Father-of-2 labours as a decorator by day and a chauffeur by night to make 7 deprived kids’ lives better
Big-hearted Chinese man holds down two jobs for nearly a decade so he can provide for his own family – and seven more disadvantaged children. ⌘ Read more
Chinese PLA’s invasion of Taiwan: at hand or too costly to consider?
Taiwan’s rough terrain, heavily fortified islet outposts and Beijing’s own concerns about mass casualties and image might deter assault, say experts ⌘ Read more
Japan’s new tougher cyberbullying laws prompted after Hana Kimura’s suicide sparks free speech debate
Anyone convicted of using abusive language to insult a person in a public setting, including online, now face up to one year behind bars or a fine of up to US$2,236. Previously, a conviction could have led to a maximum prison term of 30 days or a fine of US$75. ⌘ Read more
Ukrainians threaten to destroy Russian bridge to Crimea ‘target number one’
Ukraine appeared to threaten to target a key Russian bridge across the Kerch Strait to Crimea by publishing details of its construction. ⌘ Read more
Why Ukraine’s request to join is big test for EU
The European Commission will meet Friday to give its fast-tracked opinion on Ukraine’s bid for EU candidacy, a step closer to membership for the country. ⌘ Read more
Coronavirus: crackdown under way on patrons, operators in Hong Kong nightlife sector to enforce new rapid-test rule at bars and clubs
Food and Environmental Hygiene Department director urges businesses not to provide test kits at the door for customers, after reports surface of such acts. ⌘ Read more
Explosion at pesticide firm in northwestern China leaves at least 8 hurt and 6 missing, cause still unknown
More than 300 fire and rescue personnel and 47 rescue vehicles were sent to the scene of the explosion in the Lanzhou company’s sewage treatment workshop. ⌘ Read more
Malaysia’s economic challenge shows how politics has become a bottleneck for growth
Even as emerging market economies like Malaysia grapple with the repercussions of the pandemic and Ukraine war, they tend to put off the more difficult structural adjustments necessary for growth. In Malaysia, meagre private-sector investments stems from a lack of confidence in government policies. ⌘ Read more
China launches Fujian, PLA Navy’s 3rd aircraft carrier
After at least two delays, the Type 003 warship has left the Jiangnan shipyard in Shanghai, according to Chinese state media. ⌘ Read more
New railway completes 2,700km loop of Taklamakan Desert in move to integrate Xinjiang with rest of China
China State Railway Group says new 825km Hotan-Ruoqiang railway will ‘play a role in boosting ethnic unity, strengthening national defence’. ⌘ Read more
Thai influencers charged with royal insult over Lazada adverts
Criticism of the monarchy is taboo in Thailand, where King Maha Vajiralongkorn and his close family are protected by some of the world’s toughest royal insult laws, with each charge carrying a prison term of up to 15 years. ⌘ Read more
How Hong Kong’s ‘Covid-19 heroes’ rose to the challenges they faced
The Post talks to some of Hong Kong’s ‘Covid-19 heroes’, people who have risen to the challenges thrown at them by the virus over the past two years. ⌘ Read more
South Korea and Japan look to move forward and ‘normalise’ information-sharing by keeping their tense history in the past
South Korea’s Foreign Minister Park Jin wants to settle old disputes and revive a military information agreement thought to have lost steam under Seoul’s previous government. ⌘ Read more
China’s beauty slimness obsession highlighted after woman’s weight drops to 25kg in a year with multiple organ failure and refuses treatment
In a culture that views thinness as the epitome of female beauty the case of a Chinese woman with anorexia nervosa ignoring medical advice spurs debate about beauty standards in China. ⌘ Read more
