By Reuters  March 6, 2023 | 04:43pm GMT+7 A B-52 Stratofortress long-range bomber returns to RAF Fairford, England, after flying a sortie over Norway, March 28, 2019. Photo courtesy of Tessa B. Corrick/US Air Force/Handout via Reuters The US deployed a B-52 bomber for a joint drill with its ally South Korea on Monday, in a show of force against North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats, South Korea’s defense ministry said. B-52 bombers are capable of carrying nuclear weapons.The air drill came ahead of combined large-scale exercises including amphibious landings starting later this month.North Korea has traditionally called for those…
Author: Mike Harrison
The government has earmarked $140 billion that could include subsidizing the purchase of domestically produced chipmaking equipment, Reuters reported in December, likely benefiting manufacturers such as China’s sole semiconductor lithography specialist, Shanghai Micro Electronics Equipment Group (SMEE).The outlay was in response to the United States increasingly tightening export restrictions of chipmaking technology for fear it could be used to produce chips for applications such as artificial intelligence which could be used by China’s military.But money alone is not enough to catch Western rivals who are generations ahead. SMEE and local peers mainly sell to domestic chip foundries and the lack…
The models in the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show in 2018. Photo by Victoria’s Secret The renowned Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show is set to make a comeback this year with some changes in place. The lingerie brand announced during its 2022 earnings call on Friday that it’s seeking to revamp its Angel wings–filled production, which was once one of the most anticipated and watched shows in the world.”We’re going to continue to lean into the marketing spend to invest in the business and also to support the new version of our fashion show, which is to come later this year,” Victoria’s…
By Reuters  March 6, 2023 | 09:14am GMT+7 Japan’s coastguard said Monday it was searching for seven people missing after their boat capsized and was spotted in waters off the Tokyo-controlled Senkaku islets, which are also claimed by China. The overturned boat was spotted on Sunday afternoon, drifting in waters north of the islands by a Japanese navy patrol in the area, coastguard spokesman Keisuke Nakao told AFP.The crew are one Taiwanese and six Indonesians, he added. Senkaku islands. Map by AFP “We have been searching the area with patrol ships and helicopters since receiving the information at around 1:30…
By Reuters  March 6, 2023 | 09:13 am GMT+7 American soldiers received Muay Thai lessons from a champion fighter in Thailand during the annual multilateral “Cobra Gold” military drills hosted by the Asian nation. Soldiers took instruction and punched and kicked alongside Thai champion Sombat Banchamek, or Buakaw (White Lotus) as he is widely known in the country.”For every US soldier who came to train in Cobra Gold, they also want to exchange and study our culture regarding Muay Thai, which is our national art,” Buakaw said.The 42nd annual Cobra Gold exercises, a war games event, was attended by 7,394…
At least 20 such shows aired across the country’s cable TV networks and video streaming platforms last year, more than triple the number in 2021, according to a Reuters tally.There’s a plethora of shows matchmaking young single people, but also, notably, a growing number highlighting South Korea’s increasing acceptance of non-traditional relationships that don’t revolve around marriage and starting a family.”Living Together without Marriage,” for example, focuses on couples who have chosen not to tie the knot and “His Man” is one of two shows featuring LGBTQ people. Other shows throw the spotlight on divorced people searching for love again.The…
By Reuters  March 5, 2023 | 12:30 p.m. GMT+7 People cross a street near office towers in the Lujiazui financial district, ahead of the National People’s Congress (NPC), in Shanghai, China, February 28, 2023. Photo by Reuters/Aly Song China will deepen financial reform and improve its regulatory regime to guard against risks to the economy, and further open up to foreign investment, Premier Li Keqiang said on Sunday. The government will fend off risks for high-quality property firms and reduce the burden of interest payments for local governments, the outgoing premier said in his work report to the opening of…
By Reuters  March 5, 2023 | 12:30 p.m. GMT+7 A whale shark swims next to volunteer divers after they removed abandoned fishing net that was covering a coral reef in a protected area of Ko Losin, Thailand, June 19, 2021. Photo by Reuters/Jorge Silva Negotiators from more than 100 countries completed a UN treaty to protect the high seas on Saturday, a long-awaited step that environmental groups say will help reverse marine biodiversity losses and ensure sustainable development. The legally binding pact to conserve and ensure the sustainable use of ocean biodiversity, under discussion for 15 years, was finally agreed…
China’s gross domestic product (GDP) grew by just 3% last year, one of its worst showings in decades, squeezed by three years of Covid-19 restrictions, crisis in its vast property sector, a crackdown on private enterprise and weakening demand for Chinese exports.In his work report, outgoing Premier Li Keqiang stressed the need for economic stability and expanding consumption, setting a goal to create around 12 million urban jobs this year, up from last year’s target of at least 11 million, and warned that risks remain in the real estate sector.Li set a budget deficit target at 3.0% of GDP, widening…
The United States government recently released its National Cybersecurity Strategy, outlining the Biden administration’s plans to ensure a safe and secure cyberspace for Americans in the face of growing concerns online. The document described how China, Russia, Iran and North Korea are using technology to threaten US national security beyond internationally recognized standards. Given the threat posed by bad cyber actors, the 39-page strategy reaffirms the need for a more “deliberate, coordinated and well-resourced approach” to cybersecurity. Fundamental shifts With the latest strategy, the government wants small businesses, individuals and local governments not to worry about being the weakest link…