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Australia’s most populous state is set to pass tougher gun laws, ban the display of terrorist symbols and curb protests after the state parliament’s lower house cleared a bill late on Monday in an emergency sitting following the Bondi mass shooting. The terrorism and other legislation amendment bill won support from the opposition Liberal Party in New South Wales state, and is expected to clear the upper house on Tuesday. The ruling centre-left Labour government has proposed capping most individual gun licences at four firearms and allowing up to 10 for farmers. Fifteen people were killed and dozens were injured…

PHNOM PENH: Cambodia has asked Thailand to hold bilateral talks in the neutral venue of Kuala Lumpur, according to a letter seen by AFP on Tuesday, with the nations set to negotiate truce terms after two weeks of deadly border clashes. Bangkok’s defence chief on Tuesday sought to assuage any fears on the Cambodian side about the meeting taking place in Thailand, and the Thai foreign ministry said the venue was still being discussed. The nations’ long-standing border conflict reignited this month, shattering an earlier truce, killing more than 40 people and displacing over 900,000 on both sides, officials said. Thai Foreign…

The US military said it killed one person in a strike on a “low-profile vessel” suspected of carrying drugs in international waters in the eastern Pacific Ocean on Monday. “Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a low-profile vessel operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations in international waters,” the US Southern Command said on social media website X. No US military forces were harmed, it added.

KYIV: Russia launched an early morning air attack on Kyiv on Tuesday, Ukrainian military said, just days after a US-led round of peace talks in Miami ended on Sunday. “Air defence forces are working to eliminate the threat in the sky over the capital,” the Kyiv military administration said on Telegram, urging residents to remain in shelters until the all-clear is given. Officials did not immediately report casualties or damage. The full-scale of the attack was not immediately known. The weekend talks in Miami brought together US officials with Ukrainian and European delegations, alongside separate contacts with Russian representatives, as Washington tested…

The All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU) and China Media Group (CMG) on Monday signed a framework agreement on publicity cooperation, and jointly launched the construction of a national-level corpus on “craftsmanship spirit and skills” in Beijing. The ACFTU and CMG jointly launch the construction of a national-level corpus on “craftsmanship spirit and skills” in Beijing, China, December 22, 2025. /CMG Xu Liuping, secretary of the leading party members group, vice chairman and first secretary of the secretariat of the ACFTU, and Shen Haixiong, vice minister of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee and president of CMG, addressed…

Chinese lawmakers are currently reviewing a report on promoting the application of scientific and technological achievements. The State Council’s report, submitted to the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress for deliberation on Monday, shows that since the start of the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), China has witnessed a marked increase in both the volume and quality of applications of scientific and technological innovation, effectively transforming R&D into productive forces. According to the report, the total value of technology contracts signed nationwide rose from 2.83 trillion yuan (roughly $402 billion) in 2020 to 6.84 trillion yuan in 2024 –…

Over the course of 2025, China has stepped up efforts to foster new productive forces as the country looks to build new engines of growth. One key focus is innovation. Chinese President Xi Jinping says Shanghai has a historic mission to become a globally influential center of scientific and technological innovation. As China pushes for high-quality development, Shanghai is emerging as a core innovation hub, with the Yangtze River Delta playing an increasingly important role nationwide.

Xi Jinping, chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), on Monday presented certificates of order to promote two military officers to the rank of general. The promoted officers are Yang Zhibin, commander of the Eastern Theater Command of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), and Han Shengyan, commander of the PLA Central Theater Command. Zhang Youxia, vice chairman of the CMC, announced the orders of promotion, which were signed by Xi, at a ceremony held for the promotion in Beijing. Zhang Shengmin, vice chairman of the CMC, presided over the ceremony. Xi extended his congratulations to the two generals. General is…

Imagine controlling a power wheelchair or sending a robotic dog to pick up a parcel just by thinking about it. What once sounded like science fiction is now becoming a reality in China. A major breakthrough in invasive brain-computer interface technology helps paralyzed patients better interact with the world.

On the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, thousands gather to celebrate the winter solstice as the golden light of sunset pierces through the arches of the Seventeen-Arch Bridge at the Summer Palace in Beijing. Stretching across Kunming Lake, the centuries-old bridge stands in quiet anticipation, waiting once again for this annual moment of wonder. Like a slow-building spell, the spectacle rewards patience. From the first glimmer of the setting sun spilling over the bridge’s bricks to the moment golden light fills each arch, the entire scene usually unfolds over two to three hours. Gold, ochre and…