Month: February 2024

China’s Communist Party orders cells to make Xi Jinping Thought a priority, cadres must study president’s speeches

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China’s ruling Communist Party is making the study of President Xi Jinping’s political thoughts a top priority for all party cells across the country, ordering them to conduct regular sessions to learn his speeches and instructions. The general office of the party’s decision-making Central Committee issued a notice to all party organs across China on Wednesday, detailing compulsory learning activities to be conducted regularly in the latest bid to embed the Chinese leader’s doctrine into the minds of more than 98 million party members and cadres. The document came less…

Alibaba’s cloud computing unit cuts prices on 100 core products in China to capture more users involved in AI development projects

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Alibaba Group Holding’s cloud computing unit has cut prices by up to 55 per cent on more than 100 core products – the largest discount offering in the company’s history – to attract more enterprises and software developers as users in mainland China, as the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) picks up steam across various industries. This new campaign, which offers an average 20 per cent reduction in prices, took effect on Thursday and includes the unit’s elastic compute service (ECS), object storage service (OSS) and database product categories, Alibaba…

Myanmar junta kills 12 after firing into crowded market

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Junta shelling of a crowded market in western Myanmar killed 12 people and critically injured 18 more on Thursday morning, rescue workers told Radio Free Asia. A junta battalion on a nearby road fired indiscriminately into a marketplace in Rakhine state’s capital of Sittwe during the busiest time of day, locals said. Sittwe has become a disputed territory since a rebel group, the Arakan Army, captured surrounding junta camps and seized six townships across Rakhine state. In early February, the Arakan Army demanded junta troops in Sittwe surrender before their…

Russia hails Pyongyang for supporting its war against Ukraine

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Russia has expressed its gratitude to North Korea again for supporting its aggression against Ukraine in a show of solidarity as fresh claims of arms trading between the two authoritarian regimes emerged.  “We are pleased that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is standing with us at the forefront of this struggle,” the Russian Embassy in Pyongyang said in a Facebook post on Feb. 29, to update developments in Ukraine. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is North Korea’s official name.  “The United States and its puppets are responsible for…

US Investigating Potential Security Threats From Connected Cars

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The United States announced Thursday it is launching an investigation into potential security threats posed by connected vehicles that utilize technology from countries of concern such as China. U.S. President Joe Biden said he is directing the Commerce Department to lead the probe and determine what actions may be necessary to ensure that cars driving on U.S. roads do not undermine the country’s national security. “Most cars these days are ‘connected’ – they are like smart phones on wheels,” Biden said in a statement. “These cars are connected to our…

Drones, Snake Robot Enter Wrecked Japan Nuclear Reactor

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TOKYO —  Japan sent on Thursday two mini-drones and a “snake-shaped robot” into one of three nuclear reactors at the Fukushima plant crippled by a tsunami in 2011, the facility’s operator said. The gadgets were deployed in preparation for the removal of hundreds of tons of highly radioactive fuel and rubble, a risky operation expected to take decades. “We sent two drones yesterday and two drones today,” in addition to the “snake-shaped robot” on Thursday, a spokesman for Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO) told AFP. Since the interior is “cramped and…

Taiwan thanks Tuvalu’s new government for retaining diplomatic ties

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“[Tuvalu] intends to reassess options that would strengthen and lift it to a more durable, lasting, and mutually beneficial relationship.” In response, Taiwan’s foreign ministry thanked the Teo government for its continued support of Taipei and pledged to further cement ties with the Pacific Island nation. It said the two sides had maintained vibrant ties for 45 years and cooperated in multiple areas based on universal values such as democracy, freedom, and the rule of law. “We will seek to deepen our ties with Tuvalu in the years to come,”…

Joe Biden says Chinese smart cars could pose US security threat

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Stay informed with free updates Simply sign up to the Electric vehicles myFT Digest — delivered directly to your inbox. Joe Biden has ordered an investigation into whether Chinese “connected” vehicles, including electric cars, pose a security risk to Americans, as he tries to prevent China from flooding the US market. The US president directed his commerce department to determine what measures his administration should take to prevent China from undermining national security through the export of “connected” vehicles. He said the “unprecedented” move was designed to ensure America maintained…

US to investigate whether Chinese ‘connected’ cars are security risk

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Stay informed with free updates Simply sign up to the Electric vehicles myFT Digest — delivered directly to your inbox. Joe Biden has ordered an investigation into whether Chinese “connected” vehicles, including electric cars, pose a security risk to Americans, as he tries to prevent China from flooding the US market. The US president directed his commerce department to determine what measures his administration should take to prevent China from undermining national security through the export of “connected” vehicles. He said the “unprecedented” move was designed to ensure America maintained…

‘Two sessions’ 2024: China signals more fiscal pump-priming for the economy

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The Politburo, the party’s primary decision-making body, also vowed to improve the consistency of policies and make the policy environment “transparent and predictable” during their gathering on Thursday, according to a statement issued by the state-run Xinhua news agency. The message comes amid lingering weak expectations about the business climate of the world’s second largest economy. South China Morning Post