2 h. ago Hong Kong’s mediation centre open to developed nations, Western countries

Western and developed countries are welcome to use services offered by Hong Kong’s newly established global mediation centre, a senior official has said, dismissing concerns over the institute’s founding members being primarily developing nations. Deputy Secretary for Justice Horace Cheung Kwok-kwan on Saturday also addressed the possible direct competition with other dispute resolution hubs, including Singapore, outlining Hong Kong’s distinct advantages such as its “one country, two systems”...

Politics

4 h. ago ‘Probe under way on whether Beijing will take over collusion case in Hong Kong’

Beijing’s national security arm in Hong Kong conducted its first publicly known joint operation with the city’s police to determine whether a suspected collusion case is complex to the extent that it requires mainland China to take over, the security minister has revealed. Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung said on Saturday that no arrests had been made so far, adding it would require the central government’s approval if the case were to be handed over. His remarks were made after the...

Politics

4 h. ago Authorities still studying if Hong Kong collusion case needs to be handled by Beijing

Beijing and Hong Kong are investigating the complexity of a suspected collusion case to determine whether mainland China needs to take over, security minister has said, in what may become a precedent for the central government to exercise its jurisdiction over such matters. Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung said on Saturday that authorities were gathering information to ascertain if Article 55 of the national security law, which applies to complicated and severe cases, should be...

Events

20 h. ago China’s Security Office Flexes New Power With Hong Kong Probe

China’s Security Office Flexes New Power With Hong Kong Probe  Bloomberg

Events

47 h. ago Ant International and Ant Digital to seek stablecoin licences in Hong Kong

Singapore-based Ant International and the Hangzhou-based Ant Digital, two affiliates of Chinese tech giant Ant Group, have announced plans to apply for stablecoin issuer licences in Hong Kong once the new ordinance governing fiat-backed cryptocurrencies takes effect in August. “We welcome the passage of the Stablecoins Bill and hope to contribute more to the city’s vision as a global hub for next-gen finance,” Ant International, a spin-off of Ant’s global operations, said in a statement on...

Politics

55 h. ago The case of Hong Kong vs Singapore: unlimited potential for collaboration

From Hong Kong Disneyland and Universal Studios Singapore to Cathay Pacific and Singapore Airlines, there is this never-ending comparison between Hong Kong and Singapore. Insofar as our legal systems and the legal markets are concerned, there are also interesting similarities and differences. Both Hong Kong and Singapore are common law jurisdictions with developed and efficient legal systems. We are both in strategic locations with world-class legal infrastructure and vibrant legal communities....

Politics

55 h. ago With early stablecoin law, Hong Kong looks to keep edge as finance hub

With the passage of one of the world’s most comprehensive stablecoin laws two weeks ago, Hong Kong is looking to stay at the forefront of global finance while addressing lessons from past industry setbacks, according to analysts. Being a “first mover” in stablecoin legislation “reflects the determination” of the city’s government to “unlock value that they see in this sector, given the number of hurdles from past incidents”, said Melvin Deng, CEO of digital asset trading firm QCP Capital. Hong...

Politics

60 h. ago S&P 500 ends lower; traders focus on Middle East tension and await details on trade deal

S&P 500 ends lower; traders focus on Middle East tension and await details on trade deal  Reuters

Events

61 h. ago S&P 500 declines as market comeback pauses while traders wait for more trade deals: Live updates

S&P 500 declines as market comeback pauses while traders wait for more trade deals: Live updates  CNBC

Economics

68 h. ago Why US defence chief’s attack on China won’t find favour in Southeast Asia

After listening to US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth’s all-out attack on “communist China” at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, some might have wondered what the Chinese people would make of it. But as a Chinese delegate listening to him live, I was wondering what Hegseth’s boss, US President Donald Trump, would think. In February, Trump called US Vice-President J.D. Vance’s speech in Munich bashing European allies “brilliant”. This time, we haven’t had his thoughts. I wondered, not only...

