esports or e-sports
Australia's House of Representatives passes bill that would ban young children from social media
Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Got it Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size If ever a year deserved to be summed up in a cheap meme, it was 2024. It was the year that felt like being awake during surgery . Sometimes the social media chuckle gallery hits the nail right on the head, but for all the spot-on accuracy of that assessment, it’s also a year that warranted a search for its better angels; a sifting through the flotsam and jetsam for the fairy dust and joy. And there were halos to be found if you looked hard enough. “This is the biggest show we’ve done on this tour or any tour,” Taylor Swift told the crowd of 96,000 at the MCG. Credit: Jason South There was, for instance, a moment back in February when the MCG – traditionally a place that brings the feels during footy in September or the cricket on Boxing Day – seemed to swallow the entire city in a joyous embrace as host to the largest crowd of Taylor Swift’s entire 149-show Eras Tour . It was a tour, and a show, unlike anything Australia or Swift herself had ever seen. “You’re making me feel like I get to play a show for 96,000 beautiful people in Melbourne tonight,” a visibly stunned Swift told the heaving crowd, which was boosted by several thousand more fans “Taylor-gating” outside the stadium. “This is the biggest show that we have done on this tour, or any tour, ever.” The Swiftian joyfest then moved north to Sydney, where the total turnout was even bigger (320,000 across four shows). “Sydney, you are making me feel absolutely phenomenal,” she declared. The feeling was clearly mutual and spread far beyond the venues. As she had done on other stops on the Eras tour, Swift proved a human tonic to everything that ails us — from economic worries (Swiftonomics became a subject worthy of study) to general social malaise. Advertisement We spend much of our time worrying about the yoof; especially young women. Well, in 2024 Taylor Swift turned up to show us that the kids are alright. And she wasn’t alone. Swiftmania was the herald of what would become the year that “girl power” – a worn and slightly tatty ’90s concept – received a fresh, ferocious update for the 21st century as something deeper, stronger and powered by a kind of worldly-wise joy. Year of the brat Forget sense and sensibility; 2024 was all sass and sensibility. Sabrina Carpenter parlayed her supporting status on the Eras Tour into a blockbuster year that elevated her to near the very top of the tree with no need for Swift’s booster seat. In Carpenter, pop music added another voice that was savvy, sassy, sexy and smart — from the unavoidable bop of Espresso to the come-to-bed brashness of her smash album Short n’ Sweet . Charli XCX took things a step further. The British singer staked her claim to the year by giving 2024 a word, a colour and an attitude all wrapped up in one album – Brat . She summed it up like this: “You’re just like that girl who is a little messy and likes to party and maybe says some dumb things sometimes. Who feels herself but maybe also has a breakdown. But kind of like, parties through it, is very honest, very blunt. A little bit volatile. Like, does dumb things. But it’s brat. You’re brat. That’s brat.” Was 2024 the year of the brat? Charli XCX fans certainly thought so. Advertisement If it doesn’t make sense to you, that’s probably because it isn’t meant to. But as a sensibility, it rode a cultural wave – the joy wave – so adroitly Kamala Harris even hitched her (ill-fated) Joy Wagon to the phenomenon. On a similar train was American Chappell Roan – dubbed the Joy Rebel of the Year – whose success confirmed young women were increasingly sailing different seas from the rest of the culture, and landing in happier places. Gold medal to Celine Dion’s Paris Olympics performance. Credit: Screengrab by IOC via Getty Images In July, it was a diva of a different era who elevated the Paris Olympics, as a wet and occasionally weird opening ceremony gave way to the thing we mostly remember about it – the moment we heard the voice and then spotted the figure of a glistening Celine Dion perched within the Eiffel Tower . It was a moment of extraordinary power – of personal resilience and vocal artistry – that lifted the event out of the damp Paris streets and elevated it to a moment of genuine collective emotion. Paris in summer was where we went looking for hope during the Australian winter, and our team delivered. Well, the women did anyway, bringing home 13 of the 18 gold and 27 of the 45 medals overall for our greatest Games ever. Alongside the usual heroics in the pool ( Kaylee McKeown became the first Australian to win four individual gold was one stand-out among a team of them) there were more eccentric goings-on elsewhere in the Olympic city. You could, if you so chose, react to Rachael “Raygun” Gunn’s zero-point car crash with a scowl and a sneer, and many did, but the open-hearted were able to see the funny side. As were comedians around the world, who found in the Australian breakdancer one of the year’s true unifying comedic moments . In a year of much misery, this achievement should not be underappreciated. Advertisement There were happy cultural warriors elsewhere, too. In Hollywood, Nicole Kidman seemed to star in every other movie and series – as Steve Martin quipped at the Emmys , “when I see an actor I don’t know, I just