certainly break down barriers and foster ties in technology and bolster defence cooperation. National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and his US counterpart Jake Sullivan […]

Budget 2023-24 Expectations: Realise goals of NEP, push up gross enrolment ratio in higher education

Representational Image. News18 While online education has been around for some time now, the recent pandemic has greatly emphasised its value, attracting students’ and professionals’ attention and, indeed, even the government’s. The past two years have witnessed change—not just in the number of students accessing online learning but also in educational policy and curriculum delivery. […]

How Quark Henares adapted a viral Twitter thread into a dark comedy

SAN DIEGO, United States – I interviewed Quark Henares virtually while he was in snowy Park City, Utah. He was, surprisingly, wearing a thin, plain blue shirt, while I was in California, bundled up in multiple layers of clothing. Warmly received, though, was his film, Marupok AF (Where Is The Lie?), which premiered at the […]

Love it or hate it: Do you think the Nike X

Nike and Tiffany & Co.’s latest teaser has sent social media users into a frenzy. The brand officially released a statement saying that it will be launching its co-branded merchandise on 7 March 2023 with the star of the show being the Nike x Tiffany & Co. Air Force 1. Crafted in premium black suede […]

Journalists emphasize need for ‘person-to-person’ approach in fact checking

MANILA, Philippines – As disinformation continues to pervade social media platforms, journalists called on Filipinos to engage with families and peers in practicing fact-checking and being responsible with the content they consume and post online. During the launch of MovePH’s media and information literacy series on January 20, Rappler’s head of digital services Gemma Mendoza […]

Geopolitical challenges loom for WTA after Sabalenka’s Australian triumph

Aryna Sabalenka’s long-awaited confirmation as a Grand Slam champion and a corker of an Australian Open final were a welcome balm for the WTA as the women’s tour seeks to move on from a bruising loss of star power. Challenges lie ahead, however, as the circuit negotiates a tricky geopolitical landscape and a scheduling impasse […]

Hong Kong carriers forced to cancel 150 flights to Japan

New Delhi: At least 150 flights will be cancelled from Hong Kong to Japan in the coming month as the country continues to impose limits on planes from the city. According to a report in the South China Morning Post, Cathay Pacific and HK Express announced on Monday they would each scrap up to 15 […]

Air New Zealand passengers stranded in Singapore can board SQ flight to Auckland

SINGAPORE – Air New Zealand passengers stranded in Singapore can board a Singapore Airlines flight at 10:25pm on Tuesday to return to flood-ravaged Auckland, said the airlines’ spokesman, adding that about 100 seats are still available. Some 9,000 international passengers of Air New Zealand had their flights cancelled last weekend, after heavy floods forced the […]

US President Joe Biden to end COVID-19 emergencies on 11 May

Washington: President Joe Biden informed Congress on Monday that he will end the twin national emergencies for addressing COVID-19 on May 11, as most of the world has returned closer to normalcy nearly three years after they were first declared. The move to end the national emergency and public health emergency declarations would formally restructure […]

Russian embassy says North Korea lifted lockdown in capital

Russia’s embassy in North Korea says the country has eased stringent epidemic controls in capital Pyongyang that were placed during the past five days to slow the spread of respiratory illnesses. North Korea has not officially acknowledged a lockdown in Pyongyang or a re-emergence of COVID-19 after leader Kim Jong Un declared a widely disputed […]

Explained: Why the West has given Ukraine billions in military aid, but ignored Myanmar

Two years after Myanmar’s coup on 1 February 2021, the country’s large and growing resistance forces receive almost no attention outside the country. The democratic Opposition, fronted by the National Unity Government (NUG), but comprising many different groups, armies, militias and individuals, has also struggled to gain awareness, even for its substantial battlefield successes. And […]

What Keeps Apple Buoyant in Rough Tide

Listen to this story By the third quarter of last year, there were few places that tech could hide from the stock wipeout. Apple was one such rare haven among Big Tech that continued to outperform other mega-caps. By November, Apple’s valuation touched approximately USD 2.3 trillion and, albeit for a brief period, surpassed the […]

China rejects recognition of online learning, sends students back to Australia

FILE PHOTO: Students attend the University of Sydney open day in Sydney, Australia August 25, 2018. Reuters Sydney: Australia is preparing for the arrival of thousands of Chinese students, the education minister said on Monday, days after China’s education ministry warned students enrolled overseas that online learning would no longer be recognised. Australia’s education sector, […]

Japan to launch agency to deter spread of disinformation, fake news

Some analysts say Russia has employed such methods against Ukraine and that China has done so against Taiwan. Disinformation has become a rampant problem in the digital age, experts said. Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Matsuno Hirokazu said spreading fake information not only threatens universal values but could also affect security, reported National broadcaster NHK. The […]

Asian stocks sink as Fed week begins, China reopens strong

Investing.com — Most Asian stock markets sank on Monday as caution kicked in ahead of a Federal Reserve meeting and key economic data this week, while Chinese shares rose sharply as they resumed trade after a week-long holiday. China’s Shanghai Shenzhen CSI 300 and Shanghai Composite indexes rose 1.2% and 0.7%, respectively, with markets betting that […]

Baidu reportedly mulls launching ChatGPT-style

China’s largest search engine company Baidu is reportedly planning to launch an artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot service that is similar to OpenAI’s popular platform ChatGPT, according to Bloomberg.  Debuting in March, the application will be initially embedded it into its main search services, according to the report. The tool will allow users to conversation-style search results […]

Mongolian president vetoes controversial social media law

MANILA, Philippines – In a press conference on Monday morning, January 30, a spokesperson for Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh announced he has decided to veto a controversial “law to protect human rights on social networks” that was hastily passed by parliament on January 20. The veto means that the law, which – despite its avowed […]

Will Kenya approve the ‘right to disconnect’?

Dear Quartz Africa readers, In her memoir, This child will be great, Africa’s first democratically elected female president, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia writes, “The root cause of conflict is not simply poverty but poverty brought on by exclusion. Exclusion in its broadest context: exclusion from resources, from power, from education and information, from the […]

Budget 2023: Fintech should be given infrastructure industry and priority status

Representational image. Moneycontrol In the upcoming Union Budget, I hope the government gives the fintech sector an ‘infrastructure industry’ status which will open a venue for fintech players to raise funds from various sources, including government infrastructure schemes, banks, and other international lenders, on being a priority sector. Why fintech requires heavy investment Fintech sounds […]

India needs a ‘milletary’ approach to address malnutrition and water scarcity

Millets are often undermined as meals in India. Image courtesy New18 Hindi Dr Khadar Vali is one of the many ‘unsung heroes’ in the list of Padma Shri awardees this year. Though the agricultural scientist is referred to as India’s Millet Man, both he and the cause that he espouses—Siridhanya or ‘positive millets’—remain relatively under-appreciated […]