Author: stingfm

We have selected seven stories from this week’s news across Hong Kong, mainland China, the wider Asia region and beyond that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. China deploys prototype of missile defence system with planet-wide coverage […]

Donald Trump signalled on Thursday that he planned to follow through on his threat for mass lay-offs of US federal workers as he ratcheted pressure on Democrats to back moves to end the government shutdown. The Republican US president announced he would meet budget chief Russell Vought “to determine which of the many Democrat Agencies, […]

President Vladimir Putin on Thursday condemned France’s detention of a Russian-linked ship as “piracy”, vowing a “significant” response to what he called European threats as tension flared. The Russian leader’s warning came after the French navy on Saturday detained and boarded an oil tanker that has been blacklisted by the European Union for being part […]

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky warned Europe on Thursday recent drone incursions showed Russia was looking to “escalate” its aggression, as he offered his country’s war-honed expertise to help counter the threat. The warning came at a summit of European leaders from just under 50 countries, who converged on a conference centre in Copenhagen under tight […]

US President Donald Trump has declared drug cartels to be unlawful combatants and says the United States is now in a “non-international armed conflict”, according to a Trump administration memo, following recent US strikes on boats in the Caribbean. The memo appears to represent an extraordinary assertion of presidential war powers, with Trump effectively declaring […]

A set of heavy Chinese wooden doors, slightly incongruous with the classical European streetscapes most associated with Paris, separates Sun Yiwen’s restaurant from the wine and cheese vendors that are traditional culinary landmarks in the French capital. Visitors crossing its threshold find themselves transported to a world of kaochuan – seasoned meat skewers popular in […]

For decades, cross-border trade in the Asia-Pacific has been denominated in US dollars. Given the currency’s relative stability and accessibility, small and medium-sized businesses, merchants and manufacturers looking to expand across borders traditionally conducted international trade in the US dollar. For instance, a Shenzhen manufacturer in China paying its Indonesian supplier would convert yuan to […]

At least 12 Malaysians on a humanitarian aid trip to Gaza have been detained by Israeli forces who stopped their flotilla outside the blockaded Palestinian enclave early on Thursday morning, triggering condemnation from Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. The Global Sumud Flotilla, which set sail in August, is seeking to break Israel’s naval blockade and spotlight […]

Morocco has reported its first deaths from youth-led protests over poor public services and heavy spending on preparations for the 2030 men’s soccer World Cup. Officers of the Royal Gendarmerie killed two people and wounded an unspecified number of others on Wednesday after they “were forced” to repel attackers suspected of trying to steal their […]

Makeshift scaffolding set up at a church in Ethiopia collapsed on Wednesday, killing at least 36 people and injuring more than 200, state media said. The incident occurred at around 7.45am in the town of Arerti, roughly 70km (40 miles) east of capital Addis Ababa, when a group was visiting for an annual Virgin Mary […]