AnewZ Morning Brief - 4th July, 2025
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for 4th of July, covering the latest developments you need to know....
A new board game, "2045," lets players navigate a fictional Chinese invasion of Taiwan, blending strategy and role-play amid rising tensions in the region.
A new board game set against the backdrop of armed conflict around Taiwan is set to be released in January 2025, amid renewed threats from Beijing, inviting players to participate in an imaginary Chinese invasion 20 years from now.
China has heightened military activity near Taiwan in recent years, including deploying naval forces around the island this month.
The new game, titled "2045", tasks gamers with navigating the troubles of war by using colourful action cards, and role-playing characters involved in operations 10 days before a fictional Chinese invasion of Taiwan.
That includes members of Taiwan's armed forces, Chinese sleeper agents and pro-China politicians working to sabotage the island's defence, as well as citizens picking up guns to defend their homeland.
China claims Taiwan as its own and has never renounced the use of force to bring the island under its control. Taiwan's president and his government strongly object to China’s sovereignty claims and say only the island’s people can decide their future.
Taiwanese board game maker Mizo Games started crowdfunding the game in August. Within two-and-a-half-months, the company had received more than T$4 million ($121,966) to fund the project.
"It is not quite peaceful around Taiwan island and the Western Pacific as we speak," Chang Shao Lian, the founder of Mizo Games told Reuters at his Taipei office.
Chang said he wanted "players to feel they want to win and think about what they will do to win".
The game, which is also set to go on sale in the U.S. and Europe later in the year, has been developed at a time when Taiwan officials have intensified preparations for scenarios including a China conflict.
Last week, Taiwan's presidential office held its first "tabletop" exercise involving government agencies beyond the armed forces, simulating a military escalation with China.
The exercise involved scenarios, including the island being "on the verge of conflict", to test the readiness of government offices and civil society.
Players who participated in a test run of "2045" said they learnt about what might happen in the event of a Chinese invasion and that they hoped the game could help people understand the implications of a war.
"I'm not very knowledgeable on military matters, therefore through this game I learnt about where the army may land and launch an attack," said Kalin Lai, a 23-year-old who tried out the game.
Mizo has previously created two other Taiwan war-themed board games - one about surviving an air raid in Taipei and the other about a bombing in Kaohsiung during Japan's colonisation of the island between 1895 and 1945.
($1=32.7960 Taiwan dollars)
A magnitude 5.5 earthquake struck off Japan’s Tokara Islands on Wednesday, with no tsunami warning issued but residents advised to remain vigilant.
The United States has rescinded licensing restrictions on ethane exports to China, allowing shipments to resume after a temporary halt and signalling progress in efforts to ease recent trade tensions.
The European Commission is set to propose allowing carbon credits from other countries to count towards the EU’s 2040 climate target, according to a leaked internal document.
China has ramped up efforts to protect communities impacted by flood control measures, introducing stronger compensation policies and direct aid from the central government.
Italy plans to grant approximately 500,000 work visas to non-EU nationals between 2026 and 2028, as announced in a cabinet statement. The initiative aims to address labor shortages by expanding legal immigration pathways
Apple’s Formula 1-themed drama F1: The Movie surged to the top of the U.S. and Canadian box office the weekend, collecting $55.6 million in ticket sales and marking the company’s most successful cinematic opening to date, according to data from Comscore.
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez’s multi-day wedding in Venice is making headlines—not just for its celebrity guest list and luxury, but also for the backlash it has sparked among local activists.
French President Emmanuel Macron is pushing for 'French Touch' electronic music to be recognized by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage—putting it on par with Berlin techno, Jamaican reggae, and Irish harp traditions.
Scarlett Johansson recalls how the original “Jurassic Park” deeply influenced her childhood as she premieres her role in “Jurassic World: Rebirth,” set to release on 2 July.
Dua Lipa has announced her engagement to British actor Callum Turner, calling the decision to grow old together “a really special feeling.”
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