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A truckers’ protest in southern Italy has halted the production of the famed buffalo mozzarella, causing an estimated loss of €3 million (US$3.37 million) in just 24 hours as the milk cannot reach dairies in the Naples region and the finished cheese cannot reach customers, an official said. The week-long strike by truck drivers over the high cost of diesel driven up by the Iran war has also blocke...
A federal judge on Thursday ordered US President Donald Trump to sit for a deposition in his US$10 billion defamation lawsuit against the BBC by December 11. The order from US Magistrate Judge Enjolique Lett came as lawyers for the British broadcaster complained that Trump had delayed his appearance. Charles Tobin, the lawyer for the BBC, said that with two months left in the discovery period, “we...
Beijing has slammed “irresponsible remarks” by Britain after a UK report said Hong Kong’s national security law had further diminished the openness that underpinned the city’s success. In the United Kingdom’s latest six-month monitoring report on Hong Kong, released on Thursday, Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said he was “deeply concerned and disturbed” by the continued imprisonment of former media...
[The content of this article has been produced by our advertising partner.] Why Children Need More Than Screens to Master the Future Hong Kong is moving decisively into the age of artificial intelligence in education. The government has committed significant funding to digital education, supporting schools in purchasing AI tools, digital resources and related training. The message from policymaker...
Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg will get a new chunk of shares in the company he founded, and in return, he has agreed to stay in California, where the company is headquartered, for at least eight more years. It is partly a financial carrot intended to keep Zuckerberg in California, where voters in November will decide whether to approve a temporary tax on wealth held by billionaires who live i...
The Philippine ambassador to the United States signalled possible meetings of the “Squad” bloc ahead of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations gathering in Manila, as Washington confirmed that the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue would hold its first leaders’ summit in more than two years on the sidelines of the regional talks. An informal defence grouping, the “Squad” forms part of a US-led re...
Hong Kong is significantly lagging behind its neighbours and ranks near the bottom in meeting the growing demand for artificial intelligence supply chains, according to a major index evaluating key developments across the Greater Bay Area. The finding is part of the Greater Bay Area Industry Development Index 2026, jointly released on Thursday by think tank Our Hong Kong Foundation and Dah Sing Ba...
Organisations in Singapore have been urged to immediately fix two critical security flaws in a widely used programming language amid reports of widespread attempts by hackers to exploit the vulnerabilities. The flaws in PHP, which powers many websites and online services, could allow attackers to take control of web servers, steal data or disrupt services without needing login credentials, Singapo...
The European Union’s perception that China is yielding to its pressure tactics on trade is a “serious misjudgment”, as Beijing proved during last year’s tariff war with the United States that it will not back down from a confrontation, a former Chinese diplomat has warned. Beijing’s willingness to compromise during trade talks with the EU earlier this month – where the two sides agreed a quota on ...
This month alone, Europe has threatened China with a trade “kill switch”, rebuked it in parliament, sent its trade commissioner on a much-trumpeted trip to Beijing and announced three new economic security instruments. The sequence exposed a European Union that has no clear goal on China, no hierarchy of priorities and has reached no agreement on what it wants from Beijing or on what it would pay ...
Nasdaq-listed fintech company Solana and healthcare giant Johnson & Johnson are among the latest batch of enterprises in artificial intelligence, healthtech and advanced manufacturing to establish or expand operations in Hong Kong, bringing in more than HK$10 billion (US$1.28 billion) in investment to the city. The 18 enterprises signed agreements on Thursday with the Office for Attracting Strateg...
Less than two weeks after Brussels and Beijing struck a surprise deal to avert an escalating trade dispute, their fragile rapprochement has descended into a battle over who blinked first. In Brussels and Berlin, officials are emboldened by what they consider proof that collective EU pressure can force Chinese concessions. Rather than resting on their laurels, they are cooking up a fresh batch of t...
Deepening “symbiosis” with artificial intelligence model start-up DeepSeek is helping Chinese tech champion Huawei Technologies catch up with Nvidia’s chip hardware and software ecosystem in a scenario that could mean Jensen Huang’s “nightmare is starting to come true”, according to a new report. DeepSeek’s latest software releases, on top of its increased experimentation with Huawei’s powerful As...
The president of the American Chamber of Commerce in China (AmCham China) has urged Beijing and Washington to push more negotiations down to working-level officials, saying businesses need greater long-term stability in bilateral ties than leader-level diplomacy alone can provide. Michael Hart, president of the chamber, said American businesses were encouraged by the unprecedented frequency of mee...
A mob of about 50 people beat a foreign national to death on Thursday in South Africa’s port city of Durban, a flashpoint for anti-migrant sentiment, police said. Durban has been a focus of months of protests against foreign nationals, with looting and violence erupting after an anti-migrant march in the city two weeks ago. Thursday’s attack in the city centre was on the sidelines of a march, poli...
