As the United States, Russia and China race to turn a melting Arctic into the world’s next major economic gateway, their strategic ambitions face a hidden threat: thawing permafrost. Since returning to office last year, US President Donald Trump has pushed to expand America’s Arctic footprint. This
Hong Kong’s self-financing postal administration will stop offering permanent civil service contracts to new employees as part of cost-saving measures amid a worsening financial outlook. Postmaster General Leonia Tai Shuk-yiu said on Tuesday that new Hongkong Post employees who pass probation in or
President Donald Trump’s decision to scale back joint military exercises with South Korea does not just slight a long-time ally but raises broader concerns about the security interests of the United States in Asia and elsewhere. Trump explained his decision by citing South Korea’s refusal to join hi
The much-anticipated revamped Huanggang Port, expected to open later this year, should be seen as more than a story about faster clearance. Its deeper significance lies in a question that deserves wider discussion: if border functions can be redesigned, where should border control actually operate?
Colombia’s new housing minister has come under fire after it emerged that he took his family on a Caribbean holiday while the country was reeling from a devastating earthquake that left thousands homeless. The August 10 earthquake, which killed nearly 300 people in western Colombia, struck just thre
AI desktop pets are gaining popularity in China, offering young workers an outlet for workplace frustration and providing bereaved owners with a digital means to preserve memories of their deceased pets. Virtual pets first emerged on messaging platforms in the early 2000s, roaming across screens and
Hong Kong infrastructure and artificial intelligence (AI) firms are well placed to capitalise on a surge of expansion opportunities in Malaysia, but unlocking this potential will require cultural sensitivity and adapting to local market dynamics, industry insiders have said. The remarks follow the r
Indonesia’s next electric-vehicle push will test whether President Prabowo Subianto can turn rising demand, nickel wealth and consumer subsidies into an integrated domestic industry that captures more value at home, or merely make imported and locally assembled EVs cheaper to buy. Analysts warn that
The US diesel crack, a key measure of refining profitability, hit an all-time high of US$102.20 a barrel on Monday as global supply disruptions from the wars in Iran and Ukraine run into peak agricultural consumption season. Measured as the premium of US diesel futures over US West Texas Intermedia
The Hong Kong property market’s recovery is forecast to moderate in both prices and rents in the coming months as disruptions brought about by artificial intelligence, slower population inflows and other factors are likely to impact the upturn, according to UBS. The Swiss investment bank said that i
More than one in 10 Hong Kong primary and secondary school students have engaged in self-harm, a survey has found, with almost half saying school was their main source of stress. Researchers behind the study, conducted by the Junior Chamber International Lion Rock and the Hong Kong Family Mediation
A Hong Kong pro-democracy activist based in the UK has said that three of his bank accounts with financial services provider Wise have been deactivated, including one for the daily operation of diaspora media outlet Points Media. Finn Lau, an activist, said on X last Friday that Wise had closed his
Taiwan’s government will propose record defence spending for 2027, President Lai Ching-te said on Monday, as the island democracy faces growing military pressure from China. Beijing claims Taiwan is part of its territory and has threatened to use force to annex the island of 23 million people.
Groups of patriotic Hongkongers have staged anti-Japan demonstrations in front of the country’s consulate on the 81st anniversary of Japan’s World War II surrender. Around 20 people gathered outside One Exchange Square in Central, where the consulate is located, on Saturday morning. The
Residents living in “shoebox” flats and other inadequate housing have experienced temperatures that feel like 52 degrees Celsius this summer, a climate NGO has found. The CarbonCare InnoLab said in a press conference on Sunday that it took temperature and humidity readings at 86 househol
Additional reporting: Irene Chan. After climbing four flights of stairs in the August summer heat, Helen was met with a locked metal gate and a printed sign saying Have a Nice Stay had permanently closed. “I didn’t think it would be shut already,” Helen told HKFP on the top floor o
The police force has launched an internal investigation into an officer who appeared in a viral video dancing in uniform with a dog-ear filter. The clip gained traction on platforms in mainland China, including Douyin, the mainland’s version of TikTok. It was captioned “It’s too hot. Let
A Chinese container vessel has set sail for Europe through the Arctic, part of new weekly service on a route that cuts shipment times in half but which environmental groups warn could speed up the melting of polar ice. The “Dubai Tower” left the eastern port city of Ningbo on Saturday ev
By Arnold Welianto and Dessy Sagita in Jakarta Rescuers combed through debris for survivors Saturday after a powerful earthquake struck off Flores island in eastern Indonesia, killing at least 20 people and sending thousands fleeing. As the full scale of the disaster unfolded, rescue official Fathur
Hong Kong has logged over 2,100 investment scam cases in the first half of 2026, with losses totalling HK$1.6 billion, the police have said. Police said on Friday that, while investment scams accounted for only one-tenth of the 20,613 deception cases recorded in the first half of the year, they made