Soaring interest rates: Hong Kong’s new mortgage borrowers and highly leveraged buyers are most at risk in the property market
Topping off the higher rates is a bulging pipeline of new flats – estimated at 12,646 in 2022 by JLL – waiting to find buyers. ⌘ Read more
Hong Kong’s biggest health crisis in 25 years: why did city stumble over Covid-19? Experts say it was too slow to change tactics, inflexible, put politics first
Insistence on ‘zero infections’ left authorities unable to act swiftly when Omicron variant of coronavirus arrived, experts say. ⌘ Read more
Red Line Through HTTPS
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Omicron less likely to cause long Covid, UK study finds
But despite the reduced risk, more people have been infected with the variant, meaning the number of patients with lingering symptoms has actually increased. ⌘ Read more
Protests and pandemic will be Carrie Lam’s legacy, but she deserves to be remembered for much more
While the focus as Lam concludes her term will no doubt be on her toughest moments, they shouldn’t define her leadership. Lam has been a champion of art, innovation and heritage conservation, and has taken on seemingly intractable issues like housing and waste management. ⌘ Read more
Release Radar · May 2022 Edition
Each month, we highlight open source projects that have shipped major updates. These projects can include everything from world-changing technology to developer tooling, and weekend hobbies. We cover what the project is and some of their breaking changes. Read about the project, and browse their repositories. Without further ado, here are our top staff picks […] ⌘ Read more
China’s youth league to tackle graduate job pressure with advice, aid and a chance to ‘toughen’ up
As concern grows about the labour market, China’s Communist Youth League says it will help at least 100,000 graduates find jobs this year, including through volunteer missions to impoverished regions. ⌘ Read more
White House adviser calls relationship with India ‘most important for the United States’
Kurt Campbell, US President Joe Biden’s Indo-Pacific adviser, discusses plans to offer more security guarantees to New Delhi and also hints at developments in the Aukus pact. ⌘ Read more
Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport to cut flights over busy summer
Thousands of travellers are likely to be affected each day, as the Netherland’s busiest airport struggles with a surge in demand as the Covid-19 demand eases. ⌘ Read more
Why is China’s inflation rate low compared to the US, Europe and Britain?
Global inflation is soaring, reaching a 40-year high in the US, thanks to sky-high food and energy prices that have been exacerbated by the war in Ukraine. Why is it a different story in China? ⌘ Read more
Nicholas Burns, US ambassador to China, stresses need to find common ground amid tense relations
Nicholas Burns also counters the claim that US policy is designed to keep China down and prevent it from developing. ‘The evidence doesn’t bear that out,’ he says ⌘ Read more
Can polar bears survive climate change? Scientists see hopeful signs with discovery of new group
The species is threatened by the loss of sea ice, but an isolated population found in Greenland suggests they could change their hunting practices to adapt. ⌘ Read more
US security adviser says hard line on Russia is needed to dissuade China from similar moves
National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan says an unchallenged invasion of Ukraine would embolden ‘other would-be aggressors, like China’. ⌘ Read more
The Android kernel mitigations obstacle race
In this post I’ll exploit CVE-2022-22057, a use-after-free in the Qualcomm gpu kernel driver, to gain root and disable SELinux from the untrusted app sandbox on a Samsung Z flip 3. I’ll look at various mitigations that are implemented on modern Android devices and how they affect the exploit. ⌘ Read more
Who can fill the shoes of China’s Iron Lady Sun Chunlan on Politburo?
