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Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has revealed that increasing US nuclear capabilities would not deter China from employing atomic weapons in a conflict over Taiwan, Taipei Times reported. The findings, published in a report on Friday, challenge current calls among policy experts to expand and modernise the US nuclear arsenal in response to China's growing military strength. The table top exercise, described as the first large-scale unclassified simulation of a potential nuclear war over Taiwan, explored scenarios where nuclear weapons might be used. According to the report, the US's nuclear capabilities, beyond ongoing modernisation efforts, had minimal impact on Beijing's willingness to deploy nuclear arms. Instead, the exercise highlighted the conditions under which either side might face pressure to resort to nuclear strikes, rather than the likelihood of such weapons being used.

White House said, while the State Department approved the potential sale to the island of $265 million worth of military equipment. The United States is bound by law to provide Chinese-claimed Taiwan with the means to defend itself despite the lack of formal diplomatic ties between Washington and Taipei, to the constant anger of Beijing. Democratically governed Taiwan rejects China's claims of sovereignty.

Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) and EcoHealth Alliance. This effort aimed to collect and study 500,000 unknown viruses with the potential to infect humans, costing an estimated $3 billion. The project, co-led by EcoHealth's Peter Daszak and Wuhan’s Shi Zhengli, proceeded despite biosafety concerns and warnings about national security risks. New documents obtained by US Right to Know (USRTK) highlight these concerns just months before the Covid-19 outbreak. The Global Virome Project aimed to identify and experiment with 99% of undiscovered viruses that could jump from animals to humans. Supported by USAID and the US State Department from 2016 to 2019, the project also involved China’s Academy of Military Medical Sciences and Beijing Genomics Institute (BGI), a company later blacklisted by the Pentagon. The initiative faced scrutiny over transparency, data ownership, and potential national security threats, as the US and Chinese governments were warned about each other’s involvement. Also Read: The Housemaid: When will the Sydney Sweeney thriller release in US and UK

China Sea to Himalayan frontiers, Beijing’s methodical approach has left neighbouring countries scrambling to respond. China shares its border with more than a dozen countries and it has had border disputes with at least six of them over the past few years. On its border disputes with its neighbors, China has mostly gone unchallenged, gradually pushing its salami-slicing strategy forward. But 2024 was a turning point: India was the first country in past few decades to decisively stop China in its tracks and refuse to yield to its tried-and-tested game. India’s resistance proved to be a firm message that China’s expansionist ambitions can't always go unchecked.

Chinese astronauts named Cai Xuzhe and Song Lingdong have reportedly set an absolutely new world record for the longest spacewalk while completing a nine-hour extravehicular activity (EVA) in the month of December this year, reported CNN. According to CNN, this achievement actually surpasses the previous record of eight hours and 56 minutes which was held by US astronauts named James Voss and Susan Helms since the year 2001. The spacewalk was actually conducted outside the Tiangong space station with a major support from their crewmate Wang Haozhe who eventually remained inside. Also Read: New wonder plastic that is bulletproof? Yes! This material is comparable to steel; here's all about the new discovery

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Xi Jinping and Donald Trump’s bromance could be rekindled in 2025, if both sides play their cards right. This is positive and would help create the right environment for an improvement in ties between the two superpowers, but timing and tone are everything.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. For decades, a global guessing game has focused on whether the people of China will tire of single-party rule. Any failure to sustain a heady pace of economic expansion, went one hypothesis, would stir mass discontent and put its Communist regime on notice.

Shares are mixed in Asia after the Nasdaq set a record ahead of a meeting by the Federal Reserve later this week that could set the direction for markets in the new year

Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake was hosted by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his first overseas visit since assuming office that focused on shoring up ties as concerns grew over China’s influence in the region

China has reported its economy logged a mixed performance in November, with retail sales slowing as consumers refrained from spending on non-essentials like cosmetics, alcohol and jewelry

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Faced with rising social frustrations and public unrest, China’s leaders are ramping up security measures and squelching discordant views on the country’s economic health.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Vietnam found the sweet spot in the global economy during President-elect Donald Trump’s first trade war with Beijing: smack in the middle of the U.S. and China.

Chinese leaders met this week to plot economic policy for the coming year and sketched out plans to raise government spending and relax Beijing's monetary policy

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. The outlines of President-elect Donald Trump’s initial efforts to end the war in Ukraine from his visit to Europe last week are starting to emerge for the first time. The main takeaway: Europe would have to shoulder most of the burden of supporting Kyiv with troops to oversee a cease-fire and weapons to deter Russia.

Asian shares have tracked Wall Street’s decline in response to potentially discouraging data on the U.S. economy

Japanese and Australian shares declined and equity futures for Hong Kong signaled losses after selling on Wall Street hit stocks and government bonds Thursday. The Nasdaq 100 slid 0.7% while the S&P 500 fell 0.5% as traders weighed higher-than-expected jobless claims against too hot producer price data.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. SINGAPORE : China’s leaders promised more government support for their struggling economy next year as they brace for the return of President-elect Donald Trump and another big showdown over trade. An annual gathering of top officials on the economy concluded with pledges to cut interest rates and boost government borrowing to pep up economic growth, according to a report by China’s state broadcaster Thursday.

Chinese leaders have wrapped up a two-day planning meeting in Beijing with pledges to take a more proactive approach in pepping up the economy, but gave no details on stimulus measures

autonomous driving technologies, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday. Over the past couple of years, it has expanded in the country to now have close to 600 people in Beijing, and it recently opened a new office in the Zhongguancun tech hub, the report said, citing people familiar with the matter. The artificial intelligence chipmaker employed about 29,600 people in 36 countries at the end of fiscal year 2024, according to a filing published by Nvidia in February.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. During Donald Trump ’s first administration, China learned that it couldn’t match the much larger U.S. economy’s tit-for-tat when it came to tariffs, and quickly found other ways to try to inflict pain—often by borrowing from his playbook.

inflation that could provide clues on the pace of Federal Reserve interest rate cuts. The Australian dollar sagged near a four-month low after a dovish tilt to the central bank's policy outlook a day earlier. That also weighed on New Zealand's kiwi, which languished near a one-year trough.