Indian engineers broke through the final rock section in the strategic Zojila tunnel through a Himalayan mountain on Tuesday, a milestone in providing all-weather access to the frontier Ladakh region with China. India and China, the world's two most populous nations, are intense rivals competing for strategic influence across South Asia. Ties have thawed since a … Continue reading India breaks through Himalayan tunnel to China border zone
Category: FOCUS
US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said negotiations over a peace deal to end the Middle East war were in their final stages, after Iran and Israel halted attacks that threatened to reignite the months-long conflict. Iran fired missiles at Israel on Sunday in response to strikes against Lebanon's Hezbollah in the southern suburbs of … Continue reading Trump says peace deal with Iran in final stages
The Bank of Japan will consider maintaining the current pace of bond purchases beyond next fiscal year, sources said, pausing a taper process that would mark a turning point in its quantitative tightening (QT) plan. But the decision could be a close call as the nine-member board is seen as split between those who want … Continue reading BOJ to consider pausing bond taper next fiscal year, sources say
Well-known movie producer and actor Raymond Wong Pak-ming has been sentenced to five months in prison and fined about HK$99,720 after being convicted of sharing insider information with his sister to trade shares of Pegasus Entertainment. The 80-year-old veteran filmmaker appeared before the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts on Tuesday. He is also ordered to pay … Continue reading HK movie producer Raymond Wong sentenced to five months in prison over insider dealing
paceX's US$75 billion (HK$587.7 billion) IPO is fuelling a frenzy among investors in Asia for ETFs and supply chain partners linked to Elon Musk's rocket company that are likely to benefit from the blockbuster deal. Shares of satellite and rocketry-related companies worldwide have surged as everything from Starlink component manufacturers to ETFs that own private … Continue reading SpaceX IPO fever sparks hunt for proxy plays in Asia
Worldwide spending on nuclear weapons soared to a record high last year as atomic-armed countries moved more warheads from storage onto delivery systems, experts said Tuesday. The nine nuclear-armed states jointly spent nearly $119 billion on their arsenals last year, up 19 percent from 2024, according to the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN). … Continue reading Nuclear weapons spending hits record high amid new ‘arms race’: studies
Rescuers searched the rubble on Tuesday of a collapsed building in the southern Philippine city of General Santos, the worst hit by a powerful earthquake that has killed at least 37 people and injured hundreds, to reach two people still believed to be trapped inside. Regional fire officer Edgar Tanawan, who is leading the operation, … Continue reading Rescuers race to reach trapped after powerful quake in southern Philippines
Two U.S. pilots whose helicopter crashed near the Strait of Hormuz "are fine", President Donald Trump said on Tuesday after the New York Times reported the crew of an Apache gunship had been rescued after the aircraft went down near the Iran-controlled waterway. It was not immediately clear whether the Apache was shot down by … Continue reading Trump says US helicopter pilots who went down in Strait of Hormuz are fine
Basketball fans greeted U.S. President Donald Trump with a chorus of loud boos on Monday, as the Republican became the first sitting U.S. president to attend the NBA Finals at Game 3 of the championship series between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs. Attending as a guest of Knicks president James Dolan, Trump … Continue reading Trump greeted with boos at NBA Finals in Madison Square Garden
As governments around the world struggle with ways to reverse plunging birth rates, new US studies suggest they have ignored a key culprit -- the smartphone. "Is the iPhone Birth Control?" asked a paper published Monday by the National Bureau of Economic Research, delving into why US fertility rates have fallen by 22 percent since … Continue reading Killing the mood: smartphones reduce birth rate, studies say
The US on Monday added Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba (9988), internet search provider Baidu (9888) and automaker BYD (1211) to a list of companies it believes are aiding Beijing’s military, in a move that could inflame tensions between the countries. The long-awaited update supersedes a list from early 2025, and comes less than a month … Continue reading US says BYD, Baidu, Alibaba and other tech giants are aiding China’s military
ChatGPT maker OpenAI confidentially filed for a US initial public offering recently, the company said on Monday, joining rival Anthropic in a push toward the stock market as investors seek exposure to the artificial intelligence boom. OpenAI did not disclose the size or terms of the offering, and said a timeline has not yet been … Continue reading OpenAI files for US IPO after Anthropic as AI giants head to public markets
