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Latest
China
Economy
Hong Kong
Asia
Business
Tech
Lifestyle
People & Culture
World
Opinion
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Sport
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Is the yen carry trade starting to unravel as Japan’s currency strengthens?

The trade relies on borrowing cheap yen to invest in higher-returning assets overseas, but analysts say the strategy faces mounting pressure.

A passerby walks in front of a monitor showing the foreign exchange rate between the US dollar and the Japanese yen in Tokyo. Photo: EPA

Politics

US wants Taiwan to ‘serve as cannon fodder’ against mainland China: state media

Society

Hong Kong is lagging in the AI race – can it raise its game, and how?

Politics

China targets ‘toxic’ traffic as viral sensations upend daily life and services

From content creators to organised fan groups, state media and local authorities urge greater awareness of boundaries and restraint.

Local authorities have been urged to be more discerning in how they respond to online traffic. Photo: AFP

Diplomacy

Internal splits threaten to slow Brics’ progress as bloc marks 20th anniversary

The grouping has emerged as a strong champion of the Global South, but analysts warned that major challenges still lie ahead.

This year’s Brics summit is being hosted by India, one of the founder members. Photo: AFP

China Business

Taobao’s ‘ugly’ products turn humour and individuality into a booming business

Items that might have once been seen as unmarketable are going viral online as shoppers embrace quirkiness and novelty over conventional aesthetics.

Figures are displayed at Taobao’s Treasured Uglies Art Exhibition on Friday ahead of the official opening on Saturday. Photo: handout

Tech Trends

Nvidia says AGI is here. How are China’s top AI labs catching up?

A primer on what AGI means, where top Chinese AI developers stand, and how Chinese policymakers view the technology.

The Moonshot Kimi and DeepSeek logos are seen in this illustration taken September 5, 2026. Photo: Reuters

Lifestyle

What drives 4 Shaw Prize laureates in pursuit of scientific discovery

In partnership with:The Shaw Prize
Four of this year’s Shaw Prize laureates: (from left) Ken’ichi Nomoto, Stanford Woosley, Camillo De Lellis and Emmanuel Candes.
Exclusive

AI fight shadows final preparations for Xi Jinping’s White House visit

Chinese side is said to view US requests as limiting both harmful outcomes from AI and Beijing’s ability to develop its own capabilities.

US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping last met in person in Beijing in May. Photo: AP

Economics

Philippines bets big on rail, but can it fix a broken transport network?

A US$4.8 billion transport budget will not end Manila’s gridlock unless bus and jeepney services also improve, analysts say.

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Heavy traffic is seen along the Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA) highway during evening rush hour in Manila, the Philippines. Photo: AFP
Heavy traffic is seen on the Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA) highway during evening rush hour in Manila. Photo: AFP

Hong Kong Economy

Unvaccinated children, elderly face much higher risk of major flu complications

Hong Kong director of health cites data showing unvaccinated children and elderly are four to five times more vulnerable than vaccinated individuals.

A child wears a face mask outdoors on Friday amid Hong Kong’s summer flu season. Photo: Elson Li

Europe

Ireland deploys snipers and 4,000 police for Trump visit

Thousands prepare to protest in Dublin as US president holds brief talks before heading to his coastal golf resort.

US President Donald Trump boards Air Force One on Friday en route to Dublin, Ireland. Photo: Reuters
US President Donald Trump on board Marine One before boarding Air Force One en route to Dublin, Ireland. Photo: Reuters

Health & Environment

When Indonesia burns, these women run towards the fire

Meet the all-female volunteer brigade risking their lungs and lives to fight Indonesia’s devastating wildfires.

A member of the Power of Mama on night fire patrol at a palm oil plantation in West Kalimantan province, Indonesia, last month. Photo: Garry Lotulung
Irma (left), a member of the Power of Mama team, extinguishes a fire on burned peatland and forest on August 20. Photo: Garry Lotulung
Ely Marlina, a member of the Power of Mama team, sprays water on a peatland fire in Sungai Awan Kiri village on August 17. Photo: Garry Lotulung
Irma (left) and other members of the Power of Mama team patrol the forest on foot to search for undetected fires in Ketapang regency, West Kalimantan province, Indonesia, on August 20. Photo: Garry Lotulung

Fashion & Beauty

Hong Kong as Asia’s next fashion hub? Fashion Fest could help make it happen

Hong Kong Fashion Fest 2026 highlights local talent as well as the challenges they face as the city seeks to cement its place in fashion.

Models wear outfits by Hong Kong fashion designer and artist Kit Wan at Centrestage, a highlight of the 2026 Hong Kong Fashion Fest. Photo: Karma Lo

US

Chinese AI firms shunned US delegation over sanctions fears, commission says

Members stress value of Washington-Beijing dialogue as both sides prepare for dedicated talks on AI governance.

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The United States and China are competing for dominance in artificial intelligence as the technology becomes a growing focus of their rivalry. Photo: Getty Images

Health & Environment

Up in smoke: why Southeast Asia failed to halt the haze

Asean was going to eliminate transboundary haze by 2020. What happened?

Scenes from across Southeast Asia as dense transboundary haze from widespread forest and peatland fires triggers severe air pollution. Photos: EPA
A woman covers her face as she rides on a road amid the thick haze from forest fires in Mempawah, West Kalimantan, Indonesia, on Thursday. Photo: AP
A firefighter sprays water on a wildfire in South Sumatra, Indonesia, on September 5. Fires across parts of Indonesia are generating toxic haze, affecting air quality and health across the region. Photo: EPA
An Indonesian man wearing a Spider-Man costume helps extinguish a fire at Kereng Bangkirai in Palangkaraya, Central Kalimantan, on Wednesday. Photo: AFP
Rescuers help an orangutan and her child caught up in wildfires in West Kalimantan province, Indonesia, on Thursday. Photo: AFP
Exclusive

Senior official asked to resign over defective lifts at Queen Mary Hospital

Chief project manager at the Architectural Services Department left her post last month, sources say.

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Tuesday Li previously served as a chief project manager at the Architectural Services Department. Photo: Development Bureau
Widespread installation defects, first revealed last month, have delayed the full commissioning of the hospital’s new block. Photo: Karma Lo
Twenty-four of the 28 lifts in the new 34-storey clinical block are unfit for use. Photo: Sam Tsang
SERIES: Female icons in Chinese history

Famous Chinese women in folklore, from Mulan to a dynasty-toppling consort

These women have inspired countless poems, books, movies and TV shows over the centuries, but what are their stories and why do they endure?

Fan Bingbing (left) as Daji, one of the most famous women in Chinese folklore, and Tony Leung Ka-fai as King Zhou of Shang in League of Gods, a 2016 film adaptation of the 16th century Chinese novel Investiture of the Gods. Photo: China Star Entertainment Group

United States & Canada

US declares end to lettuce parasite outbreak that killed 2

Nearly 13,000 people fell ill across 21 states in the nation’s largest recorded cyclosporiasis outbreak.

Lettuce is displayed for sale at a grocery store in the US earlier this year. Photo: Reuters
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Science

Study reveals link between Tibetan Plateau heat and record rain in California

The discovery could transform winter forecasting and explains why severe floods hit the US west coast when dry weather was expected.

The Tibetan Plateau has been heating up in recent years as a result of climate change. Photo: Getty Images
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Opinion
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Politics

US wants Taiwan to ‘serve as cannon fodder’ against mainland China: state media

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