Oil-producing Gulf nations are pursuing greener energy. What does this mean for Asia?
Most of Asia’s electricity needs come from oil-producing Gulf nations, which are trying to position themselves as leaders in the development of green energy. ⌘ Read more

Coronavirus: sixth wave could come in September, but with less impact, Hong Kong labour minister says
Secretary for Labour and Welfare Law Chi-kwong makes forecast, warning city’s immunity barrier could have waned by then. ⌘ Read more

Huge blaze at Shanghai Sinopec plant kills one
Roaring fire at one of China’s biggest refining and petrochemicals plants started around 4am. ⌘ Read more

Coronavirus: 150 Hong Kong passengers in logistics nightmare after Amsterdam airport staff shortfall, tough quarantine rules in city leave them ‘scared, helpless and clueless’
Some 150 passengers lost their baggage in transit or had to scramble to rebook flights with Amsterdam route into the city hit by delays. ⌘ Read more

Hey, Hong Kong – how about we stop being racist and include foreign domestic workers in the consumption voucher scheme?
Excluding foreign domestic workers from the extended consumption voucher scheme is not only heartless but hurts Hong Kong’s image. A city with a good soul should care about the most deserving and vulnerable. ⌘ Read more

SpaceX fires workers behind letter criticising Elon Musk’s behaviour
The open letter called the rocket-launch firm CEO’s behaviour and tweets ‘a frequent source of distraction and embarrassment for us’. ⌘ Read more

‘I need a room’: overseas Hong Kong students struggling to book quarantine hotels for summer return to city
Bulk of 66 quarantine hotels fully booked until end of July, while some hotels on new list of designated facilities only have availability from middle of August. ⌘ Read more

Handsome returns: China tourism official with ‘movie-star good looks’ becomes internet sensation after donning ancient costumes to promote home city
A Chinese tourism chief who combined his dashing good looks with role-play costume videos to woo visitors to his home city has become an online celebrity. ⌘ Read more

China’s Covid-19 health code system is ripe for abuse and must not outlast the pandemic
A recent scandal in Henan province that saw protesters issued bogus red health codes to restrict their movements shows how open the system is to misuse. ⌘ Read more

Google co-founder Sergey Brin seeks divorce from second wife Nicole Shanahan after 3 years of marriage
The world’s sixth-richest person filed a petition for dissolution of his marriage to Shanahan, citing ‘irreconcilable differences’. ⌘ Read more

Why Singapore may be edging closer to scrapping Section 377A criminalising gay sex – and what would happen if it did
Surveys show growing support for abolishing the colonial-era law that makes sex between men illegal, but other policies could be tightened to appease the city state’s conservatives if it is scrapped. ⌘ Read more

Hong Kong vs Shenzhen: a technology tale of 2 cities, and a game of catch-up
Shenzhen’s economy surpassed Hong Kong’s for the first time in 2018 on the back of its rising status as the country’s technology hub. ⌘ Read more

China manufacturing: fresh lay-offs in the Pearl River Delta add to worries over economic slowdown
In the Pearl River Delta, factories are laying off workers and young people are struggling to find casual jobs as China’s export machine slows amid multiple headwinds. ⌘ Read more

BTS: US$3.5 million Proof album purchase shows V’s fans in China are undeterred by Beijing’s K-Culture crackdown
The group purchase of more than 170,000 copies was made on the first day of the release of BTS’ new album ‘Proof’ last week despite Beijing tightening its grip over the consumption of South Korean content and fandom culture. ⌘ Read more

Elon Musk envisions remaking Twitter in WeChat’s image
‘You basically live on WeChat in China. If we can re-create that with Twitter, we’ll be a great success.’ ⌘ Read more

Former Japanese politician’s appeal against drug trafficking conviction to be heard in Chinese court
Takuma Sakuragi was detained at Guangdong airport in 2013 carrying a suitcase containing more than 3kg (7.3lbs) of meth. ⌘ Read more

TikTok moves US user data to Oracle servers amid concerns over China
The move comes as US media reports that such data was repeatedly accessed by China-based ByteDance staff, according to leaked audio from internal meetings. ⌘ Read more

