A research team from northwestern China has released the HG-STR algorithm, enabling fixed-wing drone fleets to autonomously search and track targets even when communications are jammed and vision is blocked. The algorithm reportedly achieves 100 percent target tracking capability, potentially transforming how drone swarms coordinate operations.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr assumed the Asean rotating chair from Malaysia in October, with planned agendas including South China Sea diplomacy and regional digital economy initiatives. Following the February 28 US-Israeli military strikes on Iran, global circumstances shifted dramatically. The Strait of Hormuz, through which 98 percent of the Philippines' crude oil imports transit, has become a critical geopolitical flashpoint, presenting significant diplomatic challenges for the Philippine chairmanship.
Eileen Wang, former mayor of Arcadia in Southern California, pleaded guilty Friday to acting as an illegal agent of the Chinese government. The 56-year-old, who resigned earlier this month, was charged in April with one count of acting as an illegal foreign agent. She admitted to following Chinese officials' directives by sharing pro-Beijing articles without required prior notification to the US government.
Kenneth Law, a Canadian man who sold poison to help dozens of people worldwide end their lives, pleaded guilty Friday to 14 counts of aiding suicide. Prosecutors agreed to withdraw murder charges. Since his 2023 arrest, details of his online forums advising distressed individuals on suicide methods sparked public outrage and triggered investigations across multiple countries. Canada had charged him with 14 murder counts and 14 aiding suicide counts.
The European Commission held a rare leadership debate on Friday to establish a stricter approach to trade relations with China. Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic outlined why the bloc must take stronger measures to defend against what officials describe as a new "China shock" to European industries. The EU may develop new instruments to require companies in critical sectors to expand production capacity and diversify supply chains, prompting Beijing to warn of retaliatory measures.
Seventeen countries launched the Guiding Principles for Underwater Infrastructure Defence Exchanges at Singapore's Shangri-La Dialogue on Saturday, aiming to strengthen collaborative defence strategies for critical marine infrastructure including undersea cables. Analysts caution that the absence of the United States and China may limit the initiative's effectiveness in addressing global undersea infrastructure security challenges.
A research team from northwestern China has released the HG-STR algorithm, enabling fixed-wing drone fleets to autonomously search and track targets even when communications are jammed and vision is blocked. The algorithm reportedly achieves 100 percent target tracking capability, potentially transforming how drone swarms coordinate operations.
The Philippines and Japan have upgraded their bilateral relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership to address evolving security challenges in the Indo-Pacific region. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi held a joint press conference in Tokyo, emphasizing the depth and breadth of their ties and their commitment to responding to regional challenges and opportunities. The upgrade reflects both nations' determination to strengthen cooperation amid geopolitical uncertainties.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth delivered a speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, just two weeks after a summit between Presidents Xi Jinping and Donald Trump. The address served as a barometer of the bilateral summit's outcomes. Hegseth took a firm stance on China's military buildup while adopting a less confrontational approach, reflecting the new positioning of US-China relations.
US District Judge Kathleen Williams ordered President Trump's personal lawyers to respond by June 12 to allegations that his $1.8 billion settlement with the government to resolve his IRS lawsuit resulted from fraud on the court. A group of former federal judges requested the judge reopen proceedings to investigate the president's conduct.
The United States government's freeze on foreign aid in January 2025 has destabilized US-funded development projects in the Philippines that have operated for nearly a decade. Project coordinator Sheila witnessed staff departures as the organization faced collapse. The aid suspension reflects shifting US policy priorities and raises concerns in Southeast Asia about the reliability of American development commitments and long-term partnerships.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr assumed the Asean rotating chair from Malaysia in October, with planned agendas including South China Sea diplomacy and regional digital economy initiatives. Following the February 28 US-Israeli military strikes on Iran, global circumstances shifted dramatically. The Strait of Hormuz, through which 98 percent of the Philippines' crude oil imports transit, has become a critical geopolitical flashpoint, presenting significant diplomatic challenges for the Philippine chairmanship.
Eileen Wang, former mayor of Arcadia in Southern California, pleaded guilty Friday to acting as an illegal agent of the Chinese government. The 56-year-old, who resigned earlier this month, was charged in April with one count of acting as an illegal foreign agent. She admitted to following Chinese officials' directives by sharing pro-Beijing articles without required prior notification to the US government.
