Samsung Electronics' 50,000 workers are poised to begin an 18-day strike on Thursday over a US$400,000 bonus dispute. South Korea's government faces potential economic damage of up to 100 trillion won (US$66.7 billion) and risks to global supply chains. President Lee Jae-myung's administration confronts a labor crisis with significant economic consequences.
A rare Ebola outbreak in northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo may have circulated undetected for several weeks, exposing difficulties in detecting deadly viruses in regions where malaria, typhoid, and other fever-causing illnesses are common and health systems are overstretched. The country's health minister reported approximately 350 suspected cases and 91 deaths, while neighbouring Uganda has confirmed two infections.
The Strait of Hormuz deadlock was a key issue discussed during last week's summit between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping. As the impasse continues, Iran is moving to formalize control over the strait through a professional mechanism to regulate shipping. Iranian parliament head Ebrahim Azizi stated that necessary fees will be collected for specialized services provided under this mechanism.
Israeli airstrikes on Sunday killed at least 7 people in Lebanon, including an Islamic Jihad commander, according to Lebanese authorities. The health ministry reported 3 deaths in Tayr Felsay including a child, and 2 deaths in Tayr Debba including another child, with 11 wounded. Despite ongoing fragile ceasefire efforts, Hezbollah denounced US-brokered talks between the countries as a dead end, escalating regional tensions.
Wu Yongping, dean of Tsinghua University's Institute for Taiwan Studies and a leading mainland China specialist on Taiwan affairs, discusses signals from the Xi-Trump summit regarding the Taiwan question. He examines President Xi Jinping's messages to Donald Trump and explores pathways toward peaceful reunification between mainland China and Taiwan.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi began a five-nation tour on Friday, starting with the United Arab Emirates, followed by visits to the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, and Italy. Analysts view this tour as strategically significant amid volatile oil prices resulting from US-Israel tensions with Iran and shifting Middle Eastern diplomacy. Modi's visit aims to deepen India's strategic partnerships with the Middle East and Europe to address global economic challenges.
Samsung Electronics' 50,000 workers are poised to begin an 18-day strike on Thursday over a US$400,000 bonus dispute. South Korea's government faces potential economic damage of up to 100 trillion won (US$66.7 billion) and risks to global supply chains. President Lee Jae-myung's administration confronts a labor crisis with significant economic consequences.
A rare Ebola outbreak in northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo may have circulated undetected for several weeks, exposing difficulties in detecting deadly viruses in regions where malaria, typhoid, and other fever-causing illnesses are common and health systems are overstretched. The country's health minister reported approximately 350 suspected cases and 91 deaths, while neighbouring Uganda has confirmed two infections.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un convened military officials on Sunday, instructing them to reinforce front-line units and fortify the southern border. According to state media KCNA, Kim presided over the meeting in full-dress uniform and told military officials that a "great change" would be implemented to deter war.
The Strait of Hormuz deadlock was a key issue discussed during last week's summit between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping. As the impasse continues, Iran is moving to formalize control over the strait through a professional mechanism to regulate shipping. Iranian parliament head Ebrahim Azizi stated that necessary fees will be collected for specialized services provided under this mechanism.
Israeli airstrikes on Sunday killed at least 7 people in Lebanon, including an Islamic Jihad commander, according to Lebanese authorities. The health ministry reported 3 deaths in Tayr Felsay including a child, and 2 deaths in Tayr Debba including another child, with 11 wounded. Despite ongoing fragile ceasefire efforts, Hezbollah denounced US-brokered talks between the countries as a dead end, escalating regional tensions.
Multiple Americans currently in the Democratic Republic of Congo are believed to have been exposed to suspected Ebola cases in the country's latest outbreak, with several having high-risk exposures, according to US health news reports. At least one individual may have developed symptoms. The Ebola outbreak in DR Congo and Uganda has been declared a public health emergency.
Wu Yongping, dean of Tsinghua University's Institute for Taiwan Studies and a leading mainland China specialist on Taiwan affairs, discusses signals from the Xi-Trump summit regarding the Taiwan question. He examines President Xi Jinping's messages to Donald Trump and explores pathways toward peaceful reunification between mainland China and Taiwan.
