- 2h ago
Hong Kong First Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa Dies at 89 After Leading Post-Handover Transition
Tung Chee-hwa, the shipping businessman who served as Hong Kong's first chief executive following the 1997 transfer of sovereignty from Britain to China, died on Tuesday at age 89 in Hong Kong.
- 14h ago
Singapore raises prime minister salary to S$3.6 million in political pay review
Singapore has announced a salary revision lifting Prime Minister Lawrence Wong's annual benchmark pay from S$2.2 million to S$3.6 million, with initial adjustments taking effect on 15 October.
- 21h ago
Spain records lowest PISA scores since 2000 as reading drops 23 points
The OECD PISA evaluation shows Spanish 15-year-olds falling 23 points in reading and 16 in mathematics, with the steepest declines concentrated among the most affluent students.
- 2d ago
Russia orders closure of German consulate in St. Petersburg following Leipzig drone dispute
Moscow ordered Germany to close its St. Petersburg consulate by September 18 and shutter Goethe-Institut branches, retaliating against Berlin's closure of Russian diplomatic sites following an airport drone incident.
- 2d ago
China injects 360 billion yuan into state banks and insurers to support lending
China launched a 360 billion yuan ($53.6 billion) recapitalisation of eight state banks and insurers, funded partly by 300 billion yuan in special government bonds, to strengthen capital buffers and encourage credit expansion.
- 2d ago
Asian tech stocks drive Nikkei up 2.2% following US chip rally and jobs data
Equities across Tokyo, Seoul, and Shanghai advanced on Monday after robust US jobs data and artificial intelligence demand lifted semiconductor manufacturers.
- 3d ago
Indonesia reopens Jakarta airports after Anak Krakatau ash halts 2,961 flights
Authorities cleared five airports for flights following safety checks on 178 grounded aircraft, as emergency teams searched for a missing boat carrying five journalists near the volcano.
- 5d ago
Reform UK Suspends Senior Officials Following Foreign Donation Sting at Annual Conference
Reform UK removed two top aides after undercover footage captured discussions on routing foreign donations, disrupting the party's annual conference in Birmingham.
- Sep 2
Shein raises $1.7 billion in flat Hong Kong debut after valuation falls to $26 billion
The fast-fashion group raised HK$13.6 billion after pricing shares at HK$48.56, dropping up to 10% in early trading before recovering near its offer price.
- Sep 2
Joshua Wong pleads guilty to foreign collusion charges in Hong Kong High Court
Prominent Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong has entered a guilty plea to national security conspiracy charges, facing a potential life sentence after six years in detention.
- Sep 1
Eurasian leaders convene in Bishkek for 25th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit
Heads of state from ten member nations gathered in Kyrgyzstan for the 25th anniversary summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, holding bilateral talks on trade, security, and the war in Ukraine.
- Aug 27
Global bond yields surge to multi-year highs as Middle East fighting lifts oil prices
Sovereign bond yields climbed in the United States, Japan, and Australia on Wednesday as renewed U.S.-Iran conflict pushed crude prices above $95 a barrel, increasing market expectations of interest-rate hikes.
- Aug 26
Actor and singer Tim Curry, star of Rocky Horror and It, dies at 80
British actor Tim Curry, renowned for portraying Dr Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Pennywise in It, has died at his home in Los Angeles at age 80.
- Aug 24
US expands Iran sanctions to maritime and digital assets as Tehran blacklists 45 Gulf tankers
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced measures targeting shipping, technology, and digital assets, while Tehran banned 45 vessels from the Strait of Hormuz amid mediation efforts by Pakistan.
- Aug 24
Singapore offers families 70,000 SGD per child to counter fertility decline
Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced up to 70,000 Singapore dollars per child in subsidies, parental leave, and housing support as the national fertility rate fell to 0.87.
- Aug 24
Alibaba agrees to $10.2 billion share placement to finance artificial intelligence buildout
Alibaba Group Holding entered an agreement to issue 710 million shares at HK$112.70 each to raise HK$80 billion, while its Hong Kong-listed stock was indicated to open 8% lower on Monday.
- Aug 24
Shein opens $1.77 billion Hong Kong IPO at $27 billion valuation and pledges $3.5 billion to early investors
The Singapore-based retailer is offering 280 million shares priced between HK$47.60 and HK$49.50 ahead of a September 1 trading debut, down from a private peak valuation of $98.2 billion in 2022.
- Aug 23
Alibaba raises $10.2 billion in Hong Kong share sale to fund artificial intelligence
Alibaba is placing 80 billion Hong Kong dollars of new shares to finance data centers and compute infrastructure, committing all net proceeds to AI development following a quarterly profit decline.
- Aug 22
World's oldest living person Ethel Caterham celebrates 117th birthday in Surrey
Ethel Caterham, the world's oldest living person and the first recorded British citizen to reach 117, celebrated her birthday on 21 August at her care home in Lightwater, Surrey.
- Aug 21
Brent crude approaches $100 following Houthi energy strikes and Gulf tanker attacks
Brent crude rose to $99.22 a barrel on Tuesday after Houthi strikes hit Saudi energy sites and the US targeted Iranian tankers, reducing Hormuz shipping.