Kenneth Law, a Canadian man who sold poison to help dozens of people worldwide end their lives, pleaded guilty Friday to 14 counts of aiding suicide. Prosecutors agreed to withdraw murder charges. Since his 2023 arrest, details of his online forums advising distressed individuals on suicide methods sparked public outrage and triggered investigations across multiple countries. Canada had charged him with 14 murder counts and 14 aiding suicide counts.
The European Commission held a rare leadership debate on Friday to establish a stricter approach to trade relations with China. Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic outlined why the bloc must take stronger measures to defend against what officials describe as a new "China shock" to European industries. The EU may develop new instruments to require companies in critical sectors to expand production capacity and diversify supply chains, prompting Beijing to warn of retaliatory measures.
Rapid increases in bond yields worldwide, particularly in Asia, indicate financial markets recognize governments are spending beyond their means relative to tax revenues and borrowing capacity. The trend suggests either taxes must rise, public spending must fall, or stock markets must shift priorities away from technology and artificial intelligence stocks toward alternative investments.
President Prabowo Subianto declared on May 20 that Indonesia lost nearly US$1 trillion in resource wealth over 34 years due to deceptive trade practices. New export controls were unveiled the same day, requiring foreign-exchange earnings to be locked in Indonesian banks for a set period and coal, palm oil, and ferroalloy producers to route sales through a new state-owned enterprise.
The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong (SEHK) celebrated its 40th anniversary with a special ceremony in Central. The event recreated the iconic 1980s trading hall atmosphere, featuring brokers in red jackets and Cathay Pacific flight attendants in vintage uniforms. SEHK was formed through the merger of four stock exchanges four decades ago. The booming chip industry has provided significant momentum for the exchange, with innovation and resilience shaping its future growth trajectory.
Companies including Gardenia and H&M are relocating operations from Singapore to Malaysia due to rising costs and tight labour market conditions. Malaysia's lower operating costs are increasingly attracting business investment, creating employment opportunities. However, analysts warn that the influx of firms may intensify competition for skilled workers, presenting potential trade-offs for the region.
Hong Kong's taxi trade has warned that over 10 percent of cab owners could face mortgage defaults as licence values decline sharply, with many drivers switching to the new ride-hailing service offering 10,000 permits. Taxi licence market values have plummeted over two decades, dropping from a peak of HK$7.66 million in 2009 to HK$2.62 million for urban red cabs and HK$1.45 million for green New Territories taxis as of May this year.
During a rare visit to Canada, China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand on Friday. Wang suggested Canada's exports to China could increase by 100 percent, exceeding the previous goal of 50 percent growth by 2030. Anand emphasized Canada's focus on economic growth and diversifying trading relationships, highlighting the importance of the Canada-China economic relationship.
China's central government has released new guidelines establishing a national evaluation framework for artificial intelligence. The framework creates unified standards to measure and compare AI models, computing power, and data quality. The initiative aims to improve AI accuracy, reliability, and transparency as the technology continues to evolve rapidly, establishing common benchmarks for the industry.
Chinese venture capitalists and tech giants are aggressively backing developers of dexterous robotic hands, addressing a critical bottleneck in the global humanoid robot hardware competition. Hangzhou-based start-up Xynova recently completed Series A funding from investors including the venture arms of Xiaomi and Li Auto. The funding round reflects intensifying competition in China's robotics sector and rapidly rising start-up valuations.
Facing US technology export restrictions limiting access to advanced chipmaking equipment, Huawei Technologies proposes a fundamental shift in semiconductor development strategy. Rather than pursuing smaller transistors, the company emphasizes optimizing data flow speed through systems. This approach represents a strategic response to manufacturing constraints and has sparked industry debate about its viability and practical impact.
Taiwan's Directorate-General of Budget announced first-quarter economic growth of 14.55%, the highest in nearly 48 years. The agency raised its full-year GDP growth forecast to 9.64%, the highest in 16 years, driven by strong AI demand. Annual exports are revised upward to nearly USD 90 billion, with investment and consumption also increased. Director Chen Shu-tzu stated that despite last year's high base of 8.76% growth, this year maintains strong economic momentum.
