Isolating China will not help Hong Kong or Uygurs, Dutch prime minister says
China has been accused of running a forced-labour programme in Xinjiang targeting Uygurs and crackdowns in Hong Kong. ⌘ Read more

As Australia eyes closer ties with Indonesia, Hazara refugees hope for immigration change
Waiting to be resettled to a third country after fleeing persecution in Afghanistan, they hope PM Albanese’s new government may ease Australia’s strict refugee policies ⌘ Read more

Ukraine spy chief says Russia won’t run out of troops, military force needed to retake cities
Kyrylo Budanov said Moscow using reservists in a covert mobilisation to replenish its ranks in eastern Ukraine. ⌘ Read more

The Canto-pop comeback: Hong Kong’s beloved brand of music returns with a bang
Having languished for decades and losing out to Mandopop and K-pop, Canto-pop’s new generation of stars are relevant, collaborative and current. ⌘ Read more

Hong Kong conservationists call for protection of old Chinese banyan tree, historical dispensary in Kowloon City
Conservancy Association calls for Urban Renewal Authority to avoid transplanting 12-metre-tall Chinese Banyan, says efforts could harm its ability to absorb nutrients. ⌘ Read more

Ghislaine Maxwell put on suicide watch ahead of sentencing, lawyer says
The British socialite was removed from the general population of inmates at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Centre and placed in solitary confinement. ⌘ Read more

Too fast, too furious: Hong Kong’s classic car lovers slam new anti-pollution rule as hasty fix that they say will cripple sector and hobby
Paul Ho, CEO of I Automobile Group, says new measure ‘has stifled many young people’s dreams’, suggests modification and speeding rules be tightened instead. ⌘ Read more

‘I will never forget the kindness’: Chinese man accidentally raises US$15,000 from self-service watermelon stall for granddaughter’s cancer treatment
A man who left his watermelon stall unmanned with a QR-code for self-service received 100,000 yuan (US$15,000) from strangers to help pay for his three-year-old granddaughter’s treatment. ⌘ Read more

Singapore lures new wave of Chinese investors eyeing good schools, stability
The city has tightened its Global Investor Programme rules over the years, such as requiring applicants to manage firms with revenues of S$200 million, but interest continues to be strong. ⌘ Read more

Officials vie to offer fulsome pledges of loyalty to Chinese President Xi Jinping ahead of 20th Party Congress
At least nine provincial party chiefs have written long articles in party publications extolling China’s president and pledging loyalty to him. ⌘ Read more

‘Made in China, Sold on Amazon’ community faces gloomy future amid Covid-19 lockdowns, geopolitical tensions
Shenzhen’s ‘Made in China, sold on Amazon’ community is focusing on regulatory compliance and brand building as it bids farewell to the days of rapid growth amid a tough market environment full of uncertainty. ⌘ Read more

UK’s Boris Johnson seeks to stay in power until the mid-2030s
The British prime minister would become the country’s longest continuously serving leader in 200 years – if he remains in power. ⌘ Read more

Sievierodonetsk falls to Russia after one of Ukraine war’s bloodiest fights
President Volodymyr Zelensky vowed in a video address that Ukraine would win back the cities it lost, including Sievierodonetsk. ⌘ Read more

FBI seizes Basquiat paintings from Florida exhibition amid doubts over authenticity
The FBI seized the paintings with a warrant based on ‘false information related to the alleged prior ownership of the paintings,’ The New York Times reported. ⌘ Read more

French government supports bill enshrining abortion rights in constitution
France was one of several US allies to condemn America’s decision to revoke the country’s recent nationwide legal protection for abortion. ⌘ Read more

US prepares for second day of protests against Supreme Court’s abortion ruling
America woke up to a new level of division: between states that will now or soon deny the right to abortion, enshrined for 50 years, and those that still allow it. ⌘ Read more

Biden signs landmark gun control bill into law with bipartisan support ‘to save lives’
President Biden called the legislation the most significant of its kind in decades; measures include restricting gun access for youngest buyers and bolstering mental health support. ⌘ Read more

