Ukrainian woman wanted in connection with Monaco bombing found dead

Ukraine’s Security Service on Tuesday said it found the body of Ukrainian national Anastasiia Berezovska, who had been wanted by authorities in Monaco in connection with the bombing targeting Ukrainian business tycoon Vadym Yermolaiev.

The security service, also known by its local abbreviation SBU, said an officer serving in Ukraine’s military intelligence agency confessed to killing Berezovska with the help of a former law enforcement officer. He claimed he acted on his own initiative and without telling his superiors, the statement said.

The attack on June 29 reportedly
Ukrainian Anastasiia Berezovska walks in this undated handout on Friday. Photo: via Reuters

China extends gold-buying binge to 20th month amid Beijing’s de-dollarisation push

China’s central bank extended its gold-buying streak to a 20th straight month in June, adding 480,000 troy ounces (14.93 tonnes) to its reserves as policymakers continued to accumulate bullion amid de-dollarisation discussions.

The People’s Bank of China said gold holdings rose to 75.44 million troy ounces (2,346 tonnes) at the end of June. The latest addition extended the longest buying streak since 201


Chinese researchers find a peephole to any smartphone in its leaked radio signal

The researchers tested the non-contact forensic technique on Apple’s iPhone 15 Pro. Photo: Shutterstock

Even if a smartphone is offline, in flight mode, encrypted or locked, Chinese authorities could still be able to determine which apps are being used by analysing faint electromagnetic signals emitted as the device operates.

Researchers at the People’s Public Security University of China have developed a method that identifies smartphone applications and user actions through low-frequency electromagnetic radiation.

In their findings published in the peer-reviewed journal Radioengineering on May 22, the researchers

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Can Singapore and Indonesia’s energy push kick-start regional power grid?

This Week in Asia Economics

The cooperation could boost both countries’ sustainability goals and help shape regional frameworks for the Asean Power Grid, analysts say

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Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong (left) with Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta on Monday. Photo: AFP

Singapore and Indonesia’s latest push to trade low-carbon electricity could become more than a bilateral energy deal, with analysts saying it might offer Southeast Asia a practical test case for a regional power
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India to supply Indonesia with long-range missiles

The two countries will also collaborate on air-to-air missiles cooperation that ‘enhances technology collaboration and defence capabilities’

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India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi (left) greets Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto after a joint press conference following their meeting at Merdeka Palace in Jakarta, Indonesia on Tuesday. Photo: EPA

India will supply Indonesia with long-range missiles, an Indian official said on Tuesday as their leaders agreed to deepen ties in defence, critical minerals and other areas.
President Prabowo Subianto is hosting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi
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Latest US political divide emerges: the age gap over whether China is cause for concern

Concerns about China

A generational gap over China is emerging in the United States, with younger Americans significantly less likely to see Beijing as a cause for concern, according to a new survey.

“Across almost every potential concern tested regarding Beijing, American unease climbs steeply with age,” the 2026 Reagan Institute Summer Survey report said.

It also found that despite the deep political divisions


Beyond payments: India aims to architect Indonesia’s digital future

This Week in Asia Economics

A successful digital collaboration with Indonesia could elevate India into ‘a primary architect of its infrastructure’, analysts say

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A customer pays cash to buy vegetables next to a QR code of Paytm, a digital payments firm, on display at a roadside market in Ahmedabad, India, in February 2024. Photo: Reuters

India ’s wildly popular digital payments system, which began as a way for people to send money instantly by phone, could help the country turn one of its biggest domestic technology successes into a tool of diplomacy, analysts say.
That opportunity is coming into focus in Indonesia ,

Indian ambassador to China urges deeper economic ties, touts AIIB as model

Vikram Doraiswami, India’s ambassador to China (second from right), attending the World Peace Forum in Beijing on Saturday, has called for greater access for Indian products in China. Photo: Instagram/@indiainchina

Creating “new institutional architecture” like the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) could ease “security-first” economics globally, New Delhi’s new top envoy to Beijing has suggested, as both countries work to mend ties.

The senior diplomat said countries were now “less willing to look at preferential trading arrangements” around the world, adding that beyond tariffs, the

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What are the hidden Buddhist symbols in Chinese Da A Fu figurines

With their rounded faces, rosy cheeks, and joyful demeanour, Da A Fu dolls are beloved emblems of good fortune in China and have become celebrated icons of the nation’s cultural heritage.

Traditionally crafted from clay, these figures represent the most famous example of Huishan claywork, an esteemed Chinese art form that traces its origins back to the Ming dynasty (1368–1644).

These delightful artefacts were among the first

Da A Fu figures are first and foremost a celebration of healthy, happy children because in historical China, a plump, well-fed baby was a sign of family wealth, fertility, and survival. Photo: Zhang Peng/LightRocket via Getty Images

Hong Kong should build AI plan around ‘competitive’ strengths, industry leaders say

Hong Kong should draft a five-year plan that includes an artificial intelligence (AI) focus that is not too broad, makes the most of its core strengths and attracts the best talent to develop the sector, industry leaders have said.

At the South China Morning Post’s China Conference on Tuesday, titled “Intelligence at Scale: Hong Kong’s AI-Powered Future”, speakers at two panel discussions considered how Hong Kong could deliver on its AI aspirations and the city’s readiness as a launch pad

(From left) Jeanne Lim, BeingAI founder and CEO, Hendrick Sin, president of the Hong Kong Internet Professional Association and Zhang Xiaoyan, vice-president of the China Centre for Information Industry Development. Photo: Jonathan Wong