Events

2 d. ago Indonesia’s green groups welcome move to axe mining permits in Raja Ampat

Indonesia’s green groups and Papuan residents have welcomed President Prabowo Subianto’s decision to revoke almost all nickel-mining permits in the country’s biodiversity gem of the Raja Ampat Islands, but urged authorities to protect other small and outlying areas from damage brought by such activities. Raja Ampat, an archipelagic region in Southwest Papua, has been dubbed the “last paradise on Earth” due to its extremely rich terrestrial and marine biodiversity, which includes 540 species of...

Politics

3 d. ago How Indonesian fintech firm is bridging funding gaps for women entrepreneurs

Across Indonesia’s vast archipelago, millions of women running small businesses in rural areas remain locked out of traditional banking – a gap increasingly filled by fintech firms offering microloans as economic pressures mount. One of the most prominent players in this space is Amartha, a Jakarta-based lending platform that connects borrowers in remote communities with financial institutions. Founded in 2010, it now counts about 3 million active borrowers – 99 per cent of them women operating...

Economics

4 d. ago Jumbo ventures beyond chilli crab to bring famous Siji Minfu Peking duck chain to Singapore

Jumbo ventures beyond chilli crab to bring famous Siji Minfu Peking duck chain to Singapore  The Business Times

Politics

4 d. ago Pressured by US tariffs, Chinese exports expand in Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia

Chinese exports to major industrial centres in Southeast Asia rose by double-digit percentages in the first five months of the year to satisfy growing consumer markets, feed offshore factory investments and offset losses from high US tariffs. Shipments to factory-magnet Vietnam increased by 18.8 per cent from January to May, compared with the same period in 2024, according to official data released on Monday. Meanwhile, exports to Thailand grew by 20.9 per cent, and Indonesia took 16.8 per cent...

Events

4 d. ago US arrests another Chinese scientist with no permit to send biological material

Another Chinese researcher has been arrested upon entering the United States, amid an escalating federal probe into the alleged smuggling of biological materials – marking the second such case in less than a week. Han Chengxuan, a PhD candidate at Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST) in Wuhan, was accused of shipping four undeclared packages containing biological materials from China to a University of Michigan lab—and lying to federal agents about it. Her arrest on Sunday...

Events

4 d. ago FBI busts second Chinese scholar at UM in widening smuggling probe

FBI busts second Chinese scholar at UM in widening smuggling probe  The Detroit News

Events

4 d. ago Disinformation, China and Indonesia’s Viral Battleground After Trump’s Tariffs

Disinformation, China and Indonesia’s Viral Battleground After Trump’s Tariffs  Fair Observer

Politics

4 d. ago Philippine senators split over legality of delaying Duterte’s impeachment trial

Mounting calls from legal scholars, civil society and protest groups are putting the Philippine Senate under pressure to launch an impeachment trial against Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio – even as her allies move to have the case dismissed. Duterte-Carpio was impeached by the House of Representatives on February 5 on a wide range of serious charges that include large-scale corruption and plotting to assassinate President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr, his wife and the speaker of the house –...

Politics

4 d. ago China backs Mekong pollution probe after reports point finger at mining firms

China’s embassy in Thailand said it was “closely monitoring” the situation after claims that heavy metal pollution in northern Thai rivers was linked to suspected Chinese mining activities in neighbouring Myanmar. A post on the embassy’s official social media account acknowledged recent comments by the Thai government on the matter. “China is closely monitoring reports about the heavy metal pollution incident in a tributary of the Mekong River in Thailand. We have taken note of the recent test...

Politics

5 d. ago Malaysian cartoonist vows to sue authorities over his ‘travel ban’

A controversial cartoonist who is known for his satirical artworks targeting Malaysia’s elite has vowed to take the government to court after he was stopped from leaving the country, in an incident that has prompted criticisms of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim for walking back on his commitment to protect individual freedoms. Fahmi Reza, who once lampooned scandal-hit former prime minister Najib Razak as a clown, was en route to Singapore for a concert on Saturday when he was denied boarding at...

Transport