The death in a horse riding accident of a Chinese government official while filming to promote the beauty of a local area has sparked heated online discussions about the phenomenon of “official influencers”. On January 11, He Jiaolong fell from a...

Allegations of irregularities in Thailand’s election – including vote-buying, uncounted ballots and tallies greater than the names on electoral lists – have gathered momentum, increasing the pressure on polling authorities to hold recounts. Pro...

Australia is demanding criminal charges over a 2024 Israeli air strike on an aid convoy in Gaza that killed seven people, including an Australian aid worker, the country’s prime minister said on Wednesday in a case that has drawn sweeping condemnat...

India and China opened a new round of strategic dialogue as US tariffs on their exports spur the two Asian giants to broaden global trade ties and move beyond past disputes. Both countries “uphold the strategic perception that China and India are c...

As Asia grapples with falling birth rates, analysts warn that the rise of artificial intelligence may be making the problem worse, putting pressure on workers to upgrade their skills and posing a distraction to families after office hours. Fertility ...

The father of a wanted Hong Kong activist has been convicted under the city’s domestic national security law for trying to cash out an insurance policy worth more than HK$88,000 in his daughter’s name. West Kowloon Court on Wednesday convicted Kw...

For many South Korean families, traditional holiday gatherings may be getting smaller this Lunar New Year, but suitcases are getting bigger. More than half of flight searches this holiday are for Japan, signalling a sharp shift away from the domestic...

As we get ready for the Year of the Horse, preparations for the Spring Festival Gala, the most important event on China’s television calendar, are well under way. Most viewers will see choreography, spectacle and national pride – as well as human...

China has appointed a new ambassador to Libya after its embassy in Tripoli reopened in November, more than a decade after it was shuttered over security concerns. Ma Xueliang’s appointment was confirmed when he met Libyan charge d’affaires Khaled...

The Philippines is considering legal action against a man accused of assaulting a Filipino woman at a shopping centre in Singapore after a video of the incident went viral online. Footage circulated on social media shows the suspect accosting the wom...

The captain of a Hong Kong-flagged container ship has denied responsibility for severing a critical Baltic Sea gas pipeline linking Estonia and Finland three years ago. Wan Wenguo, 43, from mainland China, pleaded not guilty at Eastern Court on Wedne...

French wine and spirits exporters saw their worst results since 2020’s Covid-19 shock last year, as companies were buffeted by stormy trade relations between China and the US, two of their biggest export markets. “It’s weighing on everyone’s ...

Hong Kong authorities are considering allowing a maximum of two dogs per diner into restaurants licensed under a new pet-friendly policy, with the permits possibly being granted only to larger premises at the outset. A day after authorities told lawm...

Malaysia’s opposition is in open civil war, with a power struggle threatening to split the main bloc against Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim just two years out from the next general election. Bersatu, or the Malaysian United Indigenous Party, sits at ...

China’s state-backed investors are stepping up funding for artificial intelligence-driven drug developers as Beijing pushes for technological self-reliance, with at least one company already advancing an AI-designed therapy into late-stage clinical...

German lingerie brand Triumph, which left the mainland Chinese market recently, has ignited a social media discussion about the rising trend of women opting for comfort instead of beauty when it comes to underwear. December 31, 2025, marked the last ...

A passenger who was not wearing a seat belt died after being ejected from a taxi that collided with a highway maintenance vehicle en route to the Hong Kong airport, the South China Morning Post has learned. Police said they received a report at 9.46a...

Australia has summoned the Laotian ambassador to protest against what a victim’s family described as an “absolute injustice” after 10 people linked to a deadly methanol poisoning case received suspended sentences and fines equivalent to US$130....

Colombian President Gustavo Petro said on Tuesday he had escaped an assassination attempt hours earlier, after months of warnings about an alleged plot by drug traffickers to target him. On Monday night, Petro’s helicopter was unable to land at his...

WuXi Biologics expects a sharp rise in full-year earnings for 2025, forecasting a 46.3 per cent increase in profit as it secures more projects across the drug development value chain, from discovery through to manufacturing. In a positive profit aler...

Federal prosecutors failed to bring charges Tuesday against six Democratic lawmakers who urged service members to refuse illegal orders, outraging US President Donald Trump, who had called for jail time, US media reported. A federal grand jury compos...

We have put together stories from our coverage on science from the past two weeks to help you stay informed. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. How old is Chinese civilisation? A scholar says it really dat...

Malaysia Airports Holdings (MAHB) has been asked to explore ways to ensure goods and food sold at airports are priced reasonably, according to Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Tiong King Sing. Tiong added his ministry had received complaints from t...

This year, nearly one in four Japanese companies are expected to fall victim to baito tero, a term describing part-time employees performing pranks or stunts at work to post on social media, according to a new report. The study by Tokyo-based human r...