Emmanuel Macron’s awkward moment with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky becomes internet meme
‘So much love and only six howitzers?’ In a widely shared image, the French president appears to be hugging his frosty Ukrainian counterpart – who is not reciprocating ⌘ Read more

How China inadvertently became the dominant power in Central Asia – and is radically reshaping the region
Central Asia sits at the heart of China’s foreign policy, not because of any expansionist ambitions but because it is an extension of domestic challenges in Xinjiang. To build a strong economic environment to support Xinjiang, Beijing has been transforming Central Asia through infrastructure projects. ⌘ Read more

New US Senate bill proposes expansion of Taiwan military aid
The legislation sends ‘a clear message to Beijing not to make the same mistakes with Taiwan that Vladimir Putin has made in Ukraine’, says one of its authors. ⌘ Read more

US musician reunited with stolen 262-year-old violin
MingHuan Xu’s 1760 Gagliano was recovered undamaged, along with another violin made by Oliver Radke in 1994 and her son’s half-size cello. ⌘ Read more

Boris Johnson makes surprise Ukraine visit, says Russia taking heavy losses
The British PM pledged to train Ukrainian soldiers to use new military equipment with a programme that could ‘change the equation of this war’. ⌘ Read more

Incoming Hong Kong leader John Lee finalises cabinet line-up, submits list to Beijing for consideration
John Lee pledges to announce the list once it receives the green light from Beijing. ⌘ Read more

Chinese scientists want to build a powerful telescope to find dark matter
The ambitious project – known as VLAST – aims to achieve 10 times the sensitivity of Nasa’s Fermi Large Area Telescope, but it still needs government approval. ⌘ Read more

Fukushima disaster not state’s fault, Japan top court decides
Ruling leaves Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc., the operator of the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, solely responsible for slightly over US$10.5 million in damages in four lawsuits. ⌘ Read more

G20 to raise US$1.5 billion for global pandemic fund, host Indonesia says
The money will finance efforts such as surveillance, research, and better access to vaccination for lower-to-middle income countries, health officials said. About US$1.1 billion has been pledged so far. ⌘ Read more

Hong Kong Town Planning Board rejects proposal to switch 2 prime sites at former Kai Tak airport from commercial to housing use
Keeping the commercial plots would be good for the city’s long-term economic development, some board members said. ⌘ Read more

China, US gas trade increase could help lift relations from ‘worst in history’, ex-official says
Growing energy trade between China and the US could form a ‘community of shared interests’, according to Zou Ji, amid strained ties between Beijing and Washington. ⌘ Read more

Hong Kong health experts propose 5 key groups, including animal care workers, be vaccinated against monkeypox before exposure
Pre-exposure jab considered for five target groups, but should not be given within four weeks before or after a Covid-19 vaccine is administered. ⌘ Read more

NetEase’s new game Diablo Immortal banned from new posts on Weibo just a week before hotly-anticipated release
Diablo Immortal ’s Chinese version is due to be launched on PC, iOS and Android devices on June 23. ⌘ Read more

Malaysian lawyers’ ‘walk for judicial independence’ gets off on the wrong foot
Hundreds of lawyers, angry about ‘anti-corruption’ probe into judge who convicted former PM Najib Razak in 1MDB scandal, were unable to begin protest walk as police blocked two car park exits. ⌘ Read more

Climate change: Hong Kong government must step up efforts to develop EV charging infrastructure to meet 2050 carbon-neutral goal, panel hears
Hong Kong needs to inject greater urgency into efforts to develop electric-vehicle charging infrastructure to keep up with soaring sales and meet its 2050 carbon-neutrality goal. ⌘ Read more

Tesla’s Elon Musk sued by investor in ‘toxic’ workplace discrimination accusation
The lawsuit accuses the defendants – Musk, 11 Tesla board members and the company – of failing to address and remedy the red flags concerning internal reports of discrimination and harassment. ⌘ Read more