Nato poised to harden position on China as support for Russia deepens distrust
Summit preceded by tougher China rhetoric from Nato chief, not long after survey across member states shows uptick in views of Beijing as a security threat. ⌘ Read more

Business chambers in Hong Kong urge Beijing’s liaison office to help push for removal of Covid-19 quarantine measures to revive ailing economy
Liaison office held series of closed-door individual meetings with city’s major foreign business chambers to ‘directly’ gauge their views on issues, sources say. ⌘ Read more

How’s the China-India economic relationship changed 2 years on from the deadly Galwan Valley border clash?
China’s exports to India grew to US$27.1 billion in the first quarter of 2022, but India is concerned by its ballooning trade deficit with its neighbour amid strained ties two years after the deadly Galwan Valley clash. ⌘ Read more

Chinese engineering firm builds Bangladesh longest bridge - but paid for by nation
The China Major Bridge Engineering Company Ltd built the structure, said to later feature a rail network connecting to Belt and Road projects. ⌘ Read more

China’s zero-Covid policy: Sri Lankan group latest to arrive as borders open to Asian students after two years
As Asian envoys press for more students to be allowed to return, the way forward of those from the West remains unclear. ⌘ Read more

Shanghai party chief declares victory in Covid battle as city records zero cases at start of major political meeting
The city endured a lengthy lockdown as it tackled China’s worst outbreak since the early days of the pandemic. ⌘ Read more

Morocco says 18 migrants died during attempted crossing of 2,000 into Spanish enclave, with ‘dozens piled on the ground’
Video images of apparent aftermath of mass crossing attempt of 2,000 into Spanish enclave Melilla showed bleeding and motionless people. ⌘ Read more

Hong Kong’s largest public healthcare workers union opts to dissolve as journalism group lowers vote threshold to disband
Former chairman of Hospital Authority Employees Alliance confirms group voted to disband after special general meeting. ⌘ Read more

Roe vs Wade: protesters condemn ‘tragedy’ as several states impose new abortion bans
‘Women died getting abortions……we were trying to protect women’s rights, women’s lives, and now they’ve taken all that away from us’. ⌘ Read more

Hong Kong national security police arrest 2 more suspected to be linked to possible bomb plots involving 30kg of chemicals
Two men, aged 27 and 29, detained for manufacture of explosives and inciting others to cause grievous bodily harm. ⌘ Read more

Brave battle of Chinese cancer boy, 8, who has overcome 4 surgeries and dozens of painful treatments, captures hearts on social media
Xiaoxuan is a plucky eight-year-old Chinese boy who has been fighting cancer despite four years of pain and endless rounds of surgery and treatment. ⌘ Read more

Norway ‘hate’ shooting kills 2 in gay bar rampage hours before Pride march
10 people were also seriously injured in the early-hours tragedy shortly before the city’s LGBT community was due to hold its annual Pride event; police have ‘reason to think this may be a hate crime’. ⌘ Read more

Zhang Sizhi, hailed as ‘conscience of Chinese lawyers’, dies in Beijing at 94
Zhang led defence team in historic 1980 trials of ‘counter-revolutionary’ Gang of Four and those close to disgraced Mao protégé Lin Biao. ⌘ Read more

Hongkongers all: drawn to the city for different reasons, they call it home
Living the expatriate life or struggling to make ends meet, immigrants find reasons to belong. ⌘ Read more

USS Samuel B Roberts: world’s deepest shipwreck found in the Philippine Sea
The vessel, which went down during a second world war battle with Japan, was located 6,895m below sea level off the Philippines. ⌘ Read more

Man in China with no arms shows millions how the disabled can live full lives in videos of cooking, writing and sewing with his feet
A man in China who lost both his arms as a child shows millions that a disability does not mean you can’t have a full life, with videos of him cooking, farming and even sewing with his feet. ⌘ Read more

Why is a South Korean fringe group backing Japan’s position on WWII ‘comfort women’?
End Comfort Women Fraud group, who say there’s evidence of women signing contracts to work in brothels for Japanese military during colonial rule, are travelling to Germany, hoping a statue of a ‘comfort woman’ can be removed. ⌘ Read more

