A scorched hunk of metal that turned up in a US farmer’s cornfield may have handed China an awkward moment and technically an “international incident”, according to a British astronomer who has tracked rocket launches for more than 30 years. The farmer found the bowl-shaped object, measuring about 3.35 metres (11 feet) across, while harvesting corn in west-central Minnesota on October 14. Online, some residents joked that aliens had landed, while Chinese internet users said it looked like a...

Authorities in the Philippines are investigating Thomas Markle, father of Meghan, the ⁠wife of Britain’s Prince ⁠Harry, the Philippine justice undersecretary said ⁠on Friday, after allegations he possessed child sexual abuse images. “Our Anti-Trafficking and Anti-OSAEC (online sexual abuse and exploitation of children) task force in Cebu is currently investigating the matter,” Nicholas Ty, Philippine justice undersecretary, said. Thomas Markle could not be immediately reached for comment but he...

China has unveiled a position paper on outer space governance, prioritising the prevention of space weaponisation while calling for a global framework to protect all nations’ legitimate rights beyond Earth. Addressing the inaugural Global Governance Forum near Beijing on Friday evening, Foreign Minister Wang Yi framed the document as one of eight key actions under Beijing’s Global Governance Initiative (GGI) – an overarching vision introduced by President Xi Jinping in September last year. “We...

France will deploy some 70,000 police nationwide as it braces for new protests this weekend after some of the worst urban violence in years erupted on the sidelines of demonstrations a week ago, the government said on Friday. President Emmanuel Macron, who, according to aides, is postponing a visit later this month to Nigeria and Senegal amid the crisis, held a meeting of his defence council of top ministers and officials and was to meet security forces. He was also set to host for the first...

The para table tennis team are quickly becoming the city’s most successful group at the current Asian Para Games at Aichi-Nagoya after taking home a few more medals on Friday. On the penultimate day of the seven-day event, Ng Mui-wui partnered Wong Ting-ting to win the women’s doubles (class 22) silver medal after the pair overcame Chinese Taipei duo Li Jing-shiuan and Lydia Li Yi-ya 3-1 in their final group match. It was Wong’s third medal from the current games after the 23-year-old also took...

Fatimah Zainal had already paid for her flights and accommodation when videos of the unrest in France made her jittery about the Paris leg of her European holiday. “The videos definitely made me panic,” said Fatimah, who plans to visit the French capital solo from October 31 to November 3 after travelling through Belgium. The press officer for an international organisation said the Malaysian government’s travel advisory gave her second thoughts, and changing her flight would cost up to an...

The Philippines’ dual push for stronger “minilateral” defence links and a more robust Asean security role is dividing analysts, with one calling the move “opportunistic”. Some experts view Manila’s advocacy for the “Squad” alliance as a strategic opportunity to deepen core security partnerships while chairing the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Others question how much actual weight is carried by this informal defence grouping – comprising the United States, the Philippines, Japan and...

Hong Kong’s Urban Renewal Authority has advised property owners under a subsidy scheme against hiring a contractor that failed to install fire safety components in lifts at hundreds of buildings, saying it had “lost confidence” in the company. The move came a day after the government suspended the performance rating for Taizoom Elevator, which was found to have failed to install required fire-resistant door frame components at 338 buildings as inspections of its work across the city are carried...

Hong Kong has taken another step towards building itself into an international gold trading hub, after confirming deals that will see gold refineries localise production in the city. The addition of the local refineries will allow Hong Kong to form a complete gold trading ecosystem, boosting belief in the city’s ability to become a trusted global gold vault, according to analysts. “Hong Kong has been substantiating the idea of a global gold hub now that it no longer needs mainland-based...

Indonesia’s warnings of curbing energy exports to countries it deems disrespectful amid regional tensions have put Singapore and other Southeast Asian buyers on notice, exposing the risks of relying on a neighbour increasingly protective of its resources. But analysts see little chance of Jakarta following through on the threat, given its own economic interests and the mutual benefits of regional energy cooperation, including the long-planned Asean Power Grid. On Thursday, Coordinating Minister...

