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Pakistan’s bid to mediate between the US and Iran has put Islamabad near the centre of efforts to defuse the Middle East conflict, but with no lasting peace yet in sight, its fragile economy is becoming increasingly exposed to the fallout from the war. While soaring oil prices and disrupted flows through the Strait of Hormuz have led to turmoil in global energy markets, analysts said Pakistan has ...
Chinese scholars must sharpen their focus on the internal conflicts reshaping the United States if they are to help Beijing navigate its rivalry with Washington, according to a prominent academic. These crises include shifts in political culture, heightened racial tensions, the unsustainability of the country’s economic and fiscal model and the widespread influence of protectionism and populism, a...
Brics’ inability to speak with one voice on the Middle East conflict has become a stern test of India’s leadership of the bloc, exposing the challenge of building consensus among its 10 members with divergent interests and concerns. The bloc could not agree on a common position on the war at a meeting of Brics officials to discuss Middle East and North Africa issues in New Delhi last week. Brics h...
A former executive director of Hong Kong’s Insurance Authority has been acquitted of misconduct after she was alleged to have coerced insurer Prudential into hiring her daughter-in-law, as the magistrate ruled that her actions did not cause “actual damage” to public trust in the regulator. Magistrate Minnie Wat Lai-man on Thursday found Carol Hui Mei-ying and digital strategy consultant Chan Tsz-w...
Hong Kong’s education authorities will relax rules for under-enrolled public secondary schools that merge with others in a bid to encourage consolidation amid declining student numbers. In a circular sent to all public secondary schools on Wednesday, the Education Bureau said merged schools would be exempt from submitting survival plans in the first three years after merging, even if they fail to ...
Two victims of the Wang Fuk Court inferno dug through the ashes of their home, only to each discover about HK$100,000 (US$12,800) in charred banknotes, just two of many such finds as residents returned to the fire-damaged Hong Kong estate on Thursday. On the same day, several local storage companies offered free services to affected residents as a show of compassion and solidarity. Thursday marked...
Amid a high-stakes global tech race, Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for greater efforts to boost the country’s basic research and innovation capabilities by expanding its talent pool and fostering a culture of tolerance. “Basic research is the source of the entire scientific system and the main switch for all technical challenges,” Xi said at a symposium on strengthening the country’s bas...
A former head of China’s equities market regulator will face trial on allegations that he took vast sums in bribes in return for approving company listings and loans, according to the Communist Party’s top anti-graft watchdog. Yi Huiman, former chairman of the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC), allegedly used “his position to seek benefits for others in job promotions, listing approval...
Beijing has pledged to expand vocational training for young jobseekers this year, as it looks to help millions of unemployed graduates find work in emerging industries such as robotics and AI. But the policy drive – which includes plans to encourage university graduates to return to technical school – has drawn mixed reactions from a generation already hit hard by China’s youth unemployment crunch...
Sir Mark Young returns This article was first published on May 1, 1946 Sir Mark Young, Governor of Hongkong, returned to the Colony yesterday (April 30, 1946). Sir Mark was Governor when the Japanese attacked on December 8, 1941 and was a prisoner of war until the capitulation. An official welcome took place when Sir Mark stepped ashore from Queen’s Pier. Broadcasting from Government House in the ...
Global oil prices jumped to a four-year high of more than US$122 a barrel on Thursday, on concerns that the US-Iran war could worsen and lead to a protracted Middle East oil supply disruption that could hurt global economic growth. The market moved higher after Axios, citing unidentified sources, reported late on Wednesday that US President Donald Trump was slated to receive a briefing on Thursday...
Global oil prices jumped to a four-year high of more than US$122 a barrel on Thursday, on concerns that the US-Iran war could worsen and lead to a protracted Middle East oil supply disruption that could hurt global economic growth. The market moved higher after Axios, citing unidentified sources, reported late on Wednesday that US President Donald Trump was slated to receive a briefing on Thursday...
The Trump administration’s strategic interest in rare earths is pushing the US towards more pragmatic diplomacy as it seeks to rebuild critical mineral supply chains without China, according to observers. As a result, there had been cooperation with other countries on resource projects even when broader political ties were strained, they said, adding that Beijing’s dominance in the resources appea...
The Donald Trump administration’s strategic interest in rare earths is pushing the US towards more pragmatic diplomacy as it seeks to rebuild critical mineral supply chains that pivot away from China, according to observers. The shift has yielded cooperation on resource projects even when broader political ties are strained, they added, saying it highlighted Washington’s eagerness to secure altern...
A 107-year-old woman, dubbed the “age-defying granny,” has trended on mainland social media for her sound health and sharpness of mind. Centenarian Ding Guijuan lives in Cixi, a small city in the eastern province of Zhejiang. The local media outlet, Love Cixi, which is operated by the municipal propaganda authority, reported her story. In the coverage in mid-April Ding shared her longevity tips an...
