5 h. ago ‘We’re just going to kill them’: Trump vows to escalate drug war to land targets

US President Donald Trump has said that “the land is going to be next” in his campaign to halt the flow of drugs into the US from Venezuela, the clearest indication yet that he was preparing to broaden strikes that have so far been limited to targets at sea. Speaking to reporters at the White House on Thursday, Trump directed US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth to notify Congress of the administration’s plans. He did not discuss targets, though, he has repeatedly suggested he could order the US...

Events

6 h. ago Nexperia China defies Dutch headquarters’ order to oust executive

Nexperia’s Chinese subsidiary has publicly rejected a decision by the Dutch headquarters to remove John Chang as vice-president of global sales and marketing, declaring the dismissal legally ineffective in China and escalating a conflict that has garnered international attention. Nexperia China, the chipmaker’s primary entity in the country, said the dismissal “shall not have legal effect within the jurisdiction of China”, claiming it violated local company and labour laws, according to a...

Politics

7 h. ago Japan wants to cut overwork deaths to zero, but new PM stands in the way

The head of Japan’s largest umbrella group for labour unions on Thursday countered Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s wish to ease restrictions on overtime work, warning that it will go against the recent push for workstyle reforms. “It is unacceptable,” Tomoko Yoshino told a press conference after Takaichi instructed her labour minister to consider relaxing the rules. Before becoming prime minister on Tuesday, Takaichi caused a stir when she vowed to dispense with the phrase “work-life balance”...

Events

8 h. ago ‘We’re sorry’: Singapore minister acknowledges lapses in fatal child abuse case

Singapore’s Minister for Social and Family Development Masagos Zulkifli on Thursday apologised and acknowledged that agencies involved in the case of four-year-old Megan Khung’s fatal abuse could have done more when handling the matter. “As the lead for the national child protection system, I would like to say that we are sorry for the outcome,” he said. “We cannot eradicate every risk of a child loss. But our resolve is absolute. We will do everything possible to prevent the recurrence of such...

Events

21 h. ago China faces ‘profound’ changes, vows ‘rapid’ development in five

China faces ‘profound’ changes, vows ‘rapid’ development in five-year plan  Al Jazeera

Politics

28 h. ago Hong Kong Ocean Park ‘not ruling out’ Water World closure to cut losses

Hong Kong Ocean Park does not rule out shutting down its Water World facility to prevent further deficit and will “actively consider” if the government is willing to take over operating rights, its chairman has revealed. Paulo Pong Kin-yee admitted on Thursday that the theme park’s HK$274.7 million (US$31.8 million) deficit over the past year was primarily driven by its water attraction. When asked whether the park would close the facility to balance the books, Pong said the option was not off...

Politics

28 h. ago Hong Kong’s Ocean Park could close Water World to plug losses, boss says

Hong Kong’s Ocean Park could shut down its Water World facility to prevent further losses and would “actively consider” any government offer to take it over, its chairman revealed on Thursday. Paulo Pong Kin-yee said that the theme park’s HK$274.7 million (US$31.8 million) deficit over the past year was primarily driven by its water attraction. Asked whether the park would close the facility to balance the books, Pong said the option was not off the table. “I do not dare completely deny this...

Economics

36 h. ago Trump, Xi and the ‘green paradox’: how China is building a climate

China and the United States often find themselves sharply at odds on policy, but nowhere is the divide between the rival powers more striking than on climate change – as their leaders made clear at last month’s United Nations General Assembly in New York. Even as US President Donald Trump dismissed climate change as “the greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world”, his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, used the moment to unveil Beijing’s latest strategies for addressing the issue. Xi said...

Politics

36 h. ago How the ‘green paradox’ is driving Trump to fossil fuels and China to renewables

China and the United States often find themselves sharply at odds on policy, but nowhere is the divide between the rival powers more striking than on climate change – as their leaders made clear at last month’s United Nations General Assembly in New York. Even as US President Donald Trump dismissed climate change as “the greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world”, his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, used the moment to unveil Beijing’s latest strategies for addressing the issue. Xi said...

Politics

37 h. ago Ukraine war: US unveils heavy Russia sanctions, says Putin wasn’t ‘honest’

US President Donald Trump has slapped major sanctions on Russia’s two largest oil companies after concluding that Vladimir Putin was not being “honest and forthright” in Ukraine talks, the US treasury chief said on Wednesday. The sanctions came a day after a planned Trump-Putin summit in Budapest was shelved, with Washington expressing its disappointment at the lack of progress in ceasefire negotiations with Moscow. “Given President Putin’s refusal to end this senseless war, Treasury is...

Politics

37 h. ago US sanctions Russian oil giants over Ukraine war as Trump’s patience snaps

US President Donald Trump slapped sanctions on Russia’s two largest oil companies on Wednesday, complaining that his talks with Vladimir Putin to end the Ukraine war “don’t go anywhere”. The European Union also unveiled a fresh wave of sanctions to pressure Russia to end its relentless, three-and-a-half-year invasion of its neighbour, which is allied with both Washington and Brussels. Trump has held off pulling the trigger on sanctions against Russia for months, but his patience snapped after...

Politics

40 h. ago Trump’s trade war paying off? US deficit shrinks while China waits on verdict

Trump’s trade war paying off? US deficit shrinks while China waits on verdict  Fox Business

Politics

44 h. ago Israel advances West Bank annexation bill during J.D. Vance visit

A bill applying Israeli law to the occupied West Bank, a move tantamount to annexation of land which Palestinians want for a state, won preliminary approval from Israel’s parliament on Wednesday. The vote was the first of four needed to pass the law, and it coincided with the visit of US Vice-President J.D. Vance to Israel, a month after President Donald Trump said that he would not allow Israel to annex the West Bank. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party did not support the...

Politics

53 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

55 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

56 h. ago Doing ‘fantastic job’: Australian PM defends envoy Rudd amid Trump’s dislike

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese endorsed Australia’s ambassador in Washington as doing a “fantastic job”, describing comments by US President Donald Trump that he does not like Kevin Rudd as “lighthearted”. Australia’s main conservative opposition party has called for Rudd, a former Labor prime minister, to be sacked after Trump made the comments at a press briefing in Washington on Monday. Asked by an Australian reporter about Rudd’s past criticism of the president on social media, and told...

Politics

66 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

67 h. ago ‘Deal, no deal, or disaster’: Trump is leaving for an Asia trip that could define his second term

‘Deal, no deal, or disaster’: Trump is leaving for an Asia trip that could define his second term  Fortune

Politics

67 h. ago Trump vows to reach 'fantastic deal' with China, saying the U.S. commands 'great respect' from Beijing

Trump vows to reach 'fantastic deal' with China, saying the U.S. commands 'great respect' from Beijing  Fortune

Politics

69 h. ago Can J.D. Vance’s visit to Israel cement Gaza’s fragile ceasefire?

US Vice-President J.D. Vance arrived in Israel on Tuesday to shore up the fragile US-brokered ceasefire in Gaza that has teetered over the past few days following a burst of deadly violence and questions over how to move forward with the plan for cementing a long-term peace. Also on Tuesday, Israel said it has identified the body of a hostage that was released by Palestinian militants overnight, while the chief Hamas negotiator said the group remains determined to implement the ceasefire...

Politics