say, ‘I loved your scene with Nicole Kidman’, and nine times out of 10, I’m right”. Our Nic took time out from starring in everything to win everything. This included inhaling the very rare air of an American Film Institute Life Achievement Award . Flying the flag for the younger generation, Adelaide’s Sarah Snook carted home an Emmy and a Golden Globe and warmed up for her 2025 Broadway run in The Picture Of Dorian Gray with a Laurence Olivier Award for the same tour de force in London. Ms Everywhere: It was a big year for Nicole Kidman. Credit: Dave Benett/WireImage Loyalty to royalty Acting royalty elevated us to higher planes. Garden variety royalty also played its part. Mary Donaldson, erstwhile of Hobart and Sydney, became Queen of Denmark in January, giving hope to everyone who met someone in a bar during the Sydney Olympics almost 25 years ago. You don’t have to love royalty to breathe the occasional sigh of relief at the distraction they provide from the daily grind, and you don’t have to be a monarchist to be pleased that the Princess of Wales faced and emerged from a cancer diagnosis in strong and dignified spirit. In the natural world, bad news abounds when it comes to climate change – but there were bright spots. Advertisement Did you know Britain closed its last coal power station in September ? Or that renewables surged even in the US, where wind generation outpaced coal for the first time? Or that in the Amazon, deforestation reached record lows this year? It did. All is not lost yet. Loading For some old-fashioned cheer from Mother Nature, you could wallow in dog and cat videos on social media (and millions of us did) – or you could turn your gaze to another heroine we didn’t know we needed, the Tay Tay of the Choeropsis liberiensis world. In September, the world fell in love with Moo Deng , a pygmy hippo, a girl whose social media fame drew attention to the plight and past of her species. Who knew the pygmy hippo came with a history this rich, star of a Liberian legend in which Moo Deng’s kind find their way through the forest at night by carrying diamonds in their mouths to light the way? This pigmy hippo has become a viral sensation. Credit: Khao Kheow Open Zoo Now we know, and we are the better for it. Closer to home, Pesto the king penguin gained global fame as a social media superstar , famous on TikTok as the largest chick Melbourne’s Sea Life aquarium has ever seen. Big, beautiful and comfortable in his own skin, Pesto was the kind of hero – “calm, curious and friendly” – we needed in a year when male humans to admire were thin on the ground. Advertisement For other bright lights in the darkness, we needed look no further than our own southern skies, with the return on several occasions of the Aurora Australis , which made rare and spectacular appearances as far north as Queensland in May, September and October. Scientists and citizens alike were dazzled by a liquid light show of pinks and whites and purples and greens. Was there a better symbol of hope than this – a phenomenon named for Aurora, the Roman goddess of dawn, announcing the arrival of a new day? It was as if we had been given a celestial preview of what would become the year’s biggest cultural event, one that also asked us to look skyward – or in the words of the song of the year, Defying Gravity , “look to the western sky”. Bright lights, all right. Aurora Australis seen in Victoria. Credit: Facebook/Travis Carroll The screen adaptation of Wicked landed in cinemas in mid-November, amid one of the strangest promotional tours in memory and hot on the heels of an American political earthquake two weeks earlier. The weird on-camera adventures of Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande were at times almost as entertaining as the film they starred in. And the movie’s storyline, adapted from the 2003 stage musical, could have been taken as a contemporary riff on the state of the world , very specifically, at the end of 2024. Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo star in Wicked. Credit: Out.com Wicked is a tale of defiance and friendship forged in the most difficult of circumstances; of surmounting challenges and differences; of flying, literally, in the face of a world that seeks to define you. It was, as so many of the hopeful things were in 2024, a message delivered by and to young women startling in their confidence and talent, happy to defy the doom with which the times seek to burden them. Loading The song that ends the film became the year’s musical battle cry – a moment when art and heart met irresistible force, and art and heart won. If ever a year needed an anthem , it was this one – and in Defying Gravity it found it. In a year that insisted we be sad and scared – or summed up in a cheap meme – it was proof there was still space for hearts and minds to soar. Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter .FILIPINOS have embraced the local proverb, "Kapag maiksi ang kumot, matutong mamaluktot" (when the blanket is short, learn to bend) in 2024, navigating rising prices with resourceful purchasing habits. This resilience is highlighted in the latest Sari IQ report by Packworks, a Filipino startup that provides a business-to-business (B2B) open platform to sari-sari stores, providing a snapshot of the state of the grassroots retail sector in the country. Register to read this story and more for free . Signing up for an account helps us improve your browsing experience. OR See our subscription options.
