Philippines’ Pax Silica AI hub plan slammed for mineral ‘plunder’

Protesters hold a rally against the US-led Pax Silica project and defence deals between the US and the Philippines in Manila on July 4. Photo: EPA

On a 1,620-hectare (4,000 acres) site north of Manila, Philippine and US officials are pitching a hi-tech hub as a global gateway to AI , semiconductors and critical minerals.
For critics, however, the proposed development – part of the US-backed global Pax Silica project – is concrete proof of another

Rescuers in southwest China race extreme weather to reach residents trapped by landslide

Hundreds of rescuers are racing against incoming thunderstorms in southwestern China after a landslide struck Chongqing’s Pengshui county on Friday morning, destroying buildings and leaving residents trapped under mud and debris.

The disaster is among several brought about by heavy rainfall and extreme weather to hit parts of China in recent weeks, and has resulted in senior rescue officials being sent to the scene from Beijing.
Chongqing landslide traps dozens

Local community officials in Hanjia subdistrict of Chongqing’s Pengshui Miao and Tujia autonomous county, witnessed sporadic rockfalls and issued an emergency

A social media video taken in Chongqing shows people away from a cloud of dust rising as buildings collapse due to a landslide. Photo: social media via Reuters

US-China AI rivalry becomes a battle to export competing tech governance visions

Will the world choose Washington’s market-driven approach or Beijing’s open-source model that aims to be accessible and safe?

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President Xi Jinping joins attendees for a group photo before the opening ceremony of the World AI Conference in China on Friday. Photo: Reuters

The global race for artificial intelligence has transformed into a direct contest of governance, with the United States and China actively exporting rival models of technology, funding and regulation to the rest of the world.
In the West African state of Burkina Faso , dozens of young people

Hong Kong passes bill for Huanggang ‘co-location’ arrangement

The redeveloped Huanggang border crossing building is located in Shenzhen. Photo: Edmond So
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Xi Jinping warns against creating ‘new historical injustices’ in AI era

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives for a group photo with other attendees before the opening ceremony for the World AI Conference in Shanghai on Friday. Photo: AP

Sylvia Ma in Shanghai and Howard Liu in Beijing

President Xi Jinping warned against creating “new historical injustices” in the era of artificial intelligence on Friday, calling for greater support for the technology’s use and adoption in the Global South and a more open, inclusive approach to AI development.

Addressing the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai, Xi

Is Europe’s anti-missile project with Ukraine ‘insurance’ against unpredictable US?

Europe is ‘quietly planning for the day it might have to stand on its own’ while aligning with US calls to do more on defence, analysts say

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French President Emmanuel Macron hugs Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky after the annual Bastille Day military parade in Paris on Tuesday. Zelensky has pressed European allies to boost Kyiv’s air defences before winter. Photo: AFP

A new European anti-missile coalition with Ukraine is more of a strategic “insurance” policy rather than a break with Washington, according to analysts, as Europe prepares for a less predictable US security role.

On Monday, 10 European nations –


Boy, 14, arrested after allegedly knocking classmate unconscious

The injured classmate was taken to Tuen Mun Hospital. Photo: Jelly Tse

Hong Kong police have arrested a 14-year-old boy on suspicion of wounding for allegedly shoving a classmate who was later sent to hospital.

The force said on Friday that the boy was arrested on suspicion of wounding on Monday after an in-depth investigation.

The teenager was subsequently released on bail pending further investigation and was required to report to police in late July, it added.

The suspect was arrested in connection with a report


China and UAE cross-border QR payment link to boost the global yuan

Bank of China (BOC) will act as the exclusive clearing bank for Jaywan, the UAE’s national debit card. Photo: Handout

In the latest move to bypass Western-dominated financial systems and step up the internationalisation of the yuan , China is linking its retail payment networks with the United Arab Emirates.
Users will soon be able to use domestic mobile apps to scan QR codes and make payments in either country, under a recent agreement between state-owned Bank of China (BOC) , UnionPay International, and the UAE central bank’s subsidiary Al Etihad Payments.


Trump’s China election-interference claims spark scapegoat fears among Asian-Americans

US President Donald Trump is pictured after delivering an address to the nation from the East Room of the White House in Washington on July 16. Some US networks, such as ABC and NBC, chose not to broadcast the speech live. Photo: Pool/AFP

Han Li in Washington, DC , Nayan Seth and William Zheng in Hong Kong

President Donald Trump’s allegations of US election manipulation by China have triggered concern among Chinese-American community leaders and citizens, some of whom fear they will be targeted as “scapegoats” if the midterm election results are deemed unsatisfactory by the White House.
In a fiery prime-time

Chinese Nvidia alternatives project massive sales as AI chip demand surges

Moore Threads, a GPU start-up founded in 2020, is now one of China’s most closely watched semiconductor players. Photo: Moore Threads

Chinese chip designers Moore Threads Technology and Hygon Information Technology – both positioning themselves as home-grown alternatives to Nvidia – have projected double- to triple-digit revenue growth for the first half of the year, fuelled by surging domestic demand for AI computing power.

Beijing-based Moore Threads , a graphics processing unit (GPU) developer, stated in a stock exchange filing on Thursday that it expected revenue for the period to jump 135