For two years she has ruled the country’s Covid-19 response with an iron fist, but at 72 the vice-premier is expected to step down at this year’s party congress. ⌘ Read more
WTO talks down to the wire with no major deals yet in sight, India holds its ground
First meeting for four years wrapped up without solutions to issues such as food security, overfishing and access to Covid vaccines. India said it was a voice for developing countries resisting high-handed Western demands. ⌘ Read more
Western-style democracy behind wars, chaos and human misery, Chinese president tells top officials
Some Western nations use democracy and human rights as a pretext to meddle overseas, Xi Jinping told Politburo study session in February. ⌘ Read more
Chinese scientists take ‘important step’ in stem cell therapy to treat Parkinson’s disease
Chinese Academy of Sciences team discovered a new technique they say improved efficacy and safety in study on mice. ⌘ Read more
US, China economic policies like night and day as Fed pushes interest rate skyward and PBOC eyes stabilisation
As the US Federal Reserve announces the largest hike to its benchmark interest rate in 28 years, China is pushing for stabilisation and shying away from headline rate reductions to stimulate the economy. ⌘ Read more
Incoming Hong Kong leader John Lee relies mostly on incumbent officials to fill ranks of his governing team
Among 21 principal officials tipped to be recruited by Lee, only six not from current administration. ⌘ Read more
Hong Kong courts propose remote hearings for certain criminal trials, punishments for recording or broadcasting sessions
Consultation paper by city’s judiciary suggests expanding use of remote hearings beyond civil cases, with proposed bill open to public input until September 22. ⌘ Read more
Taiwan admits paying American lobbyists to help establish closer US ties amid rising pressure from Beijing
Island’s foreign ministry says it hired PR firms to help US government and others ‘have a better understanding of Taiwan’, saying lobbying transparency is key. ⌘ Read more
Amazon, Cartier slap Chinese social media influencer, 8 others with lawsuits over trademark infringement, false advertising
The legal action reflects more signs of trouble for merchants belonging to the ‘made in China, sold on Amazon’ community. ⌘ Read more
ProcessOne: Announcing ejabberd DEB and RPM Repositories
Today, we are happy to announce our official Linux packages repository: a source of .deb and .rpm packages for ejabberd Community Server. This repository provides a new way for the community to install and upgrade ejabberd.
All details on how to set this up are described on the dedicated website:
 raised the city’s base rate by 75 basis points to 2 per cent, following the Fed’s most aggressive hike since 1994. ⌘ Read more
Western outcry over Hong Kong’s anti-doxxing laws smacks of hypocrisy
Data privacy is a global concern, with many countries developing legislation to protect individuals’ personal details. Yet, in Hong Kong, such laws are suspected of masking a hidden agenda. ⌘ Read more
‘No basis’ for attack fears in China’s new rules for PLA activities
Regulation covers PLA missions from disaster relief to humanitarian aid and peacekeeping, as well as its response to political crises at home and overseas. ⌘ Read more
Suspects confess to killing and dismembering UK journalist and Brazilian guide, media report says
Reporter Dom Phillips and indigenous expert Bruno Pereira have been missing for a week in the Amazon rainforest, sparking an ongoing search and investigation. ⌘ Read more
you know that you’ve made it when you’re using fermi estimates to debug your rl agent.
Top US human rights official decries ‘transnational repression’ campaign by China
Uzra Zeya, undersecretary of state for civilian security, democracy and human rights, says federal government lacks funding to meet all requests for protection; China denies targeting dissidents overseas. ⌘ Read more
US Federal Reserve makes historic interest hike to combat inflation, may repeat in July
The increase of 75 basis points is the biggest since 1994, with the central bank’s chief saying a 50 or 75 point raise could come next month to cool prices. ⌘ Read more
FSFE open letter: “The universal right to install any software on any device”
The Lunduke Journal has signed this letter and enthusiastically supports it. ⌘ Read more
Apple: “Sideloading is the DEVIL!”