Israel's latest strikes on Iran have not only ignited fears of a full-fledged resurgence of war -- they run the risk of damaging the close ties between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump. Despite Trump's seeming aversion to the prospect of the war reigniting, both Israel and Iran have leaned into the … Continue reading Netanyahu gambles close Trump ties with Iran strikes
Apple on Monday rolled out a long-delayed overhaul of Siri, betting the upgraded assistant can help close the gap with Big Tech rivals and new-age startups in the crucial AI race. The revamp, unveiled at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference in Cupertino, California, introduces “Siri AI,” a more conversational assistant with a standalone app and … Continue reading Apple bets on overdue Siri fix to close AI gap
Iran and Israel said on Monday that hostilities between them had halted, after the two countries exchanged strikes that threatened to reignite the Middle East war. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that the "fire on that front is contained" hours after Tehran said it had stopped its military action against Israel. Tehran launched missiles … Continue reading Iran, Israel say hostilities on hold after first attacks since truce
A 7.8-magnitude earthquake in the southern Philippines on Monday killed at least 31 people, according to provincial authorities, after toppling buildings and sparking tsunami warnings across the region. National disaster authorities said at least a dozen people were still missing, while 134 had sustained injuries. Philippine authorities urged people in affected coastal regions to move … Continue reading Major quake off Philippines kills at least 31, dozen still missing
Hong Kong's Kai Tak Sports Park has been named "Venue of the Year" at the prestigious 2026 TheStadiumBusiness Awards in the United Kingdom, marking a major milestone in the city's ongoing push to cement itself as a premier destination for international mega-events. Outperforming world-class competitors The award, widely regarded as the highest honor in the … Continue reading Kai Tak Sports Park crowned global ‘Venue of the Year’ at UK industry awards
“Dim-sum” has officially joined the tropical cyclone name list for the western North Pacific and the South China Sea, the Hong Kong Observatory said on Monday. The Hong Kong-proposed name “Dim-sum” will replace “Man-yi,” which was used in November 2024 and later retired because of the damage it caused in the Philippines. The eight other … Continue reading ‘Typhoon Dim-sum’ joins new tropical cyclone name list
The Philippines' civil defence office has reported at least eight fatalities following a magnitude 7.8 earthquake. The deaths are still subject to validation, the office added. The quake struck the southern Philippines on Monday, collapsing buildings and sparking tsunami warnings across the region. Philippine authorities urged people in affected coastal regions to move to higher … Continue reading Eight reported dead after magnitude 7.8 earthquake in Philippines
The Chief Executive will be able to issue a certificate to classify a criminal case as one involving an offence endangering national security under proposed subsidiary legislation to be made under the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance, according to a government paper submitted to the Legislative Council. The government said the subsidiary legislation will clearly set … Continue reading CE certificate to classify cases as national security offences under govt proposal
Some savers from mainland China are travelling to Hong Kong and scrambling to explore options to retain their investments in the financial hub, after Beijing’s unexpected crackdown last month on “illegal” cross-border securities trading. Chinese regulators in late May announced a major crackdown on cross-border investments and punished three online brokers for “illegally” helping Chinese … Continue reading Mainland Chinese savers flock to Hong Kong as regulators tighten capital controls
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung called on Sunday for a thorough investigation into a ballot shortage that disrupted recent local elections, saying prosecutors and police would be involved. "As one citizen and as the president responsible for the government, I express deep regret," Lee said in an X post. Last week’s local elections were … Continue reading S. Korean president orders probe into local election ballot shortages
A rare reunion is planned to celebrate the HKTDC's 60th anniversary, but getting confirmation from former chairmen required significant effort, as chairman Federick Ma Si-hang revealed. The high-profile lineup is a highlight of the Next 60 Forum on June 16, where former chairs Baroness Lydia Dunn, Victor Fung Kwok-king, Peter Woo Kwong-ching, Jack So Chak-kwong, … Continue reading Former HKTDC chairs gather for Next 60 Forum with no effort spared: Federick Ma
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un welcomes Chinese President Xi Jinping to Pyongyang on Monday, feeling in a position of strength with a firm ally in Russia, a nuclear arsenal and little apparent appetite to engage with Washington. For Xi, leader of the world's second-biggest economy, the two-day visit to China's neighbour, his first in … Continue reading With China’s Xi in North Korea, Kim to project confidence, defiance
