Finance news

When the US comes for Cuba, what can Vietnam do?

The Trump administration’s indictment of former Cuban president Raul Castro and sanctions on his successor, Miguel Diaz-Canel, suggest Washington now views regime change in Havana as a viable policy objective. This adds to Cuba’s mounting woes. The fall of Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro in January severed the subsidised oil lifeline that had long kept the island nation afloat, plunging Cuba into its worst socio-economic crisis since the 1990s. For most countries, this is a distant problem. For...

Morning Briefing Plus: A scandal? Or completely normal?

How much artificial intelligence should be allowed in personalized texts? The answers from our readers point in a clear direction.

More of Northern Metropolis set to benefit from eased flow of cross-border resources

More areas within the Northern Metropolis could benefit from new measures to the ease the cross-border flow of data, materials and capital, with pilot initiatives set to launch this year in the innovation zone Hong Kong shares with Shenzhen. The details were revealed in a paper submitted to the Legislative Council by the Development Bureau, which provided an update on drafting dedicated legislation to accelerate development of the 30,000-hectare (74,131-acre) megaproject near the border with...

Thousands visit PLA barracks in Hong Kong to celebrate city’s return to Chinese rule

Thousands of residents have flocked to a military base of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Hong Kong Garrison as it opened its barracks to the public to celebrate the coming 29th anniversary of the city’s return to Chinese rule. The Ngong Shuen Chau Barracks opened to visitors at 9am on Saturday, with hundreds of people queuing early and waiting in excitement to enter the facilities. Among them were families with young children, students and older residents. Jennifer Shao Xia and her...

Can Russia secure ‘third power’ status in Southeast Asia with energy push?

As Southeast Asia grapples with energy supply uncertainty, fallout from the Iran conflict and intensifying rivalry between the United States and China, Russia appears to be presenting itself as a viable “third power” option for the region, analysts say. Moscow’s pitch was on display at the Asean-Russia Commemorative Summit in Kazan on Thursday, where Russian leader Vladimir Putin met regional counterparts, and the two sides agreed to bolster political and economic ties, alongside several...

US envoy Witkoff, Iranian minister to meet in Switzerland for talks

US ⁠envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi were both headed to Switzerland for ⁠talks, Axios said on Friday, as a ceasefire in Lebanon appeared to revive efforts to turn an interim Iran war pact into a lasting regional deal. Israel and Hezbollah agreed to a ceasefire in Lebanon on Friday after escalating fighting cast doubt over US-Iran talks critical to reopening the Strait of Hormuz and stabilising oil supplies. That followed a 14-point memorandum the two sides signed..

Podcast Löhr & Pennekamp: AI as a weapon – now it’s getting uncomfortable

Invented quotes in speeches and a sudden export ban: dealing with artificial intelligence has become a top political issue. It's about power, money and the big question: who controls whom here?

Sportradar AG: The risky bet from sports data king Carsten Koerl

Carsten Koerl became a billionaire by selling sports data. At the World Cup, of all times, doubts arise about his business model.

‘Tap your cultural foundation’, Shangri-La’s Kuok Hui Kwong tells Hong Kong tourism trade

Hong Kong should do more to leverage its traditional festivals to draw international visitors and build its competitive advantage in cultural tourism, Shangri-La Group chairman and group CEO Kuok Hui Kwong has said. Kuok, the daughter of Malaysian tycoon Robert Kuok, said Hong Kong had done well since the Covid-19 pandemic to entice international visitors back to the city, but could go even further in tapping its “cultural foundation” amid fierce competition for tourists. She made the remarks to

‘Isn’t it hot?’: latex fan aims to stretch Malaysia’s conservative fashion norms

Celty arrives at a cosplay venue in Kuala Lumpur and does not look the part yet, dressed in jeans and a plain t-shirt. He finds a toilet, locks a cubicle door, transforms his looks and is ready to turn heads – dressed from head to toe in a helmet, boots, choker, corset and a glossy black latex catsuit. The Kuala Lumpur-based latex enthusiast has rehearsed the worst-case scenario in his head. If people were to stare at him or mock him for his outfit, he would leave the Anime Fest Plus event at...

China puts world’s first smart squid fishing robot to the test

China has tested what it calls the world’s first intelligent squid fishing robot that can mimic the motions performed by humans to attract the deep-water creatures to the surface. The smart machine is currently undergoing sea trials aboard the Song Hang scientific research vessel, which is expected to conduct a survey in the northwestern Pacific Ocean until September. The robot – which can adapt its behaviour based on how squid bite – can offer more humanlike precision than the automated...

Drugs: The more commercial the cannabis market, the higher the risk

Between hard ban and free sale: Researchers have analyzed the cannabis policies of various countries. The type of legalization seems to be crucial for the health risks.

Iran War: Reports: USA and Iran want to start talks

New fighting between Israel and Hezbollah has delayed talks between Washington and Tehran over an end to the Iran war. According to reports, both sides are working to accommodate them.

