Rising energy costs driven by Middle Eastern geopolitical tensions may provide some relief to China’s years-long struggle with weak prices, but analysts warn that a spike in oil prices could spark a scenario in which stagnant economic growth collid...

A 75-year-old Chinese actress has ignited a nationwide debate over age representation after portraying a teenage girl and sharing a kiss with a much younger male co-star in a mini-drama. Liu Xiaoqing, a cherished figure in Chinese cinema with over 10...

Beijing has built military capacity and strengthened political resolve but needs to project a more credible deterrence as it steps up unification with Taiwan over the next five years, according to a mainland policy adviser. Li Yihu, dean of the Taiwa...

Sri Lanka rescued 32 “critically wounded” sailors aboard the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena, which sank on Wednesday just outside the island’s territorial waters, Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath said. No information was immediately available on the ...

The pace and size of outlicensing deals between Chinese drug makers and global partners have accelerated this year, highlighted by two agreements announced this week, each worth more than US$1 billion. The string of deals shows how China is becoming ...

Chinese and US trade officials will meet in Paris at the end of next week, laying the groundwork for President Donald Trump’s upcoming visit to Beijing. Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng and US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will lead discussions on...

Hong Kong’s retail sales rose 5.5 per cent year on year in January, with authorities crediting inbound tourism for supporting the sector. Provisional figures released by the Census and Statistics Department on Wednesday showed sales reached HK$37.3...

A South Korean woman arrested for killing men in motel rooms by spiking their drinks met the clinical criteria necessary to be considered a psychopath, police said on Wednesday. The 22-year-old suspect, identified only by her surname Kim, had scored ...

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim may face growing difficulty pushing through major reforms as Malaysia edges closer to its next general election, analysts have said, after a parliamentary setback exposed strains within his broad but fragile ruling coalit...

Singapore and China share “common interests” in safeguarding international order amid profound changes in the global landscape and uncertainties from trade wars, according to the city state’s top envoy to Beijing. The world has faced increased ...

Former Hong Kong lawmaker Chim Pui-chung has been granted HK$5 million (US$640,000) bail pending an appeal against his conviction for conspiring with his son and others to defraud a listed company and the city’s stock exchange more than a decade ag...

China’s top advisory body has called on Hong Kong, Macau and the nine other Guangdong cities of the Greater Bay Area to better align their rules and regulations under a key directive in its latest annual work report. Wang Huning, chairman of the Ch...

Singapore is the most expensive city in the Asia-Pacific region to outfit an office, driven by increased labour costs, a shortage of contractors and strict building standards, according to real estate consultancy Knight Frank. The city had the highes...

For years, debates about US-China competition have defaulted to the obvious categories: ships, chips, tariffs and security pacts. Soft power was often treated as America’s home turf, the domain of Hollywood, top universities, global brands and a po...

The conflict in Iran could raise cargo transport costs from Asia to Europe by at least 10 per cent, according to Hong Kong sector representatives, as major shipping companies suspended bookings to and from the Middle East or imposed significant war-r...

China’s sovereign debt is emerging as a strategic alternative to US Treasuries as global investors look for geopolitical hedges, though greater market liquidity and deeper yuan internationalisation are still needed to cement its status as a global ...

For decades, North Korea’s most potent insurance policy has been the threat it poses to Seoul, guaranteeing that any US move against Kim Jong-un’s regime would first exact an unbearable toll on the South. Now, a new Pentagon blueprint may have ju...

We have put together stories from our coverage on electric and new energy vehicles from the past two weeks to help you stay informed. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Low-cost models dominate China EV sa...

Philippine lawmakers ordered Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio on Wednesday to respond to impeachment complaints against her after finding substance to allegations involving unexplained wealth, the misuse of public funds and making public threats ag...

Israel’s defence minister on Wednesday threatened whoever Iran picks to be the country’s next supreme leader, saying he will be “a target for elimination”. Israel Katz made the statement on X. “Every leader appointed by the Iranian terror r...

With major Persian Gulf aviation hubs largely paralysed by airspace closures amid the escalating conflict involving the US, Israel and Iran, travellers have flocked to direct Asia-Europe routes, driving a sharp surge in airfares. This week, economy c...

Thailand’s state-backed energy giant PTT will freeze pump prices for 15 days as war in the Middle East disrupts oil and gas shipments through the crucial Strait of Hormuz, spurring panic buying and some fuel rationing across parts of the Mekong reg...

US Senator John Cornyn and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton will square off in a high-stakes run-off for ⁠the state’s Republican nomination for Senate, pitting a long-time member of the party’s establishment against an insurgent hardliner as t...

In a bizarre and gruesome blend of medical belief and extreme filial devotion, many people throughout Chinese history cut flesh from their own thighs to heal sick relatives. The custom later evolved into a government-endorsed trend, turning the pract...

Chinese researchers have developed a drone with wings made from bamboo, making it 20 per cent lighter and considerably cheaper than a carbon fibre device, according to state news agency Xinhua. The bamboo-based material used in the unmanned aerial ve...

Iranian ⁠Kurdish militias have consulted with the United States in recent days ⁠about whether, and how, to attack Iran’s security forces in the western part of the country, according to three sources with knowledge of the matter. The Iranian Ku...

Muslims in a small town in northern Japan have been rattled by several suspected arson attacks, following months of online agitation targeting the community over purported construction violations. Three fires in just over two weeks have damaged Pakis...

New Tsinghua University data this week reveals a nearly 20 per cent rise in graduates joining the manufacturing and energy sectors, signalling a major shift in career pursuits in China. The sharp rise seen in Tsinghua’s class of 2025 indicates a re...

Chinese billionaire Jack Ma and the core leadership of Alibaba Group Holding and Ant Group spent over an hour with teachers in Hangzhou on Tuesday, discussing the profound challenges and opportunities brought about by artificial intelligence. Ma told...

A Japanese high court on Wednesday upheld a dissolution order for the Unification Church in line with the central government’s request, with liquidation procedures beginning immediately. Presiding Judge Motoko Miki of the Tokyo High Court said the ...

Hong Kong’s Ocean Park will transform its North Pole Encounter zone into a marine mammal conservation centre featuring the skeleton of a whale that washed ashore in Sai Kung in 2023. The new exhibit, scheduled to open in the first quarter of 2027, ...

The founder of failed oil trading firm Hin Leong Trading, 84-year-old Lim Oon Kuin, had his jail term cut by four years after a partially successful appeal against his conviction and sentence in a criminal case. Singapore’s High Court on Wednesday ...

Seoul will offer its patented artificial intelligence system, which automatically detects and reports sexually exploitative content online, free of charge to institutions across South Korea. The technology, first introduced in 2023, uses 24-hour real...

The first batch of Hongkongers stranded in the Middle East is set to return to the city on Wednesday night after the United Arab Emirates (UAE) resumed a small number of flights amid the US-Israeli attack on Iran. According to the Dubai Airports webs...

China and the United States will hold a new round of high-level trade talks in Paris at the end of next week, according to sources from both sides, as preparations press on for US President Donald Trump’s visit to China. Led by Chinese Vice Premier...

A walled mansion in one of Kobe’s most desirable suburbs is heading for a court-ordered auction, but its murky past as a target of gang attacks may put off potential buyers. The two-storey house, long the home of Kunio Inoue, head of the Kobe Yamag...

Men are almost twice as likely as women to be employed in the best-paid jobs in Australia, according to the country’s latest government gender gap report. Male employees account for 64 per cent of roles in the nation’s upper quartile of compensat...

Public awareness of animal welfare on the Chinese mainland is at an all-time high. The country now has the world’s second-largest pet population, estimated at 430 million in 2024 and growing strongly. The cultural shift was on full display last yea...

Passengers stranded on the Indonesian resort island of Bali clamoured for flight news on Tuesday as the outbreak of war in the Middle East grounded planes and turned a tropical holiday dream into an ordeal for many. Hundreds were crowded at Ngurah Ra...

A new trend known as the “Storm Bath Spa” is gaining traction in major cities across China, uniquely merging wellness and innovation by creatively simulating storms and incorporating mild electric shocks. This experience offers both emotional and...

Supporters of former president Rodrigo Duterte have amplified viral claims that Iran could target the Philippines in retaliation for US actions in the Middle East, a narrative analysts say is being used to portray the country’s defence ties with Wa...

Ahead of China’s annual legislative meetings – typically a window into Beijing’s top-level policy agenda – this is the eighth entry in a series examining the complex economic recalibration driving China’s growth philosophy and its wide-rang...

Hongkongers may begin to feel the impact of the escalating war in the Middle East in the coming months, as rising global oil prices are expected to push up energy bills and dining costs, according to experts. Analysts said the attacks on Iran by the ...

A record number of people under the age of 20 in Japan were arrested for cannabis offences last year, with experts on social norms attributing the sharp rise to growing despair about the future and the influence of celebrities known to use drugs. Acc...

Ahead of China’s annual legislative meetings – typically a window into Beijing’s top-level policy agenda – this is the seventh entry in a series examining the complex economic recalibration driving China’s growth philosophy and its wide-ran...

French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday ordered France’s nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to move from the Baltic Sea to the Mediterranean to help protect allied assets during the war in the Middle East. Macron said the Charles de Gaulle carrie...

Beijing should increase investment in early childhood education and lifelong learning as AI reshapes the world’s largest labour market, a prominent Chinese economist has said. The real policy test for China is whether it can shift decisively from i...

The Trump administration has changed its mind on its decision to walk away from appealing against its loss in lawsuits over executive orders targeted at four Big Law firms. The US Justice Department on Tuesday afternoon moved to withdraw its motion t...

The Taiwan Stock Exchange has become increasingly tied to American capital, as the global artificial intelligence boom drew a record amount of US investments into the island’s semiconductor-heavy equity market. US investors currently hold a record ...

In the run-up to this year’s ‘two sessions’ – the annual meetings of China’s top legislature and political advisory body – high-level policymakers have stressed the need to defuse financial risks and root out political corruption, two of ...