Chinas top internet watchdog has drafted new rules to regulate how social platforms and game developers should protect minors, including a ban on offering virtual intimacy services to those under 18 as artificial intelligence-powered companions gain traction. The rules, titled Ensuring minors safe and healthy use of the internet, would ban online platforms ...

Investors in Asia are demanding clearer evidence that artificial intelligence can translate into revenue and earnings, rather than simply seeking exposure to the technology, as the sector moves into a more mature phase, according to Chris Oberoi, head of Asia-Pacific research at Bank of America (BofA) Global Research. The issue increasingly is: does it add ...

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has suffered a double whammy as his Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition scrambles to placate public outrage over disgraced ex-leader Najib Razak being granted house arrest, and the shock resignation of his transport minister in protest of the royal clemency. But observers do not expect the administration, already reeling ...

A top official will determine where responsibility lies when a public complaint spans multiple departments under a new handling mechanism for the 1823 hotline, set to be implemented early next year. Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration Warner Cheuk Wing-hing said on Monday that he would ensure a very fair distribution of responsibility when assigning ...

Hong Kong flag carrier Cathay Pacific Airways has called on the government to map out a longer-term plan for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) beyond 2030, including mandatory targets and consistent policies to enable the industry to scale up and meet the citys goal. The airline made the call as a mainland Chinese official also proposed on Monday that ...

Footage of a cargo ship ploughing into a Chinese fishing boat in the Singapore Strait, sending seawater surging across the smaller vessels deck as its crew scrambled to hold on, has circulated widely online. The 229-metre-long (750-foot) bulk carrier First Margaux struck the Luqing Yuanyu 108, a 49-metre (160-foot) Chinese fishing vessel, at around 5pm on ...

Scientists in China have simulated a drone attack on one of the countrys major suspension bridges to determine the vulnerability of key transport hubs to modern warfare tactics. The researchers found that a drone carrying just 30kg (66lb) of TNT could trigger a bridge collapse if it detonated within inches of the main suspension cable at the point where it ...

China sharply increased its imports of crude oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Canada in August amid an escalating trade dispute between Ottawa and Washington. The countrys imports of Russian energy products also rose sharply last month, as geopolitical risks including war in Iran accelerated Beijings efforts to diversify its energy supplies. Customs ...

Hong Kong Ballet will relocate to the citys first dedicated dance art venue for at least five years, starting in April 2027, according to the institution and the West Kowloon Cultural District (WKCD). The move to the Dancehouse at the soon-to-be-finished WestK Performing Arts Centre will follow the ballet companys departure from its base of 16 years at the ...

Late last month, an open tender for Hotel Cozi Harbour View in Kwun Tong was announced, with interested parties given until October 15 to submit bids. The 598-room hotel, located in Hong Kongs eastern Kowloon Peninsula, a former industrial area, was taken over by Nanyang Commercial Bank for HK$1.87 billion (US$238.4 million) in 2025, with the bank now ...

For low-lying Pacific island states such as Tuvalu and Kiribati, rising sea levels are not just an existential crisis but also one that calls into question the very foundations of statehood. At the heart of this lies a contentious question: should maritime boundaries shift with changing coastlines, or should they be frozen in place? The answer carries ...

The Philippines has suffered three deadly school shootings since June. In each case, at least one weapon belonged to a relative working in government or law enforcement, whether as an official service issue or a privately licensed firearm. On Friday, a student at Banga National High School in South Cotabato province shot dead two classmates, wounded several ...

The Communist Party of China has set a date for its most important political gathering this autumn. The fifth plenary session of the 20th Central Committee will be held from October 26 to October 29, according to official news agency Xinhua on Monday. The decision was made during Mondays meeting of the 21-member Politburo, which is chaired by President Xi ...

Singapores retrenchment rate in the second quarter of 2026 hit its highest level since the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in late 2020, driven by business reorganisation and restructuring, the manpower ministry said on Monday. There were 4,620 retrenchments in the second quarter of this year, up from the 3,830 retrenchments posted in the first quarter of ...

A Japanese woman was left unable to breathe on her own after a veteran surgeon mistakenly removed healthy tissue instead of a benign tumour from her brain. Kyoto University Hospital apologised for the medical error and vowed to take measures to prevent similar incidents, local news outlet TV Asahi reported. The woman, in her fifties, was diagnosed with a ...

More than 11,000 residents have applied to take the joint examination for taxi and ride-hailing car driver permits, exceeding the Hong Kong governments expectations, according to the citys transport minister. Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan also gave more details on Monday about a separate scheme that would allow mainland yacht owners to ...

A record number of New Zealanders turned out at the polls this month, not for national elections but to vote for their Bird of the Year the critically endangered black robin. The diminutive native lives on the remote Chatham Islands, 800km (500 miles) off the South Islands east coast. In 1980, only five of the birds remained, including a single breeding ...

In a breakthrough that could power the future of underwater operations, Chinese scientists have built and tested the worlds first submarine solar farm, successfully operating a perovskite-based photovoltaic system at a depth of 10 metres (33 feet) in the open sea. The submerged array charged batteries and powered a LED panel, proving that solar energy can ...

Three people, including South Korean soldiers, were injured in a suspected mine blast inside the demilitarised zone (DMZ), South Koreas Yonhap News TV reported on Monday. The DMZ, which has divided the peninsula since the 1950-53 Korean war ended with an armistice, is among the most heavily mined places in the world. A soldier was seriously injured during ...

A fierce 30-minute bidding war for a rare Louis Vuitton x Yayoi Kusama pumpkin bag seized in Singapores S$3 billion (US$2.35 billion) money laundering case sent its final price soaring on Sunday night. The limited-edition yellow monogram leather piece, which was a collaboration between the luxury fashion house and the Japanese artist who recently died at ...

Japans Environment Ministry is stepping up measures against longhorn beetles that are devouring cherry trees, with a request for 6.7 billion yen (US$43 million) to counter invasive species in the next financial years initial budget. According to the ministry, the requested amount, which is an increase of 11 times the initial budget of 600 million yen for ...

Hong Kong authorities have captured three stray mongrels near a road in Yuen Long after a female cyclist was suspected of having died in a fatal dog attack in the area. The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) said on Monday that it had worked alongside police to capture three stray dogs near Pok Wai South Road on Sunday evening. But ...

When Chinese artificial intelligence developers want to train their next-generation frontier models, they all face the same daunting wall: they cannot legally buy the worlds most powerful AI chips. However, the countrys tech giants and start-ups have still managed to quietly keep pace with global rivals. Their secret is an elusive workaround: moving heavy ...

A woman in her 70s in northern China briefly exhibited signs of life after being placed in a coffin, but ultimately died two days later. The woman, from Hebei province, had been suffering from cerebral thrombosis for decades and was also battling cancer, according to reports from mainland sources. After doctors concluded that her cancer was no longer ...

Tribal leader Petronila Munoz walked across the sweeping Philippine grasslands she has called home for generations, uncertain about its future, as a sprawling tech hub for a US-led initiative takes shape. With little information and no prior consultation, the indigenous chieftain said her Aeta Hungey tribe was uncertain how much of their land could be ...