30 m. ago Oxford's Ian Goldin on why globalisation is ‘alive and well’ in Asia

Ian Goldin is a professor of globalisation and development at the University of Oxford. Before his time in academia, he worked at several development lenders, including the World Bank, where he served as director of development policy and vice-president. His latest book, The Shortest History of Migration, was published in July 2024. This interview first appeared in SCMP Plus. For other interviews in the Open Questions series, click here. Where do you think globalisation is heading? Is...

Politics

14 h. ago Hong Kong can’t let its construction sector be captured by bad actors

Hong Kong should be very concerned about the recent flurry of cases involving misbehaviour in the construction industry. It would be too easy to write them off as isolated incidents when they could just as easily be straw in the wind, indicating a serious underlying malaise. One high-profile case is the Anderson Road quarry redevelopment by CK Asset Holdings. The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) arrested 10 suspects earlier this year for allegedly paying or receiving bribes in...

Politics

16 h. ago China dad donates liver part to save baby girl, recovers at home to save money

A young Chinese father has moved countless people online after he donated part of his liver to save his baby daughter. The father, surnamed Shen, then doubled down on his loving and selfless act by staying at home in his rented flat and changing his own bandages post-surgery to cut costs. Shen and his wife, surnamed Tao, who were both born after 2000, married in 2024 in Ningbo, Zhejiang province, in southeastern China. They soon welcomed a daughter, Yiyi, who developed persistent jaundice after...

Society

16 h. ago China's forex reserve rises by $29.9 billion in August, while the central bank continues to increase gold holdings

China's forex reserve rises by $29.9 billion in August, while the central bank continues to increase gold holdings  Global Times

Economics

19 h. ago China's central bank buys gold in August for 10th consecutive month

China's central bank buys gold in August for 10th consecutive month  Business Standard

Economics

22 h. ago Trump admin launches immigration crackdown in Massachusetts, reports say

The Trump administration has launched an operation in Massachusetts to arrest and deport undocumented immigrants, The New York Times and Boston media reported on Saturday, quoting the US Department of Homeland Security as saying it was targeting “criminal aliens” living in the state. DHS and its US Immigration and Customs Enforcement arm are calling the operation Patriot 2.0, modifying the name of a May deportation surge that led to the arrest of 1,500 people in the state, according to the...

Politics

31 h. ago Dozens arrested at latest UK protest for banned group Palestine Action

British police arrested dozens more people on Saturday under anti-terrorism laws for demonstrating in support of Palestine Action, a pro-Palestinian group banned by the government as a terrorist organisation. Britain banned Palestine Action under anti-terrorism legislation in July after some of its members broke into a Royal Air Force base and damaged military planes. The group accuses Britain’s government of complicity in what it says are Israeli war crimes in Gaza. Police have arrested...

Events

34 h. ago ‘Deeply concerned’: South Korea vows to support citizens arrested in US raid

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung ordered all-out efforts on Saturday to respond to the arrests of hundreds of the nation’s citizens in a US immigration raid on a Hyundai Motor car battery factory. Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said the government had set up a team to respond to Thursday’s arrest of more than 300 Koreans at the facility in the southern state of Georgia, and that he could go to Washington to meet officials if needed. “I am deeply concerned. I feel heavy responsibility for the...

Events

38 h. ago Israel’s army urges Gaza City residents to move to ‘humanitarian zone’

The Israeli military said on Saturday that Palestinians in Gaza City, the enclave’s largest urban area, should leave for the south, warning that the military was operating throughout the city. Israeli forces have been carrying out an offensive on the suburbs of the northern city for weeks after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the military to capture it. Netanyahu says Gaza City is a Hamas stronghold and capturing it is necessary to defeat the Palestinian Islamist militants,...

Politics

38 h. ago Israel’s annexation plans fuel fears of Palestinians’ annihilation

Nearly two years after Hamas militants stormed southern Israel, the war in Gaza has entered a darker, deadlier phase. The territory now faces a reckoning its residents describe as annihilation. Israel’s latest military campaign in Gaza and its West Bank annexation plans have left observers warning that the age-old Palestinian presence across both could soon be erased. On Wednesday, Israel’s government unveiled plans to annex 82 per cent of the occupied West Bank. The escalation comes despite...

