Secular News

The United States is seeking low-cost guided munitions to counter future warfare involving large numbers of drones, and China should also invest in this area, according to a Chinese military magazine. Ordnance Science and Technology published an analysis article this month, arguing that the US was finding its advanced munitions too costly and unsustainable in dealing with Houthi drone harassment in the Red Sea and in supporting Ukraine against large-scale low-cost Russian air strikes. The...

The first documented case of a Filipino man who died fighting alongside Russian forces in the Ukraine war has raised concerns in the Philippines over coerced recruitment and sparked calls for compensation from Moscow. In a report released on Monday, Ukraine’s intelligence operations identified the body of John Patrick, a Filipino national, among Russian troops killed near the village of Novoselivka in the Donetsk region, marking the first such report of its kind. Kyiv officials said Patrick’s...

The Exchange Fund posted its best-ever annual gain since the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) began releasing the data in 2003, as solid stock market returns boosted the city’s financial war chest used to defend the local currency. The Exchange Fund’s full-year earnings for 2025 jumped 51 per cent to HK$331 billion (US$42 billion), compared with HK$218.8 billion in 2024, the HKMA said on Wednesday. The returns surpassed full-year gains of HK$264 billion in 2017. “Looking ahead, the US...

Six-time major champion Iga Swiatek says the behind-the-scenes cameras at the Australian Open are watching players "like animals in the zoo".

The number of cyberattacks in Hong Kong hit a record high in 2025, with detected system vulnerabilities tripling, prompting experts to warn that artificial intelligence (AI) could pose a major risk of further attacks this year. Edmond Lai Shiao-bun, chief digital officer of the Hong Kong Productivity Council, warned on Wednesday that AI would pose three of the top five security threats to enterprises this year, urging firms to invest more in cybersecurity defences and staffing. “It may not be...

Por JOVANA GEC BELGRADO, Serbia (AP) — Miles de personas se congregaron en la capital de Serbia el martes para acusar al gobierno de tomar medidas drásticas contra las universidades, que han sido uno de los motores de la campaña que ha sacudido al mando autocrático del presidente, Aleksandar Vucic. Los manifestantes se dieron cita […]

A volcano in Russia's far east on Wednesday spewed ash several kilometres into the sky, authorities said, putting on a spectacular display in its latest eruption.

Thailand has given a contraceptive vaccine to wild elephants for the first time in an effort to control their ballooning population, a conservation official said on Wednesday.

Ulster head coach Richie Murphy feels the province's increased representation in Ireland's Six Nations squad "shows we are progressing and moving in the right direction".

In the global shift towards carbon neutral mobility, a striking role reversal is taking shape. China, often seen as a top-down planner, has emerged as a pragmatic, market-responsive architect of new energy vehicle (NEV) policy. Europe, a champion of climate ambition, is seemingly executing a retreat amid a disconnect between ambition and reality. The planned dilution of the European Union’s ban on new combustion-engine cars by 2035 to a carbon dioxide output reduction target of 90 per cent is...

Nomma Zarubina's case is one of several that has popped up in recent years: Russians building networks among think tanks, activists, politicians, journalists -- and then being charged by US authorities with secretly working for Russian intelligence. Her case is not quite the same, however.

World number two Nelly Korda says a mixed gender indoor virtual league "would have been revolutionary" following the launch of a women's competition backed by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy.