Hong Kong extends smart fire alarm scheme to another 6,000 old buildings
Hong Kong’s Fire Services Department has extended a scheme allowing property owners to install smart fire alarm systems rather than traditional safety equipment to another 6,000 old buildings, but con...
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1h ago
ASML’s chip equipment sales to China soar 109% despite US export curb push
Dutch semiconductor equipment giant ASML expects China to account for about 20 per cent of its total sales this year, after seeing shipments to the market more than double during the previous quarter...
1h ago
How a new US Army unit could challenge the PLA’s area-denial strategy in a Taiwan conflict
The United States Army has launched a new task force aimed at countering Chinese efforts to block American and allied warships and aircraft in a potential conflict. The 4th Multi-Domain Task Force (MD...
1h ago
Ukrainian accused of Nord Stream pipeline sabotage goes on trial in Germany
A Ukrainian man accused of helping to mastermind the attacks on the Nord Stream pipelines four years ago went on trial for war crimes in Germany on Wednesday, with his defence calling for the case to...
1h ago
China’s Li Qiang vows more high-value imports as trade surplus faces scrutiny
Premier Li Qiang said on Wednesday that China stands ready to import more high-quality goods, particularly high-value-added products, as part of efforts to promote more balanced trade. Li made the ple...
1h ago
Trump says ‘massive’ oil, gas and mineral exploration to begin in Greenland
US President Donald Trump said “massive” oil, gas and mineral exploration is set to begin in “our new and beautiful Greenland” early on Wednesday. It was not immediately clear what exploration or deve...
2h ago
In US-China rivalry, middle powers urged to be ‘indispensable’ chokepoints
Middle powers should become “indispensable” chokepoints to safeguard strategic autonomy and survive the power rivalry between the US and China, former leaders and top diplomats said at a forum in Indi...
2h ago
Philippine law targeting foreign agents spurs fears of free speech curbs
Philippine officials want a new anti-foreign interference law ahead of the 2028 presidential election, as a raid on a suspected online scam centre near the country’s military headquarters and reports...
2h ago
What does the historic Bank of America fine mean for US-China capital streams?
As the US Treasury imposed historic fines on Bank of America over compliance failures involving Chinese money-laundering networks, analysts see the action as a signal that could prompt Western banks t...
2h ago
Huang Qifan, China’s political tumbler, falls after a decade of close corruption calls
For a decade, former Chongqing mayor Huang Qifan stood out as a political survivor while colleague after close colleague fell in China’s far-reaching anti-corruption campaign. Throughout that time, in...
3h ago
Hesai launches 3D spatial camera as Chinese lidar maker expands into physical AI
Hesai Group, the world’s largest maker of lidar sensors for vehicles, has launched a 3D spatial camera as it expands into physical artificial intelligence in search of new growth opportunities. The ha...
3h ago
Beijing warns Taiwanese not to be ‘two-faced’ after Kevin Tsai attends DPP rally
Beijing has warned Taiwanese people against acting “two-faced” on the issue of Taiwan independence after television host Kevin Tsai Kang-yong attended a campaign rally for a Taipei mayoral candidate w...
3h ago
Exhibition of pioneering Hong Kong school for national talent in early 1940s opens
A new exhibition about a pioneering school that nurtured talent for the country has opened at a Hong Kong history museum as part of the government’s efforts to promote national education, with many ex...
4h ago
Taiwan turns to US drone boats to track rising mainland Chinese sea activity near island
Taiwan’s coastguard is buying US-designed uncrewed surface vessels for its first dedicated drone-boat programme to strengthen its ability to detect and track the growing presence of mainland Chinese v...
4h ago
Chinese memory giant YMTC to grow revenue 6 times faster than peers as IPO nears: report
Yangtze Memory Technologies Corporation (YMTC), China’s leading flash-memory maker, is set to grow revenue six times faster than its industry peers this year as it expands into server-related business...
4h ago
Japan farm minister submits resignation in first scandal blow for PM Takaichi
Japanese Agriculture Minister Kazuo Yana said he tendered his resignation following allegations of possible vote-buying, lining him up to become the first minister in Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s g...
4h ago
‘Pure fate’: China newlyweds share identical names, face endless glitches in life situations
A newlywed Chinese couple has gone viral on social media because they share exactly the same name, written with the same Chinese characters, and work in the same industry. The coincidence has caused a...
5h ago
US holds ‘unusual’ civil-military meeting in Tokyo ahead of Trump’s China trip
Senior American diplomats, administration officials and Indo-Pacific military commanders met in Tokyo earlier this month in what one source called an “unusual” gathering ahead of US President Donald T...
5h ago
Bali tipping row: call for Indonesian tourists to pay up triggers backlash
A debate over tipping culture has erupted across the Indonesian resort island of Bali and beyond, triggered by a politician’s unfavourable comparison of domestic and foreign tourists. In a social medi...
5h ago
Nearly 1 in 3 unattended dogs captured in Hong Kong euthanised this year
Roughly one in three unattended dogs captured by Hong Kong authorities had been euthanised as of May this year, a sharp rise from 18 per cent in 2021, according to the latest legislative documents. Th...
5h ago
Cloudy outlook? How haze crisis is testing Singapore’s events economy
When Daniela Cruz arrived in Singapore last week, hazy skies obscured the picture-perfect sights she had seen on social media, offering a different view of the city state from the one she had expected...
5h ago
3 Hong Kong taxi drivers banned for 3 months under demerit points system
Three Hong Kong taxi drivers have been disqualified from driving cabs for three months after accumulating 15 demerit points or more under a penalty system in place for two years, the transport chief h...
5h ago
IMF head urges US and rich nations to rein in deficits as global debt soars
The head of the International Monetary Fund said on Wednesday that the US and other wealthy nations needed to urgently tackle mounting global debt levels that were weighing heaviest on low-income coun...
5h ago
Hong Kong police hunt suspect who stole gold necklace from Tai Po jewellery store
Hong Kong police are searching for a man who stole a gold necklace worth tens of thousands of dollars from a Chow Sang Sang jewellery store in Tai Po on Wednesday afternoon. According to a source, the...
6h ago
China’s Liaoning carrier heads to the Pacific as US, Japan prepare for missile drills
The PLA Navy’s Liaoning aircraft carrier has started its second drill series in the western Pacific this year, with the training likely to coincide with an expanded US-Japan military exercise that cou...
6h ago
India jails ‘cockroach’ leaders over protests against alleged voter roll manipulation
Two leaders of India’s youth-led Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) were remanded in custody for five days on Wednesday, as police ratcheted up efforts to clamp down on anti-election commission protests. CJP...
6h ago
Hong Kong urged to add online safety briefings, penalise no-shows at public gyms
Hong Kong should make better use of its public gyms by allowing online safety briefings and penalising no-shows, an industry leader and a lawmaker have urged after the ombudsman identified management...
6h ago
China chip exports jump 136% to US$45b as AI frenzy jacks up prices
China’s integrated circuit (IC) exports surged 136 per cent year on year in September to US$45 billion, exceeding the 108 per cent growth rate in the first nine months of the year in a sign of the cou...
6h ago
In Hong Kong, accountability must be more than a slogan
When news broke last week that three newly completed housing blocks were to be demolished without ever having been occupied, I suffered an immediate attack of deja vu. In early 1974, I was in the firs...
6h ago
Malaysia’s Najib loses bid to suspend 15-year 1MDB sentence on medical grounds
A Malaysian court on Wednesday rejected Najib Razak’s bid to suspend his 15-year jail sentence in the 1MDB scandal pending the jailed former prime minister’s appeals, ruling that his health and other...
7h ago
China’s EV industry faces double blow from EU export quota, VAT rebate cut
China’s electric vehicle (EV) makers have been hit with a double blow as both Beijing and Brussels introduce measures that will affect their exports, leading analysts to revise down their earnings for...
7h ago
Chinese business visit to Kuril Islands will do nothing to ease tensions in Tokyo
A business delegation from northeastern China has visited a Russian-controlled, Japanese-claimed island off Hokkaido to explore joint economic projects, a move that has prompted protests from Tokyo. O...
7h ago
13 children die after overloaded boat capsizes in India
Rescuers dragged 13 dead children out of India’s Ganges River after an overloaded boat capsized en route to a Hindu festival, officials said on Wednesday, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressing...
7h ago
China’s carmakers eye record sales, luxury model hits regulatory bump: 7 EV reads
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 su...
7h ago
Complaints of nuisance behaviour on Hong Kong public transport hit 3-year high
Complaints about noisy and inconsiderate passengers on Hong Kong’s public transport have more than doubled over three years, with authorities recording a surge in reports of people playing loud music...
7h ago
‘I bathe, wash dishes, apply make-up’: Japan’s PM says busier than men who came before
Japan’s prime minister said on Wednesday she probably spent “three or four more hours” than her male predecessors tackling household duties on top of her already packed daily schedule. “In the morning...
7h ago
Will South China Sea’s code of conduct remain elusive as deadline looms?
A long-awaited code of conduct (COC) for the South China Sea risks becoming a toothless agreement, analysts have warned, as Beijing and Southeast Asian nations scramble to hammer out a deal by the end...
7h ago
Domestic helper charged with murdering 93-year-old employer in Hong Kong
An Indonesian domestic helper in Hong Kong has been remanded in custody after being charged with killing her 93-year-old employer at the weekend. Kharsina, 52, was brought to the Kwun Tong Court on We...
7h ago
San Tin tech hub operator pledges affordable land to attract tenants
The operator of Hong Kong’s flagship San Tin Technopole has pledged to offer affordable land to attract tenants, while revealing plans to reclaim and redevelop fish ponds near the Shenzhen border to a...
7h ago
As US pursues mine deals, Xi warns African resources are not tools for ‘rivalry’
Chinese President Xi Jinping warned that Africa’s resources should not be used as a tool for geopolitical rivalry, as the United States steps up efforts to secure critical minerals on a continent wher...
8h ago
China and North Korea to open border bridge after unexplained 12-year delay
A bridge between China and North Korea that was completed 12 years ago will finally open on Thursday. The two countries will hold an opening ceremony to mark the official opening of the New Yalu River...
8h ago
Abby Choi’s ex-mother-in-law urged delay in calling police until ransom from ‘kidnappers’, court hears
The former mother-in-law of slain Hong Kong socialite Abby Choi Tin-fung tried to prevent her family from reporting her disappearance to police by suggesting that they wait for her “kidnappers” to iss...
8h ago
C919 set to lead way as Chinese aircraft forecast to secure 5% of world market in 20 years
China’s chief civilian aircraft builder will command 5 per cent of the world’s fleet allocation by 2045 as global demand for narrowbody jets and the domestic order book look strong, an aviation analyt...
8h ago
Hong Kong bus operators seek fare hikes of up to 17.7% amid fuel price surge
Four Hong Kong franchised bus operators have applied to raise fares by up to 17.7 per cent, citing “significant financial pressure” from soaring fuel prices driven by the Middle East conflict. Citybus...
8h ago
Small acts, shared dreams: students find purpose in helping children in need
About 300 Hong Kong students applied this year for roughly 30 places on an overseas programme to help children in need, up from about 50 applicants last year. Dream Compassioneers co-founder Chan Yik-...
8h ago
Russian strikes kill 6 in Ukraine, knocking out power across Kyiv
Heavy overnight Russian strikes killed at least six people in Ukraine and cut power to large parts of the capital Kyiv, authorities said on Wednesday. The attacks on multiple regions came after Presid...
9h ago
China’s Dune-like sand crawler could turn the whole Taklamakan Desert into an iron mine
Chinese researchers have built a self-propelled crawler robot that harvests iron from sand and tested the device in the dunes of the vast Taklamakan Desert – an area the size of Germany – in northwest...
9h ago
No rush to T+1: Hong Kong exchange won’t hurry settlement-time change, sources say
Participants in Hong Kong’s stock market may need to wait longer for shorter transaction settlement times, as market participants want more time to prepare for the change, according to two sources fam...
9h ago
Asia must guard against repeat of 1997 financial crisis: Philippine central bank chief
Asian countries must remind themselves about what happened during the region’s financial crisis in the late 1990s and guard against a recurrence of such shocks, the head of the Philippine central bank...
9h ago
Global deforestation fell in 2025, but Congo Basin losses surged
Deforestation slowed worldwide last year, but the improvement is unlikely to last as the situation deteriorates in Central Africa and an exceptionally strong El Nino weather pattern intensifies, a new...