STEM crisis in China’s universities; preliminary deal struck: 5 weekend reads

South Korea is digging in as negotiations stall over a US demand for a staggering US$350 billion in direct investments, a condition that critics warn could plunge Seoul into a financial crisis. President Lee Jae-myung indirectly criticised Washington’s pressure tactics at a meeting with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in New York on Wednesday. Stressing…

A 27-year-old woman has been killed after being hit by a KMB double-decker bus at a pedestrian crossing in Hong Kong on Monday. The accident, reported at about 3.30pm on Monday, occurred when the route 85 bus reached the junction of Ma Tau Wai Road and Bailey Street in To Kwa Wan. The woman was…

The stability of Northeast Asia has long rested on two strategic bargains with South Korea and Japan, forged out of the Korean War and formalized in security treaties. South Korea was compelled to accept the de facto division of the country in exchange for a treaty commitment, manifested in continuous US ground forces, to defend…

The Trump administration is seeking to delay court proceedings over whether it must refund importers billions of dollars in tariffs recently struck down by the US Supreme Court, marking a contentious start to the next phase of the legal fight. The government wants to wait as long as four months before reviving litigation before the…

Fire safety risks persist at building sites across Hong Kong following the deadly blaze in Tai Po last week, the Construction Industry Council has warned, after a scaffolding worker at a major subsidised estate was sacked for smoking. Council chairman Thomas Ho On-sing on Saturday criticised companies for failing to have “learned a lesson” from…

A decade ago, Samantha Ong would go to the cinemas in Singapore twice a week. She now goes about once a month, opting instead to watch films on Netflix at home. “Sometimes it doesn’t feel worth it to spend three hours on a movie, so it’s better to watch it at home where there is…