Gold prices have continued to weaken despite escalating tensions in the US-Israel conflict with Iran, breaking from the metal’s traditional role as a geopolitical hedge, as fading expectations of interest rate cuts and a stronger US dollar weigh on...

A White House photo of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi appearing to break into a dance at an official function ignited a wave of mockery across Chinese social media on the weekend, with commenters framing her as Washington’s biggest cheerlea...

Amid growing geopolitical turbulence, international capital is increasingly seeking certainty – which China offers – a leading Chinese government adviser highlighted on Sunday, as the country’s central bank governor reiterated commitment to rol...

As the world reels from the fallout of the Iran war, India is seeking to manage its risks and interests in the Middle East and beyond while maintaining its neutrality in the widening conflict. This can be seen in New Delhi engaging with combatants US...

By firing ballistic missiles at the UK-US Diego Garcia base nearly 4,000km (2,485 miles) from its shores, Iran is sending a message that it still has cards to play after three weeks of war, according to experts. A UK official source said Iran was “...

Retailers and restaurant operators in Hong Kong are rethinking how they use space as rents fall and demand weakens by moving back to street-level shops and experimenting with short-term “pop-up” leases. Hing Kee Java Edible Bird’s Nest (JEBN), ...

Hanoi has protested to Beijing over Chinese land-reclamation activities in the disputed Paracel Islands, following reports of accelerated dredging and landfill operations at Antelope Reef in the South China Sea. “Vietnam resolutely opposes such act...

Hong Kong will step up efforts to bolster its global standing and strengthen links between mainland China and the West, enabling the city to better serve as a ‘superconnector’ and ‘super value adder’ for the nation amid growing geopolitical c...

Hong Kong’s Hospital Authority has launched an investigation into the controversy over a social media image posted by a doctor showing him performing a resuscitation procedure inside a public hospital, sparking outcry over patient privacy and profe...

China’s drive to grow 90 per cent of its own grain by 2032 just gained a critical weapon: an unmanned ratoon rice farm that produces 50 per cent higher yields. By harnessing smart seedling care, sowing, growing and harvesting, a Chinese biotechnolo...

In some Chinese workplaces, employers use office Wi-fi, surveillance cameras and even smart seats to monitor what staff do, say and search online. Workers’ Daily reported that a woman working at a technology company in Guangzhou, southern China, di...

Sheltering from an Iranian missile attack on his town in southern Israel on Saturday, 17-year-old Ido Franky heard “terrifying” blasts like nothing he had experienced before. An Iranian missile hit Franky’s town of Arad, hours after another str...

At least three Filipinos with ties to the country’s military have been arrested on suspicion of spying for Beijing, allegedly leaking information that sparked maritime confrontations in the disputed South China Sea. The case, which came to light la...

Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi on Sunday hinted at the possibility of sending the country’s Self-Defence Forces for minesweeping operations in the Strait of Hormuz, provided that a ceasefire is realised in the conflict between Iran and...

Some Hong Kong residents planning to leave the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with their pets because of conflict in the Middle East are considering flying to other countries rather than returning home due to the city’s 120-day quarantine requirement f...

The clack of mahjong tiles, the soft rattle of exercise bikes and the slow thrum of sewing machines are the soundtrack to Monday afternoons at the Yong-en Active Hub: a senior centre with the vibe of a social club, where new skills and friendships ar...

Beijing is prioritising “strategic material security” under its new 15th five-year plan that elevates the supply and domestic stockpiling of critical resources to a matter of national security. Under the blueprint, Beijing is positioning “key c...

If everything goes according to plan, Indonesia will be in possession of an aircraft carrier come Armed Forces Day on October 5. When that happens, it will become only the second country in Southeast Asia, after Thailand, to operate such a vessel. Bu...

As tensions around Iran intensify, a potential disruption to global fertiliser supply chains is raising concerns about food production worldwide. But for China, an unusual advantage is coming into focus: the ability to predict grain output more than ...

Beijing has urged global commitment to opening up, while pledging to create more blue ocean markets in a world engulfed by protectionism. Delivering the opening address to the China Development Forum on Sunday, Chinese Premier Li Qiang said, “prote...

For decades, parts of Hong Kong’s border like the Frontier Closed Area have been shrouded in mystery, their natural landscapes preserved as much by policy as by their remote geography. Recent plans to relax restrictions – including discussions ar...

A Hong Kong mother has been asked to pay more than HK$126,000 (US$16,100) in charges racked up by thieves who stole her credit card last November after HSBC said she failed to report the loss immediately. But 42-year-old Janice Choi* accused the bank...

A food factory in China has been exposed for making popular chicken feet snacks using chemicals in unhygienic conditions. The factory soaked the chicken in harmful hydrogen peroxide, sparking public outrage and thrusting the country’s food safety r...

US President Donald Trump and Iran threatened ⁠to escalate their war, targeting energy and fuel facilities in the Gulf, which could again roil global energy and financial markets and deepen a regional crisis. Trump on Saturday threatened to “obli...

Julia had a plan: spring break, Kuala Lumpur’s skyline, then a long-overdue reunion in the jungles of Sarawak. What she got instead was a travel booking screen showing €3,000 (US$3,440) flights and a cascade of cancellation alerts. “I just can�...

