Birthday giveaway: Richest Asian Gautam Adani pledges US$7.7 billion for social causes
Indian tycoon Gautam Adani, who turns 60 on Friday, joins the ranks of global billionaires like Mark Zuckerberg and Warren Buffett who have committed large parts of their wealth for philanthropy. ⌘ Read more

Coronavirus: Beijing making contingency plans for Hong Kong government swearing-in ceremony on July 1 after 2 top city officials catch Covid-19
Cases spark speculation on whether a state leader such as President Xi Jinping will attend ceremony on July 1, the 25th anniversary of city’s return to Chinese rule. ⌘ Read more

Covid-19 vaccines ‘saved 20 million lives’ in first year, study says
The study is the first attempt to estimate the number of deaths prevented directly and indirectly as a result of Covid-19 vaccinations. ⌘ Read more

UK’s Boris Johnson suffers double by-election defeat humiliation
The defeats will undoubtedly renew calls for the embattled UK prime minister to stand down. ⌘ Read more

Pink Floyd seeking US$500 million for music catalogue
Should that deal come to fruition, it would be one of the largest sales in music history. ⌘ Read more

Hong Kong’s Jumbo Floating Restaurant has not ‘sunk’ only ‘capsized’, company insists, but spokeswoman can’t say if it’s still above water
Spokeswoman’s comments come four days after owner Aberdeen Restaurant Enterprises first revealed the accident in the South China Sea. ⌘ Read more

Business groups urge Biden to return trade to heart of Asia policies
US-led chambers among 15 international associations in combined push for regional trade agreements, but China group silent. ⌘ Read more

North Korea approves ‘stronger war deterrent’ at key military meeting
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un wrapped up a key meeting with top military officials, amid growing speculation that Pyongyang could conduct its first nuclear test in five years. ⌘ Read more

Darkening skies (2012-2017): Hong Kong’s years of simmering tensions in 25 photos
The city was rocked by the 2014 Occupy movement in this period, a precursor to greater unrest to come as brewing political sentiment bubbled to the forefront of society. ⌘ Read more

Woman’s anger over topless hospital X-ray by male doctor who got a week suspension starts heated debate in China and her post gets 130 million views
A woman asked to remove her clothes for an X-ray exam with a male radiologist says she felt violated and complained and then posted about the incident on social media. ⌘ Read more

UBS’s top China banker says Hong Kong still a magnet for global IPOs, with additional reforms likely to attract more start-ups in Greater Bay Area
Hong Kong can still create wider room for more stock offerings from global companies and start-ups in Greater Bay Area, according to John Lee, head of Greater China global banking at UBS. ⌘ Read more

Can Indonesia’s Jokowi breathe easy, with air pollution in Jakarta and other cities still causing tens of thousands of premature deaths?
Despite air quality in Jakarta often exceeding WHO guidelines, campaigners say the government is still not tackling pollution. It is even appealing against last year’s landmark court ruling which said air quality must be improved. ⌘ Read more

Weighing up Hong Kong’s legal system 25 years after handover: making sure the law still rules
Questions about legal system’s future surface now and then, but have grown more pressing as Hong Kong nears halfway point of 50-year period of common law remaining in place. ⌘ Read more

China relaxes barriers for transgender health, but family approval remains an obstacle
While policy changes make it easier for LGBT youth to access gender affirmation surgery, many still struggle with getting their parents’ consent. ⌘ Read more

UAE sells US$3 billion in high-quality debt amid recession fears
The oil-rich Persian Gulf nation on Thursday sold US$1.75 billion in 10-year bonds and US$1.25 billion in notes due in 2052. ⌘ Read more

Hong Kong must not cling to governance structures of the past
These trying times call for a clear-eyed review of the governmental structures and procedures underlying one ‘country, two systems’. Hong Kong needs a bolder institutional reform agenda, one placing the people’s interests above bureaucracy and adherence to an obsolete status quo. ⌘ Read more

Myanmar’s Suu Kyi ‘in strong spirits’ after being moved from solitary confinement to prison
The Nobel laureate left the premises to attend hearings for her numerous trials in a junta court that could see her handed a sentence of more than 150 years. ⌘ Read more