Norway's interior security service (PST) announced the arrest of a Chinese man on Friday in the country's north on suspicion of illegal intelligence activities. The arrest follows a similar case weeks earlier involving a Chinese woman suspected of spying on satellite data. PST spokesman Eirik Veum confirmed the arrest by Nordland police district but declined to disclose further details about the nature of the suspected activities.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated Sunday that Israel has nearly achieved a key objective of the Gaza war: eliminating those responsible for orchestrating the October 7 attack. His comments followed the Israeli military's announcement that Ezzedine al-Haddad, commander of Hamas' armed wing, was killed in a Gaza airstrike Friday. Netanyahu had pledged after the October 7 assault to target and eliminate the masterminds behind the attacks.
Chinese memory chip stocks surged on Monday following ChangXin Memory Technologies' disclosure of significantly improved first-quarter results and optimistic first-half outlook in its updated listing prospectus. The global memory shortage is boosting China's semiconductor supply chain. GigaDevice, a chip designer and CXMT shareholder, rose 6.57% to close at 400 yuan per share, with monthly gains exceeding 40%. Hong Kong-listed GigaDevice shares also climbed 8%.
Liquidators of China Evergrande Group are pursuing 57 billion yuan (US$8.4 billion) from three PricewaterhouseCoopers entities in one of Hong Kong's largest corporate lawsuit claims. The liquidators argue that PwC's global coordinating arm assumed responsibility for audits linked to the collapsed developer's accounting scandal. The case involves PwC International, PwC Hong Kong, and PwC China.
Official data from China's National Bureau of Statistics shows secondary home prices in first-tier cities increased in April. Shanghai led with a 0.7 percent monthly increase, followed by Beijing at 0.4 percent and Shenzhen at 0.3 percent. Analysts view the price gains as encouraging signs that the struggling property sector is stabilizing and bottoming out.
The White House announced that China has committed to purchasing at least US$17 billion in US agricultural products annually through 2028. This commitment resulted from last week's summit between President Trump and President Xi Jinping, and will supplement soybean purchase commitments made in October 2025. Trump concluded his state visit to China on Friday, during which multiple topics were discussed.
Baidu announced that its artificial intelligence-related businesses have become the primary revenue driver in the first quarter, despite a 2 percent decline in overall revenue. AI cloud, AI applications, and AI marketing services generated 13.6 billion yuan in revenue, representing a 49 percent year-on-year increase and exceeding half of Baidu's general business revenue for the first time.
China Telecom has introduced nationwide AI token-based pricing packages, marking a shift from traditional data-based billing to AI service monetization. The new pricing model offers tiered packages for casual users, developers, and businesses, with consumer plans starting at 9.9 yuan. This move reflects telecommunications carriers' efforts to capitalize on the artificial intelligence boom and develop new revenue streams.
The Chinese University of Hong Kong has established the city's first full-stack interactive robotics lab under the government's InnoHK initiative. Partnering with 24 tech companies, primarily from mainland China, the Hong Kong Embodied AI Lab aims to develop talent and create humanoid robots over five years. The lab has already unveiled upgraded versions of locally developed AI-powered robotic arms.
China has successfully developed the world's first copper-blended titanium implant for orthopedic surgery after over a decade of research. The material combines titanium alloy's exceptional strength and hardness while significantly reducing post-operative infection risk. On April 21, the first bone pin made from this material received market approval from China's National Medical Products authority.
The United Arab Emirates, the world's fastest adopter of artificial intelligence, has strengthened its ambitions to become a technology bridge to the Global South with the latest US-designed chips. However, the initiative faces challenges in a hostile geopolitical environment, as Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps has repeatedly targeted major Emirati data centres.
China's Ministry of Public Security announced the arrests of 16 people suspected of hacking drone systems and released details on 10 cases. The suspects were arrested between January and March as part of a nationwide 'Clean Skies' campaign launched in December to combat illegal drone use.
