Secular News

Police in multiple Chinese cities have issued pre-emptive notices stating that no official New Year’s Eve countdowns will be held at popular landmarks, as they prioritise public safety and order ahead of the holiday. This coordinated messaging, consistent with recent years, emerged through a flurry of police notices issued on Tuesday and Wednesday. It reflects a cautious strategy by authorities to prevent a recurrence of tragedies like the 2014 Shanghai stampede. Authorities in major Chinese...

The opinion coverage in Kansas Reflector takes a proverbial village to create. I edit the section, of course, and contribute two to three columns a week. But we also rely on a number of regular contributors, such as Max McCoy on Sundays and Eric Thomas on Fridays. Mark McCormick doesn’t have a day set aside, […]

A sea of mourners have gathered in Dhaka to pay final respects to Khaleda Zia, who died on Tuesday aged 80.

Thailand on Wednesday released 18 Cambodian soldiers held for five months as prisoners of war, days after a fresh truce between the nations ended weeks of deadly fighting along their contested frontier. A decades-old border dispute between the Southeast Asian neighbours erupted into military clashes several times this year, with the latest round of fighting in December killing dozens of people and displacing more than a million. Some of the 18 soldiers, with closely cropped hair, smiled, waved...

The resignation of a second commissioner from a Philippine presidential fact-finding body investigating alleged corruption in flood control projects has left the panel with only its chair, raising fresh doubts about the state’s ability to hold powerful interests to account amid the sprawling scandal. The exits come as the investigation has become a focal point of public anger over billions of pesos spent on poorly constructed or non-existent flood control infrastructure that critics say failed...

Authorities said the deaths were linked to traditional initiation activities in November and December

Nvidia is scrambling to meet strong demand for its H200 artificial intelligence chips from Chinese technology companies and has ‌approached contract manufacturer Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) to ramp up production, sources said. Chinese tech companies have placed orders for more than 2 million H200 chips for 2026, while ‍Nvidia currently holds just 700,000 units in stock, two of the people said. The exact additional volume Nvidia intends to order from TSMC remains unclear, they...

Russian President Boris Yeltsin resigned, making Prime Minister Vladimir Putin acting president.

Who will win the Premier League, Champions League and Ballon d'Or in 2026? It's time to make your predictions.

Who will win the Premier League, Champions League and Ballon d'Or in 2026? It's time to make your predictions.

China has unveiled the details of an extension to its popular consumer goods trade-in scheme, a policy which has helped to fuel short-term boosts in consumption and contributed to the achievement of nationwide targets for economic growth. On Tuesday, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) – the country's top economic planner – announced with the Ministry of Finance that 62.5 billion yuan (US$8.93 billion) in ultra-long-term special bonds would be fast-tracked to local governments...

Six people including staff and patients were treated for injuries inflicted with a crowbar.