Apple, Google, and others are attempting to demonize the act of installing software. We can’t let them succeed. ⌘ Read more
Ukraine parades new French Caesar howitzer
The heavy artillery system highly prized for its accuracy is part of the new arsenal of modern weaponry provided to Kyiv by multiple allies. ⌘ Read more
US military looks to allies to tackle ‘significant logistics challenge’ in Indo-Pacific
Deputy defence secretary Kathleen Hicks says US has to develop ‘combat-credible capability that can deter aggression’. ⌘ Read more
Ukraine war: Japanese man arrested over Vladimir Putin straw doll nailed to shrine tree
Mitsunobu Hino, 72, is accused of trespassing and making holes in a sacred tree to put up a figure with a note wishing death to the Russian leader. ⌘ Read more
China’s party congress promotions to emphasise political security
Appointments are expected to sharpen focus on potential threats to the state and draw a line under the corruption scandals of recent years. ⌘ Read more
[47°09′14″S, 126°43′34″W] Transponder still failing – switching to analog communication
Rainbow toys seized in Saudi ‘homosexuality’ crackdown
Items targeted in raids include rainbow-coloured bows, hats and pencil cases – the colours send a ‘poisoned message’ to children, a local news report said. ⌘ Read more
GitHub now publishes malware advisories in the GitHub Advisory Database
To combat the prevalence of malware in the open source ecosystem, GitHub now publishes malware occurrences in the GitHub Advisory Database. These advisories power Dependabot alerts and remain forever free and usable by the community. ⌘ Read more
Xi Jinping tells Vladimir Putin all parties should ‘promote a proper solution’ to the Ukraine crisis
Chinese, Russian leaders speak for a second time since the start of Putin’s war. ⌘ Read more
Sanctioned hardline former Xinjiang chief Chen Quanguo moves to rural affairs role for ‘last job before retirement’
Chen Quanguo, the most senior official sanctioned by the US over alleged human rights abuses, is expected to spearhead a crackdown on rural gangs in his new post. ⌘ Read more
Cathay Pacific to hire 4,000 staff by the end of 2023 as part of ambitious recruitment drive, CEO Augustus Tang says
Across the Cathay Pacific Group, a total of 8,000 new staff will be hired from now to the end of next year, CEO says. ⌘ Read more
Thailand’s opposition party files no-confidence motion against ‘flawed’ PM, elections just months away
Opposition parties hope to bring down Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha’s 17-party government, but his parliamentary majority of 253 seats verses 208 means he is likely to prevail, say analysts. ⌘ Read more
US and allies must stay focused on Ukraine during ‘pivotal’ moment, Pentagon chief says
‘We cannot afford to let up and we cannot lose steam. The stakes are too high,’ US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said. Western countries promised Nato-standard weapons but Ukraine will need support to transition. ⌘ Read more
EU launches fresh legal action against Britain over post-Brexit changes
EU says UK’s unilateral decision to remove customs checks on some goods entering Northern Ireland from rest of UK is violating international law, but European Commission insists on joint solution outside courts. ⌘ Read more
Patients almost 10 times more likely to survive cardiac arrests with CPR or AED applied, but few in Hong Kong receive such aid, research finds
Of the 829 young patients studied, only 34 per cent received CPR while less than 7 per cent had help with AED. ⌘ Read more
China’s digital currency: e-CNY trials move beyond retail to cover corporate loans for small businesses and tax payments
Since China started trials of its digital currency in 2019, more than 20 cities have conducted consumer-targeted promotions and now the country is exploring corporate use cases. ⌘ Read more
UN human rights chief ‘not able to speak to’ any detained Uygurs or their families in Xinjiang
Michelle Bachelet tells the UN Human Rights Council that she couldn’t move freely through the Chinese region when she visited last month. ⌘ Read more
Can Joe Biden’s proposed Middle East trip unite fractured region by aligning militaries against Iran?
The US President will visit Saudi Arabia in mid-July for a scheduled summit, where he is expected to table a “national security programme” for Israel and eight Arab states, to integrate their militaries into an alliance against Iran. ⌘ Read more
As Taiwan reopens its borders, is it ready to live with Covid?
Tourists can travel to the island from Wednesday, but case numbers remain high and hospital workers say they have been overwhelmed in the latest surge. ⌘ Read more
WHO will share vaccines to stop monkeypox amid inequity fears
Agency chief says the initiative for ‘fair access’ to vaccines and treatments will be ready within weeks, but health experts say it’s a missed opportunity to control monkeypox in Africa where it has been for decades. ⌘ Read more
Sweltering heat stifles a third of US population, severe storms leave thousands in the dark
Excessive heat warnings, watches and advisories were issued for more than 100 million people as temperatures surged 10 to 20 degrees above normal. Another heatwave is expected next week with temperatures above 100 degrees in places. ⌘ Read more