Chinese mRNA booster fights Omicron 4 times better than inactivated Covid-19 vaccines, researchers say
AWcorna vaccine produced 4.4 times more Omicron antibodies than for those boosted with Sinovac, scientists behind clinical trial write in Cell Research journal. ⌘ Read more

Hong Kong Palace Museum previews opening shows featuring national treasures loaned by Beijing
Ahead of its opening to the public on July 2, the US$450 million museum gives a preview of three of its nine inaugural exhibitions, including national treasures loaned by the Palace Museum in Beijing. ⌘ Read more

Candidates running for Hong Kong arts body will need to get nominations from powerful Election Committee to ensure ‘national security elements’ addressed
Change will bring the Arts Development Council poll in line with others held under Beijing’s ‘patriots-only’ electoral shake-up, the Home Affairs Bureau says. ⌘ Read more

China hit by floods, heatwaves and a tornado, with more weather misery on the way
Severe storm and flooding alerts go out in seven southern regions, with central and northern China to see extreme heat continuing into next week. ⌘ Read more

China must ‘optimise’ zero-Covid policy or firms will be ‘unwilling to invest’, says ex-finance minister
China’s former finance minister Lou Jiwei says Beijing must fine-tune its response to the latest Omicron outbreak to restore investor confidence and arrest flagging economic growth. ⌘ Read more

South Korea’s BTS band break taboos but are seen by many as doing more abroad to battle discrimination than at home. Why?
The group is often criticised for speaking out more overseas than in their own country, but supporters say the seven are constrained by a conservative society and managers’ ‘fear’ of repercussions. ⌘ Read more

EU backs Ukraine’s membership bid as war brings huge historic shift
Ukraine EU candidacy signals major change in European geopolitics – ‘Europe can create a new history of freedom’ President Volodymyr Zelensky says. Leaders of EU countries are expected to endorse the decision at a summit next week. ⌘ Read more

Chinese President Xi Jinping to host virtual BRICS summit
The event takes place in the shadow of Russia’s war in Ukraine and Moscow is keen to develop links with other emerging economies after being hit by sanctions. ⌘ Read more

Hong Kong protests: provision deeming zip ties ‘fit for unlawful purposes’ can be interpreted broadly, prosecutor argues in top court
People can be caught for carrying a pen to forge signatures, senior prosecutor argues. ⌘ Read more

UK approves US extradition of WikiLeaks’ founder Julian Assange
British interior minister Priti Patel’s decision does not mean the end of Australian-born journalist’s legal battle, which has been going on for more than a decade. Assange is wanted by the US on 18 counts. ⌘ Read more

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Tangshan restaurant attack suspect was wanted by Chinese authorities over previous crimes
One of the man accused of attacking women in a restaurant was named as a fugitive in court records over a previous assault. ⌘ Read more

On Taiwan’s frontline islands ‘life goes on’ as jets scream overhead
In the sleepy fishing towns, many locals are sanguine, despite the frequent PLA fighters flying over the Taiwan Strait. ⌘ Read more

WWII sex slave issue looms large over South Korea’s ties with Japan ⌘ Read more

Father-of-2 labours as a decorator by day and a chauffeur by night to make 7 deprived kids’ lives better
Big-hearted Chinese man holds down two jobs for nearly a decade so he can provide for his own family – and seven more disadvantaged children. ⌘ Read more

Chinese PLA’s invasion of Taiwan: at hand or too costly to consider?
Taiwan’s rough terrain, heavily fortified islet outposts and Beijing’s own concerns about mass casualties and image might deter assault, say experts ⌘ Read more

Japan’s new tougher cyberbullying laws prompted after Hana Kimura’s suicide sparks free speech debate
Anyone convicted of using abusive language to insult a person in a public setting, including online, now face up to one year behind bars or a fine of up to US$2,236. Previously, a conviction could have led to a maximum prison term of 30 days or a fine of US$75. ⌘ Read more

Ukrainians threaten to destroy Russian bridge to Crimea ‘target number one’
Ukraine appeared to threaten to target a key Russian bridge across the Kerch Strait to Crimea by publishing details of its construction. ⌘ Read more