China has successfully completed a crucial safety test and fired off a new-generation rocket as part of the country’s preparations for a crewed mission to the moon. Wednesday’s escape test on board the Mengzhou crew carrier was designed to ensure...

China’s consumer prices rose for the fourth consecutive month in January – although at a slower pace – while the decline in factory-gate prices continued to narrow, in a tentative sign that deflationary pressures in the Chinese economy may be s...

Authorities on Tuesday released video of an armed ⁠man in a ski mask tampering with the doorbell camera at the Arizona home of US television journalist Savannah Guthrie’s elderly mother shortly before she was abducted nine days earlier in a presu...

Shares of Country Garden inched higher on Wednesday after the Chinese property developer disclosed that the Shanghai Stock Exchange had issued a “circulated criticism” over its failure to disclose overdue debts in a timely manner. Country Garden ...

Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp (SMIC), China’s largest contract chipmaker, said it expected first quarter revenue to remain flat as a decline in low-end orders partly offset surging demand for chips used in artificial intelligence a...

A shooting at a school in British Columbia left eight dead including a woman whom police believe to be the shooter, while two more people were found dead at a nearby home, Canadian authorities said on Tuesday. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police said m...

Norovirus has fallen under the spotlight in Hong Kong following a series of food poisoning cases linked to raw oysters in eateries since January, with the latest incident added to the list taking place at the five-star Mandarin Oriental hotel. Betwee...

China has achieved a breakthrough in its decarbonisation efforts by successfully repurposing a long-haul oil pipeline to transport carbon dioxide, in a trial run that offers a potentially scalable solution to accelerate the nation’s ambitious clima...

A man who posed as a teenager online to talk to underage girls was sentenced to 11 years’ jail and 10 strokes of the cane on Tuesday. The Singaporean, now aged 25, who cannot be named due to gag orders protecting the identity of two victims, pleade...

US singer Britney Spears has become the latest musician to sell the rights to her catalogue that includes hits like “Baby One More Time” and “Oops!...I Did It Again”, US media reported on Tuesday. The deal is believed to be worth around US$20...

Despite a decisive election victory built on promises to ease Japan’s cost-of-living crisis, fresh government data released this week suggests voters’ faith in Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s brand of “trickle-down” prosperity may soon be t...

China has a few red lines. But if you respect them, life can be smooth and wonderful. China doesn’t care if you are Jewish, Muslim, Christian, Hindu or an atheist. It doesn’t care if your government is democratic, theocratic or dictatorial. If yo...

Chinese healthcare companies are looking to expand overseas to serve Chinese communities in regions such as the Middle East and Southeast Asia, where many mainland companies are setting up operations across sectors. “A wide range of Chinese compani...

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s sweeping victory in Sunday’s snap election has sounded alarm bells in Beijing, which is wary that closer ties between Tokyo and Taipei could complicate its long-term objective of reunifying Taiwan. Beijing...

On a popular social media live-stream a young girl pours her heart out to a stranger. She is highly educated, comes from a wealthy family, but has fallen head over heels for a man 10 years her senior who is poor and does not love her. The live-stream...

A Hong Kong social enterprise known for serving underprivileged residents has seen its comeback derailed by a technical error from housing authorities in the tendering process for shop space. The owner of Agape Garden, a restaurant that was forced to...

Hong Kong’s rail operator has apologised after items from a maintenance vehicle and damage to track equipment caused a 1½-hour partial suspension of the MTR Island line during Wednesday’s morning rush hour. Almost five hours after service resume...

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi have pledged to deepen bilateral cooperation after Japan’s ruling coalition secured a landslide victory in the lower house election, even as analysts warn that sharpeni...

[The content of this article has been produced by our advertising partner.] Hong Kong’s economy is undergoing a profound transformation into a multifaceted international hub, strengthening the city’s role across the “Eight Centres” set out in...

US President Donald Trump’s administration has removed a large rainbow ⁠Pride flag that flew over the ⁠Stonewall National Monument, which marks the birthplace of ⁠the modern gay rights movement in New York. The National Park Service, the fede...

The balance of power in the Russia-China relationship has evolved to the point that Beijing is now the dominant partner and the primary threat to the United States, according to US Congressman Pat Fallon. Speaking at the Hudson Institute during a dis...

On February 9, the rule of law and justice scored another victory in Hong Kong when a local court sentenced Jimmy Lai Chee-ying to 20 years in prison for violating the national security law. This sends a clear and resounding message to the world that...

Beijing came under sharp criticism on Tuesday at a highly contentious US Congressional hearing on the influence of foreign funds in US politics – but so did US President Donald Trump. The hearing by the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, whic...

The United States is seeking a fair and enduring competition with China, along with strengthening its economic and political relationships with Latin America, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Tuesday. He termed this the strategy of reducin...

The South China Sea continues to act as a lightning rod for competing claims among regional powers. In the second of a three-part series, Fan Chen and Laura Zhou examine how frayed China-Philippines relations might create a ‘challenging context’ ...