83 m. ago Rare earths, rare choices. Europe’s struggle to break free from China’s resource grip

Rare earths, rare choices. Europe’s struggle to break free from China’s resource grip  defence24.com

Politics

2 h. ago China’s youth jobless rate falls but remains high after record graduation season

China’s urban youth unemployment rate edged lower last month but remained at a concerning level amid ongoing struggles for many young people to find work in a challenging and crowded job market. The jobless rate for the 16 to 24 age group, excluding students, dipped to 17.7 per cent in September from 18.9 per cent in August. Financial news outlet Cailian reported the figure on Wednesday, citing data from the National Bureau of Statistics. The August figure had hit the highest level since the...

Politics

4 h. ago KPop Demon Hunters headed to toy stores as Netflix taps Mattel, Hasbro

Netflix is teaming up with Mattel and Hasbro to turn its blockbuster animated film KPop Demon Hunters into toys, deepening a consumer-goods push that could help diversify its revenue. The partnerships, announced on Tuesday, will produce toys, collectibles, games and role-play products based on the film, which follows a successful female K-pop trio that plays massive concerts while trying to save the world from sinister forces. The first products from the tie-up will be released next year. Since...

Politics

4 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

6 h. ago As Nobel laureates show, the US can’t take tech lead over China for granted

China and the United States are locked in a contest for technological supremacy. While it’s impossible to predict the ultimate winner and loser, this year’s Nobel Prize winners in economics may serve as a useful guide to where the two rivals are heading. The US is currently still ahead when it comes to science and technology. But when it comes to STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education, China has a clear edge, which is likely to grow even larger in the coming...

Politics

8 h. ago NEC head weighs tariffs on China and Trump’s ‘growth economy’

NEC head weighs tariffs on China and Trump’s ‘growth economy’  Fox Business

Politics

9 h. ago Can Trump’s pragmatism override China hawks to keep ties from rupture?

China’s rocky trade relationship with the United States was on full display this month as US President Donald Trump threatened to impose additional tariffs on Chinese imports. Separately, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent denounced China’s move to expand curbs on rare earth exports, calling it “a sign of how weak their economy is”. He also described Li Chenggang, one of China’s trade negotiators, as “pretty unhinged and very aggressive”. Trade ties between the rival powers remain fraught, even...

Politics

10 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

10 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

10 h. ago Louvre heist jewels valued at over US$100 million, as director faces grilling

The jewellery stolen from the Louvre in Paris was valued at more than US$100 million, a French prosecutor said Tuesday, as the museum’s director faces security questions from a Senate committee over the brazen weekend heist. The director, Laurence des Cars, has not made any public statement since thieves made off with royal jewels during a daylight robbery on Sunday that took just seven minutes. The Louvre is expected to re-open on Wednesday following two days of shut doors for the investigation...

Economics

10 h. ago Louvre heist jewels valued at over US$100 million as security row deepens

The jewellery stolen from the Louvre in Paris was valued at more than US$100 million, a French prosecutor said on Tuesday, as the museum’s director was set to face security questions from a Senate committee over the brazen weekend heist. The director, Laurence des Cars, has not made any public statement since thieves made off with royal jewels during a daylight robbery on Sunday that took just seven minutes. The Louvre was expected to reopen on Wednesday following two days of shut doors for the...

Economics

14 h. ago Trump must call China's bluff on economic warfare over critical minerals: James Fishback

Trump must call China's bluff on economic warfare over critical minerals: James Fishback  Fox Business

Economics

14 h. ago Europe, Ukraine prepare plan to end war, proposing peace board headed by Trump

European nations are working with Ukraine on a 12-point proposal to end Russia’s war along current battle lines, pushing back against Vladimir Putin’s renewed demands to the US for Kyiv to surrender territory in return for a peace deal. A peace board chaired by US President Donald Trump would oversee implementation of the proposed plan, according to people familiar with the matter. Once Russia follows Ukraine in agreeing to a ceasefire and both sides commit to halting territorial advances, the...

Politics

16 h. ago Three’s a crowd: China’s efforts to woo North Korea away from Russia

Three’s a crowd: China’s efforts to woo North Korea away from Russia  The Economist

Politics

17 h. ago China’s economic growth hit by higher tariffs and property slump

China’s economic growth hit by higher tariffs and property slump  Los Angeles Times

Economics

17 h. ago China’s Quiet Strategy in Bulgaria: Economic Appeal, Political Constraints

China’s Quiet Strategy in Bulgaria: Economic Appeal, Political Constraints  German Marshall Fund of the United States

Politics

18 h. ago Dutch economy minister says he spoke with Chinese counterpart about chipmaker Nexperia

Dutch economy minister says he spoke with Chinese counterpart about chipmaker Nexperia  Reuters

Politics

18 h. ago Hong Kong drones hunt illegal filling stations, diesel worth HK$6 million seized

Hong Kong has started deploying drones to detect illegal refuelling stations in the city, with the Fire Services Department having seized diesel worth more than HK$6 million (US$772,362) in the past month during a crackdown on 23 locations. Bradan Kwok Chi-kwan, divisional officer for dangerous goods enforcement, said the department introduced drones to help uncover illicit operations last month and conducted 41 flights. “When our drone squad detects suspicious activity, it alerts task force...

Events

20 h. ago Chinese woman charged in Paris gold theft from Natural History Museum

A Chinese woman has been arrested and charged over the theft of gold from the Natural History Museum in Paris, in one of several recent high-profile break-ins targeting French cultural institutions, a prosecutor said on Tuesday. The theft – by what the museum’s director at the time said was an “extremely professional team” – took place on September 16, about a month before an audacious jewellery heist at the world-famous Louvre Museum on Sunday. A 24-year-old Chinese woman was arrested in...

Culture

20 h. ago From pledges to policy: Indonesia’s Prabowo marks 1 year in office

As Prabowo Subianto marks his first year as Indonesia’s president, the former general is grappling with the challenge of turning his populist campaign promises into lasting policy. While early initiatives such as free meals for children have drawn praise, concerns over civil liberties, economic sluggishness and foreign policy decisions threaten to overshadow his administration’s achievements. Prabowo, who was sworn in on October 20 last year, campaigned on a platform of ambitious social...

Events