Comment on Fast-growing Christian churches crushed in China

Hailaierke emerged from his corner in a southpaw pose, before abruptly switching to an orthodox stance inside the octagonal ring in the central Chinese city of Lüliang. Whether that sudden shift befuddled his opponent is unclear, but just 40 seconds later Shang Zhifa was sprawled on the canvas, felled by a vicious right hand. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] It was a first-round knockout that won Hailaierke the 1 million rmb ($135,000) top prize at the Dec.

In 2017, Beijing unveiled an ambitious roadmap to dominate artificial intelligence development, aiming to secure global leadership by 2030. By 2020, the plan called for “iconic advances” in AI to demonstrate its progress. Then in late 2022, OpenAI’s release of ChatGPT took the world by surprise—and caught China flat-footed. At the time, leading Chinese technology companies were still reeling from an 18-month government crackdown that shaved around $1 trillion off China’s tech sector.

President-elect Donald Trump said Tuesday that he would move to try to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America,” a name he said has a “beautiful ring to it.” [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] It’s his latest suggestion to redraw the map of the Western Hemisphere. Trump has repeatedly referred to Canada as the “51st State,” demanded that Denmark consider ceding Greenland, and called for Panama to return the Panama Canal. Read More: Trump Is Treating the Globe Like a Monopoly Board Here’s a look at his comment and what goes into a name. Why is Trump talking about renaming the Gulf of Mexico? Since his first run for the White House in 2016, Trump has repeatedly clashed with Mexico over a number of issues, including border security and the imposition of tariffs on imported goods.

Justin Trudeau had a special bond with Canadians, who had known him since he was born, on Christmas Day in 1971, as the son of Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. That bond helped him get his Dad’s old job. In his first federal election as Liberal leader in 2015, his Conservative opponents warned Canadians that he was a lightweight, a celebrity with nice hair but no relevant work experience.

PARIS — Jean-Marie Le Pen, the founder of France’s far-right National Front who was known for fiery rhetoric against immigration and multiculturalism that earned him both staunch supporters and widespread condemnation, has died. He was 96. A polarizing figure in French politics, Le Pen’s controversial statements, including Holocaust denial, led to multiple convictions and strained his political alliances. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] Le Pen, who once reached the second round of the 2002 presidential election, was eventually estranged from his daughter, Marine Le Pen, who renamed his National Front party, kicked him out and transformed it into one of France’s most powerful political forces while distancing herself from her father’s extremist image. Jordan Bardella, president of the National Rally as the party is now known, confirmed Le Pen’s death in a post on social media platform X on Tuesday.

BEIJING — A strong earthquake killed at least 95 people in Tibet on Tuesday and left many others trapped as dozens of aftershocks shook the high-altitude region of western China and across the border in Nepal. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] Officials in the region said at a brief news conference that 130 others were injured, state broadcaster CCTV said. Video on CCTV showed orange-suited rescue workers climbing piles of debris blocking homes in a heavily damaged village, while chunks that had been knocked off buildings littered streets and crushed cars in other areas. State media reported that about 1,000 houses were damaged and 130 people were injured in addition to the deaths, citing the Tibet earthquake relief headquarters. The U.