As Hong Kong taps into Central Asia opportunities, Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is weighing an upgrade to its Almaty consultant office to strengthen direct government and business links, said chairman Federick Ma Si-hang. Ma's remarks came after a Central Asia business delegation led by Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu, which included about 30 … Continue reading HKTDC weighs Almaty office upgrade to boost Central Asia ties
The U.S. government will attempt to redirect Iranian assets to Gulf states for rebuilding and repairs of damage caused by Iran, a source familiar with the matter said, as Tehran followed up a wave of strikes against Kuwait and Bahrain with further drone launches. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has directed a team to assess … Continue reading US eyes Iranian assets for Gulf allies’ reconstruction, source says
In a Tehran neighbourhood dotted with shops selling football jerseys and sporting goods, 10-year-old Helma was already feeling World Cup fever. "I'm supporting Iran because it's always the champion!" she said, sporting a bracelet in the green, white and red of the national flag. "This year, it will be number one out of all the … Continue reading World Cup fever muted in Iran under shadow of war, hardship
In front of L'industrie Pizzeria, as at many other New York restaurants and shops, customers line up behind barriers -- in this case, all to grab a prized pizza slice. Not everyone in America's biggest city finds standing in line to be a chore. The power of social media trends means that for some, waiting … Continue reading In New York, waiting in line becomes a social scene
The growing trend of mainland Chinese women using student visas as a low-cost shortcut to give birth in Hong Kong and secure permanent residency for their children has sparked public discussion and legal warnings regarding the potential for immigration fraud. Exploiting the student visa pathway In recent years, mainland social media platforms, particularly Xiaohongshu, have … Continue reading Legal concerns rise as mainland mothers promote ‘Master’s Degree loophole’ for cheap Hong Kong births
European retail investors are among those jockeying for a piece of the hotly anticipated SpaceXSPCX.O initial public offering, but some observers warn the deal could prove a bumpy ride for those without the resources that institutional investors have behind them. SpaceX is considering allocating as much as 30% of the deal to individual investors - … Continue reading Musk’s SpaceX IPO jolts life back into European retail investing
A Nepali mountaineer who survived nearly a week on Mount Everest said he "chewed ice" to stay alive, as he recovered in a hospital after a miraculous rescue that stunned the climbing community. Dawa Sherpa, 57, disappeared in brutal conditions on the upper slopes of the world's tallest mountain on May 30 during one of … Continue reading ‘I thought I would perish’: Everest survivor recounts ordeal
The Justice Department defended President Donald Trump's contentious White House ballroom project on Friday before a panel of skeptical appeals court judges. The two Democratic appointees on the three-judge panel peppered a government lawyer with tough questions during a two-hour hearing in a Washington courtroom as part of a lawsuit brought by the National Trust … Continue reading Citing national security, Trump Justice Dept defends White House ballroom project
U.S. forces struck Iranian coastal radar sites on Saturday after shooting down drones launched by Iran toward the Strait of Hormuz, the U.S. military said, in the latest escalation complicating efforts to end the war between the two countries. The U.S. military believes the four Iranian drones were targeting regional maritime traffic, a U.S. official … Continue reading US attacks Iranian sites after Iran launches drones, in latest Gulf flare-up
Benjamin Netanyahu has long portrayed himself to the Israeli public as being uniquely adept in dealing with Donald Trump, capable of winning and sustaining the U.S. president's backing. But an acrimonious phone call this week where the president called the prime minister "fucking crazy", first leaked to the media and later publicly confirmed by Trump … Continue reading Trump’s ‘crazy’ rebuke undercuts Netanyahu at a critical moment
China's President Xi Jinping will visit North Korea on Monday as he seeks to cement Beijing's influence in its own backyard, following summits with US counterpart Donald Trump and Russia's Vladimir Putin. Here's what to expect during Xi's summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un: What happened during past meetings? In 2019, Xi became … Continue reading Russia, US and nuclear: What to expect from Xi-Kim summit
Hong Kong experienced its hottest day of the year so far on Friday, breaking historical temperature records for the traditional "Mangzhong" solar term. However, the extreme heat is rapidly giving way to severe weather, with the Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) warning of potential hail, squally thunderstorms, and a continuous nine-day stretch of rain expected to … Continue reading Hong Kong swelters through hottest ‘Mangzhong’ on record as HKO warns of hail and nine-day downpour.