The Hong Kong government plans to implement legislation on July 31 allowing terminally ill patients to refuse life-sustaining treatment. In a paper submitted to the Legislative Council, authorities said that the Advance Decision on Life-sustaining Treatment Ordinance, passed in November 2024, would provide legal status to patients’ advance care planning while offering protection to healthcare and ...
The Hong Kong government has planned for legislation allowing terminally ill patients to refuse life-sustaining treatment to start on July 31. In a paper submitted to the Legislative Council, authorities said that the Advance Decision on Life-sustaining Treatment Ordinance, passed in November 2024, would provide legal status to patients’ advance care planning while offering protection to healthcar...
Hong Kong police have arrested a man shortly after he allegedly attempted an armed bank robbery in Causeway Bay on Thursday afternoon. The 60-year-old unemployed suspect allegedly tried to steal HK$100,000 (US$12,760) from a Hang Seng Bank branch on Yee Wo Street shortly before 5pm, a police source said. He was carrying two knives, each measuring 30cm (12 inches). He approached a counter on the se...
Hong Kong police have intercepted a man over an alleged attempted armed bank robbery in Causeway Bay on Thursday afternoon. The suspect allegedly attempted to steal HK$100,000 (US$12,760) from a Hang Seng Bank branch on Yee Wo Street shortly before 5pm, reportedly armed with a knife. He approached a counter and handed over a note demanding the money, claiming he was carrying a knife. A staff membe...
The UK government said on Thursday that the country was facing an antisemitism emergency and pledged to increase security for Jewish communities after a string of arson attacks and a double stabbing that have sparked fear and anger among Jews. The country’s official terror threat level was raised from substantial to severe after Wednesday’s stabbing attack in London, which police have called an ac...
The UK government on Thursday said that the country is facing an antisemitism emergency and pledged to increase security for Jewish communities after a string of arson attacks and a double stabbing that have sparked fear and anger among Jews. The country’s official threat level from terrorism was raised from substantial to severe after Wednesday’s stabbing attack in London, which police have calle...
The British government on Thursday called antisemitism in the UK an “emergency”, and said it would spend millions increasing security around Jewish sites after a string of arson attacks and a double stabbing. The government announced £25 million (US$34 million) for more police patrols and protection around synagogues, schools and community centres after two Jewish men were stabbed and seriously in...
Australian police said on Thursday they have found a body believed to be that of a missing five-year-old indigenous girl and were searching for the man who allegedly murdered her. The girl, now referred to by her family as Kumanjayi Little Baby in line with Indigenous customs, was reported missing from her home in a remote community in central Australia late on Saturday. Police said they locate...
China’s national aviation regulator has signed new partnership deals with its counterparts in Hong Kong and Macau to accelerate type certification for the country’s widebody airliner, the C929, which is being developed to take on mainstream models from Boeing and Airbus. Building on the cooperation framework established for the home-grown narrowbody C919, the Civil Aviation Administration of China...
Subscribers: The Daily Pulse won’t be published on May 1 because of China’s Labour Day holiday. We will resume publication on Monday, May 4. Crude oil prices jumped to a four-year high after US President Donald Trump suggested that a US naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz could last for “months”. Brent crude, the global benchmark, surged as much as 7.3 per cent, surpassing US$126 a barrel, foll...
Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, South Korea’s two memory chip giants, are warning of a prolonged and severe global supply crunch, weeks after the two companies disclosed increased investments in their China wafer fabs to meet surging artificial intelligence demand. During Samsung’s first-quarter earnings call on Thursday, the company said its order fulfilment rate had plunged to a “record low”. ...
Chinese social media reacted with amusement and disbelief as Britain’s King Charles gave US President Donald Trump a World War II-era British submarine bell as a gift, highlighting differing cultural interpretations of the unusual gesture. “Gifting a bell isn’t a big deal in Western culture – but it’s quite amusing, as far as we’re concerned!” a user on Chinese social media wrote. On Tuesday, duri...
Activists sailing on dozens of boats attempting to break Israel’s maritime blockade of the Gaza Strip to deliver humanitarian aid say Israeli forces intercepted them overnight Wednesday into Thursday, detaining the crews while the flotilla was sailing hundreds of kilometres from Gaza near the southern Greek island of Crete. The Global Sumud Flotilla set sail earlier this month from Barcelona. Orga...
A viral appearance in the swimsuit round by a male beauty pageant contestant in the Philippines has sparked a wider debate about male beauty standards and whether pageantry is ready to make room for people who do not fit its traditional ideals. RJ Perkins, 21, drew widespread attention after a video showed him strutting across an outdoor stage during the swimwear segment of Mister Pampanga, held i...
As a rift widens among Republicans over US-Israeli air strikes on Iran, a top Korean-American leader said Seoul must recognise that President Donald Trump is heavily influenced by a faction he calls “new neocons”. Conservative commentator Tucker Carlson broke sharply with the president in a Wall Street Journal interview on Saturday, calling him a “slave” to hawkish interventionists willing to depl...
