23 m. ago France fines Shein US$47 million for ‘deceptive’ pricing amid EU scrutiny

The French government has fined online retailer Shein €40 million (US$47 million) for “deceptive marketing practices” and incomplete information about the environmental impact of its products. The penalty was announced just days after a European Union official said on Monday that he was “deeply concerned” about the millions of small parcels entering the region every day, many from Chinese-founded platforms like Shein and Temu. The fine by France’s Ministry of Economy followed investigations...

Economics

23 m. ago Rare earth exports should never come between us, China’s Wang Yi tells Europeans

China’s foreign minister Wang Yi has downplayed EU concerns over restrictions on rare earth exports and offered assurances that the needs of European companies will be met if they adhere to proper application procedures. Controlling dual-use goods was a sovereign right and an international responsibility for all nations, Wang said during a joint news conference on Thursday with his German counterpart in Berlin. He was responding to a question about European companies’ unease over Beijing’s...

Politics

4 h. ago Malaysia’s latest gangland shooting linked to international crime syndicate

Malaysian police believe a man gunned down in his Ipoh home last week was the victim of an international organised crime syndicate, marking the latest in a string of unresolved gang-related assassinations in public places that left five people dead and shocked the country last month. Gun violence is rare in Malaysia, where unlicensed gun ownership and even brandishing a firearm as intimidation are capital crimes. But a series of shootings over 12 days in June has sparked public fear - as three...

Events

7 h. ago Heading to Japan? How Hongkongers can prepare amid earthquake concerns

Recent rumours about a “megaquake” hitting Japan on July 5, stemming from a manga artist whose earlier prediction in 2011 reportedly came true, have caused some concern among Hong Kong residents planning to travel to the country this month. While Japanese authorities have dismissed the claims, stating that earthquakes cannot be predicted with current scientific knowledge and can occur anywhere at any time, even outside Japan, the Post has gathered expert advice for travellers on how to cope...

Politics

21 h. ago Indonesia banks on critical minerals to avert US tariffs – will it work?

Indonesia is banking on its rich reserves of critical minerals to persuade the United States to pull back steep looming tariffs – an offer that could appeal to American strategic interests even as concerns remain about regulatory risks and China’s entrenched role in the country’s mineral supply chains. Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto has described Indonesia’s critical minerals proposal as its “second-best offer” to avert a looming 32 per cent tariff under President...

Economics

22 h. ago China’s power bank crackdown: 6 preflight answers for wary travellers

China’s aviation authorities have imposed an emergency ban on air passengers’ carrying substandard power banks, catching many travellers off guard. The safety precaution, which went into effect on June 28, two days after being announced by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), has triggered questions and concerns. Here are six points that people travelling to and within China need to know – from which power banks are still allowed, to what can be done with ineligible ones at the...

Events

25 h. ago ‘3 is better than 2’: Singapore, Malaysia eye Indonesia for investment zone

Singapore and Malaysia are in talks with Indonesia to expand the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ), according to Singapore’s Trade Minister Gan Kim Yong. The JS-SEZ was officially launched in January, with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and his Singaporean counterpart Lawrence Wong agreeing to develop various industries, including aerospace, medical devices, pharmaceuticals, chemicals and electronics in the 3,571 sq km (1,379 square mile) zone. During the 9th Asean...

Politics

30 h. ago Sabah bribery scandal: Singapore firm comes under Malaysian scrutiny

Malaysia’s anti-corruption agency is now targeting a Singapore-registered mining company as part of its investigation into a bribery scandal in Sabah that has already seen two state lawmakers and a businessman charged in court on Monday. The case captured public attention after the businessman, Albert Tei Jiann Cheing, released covert videos showing state lawmakers engaged in bribe negotiations with him, implicating several prominent figures in Malaysia’s second-largest state. Despite claiming...

Politics

47 h. ago Indonesia and Malaysia set model for dispute resolution with Ambalat pact

The decision by Indonesia and Malaysia to jointly develop the resource-rich Ambalat sea block signals a pragmatic step towards defusing a decades-old territorial stand-off, even as legal uncertainties over sovereignty remain unresolved. The agreement was announced last week during Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s visit to Indonesia, where he met with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto to discuss maritime and land border disputes, investment, and regional conflicts, among...

