7 h. ago Indonesian plane with 11 people missing, search and rescue under way

A regional passenger aircraft carrying 11 people lost contact with ground control on Saturday while approaching a mountainous region between Indonesia’s main island of Java and Sulawesi island, officials said. A search and rescue operation is under way. The turboprop ATR 42-500 operated by Indonesia Air Transport was on the way from Yogyakarta to the capital city of South Sulawesi when it vanished from radar, said Endah Purnama Sari, a spokesperson for the transportation ministry. The plane was...

Events

11 h. ago Japanese tattoo artists still face stigma despite landmark legal victory

Walk into any public bath in Japan, and you are liable to see a sign banning any visible tattoos. Even as Japan opens up to more international tourists and residents, body art remains taboo, not only at baths but gyms, swimming pools and other businesses. The strong stigma, which also extends to tattoo artists and can result in difficulties finding jobs, comes from its historical link with the yakuza and other criminal elements of Japanese society, dating back to the Edo period (1603-1868). The...

Politics

23 h. ago Over 100 dead in torrential rains and floods across southern Africa

Army helicopters rescued people stranded on rooftops and hundreds of tourists and workers were evacuated from one of the world’s biggest game reserves, as torrential rains and flooding in three countries in southern Africa killed more than 100 people, authorities said on Friday. The death toll across South Africa, Mozambique and Zimbabwe is an accumulation after weeks of heavy rains. Weather services issued warnings that more rain was on the way, possibly bringing more destructive...

Events

31 h. ago Hongkonger reported missing in Iran ‘for many days’ amid internet shutdown, protests

Immigration authorities have confirmed receiving a plea for help concerning a Hong Kong resident reported missing “for many days” in Iran, as the country faces a nationwide internet shutdown amid protests against the government. A spokesman for the Immigration Department told the Post on Friday that it had received “a relevant inquiry” and was in touch with the Chinese consulate in Bandar Abbas and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ local arm in the city. A source confirmed the inquiry came from...

Events

31 h. ago China’s Proposed Megaconstellations Would Flood Orbit With 200,000 Satellites

China’s Proposed Megaconstellations Would Flood Orbit With 200,000 Satellites  Gizmodo

Events

32 h. ago Porsche reports worst sales drop since 2009 on weak China demand

Porsche reports worst sales drop since 2009 on weak China demand  Reuters

Politics

34 h. ago Hong Kong’s CineArt Cinema to open branch at site of Ma On Shan’s only theatre

Hong Kong’s Ma On Shan residents will get a new cinema at a recently vacated site of its sole theatre, bucking the trend of closures that began during the pandemic. CineArt Cinema said on Friday it would open a new branch at MOSTown, a shopping centre in Ma On Shan, before Lunar New Year. While the chain did not specify an exact date, the first day of Lunar New Year falls on February 17. It said the venue had up to four screens and could accommodate as many as 435 patrons. It also said the venue...

Culture

34 h. ago Hong Kong’s CineArt Cinema to open branch at newly vacated Ma On Shan site

Hong Kong’s Ma On Shan residents will get a new cinema at the recently vacated site of its sole movie theatre, bucking the trend of closures that began during the pandemic. CineArt Cinema said on Friday it would open a new branch at MOSTown, a shopping centre in Ma On Shan, before Lunar New Year. While the chain did not specify an exact date, the first day of Lunar New Year falls on February 17. It said the venue had up to four screens and could accommodate as many as 435 patrons. It also said...

Politics

35 h. ago Philippines, France near defence pact to boost ‘operational intimacy’ in contested waters

A visiting forces military deal to be signed between the Philippines and France has put the focus on “operational intimacy”, with observers noting that Paris has a presence in the Indo-Pacific and would serve Manila’s interests well in the contested waters of the South China Sea. The term was coined by Associated Press correspondent Jim Gomez and confirmed by French Ambassador to Manila Marie Fontanel during a freewheeling discussion on Tuesday at her residence. In a bid to balance the...

Culture

41 h. ago Asia week ahead: Rate decisions in China, Japan, Indonesia and key data from China, Taiwan, and South Korea

Asia week ahead: Rate decisions in China, Japan, Indonesia and key data from China, Taiwan, and South Korea  ING THINK economic and financial analysis | ING Think

Politics

43 h. ago Philippines’ Cebu residents cry foul over mounting garbage, health risks

A deadly garbage avalanche in central Philippines last week, which killed 19 and led to more than 20 missing, has prompted outrage from civic and green groups over poor enforcement of environmental laws for contributing to the disaster. On January 8, a mountain of debris collapsed at a 15-hectare landfill in the village of Binaliw, Cebu City, where over 100 sanitation workers were on site. Officials say the tragedy may have been partly caused by recent earthquakes and heavy rains affecting soil...

