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Politics

Hong Kong earmarks additional HK$5 billion for national security

Fresh allocation brings total funding to HK$18 billion over five years.

The latest funding marks the third non-recurrent expenditure from the city government for national security spending. Photo: Jelly Tse

Economic Indicators

China’s unexpected retail slowdown shows Hormuz strains

Retail sales growth slumped in April, industrial output cooled and fixed-asset investments tumbled as high oil prices hit China’s economy.

Photo: VCG via Getty Images

Politics

Why Beijing is outraged over Taiwan’s Lai honouring a WWII-era Japanese engineer

Scathing commentary accuses self-ruled island’s leader of ‘forgetting his ancestors’ and ‘ingratiating himself’ with Tokyo amid frayed ties.

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Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te speaks at an event marking the 40th anniversary of the founding of the independence-leaning ruling Democratic Progressive Party, in Taipei on Sunday. Photo: Reuters

Economics

South Korea weighs the cost of stepping into Samsung’s US$400,000 bonus row

Seoul is considering using a rarely used emergency power to halt a strike that could cost the economy US$67 billion.

Members of Samsung Electronics’ largest labour union chant slogans during a protest against the company’s compensation levels in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, last month. Photo: Reuters

United States & Canada

Video | US Navy jets collide mid-air during Idaho air show

Four crew members safely ejected from two EA-18G Growlers after the mid-air collision during the Gunfighter Skies Air Show at Mountain Home Air Force Base.

Two US Navy EA-18G Growler fighter jets collided mid-air on May 17, 2026, during an aerial demonstration at an Idaho air show. All four crew members from the Electronic Attack Squadron 129 squadron safely ejected from the aircraft and were reported in stable condition. There were no injuries reported at the Mountain Home Air Force base, where the incident happened. The remainder of the two-day air show was cancelled and an immediate lockdown of the base was imposed as an investigation into the crash was launched.
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China Business

Li Auto leads retreat in Chinese EV stocks as price cuts raise profit concerns

The renewed pullback in Chinese EV stocks follows a brief rally that was driven by expectations of rising demand for alternative energy.

The flagship L9 Livis on display at the Li Auto booth, at the Beijing International Automotive Exhibition (Auto China), April 24, 2026. Photo: Reuters

Diplomacy

Xi-Trump summit outcomes

US President Donald Trump touted his ‘successful’ meeting with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping last week. While the leaders projected optimism, differences in their summaries of what was agreed hinted at tensions over the Iran war, trade and Taiwan.

Xi-Trump summit outcomes

Asia Opinion

The View | Why Asia’s rental housing markets outside Japan are luring investors

While Japan remains the most developed market, property investors are finding new opportunities elsewhere in the region.

Tokyo Skytree is pictured between residential buildings on February 20, 2025. Photo: AFP

Africa

Silent spread of rare and deadly Ebola strain exposes surveillance gaps

A four-week detection delay for the Bundibugyo variant has left dozens dead and triggered a global emergency alert.

Health workers in protective suits tend to an Ebola victim in an isolation tent in 2019. Photo: AP

Politics

Why Malaysia’s election ‘war drums’ could be the end for Anwar’s coalition

Rival-turned-ally Umno – and allies-turned-rivals Rafizi and Nik Nazmi – may force the prime minister to call an early election.

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Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim attends a meeting at Perdana Putra Complex in Putrajaya on April 16. Photo: dpa
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Arts

Once an Indonesian guerrilla fighter, she’s now a ‘quantum ghost’ in Venice

Len Karamoy, a leader of an Indonesian rebel movement, is the focus of Natasha Tontey’s video installation at the 2026 Venice Biennale.

A scene from Natasha Tontey’s “The Phantom Combatants and the Metabolism of Disobedient Organs” (2026) multi-panel video installation at the Ateneo Veneto cultural institute in Venice, Italy, for the Venice Biennale. Photo: Jacopo La Forgia

Tech Trends

Forget cellular data: China’s telecoms giants are selling AI token plans

China Telecom and China Unicom’s Shanghai branch are among the latest telecommunications carriers to offer token-based packages to consumers.

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All three major telecom operators in China now offer tokens-based packages to consumers. Photo: AFP

Society

Hong Kong’s CUHK aims to bring AI to life with humanoid-focused robotics lab

City’s first embodied AI lab, backed by 24 tech firms, is set to advance humanoid and quadruped robotics research and training over next five years.

The Chinese University of Hong Kong has launched the city’s first embodied AI lab to drive humanoid and quadruped robotics research and talent training. Photo: Edmond So

Diplomacy

Chinese scientists land on Sandy Cay as tensions with Philippines escalate again

Manila says it sent a plane over the South China Sea reef in an effort to ‘drive away’ those carrying out ‘unauthorised’ research activity.

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The Philippine coastguard said it had spotted a research vessel accompanied by two coastguard ships. Photo: X/ jaytaryela

Europe

Revolt against UK’s Starmer revives bitter debate over undoing Brexit

With the prime minister’s leadership in crisis, the spectre of rejoining the EU is creeping back into the debate.