Horses originated in America and reached Europe through China, fossil DNA reveals

Everyone knows the story: when Spanish conquistadors rode into the New World, Native Americans were stunned by a towering, four-legged creature they had never seen before. Horses, the theory goes, were a European import to the Americas. But a new fossil DNA study indicates that horses actually originated in North America millions of years ago and only reached Europe thanks to an unexpected genetic middleman in China. An extinct lineage called the Dalian horse, once dismissed as a local oddity in

Decisions expected: “It’s over, Keir”: Prime Minister Starmer under pressure

What happens next in the deep British government crisis? Prime Minister Keir Starmer is being asked to resign in an orderly manner. But he is still holding on to office.

From repair shop to world stage, China bike maker wins young hearts

Australians turn to unplugged travel to switch off stress

Looking for investors: The spaceship in the west of Berlin - what will happen to the ICC?

What will become of the steel giant at the Berlin exhibition center? The future of the former ICC congress center has been debated for years. Now the plans for this should come to the table.

Australia reports first case of H5 bird flu, virus spreads to every continent

Scientists have detected the H5 strain of bird flu in Australia for the first time, meaning the highly contagious variant has now spread to every continent. Australian Agriculture Minister Julie Collins told a press conference on Saturday that the disease had been found in a migratory sea bird, a brown skua, in remote Western Australia, and the result was confirmed by the national science agency. Samples from another sick bird, a giant petrel, had also shown as a suspected positive result, she..

Germany’s waning influence is nobody’s gain

Economic and political power is ebbing away from Berlin. But where is it going?

Prices: Survey: Majority for further relief after fuel discount

The temporary fuel tax reduction for drivers against high prices at the pumps expires at the end of the month. And then what? According to a survey, there are favorites.

Germany blurs defence lines with bet on Philippines’ old US base

The runway at Clark International Airport was built to launch American air power across Asia. Now, it is being repurposed to project German industrial ambition. Analysts say the multimillion-dollar deal to develop the former US military base in the Philippines illustrates how economic investment has become the new language of strategic power. The deal, struck last week during German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier’s milestone visit to Manila – the first by a German head of state since 1963 –..

China’s e-commerce platforms help unlock global markets for South Korean brands

South Korean e-commerce companies are increasingly turning to Chinese platforms to help sellers tap rising demand for Korean products, offering a lower-cost route into China and other overseas markets without building local operations. 11street, one of South Korea’s major online marketplaces, recently opened a storefront on JD Worldwide, JD.com’s cross-border e-commerce platform, where about 700 million consumers have made at least one purchase over the past year. The store carries products from

What the I Ching is really about

Carl Jung was a big fan of the I Ching, also known as the Book of Changes. He was also a close friend of Richard Wilhelm, whose German translation was probably the most influential Western version of the ancient Chinese text in the last century. But over the years, I have become convinced that the great Jung didn’t really get it. A red flag is that he thinks it is very difficult for the Western mind to grasp what I will call the Chinese spirit of the I Ching, which he claims is completely...

Norway imposes near AI ban for junior school pupils, curbs use for older children

Norway is imposing a near ban on the ⁠use of generative ⁠AI tools by elementary ⁠school pupils while also restricting their use in the education of older children to prevent a negative impact on learning, the country’s prime minister has said. Facing a broad decline in education test ‌scores, the government in 2024 banned smartphones from schools and has given teachers back more powers to enforce discipline in the classroom. Using artificial intelligence increased the risk that young children...

Morning Briefing Insight: What does Europe's technology dependence on the US mean?

Europe's technology dependency, the G7 summit, AI-written politicians' speeches and exclusive information from Brussels: Martin Knobbe and Sven Prange talk about the topics of the week.

Easy money or risky business? What can Hong Kong do as prediction markets boom?

In the second of a two-part series tracing new trends in illegal betting in Hong Kong amid excitement over the football World Cup, Connor Mycroft looks at the rise of prediction markets and the risks. Read part one here. When 25-year-old Jean Pierre* started betting on Polymarket last year, his reasoning was simple: “I was just looking to see if I could make some money easily,” he told the South China Morning Post. The French freelance video creator, who has lived in Hong Kong for five years,...

Chinese infant admitted to ICU for toxicity after being fed vegetable juice formula

A three-month-old infant in China suffering from poisoning had to be admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) after his parents fed him with baby milk formula prepared with vegetable juice. The baby boy was rushed to Zhongshan Women and Children’s Hospital in southern Guangdong province when his body turned purple, his mouth turned purplish-blue and he was short of breath, Zonglan News reported. His parents said the symptoms appeared shortly after the baby consumed milk. They added that they...

Helping my friends get started with investing - what basics should I cover?

I'm a recent grad, and a lot of my friends are graduating as well. I'm looking to help them get started with investing. Nobody in my friend group works in finance, but I've spent a fair amount of time learning about personal finance and investing. I thought it would be helpful to put together a simple introduction for anyone who's interested. Right now I'm planning to cover: Choosing a brokerage (probably only talking about ones I use: Robinhood, Public, and Fidelity) The importance of compound

Exploring Taipingshan, Taiwan's primeval mountain escape