World Russia & Central Asia
The Russian president inspected the Pacific fleet on his first trip to the disputed archipelago, drawing a protest from Tokyo
2 -MIN READ 2 -MIN
China’s YMTC breaks into global top 3 flash-memory suppliers for first time
Yangtze Memory Technologies Corp (YMTC) has broken into the world’s top three NAND flash memory suppliers by volume for the first time, marking a milestone for China’s semiconductor ambitions as it strives to narrow the revenue gap with global rivals in high-value data-centre storage.
The Wuhan-based chipmaker captured 14 per cent of global NAND bit shipments – a measure of total storage capacity shipped rather than total chip units – in the second quarter, narrowly overtaking Japan’s Kioxia, according to data
Malaysian mothers defend emergency leave amid single workers’ gripes
A caller’s complaint on a radio show sparked debate over the struggle to balance work with care burdens, as well as criticism from single peers
2 -MIN READ 2 -MIN
Employed mothers in Malaysia have defended emergency leave rights amid debate over unfair workplace expectations and the challenge of balancing family and long hours.
The dispute erupted after a woman complained on live radio that colleagues with children were taking emergency leave too often, piling extra work
Hong Kong developer Hysan’s first-half earnings rise 7.4% as project milestones near
Hysan Development, the largest commercial landlord in Hong Kong’s Causeway Bay shopping district, posted an underlying profit of HK$1.11 billion (US$140.19 million) for the first half of 2026, an increase of 7.4 per cent from a year earlier, driven by a realised gain
US-China rivalry takes flight over scramble for contracts at Ethiopia’s Bishoftu airport
Ethiopia’s new US$12.5 billion mega-airport project has thrust the nation into the heart of a geopolitical tug of war between the United States and China.
Ethiopian Airlines, Africa’s largest carrier, is developing the massive Bishoftu International Airport, located 40km (25 miles) southeast of the capital Addis Ababa to serve as a primary hub for African trade and travel.
The project has triggered intense competition between would-be contractors from around the world, but Chinese state-owned
China’s ‘brain chip’ drive accelerates with slew of state-backed initiatives
For years, Elon Musk has dreamed of conquering a range of chronic health conditions by inserting computer chips into the human brain. But that vision could become reality fastest in China, where state authorities are launching a coordinated effort to accelerate the nascent industry’s development.
The past few days have seen a string of initiatives related to brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) announced in China, involving parties ranging from state insurance companies to investment banks and local governments.
On Wednesday, PICC Property and Casualty – a major state-
Nirupama Rao and Lin Minwang on India-China fault lines
Welcome to Open Dialogue, a series from the South China Morning Post where we bring together leading voices to discuss the stories and subjects occupying international headlines.In this edition, we invited a leading Chinese scholar of South Asian affairs and a former Indian foreign secretary and ambassador to China to reflect on the deep fault lines in India-China relations. They debate whether the biggest barrier is history or politics, clash over the border, Pakistan and India’s ties with the...
UK nurses report ‘inhumane’ heat in hospitals as heatwave grips country
Nurses are collapsing at work as they endure extreme heat in buildings that are proving unfit for the record temperatures gripping Britain.
Conditions are “inhumane”, the Royal College of Nursing said on Thursday. Members have reported temperatures in excess of 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) in UK hospital wards and care homes, often without access to air conditioning, fans or even to windows that open, the RCN said.
As Britain sweats through its fifth heatwave of the year, record temperatures are taking their toll on
Singapore’s provision shops struggle to keep shutters open in HDB heartlands
Surrounded by a clutter of carton boxes, bottles of dishwashing liquid and rows of dry snacks, Ramasamy Vellasamy holds court behind a cashier. For nine hours a day since 1986, he has been running a provision shop on the ground floor of a housing block in northern Singapore and knows the neighbourhood and its residents like the back of his hand.
Despite Samy Provision Shop’s enduring presence, it was barely breaking even, said Ramasamy, who lamented the struggle of adapting to the ever-shifting preferences of
Law Society of Singapore strikes Pritam Singh off the rolls
Disciplinary action against the Workers’ Party chief follows his conviction for lying to a parliamentary committee
1 -MIN READ 1 -MIN
Workers’ Party (WP) chief Pritam Singh was struck off the rolls on Thursday after the Court of Three Judges decided on the disciplinary action initiated by the Law Society of Singapore (LawSoc).
This follows his conviction for giving