4 h. ago Can the Philippines regain its tourism edge with revival of China e

The Philippines will revive its electronic visa programme for Chinese tourists next month, nearly two years after its abrupt suspension, as part of a broader push to boost lagging visitor arrivals and regain lost ground in the regional tourism race. The Philippine embassy in Beijing confirmed in a statement issued on October 15 that Chinese citizens – including those from Hong Kong and Macau – would again be able to apply for short-stay e-visas online for up to 14 days of travel for tourism or...

Politics

8 h. ago China’s Innovent Strikes Cancer Drug Deal With Takeda for Up to $11.4 Billion

China’s Innovent Strikes Cancer Drug Deal With Takeda for Up to $11.4 Billion  The Wall Street Journal

Economics

9 h. ago China Bonds Get a Boost as Trade Angst Spurs Bets on PBOC Easing

China Bonds Get a Boost as Trade Angst Spurs Bets on PBOC Easing  Bloomberg

Politics

10 h. ago Pandas give Hong Kong’s Ocean Park boost but deficit worsens to HK$275 million

The fervour for giant pandas and their cubs in Hong Kong brought in more visitors and revenue to Ocean Park, their home, but other expenses ate into its financial health and worsened its deficit last year. The theme park’s deficit widened to HK$274.7 million (US$31.8 million) in the 12 months to June 30 from HK$71.6 million in the same period a year earlier, due to higher expenses such as depreciation, at HK$414 million, according to a document it submitted to the Legislative Council on...

Economics

15 h. ago Colombia court overturns Uribe’s conviction for bribery, witness tampering

An appeal court on Tuesday overturned the conviction of Colombian former president Alvaro Uribe for bribery and witness tampering for which he had been sentenced to 12 years of house arrest. Uribe, 73, has denied any wrongdoing. He was sentenced in August following a nearly six-month trial in which prosecutors presented evidence that he attempted to influence witnesses who accused the law-and-order leader of having links to a paramilitary group in the 1990s. The court on Tuesday said the...

Events

21 h. ago Newspaper Society of Hong Kong vows to safeguard interests, tackle challenges

The Newspaper Society of Hong Kong pledged on Tuesday to safeguard the interests of the industry and to tackle future challenges as the group elected its new leaders. “The society will, as always, continue to safeguard the interests of the industry, enhance professional standards and facilitate candid exchanges and dialogues on the industry’s future development and related issues between the industry and the government,” the society said in a statement. “No matter how challenging the outlook for...

Politics

30 h. ago Air strikes and insults: Trump’s feud with Colombia threatens key alliance

For decades, Colombia and the United States have been devoted allies, sharing military intelligence, a robust trade relationship and a multibillion-dollar fight against drug trafficking. Now that is all at risk as the US ramps up deadly air strikes off Colombia’s coast and the leaders of both nations trade scathing verbal attacks. US President Donald Trump called Gustavo Petro, a former guerrilla fighter and Colombia’s first leftist president, an “illegal drug dealer”. Petro called Trump “rude”...

Events

31 h. ago Malaysia’s illegal firework trade under fire as ‘coconut’ explosive injures 22

What should have been an evening of light and celebration to mark Diwali in Malaysia descended into chaos on Monday after a fireworks blast injured 22 people, reigniting concerns over lax enforcement of a ban on high-powered explosives. The explosion in Kulim, northern Kedah state, left one man with a fractured skull while others suffered burns and broken bones, police said. Unconfirmed local media reports said other injuries included severed fingers and permanent hearing loss. Kulim district...

Events

32 h. ago Takaichi becomes Japan’s first female PM, ending political crisis

Japan’s parliament elected ultraconservative Sanae Takaichi as the country’s first female prime minister on Tuesday after her governing party secured a crucial coalition partner. Takaichi, 64, replaced Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba in Tuesday’s parliamentary vote, ending Japan’s three-month political vacuum and wrangling since the coalition’s loss in the July parliamentary election. The moderate centrist Komeito party had split from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party after a 26-year-long...

Politics

37 h. ago ‘Reason to be together’: India, Brazil boost ties amid US tariff tensions

India and Brazil are doubling down on economic and climate cooperation in a bid to strengthen Brics and bolster the Global South’s negotiating power as both nations face rising trade tensions with the United States. Analysts say the push – announced during Brazilian Vice-President Geraldo Alckmin’s visit to New Delhi last week – is not just about shielding their economies from punitive US tariffs, but also about asserting influence on multilateral issues ranging from energy security to global...