China backs “constructive efforts” to ensure international shipping lanes are safe and open, a communique jointly issued with Djibouti said, marking Beijing’s first formal statement with a Red Sea nation on containing the fallout from the US-Iran war. Chinese analysts said the situation in the Red Sea has not yet escalated to a level that warrants direct naval escorts, though Beijing will closely ...
From the cockpit of an F-22 fighter to an aircraft carrier sailing in the Pacific, the US military is showing new ways to command uncrewed aircraft over vast distances. The United States disclosed two tests this month as Washington seeks to outpace Beijing in a technology contest that could redefine air and naval power in the region. Illustrating US military advances and their potential significan...
Tesla’s “flying” Roadster stunt has set social media alight worldwide, turning a car launch into a debate about technological innovation and China-US rivalry. At an event in Texas on October 15, Tesla unveiled its redesigned sports car, the Roadster, with stunts including a takeoff from a steep, curved ramp and a leap over parked cars. Pre-orders are open in China with a deposit of 332,000 yuan (U...
A Hong Kong tertiary student convicted of sexually assaulting at least four underage girls has been sentenced to 10 years in prison, with the judge slamming him as a “very sick individual” who showed no remorse. High Court Judge Andrew Chan Hing-wai on Thursday noted from the assessment reports that Fan Chi-yuen, 22, had shown no remorse or empathy towards his victims. They included a 14-year-old ...
Inspections into lift safety across Hong Kong have found no missing fire-resistant door frames among contractors other than Taizoom Elevator, authorities said on Thursday, after 338 buildings served by the firm were confirmed to lack the crucial components. The Electrical and Mechanical Services Department offered an update on the checks on Thursday after the government pledged to expand the inspe...
Facing US sanctions, the International Criminal Court was on Thursday awarded the European Union’s top rights prize, in a show of support that risks upsetting President Donald Trump. “The European Union is built on respect for multilateralism and international institutions, and this prize recognises the important work of the court in upholding international law and justice,” said European Parliame...
The International Criminal Court and officials working at the tribunal have won the European Union’s top human rights honour, the Sakharov Prize, an official said on Thursday. The award came just days after the Trump administration announced sweeping new sanctions on the ICC as part of its campaign to dismantle the tribunal over investigations into the United States and its allies, including Israe...
A strong and united party leadership is vital to victory, Chinese President Xi Jinping said in a keynote speech marking the 90th anniversary of the Long March. Speaking days before an important Communist Party meeting known as the fifth plenum, Xi said the party managed to turn the tide of defeat into a path to victory 90 years ago because it rallied around the leadership of Mao Zedong. By linking...
Indonesia’s government has resisted mounting calls to declare widespread forest and land fires a national disaster, insisting it can handle the crisis alone as residents report worsening health impacts and disaster experts warn that a broader, coordinated response is needed. Critics suggest the reluctance may stem from concerns that a national declaration could force Jakarta to redirect funds from...
Beijing’s plan to recruit more tax officers next year is drawing attention from businesses and wealthy families as tax compliance rises up the policy agenda and authorities intensify enforcement efforts. China’s 2027 national civil service recruitment plan includes 24,013 tax-related positions, accounting for more than 67 per cent of all vacancies, up from over 65 per cent a year earlier. Most of ...
Hong Kong workers received smaller pay rises this year as Guangdong’s wage growth picked up, with the starting salaries of university graduates edging closer to those of sub-degree holders, an annual survey has found. Findings from the 2026 Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area Pay and Benefits Survey, released by Hong Kong’s Baptist University on Thursday, showed that companies in Hong Kong ...
Hong Kong workers received smaller pay rises this year as Guangdong’s wage growth picked up, with the starting salaries of university graduates edging closer to those of non-degree holders, an annual survey has found. Hong Kong Baptist University released the findings of its 2026 Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area Pay and Benefits Survey on Thursday. It showed that companies in Hong Kong a...
Across Paris’ toniest shopping districts, luxury boutiques bear the scars of a weekend of rioting that filled social media feeds around the world. Now they are bracing for the possibility of another round. On the avenue Champs-Elysees, Louis Vuitton’s flagship store has metallic grates protecting its windows that are not there at quieter times, as does the Christian Dior Couture emporium on avenue...
Social unrest in France is not deterring some Chinese students from pursuing studies there – at least for now. Despite nationwide demonstrations over the rising cost of living and declining public services escalating into violence over the weekend, prospective applicants said they remained committed to their academic plans. A 30-year-old woman from Guangdong province who gave only her family name ...
India’s planned acquisition of four large amphibious warships would strengthen its ability to support naval logistics and humanitarian missions across the Indian Ocean, with security experts saying their value depends on how the navy could effectively utilise them during a crisis. The Indian Navy has invited bids for four landing platform docks (LPDs), each with a displacement of more than 30,000 ...
