From the cockpit of an F-22 fighter to an aircraft carrier sailing in the Pacific, the US military is showing new ways to command uncrewed aircraft over vast distances. The United States disclosed two tests this month as Washington seeks to outpace Beijing in a technology contest that could redefine air and naval power in the region. Illustrating US military advances and their potential significance for a Taiwan conflict, an F-22 pilot controlled an autonomous YFQ-44A combat drone during flight,...

China’s lithium-ion battery exports to the EU surged in the first three quarters of this year, as Chinese carmakers rush to build factories in Europe amid a tightening of import restrictions on electric vehicles (EVs). Power inverter exports to the bloc’s members also grew strongly despite EU efforts to exclude Chinese products from publicly funded energy projects. Shipments of Chinese lithium-ion batteries to the EU were worth US$31.2 billion in the first nine months of the year, up 46 per cent...

Tesla’s “flying” Roadster stunt has set social media alight worldwide, turning a car launch into a debate about technological innovation and China-US rivalry. At an event in Texas on October 15, Tesla unveiled its redesigned sports car, the Roadster, with stunts including a takeoff from a steep, curved ramp and a leap over parked cars. Pre-orders are open in China with a deposit of 332,000 yuan (US$50,000) for the street-legal, two-seat “Performance” package. The flying-car reveal quickly turned...

Dancing with the Stars’ Val Chmerkovskiy did not accompany Jenna Dewan on the stage for the show’s “Dedication Night” this week. This came after he was suspended for making an inappropriate reference to Will Smith’s infamous Oscars run-in with Chris Rock while defending his wife, Jenna Johnson, from judge Carrie Ann Inaba’s critiques. “You almost saw Fresh Prince enter the ballroom last night,” Chmerkovskiy, 40, wrote in a now-deleted TikTok story. The professional dancer was seemingly alluding...

A Hong Kong tertiary student convicted of sexually assaulting at least four underage girls has been sentenced to 10 years in prison, with the judge slamming him as a “very sick individual” who showed no remorse. High Court Judge Andrew Chan Hing-wai on Thursday noted from the assessment reports that Fan Chi-yuen, 22, had shown no remorse or empathy towards his victims. They included a 14-year-old girl who was so distressed after Fan attempted to rape her that she subsequently committed...

Inspections into lift safety across Hong Kong have found no missing fire-resistant door frames among contractors other than Taizoom Elevator, authorities said on Thursday, after 338 buildings served by the firm were confirmed to lack the crucial components. The Electrical and Mechanical Services Department offered an update on the checks on Thursday after the government pledged to expand the inspection scope to cover lifts handled by other contractors as well to check whether the problem existed...

The International Criminal Court and officials working at the tribunal have won the European Union’s top human rights honour, the Sakharov Prize, an official said on Thursday. The award came just days after the Trump administration announced sweeping new sanctions on the ICC as part of its campaign to dismantle the tribunal over investigations into the United States and its allies, including Israel. “The European Union is built on respect for multilateralism and international institutions, and...

A strong and united party leadership is vital to victory, Chinese President Xi Jinping said in a keynote speech on Thursday marking the 90th anniversary of the Long March. Speaking days before an important Communist Party meeting known as the fifth plenum, Xi said the party managed to turn the tide of defeat into a path to victory 90 years ago because it rallied around the leadership of Mao Zedong. By linking the Red Army’s historic endurance with today’s geopolitical struggles, Xi said China...

By Lee Hae-rin For American Kylie Genter, a day at the beach is no longer a day off for sunbathing and swimming. Instead, it is a place where she prays for her safety before diving into the waters to gather abalone and shellfish for a living. What others see as a holiday destination has become, to her, a workplace and a landscape of possibilities. Since she began diving as a haenyeo – female divers who harvest seafood by hand – in January 2024, the work has changed how she sees the sea. Finding...

Indonesia’s government has resisted mounting calls to declare widespread forest and land fires a national disaster, insisting it can handle the crisis alone as residents report worsening health impacts and disaster experts warn that a broader, coordinated response is needed. Critics suggest the reluctance may stem from concerns that a national declaration could force Jakarta to redirect funds from other political priorities, while exposing the administration to greater scrutiny over its disaster...