Melco Resorts & Entertainment’s newest hotel, REM, opened this week to complete the ultra-luxury trio at the City of Dreams in Macau. Rebranded from the Countdown Hotel, which was the Hard Rock Hotel before that, the property sits alongside the Zaha Hadid-designed Morpheus and Asian-inspired Nuwa, positioning itself as the most exclusive of the three. REM stands for rapid eye movement, the phase of sleep during which “we have the most vivid dreams”, said Lawrence Ho Yau-lung, chairman and CEO of...

Hong Kong’s legislature will set up a subcommittee to examine proposed restrictions on access to land records following widespread public concern. At a Legislative Council House Committee meeting on Friday, lawmakers endorsed establishing the subcommittee to study proposed requirements and procedures under the Land Titles Regulation. The move came after some legislators and the Hong Kong Journalists Association voiced objections on Wednesday after the government tabled eight pieces of subsidiary...

France is “certain” that its push with Germany for a tougher EU China policy propelled Beijing to moderate its hybrid car exports, despite warnings from the Chinese capital that the pressure did not work. “I’m certain that it played a role, and it’s very important that the German and French engine, which is very essential to the future of Europe, starts again – and I think that’s going to be the case,” French Trade Minister Nicolas Forissier said as he arrived at a ministerial meeting in Dublin...

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is pitching the concept of “sovereign AI” in Kazakhstan – part of his global crusade urging nations to build domestic computing infrastructure using the firm’s chips – as the energy-rich nation emerges as a US-China battleground for artificial intelligence. Speaking at a fireside chat in Astana on Friday with Kazakh AI and digital development minister Zhaslan Madiyev, Huang said AI was reshaping every industry in a transformation that “affects every single person and...

Ante Milicic has left his post as coach of China’s national women’s team, the football association said on Friday, eight months before the World Cup. The 52-year-old Australian had been in charge since May 2024 and led the team to the semi-finals of the Women’s Asian Cup in March. That finish earned them a spot at next year’s World Cup in Brazil. Milicic also recently took China to fourth place at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in Japan after losing 2-0 to North Korea in the semi-finals. “After...

China and Europe should jointly introduce a system like the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), a levy on carbon-intensive imports designed to account for the carbon costs domestic producers face, which “applies against the rest of the world,” the co-chair of a global energy transition organisation says. “The biggest single thing which I would love China to do is to say, ‘We want to join with Europe in a climate club’,” said Adair Turner, co-chair of the Energy Transitions Commission,...

Beijing has told Brussels not to “fantasise” that pressure will extract concessions. This came after China made a goodwill gesture in the recent hybrid-car trade deal. The European Union responded by doubling down on a proposed trade “kill switch”. The instrument follows a Franco-German proposal. It would let the bloc swiftly restrict single-market access in response to economic coercion. EU chief Ursula von der Leyen says all 27 leaders back it. Chemicals and machinery are priority sectors....

China’s Communist Party convened an early monthly Politburo meeting on Friday to review a key internal inspection report, doubling down on its high-pressure anti-corruption campaign ahead of a major party conclave next week. Chaired by President Xi Jinping, the now 21-member Politburo met on Friday – earlier than its traditional end-of-month schedule – to discuss a comprehensive report on the seventh round of inspections by the 20th Central Committee. The latest inspection is a major internal...

Recent youth-led protests in New Delhi and other cities in India have fuelled allegations that they are connected to unrest in France and elsewhere in Europe, with an influential Hindu nationalist organisation warning of foreign forces seeking to destabilise societies. While analysts caution against concluding that foreign interference played a role in demonstrations in India, they say protesters in Europe and India share similar concerns, reflecting their mounting anger that education and hard...

Chinese artificial intelligence chip giant Cambricon Technologies reported a 147.7 per cent surge in third-quarter profit on Friday, as the country’s aggressive push to replace Nvidia chips continues to fuel high growth among local chipmakers. The Shanghai-listed chipmaker generated 1.4 billion yuan (US$210 million) in net profit for the three months ended September 30, up from 566.6 million yuan during the same period last year. Revenue reached 3.5 billion yuan, an increase of 104.5 per cent...