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The latest news, analysis and opinion on Internet. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
ByteDance’s decision to introduce a paywall for its flagship chatbot Doubao saw it lose 6.1 million users and could risk the tech giant’s lead in China’s fierce artificial intelligence race, according to analysts. Photo: CFOTO/Future Publishing via Getty Images
Artificial intelligence

ByteDance thinks its Doubao AI is worth paying for. Are China’s users buying it?

The tech giant’s paywall gamble may have backfired after teasing its paid-subscription options for flagship chatbot Doubao saw users bolt.

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Malaysia

Could Malaysia’s under-16 social media ban expose children to new online risks?

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Technology

Opinion | For SpaceX, global dominance may not be written in the stars

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United States

RFK Jnr posts video of him grabbing 2 snakes, as his wife asks ‘why?’

US health secretary has a bare-handed encounter with snakes, as his TV star wife tries to get him to stop.

Robert Kennedy Jnr handling two snakes as one of them tries to bite him. Photo: @RobertKennedyJr via X
US, Israel war on Iran

Iran restores partial internet access after record months-long blackout

The shutdown was imposed after US and Israeli air strikes on Iranian leaders and infrastructure began in February.

US, Israel war on Iran

Iran signals moves to reconnect to global internet after wartime blackout

Presidential decree aims to restore connectivity to its pre-war state after almost 90 days of digital isolation.

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Malaysia

Malaysia demands TikTok explain failure to block fake account insulting king

Among the ‘grossly offensive’ posts were false claims that the king ate pork and images with his face superimposed onto animal bodies.

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Malaysia’s king, Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar, attends a meeting with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin in Moscow on May 9. Photo: Reuters
Social media

Video | Corporate billionaires are China’s newest influencers

EV executives such as Xiaomi’s Lei Jun and NIO’s William Li have live-streamed themselves on road trips featuring their brands’ vehicles.

Indonesia

Fake news campaigns in Indonesia linked to military, Prabowo’s party: Amnesty

Amnesty’s findings reflect growing concerns that Indonesia is backsliding towards army rule under former special forces commander Prabowo.

South Korea

Reality deficit: how South Korea lost the plot on AI

A viral ‘baseball goddess’, a wolf that never was and a deepfake epidemic. Generative AI is rewriting South Korea’s reality.

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A screenshot of the "baseball goddess" from an AI-generated video. Photo: X/kangminlee
Good Schools Guide

Hong Kong parents and schools are rethinking sharing kids’ photos online

‘Sharenting’ can expose children to privacy breaches and identity theft, but schools still use students’ photos as marketing – where is the balance?

A child poses for a photo with a Christmas installation in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong. Photo: Xiaomei Chen
Alibaba

Alibaba shares surge 7% in Hong Kong as firm accelerates pivot to AI

The Chinese tech giant’s New York-listed shares also closed up 8.2 per cent on Wednesday, after it reported triple-digit growth in AI revenues.

Indonesia

Why Indonesia is expanding under-16 social media ban to e-commerce

The plan aims to protect children from online scams and impulse buying, but experts say it could be a major compliance test for platforms.

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Wealth: Healthcare

The ultra-rich are seeking longevity through innovative AI wearables

The most innovative healthcare monitors are no longer in hospitals, but increasingly found on our own bodies, opening up the opportunity for biohacking.

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Standard Chartered
Cristiano Ronaldo sporting a Whoop bracelet. Photo: Handout
Diplomacy

Opinion | As power flows through submarine cables, law of the sea must evolve

The global commons of the seabed is in effect being governed by private actors with the capital and tech to build and maintain cable systems.

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An Estonian naval ship sails in the Baltic Sea on January 9, 2025, as part of stepped-up Nato patrols in the region following suspected sabotage of undersea cables. Photo: AP
United States

New Mexico trial citing ‘public nuisance’ laws against Meta, social platforms

The case is being closely watched as governments across the US pursue similar claims seeking to force big tech platforms to change to protect young users.

France

France probes teenage suspect in massive ID data breach

The 15-year-old had put on sale on hacker forums between 12 million and 18 million lines of stolen data.

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Indonesia

Gaming platform Roblox to require facial scans for users under 16 in Indonesia

This is in line with new restrictions on minors’ use of social media and digital platforms in the country.

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A girl plays Roblox on her mobile phone in Jakarta, Indonesia. Photo: AP
European Union

Sweden targets social media giants over ‘murder ads’ recruiting children

The government wants to stop criminal gangs use of social media to recruit people - including youngsters - to kill and commit other crimes.

China jobs

China outlines new labour protection plan for nation’s 200 million gig workers

The 12-point document pledges stronger protections for gig-economy workforce, which has rapidly grown amid China’s economic slowdown.

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Artificial intelligence

From scepticism to concern: Mythos panic is slowly starting to reach China

Chinese state broadcaster CCTV said on its influential social media account that Mythos showed ‘unprecedented cyberattack capabilities’.

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Anthropic’s strong anti-China stance has increased the possibility that the US could use Mythos-type models to conduct cyberattacks against China, according to a cybersecurity expert. Photo: NurPhoto via Getty Images
Science

Will the future world order be determined by who controls low Earth orbit?

Amid Starlink’s ability to service conflict zones, Chinese article warns of ‘new form of power’ to allow or cut connectivity in real time.

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Starlink was rolled out in Ukraine in 2022 to replace internet and communication networks damaged by Russia’s invasion of the country, quickly becoming a critical tool for both civilian and military connectivity. Photo: Shutterstock
Artificial intelligence

Beijing sounds alarm over urgent need to clean up online ads

Market watchdog flags AI abuse and traffic-driven tactics as it launches first campaign to overhaul online advertising.

Social media

Turkey passes bill to restrict social media access for under-15s

It comes a week after a 14-year-old boy killed nine students and a teacher at a middle school in southern Turkey, in a gun attack.

Hong Kong society

Personal info of 9,045 people compromised in Hong Kong private club data breach

Yau Yat Chuen Garden City Club’s management system rendered inoperable due to ransomware attack that encrypted information system files.

Yau Yat Chuen Garden City Club notified the privacy watchdog on October 31 last year that its club management system was rendered inoperable due to a ransomware attack. Photo: Jelly Tse
Nepal

Nepal minister quits amid financial scrutiny after just weeks in office

Home Minister Sudan Gurung was a key figure in the Gen-Z protests last September that toppled Nepal’s previous government.

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Sudan Gurung, a Gen Z movement protest leader who became Home Minister, drives a car after the oath-taking ceremony outside the presidential office in Kathmandu, Nepal on March 27, 2026. Photo: EPA
United States

The Onion signs new deal to take over Alex Jones’ Infowars

A defiant Jones vows to reconstitute his media empire as the ‘Alex Jones Show’, insisting he is ‘not going anywhere’.

Malaysia

Deepfakes, cloned voices: the new AI threat facing Malaysia’s creators

Experts question whether Malaysia’s laws are keeping pace with the harm spread by AI, and call for stronger legal protections for artists.

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