A fateful night in Monterey: Drinking, conservative banter, sexual assault allegationsBy COLLEEN SLEVIN DENVER (AP) — Amid renewed interest in the killing of JonBenet Ramsey triggered in part by a new Netflix documentary, police in Boulder, Colorado, refuted assertions this week that there is viable evidence and leads about the 1996 killing of the 6-year-old girl that they are not pursuing. JonBenet Ramsey, who competed in beauty pageants, was found dead in the basement of her family’s home in the college town of Boulder the day after Christmas in 1996. Her body was found several hours after her mother called 911 to say her daughter was missing and a ransom note had been left behind. The details of the crime and video footage of JonBenet competing in pageants propelled the case into one of the highest-profile mysteries in the United States. The police comments came as part of their annual update on the investigation, a month before the 28th anniversary of JonBenet’s killing. Police said they released it a little earlier due to the increased attention on the case, apparently referring to the three-part Netflix series “Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenet Ramsey.” In a video statement, Boulder Police Chief Steve Redfearn said the department welcomes news coverage and documentaries about the killing of JonBenet, who would have been 34 this year, as a way to generate possible new leads. He said the department is committed to solving the case but needs to be careful about what it shares about the investigation to protect a possible future prosecution. “What I can tell you though, is we have thoroughly investigated multiple people as suspects throughout the years and we continue to be open-minded about what occurred as we investigate the tips that come into detectives,” he said. The Netflix documentary focuses on the mistakes made by police and the “media circus” surrounding the case. JonBenet was bludgeoned and strangled. Her death was ruled a homicide, but nobody was ever prosecuted. Police were widely criticized for mishandling the early investigation into her death amid speculation that her family was responsible. However, a prosecutor cleared her parents, John and Patsy Ramsey, and brother Burke in 2008 based on new DNA evidence from JonBenet’s clothing that pointed to the involvement of an “unexplained third party” in her slaying. The announcement by former district attorney Mary Lacy came two years after Patsy Ramsey died of cancer. Lacy called the Ramseys “victims of this crime.” John Ramsey has continued to speak out for the case to be solved. In 2022, he supported an online petition asking Colorado’s governor to intervene in the investigation by putting an outside agency in charge of DNA testing in the case. In the Netflix documentary, he said he has been advocating for several items that have not been prepared for DNA testing to be tested and for other items to be retested. He said the results should be put through a genealogy database. In recent years, investigators have identified suspects in unsolved cases by comparing DNA profiles from crime scenes and to DNA testing results shared online by people researching their family trees. In 2021, police said in their annual update that DNA hadn’t been ruled out to help solve the case, and in 2022 noted that some evidence could be “consumed” if DNA testing is done on it. Last year, police said they convened a panel of outside experts to review the investigation to give recommendations and determine if updated technologies or forensic testing might produce new leads. In the latest update, Redfearn said that review had ended but that police continue to work through and evaluate a “lengthy list of recommendations” from the panel. Amy Beth Hanson contributed to this report from Helena, Montana.HPH Announces Change to the Board of Directors
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President-elect said Wednesday that he has chosen Keith Kellogg, a highly decorated retired three-star general, to serve as his special envoy for Ukraine and Russia. Kellogg, who is one of the architects of a staunchly conservative policy book that lays out an for the incoming administration, will come into the role as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine enters its third year in February. Trump, making the announcement on his Truth Social account, said, “He was with me right from the beginning! Together, we will secure PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH, and Make America, and the World, SAFE AGAIN!” Kellogg, an 80-year-old retired Army lieutenant general who has long been Trump’s top adviser on defense issues, served as national security adviser to Vice President , was chief of staff of the National Security Council and then stepped in as an acting security adviser for Trump after resigned. As special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, Kellogg will have to navigate an increasingly untenable war between the two nations. The administration has begun urging Ukraine to and revamping its mobilization laws to allow for the conscription of those as young as 18. The White House has pushed more than $56 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since the