US President Trump announced on social media on the 29th that he will hold a meeting to make a final decision. The decision in question concerns whether to approve a memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran to end their conflict. Trump indicated the meeting will take place in the war room.
A Russian unmanned drone entered Romanian airspace while attacking Ukraine and struck a 10-story apartment building near the Ukrainian border in Galati, injuring one woman and one child. The drone flew at extremely low altitude, remaining in Romanian airspace for approximately 4 minutes and covering about 10 kilometers. NATO condemned Russia's actions as reckless and dangerous, reaffirming commitment to defend all allied territory and raising concerns about the war spilling into NATO borders.
A U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet was shot down over southwestern Iran in April, triggering a dangerous rescue operation. According to NBC News, three sources indicate the aircraft was likely hit by a Chinese-made shoulder-fired missile. Further details about the incident remain under investigation.
Leaders of the International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and International Energy Agency cautioned that continued disruption of oil transport through the Strait of Hormuz could trigger a global fuel shortage and economic crisis. The strait is a critical petroleum transport hub, handling approximately one-third of global oil trade daily. Any sustained interruption would have severe consequences for global energy supply and economic stability.
A U.S. Air Force F-15E fighter jet was shot down over southwestern Iran last month, triggering a major rescue operation. President Trump previously stated that Chinese leader Xi Jinping promised not to provide weapons to Iran. However, foreign media reports suggest the aircraft may have been hit by a Chinese-made missile, raising questions about China's military support to Iran.
A Russian unmanned drone struck an apartment building in Romania near the Ukrainian border, injuring two civilians. Romania's president condemned Russia and announced the expulsion of the Russian consul general, while NATO allies and the United Nations expressed strong condemnation. Russian President Putin denied the drone's connection to Russia and called for an objective investigation.
Taiwan's Legislative Yuan passed the special budget for national security and asymmetric warfare capabilities on its third reading yesterday. The budget was slightly reduced by NT$2 million during committee review, ultimately approved at NT$8.81 billion. Lawmakers from both sides also passed 35 supplementary resolutions, including requiring the government to allocate an additional NT$400 billion for commercial procurement and commissioned manufacturing to strengthen Taiwan's air defense capabilities.
Japan's Ministry of Finance data reveals that after the yen-to-dollar exchange rate fell below 160 yen in late April, the Japanese government spent over 11.73 trillion yen (approximately $73.6 billion) in the past month to intervene in markets and prevent further yen depreciation, setting a historical record. This marks Japan's first major market intervention of this scale in 2024.
Dell reported its fastest revenue growth since its 2018 IPO, with current quarter and full-year revenue forecasts exceeding market expectations. The company stated that AI business opportunities show no signs of slowing, driving Dell's stock price up 35% in early trading on the 29th and boosting Taiwan's PC brands and contract manufacturers.
AI startup Anthropic completed a new funding round of $6.5 billion, reaching a valuation of $96.5 billion and surpassing OpenAI's $85.2 billion valuation to become the world's most valuable AI startup. Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix participated in the round, making strategic investments in the Claude developer.
The US-Iran conflict remains unresolved, though both sides have reportedly reached a temporary agreement to extend the ceasefire. President Trump announced on the 29th that he will hold a White House meeting to finalize the agreement details and stated that the US will lift its maritime blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
Dell Technologies' stock surged 32.76% on Friday, marking the company's largest single-day gain. Driven by explosive AI server demand, the company reported Q1 FY2027 revenue growth of 88% year-over-year, with AI server revenue jumping 757% to $16.1 billion. Adjusted earnings per share reached $4.86, significantly exceeding market expectations of $2.94. Dell's stock has climbed 234% year-to-date.
Aileen Wang, former mayor of Arcadia, California, pleaded guilty in Los Angeles federal court to illegally acting as an agent of the Chinese government. Sentencing is scheduled for October 6, with a maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment. The case involves federal charges related to conducting activities on behalf of a foreign government without authorization.
Russian President Putin stated on the 29th that based on battlefield conditions, the Ukraine war is nearing its final stage, though no specific end date can be determined. On the same evening, Ukraine's air force confirmed Russian military attacks on Kyiv and other areas. Putin warned that any targets posing direct threats to Russia would be considered legitimate strike objectives.