China, South Korea battle population woes as ‘children are not a must’, adding to economic peril
Japan’s shrinking population has long been an obsession, but its East Asian neighbours of South Korea and China are now facing the same problem as fertility rates, births and marriages fall, creating an economic headache for both Seoul and Beijing. ⌘ Read more

US sending Ukraine US$450 million more in arms, including rocket systems, says White House
‘This package contains weapons and equipment, including new High Mobility Artillery Rocket systems,’ said White House spokesman John Kirby. ⌘ Read more

China’s world’s factory tag threatened by Vietnam, but ‘there’s nothing to worry about’, analysts say
Vietnam’s first quarter exports reached US$88.58 billion, up by 12.9 per cent from the previous year, with Chinese state media comparing the shipments in the first three months of the year to China’s main export hub of Shenzhen. ⌘ Read more

Bill Cosby to appeal civil ruling on US$500,000 teenage sex assault case
A civil trial heard how Cosby was said to have plied Judy Huth with alcohol and taken her to Hugh Hefner’s Playboy Mansion where he molested Huth, who was 16 at the time, in the 1970s. ⌘ Read more

Nike to fully exit Russia, joining list of Western firms that have pulled out of the country
Nike said on Thursday it will permanently leave the Russian market. Russian authorities have warned that they were ready to nationalise foreign assets. ⌘ Read more

Ukraine takes step toward EU membership as battle in east enters ‘fearsome climax’
Ukraine on Thursday said it had formally filed a case against Russia at the European Court of Human Rights to end ‘gross human rights violations’ by Moscow. ⌘ Read more

Why China should brace itself for a Pacific rebuff
Pacific island leaders have repeatedly expressed their reservations about being drawn into the power struggle between Beijing and Washington. With the US navy already having a foothold in the region, China needs much more than one base to gain military relevance in the South Pacific. ⌘ Read more

Americans have right to carry guns in public, says US Supreme Court in landmark decision
The decision was a stunning victory for the National Rifle Association gun lobby group, which brought the case along with two New York men who had been denied gun permits. ⌘ Read more

Chinese radar breakthrough will see commercial drones soar in power and applications, says Shenzhen team
Lead scientist of the project says it is ‘a disruptive technology’ and can be applied to intelligent driving, logistics and emergency rescue and disaster relief ⌘ Read more

British Airways set for ‘summer of strikes’ at London’s Heathrow
Travellers already faced lengthy delays and cancellations of hundreds of flights as airports struggle to cope with staff shortages and post-pandemic demand. Britain’s rail network is also being stifled by industrial action. ⌘ Read more

US$156million Russian superyacht in Dubai –test for US, UAE close ties amid sanctions
The 98-metre Madame Gu is moored next to US$200 million megayacht owned by the state’s ruler as Western pressure mounts for US Gulf Arab ally to apply sanctions. ⌘ Read more

Hong Kong lawmakers, business leaders suggest reducing hotel quarantine period to 3 days after incoming leader John Lee reveals reopening options
Politicians, business leaders welcome interim measures suggested by incoming leader John Lee as part of city’s gradually border reopening ⌘ Read more

China’s aircraft carrier No 4 will not catch up with US Navy’s nuclear-powered giants, analysts say
China’s naval nuclear reactor technology is not advanced enough to support an aircraft carrier, observers explained. ⌘ Read more

China ‘commends’ Nepal’s decision to reject US partnership programme
Beijing says it will continue to support Kathmandu’s ‘independent and non-aligned foreign policy’. ⌘ Read more

Instagram to protect young users with new AI tool to verify age
Global lawmakers have been vocal in demanding the social media service safeguard young people from adult content and invasions of their privacy. ⌘ Read more

US-China tech war: top Chinese scientist envisions forked RISC-V chip design standard to cushion decoupling impact
Chinese Academy of Sciences expert Bao Yungang said the country could handle sanctions better than Russia by developing a ‘RISC-X’ chip architecture to be used by Belt and Road countries in the event of technological decoupling. ⌘ Read more

Government efforts to spur acceptance of ethnic minority groups in Hong Kong kindergartens prove effective, as intake in preschools grow
Subsidy scheme shows promise, with half of participating preschools enrolling an average of six more pupils from the demographic. ⌘ Read more