Workers adjust a flag opposite the Elizabeth Tower, commonly known as Big Ben, in London. Photo: Reuters
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Business

Rising used home prices in China’s major cities during April fan stability hopes

With first-tier cities seeing price upticks, analysts are optimistic that the struggling property sector is showing signs of bottoming out.

Shanghai led the way among China's first-tier cites for secondary home price rises in April. Photo: AFP

China

Feeling the love: Fan gets outpouring of support despite mixed finals display

Chinese table tennis player had to rely on his teammates to help secure the Champions League title for his German side 1. FC Saarbruecken.

Fan Zhendong and his 1. FC Saarbruecken team won the Champions League men’s title on Sunday. Photo: Getty Images

Law and Crime

Hong Kong court confiscates HK$674,860 from 3 defendants in terrorism trial

High Court declares money raised by ‘Dragon Slaying Brigade’ constituted terrorist property under ordinance.

The bomb plot was formed during the months-long protests in 2019. Photo: Sam Tsang

South Asia

India has 1.42 billion people – but some Modi allies want bigger families

India’s fertility rate has been dropping, prompting calls for more babies with cash incentives.

Commuters crowd on a train platform in Mumbai. The UN projects India’s population will keep rising for ‌about four decades, peaking at around 1.7 billion. Photo: Reuters

Tech Trends

China’s Amec setting industry standard for chipmaking tech, founder says

The head of one of China’s leading semiconductor makers said its technology has been adopted by overseas competitors.

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The founder of chipmaker AMEC says its technology has become a standard in the semiconductor industry. Photo: Shutterstock
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Racing

Lor mulling change of tactics with Numbers for Champions and Chater test

His stable star tackles the likes of Romantic Warrior, Deep Monster and Rousham Park in the city’s final Group One of the season.

Frankie Lor celebrates a Sha Tin winner. Photos: Kenneth Chan

Society

Hong Kong urged to trigger travel alert to DR Congo, Uganda amid Ebola outbreak

Infectious disease expert says more preventive measures necessary, noting frequent exchanges between mainland Chinese and central African cities.

A general hospital in Goma, a major city in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, where the first case of Ebola in the current outbreak was reported. Photo: AFP

Hong Kong

Gallery | In pictures: puppets, guqin and bamboo sculptures at ‘Hong Kong ICH Month’

Master Wong Fai's puppets are categorised into rod, string, glove, shadow, and hand puppets. Photo: Dickson Lee

Asia

Video | Massive new dinosaur discovered in Thailand

The long-necked herbivore, named Nagatitan chaiyaphumensis, stretched 27 metres (88ft) and weighed as much as nine adult Asian elephants.

Scientists have identified a massive new dinosaur from fossils discovered in Thailand. The long-necked herbivore stretched 27 metres (88ft) and weighed about 27 tonnes, making it the largest ever found in Southeast Asia. Researchers estimated the new dinosaur had the same heft as nine adult Asian elephants.
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Trending in China

‘Occupational bug’: Stressed China surgeon goes viral over 150kg weight, bad diet

Overweight doctor bemoans his inability to shed the pounds; says he takes up ‘a lot of space’ at the operating table.

A Shanghai doctor has gone viral for weighing 150kg due to work stress and an unhealthy diet. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock/Douyin
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K-movies

Review | Hope: director Na Hong-jin of The Wailing fame returns with a monster mess

A promising beginning and strong performances are not enough to save Hope from being a messy spectacle with woeful CGI monsters.

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Jung Ho-yeon (front) and Hwang Jung-min in a still from Hope.

Science

China’s northeast, poor in rare earths, scores big find

A new type of deposit in Heilongjiang and Jilin promises easier, cheaper mining than in southern clay-rich areas, say scientists.

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A rare earth mine at Bayan Obo, in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region of China, seen in 2011. Photo: VCG via Getty Images

Health & Environment

‘Lives are cheap here’: Thailand reels from deadly Bangkok train crash

A drug-positive train driver with no licence. A barrier raised too late. Thailand’s capital asks: when will the city finally fix itself?

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Residents inspect the site of Saturday’s deadly train crash in Bangkok where flowers have been laid in memory of the eight people killed. Photo: Aidan Jones

Food & Drink

Where to eat in Singapore, from hawker centres to Michelin restaurants

With a blend of Chinese, Malay and Indian cuisines, and a huge choice of fresh produce and spices, the Lion City is a culinary dream.

Grilled stingray wrapped in banana leaves, sold in Singapore’s Lau Pa Sat hawker centre. Photo: Manuel Meyer/dpa-tmn

Asia

Video | Train driver charged in deadly Bangkok crash

At least eight people died and more than 30 were injured after a goods train collided with a bus at a busy downtown intersection.

A view of a train and a bus after their collision with several cars on Asok-Din Daeng Road, causing several casualties, in Bangkok, Thailand, May 16, 2026. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha
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