start of Russia’s February 2022 invasion and expects to send billions more before Biden leaves office in less than two months. The U.S. has recently stepped up weapons shipments and has forgiven billions in loans provided to Kyiv. Trump has criticized the billions the Biden administration has spent in supporting Ukraine and has said he could end the war in 24 hours, comments that appear to suggest he would press Ukraine to surrender territory that Russia now occupies. As a co-chairman of the American First Policy Institute’s Center for American Security, Kellogg wrote several of the chapters in the group’s policy book. The book, like the Heritage Foundation’s “Project 2025,” is designed to lay out a Trump national security agenda and avoid the mistakes of 2016 when he entered the White House largely unprepared. Kellogg in April wrote that “bringing the Russia-Ukraine war to a close will require strong, America First leadership to deliver a peace deal and immediately end the hostilities between the two warring parties.” Trump's , U.S. Rep. Michael Waltz of Florida, tweeted Wednesday that “Keith has dedicated his life to defending our great country and is committed to bringing the war in Ukraine to a peaceful resolution.” Kellogg featured in multiple Trump investigations dating to his first term. He was among the administration officials who listened in on the July 2019 call between Trump and in which Trump prodded his Ukrainian counterpart to pursue investigations into the Bidens. The call, which Kellogg would later say did not raise any concerns on his end, was at the center of the first of two House impeachment cases against Trump, who was acquitted by the Senate both times. On Jan. 6, 2021, hours before pro-Trump rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol, Kellogg, who was then Pence’s national security adviser, listened in on a heated call in which Trump told his vice president to object or delay the certification in Congress of President ’s victory. He later told House investigators that he recalled Trump saying to Pence words to the effect of: “You’re not tough enough to make the call.” Baldor reported from Washington. AP writer Eric Tucker in Washington contributed to this report. Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Get local news delivered to your inbox!CNN contributor Scott Jennings debated ESPN’s Cari Champion Monday on CNN’s “NewsNight” over X, formerly Twitter, being the most politically balanced network. Partial transcript as follows: AUDIE CORNISH: Now, Scott, I want to bring you in here because this kind of linked to [Victor] Orban, we don’t pull it from nowhere, there was a former member of the Hungarian Parliament who was writing in Politico, who kind of talked about this effort by that government and how specific it was in terms of purchasing media specifically for propaganda. Do you hear why they’re making that connection? SCOTT JENNINGS: I mean, is the concern that certain media outlets would become propaganda arms of political ideologies? Don’t we already have that in this country at a large scale? Also I hear what you’re saying about X, I saw a survey this week, it’s now the most ideologically balanced user platform.” CARI CHAMPION: Scott, Scott, stop, it’s too early. I just sat down. I’ve only been here for two minutes, you cannot say that. Who’s the source? JENNINGS: We’ve reported on this network. CHAMPION: It’s not accurate and you know it. JENNINGS: OK. I’ll let you make your statement, but my point is — CORNISH: Let me frame it a different way. The site changed radically, right? So whether you think the voices are somehow more balanced now, that’s fine. But no doubt Musk’s influence is profound and that you open it up and now you’re there with his opinion and he is now part of this administration. Follow Pam Key on X @pamkeyNEN
Big Ten could place four teams in playoff, thanks to IU's rise
On December 24, 2024, Orgenesis Inc. received notification from the Nasdaq Stock Market (“Nasdaq”) of its intent to file a notification of removal from listing (Form 25) with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to delist the company’s common stock on completion of all relevant procedures. The delisting, upon filing of the Form 25 by Nasdaq, is set to take effect 10 days later. The company’s common stock deregistration under Section 12(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 will occur 90 days post the Form 25 filing, or earlier if stipulated by the SEC. Post-deregistration, the common stock remains registered under Section 12(g) of the Exchange Act. Orgenesis Inc.’s common stock began trading on the OTCQX functioning under the oversight of the OTC Markets Group, Inc. on October 21, 2024. In a separate announcement, on the same day, Jagannathan Bhalaji notified Orgenesis Inc. of his immediate resignation as a director due to personal reasons. Mr. Bhalaji’s departure, as reported, was not due to any disagreement with the company or its management concerning the operations, policies, or practices of Orgenesis Inc. This article was generated by an automated content engine and was reviewed by a human editor prior to publication. For additional information, read Orgenesis’s 8K filing here . About Orgenesis ( Get Free Report ) Orgenesis Inc, a biotech company, focuses on cell and gene therapies worldwide. It operates through two segments, Octomera and Therapies. The company develops a Point of Care (POCare) platform that includes a pipeline of licensed cell based POCare therapies that are processed and produced under closed and automated POCare technology systems across a collaborative POCare network consisting of research institutes and hospitals. Further Reading