Still hurting from Ka Ying Rising’s agonisingly close The Everest defeat, David Hayes has flagged a gear change for the champion sprinter’s bid for redemption in the world’s richest turf race next year. Hayes was still adamant barrier 11 ultimately cost Ka Ying Rising when he finished strongly late after a wide run to finish a half-neck second to Tempted in last Saturday’s Group One sprint. It was the nine-time Group One winner’s first defeat since January 2024, ending his record streak for a...

On October 18, Hungarian supermodel Barbara Palvin walked the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show runway, just six weeks after giving birth to her first child with husband Dylan Sprouse. The 33-year-old reportedly welcomed daughter Sylvie on September 7 and had a “great night with [her] newborn” before returning for the VS show in Los Angeles, she told People. “I’m going to be six weeks postpartum tomorrow, which is, I think in the US, most people have to go back after six weeks. So it’s not that big...

Beijing’s plan to recruit more tax officers next year is drawing attention from businesses and wealthy families as tax compliance rises up the policy agenda and authorities intensify enforcement efforts. China’s 2027 national civil service recruitment plan includes 24,013 tax-related positions, accounting for more than 67 per cent of all vacancies, up from over 65 per cent a year earlier. Most of the vacancies are at the State Taxation Administration’s local branches, which are recruiting staff...

Hong Kong workers received smaller pay rises this year as Guangdong’s wage growth picked up, with the starting salaries of university graduates edging closer to those of sub-degree holders, an annual survey has found. Hong Kong’s Baptist University released the findings of its 2026 Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area Pay and Benefits Survey on Thursday. It showed that companies in Hong Kong and Macau slowed pay rises this year. Meanwhile, Hong Kong’s unemployment rate rose by 0.1...

Across Paris’ toniest shopping districts, luxury boutiques bear the scars of a weekend of rioting that filled social media feeds around the world. Now they are bracing for the possibility of another round. On the avenue Champs-Elysees, Louis Vuitton’s flagship store has metallic grates protecting its windows that are not there at quieter times, as does the Christian Dior Couture emporium on avenue Montaigne, a nexus of high-end shopping in Paris’ eighth arrondissement. Both stores escaped...

Social unrest in France is not deterring some Chinese students from pursuing studies there – at least for now. Despite nationwide demonstrations over the rising cost of living and declining public services escalating into violence over the weekend, prospective applicants said they remained committed to their academic plans. A 30-year-old woman from Guangdong province who gave only her family name as Wang said she had obtained a student visa and planned to proceed with a language programme in...

Chinese crude oil imports from the Gulf region are rebounding amid months of disruption from the US-Israel war on Iran and a sharp decline in domestic inventories. Shipments from the Middle East rose 25.7 per cent month on month to 13.8 million tonnes in September, marking a third consecutive monthly increase, according to Chinese customs data. Xu Muyu, a senior crude oil analyst at data intelligence firm Kpler, said demand for Middle Eastern crude was likely to remain strong amid record...

India’s planned acquisition of four large amphibious warships would strengthen its ability to support naval logistics and humanitarian missions across the Indian Ocean, with security experts saying their value depends on how the navy could effectively utilise them during a crisis. The Indian Navy has invited bids for four landing platform docks (LPDs), each with a displacement of more than 30,000 tonnes. Indian Navy Vice Chief Vice Admiral Ajay Kochhar said at a media briefing on Monday that a...

Airlines in Hong Kong have cancelled or rescheduled more than a dozen flights to and from Taiwan and Japan due to Super Typhoon Champi, with further disruption expected in the coming days. Budget carrier HK Express announced it would cancel 10 flights between Hong Kong and Taiwan on Friday, with six serving Taipei and two each serving Taichung and Kaohsiung. Four other flights serving Taichung and Kaohsiung have been postponed until Saturday. The airline said it was notifying affected passengers...

Hong Kong’s surging exports amid recent global trade shifts and tariff measures are reason to celebrate. However, they have not reversed the decline in the city’s port’s container throughput, which hit 12.99 million 20-foot equivalent units in 2025, down 5.1 per cent year on year. To address public doubts over the city’s standing as an international shipping centre, Hong Kong’s first five-year plan seeks to transform the maritime hub from being throughput-driven to value-driven. The policy...