NEW: Dozens of robotaxis by Baidu stopped on the road in Wuhan, China, causing crashes on highways and trapping passengers in the cars—some for more than an hour. One passenger told me it took her 30 minutes to even connect to a customer representative. Here’s a dash cam video of one crash.

Thank you for sharing this Stephen. What a great piece. It reminds me that the ocean might be the avenue I need to look for myself. I loved the brief walk through Irish surfing history too.

This is a really beautiful piece from Sean Murphy on ABC #Australia about surfing in #Ireland. Watch it all though; it is about more than you think. www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWTb...

A Tibetan Buddhist monk who disappeared for five years has been sentenced to seven years in prison, apparently for his devotion to the Dalai Lama: new #Tibet Watch report tibetwatch.org/tibetan-monk... 1/4

This is all too real. These days, satire is just news but in teaser format.

This is a really beautiful piece from Sean Murphy on ABC #Australia about surfing in #Ireland. Watch it all though; it is about more than you think. www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWTb...

This is rather bleak…

An intact regime, Hormuz getting tolled and oil denominated in RMB - so much winning from the Americans.

Murdered because they “strung us along”?

NEW: Republicans are considering reductions in federal health spending to help pay for a budget bill containing as much as $200 billion to fund the Iran war and immigration enforcement.

A traditional shikumen stone gateway - 里康餘: Li Kang Yu; 29弄: Lane 29 on Shouning Lu (Rue Buissonnet) just east of Xizang Nan Lu (Boulevard de Montigny). Constructed 1935. Cleared and boarded up. Such “mothballed” shikumen proliferate across Shanghai awaiting their fate…

View from train pulling out of #Suzhou, #China just now before picking up speed…

An old tower being propped up with supports in #Shanghai, #China…

Reuters: Manila and Beijing resume talks on South China Sea and energy security – ‘The 11th round of talks under a bilateral consultation mechanism established in 2017 was the first such meeting since January 2025.’

World sucks, Friday Music, guitars from #Australia 1977 & 78 Part FIVE… This one starts beautifully then builds and builds. “Well you knew from the start that a one-way lovin’ wouldn’t last…” m.youtube.com/watch?v=cIDw...

World sucks, Friday Music, guitars from #Australia 1977 & 78 Part FOUR… (Push through the poor video quality at the start of this one) Such an awesome track: “I’m on the whisky flyin…” m.youtube.com/watch?v=SFl8...

World sucks, Friday Music, guitars from #Australia 1977 & 78 Part THREE… “This is it folks! Over the top!” m.youtube.com/watch?v=mkzN...

World sucks, Friday Music, guitars from #Australia 1977 & 78 Part TWO… So awesome at the 4 minute mark: “Yeeeeaaaaahhhh!” m.youtube.com/watch?v=wCSS...

Because the world sucks at the moment we need some Friday music. Today’s theme: Australian guitars 1977 & 78. These are all to be cranked up! #Australia Starting with… m.youtube.com/watch?v=q3D1...

The Saints are one of the most underrated Aussie bands.

Such a great tune!

🙌

Because the world sucks at the moment we need some Friday music. Today’s theme: Australian guitars 1977 & 78. These are all to be cranked up! #Australia Starting with… m.youtube.com/watch?v=q3D1...

This is incredible! #US #USA #Trump #Iran war profits...

Just to be very clear: The Trump DOJ is stealing $1.2 million of your money to gift one of Trump’s cronies, who pled guilty to the crimes he was charged with, and whose suit against the government had already been tossed by a judge.

Merz said Wednesday's he can "envision" a trade deal with China, per wires & some German reports Reuters: ​Merz "​could envision EU signing further trade ⁠deals after ‌its latest deal with Aus, ‌including one with ⁠China" Can't see original - not sure what he said directly

lol

Loving the passive voice of "after it was delayed after the Iran war began", because there is no agency here. And the summary blurb shows how unnecessary that is.

President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping will hold their highly anticipated summit in Beijing on May 14-15, following a delay that brought fresh uncertainty to relations between the world’s largest economies.

Democracy is on the brink of a worldwide depression — with the US leading the decline. Civil rights and equality in the land of the free have fallen to the levels of the mid-1960s and freedom of expression is at its lowest since the 1950s. Read Martin Wolf on #FTEdit 👉 ft.trib.al/ylR5qXv

Australia backs Lebanon’s sovereignty and opposes occupation, Penny Wong tells Israel

BREAKING: Iranian military spokesperson mocks U.S. attempts at a ceasefire deal, insisting that the Americans are only negotiating with themselves. The comments come shortly after the Trump administration sent a 15-point ceasefire plan to Iran through Pakistan.

An Israeli strike on a naval outpost in the Caspian Sea targeted Russia’s support for Iran in the war, hitting a supply line that the countries have used to move ammunition, drones and other weaponry www.wsj.com/world/middle...

If only there was a word for when a country sends troops into another country in a bid to steal their land

Breaking: The Greens put in a bill to require parliament to vote before Aus troops are sent to war & to debate evidence ie the “lies coming out of Washington” on Iran Shoebridge “voters across the country would have seen if their MP voted for this disastrous war or not”💥 #auspol

Canada tells Israel that Lebanon’s sovereignty ‘must not be violated’ https://aje.news/73ugcl

"The threat isn't just real, it's more than real. It's surreal."

Now I know I'm living in #China but could someone in #Australia please explain to me why there are all these endless stories about Kyle and Jackie O? I've tried to understand but can't get past "two shock jocks had boring argument on air, now they're not on air". And?

Hong Kong police given new powers to obtain phone, computer passwords reut.rs/4t1SUMn

Really seems not great when the Israeli government is just taking one of the most famous antisemitic propaganda images in the book, making it about Muslims, and redeploying it.

"NRL chairman Peter V'landys and former AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan, now running the betting group Tabcorp, have presided over the capture of a generation by foreign betting companies. These young adults are now in serious trouble." satpa.pe/UBUZxrM

Thanks to every1 who came on my Midnight in Peking walks last week. Thanks to Shirley & WildChina team for arranging. I’m always amazed at how fast the tour still sells out! BTW: when I’m not in Beijing the tour still runs last Sunday of every month with WildChina’s excellent guides.

The vibes are increasingly like a mixture between “Veep” and “The death of Stalin”

Musk found liable to Twitter shareholders in fraud lawsuit over $44 billion takeover. www.reuters.com/sustainabili...

So what likely happened is Kushner sent an unsolicited message to the Iranians. He told Trump that and now Trump thinks negotiations are ongoing.

Q: Iran's foreign ministry says you're not telling the truth when it comes to productive conversations to end the war TRUMP: Well, they're gonna have to get themselves better public relations people. We've had very strong talks. Mr Witkoff and Kushner had them. They went perfectly.

A solar panel installed today will still be generating power in 2050. No fuel. No smoke. No volatility. Just clean energy from an infinite source☀️

Astonishing. The goal of our war is now to undo the effect of the war we started. Gosh, if only we could rewind to, say, four weeks ago when the Strait of Hormuz was open and normal!

Tehran has warned that US-linked financial institutions and ‘vital’ infrastructure in the Middle East could become new targets. Follow today’s blog for the latest news and analysis: ft.trib.al/hmDdLVY