Politics

50 h. ago Family of Hong Kong teenager who died on Sichuan peak arrive in province

Sichuan authorities are assisting the family of a 16-year-old Hongkonger who died while climbing a snow-covered mountain in the province. The Mount Siguniang Scenic Area Administration confirmed on Wednesday that the victim was 16 years old and told the Post that his family had arrived in the provincial capital Chengdu, with staff assisting them. Hong Kong’s Immigration Department said on Tuesday it was taking follow-up action through the city’s Economic and Trade Office in Chengdu, but did not...

Events

50 h. ago China’s Laopu Gold surges 15% as investors devour newly available shares

A surge in the supply of Laopu Gold shares after the end of a lock-up period turned out to be a buying opportunity for investors who missed out on the luxury jeweller’s 14-fold surge since its 2024 debut. The Beijing-based company’s shares jumped 15 per cent to a record of HK$1,008 on Monday, bucking concerns of a pullback after 69 million shares – a 40 per cent stake – became free-floating, allowing pre-listing investors including founder Xu Gaoming to sell without restrictions a year after the...

Economics

51 h. ago Alibaba Cloud expands AI footprint with data centres in Malaysia, Philippines

Alibaba Cloud, the cloud computing services and artificial intelligence (AI) arm of Alibaba Group Holding, unveiled plans to launch new data centres in Malaysia and the Philippines, as it expands infrastructure investments to meet the growing demand for AI in the region. In a statement on Tuesday marking a decade of operations in Singapore, Alibaba Cloud said it had launched its third data centre in Malaysia, and planned to open a second one in the Philippines in October this year. The latest...

Politics

52 h. ago Quad countries agree to diversify critical mineral supplies amid China concerns

Quad countries agree to diversify critical mineral supplies amid China concerns  The Guardian

Politics

53 h. ago ‘Something is rotten’: concerns mount over Malaysia’s judicial vacuum

Malaysia’s largest party in the ruling coalition has made a last-minute appeal to extend the tenure of the country’s two top judges as concerns over a leadership vacuum in the judiciary intensify. At midnight on Tuesday, Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat’s tenure as chief justice officially ended as she turned 66, while Court of Appeal President Abang Iskandar Abang Hashim will reach the mandatory retirement age on Wednesday midnight. Although the constitution allows for a six-month extension, none has...

Politics

56 h. ago ‘Unprecedented’: Taiwan to test war fitness, urban survival under 24/7 live fire

For the first time, Taiwan’s largest annual military exercise will combine conventional war games and urban survival drills under “unprecedented” live-fire conditions when it gets under way next week. The move signals growing concerns in Taipei that Beijing could trigger a prolonged conflict requiring both military defence and civilian resilience. The 41st Han Kuang exercise from July 9 to 18 would test joint operational readiness under “unprecedented 10-day, round-the-clock live-fire...

Events

67 h. ago Pentagon reliant on Chinese suppliers and ‘not prepared’ for war, report warns

The US defence industrial base remains dependent on Chinese suppliers despite efforts to decouple – and that raises concerns over war readiness, according to a report by data analytics firm Govini. Chinese firms still made up 9.3 per cent of the primary contractors, or Tier 1 suppliers, involved in major US defence programmes across nine critical sectors in 2024, Govini said in its annual National Security Scorecard. “The United States is not prepared for the war that we may have to enter if...

Events

69 h. ago Philippines’ Rodrigo Duterte wants to keep Davao house for sentimental reasons

Former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte has stepped in to defuse a potential family feud over his Davao City house that was put up for sale, saying he is unwilling to offload the property due to its sentimental value. Duterte’s partner Honeylet Avancena said she was seeking buyers for the residence, citing her emotional concerns ever since the Davao mayor was held in a detention centre in The Hague over his charges linked to his war on drugs, in which thousands of purported dealers and users...

Politics

2 d. ago China Bans Some Portable Batteries From Flights as Safety Concerns Grow

China Bans Some Portable Batteries From Flights as Safety Concerns Grow  The New York Times

Politics

3 d. ago China's top leaders vow crackdown on price wars as deflation risks mount

China's top leaders vow crackdown on price wars as deflation risks mount  Reuters

Events

3 d. ago Malaysia faces judicial void as chief justice set to retire without successor

Malaysia’s judiciary faces a leadership vacuum as Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat prepares to step down on Wednesday without a successor named – a gap lawyers warn could undermine judicial independence and public trust. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s administration has opted not to extend the tenure of Tengku Maimun or Abang Iskandar Abang Hashim, the president of the Court of Appeal, both of whom reach the mandatory retirement age of 66 this week. The constitution allows for a six-month...

Politics