The International Energy Agency warns that global crude oil inventories are declining at unprecedented rates due to the continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz, with levels expected to hit new lows by end of May. If the strait remains closed in June, international oil prices could surge to new highs, potentially triggering demand destruction and economic contraction.
The World Health Organization announced on the 17th that Ebola outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda constitute a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). The outbreak is caused by a rare virus strain with no approved vaccines or treatments available, and the spread may exceed current surveillance coverage.
Ukraine conducted one of its largest drone attack operations since the war began on March 16-17, deploying nearly 600 unmanned aircraft deep into Russian territory to strike 14 regions and areas surrounding Moscow. The attack marked the first time Ukrainian forces hit critical infrastructure including oil refineries. President Zelenskyy stated that long-range strike capabilities can penetrate Moscow's air defense network.
Amid escalating US-Iran tensions, President Trump warned Iran on the 17th that time is running out for negotiations, with plans to review military options with his national security team by the 19th. On the same day, a UAE nuclear facility was struck by drones, causing a generator fire but no radiation leak. Saudi Arabia also confirmed intercepting three drones from Iraq.
F5 patched a critical vulnerability (CVE-2026-42945) in Nginx web server on May 13. The flaw, present for 18 years, carries a CVSS score of 9.2 out of 10. Attackers can exploit it to cause denial-of-service attacks and execute arbitrary code under certain conditions. Researchers have detected active exploitation of this vulnerability in the wild.
An Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda has resulted in 88 deaths with over 300 suspected cases. The World Health Organization declared it a "Public Health Emergency of International Concern." Actual infection and death tolls may be higher with risk of further spread. Taiwan's CDC elevated travel advisories for both countries from Level 1 to Level 2.
Following the Trump-Xi meeting, U.S. President Donald Trump stated he does not want to see Taiwan pursue independence. Taiwan President Lai Ching-te responded with five points on social media, emphasizing Taiwan's commitment to maintaining the status quo of the Republic of China, with no independence issue. Meanwhile, Republican senators are drafting a proposal to impose comprehensive tariffs and economic sanctions on China if it invades Taiwan, aiming to deter military aggression.
Taiwan's Legislative Yuan will hold a recorded vote on President Lai Ching-te's impeachment motion on the 19th, with all major parties mobilizing. The KMT caucus announced support for the impeachment and will vote unanimously, while the TPP caucus will also vote in unison to hold the president accountable. The DPP caucus argues the opposition is turning constitutional procedures into political theater and plans to vote against the motion.
According to Reuters analysis, military tensions between the United States and Israel against Iran have caused global businesses to lose at least $25 billion, with losses continuing to mount. The figures reflect the widespread impact of regional instability on international commercial activities, affecting operations across multiple industries and geographic areas.
Ukrainian officials reported that Russia conducted a massive overnight attack on Ukraine using hundreds of drones and over 20 missiles, resulting in more than 30 injuries. The attack represents part of the ongoing military escalation between Russia and Ukraine, reflecting the intensifying nature of the conflict in recent weeks.
At the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Putin will conduct a state visit to China on May 19-20. Both nations aim to deepen their comprehensive strategic partnership, sign multiple agreements, and exchange views on major international and regional issues to further strengthen Russia-China strategic cooperation.
According to Reuters analysis, military operations by the United States and Israel against Iran have resulted in at least 25 billion dollars in economic losses for global businesses, with the figure continuing to rise. The data reflects the widespread impact of Middle East geopolitical tensions on international commercial activities.
The United Arab Emirates stated it is investigating the source of the attack. The incident highlights the risks posed by the conflict with Iran, particularly regarding nuclear facility security. Authorities are conducting investigations to determine the identity of the attackers.
An outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo has been declared a public health emergency. Nearly 250 suspected cases have been reported so far. The outbreak has drawn attention from international health organizations, which are closely monitoring the situation's development.
The United Arab Emirates reported a strike near its Abu Dhabi nuclear power plant. The country is investigating the source of the attack, which officials describe as a dangerous escalation. The incident raises concerns about the security of nuclear facilities in the region.