Politics

41 h. ago How Thailand’s local talent is fuelling global film productions

From the ready-made “dystopia” of Bangkok’s skyline to the moody limestone cliffs of Krabi, Thailand has for decades served as the backdrop for foreign filmmakers’ flights of fancy. Now, the country is looking to fly even higher by luring in global streaming platforms with a combination of generous tax breaks and highly skilled local production crew. Its largest and most recent catch is the sci-fi series Alien: Earth on Disney, created by Noah Hawley with Ridley Scott serving as one of the...

Politics

41 h. ago Ballooning crisis: 200 customers plan legal action over Hong Kong fest fiasco

More than 200 angry customers are planning to take legal action against a trouble-plagued hot-air balloon festival in Hong Kong, with grievances mounting over deflated displays, a singer pulling out of a related concert and the event potentially being cancelled because of an approaching storm. Visitors to the AIA International Hot Air Balloon Fest Hong Kong at the Central harbourfront faced disappointment for a third day on Saturday, as the organiser deflated displays again for part of the...

Economics

41 h. ago Ballooning crisis: 300 customers plan legal action over Hong Kong fest fiasco

More than 300 angry customers are planning to take legal action against a trouble-plagued hot-air balloon festival in Hong Kong, with grievances mounting over deflated displays, a singer pulling out of a related concert and the event potentially being cancelled because of an approaching storm. Visitors to the AIA International Hot Air Balloon Fest Hong Kong at the Central harbourfront faced disappointment for a third day on Saturday, as the organiser deflated displays again for part of the...

Economics

43 h. ago China investigates former stocks regulator Yi Huiman for disciplinary breaches

Yi Huiman, the former regulator of China’s equities market, is being investigated for disciplinary breaches, as the country’s long-standing anti-graft campaign extends into all corners of the financial industry, from banking to the stock market. Yi, the chairman of the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) from January 2019 to February 2024, is being investigated by the Communist Party’s disciplinary unit for severe breaches of discipline, according to the Central Commission for...

Events

43 h. ago Australia posts US$659,000 reward for gunman’s arrest over police killings

Australia posted a US$659,000 reward on Saturday for the arrest of a gunman on the run for a 12th day after allegedly killing two police officers. Police in the eastern state of Victoria said they were offering the “life-changing” amount in their hunt for the 56-year-old fugitive, Desmond Freeman. Freeman is accused of opening fire when police arrived at his home in Victoria with a search warrant. The shooting killed 59-year-old detective Neal Thompson and 35-year-old senior constable Vadim de...

Events

43 h. ago Palestinian question: China agrees to join New York Declaration

Palestinian question: China agrees to join New York Declaration  chinadailyasia.com

Politics

44 h. ago China’s yuan rallies with central bank backing as worries mount over US dollar

A recent rally in China’s yuan has been primarily fuelled by stronger guidance from its central bank rather than by market forces, analysts said, pointing to a mostly steady US dollar index. However, they noted, this period of strengthening is likely to remain measured, as Beijing prefers to avoid harming the competitiveness of its exporters amid trade tensions with the United States. Over just five trading days last week, the People’s Bank of China pushed the yuan’s reference rate against the...

Politics

48 h. ago China’s multipolar ambition is making the US sit up and fire back

At the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin this week, the choreography was striking. Chinese President Xi Jinping, flanked by Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, unveiled proposals for a development bank, expanded BeiDou satellite services, and cooperation in green technology, artificial intelligence and infrastructure. The message was unmistakable: the SCO is no longer just a security forum. It is evolving into a platform offering...

Economics

48 h. ago China’s biotech industry is gaining on the US. Can tariffs hold them back?

In the summer of 2015, a time when China’s pharmaceutical market was in a phase of rapid expansion, a sudden regulatory change sent tremors through the industry: drug companies would need to audit the clinical trial data for all pending applications. If withdrawn within a month of the announcement, firms could avoid penalties for submitting flawed applications, but hiding or falsifying data would court severe punishments, including multi-year filing bans. The response from the industry indicated...

Economics

49 h. ago Sanctions, Bans, and Tariffs How The U.S. is Feuling Chinese Innovation

Sanctions, Bans, and Tariffs How The U.S. is Feuling Chinese Innovation  JD Supra

Economics