Events

54 h. ago China’s Akeso gets share boost as data shows cancer drug’s benefits

Shares of Chinese drug firm Akeso – likened by some Western media outlets to artificial intelligence start-up DeepSeek – rose after the company unveiled clinical-trial data showing that its lung-cancer drug outperformed a highly effective existing treatment. The data showed that ivonescimab had “a decisive and strong positive outcome with both significant and clinically meaningful benefits”, Akeso said in a filing with the Hong Kong stock exchange on Monday. The drug, used along with...

Events

59 h. ago Hong Kong stocks surge on trade optimism, China economic growth

Hong Kong stocks rallied on Monday, rebounding from Friday’s steepest loss since April as US-China trade tensions showed signs of easing and China’s economic growth exceeded expectations. The Hang Seng Index jumped 2.4 per cent to 25,853.08 as of 11am. The Hang Seng Tech Index surged 3.1 per cent. On the mainland, the CSI 300 Index rose 1.2 per cent and the Shanghai Composite Index added 0.9 per cent. NetEase jumped 5.2 per cent to HK$235.40, insurance giant AIA Group added 4.3 per cent to HK$72...

Economics

64 h. ago Turkish Cypriots elect new leader; hopes for talks to heal Cyprus’ ethnic rift

Hopes for a resumption of long-stalled talks to heal Cyprus’ decades-old ethnic rift were buoyed on Sunday when Turkish Cypriots elected a leader who campaigned on getting back to negotiating a two-zone federation with rival Greek Cypriots after an eight-year stalemate. Tufan Erhurman, 55, won by a landslide, receiving 62.76 per cent of the vote, against incumbent Ersin Tatar’s 35.81 per cent, according to unofficial figures broadcast on BRT TV. Nearly 65 per cent of 218,000 registered voters...

Politics

67 h. ago Trump calls Colombia’s Petro an ‘illegal drug dealer’, says he will slash US aid

US President Donald Trump said on Sunday he would slash US funding to Colombia because the country’s leader “does nothing to stop” drug production, in what is the latest sign of friction between Washington and one of its closest allies in Latin America. In a social media post, Trump referred to Colombian President Gustavo Petro as “an illegal drug dealer” who is “low rated and very unpopular”. He warned that Petro “better close up” drug operations “or the United States will close them up for...

Events

67 h. ago Trump calls Colombia’s Petro an ‘illegal drug leader’, says he will slash US aid

US President Donald Trump said on Sunday he would slash US funding to Colombia because the country’s leader “does nothing to stop” drug production, in what is the latest sign of friction between Washington and one of its closest allies in Latin America. In a social media post, Trump referred to Colombian President Gustavo Petro as “an illegal drug leader” who is “low rated and very unpopular”. He warned that Petro “better close up” drug operations “or the United States will close them up for...

Politics

67 h. ago Trump threatens Colombia with tariffs and slashes aid, calls Petro a ‘drug leader’

The United States will slash assistance to Colombia and enact tariffs on its exports because the country’s leader, Gustavo Petro, “does nothing to stop” drug production, US President Donald Trump said on Sunday, escalating the friction between Washington and one of its closest allies in Latin America. In a social media post, Trump referred to Petro as “an illegal drug leader” who is “low rated and very unpopular”. The Republican president warned that Petro “better close up” drug operations “or...

Politics

2 d. ago Akeso details China data for bispecific in frontline lung cancer, sets the stage for Summit's global trial

Akeso details China data for bispecific in frontline lung cancer, sets the stage for Summit's global trial  Endpoints News

Politics

3 d. ago 3 held in Hong Kong as new smuggling tactic of dropping cocaine at sea uncovered

Hong Kong police have arrested three men after discovering around 69kg of suspected cocaine worth HK$42 million, with traffickers believed to have hired divers to retrieve the drugs from near-shore waters, a tactic encountered by officers for the first time. A police spokesman said on Sunday that officers had conducted an anti-drug operation in Tsing Yi near Stonecutters Bridge the previous day and spotted three men loading three large bags into a suspicious private car. They stopped the trio...

Politics

3 d. ago Luke Gromen: China’s Rare Earth Squeeze Boosts Gold & BTC Reserve Roles

Luke Gromen: China’s Rare Earth Squeeze Boosts Gold & BTC Reserve Roles  Bitbo

Politics

3 d. ago US strike in Caribbean kills Colombian fisherman, stoking sovereignty row

Colombian President Gustavo Petro said on Saturday that the United States had violated Colombia’s sovereignty over its waters and killed a fisherman during its recent anti-drug trafficking military campaign in the Caribbean. “US government officials have committed murder and violated our sovereignty in our territorial waters. Fisherman Alejandro Carranza had no ties to drug traffickers and his daily activity was fishing,” the leftist leader said on social media. Carranza was reportedly killed in...

Events