73 m. ago Hong Kong passes bill legalising basketball betting by majority of 77

Hong Kong lawmakers have approved a bill to legalise betting on basketball matches as authorities aim to tackle illegal gambling, with the Hong Kong Jockey Club expected to be the sole operator. The Legislative Council passed the Betting Duty (Amendment) Bill 2025, empowering the Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs to issue basketball betting operator licences with specified terms. The bill also authorises a licensed basketball operator to place bets with other gambling operators for hedging...

Politics

93 m. ago Thailand seeks to use Hong Kong’s financial status to secure smart city funding

Thailand aims to use Hong Kong’s status as a global financial centre to raise funds for a new smart city in its flagship economic development zone, according to the head of the megaproject’s public agency. Chula Sukmanop, secretary general of the Eastern Economic Corridor Office, also dismissed accusations that Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative was a debt trap, highlighting benefits such as the thousands of jobs it had created for Thai people in the electric vehicle (EV) sector. The Eastern...

Politics

3 h. ago South Korea’s Lee calls US raid ‘bewildering’, says saga could hit investment

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung said on Thursday that a massive US immigration raid on a Hyundai-LG battery factory site could have a “significant impact” on future direct investment. The raid, which saw hundreds of South Korean workers chained and handcuffed, was “bewildering” he said, adding it “could have a significant impact on future investment decisions, particularly when evaluating the feasibility of direct operations in the US”. Last week’s raid at a Hyundai Motor project site in...

Events

6 h. ago US church sues top Hong Kong school ‘for only serving rich’, threatens eviction

A United States-based church is suing the management of a top Hong Kong school it co-founded in 1966 for allegedly breaching an operational agreement, accusing the institution of serving only the “rich and privileged few” and amassing excessive financial reserves. The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod (LCMS), which is the registered owner of the Hong Kong International School’s (HKIS) campus in Repulse Bay, told the institution to rectify its numerous breaches or face eviction from the property...

Events

8 h. ago Nasa blocks Chinese citizens with US visas from its facilities

Nasa has barred Chinese nationals on US visas from its facilities and networks, in the latest reflection of Washington’s mounting concern over Beijing’s progress in space and other advanced technologies. Although the space agency has typically restricted the employment of Chinese citizens, Chinese nationals on US visas without affiliations with Chinese government institutions or state-owned companies could contribute as contractors, graduate students, or university scientists. On Wednesday, Nasa...

Politics

8 h. ago Facing Trump pressure, Mexico to raise tariffs on cars from China to 50%

Mexico said on Wednesday it will raise tariffs on cars from China and other Asian countries to 50 per cent, in a broad overhaul of import levies the government said would protect jobs and analysts said was aimed at placating the United States. The Economy Ministry said the moves, which will increase tariffs to varying degrees on goods across multiple sectors including textiles, steel and vehicles, would affect US$52 billion of imports. “They already have tariffs,” Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard...

Politics

9 h. ago Russia needs a China gas pipeline to replace lost European demand—putting Beijing ‘in the driver’s seat’

Russia needs a China gas pipeline to replace lost European demand—putting Beijing ‘in the driver’s seat’  Fortune

Politics

12 h. ago Hong Kong private jet centre aims to fly high after upgrade of terminal

Hong Kong’s only fixed-base operator for private jet support services is betting its newly expanded terminal building will help it cash in on a boom in initial public offerings (IPOs), a surge in mega-events and rising Middle Eastern investment. The Hong Kong Business Aviation Centre (HKBAC) unveiled the upgraded building, part of a HK$500 million (US$64.1 million) expansion plan, at the city’s airport on Wednesday. Transport minister Mable Chan said Hong Kong’s mega-event economy would receive...