Why Ukraine’s request to join is big test for EU
The European Commission will meet Friday to give its fast-tracked opinion on Ukraine’s bid for EU candidacy, a step closer to membership for the country. ⌘ Read more

Coronavirus: crackdown under way on patrons, operators in Hong Kong nightlife sector to enforce new rapid-test rule at bars and clubs
Food and Environmental Hygiene Department director urges businesses not to provide test kits at the door for customers, after reports surface of such acts. ⌘ Read more

Explosion at pesticide firm in northwestern China leaves at least 8 hurt and 6 missing, cause still unknown
More than 300 fire and rescue personnel and 47 rescue vehicles were sent to the scene of the explosion in the Lanzhou company’s sewage treatment workshop. ⌘ Read more

WTO strikes landmark deals after tense Geneva talks, prompting cheers
The World Trade Organization concluded hard-won deals on fishing subsidies, food insecurity and Covid-19 vaccines in a landmark bundle of agreements secured through hectic round-the-clock talks in Geneva. ⌘ Read more

Malaysia’s economic challenge shows how politics has become a bottleneck for growth
Even as emerging market economies like Malaysia grapple with the repercussions of the pandemic and Ukraine war, they tend to put off the more difficult structural adjustments necessary for growth. In Malaysia, meagre private-sector investments stems from a lack of confidence in government policies. ⌘ Read more

China launches Fujian, PLA Navy’s 3rd aircraft carrier
After at least two delays, the Type 003 warship has left the Jiangnan shipyard in Shanghai, according to Chinese state media. ⌘ Read more

New railway completes 2,700km loop of Taklamakan Desert in move to integrate Xinjiang with rest of China
China State Railway Group says new 825km Hotan-Ruoqiang railway will ‘play a role in boosting ethnic unity, strengthening national defence’. ⌘ Read more

Thai influencers charged with royal insult over Lazada adverts
Criticism of the monarchy is taboo in Thailand, where King Maha Vajiralongkorn and his close family are protected by some of the world’s toughest royal insult laws, with each charge carrying a prison term of up to 15 years. ⌘ Read more

Zelensky hologram references Star Wars: ‘We will defeat the empire too’
Ukraine’s president referenced Star Wars and World War II as he sought aid from big tech firms, appearing as a hologram at a conference in Paris. ⌘ Read more

How J.Y. Pillay helped Lee Kuan Yew turn Singapore Airlines into a global giant
With no domestic market and limited aviation experience, Singapore’s dream of owning a world-class international airline seemed far-fetched, but Pillay believed it was achievable. ⌘ Read more

How Hong Kong’s ‘Covid-19 heroes’ rose to the challenges they faced
The Post talks to some of Hong Kong’s ‘Covid-19 heroes’, people who have risen to the challenges thrown at them by the virus over the past two years. ⌘ Read more

South Korea and Japan look to move forward and ‘normalise’ information-sharing by keeping their tense history in the past
South Korea’s Foreign Minister Park Jin wants to settle old disputes and revive a military information agreement thought to have lost steam under Seoul’s previous government. ⌘ Read more

Protesters in India burn trains over military jobs plan
Protesters were angry over new short-term military scheme, where a majority of recruits will be compulsorily retired after four years with no pension benefits. ⌘ Read more

China appoints international affairs expert as new consul general in Brisbane
Ruan Zongze, 56, is the former vice-president of the CIIS, a think tank run by the foreign ministry. ⌘ Read more

China’s beauty slimness obsession highlighted after woman’s weight drops to 25kg in a year with multiple organ failure and refuses treatment
In a culture that views thinness as the epitome of female beauty the case of a Chinese woman with anorexia nervosa ignoring medical advice spurs debate about beauty standards in China. ⌘ Read more

Soaring interest rates: Hong Kong’s new mortgage borrowers and highly leveraged buyers are most at risk in the property market
Topping off the higher rates is a bulging pipeline of new flats – estimated at 12,646 in 2022 by JLL – waiting to find buyers. ⌘ Read more