Hong Kong’s public hospitals unveil scheme to hire doctors from Greater Bay Area in bid to ease manpower crunch
Programme allows one-year exchange of doctors, but only professionals from top three tiers of mainland hospitals are eligible. ⌘ Read more

China floats BRICS free-trade deal, while Russia’s Putin calls for an alternative to US dollar
Vice-commerce minister Wang Shouwen says a free-trade deal will help tap the economic potential of the five emerging nations, which together account for about one-fifth of global trade. ⌘ Read more

China’s strict Covid-19 border controls show more signs of easing, as Zhejiang province cuts entry quarantine
Beijing and Wuhan among cities already following relaxed rule, as China seeks to repair damage to travel and aviation sectors. ⌘ Read more

South China Sea: Philippines, China abandon joint energy exploration talks
‘The president [Duterte] had spoken … oil and gas discussions are terminated completely. Nothing is pending; everything is over,’ Filipino minister said. ⌘ Read more

Lawmakers and engineers call for safety review of similar power cable bridges in Hong Kong, after fire led to city’s worst power outage in decades
CLP Power, whose cable bridge caught fire on Tuesday, has at least three other similar structures in the city. ⌘ Read more

China’s zero-Covid policy hammered Beijing’s economy in May. But how bad was it compared to Shanghai?
Beijing’s retail sales and industrial output plunged in May as it fought to contain an Omicron outbreak, even though the city refrained from a citywide lockdown like financial hub Shanghai. ⌘ Read more

Chinese video gaming revenue falls in May, a third month of decline amid slowing economy and less player spending
China’s video gaming revenue fell 6.7 per cent to US$3.4 billion in May, as the local economy struggles with less consumer spending amid Covid-19 controls. ⌘ Read more

Malaysia: Were Mahathir’s remarks about ‘reclaiming’ Singapore and Indonesia’s Riau Islands aimed at Johor’s sultan?
While some Singaporeans accused Mahathir of fomenting ill will between the neighbours, observers in Malaysia said the remarks were likely a veiled jab at the sultan of Johor. ⌘ Read more

Opening of Hong Kong Palace Museum a milestone in the Jockey Club’s support for the HKSAR in the past 25 years
[Sponsored Article]

The construction of the Hong Kong Palace Museum (HKPM) was funded by a HK$3.5 billion donation from The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust – the Club’s largest single charity donation to date. The museum will open to the public on 2 July as a highlight of the 25th anniversary of the establishmen … ⌘ Read more

Ukraine: Russian soldier rape trial begins, first of many cases
Up to 50 such crimes are being investigated, but incidences of sexual violence by Russian soldiers since February 24 are likely to be substantially higher. ⌘ Read more

Malaysia’s role pressuring Myanmar junta praised by UN human rights expert
Tom Andrews urged 10-member bloc Asean to follow Malaysia’s lead and move from non-interference to ‘non-indifference’ in Myanmar, with much more needing to be done to avoid more death and suffering. ⌘ Read more

‘Mini hotels’ for sea creatures reveal Hong Kong’s rich marine life
Scientists say it’s ‘disproportionately diverse’, with more unique species than the Red Sea and Indo-Pacific. ⌘ Read more

China’s payments, fintech sectors to ‘play bigger role’ in boosting economy, President Xi says, in positive signal for Big Tech
President Xi Jinping encourages the operators of these online services to ‘play a bigger role’ in strengthening China’s economy. ⌘ Read more

Okinawa wants US troops out – 77 years after bloody battle
Governor calls for further reduction of US military base as fears grow over regional military tension. The Battle of Okinawa killed about 200,000 people, nearly half of them local. ⌘ Read more

Principal arrested in China after allegedly beating boy, 7, so severely he later died in hospital from brain damage
The principal of an early education centre in southern China is arrested after allegedly beating a boy to death for breaking a no-running rule then covering it up by claiming the 7-year-old ‘fell’. ⌘ Read more

Philippines: Making a splash in the ‘mermaiding’ subculture that’s got fans hooked worldwide
People are finding peace and acceptance in the tranquil pastime, ‘Everyone can be a mermaid!’ Filipino mermaiding and free-diving teacher says. ⌘ Read more