Straits Times
Putin asks oligarchs to donate to Russia's budget as cost of Ukraine war soars, The Bell media reports
Russia's war in Ukraine is straining the Kremlin's finances to the point where Putin is now personally soliciting voluntary contributions from the country's wealthiest elites. The unusual request signals growing fiscal pressure on Moscow as military spending continues to mount. Whether oligarchs comply — and on what terms — will offer a telling measure of the regime's economic leverage over its business class.
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Lebanon faces ‘humanitarian catastrophe’ under Israeli assault: UN
Lebanon's humanitarian crisis is deepening as Israeli bombardment forces mass displacement, with UN officials warning of a full-scale catastrophe unfolding across the country. The UN Refugee Agency reports that families driven from their homes are living in persistent fear, with little stability or safety in sight. The warning signals growing international alarm over the civilian toll of the conflict and mounts pressure on global powers to intervene.
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SCMP
China team builds first silicon chip with elements for fault-tolerant quantum computing
Chinese researchers have achieved a landmark first in quantum computing, demonstrating a silicon chip capable of performing a complete set of error-detecting logical operations. Published in *Nature Nanotechnology*, the breakthrough marks the first time fault-tolerant capabilities previously seen in superconducting systems have been replicated in silicon. The advance is significant because silicon's compatibility with existing semiconductor manufacturing makes it a far more scalable path to reliable quantum computers.
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The Strait of Hormuz is not just an oil chokepoint
The Strait of Hormuz carries roughly 20 percent of the world's oil supply, but its strategic importance extends far beyond energy markets. Modern just-in-time manufacturing depends on the uninterrupted flow of goods through this narrow passage, making it a single point of failure for global supply chains. A prolonged closure would not just spike fuel prices — it would halt factory floors from Detroit to Dongguan.
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Iran Guards warn civilians after Trump pushes Hormuz deadline
Iran's Revolutionary Guards have issued warnings urging civilians across the Middle East to distance themselves from areas near US military bases, signaling a sharp escalation in regional tensions. The move follows President Trump's push on deadlines related to the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint through which roughly a fifth of the world's oil supply flows. The warnings raise serious concerns about the potential for military confrontation and its ripple effects on global energy markets.
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