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BRUSSELS : Meta’s (META.O) proposal to use less personal data for targeted advertising in its pay-or-consent model that will be rolled out next month won the approval of EU antitrust regulators on Monday, signaling the company will not face daily fines after all. The Meta investigation underscores Europe’s continued crackdown on Big Tech despite U.S. criticism, and its willingness to settle cases rather than levy hefty fines when possible to avoid escalating trans-Atlantic tensions. The U.S. tech giant has been locked in discussions with the European Commission after getting hit with a 200 million euro ($233 million) fine in April…

RAWALPINDI : Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir has issued a sharp warning to India, declaring that Pakistan’s future response to any aggression would be “even more swift and intense.” The remarks came during his address to officers from all three armed services at General Headquarters following a guard of honour marking his appointment as Pakistan’s first Chief of Defence Forces. He said India must not remain under any illusions, adding that Pakistan’s reply in the event of hostilities would surpass previous responses in severity. His comments echoed the warning issued earlier…

Indonesia President Prabowo Subianto on Monday was given a red-carpet welcome upon his arrival in Islamabad on a two-day official visit from December 8 to 9. President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif received President Subianto upon his arrival at Nur Khan Airbase. Accompanied by a high-level delegation including key ministers and senior officials, Indonesian president will discuss a wide-ranging agenda aimed at further strengthening bilateral relations with Pakistan. During his stay, the Foreign Office said, President Subianto will hold delegation-level talks with PM Shehbaz. He will also meet President Zardari, and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal…

THAILAND : Fighting has reignited between Thailand and Cambodia in multiple areas at their disputed border, with both sides blaming the other and Thailand carrying out air strikes on what it said were Cambodian military installations. The latest flare-up will be a major test of a ceasefire brokered by US President Donald Trump in July. WHAT IS THE CURRENT SITUATION? Conflict erupted before dawn on Monday, with clashes in five border locations, according to Thailand’s army. Cambodia’s defence ministry said its forces came under attack but had not retaliated and were respecting the ceasefire after “numerous provocative actions” by Thailand.…

Benin President Patrice Talon said on Sunday that the West African nation’s government and armed forces had thwarted a coup attempt by a group of soldiers and vowed to punish them. Talon’s announcement on Sunday evening came about 12 hours after gunfire first rang out in several neighbourhoods of Cotonou, the country’s biggest city and commercial hub, and soldiers went on state television to say they had removed Talon from power. Forces loyal to Talon “stood firm, recaptured our positions, and cleared the last pockets of resistance held by the mutineers,” Talon said in his own televised statement. “This commitment…

After the results of the election of the eighth-term Legislative Council (LegCo) of China’s Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) were unveiled early on Monday, a spokesperson from the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council lauded the election as an important achievement of milestone significance in further consolidating and developing high-quality democracy that aligns with the “One Country, Two Systems” principle, complies with the Constitution and the Basic Law and suits Hong Kong’s actual circumstances. The election process was safe, smooth and orderly. Voter turnout in the Election Committee constituency, functional constituencies and geographical constituencies all…

The 2025 Silk Road TV Community Summit opened  in Yangjiang, Guangdong Province, under the theme of “Smart Media Empowers, Maritime Silk Road Embarks Anew.” Nearly 300 representatives from media outlets, academic institutions, cultural and tech enterprises across 20 countries and regions, as well as international organizations, attended the event. Shen Haixiong, vice minister of the Publicity Department of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party and president of China Media Group (CMG), noted in his speech that the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has evolved from infrastructure and rule-based connectivity to deeper people-to-people bonds. As a pioneer of reform…

China expressed strong indignation and resolute opposition to Japan’s provocative actions and attempts to mislead public opinion on China’s Liaoning aircraft carrier formation, which recently conducted normal flight training in the sea area east of the Miyako Strait, Zhang Xiaogang, a spokesperson for China’s Ministry of National Defense said on Sunday. Noting that China’s far-sea training exercises east of the Miyako Strait fully comply with international law and established practices, Zhang urged the Japanese side to conduct thorough self-reflection, rectify its errors and completely abandon any unlawful attempts. “Japan has recently escalated its provocations and disturbances in the military security…

China strongly urges the Japanese side to immediately stop its dangerous moves of harassing China’s normal military exercise and training, and stop all irresponsible disinformation and political manipulation, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Sunday. The spokesperson made the comments in response to a query regarding remarks by Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi during an emergency press conference early on December 7. The spokesperson said that the Chinese military has stated its serious position on the issue. The facts are very clear. It is the frequent close-in reconnaissance and disruptions conducted by Japan’s fighter jets on China’s normal military…

Marking the anniversary of the demolition of the centuries-old Babri Masjid in Ayodhya, Pakistan has urged the international community to help safeguard Muslim religious heritage. The statement was given by Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi while responding to a question during his weekly media briefing on Friday. Hindus claim the site as the birthplace of Lord Ram and consider it sacred, with historical significance preceding the construction of the Babri mosque by Muslim Mughals in 1528. In November, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi hoisted a saffron flag atop the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya at a ceremony, marking the formal completion…