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

Thayil Jacob Sunny George, the founder of Asiaweek who launched the publication in 1975 to provide an English-language magazine owned by Asians that spoke for the region at a time when none existed, died at the age of 97 on Friday. Over a seven-decade career in journalism, George forged a stellar reputation as an advocate…

Beneath the podium at Kwong Fuk Estate in Tai Po, between rows of relief aid booths and supply tables stacked with bottled water and meal boxes, a group of children took a break from their volunteering for the fire relief effort. But they did not rest for long. As soon as they finished eating, they…

French authorities have detained two of the suspected robbers believed to have stolen precious crown jewels from the Louvre in a museum heist that stunned the world, officials said on Sunday. A swarm of investigators had been mobilised to track down the thieves who robbed the famous museum in broad daylight on October 19, making…

As families across China gather for the 2026 Lunar New Year holiday, pre-made dishes at their reunion dinners – the centrepiece of Spring Festival celebrations – have again come under scrutiny. Chinese households, many of which tend to reduce their budget, have increasingly been cautious, following a high-profile row over food transparency and quality involving…