Politics

14 h. ago Chinese Vice Premier meets UK Business and Trade chief in Beijing; China committed to sharing the dividends of its vast market

Chinese Vice Premier meets UK Business and Trade chief in Beijing; China committed to sharing the dividends of its vast market  Global Times

Politics

14 h. ago China Index: Beijing’s Influence Waning in Balkans – Except Bosnia

China Index: Beijing’s Influence Waning in Balkans – Except Bosnia  Balkan Insight

Politics

14 h. ago Survey Finds Beijing’s Grip Deepening Worldwide as North America and the Caribbean Emerge as Vulnerable Fronts

Survey Finds Beijing’s Grip Deepening Worldwide as North America and the Caribbean Emerge as Vulnerable Fronts  The Bureau | Sam Cooper

Politics

14 h. ago Beijing weighs risks as unrest rocks strategic partner Nepal

China is closely monitoring social unrest in Nepal, a strategic partner and key point in Beijing’s global infrastructure and investment initiative, following the resignation of prime minister K.P. Sharma Oli. Observers warned that Beijing should be prepared for further instability in the region, citing weak governance and potential external influence in political transitions. The unrest was initially triggered by a social media ban last week, and soon grew into a wider anti-corruption movement...

Events

14 h. ago China weighs risks as social unrest rocks strategic partner Nepal

China is closely monitoring social unrest in Nepal, a strategic partner and key point in Beijing’s global infrastructure and investment initiative, following the resignation of prime minister K.P. Sharma Oli. Observers warned that Beijing should be prepared for further instability in the region, citing weak governance and potential external influence in political transitions. The unrest was initially triggered by a social media ban last week, and soon grew into a wider anti-corruption movement...

Events

15 h. ago 10 South Korean soldiers injured in unexpected explosion during military drill

At least 10 soldiers were injured in an explosion during a live-fire simulation drill at a South Korean military base on Wednesday, the defence ministry in Seoul said. The explosion happened at a military base in the northern border city of Paju, the Ministry of Defence said in a statement, where an artillery unit was conducting a drill simulating live-fire procedures but without real ammunition. “At approximately 3.24pm on Wednesday, a mock training round designed to simulate artillery fire and...

Events

16 h. ago Israel will keep targeting Hamas leaders despite anger over Doha strike: consul

If Israel did not kill Hamas leaders in an air strike on Qatar on Tuesday, it would succeed next time, the Israeli ambassador to the United States said after the operation, raising concerns it would torpedo efforts to secure a ceasefire in Gaza. “Right now, we may be subject to a little bit of criticism. They’ll get over it. And Israel is being changed for the better,” Yechiel Leiter told Fox News’ Special Report programme late on Tuesday. Israel attempted to kill the political leaders of Hamas...

Politics

17 h. ago China just beat the US in soft power with the humanoid robot games

On a humid Beijing track last month, the sprint to the future began. The athletes were not human; they were robots. The inaugural World Humanoid Robot Games brought 280 teams from 16 countries to compete in 26 events, from sprints to gymnastics to football. China’s Unitree dominated the track, X-Humanoid excelled in industrial tasks, while Neotix and Booster Robotics won in gymnastics and football. Triumphs were matched by mishaps: colliding, collapsing robots echoed earlier failures, when...

Politics

17 h. ago Family offices to keep consistent allocations over next year: Goldman survey

Global family offices will remain consistent in their strategic allocations over the next 12 months amid growing concerns over geopolitical risks, though some are willing to increase their exposure to public and private equity, Goldman Sachs said in a survey published on Wednesday. Meena Flynn, co-head of global private wealth management at the US investment bank, said the global average asset allocation remained broadly consistent from 2023 to 2025, though respondents expressed concerns about...

Society

17 h. ago How can we effectively manage sick leave policies in our expanding China operations?

How can we effectively manage sick leave policies in our expanding China operations?  Littler Mendelson P.C.

Events

17 h. ago Chinese and US defence ministers discuss Taiwan, South China Sea in video call

Any attempts to contain deter or interfere with China will fail, Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun said on Tuesday night in his first video call with US counterpart Pete Hegseth. State news agency Xinhua reported on Wednesday that the discussions included Taiwan and the South China Sea, two areas of friction between Beijing and Washington. “Any schemes and interference aimed at ‘using military force to assist independence’ or ‘using the Taiwan issue to contain China’ will be thwarted,” the...

Politics

17 h. ago The US can’t box China in, Chinese defence minister warns Hegseth in video call

The US does not pursue “regime change or strangulation” of China, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said as his Chinese counterpart, Dong Jun, stressed that any attempt to contain, deter or interfere with China would fail. The assurance and the warning came on Tuesday as the two men spoke via video in their first direct talks since taking office. It was also less than a week after Beijing held a massive military parade showcasing advanced weapons and promoting its push for a multipolar order to...

Events