Events

57 h. ago Kremlin warns Ukraine running out of time to accept peace terms as winter crisis deepens

The Kremlin said on Thursday that Ukraine was running out of options to strike a deal to end almost four years of war with Russia, as thousands were without heating in Kyiv in -12 degrees Celsius (10 degrees Fahrenheit) temperatures following waves of Russian strikes on the country’s energy grid. Moscow has not backed down from its intention to seize the rest of east Ukraine as the fourth anniversary of its offensive – Europe’s worst war since World War II – looms. “The situation is...

Events

59 h. ago Death toll from Hong Kong fire rises to 168 after more remains identified

The death toll of Hong Kong’s worst fire in decades has risen to 168 from 161 after the remains of more victims were identified, the city’s security chief has said. Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung updated the figures for the Wang Fuk Court inferno in Tai Po, saying that all the victims had now been identified following dental examinations and DNA testing of remains. “We have notified the families of all 168 victims, and they have since confirmed the identities of the deceased,” Tang...

Events

62 h. ago Malaysia says X must prove Grok is safe before ban is lifted: ‘abuse is not freedom’

Malaysia is amenable to lifting its ban on Grok – but only if Elon Musk’s microblogging site X proves that its AI chatbot can no longer be used to generate sexualised images of women and minors, according to its communications minister. “X must prove that there will no longer be incidents of videos or images that can be misused by users. If that is settled, we can release the temporary ban,” Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil said on Thursday. Over the weekend, Malaysia and Indonesia became...

Events

3 d. ago Palo Alto Stock Drops. How China Made It the S&P 500’s Worst Performer Today.

Palo Alto Stock Drops. How China Made It the S&P 500’s Worst Performer Today.  Barron's

Politics

3 d. ago Indonesian comic hit with blasphemy complaints over Netflix jokes

A police complaint against one of Indonesia’s best-known comedians has reignited debate over satire, blasphemy and free expression in the world’s third-largest democracy. The case involves 46-year-old stand-up comic and actor Pandji Pragiwaksono, whose Netflix special Mens Rea – an unfiltered performance touching on politics, law and democracy – was recorded in Jakarta before an audience of around 10,000 people on December 30. Pandji’s routine pokes fun at Indonesia’s political elite, taking aim...

Events

3 d. ago How Putin’s focus on Ukraine war leaves allies Venezuela, Iran and Cuba exposed

As Russian President Vladimir Putin focuses his attentions on Moscow’s war in Ukraine, his strategic allies around the world have been left feeling neglected – or worse. In Venezuela, officials now think their years-long security relationship with Moscow was a paper tiger. They’re not alone: From Damascus and Tehran to Havana, over the last 13 months authoritarian regimes which previously benefited from their close ties to the Kremlin have found Russian support lacking when it mattered...

Politics

3 d. ago Hong Kong plan for shopping zone barriers sparks debate over access, congestion

A HK$5 million (US$641,000) plan to install crash barriers in Hong Kong’s bustling Causeway Bay shopping district is expected to improve pedestrian safety, but could also worsen congestion and restrict access for delivery workers and wheelchair users, according to a district councillor and nearby businesses. Wan Chai district councillor Peggy Lee Pik-yee agreed on Wednesday with the government’s plan to introduce about 60 bollards in the area, but said the move needed to meet residential and...

Economics

3 d. ago Man fined US$2,200 in Malaysia for masking Singapore number plate to buy subsidised fuel

The man who was caught on video pumping subsidised RON95 fuel into his Singapore-registered car in Johor was on Wednesday fined 9,000 ringgit (US$2,217) for obstructing the registration number of his vehicle. Malaysian Long Sa Kow, who is a Singapore permanent resident, was charged under Section 108 (3) (E) of the Road Transport Act 1987 for allegedly exhibiting an altered or tampered vehicle registration number. The offence carries a fine of between 5,000 ringgit and 20,000 ringgit, a prison...

Economics

3 d. ago Mainland Chinese money to drive 10% rise in Hong Kong commercial property deals: Colliers

Surging mainland Chinese investment in Hong Kong’s commercial real estate sector has helped set the stage for a “measured recovery” in 2026, according to Colliers. In the luxury residential segment, mainland capital accounted for about 80 per cent of transactions exceeding HK$100 million on The Peak and in Southern district, according to Centaline Property Agency. Investment from the mainland rose to the highest level in five years in the last quarter of 2025, and deal value in 2026 was set to...

Economics