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Death and fire in Myanmar’s hidden war

More than 6,000 civilians have been killed in Myanmar since February 2021, including 2,580 in the last 12 months. There have also been over 700 fires in the country from June 2021 to January 2023 – more than one every day – with many thought to have been started by the Myanmar military as a […]

TikTok Music Streaming Service Expands to Mexico, Australia, Singapore

Shortly after its initial official launch, TikTok Music is already in expansion mode. The new app, which is a full-catalog subscription music streaming service that ties into a user’s TikTok account, is launching in three additional countries: Mexico, Australia and Singapore, the company announced today (July 18). The announcement comes just two weeks after the […]

Commercial real estate may not recover until 2040

Good morning. I wrote yesterday about the declining pessimism (or growing optimism) among CEOs about the economic outlook. But it’s worth noting one large dark cloud hanging over that outlook: commercial real estate.  Here’s the problem: office occupancy rates today in many cities are at about 50% of their pre-pandemic levels. And interest rates are up substantially—the […]

How to properly eat a traditional Japanese tonkatsu meal

A lesson in etiquette to help guide you through the way of the tonkatsu. There are a number of popular restaurant chains that serve up a good tonkatsu (fried pork cutlet) in Japan. However, for our reporter Mr Sato, the best of them all is Shinjuku Saboten, a nationwide chain that has over 50 years […]

In squeaky-clean Singapore, two political dramas raise questions

SINGAPORE, July 18 (Reuters) – Singapore’s ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) has long prided itself on its high ethical standards but two political entanglements within a week have some wondering if the party’s reputation of “whiter than white” stands. Within days, Singaporeans were shocked to be told that the transport minister had been arrested in […]

Malaysia charges opposition leader with sedition over remarks on royalty

KUALA LUMPUR, July 18 (Reuters) – Malaysia on Tuesday charged opposition leader Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor with sedition for allegedly insulting the country’s revered sultans, state media Bernama reported. Muhammad Sanusi, a popular politician with the Islamist party PAS and the chief minister of Kedah state, has pleaded not guilty, according to the report, which […]

Apple’s iPhone 15 may come in new pink color

The Apple iPhone 15 is just around the corner, and new reports claim the phone could land in pink. The company has shown an interest in diversifying its color lineup in recent years, and launching an iPhone 15 in pink may not be far-fetched. The news comes on the heels of a tweet by leaker […]

Google withholds AI chatbot as Meta runs ads opposing new Canadian law

Tech companies are continuing to push back on the Liberal government over its Online News Act, with Google withholding its new artificial-intelligence chatbot from Canada and Meta running ads opposing the law. A Google spokesman said the company is working through regulatory uncertainty in Canada related to Bard, an AI-driven online conversational tool seen as […]

Google withholds AI chatbot as Meta runs ads opposing Bill C-18

Tech companies are continuing to push back on the Liberal government over its Online News Act, with Google GOOGL-Q withholding its new artificial-intelligence chatbot from Canada and Meta META-Q running ads opposing the law. A Google spokesman said the company is working through regulatory uncertainty in Canada related to Bard, an AI-driven online conversational tool […]

Online News Act: Google withholds AI chatbot as Meta runs ads opposing new law

OTTAWA — Tech companies are continuing to push back on the Liberal government over its Online News Act, with Google withholding its new artificial-intelligence chatbot from Canada and Meta running ads opposing the law. A Google spokesman said the company is working through regulatory uncertainty in Canada related to Bard, an AI-driven online conversational tool […]

Denise O’Sullivan sheds moonboot and returns to training ahead of World Cup opener

There is cautious optimism that Denise O’Sullivan will start for the Republic of Ireland against Australia in the World Cup opener at the Olympic stadium in Sydney this Thursday. O’Sullivan returned to training on Monday, beginning her tentative build-up to running at least one day before Group B kicks-off at 11am Irish time. The 29-year-old […]

Typhoon Talim expected to smash into China late Monday

BEIJING, July 17 (Reuters) – Talim continued to gain power after strengthening into a typhoon early on Monday and is set to be the first to make landfall in China this year, prompting authorities to cancel flights, suspend high-speed trains and order people to stay at home. The China Meteorological Administration said the typhoon was […]

Sports happenings in Singapore (10-16 Jul)

(From left) Singapore youth bowlers Ning Tay and Colleen Pee at the Asian Youth Tenpin Bowling Championships, boccia athletes Aloysius Gan and Yan Jia Yi at the World Boccia Youth Championships, and shuttler Loh Kean Yew with a recipient of the SOF-Peter Lim Scholarship. (PHOTOS: Singapore Bowling Federation/Singapore Disability Sports Council/Singapore Olympic Foundation) SINGAPORE — […]

Kapit kamay or imitation? The debate about holding hands during the ‘Our Father’

MANILA, Philippines – For many Filipino Catholics, raising or holding hands while singing the “Our Father” or the Lord’s Prayer is among the more tender, heartfelt–at times, awkward–parts of the Mass. But did you know that a debate on the practice’s appropriateness has been ongoing among church insiders? This debate prompted the Catholic Bishops Conference […]

Once sneered at, it seems emojis are having the last laugh

There have been plenty of, shall we say, unusual or eye-raising legal decisions around technology. Such is the way when a massive industry, if one can reduce “technology” to the singular, which we can’t, utterly changes the way we live (or the way we die, which, according to former Google engineer Ray Kurzweil, may not […]

Appeals court denies FTC bid to pause Microsoft purchase of Activision

A federal appeals court denied the Federal Trade Commission’s request to temporarily stop Microsoft (MSFT) from closing its acquisition of video game maker Activision Blizzard (ATVI), removing one of the last hurdles to completing the $69 billion deal. The decision made by a three-judge panel for the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals upholds a ruling by […]

Appeals court denies FTC bid to pause Microsoft purchase of Activision

A federal appeals court denied the Federal Trade Commission’s request to temporarily stop Microsoft (MSFT) from closing its acquisition of video game maker Activision Blizzard (ATVI), removing one of the last hurdles to completing the $69 billion deal. The decision made by a three-judge panel for the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals upholds a ruling by […]

TikTok gave Ottawa ‘false’ reassurances: Intelligence report

OTTAWA—An intelligence brief obtained by the Star suggests the federal government was warned TikTok misled the public and governments about its data harvesting and security practices months before Ottawa banned the app from federal devices. The detail comes from a document prepared by the Privy Council Office’s Intelligence Assessment Secretariat, which compiled a brief for […]

Mysterious light above east coast actually India’s Chandrayaan-3 moon landing mission

A mysterious bright object in the clear night skies above Australia‘s east coast stunned sky gazers on Friday night. Sightings were reported from the Northern Territory, Queensland and New South Wales, but despite some theories it was of extraterrestrial origin, the object was actually launched from India. WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Australians stunned by a […]

World Para Athletics Championships: Sammi Kinghorn secures T53 100m world gold

Venue: Charlety Stadium, Paris Dates: 8-17 July Coverage: Daily reports across BBC Sport British wheelchair racer Sammi Kinghorn hailed the “incredible feeling” of claiming gold after her T53 100m win at the Para Athletics World Championships. The 27-year-old Scot, who won 800m silver on Tuesday, secured her third career world title in a championship record […]