Hong Kong’s biggest health crisis in 25 years: why did city stumble over Covid-19? Experts say it was too slow to change tactics, inflexible, put politics first
Insistence on ‘zero infections’ left authorities unable to act swiftly when Omicron variant of coronavirus arrived, experts say. ⌘ Read more

Omicron less likely to cause long Covid, UK study finds
But despite the reduced risk, more people have been infected with the variant, meaning the number of patients with lingering symptoms has actually increased. ⌘ Read more

Protests and pandemic will be Carrie Lam’s legacy, but she deserves to be remembered for much more
While the focus as Lam concludes her term will no doubt be on her toughest moments, they shouldn’t define her leadership. Lam has been a champion of art, innovation and heritage conservation, and has taken on seemingly intractable issues like housing and waste management. ⌘ Read more

China’s youth league to tackle graduate job pressure with advice, aid and a chance to ‘toughen’ up
As concern grows about the labour market, China’s Communist Youth League says it will help at least 100,000 graduates find jobs this year, including through volunteer missions to impoverished regions. ⌘ Read more

White House adviser calls relationship with India ‘most important for the United States’
Kurt Campbell, US President Joe Biden’s Indo-Pacific adviser, discusses plans to offer more security guarantees to New Delhi and also hints at developments in the Aukus pact. ⌘ Read more

Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport to cut flights over busy summer
Thousands of travellers are likely to be affected each day, as the Netherland’s busiest airport struggles with a surge in demand as the Covid-19 demand eases. ⌘ Read more

Why is China’s inflation rate low compared to the US, Europe and Britain?
Global inflation is soaring, reaching a 40-year high in the US, thanks to sky-high food and energy prices that have been exacerbated by the war in Ukraine. Why is it a different story in China? ⌘ Read more

Nicholas Burns, US ambassador to China, stresses need to find common ground amid tense relations
Nicholas Burns also counters the claim that US policy is designed to keep China down and prevent it from developing. ‘The evidence doesn’t bear that out,’ he says ⌘ Read more

Can polar bears survive climate change? Scientists see hopeful signs with discovery of new group
The species is threatened by the loss of sea ice, but an isolated population found in Greenland suggests they could change their hunting practices to adapt. ⌘ Read more

US pressures Iran by targeting Hong Kong and UAE firms
Penalties over petrochemical exports were also imposed on Chinese citizen Jinfeng Gao and Indian national Mohammed Shaheed Ruknooddin Bhore. ⌘ Read more

US security adviser says hard line on Russia is needed to dissuade China from similar moves
National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan says an unchallenged invasion of Ukraine would embolden ‘other would-be aggressors, like China’. ⌘ Read more

More than 90 per cent of oil slicks threatening global marine life caused by humans, US and Chinese scientists find
Study published in Science reveals major shift from 1990s estimate showing roughly 50-50 split in human and natural sources. ⌘ Read more

Who can fill the shoes of China’s Iron Lady Sun Chunlan on Politburo?
For two years she has ruled the country’s Covid-19 response with an iron fist, but at 72 the vice-premier is expected to step down at this year’s party congress. ⌘ Read more

WTO talks down to the wire with no major deals yet in sight, India holds its ground
First meeting for four years wrapped up without solutions to issues such as food security, overfishing and access to Covid vaccines. India said it was a voice for developing countries resisting high-handed Western demands. ⌘ Read more

Western-style democracy behind wars, chaos and human misery, Chinese president tells top officials
Some Western nations use democracy and human rights as a pretext to meddle overseas, Xi Jinping told Politburo study session in February. ⌘ Read more

Chinese scientists take ‘important step’ in stem cell therapy to treat Parkinson’s disease
Chinese Academy of Sciences team discovered a new technique they say improved efficacy and safety in study on mice. ⌘ Read more

US, China economic policies like night and day as Fed pushes interest rate skyward and PBOC eyes stabilisation
As the US Federal Reserve announces the largest hike to its benchmark interest rate in 28 years, China is pushing for stabilisation and shying away from headline rate reductions to stimulate the economy. ⌘ Read more

