The Chinese navy has unveiled a new anti-drone air defence system, state media reported on Monday. In recent years, drones have fundamentally transformed naval warfare and emerged as a significant threat to modern warships in conflicts such as Russias war against Ukraine and the US-Israeli attacks on Iran. State broadcaster CCTV said a finalisation test ...

Hong Kong property transactions surged to a four-month high in April, while the value and volume of home sales hit their highest level in 24 months, according to the latest official data, underscoring the resilience of the citys real estate sector amid uncertainties over interest rates and the US-Israel war on Iran. A total of 8,692 transactions across ...

Hong Kong education authorities have contacted a school after its newly tightened rules and penalties on mobile phone use triggered an outcry among students. Under the new measures, due to take effect in the coming weeks, Form Three and Four students at the boys school Kwun Tong Maryknoll College will be banned from using mobile phones on campus, with ...

Indonesia is moving to reshape its ride-hailing industry from the inside, with officials saying the state has acquired stakes in app companies as President Prabowo Subianto seeks to raise drivers earnings and rein in commission fees. The move could mark a significant shift in one of Southeast Asias biggest on-demand economies, where millions of drivers for ...

On a small island off eastern China, a group of mothers is rewriting the rules of work and family life. Known as the Female Knights, this determined band of women has turned food delivery into a path to financial independence and self-empowerment. Qushan Island, in Zhoushan, Zhejiang province, has a population of around 55,000. Its main industries are ...

Four years after Shanghais harsh citywide lockdown, there are signs the citys expatriate population which thinned significantly during the pandemic is starting to rebound, though with a notably different demographic profile. The sound of English, Korean and French is once again often heard drifting through the plane-tree-lined streets of Shanghais former ...

South Koreas first home-grown combat aircraft, the KF-21, still has a long way to go competing globally against products from the US, Europe and China, analysts said, as the fighter jet finally rolls out. In March, Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) officially unveiled the first production unit of the KF-21 Boramae, placing Seoul in an elite group of now ...

Swedens government said on Tuesday it would push forward with a plan to form a new spy agency targeting overseas threats, part of a wider reset prompted by Russias war in Ukraine. The new agency would be called Swedens foreign intelligence service (UND) and would start operations in January 2027, Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard told a press ...

Researchers at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) say they have developed a world-first nasal spray that delivers neurotherapeutic powder directly to the brain as first aid for ischemic stroke patients, with clinical trials expected by 2030. The treatment is intended for initial use by paramedics, before being rolled out to high-risk groups in care ...

Japan and Australia agreed to step up collaboration in areas including critical minerals, defence and energy security, tackling Chinas dominance of rare earths and fuel-supply disruptions caused by the Iran war. Australia and Japan are taking action to protect our economies from future economic shocks and uncertainty, Australian Prime Minister Anthony ...

Hong Kong has recorded its fastest economic growth in nearly five years in the first quarter, at 5.9 per cent, driven by strong exports and private consumption despite ongoing unrest in the Middle East. The first-quarter growth exceeded the year-on-year increase of 4 per cent recorded in the fourth quarter of last year, according to advance estimates ...

More than 240 owners representing over 12 per cent of households at Hong Kongs fire-ravaged Wang Fuk Court petitioned the government-appointed administrator in late April to hold an extraordinary general meeting, saying they might seek legal action if the request was ignored. The owners said in a statement on Tuesday that they would consider applying to the ...

A Japanese infantry unit has withdrawn a new patch designed by artificial intelligence after it was criticised for being immature, aggressive and out of step with the public image of the countrys Self-Defence Forces (SDF). The 1st Infantry Regiments patch was unveiled on April 29 and features an elephant in a helmet and other combat gear, holding a machine ...

When it comes to artificial intelligence, the United States still dominates the headlines and, by most conventional measures, the technology itself. American institutions continue to produce a large share of high-impact AI research, and private investment reached over US$109 billion in 2024, nearly 12 times Chinas total, according to the Stanford Institute ...

Thailand on Tuesday cancelleda long-standingg agreement with Cambodia to work towards joint offshore energy exploration, Thailands prime minister said, defying calls from its neighbour to stay the course on the 25-year-old pact. The Thai cabinets cancellation of the 2001 agreement, which seeks to develop a framework to jointly explore hydrocarbons in parts ...

As Chinas role in Africas economy continues to grow, so do the opportunities for locals that can speak Chinese. The change is partially being driven by the expanding footprint of smaller Chinese companies, which would rather hire locally than bring their own staff from China, and by the increasing role played by African firms in trade. Few of the thousands ...

WeRide boss Tony Han Xu believes the first fully autonomous cars may arrive on streets by 2035, as global carmakers and tech firms accelerate the application of self-driving technologies despite roadblocks. The latest setback came when Chinese regulators stepped in after an incident in Wuhan on March 31. Authorities scaled back the issuance of new ...

Four men slipped aboard in the darkness. Armed with knives and moving fast, they descended into the engine room of the Taipan as the Marshall Islands-flagged tanker threaded its way through the Singapore Strait on the night of April 22. The crew managed to raise the alarm in time and thankfully no one was hurt. But by the time the vessel was searched the ...

A tourist has shared photos of herself holding a MacLehose Trail sign apparently removed from its metal stand during the Labour Day golden week holiday, drawing criticism from Hong Kong internet users. In one of two photos posted on her RedNote account, 2 star, on Monday, the woman is seen holding the wooden panel, with a caption reading: This is my ...

A hantavirus outbreak tied to a cruise ship off Cabo Verde has grown to seven cases, including two confirmed infections, the World Health Organization said on Monday, with three deaths among those linked to the voyage. The Dutch-flagged MV Hondius is carrying 147 passengers and crew from 23 countries. Among the passengers are 17 Americans, 19 Britons and 13 ...

A 12-year-old boy in Hong Kong has been arrested on suspicion of manufacturing explosives and posting about the process online, the South China Morning Post has learned. Police said they were expected to reveal details of the case on Tuesday afternoon. Anyone who makes or knowingly possesses an explosive substance is liable to a maximum sentence of 14 years ...

A Malaysian minister urged the countrys police chief to clarify the status of investigations into allegations that a network of businessmen was colluding with anti-corruption agency officials to oust executives. The government has ordered law enforcement agencies, including the Malaysian AntiCorruption Commission (MACC), to look into the allegations ...

The death of a runner from heatstroke after a Penang hill run event has put a spotlight on the rising risks of soaring temperatures in Malaysia, as authorities report a spike in heat-related illnesses and are seeding clouds to trigger rains in the countrys drought-hit northern region. The death of the 41-year-old, the islands first-ever confirmed heatstroke ...

Hong Kongs anti-corruption watchdog has arrested seven people linked to a syndicate that allegedly targeted large maintenance projects with undisclosed conflicts of interest and a contractor who served in a dual role as consultant. The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) on Tuesday said it had arrested five men and two women, aged 37 to 75, ...

Singapore schools used caning as a disciplinary measure only when all other options were inadequate, given the gravity of the misconduct, Minister for Education Desmond Lee said on Tuesday. Responding to more than 20 parliamentary questions on the Ministry of Educations (MOE) updated efforts to tackle bullying, Lee acknowledged that studies linked poorly ...