2 h. ago Taiwan faces ‘dangerous possibility’ as it relies on Qatar and others for energy

Taiwan’s reliance on imported energy is seen as its most critical weakness if a conflict breaks out with Beijing, and experts warn a prolonged blockade could paralyse the island within days. Those concerns deepened after Taiwan shut down its last nuclear power plant in May, and an August referendum to restart it failed. As debate continues over renewables versus fossil fuels, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government has little room to manoeuvre. At the heart of the problem is Taiwan’s...

Politics

3 h. ago Singapore woman rejects ‘rude’ date at hawker centre, sparks dating standards debate

A Singaporean influencer claimed she rejected a man because he suggested going to a hawker centre for their first date, sparking a debate about dating standards online. The woman, who has 38,000 followers on a social media platform, posted a screenshot of her conversation with the man, in which he proposed they meet at Lau Pa Sat, an open-air complex featuring affordable food vendors commonly found in Singapore. The woman, identified by her username @naomiblackk, expressed her offence in their...

Politics

6 h. ago China Continues Its Steady Expansion Into Central Asia On The Sidelines Of Big Summits

China Continues Its Steady Expansion Into Central Asia On The Sidelines Of Big Summits  Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

Politics

18 h. ago Bus tests to begin on Yau Ma Tei section of Hong Kong’s new Kowloon bypass

Hong Kong authorities will conduct road tests for buses on the Yau Ma Tei section of the Central Kowloon Bypass starting next week, with trials for other forms of public transport to begin gradually ahead of its expected opening by the end of the year. Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan said on Saturday that the major structural works of the Yau Ma Tei section had been completed and had passed fire safety inspections and tests. “Franchised bus operators will begin road tests on the...

Politics

18 h. ago Myanmar air strike kills at least 19 youngsters while they sleep

A Myanmar ethnic minority armed group said on Saturday that a junta air strike killed at least 19 students, including children, in western Rakhine state. The Arakan Army (AA) is engaged in a fierce fight with Myanmar’s ruling military for control of Rakhine, where it has seized swathes of territory in the past year. The Rakhine conflict is one element of the bloody chaos that has engulfed Myanmar since the military ousted Aung San Suu Kyi’s civilian government in a 2021 coup, sparking a...

Events

21 h. ago Hong Kong may face overlapping flu seasons amid surge in outbreaks

Hong Kong may experience an overlap of the summer and winter flu seasons amid a recent surge in outbreaks at schools, with experts urging residents, especially vulnerable groups, to get vaccinated. Professor Lau Yu-lung, chairman of the Scientific Committee on Vaccine Preventable Diseases under the Centre for Health Protection, joined the growing calls on Saturday, amid a significant increase in influenza-like illness outbreaks over the past two weeks. “We have just entered the summer flu season...

Science

22 h. ago Philippine defence, military chiefs slam call to dump Marcos as scandal flares

The Philippine defence and military chiefs rejected a call for the country’s armed forces to withdraw support from President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr in response to public outrage over allegations of massive corruption in flood control projects that have implicated several congressmen and public works officials and sparked pockets of street protests. Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jnr and military chief of staff General Romeo Brawner Jnr issued a joint statement late on Friday expressing their...

Events

26 h. ago Hong Kong woman dies after car crashes into parked truck near border

A Hong Kong woman has died after the car she was driving crashed into a truck near the border with mainland China. Police received a report at 4.55am on Saturday that the car heading to the border control point slammed into the truck, which was parked on the side of Man Kam To Road near Sha Ling Road in the North District. The woman, in her thirties, was declared dead at the scene by emergency personnel, while the truck driver, 50, reported no injuries. Photos and footage from local media showed...

Events

26 h. ago Hong Kong woman, 37, dies after car crashes into parked truck near border

A Hong Kong woman has died after the car she was driving crashed into a truck near the border with mainland China. Police received a report at 4.55am on Saturday that the car heading to the border control point slammed into the truck, which was parked on the side of Man Kam To Road near Sha Ling Road in the North District. The woman 37, sustained serious head injuries and was declared dead at the scene by emergency personnel, while the truck driver, 50, reported no injuries. Photos and footage...