The number of Chinese students sitting the country's national university entrance exam, due to begin on Sunday, has dropped sharply by 450,000 to 12.9 million from a year earlier, as more teenagers opt out of pursuing academic degrees. The figures, released by the Ministry of Education on Wednesday, come amid a structural shrinkage in the … Continue reading Fewer Chinese teenagers register for tough university entry exam
SpaceX's website and IPO marketing documents were not accessible on Friday in Hong Kong and mainland China, a Reuters review showed, a step that threatens to curb participation by investors there in a listing expected to be the world's largest. Elon Musk's SpaceX aims to raise US$75 billion, the most globally in an IPO, in … Continue reading China and Hong Kong users unable to access SpaceX website, IPO documents
Trump refuses to provide financial records, paper saysBBC seeks to gauge financial impact of alleged defamationIt says reelection shows Trump suffered no harm from film. June 5 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump's legal team has refused to hand over financial information sought by BBC lawyers in his $10-billion defamation case against the broadcaster, the … Continue reading Trump lawyers deny BBC access to financial details in $10-billion lawsuit, FT says
President Donald Trump's threat to slap new tariffs on trade partners the U.S. accuses of failing to crack down on forced labour will do little to fight modern slavery — and could even make things worse, experts, business groups and some human rights groups say. In its latest trade salvo, the Trump administration proposed additional … Continue reading Trump’s latest tariff salvo no fix for global issue of forced labor
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang on Friday said robotics will be South Korea's next major sector, as he arrived for his second visit in seven months, underscoring deepening ties with local firms in not only chips but also robotics and AI factories. "Because Korea is a manufacturing centre of the world, we can apply the robotics … Continue reading Nvidia CEO says robotics is South Korea’s next big sector, points to ‘some suprises’
The Japanese yen tested the 160 barrier on Friday, drawing sharp pushback from officials, while the US dollar was on track for a weekly gain as tensions in the Middle East fuelled safe-haven flows. The yen JPY= weakened to the critical 160-per-dollar mark briefly in early trading, hitting the level for the third straight session … Continue reading Yen teeters near 160 level after fresh warning; dollar buoyed by Gulf tension
S&P Global said on Thursday it was not changing the requirements for entry into its major indices, dealing a setback to Elon Musk's SpaceX by effectively ruling out a swift entry for the world's biggest-ever IPO into the benchmark S&P 500 index .SPX. Musk has rewritten the IPO playbook for SpaceX in many ways from … Continue reading SpaceX blocked from early US benchmark index entry as S&P reaffirms existing rules
Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit North Korea from June 8 to 9, state news agency Xinhua said on Friday, his first trip in nearly seven years as Beijing looks to reassert ties with Pyongyang. The announcement follows separate summits Xi hosted in Beijing for U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin last … Continue reading China’s Xi to visit North Korea as Beijing seeks deeper Pyongyang ties
South Korea's labour minister called on the country's major tech firms to share the spoils of their massive windfall profits, warning that unprecedented chip-sector gains stemming from the AI boom risked widening a gap in inequality. In an interview, Kim Young-hoon told Reuters that companies like Samsung Electronics that outperform profit targets should consider sharing … Continue reading South Korea labour minister calls on tech firms to share excess AI profits with suppliers, staff
China's major solar panel manufacturers are ramping up higher-margin battery exports to boost revenue as growth in photovoltaic (PV) sales slows, betting on rising global demand for renewable energy storage to cut reliance on fossil fuels. The sector has been hit by weaker domestic installations, slowing exports and record-low prices, with executives expecting global demand … Continue reading China’s solar majors charge into batteries as panel sales falter
Taiwan's TSMC, the world's largest contract chipmaker, is striving to keep up with demand and avoid becoming a bottleneck in the global supply chain during the relentless boom in artificial intelligence, its CEO said on Thursday. C.C. Wei, speaking at the company's annual shareholder meeting in the Taiwanese city of Hsinchu, said customers are still … Continue reading TSMC working hard to meet chip demand, would ‘like’ to hike prices
Chinese state buyers could raise wheat imports for millers later in the year as rain during the harvest has damaged some crops at the world's top grower, with up to 7% of output seeing quality downgrades, analysts said. Even a modest increase in China's wheat imports could propel further gains in global prices Wv1, which … Continue reading China harvest rains dent some wheat quality, may spur imports
New Zealand said on Thursday it would express its concerns to Beijing after China banned four New Zealand lawmakers from entry following their visit to Taiwan last month. A spokesperson for Foreign Minister Winston Peters said New Zealand lawmakers had visited the democratically governed island for decades. "Such visits are not inconsistent with New Zealand's One China policy," the spokesperson said, referring to its policy since 1972 of recognising Beijing as the sole … Continue reading New Zealand expresses concern over China lawmaker ban after Taiwan trip
