82 m. ago Man charged with stealing 43 Labubu dolls during Melbourne burglary spree

Victoria Police have charged a 40-year-old man with theft and burglary after dozens of the globally sought-after Labubu dolls were recovered during a property search in a Melbourne suburb. During the search, Australian police recovered 43 of the sought-after Labubu dolls, the collectible plush creatures known for their distinctive googly eyes and pointy teeth. The seized haul, which included several limited-edition figures valued at an estimated A$500 (US$325) each, had a collective worth of...

Events

2 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

5 h. ago Outspoken Hong Kong lawmaker Doreen Kong, 55, will not seek second term in Legco

Hong Kong lawmaker Doreen Kong Yuk-foon, known for her outspoken views, has announced that she will not seek a second term in the coming Legislative Council election, saying she wants to shift her focus back to her legal practice. Her decision, revealed on Wednesday, brings the number of incumbent legislators who are stepping down to 22 – nearly a quarter of the current 89 members. Kong, 55, also said she was preparing an online platform which would allow her to analyse public affairs and...

Politics

5 h. ago Outspoken Hong Kong lawmaker Doreen Kong, 55, will not seek second Legco term

Hong Kong lawmaker Doreen Kong Yuk-foon, known for her outspoken views, has announced that she will not seek a second term in the coming Legislative Council election, saying she wants to shift her focus back to her legal practice. Her decision, revealed on Wednesday, brings the number of incumbent legislators who are opting not to run to 22 – nearly a quarter of the current 89 members. Kong, 55, also said she was preparing an online platform which would allow her to analyse public affairs and...

Politics

13 h. ago Can Trump’s gut instinct win over Xi Jinping at Apec summit?

US President Donald Trump is expected to approach his coming summit with Xi Jinping by relying on personal chemistry and his “gut”, but his ability to charm the Chinese leader will be limited at best, analysts and former government officials in Washington said on Tuesday. The first meeting in six years between the heads of the world’s two largest economies is expected to take place shortly before the October 31-November 1 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in South Korea. Among the topics...

Politics

13 h. ago Can Donald Trump’s gut instinct win over Xi Jinping at Apec summit?

US President Donald Trump is expected to approach his coming summit with Xi Jinping by relying on personal chemistry and his “gut”, but his ability to charm the Chinese leader will be limited at best, analysts and former government officials in Washington said on Tuesday. The first meeting in six years between the heads of the world’s two largest economies is expected to take place shortly before the October 31-November 1 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in South Korea. Among the topics...

Politics

14 h. ago Lawmakers eyeing legislation to limit vulnerability to China

Lawmakers eyeing legislation to limit vulnerability to China  New Orleans CityBusiness

Politics

19 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

21 h. ago US, Australia sign deal for critical minerals to limit dependence on China

US, Australia sign deal for critical minerals to limit dependence on China  Al Jazeera

Politics

23 h. ago China’s Port Dominance Adds Strategic Leverage to Its Economic Reach

China’s Port Dominance Adds Strategic Leverage to Its Economic Reach  Bloomberg.com

Economics

26 h. ago Can Scott Bessent see China’s trade counterstrike with clear eyes?

After a video call last Saturday, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng are expected to meet in Malaysia this week to hopefully ease tensions before US President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping potentially meet on the sidelines of this year’s Apec summit. The meeting was in doubt when Trump threatened to impose an additional 100 per cent tariff on China, despite later relenting that it might not be sustainable. Washington blamed Beijing for the escalation,...

Events

26 h. ago Hong Kong’s Legco withdraws farewell motion amid electoral fairness concerns

Hong Kong’s legislature will break from another tradition by withdrawing a valedictory motion marking the end of its four-year term, with a veteran lawmaker citing concerns over electoral fairness. Starry Lee Wai-king, chairwoman of the Legislative Council’s House Committee, who was supposed to put forward the farewell motion, revealed on Tuesday that she withdrew it after receiving feedback from some lawmakers. The motion typically sees lawmakers delivering goodbye speeches to mark the term’s...

Economics

26 h. ago Hong Kong Legco’s farewell motion withdrawn amid electoral fairness concerns

Hong Kong’s legislature will break from another tradition by withdrawing a valedictory motion marking the end of its four-year term, with a veteran lawmaker citing concerns over electoral fairness. Starry Lee Wai-king, chairwoman of the Legislative Council’s House Committee, who was supposed to put forward the farewell motion, revealed on Tuesday that she withdrew it after receiving feedback from some lawmakers. The motion typically sees lawmakers delivering goodbye speeches to mark the term’s...

Economics

27 h. ago Hong Kong runway on standby a day after plane accident, crew to be questioned

The north runway of Hong Kong’s airport will be reopened on standby mode by noon on Tuesday, 32 hours after an Emirates cargo plane veered off it and struck a ground vehicle, sending it into the sea and killing two staff members, the airport operator has said. A source also said the Air Incident Investigation Authority was expected to meet the four Turkish crew members on the flight as part of investigations on Tuesday, with police questioning them afterwards. The crew were not prevented from...

Politics

27 h. ago Hong Kong runway on standby a day after plane crash, crew to be questioned

The north runway of Hong Kong airport was expected to reopen on standby mode by noon on Tuesday, 32 hours after an Emirates cargo plane veered off it and struck a ground vehicle, sending it into the sea and killing two security workers, the airport operator has said. A source also said the Air Incident Investigation Authority was expected to meet the four Turkish crew members on the flight as part of investigations on Tuesday, with police questioning them afterwards. The four were not prevented...

Events

29 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

33 h. ago Trump signs $8.5 billion rare earths deal with Australia as China limits exports

Trump signs $8.5 billion rare earths deal with Australia as China limits exports  The Independent

Economics

34 h. ago How Hong Kong pair landed in Myanmar scam farm ‘living a life worse than death’

Having lived in safe Hong Kong all her life, Nancy never imagined that an overseas job would lead to forced labour in a scam farm, a harrowing experience that lasted for half a year before she could be reunited with her family. “I was living a life worse than death, surviving purely by willpower,” said Nancy, who is in her twenties. Like thousands of others lured to Southeast Asian scam farms, Nancy was hoping to make some quick money when a “friend” referred her for a job making cross-border...

Events

36 h. ago China rare earth exports to US fall as Beijing looks for leverage

China rare earth exports to US fall as Beijing looks for leverage  https-//www.semafor.com

Politics

36 h. ago 'Fantastic deal or 155% tariffs': Trump sets tone ahead of Xi meet on US

'Fantastic deal or 155% tariffs': Trump sets tone ahead of Xi meet on US-China trade talks - watch  Times of India

Politics