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Hong Kong immigration officers have arrested two residents suspected of being core members of a cross-border sham marriage syndicate that generated more than HK$7.5 million (US$964,823) in illicit earnings, following a joint operation with mainland Chinese law enforcement agencies. Chief Immigration Officer Tang Wai-yip said on Monday that the department apprehended a man, 43, and…
China’s central bank has just drawn the contours of its digital-finance strategy for the next five years. The sequencing is unmistakable: clear the ground first, then rebuild the system. The rhythm has been unusually coherent. On October 27 at the Financial Street Forum in Beijing, People’s Bank of China Governor Pan Gongsheng delivered the first…
Malaysian girl group Dolla have withdrawn their latest music video after religious groups and a government minister accused the performers of wearing overly suggestive outfits amid mounting moral scrutiny of women in the country’s entertainment industry. The video for “Question”, released in early November, featured the three members – Sabronzo (Wan Sabrina Wan Rusli), Tabby…
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s recent statement on Taiwan —the island, de facto independent but de jure part of one China—shifted Asian and global dynamics in a new direction. It was carefully crafted, clearly stating what Tokyo has considered the truth for years: Chinese military actions or a naval blockade on Taiwan could pose an…
Hong Kong may have silent transmission chains of chikungunya fever in the community, a leading infectious disease expert has warned, as authorities have yet to identify the source of the city’s fourth local case recorded last week. Dr Joseph Tsang Kay-yan, co-chairman of the Hong Kong Medical Association’s advisory committee on communicable diseases, said on…
When Brazil launched its Tropical Forests Forever Facility (TFFF), hopes were high that China, the world’s second-largest economy, would step up as a key backer. Instead, Beijing declined to contribute, citing the principle of “common but differentiated responsibilities.” In plain terms, China argued that developed nations should lead on climate finance, while developing countries like…
Tourists will not have to pay a tax for their dogs in the Italian region of South Tyrol after the regional government withdrew a planned new regulation. The regulation would have required a daily fee of €1.50 (US$1.70) for each dog brought to the region from next year. Italy’s northernmost province, where most people speak…
By punching real holes in a target ship with a weapon the US shelved, Japan’s prototype railgun is turning hypersonic gunfire into a cheap, hard-to-stop answer to China’s missile and drone swarms – and hinting at a gun-driven comeback in surface warfare. This month, The War Zone (TWZ) reported that Japan’s Acquisition Technology & Logistics…
Baumkuchen originated in Germany but has become a wildly popular sweet in Japan, where a prisoner of war on a small western island started making the treat that has thrived in its new homeland. Today, the confectionery known as “tree cake” because of the resemblance to a trunk with rings is considered a symbol of…
Supporters erupted in joy last week as Zohran Mamdani won a commanding victory in the New York mayoral race, becoming the first Muslim elected to lead the US financial capital. The young politician’s complex identity as an African-born person of South Asian heritage, his political positions and the broader implications of his win have resonated…