Incoming Hong Kong leader John Lee relies mostly on incumbent officials to fill ranks of his governing team
Among 21 principal officials tipped to be recruited by Lee, only six not from current administration. ⌘ Read more

Hong Kong courts propose remote hearings for certain criminal trials, punishments for recording or broadcasting sessions
Consultation paper by city’s judiciary suggests expanding use of remote hearings beyond civil cases, with proposed bill open to public input until September 22. ⌘ Read more

Taiwan admits paying American lobbyists to help establish closer US ties amid rising pressure from Beijing
Island’s foreign ministry says it hired PR firms to help US government and others ‘have a better understanding of Taiwan’, saying lobbying transparency is key. ⌘ Read more

Amazon, Cartier slap Chinese social media influencer, 8 others with lawsuits over trademark infringement, false advertising
The legal action reflects more signs of trouble for merchants belonging to the ‘made in China, sold on Amazon’ community. ⌘ Read more

Climate Change: Greater Bay Area holds the key to Hong Kong’s climate goals, delegates say at SCMP’s inaugural environmental summit
Guangdong province has ample land and offshore areas for the development of wind farms and nuclear power stations, experts said during SCMP’s inaugural Climate Change Hong Kong Summit. ⌘ Read more

China vows private firms will receive ‘equal treatment’ in charm offensive to prop up struggling sector
Regulatory crackdowns and zero-Covid controls have had an outsized impact on the nation’s private firms, and many investors remain wary amid an uncertain outlook. ⌘ Read more

Covid-19 in China: latest Beijing outbreak ‘easing’ after millions tested
Cluster linked to Heaven Supermarket bar emerged days after the city had begun lifting curbs. ⌘ Read more

Elimination of nuclear weapons an urgent need, UN chief warns
UN’s Antonio Guterres said it is important to ‘focus on the humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons’. There are concerns Moscow will follow through on threats and about China and North Korea expanding their nuclear capabilities. ⌘ Read more

Shanghai reopening: Disneyland ready for visitors once more as theme park awaits green light after Covid-19 lockdown
A partial reopening of Shanghai Disney Resort, which comprises Disneyland, Disneytown, two themed hotels, Wishing Star Park and the Blue Sky Boulevard, attracted hundreds of local visitors on Thursday. ⌘ Read more

Suspects started clash between residents and protesters that led to elderly cleaner’s death, injured witness tells Hong Kong court
Two young men on trial at High Court face charges of murder, wounding with intent and taking part in a riot. ⌘ Read more

How would a US recession impact Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand amid surging inflation?
If the US were to enter a recession, export-reliant Singapore and Malaysia would be among the worst hit, while remittances to the Philippines may decline, analysts say. ⌘ Read more

Company owned by Hong Kong justice chief Teresa Cheng’s husband sued for price fixing, bid-rigging over air-conditioning works worth HK$2 billion
Competition Commission begins legal action against ATAL Building Services Engineering, set up by Teresa Cheng’s husband Otto Poon, and Shun Hing Engineering Contracting Company. ⌘ Read more

Kevin Spacey granted bail after ‘strenuously’ denying sex charges
The actor is accused of four counts of sexual assault and one count of causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent. A plea hearing is scheduled for July 14. ⌘ Read more

South Korea’s nuclear expansion plans in bid to meet climate targets
President Yoon Suk Yeol’s government says nuclear energy should be part of country’s net-zero path along with renewable sources, while maintaining the target of the previous administration to cut emissions by 40 per cent. ⌘ Read more

World Cup 2022: tents in desert, no air cons, for fans as Fifa guests hog Qatar’s hotel rooms. An ‘opportunity’ to get an ‘authentic taste of Qatari camping’, official says
An ‘opportunity’ to get an ‘authentic taste of Qatari camping’, the World Cup hosts’ head of accommodation says as he unveils a solution to Qatar’s shortage of hotel rooms, most of which are reserved for Fifa guests. ⌘ Read more

Married Chinese and Asians are 15 per cent less likely to die of any cause than unmarried counterparts, survey finds
China-Asia study of more than half-a-million people concludes that marriage has the potential to make you live longer. ⌘ Read more