PFTA stock touches 52-week low at $10.33 amid market shiftsApplied Materials (AMAT) Expands EPIC Platform to Accelerate Advanced Chip Packaging and Energy-Efficient ComputingThe Cincinnati Bearcats men's basketball team has gotten off to a fast start this season in more ways than one. The No. 16 Bearcats have raced to a 5-0 record while outscoring their opponents by more than 31 points per game, with just one team (Northern Kentucky) coming within 16 points. Cincinnati is averaging a robust 87 points per game with one of the more efficient offenses in college basketball. Cincinnati will look to continue that hot streak when it plays host to Alabama State in nonconference action Wednesday evening. Cincinnati has punished opposing defenses in a variety of ways this season. Despite being the No. 14 offense in the nation in Ken Pomeroy's efficiency ratings, the Bearcats aren't among the nation's leaders in pace. Still, they take advantage of those opportunities when they are there. "Us playing fast is something we want to do," Cincinnati forward Dillon Mitchell said. "When I was being recruited here, that was something Coach (Wes) Miller wanted to do. "There could be games where we're not making shots or something is off, but one thing is we're gonna push the ball, play hard and play fast. That's something he preaches. We'll be in shape and get rebounds." Mitchell is fresh off a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds in Cincinnati's 81-58 road win at Georgia Tech Saturday. He is one of four Bearcats to average double figures in scoring this season. That balance was on display once again against the Yellow Jackets, with Connor Hickman and Jizzle James also scoring 14 points each and Simas Lukosius contributing 12 points. In that game, Cincinnati sank 51.6 percent of its shots while regularly getting out into transition with 16 fastbreak points, while winning the rebounding battle 36-29. "Any time you get a road win over a quality, Power 4 team, you're gonna feel good about it," Miller said. "I was pleased with our effort." Lukosius is scoring 16.6 points per game, while James is at 14.0 points, followed by Mitchell at 12.4, while he also grabs a team-best 8.6 rebounds. Alabama State (3-3) has a tough task ahead, especially when considering its 97-78 loss at Akron Sunday, which ended a three-game winning streak. The Hornets allowed the Zips to shoot 46.4 percent from the field and were 53-32 in the rebounding battle. Alabama State gave up a season high in points, after playing the likes of LSU and UNLV earlier this season. Akron standout Nate Johnson lit up Alabama State for 25 points, as the game got away from the Hornets in the second half to keep them winless in true road games. Alabama leading scorers CJ Hines and TJ Madlock still got theirs against Akron, scoring 19 and 17 points, respectively. They were joined in double figures by reserve Tyler Mack (18 points), but recent history says they'll need more help to keep up with the Bearcats. Hines leads the Hornets with 15.7 points per game, while Madlock contributes 14.5 points. In previous Akron Basketball Classic wins last week against Omaha and Lamar, Alabama State featured at least four double-digit scorers in each game. --Field Level Media
As the world awaits how US President-elect Donald Trump will weaponize trade, it is useful to understand how the US and China have wielded trade sanctions in the past to achieve their foreign and domestic policy goals. The US has often used trade sanctions to deal with issues such as nuclear proliferation, human rights abuses, or geopolitical aggression, and now under Trump, to reduce trade deficit and bring back jobs to the US. The US, for example, has imposed sanctions on Iran to curb its nuclear program and on Russia following its annexation of Crimea. During Trump’s first presidency, he imposed tariffs on $250 billion worth of Chinese goods, targeting sectors like technology, steel, and consumer goods. These measures were designed not only to pressure Beijing on what the US claimed as intellectual property theft, human rights violations, and unfair trade practices but also to incentivize US companies to shift production to the US. Similarly, China has also wielded trade sanctions as an instrument of foreign policy. Since 2010, China has imposed sanctions against 15 countries including Australia, Japan, South Korea, Norway, the Philippines, Mongolia, Canada, Lithuania, and the United States. These sanctions vary in motivation, scope, target, and duration, but their strategies tend to be ambiguous and informal but also proportional, conditional, and ultimately pragmatic. If President Trump has the art of the deal, China has the art of the trade war. Historically, China tended to wield trade sanctions over what