Cuba has refused to allow the US embassy in Havana to import diesel to power its generators during the island’s ongoing energy crisis, according to a media report. The Cuban foreign ministry denied the request, The Washington Post reported on Frida...

A strike on a healthcare facility in Sudan has killed 64 people and wounded 89 more, the World Health Organization reported on Saturday. The deceased included 13 children, WHO Director-General ‌Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on social media. The U...

As China undergoes a sweeping economic transition, its regions are also in the process of embracing change. The powerhouses of yesteryear must adapt or risk falling behind, as traditional industries become less reliable growth drivers and new sectors...

In October last year, Singapore’s three-day Formula One (F1) Grand Prix showcased the tremendous economic impact that world-class sporting events can bring to a city. The event attracted more than 300,000 attendees, the second highest in its histor...

Israel’s military said an Iranian missile on Saturday struck the southern town of Dimona, home to a nuclear facility. A second town in the area, Arad, was hit hours later. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to continue striking Iran af...

Robert S. Mueller III, the FBI director who transformed the nation’s premier law enforcement agency into a terrorism-fighting force after the September 11 attacks and who later became special counsel in charge of investigating ties between Russia a...

US President Donald Trump ⁠on Saturday threatened to ⁠deploy Immigration and Customs Enforcement ⁠agents to US airports if congressional Democrats do not immediately agree to fund airport safety. “I will move our brilliant and patriotic ICE A...

Police have arrested a woman on suspicion of child abuse after she allegedly hit her 12-year-old son with a rattan cane in a Hong Kong flat. The police force said it received a report at 2.48pm on Saturday from a boy in Wong Tai Sin who complained he...

King Harold’s legendary 200-mile march across England to the Battle of Hastings in 1066 is a “myth” that likely never happened, according to research published on Saturday. In arguably the most famous battle in English history, the Anglo-Saxon ...

China has announced major discoveries of various critical minerals, including rare earths and fluorite, bolstering its reserves of the resources essential for the hi-tech, new energy and defence industries. At the Maoniuping mine in Sichuan province�...

Hawaii suffered its worst flooding in more than 20 years as heavy rains fell on soil already saturated by downpours from a winter storm a week ago, officials said on Friday, while warning that more rain was expected during the weekend. Muddy floodwat...

Washington’s deployment of an amphibious assault ship from Japan to the Middle East could signal a temporary reduction in US military capacity in the Indo-Pacific region but will not necessarily diminish its deterrence of China, according to analys...

China should support India’s bid for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council, a prominent US economist has suggested, saying the two Asian powers could overcome historical grievances and political distrust to inject stability into t...

Some Discovery Bay residents have expressed frustration over a proposal to allow unrestricted taxi access to the seaside resort-like neighbourhood in Hong Kong, with a petition calling for greater public consultation garnering more than 1,100 signatu...

Most of Ukraine’s northern Chernihiv region was ‌left without power on Saturday after a Russian drone attack, local governor Viacheslav Chaus said. He ⁠said repair works were under way ‌to fix the damage. The region, which ‌borders Russia a...

The survival of Iran’s political and military apparatus following a massive US-Israeli decapitation strike has ignited a strategic debate in Taiwan, with experts weighing the island’s ability to withstand a similar “surgical” opening to an at...

Hong Kong police have arrested five people and recovered nearly HK$100 million (US$12.7 million) worth of gold stolen in a suspected deception case, in which a “buyer” allegedly worked for a group that seized the haul before fleeing. The incident...

Iran launched ballistic missiles at the joint US-UK military base in Diego Garcia on Friday, showing a missile capability that goes beyond what Tehran was known to have possessed. The base, a strategic airfield that can host B-2 stealth bombers locat...

China called for a halt to the “unjust war” in Iran in a phone call between top diplomats on Friday and expressed willingness to work with France to prevent other nations from being drawn into the conflict. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told E...

Fourteen people died and 25 were seriously injured in a fire at a car parts factory in the South Korean city of Daejeon, fire authorities said ⁠on Saturday. The fire broke out around lunchtime on Friday and was contained ‌by 11.48pm, the safety m...

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang says the US robotics industry will have to rely on China’s supply chain despite the US pioneering the market, as the company bets on physical AI and looks to return to the Chinese market. “I think China is formidable,” H...

A shadowy go-between known as “Aunt Mei” allegedly involved in a notorious child trafficking case has been arrested, according to police in southern China. Police in the city of Guangzhou said the woman, surnamed Xie, had been identified last yea...

An American man who donated photographs of the Japanese invasion of China in World War II and received a national gift of porcelain from China has announced that he has settled in the country. On March 15, Evan Kail announced the news on social media...

The phone call between the Dutch and Chinese foreign ministers was a first on a series of fronts. For the new Dutch Foreign Minister Tom Berendsen, the call on March 13 was his first with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi since taking on the job a few ...

A 19-year-old star wrestler and two other young men were hanged in Iran this week, raising alarm among rights groups that a wave of executions may be under way as authorities facing relentless attacks from the US and Israel seek to squelch public dis...