Events

26 h. ago U.S. rejects China nature reserve plan in South China Sea area near Philippines

U.S. rejects China nature reserve plan in South China Sea area near Philippines  The Japan Times

Politics

27 h. ago Kai Tak infrastructure projects shouldn’t be developed in isolation

The Kai Tak Development Area, once home to Hong Kong’s iconic airport, is now the site of one of the city’s most ambitious urban regeneration efforts. As the government pushes forward with two major infrastructure projects in the area – a smart and green mass transit system and the enhancement of the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal – concerns are mounting that the current fragmented approach may undermine the very goals these projects aim to achieve. Both initiatives are central to Hong Kong’s long-term...

Politics

29 h. ago Nato boosts defence of Europe’s eastern flank to ward off Russia

Nato announced plans to strengthen the defence of Europe’s eastern flank on Friday, two days after Poland shot down drones that had violated its airspace in the first known action of its kind by a member of the Western alliance during Russia’s war in Ukraine. Warsaw has portrayed the drone incursions as an attempt by Russia to test the capabilities of Poland and Nato to respond. On Friday, Poland rejected Donald Trump’s suggestion that the incursions could have been a mistake, a rare...

Events

33 h. ago US Rejects China’s Nature Reserve Plan in Sea Near Philippines

US Rejects China’s Nature Reserve Plan in Sea Near Philippines  Bloomberg.com

Politics

36 h. ago The SCO’s coming of age: China stakes claim to a central role in a new global order

The SCO’s coming of age: China stakes claim to a central role in a new global order  theins.ru

Politics

37 h. ago Hong Kong to update railway standards with national measures to help cut costs

Hong Kong is seeking to incorporate national railway standards into local benchmarks in a bid to greatly cut costs and raise efficiency, paving the way for standardised rules and their wider application in future government projects. The move will also help facilitate the export of mainland Chinese building technology, such as modular integrated construction (MiC), to other countries, according to a railway engineering veteran. The Highways Department on Friday announced the move to update the...

Politics

39 h. ago Disney Cruise delay in Singapore leaves Hong Kong passengers frustrated, in limbo

Hong Kong passengers are left in limbo and disappointed after shipbuilding issues forced the maiden voyage of Disney’s latest cruise ship in Singapore to be delayed, with some struggling to manage pre-booked flights and hotel rooms. Disney Adventure, a new cruise ship still being built and operated by Disney Cruise Line, was originally set to launch on its maiden voyage from Singapore, its home port, in December 2025. But some passengers said they had received an email in recent days telling...

Politics

42 h. ago Lions that killed zookeeper at Thai safari park to be retrained

Thailand’s Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) has ordered the retraining of five lions that fatally mauled a veteran zookeeper at Safari World in Bangkok. The case has since prompted the closure of the park’s predator zone and sparked a review of safety practices at wildlife attractions across Thailand. Jian Rangkharasamee, a 58-year-old keeper who had worked with lions and tigers for two decades, was killed on Wednesday after reportedly stepping out of his...

Events

44 h. ago How Nepal’s ‘nepo kids’ lit the fire of Gen Z rebellion demanding change

From sparking protests that toppled the prime minister to giving young people a platform to discuss their country’s political future, social media was key to Nepal’s extraordinary uprising this week. Fuelled in part by anger over flashy lifestyles flaunted by elites, young anti-corruption demonstrators, mainly in their 20s rallied on Monday. The loose grouping, largely viewed as members of Gen Z, flooded the capital Kathmandu to demand an end to a ban on Facebook, YouTube and other popular...

Events

46 h. ago China woman stuck in cold storage freed by delivery rider, offers man company share

A Chinese woman who thought she was going to die after locking herself in her company’s freezer was saved by a passing delivery rider who heard her pleas for help. The woman, surnamed Chen, from central China’s Hunan province, was sorting products alone in the freezer of her cold-chain logistics company on the evening of August 31. There is a smaller door built into the freezer’s main door, and safety rules require two people to move goods through the small door. However, Chen said she was...

Politics

47 h. ago Daughter sues Japan hospital over triple billing for Chinese mum’s treatment

A woman filed a lawsuit on Wednesday against a hospital in Japan that diagnosed and treated her Chinese mother with a brain tumour in 2022, claiming it illegally billed her mother three times the rate applied to uninsured Japanese patients. In the suit filed at the Osaka District Court, the woman is seeking confirmation that she is not liable for around 4.5 million yen (US$30,506) in medical fees charged by the National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Centre in Suita, Osaka prefecture. According to...

Economics