Coronavirus: Hong Kong hotels raise rates for quarantine rooms as number of arrivals to city outpaces available spots
More 40 quarantine hotels have raised their prices by as much as 80 per cent since the launch of the scheme 1½ years ago. ⌘ Read more

Chinese military says US plane in Taiwan Strait endangered peace
Chinese firmly oppose the US actions and troops remain on high alert, PLA Eastern Theatre Command spokesman says. ⌘ Read more

China’s space station may get the most precise clock in orbit – if it passes key test
Optical atomic clock will be delivered to Tiangong in October if it clears technical evaluation next week, according to scientist familiar with project. ⌘ Read more

US, Japan and allies form new Pacific group to blunt China’s influence
Australia, New Zealand and the UK are also part of the Partners in the Blue Pacific forum that will help Pacific island nations tackle challenges like climate change. ⌘ Read more

Roe vs Wade: How betting on Trump paid off for US anti-abortion supporters
The former president’s judiciary nominations have led the Christian right to its holy grail – the Supreme Court ending the nationwide right to abortion. ⌘ Read more

Violence against women in China: outrage over video of furious attack by teen boy on secondary schoolgirl classmate after a board game dispute
A wave of public outrage has spread across social media in mainland China after the emergence of a graphic video of a boy violently attacking a female secondary school classmate. ⌘ Read more

Call reveals Russia’s Putin told Macron he ‘wanted to play ice hockey’ on eve of Ukraine invasion
The final call between the French and Russian leaders just four days before Putin ordered the attack on Ukraine is filled with tension and bizarre moments. ⌘ Read more

Philippines’ Duterte leaves brutal legacy in presidency marked by drug war, US-China policy flip-flops
The extrajudicial killings of some 8,000 people has ‘opened the floodgates for a type of governance that disregards the rule of law, due process and human rights’, activists say. ⌘ Read more

China’s live-streaming e-commerce offers lifeline to fruit farmers amid Covid restrictions and short season
Local farmers have come to rely more on Big Tech platforms to boost sales in recent years, but a tough season for some produce is proving challenging for some. ⌘ Read more

Immigrant who swam to Hong Kong and dropped out of school to work becomes highly qualified chef honoured by Japan
Japanese royal family awards cook the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays for his efforts and achievements in promoting Japanese ingredients. ⌘ Read more

Hong Kong’s developers step up to fill the shortage in quality pension homes for the golden years in the world’s fastest-ageing population
Hongkongers are living longer than ever before, exerting an increasing burden on the government as the expenditure on elderly services surged 82 per cent in the 12 months ending on March 31, 2023. ⌘ Read more

Roe vs Wade: Judge in US abortion ruling signals gay marriage, contraception next in firing line
Justice Clarence Thomas said the Supreme Court should ‘reconsider’ other landmark rulings, including same-sex marriage and contraception. ⌘ Read more

Xi Jinping to attend 25th anniversary celebrations of Hong Kong’s return to Chinese sovereignty and swearing-in of new city leader John Lee
President Xi Jinping will officiate the event to mark quarter-century of Chinese sovereignty over city and swearing-in of new city leader. ⌘ Read more

Hong Kong’s Asian expats still see city as a ‘land of opportunities’
Amid a Western exodus, expats from Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand share why they remain confident in the city’s future – even if Covid curbs are a major turn-off. ⌘ Read more

How Hong Kong’s redevelopment projects can be showcases of ‘organic city’ growth
The decision to bulldoze Kowloon Walled City in 1993 wasted a chance to create a cultural treasure that celebrates its history and character. Instead of cookie-cutter shopping centres and residential towers, Hong Kong needs development that evolves from the local characteristics of each district. ⌘ Read more

A bridge too far? Taipei mayor draws fire for proposal to link Quemoy and Xiamen
Ko Wen-je revives project to join Taiwan islet to mainland city, contending it would help ease cross-strait tensions, but opponents call it a ‘Trojan horse’ that would aid a People’s Liberation Army invasion. ⌘ Read more