it claims as infringements of its core interests — territorial integrity, political stability, economic priorities, and national security. In 2012, for example, Beijing imposed trade sanctions — that lasted four years — on the Philippines after it filed a case against China over the Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea. When Norway awarded the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize to Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo, China blocked Norwegian salmon exports for six years. In 2016, China imposed sanctions on Mongolia after the Dalai Lama’s visit, targeting Mongolian mining exports with administrative delays. South Korea experienced a similar response when it deployed the THAAD missile defense system in 2016. China retaliated by restricting tourism, banning Korean cultural products, and increasing inspections on South Korean goods — a move that cost the South Korean economy an estimated $7.5 billion over six years. In 2020, after Australia called for an independent investigation into the origins of COVID-19 and banned Huawei from its 5G rollout, China imposed broad sanctions on Australian coal, barley, beef, and wine estimated at over $20 billion worth of exports. In all of these cases, trade sanctions were eventually eased as a result of policy shifts or changes in political leadership in sanctioned countries. These examples illustrate the range and conditional nature of China’s trade sanctions. Economic pressure is applied strategically, and sanctions are often lifted when target countries adjust policies, offer diplomatic concessions, or prioritize economic cooperation with Beijing. While China’s motivations are predictable — to protect its core interests — its sanctions strategy is often ambiguous and informal. Unlike Western powers, which publicly announce and justify sanctions — even with Trump’s trade deficit reduction project — China often attributes trade disruptions to technical or regulatory issues. When Mongolia hosted the Dalai Lama in 2016, Chinese authorities cited vague “technical delays” to restrict Mongolian mining exports. Similarly, restrictions on Australian and Philippines agricultural goods were framed as regulatory inspections rather than retaliatory measures. Moreover, China often employs informal tools such as administrative delays, increased inspections, and unofficial pressures on businesses. In its 2021 dispute with Lithuania over the establishment of a Taiwanese representative office, China suspended trade flows without formal announcements and pressured multinational firms to sever ties with Lithuanian suppliers. This strategy — highly effective but difficult to contest through legal channels — highlights China’s ability to leverage its vast market informally. Notably, China’s trade sanctions also tend to be tit for tat but proportional, calibrated to maintain pressure while avoiding full-scale economic disruption. For example, during Trump’s first presidency, the 2018 trade war with China showcased a proportional use of tariffs to address perceived trade imbalances. Tariffs were imposed on $250 billion worth of Chinese imports, targeting sectors such as technology, steel, and consumer goods, while China retaliated with tariffs on $110 billion worth of US goods, focusing on agriculture and automobiles, politically sensitive goods in the US. While China’s sanctions strategy tends to be ambiguous, informal, proportional, and conditional, it is ultimately pragmatic. For instance, China has maintained robust trade relations with countries despite ongoing territorial disputes. Bilateral trade with India, for instance, reached $135 billion in 2022 despite continued tensions along the border which have since been settled this year. Trade with the US remains robust despite trade rivalry. Similarly, China remains Vietnam’s largest trading partner, even as both countries vie for contested claims in the South China Sea. The same with the Philippines although China has already warned it is running out of patience. Trade with Taiwan further underscores this dynamic. Despite Beijing’s political stance that Taiwan is a breakaway province, economic ties remain significant. In 2022, Taiwan’s exports to China accounted for 40% of its total exports, dominated by semiconductors vital to China’s technology ambitions. These cases point to the complexities of China’s trade relationships and China’s pragmatic balancing act between strategic competition and economic interdependence. The economic impact of China’s sanctions often depends on the targeted country’s reliance on Chinese markets. Smaller economies, or those with concentrated export dependencies, are more vulnerable. South Korea’s deployment of the THAAD missile defense system in 2016 led to restrictions on tourism, entertainment, and consumer goods, costing South Korea an estimated $7.5 billion over six years. However, countries capable of diversifying their trade relationships can mitigate the effects. Australia’s experience with China illustrates this point. After facing sweeping trade restrictions, Australia redirected coal exports to India and barley to the Middle East, demonstrating that sanctions can sometimes accelerate trade diversification