Daily Asia briefing

Hong Kong’s financial chief has revised the city’s fiscal surplus for the previous year to HK$11 billion (US$1.91 billion), nearly four times the original estimate, saying the ongoing Middle East conflict had a limited i...

Russia will mark victory over Nazi Germany next month with a military parade on Moscow’s Red Square, but with no military equipment displayed in view of the operational situation in the war in Ukraine, the ‌Defence Minis...

The leader of Mali’s military government, Assimi Goita, on ⁠Tuesday made his first public appearance since insurgents launched coordinated attacks over the weekend, vowing in a televised address to “neutralise” those res...

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Hong Kong’s weather forecaster issued an amber rainstorm warning on Wednesday cal...

Israel’s reported deployment of its Iron Dome missile defence battery in the UAE signals a “watershed moment” in Middle Eastern security alignments, analysts say, as the war in Iran highlights the critical role of such a...

Chinese scientists are moving technology that converts greenhouse gases into aviation fuel out of the laboratory and towards large-scale production. Global jet fuel prices surged to US$175 a barrel in March – a year-on-y...

A South Korean appeal court increased the sentence of jailed former president Yoon Suk-yeol on Wednesday to seven years for obstructing justice, up from five years. A lower court had handed Yoon the initial sentence in J...

Hong Kong authorities have pledged to intervene in landlord-tenant disputes preventing residents from retrieving belongings from the fire-ravaged Wang Fuk Court, as packing efforts enter their 10th day. Deputy Chief Secr...

Homeowners of the only block undamaged in the deadly Wang Fuk Court inferno who decline the government’s buy-back offer will face significant challenges in the management and maintenance of their properties in the long r...

Donald Trump’s picture will soon appear in some US passports, officials said on Tuesday, shattering another norm as the president aggressively puts his personal stamp on government institutions. The US State Department,...

Times of India World is tracking Economy & Trade developments tied to Scientists decode ancient diseases from bones, teeth and DNA evidence.

Times of India World is tracking Economy & Trade developments tied to 10 unexpected jobs US Presidents did that will surprise you.

Thailand is turning to live-streamers to clear a looming durian glut, slashing prices as weaker Chinese demand threatens its biggest export market. Top online seller Pimradaporn Benjawattanapat, or Pimrypie, led a high-e...

Being a Malaysian Indian is apparently a good indication that you are unlikely to fall for a scam. Police have found that potential victims from the ethnic group are more than likely to frustrate scammers with a barrage...

Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX), operator of Asia’s third-largest stock market, reported a record quarterly profit in the first three months of 2026, buoyed by more new listings and increased turnover. Net profit...

China’s top market regulator is intensifying its crackdown on debt-laden “zombie companies” – rolling out a pilot programme in seven economic hubs to facilitate the forced exit of unprofitable firms often propped up by g...

Jean Paul-Sartre once said: Freedom is what you do with what’s been done to you, and America – with its freedom from Britain and other colonial powers – develop its own peculiarities, one of which is the White House Corr...

We have put together stories from our coverage on electric and new energy vehicles from the past two weeks to help you stay informed. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. China’...

Hong Kong will introduce a two-month subsidy for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) used by taxis, minibuses and school buses from May, amid soaring fuel prices, while a previously announced diesel subsidy will take effect on...

Asia’s oil import-dependent economies will benefit from the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) exit from Opec, though the ongoing closure of the arterial Strait of Hormuz may not offer any immediate relief from soaring prices,...

Hong Kong authorities have failed to meet targets on the supply and construction of youth hostels, with the number of flats offered accounting for only 44 per cent of what was intended, an audit report has found. The Aud...

One of Japan’s most popular zoos has delayed its reopening after an employee reportedly told police he had burned his wife’s body in an incinerator on its grounds. Asahiyama Zoo in Hokkaido’s second-largest city of Asahi...

Olympic sprinter Abby Steiner has filed a lawsuit against Puma, alleging its running shoes caused injuries that derailed her career. Once a rising star and world champion relay gold medallist, Steiner claims defective fo...

Hong Kong expects about 980,000 mainland Chinese visitors over the Labour Day “golden week” holiday from May 1 to 5, a 7 per cent increase from last year. Instead of rushing through major attractions, many travellers are...

A Hong Kong cook has been jailed for 18 years for persistently sexually abusing the daughter he shares with his mistress, also slammed by the judge for trying to keep the victim silent about the defendant’s crimes. The H...

Ground-handling company SATS has apologised over a video circulating online showing a service crew member throwing luggage onto a baggage belt at Singapore’s Changi Airport. “The behaviour seen in the video does not refl...

A social media account in China with more than 11 million followers which targets juveniles has been banned for forcing young female live-streamers to stay in a tank with a crocodile. The permanent ban also came after th...