Xi Jinping’s January 2026 purge of Zhang Youxia, his vice chairman on China’s top military command body, sent shockwaves through the armed forces and froze the approval chain for major exercises. Insider sources say the Zhurihe base in Inner Mongolia, where the People’s Liberation Army practices seizing Taiwan’s government buildings, went dark for weeks as…
Good morning and welcome back to FirstFT Asia. In today’s newsletter: Shein’s mysterious founder emerges China hits Japanese companies with export curbs Trump’s Iran ‘crisis of his own making’ We start in Guangzhou, where the mysterious founder of fast-fashion giant Shein used his first major public appearance yesterday to stress the company’s Chinese roots. What…
Apple is rolling out new age assurance tools for developers in regions including Brazil, Australia, Singapore, and parts of the US, as new App Store restrictions for 18+ apps take effect in select markets. Here are the details. Some of the changes will apply starting today From Apple’s Developer blog: Today we’re providing an update…
Get your shovels ready: a second round of snow is quickly approaching following the Feb. 23 blizzard that rocked New England. The National Weather Service is tracking a system that may drop another 1 to 3 inches of snow throughout Maine and New Hampshire on Wednesday, Feb. 25, affecting the morning commute. “We’re most concerned…
Some of India’s major tiger reserves have banned mobile phones on safari drives, according to the Hindustan Times, marking a significant shift in how the country protects its iconic habitats from human disruption. The ban applies across prominent reserves, including Ranthambhore, Bandhavgarh, Kanha, Pench, Satpura, Panna, Tadoba-Andhari, and Umred Karhandla Wildlife Sanctuary. While Tadoba and…
The maxim, “The strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must”, attributed to the Athenian historian Thucydides, described the reality of world politics for millennia. Today there are forces that wish to see a return to a world where “might equals right”. The European Union, born out of the ashes of…
Arbeloa calls for action from UEFA The Blancos boss was vocal about the symbolic nature of previous anti-racism campaigns, suggesting that the current situation provides a litmus test for the governing body. Speaking to reporters at Valdebebas, Arbeloa stated: “We have a great opportunity to mark a turning point in the fight against racism. UEFA,…
Eating wonderful food is one of life’s great pleasures. That’s what the MICHELIN Star represents: it directs you to restaurants that serve truly memorable dishes. And while this experience can often prove expensive, there are thankfully a great number of Starred restaurants who go out of their way to offer more affordable ways to enjoy…
A California federal judge has thrown out a lawsuit brought by Elon Musk’s AI startup xAI, accusing OpenAI of poaching staff to steal trade secrets. In a ruling released on Tuesday, US District Judge Rita Lin sided with a request to dismiss the case filed by the Sam Altman-led AI company behind ChatGPT, citing the…
The thing about dropping a huge boulder into the combat sports pond — and Zuffa Boxing’s signing of Conor Benn was most certainly that — is that it inevitably ripples out in all directions. We’re still seeing those ripples now, with everyone reacting in their own special ways. Those reactions, if we look closely, are…