rather than achieving their intended outcome. China’s trade sanctions must be seen within its broader foreign policy strategy, which balances punitive measures with economic incentives. Alongside sanctions, China uses tools such as favorable trade agreements, foreign direct investment (FDI), and development aid to strengthen ties with friendly states and win over rivals. The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) exemplifies Beijing’s efforts to expand geopolitical influence through economic engagement. China’s vast outbound tourism sector has also emerged as a lever of economic diplomacy, rewarding or penalizing countries based on bilateral ties. While China’s sanctions strategy offers flexibility, it also raises concerns about international trade norms. The World Trade Organization (WTO) provides mechanisms for resolving formal trade disputes, but China’s informal measures often fall outside its regulatory framework. Japan’s 2012 WTO victory against China’s rare earth export restrictions highlighted these limitations. Although China complied with the ruling, the case underscored the challenges of addressing politically motivated trade disruptions through existing global mechanisms. This is not to say that China has completely abandoned the WTO. In fact, it recently filed in the WTO several cases against the US and EU over the imposition of tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles. In short, China’s art of the trade war seems to be a combination of discretion, informality, ambiguity, proportional escalation, conditionality, pragmatism, and reliance on global institutions as it suits its purpose. This strategy allows Beijing to exert economic pressure, provide flexibility while avoiding overt escalation. Its effectiveness will depend on the economic resilience of targeted countries, their ability to diversify trade relationships, and the broader geopolitical context. While sanctions impose costs, they also carry risks for China, including disruptions to its own supply chains and the potential for countries to deepen ties with alternative partners. On my next op-ed, I will speculate on the possible economic impacts if China imposes sweeping trade sanctions on the Philippines and when it might do so. Eduardo Araral is an associate professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore. This op-ed is written in his personal capacity.
Bill Plaschke: Fans are heard, title hopes are solidified, Teoscar Hernández is back with DodgersArteta wanted his team to prove their European credentials following some underwhelming displays away from home, and the Gunners manager got exactly what he asked for. Goals from Gabriel Martinelli, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Magalhaes, Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard got their continental campaign back on track in style following the 1-0 defeat at Inter Milan last time out. A memorable victory also ended Sporting’s unbeaten start to the season, a streak of 17 wins and one draw, the vast majority of which prompted Manchester United to prise away head coach Ruben Amorim. The Gunners had failed to win or score in their two away games in the competition so far this season, but they made a blistering start in the Portuguese capital and took the lead after only seven minutes. Declan Rice fed overlapping full-back Jurrien Timber, who curled a low cross in behind the home defence for Martinelli to finish at the far post. Arsenal doubled their lead in the 20th minute thanks to a glorious ball over the top from Thomas Partey. Saka escaped the clutches of his marker Maximiliano Araujo to beat the offside trap and poke the ball past advancing goalkeeper Franco Israel for Havertz to tap home. It was a scintillating first-half display which completely overshadowed the presence of Viktor Gyokeres in Sporting’s attack. The prolific Sweden striker, formerly of Coventry, has been turning the heads of Europe’s top clubs with his 24 goals in 17 games this season – including a hat-trick against Manchester City earlier this month. But the only time he got a sniff of a run at goal after an optimistic long ball, he was marshalled out of harm’s way by Gabriel. David Raya was forced into one save, tipping a fierce Geovany Quenda drive over the crossbar. But Arsenal added a third on the stroke of half-time, Gabriel charging in to head Rice’s corner into the back of the net. To rub salt in the wound, the Brazilian defender mimicked Gyokeres’ hands-over-his-face goal celebration. That may have wound Sporting up as they came out after the interval meaning business, and they pulled one back after Raya tipped Hidemasa Morita’s shot behind, with Goncalo Inacio netting at the near post from the corner. Former Tottenham winger Marcus Edwards fired over, as did Gyokeres, with Arsenal temporarily on the back foot. But when Martin Odegaard’s darting run into the area was halted by Ousmane Diomande’s foul, Saka tucked away the penalty. Substitute Trossard added the fifth with eight minutes remaining, heading in the rebound after Mikel Merino’s shot was saved, and Gyokeres’ miserable night was summed up when his late shot crashed back off the post.
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