International reporting on events and trends that influence Panama and the region. Stories include geopolitics, diplomacy, and global developments.
Al Jazeera reports Gaza’s trained professionals — from artists to small business owners — are abandoning their careers and taking informal work to survive amid war-driven economic collapse.
Pop Mart reported booming 2025 revenue and profit but saw its Hong Kong shares fall 22.5% as investors worried the company remains too reliant on its Labubu character.
Hong Kong officials are considering requiring petrol retailers to disclose pricing formulas when bidding for station sites after lawmakers pushed for measures to tackle surging fuel costs. The environment minister said the tender policy will be reviewed.
Escalation in the Middle East is driving investors into safe havens and straining the more than US$3 trillion global private-credit market, posing risks to China as the top creditor to developing countries.
Reciprocal attacks left around 450,000 people without power in Russia’s Belgorod region and roughly 150,000 in Ukraine’s Chernihiv region, highlighting the conflict’s toll on civilian infrastructure.
Iran denied any peace talks after reports the U.S. sent a ceasefire proposal, while Donald Trump said diplomatic progress was underway, leaving the status of talks unclear.
Shenzhen has launched a three-year plan to grow into a hub for intelligent computing clusters, aiming for a “leapfrog” increase in AI server, semiconductor and storage production and shipments by 2028.
An IRGC spokesman has rejected President Trump’s claim that talks with Iran have occurred and warned the U.S. and Israel, saying, “Do not call your defeat an agreement.”
New Zealand’s players say they would be willing to play Iran outside the United States for their 2026 World Cup opener as Iran’s participation is in doubt amid regional tensions.
Singapore’s state coroner upheld the Police Coast Guard finding that Indian singer Zubeen Garg’s death was an accidental drowning and found no evidence of foul play.
Capital Group says global stock buybacks reached a record US$1.46 trillion in 2025, up 8.4% year on year, as companies returned cash to shareholders amid an equity rally.
A 23-year-old second lieutenant in Japan’s Ground Self-Defense Force was arrested on suspicion of trespassing at the Chinese embassy in Tokyo while allegedly carrying an 18cm knife; officials expressed regret and no injuries were reported.
Iran has named Mohammad Zolghadr, a former IRGC commander, as its new national security chief, signaling a security-first approach amid US‑Israeli pressure and domestic unrest.
A Reuters report claiming to have identified Banksy has reignited debate over whether the artist’s anonymity is essential to his cultural and market value.
Art Basel Hong Kong has spurred a packed Art Week this spring, featuring street murals, edible art, retrospectives and archival shows — with HKWalls running until March 29.
On day 26 of the attacks, missiles and drones struck Iran, Israel and the Gulf while the US signalled both possible military escalation and openness to a negotiated deal.
A 2025 GPEN sweep, with Hong Kong participation, found that more child-focused websites and apps are collecting personal data — including phone numbers and addresses — than ten years ago.
Intense heat in peninsular Malaysia has warped payment cards and disrupted Eid celebrations in northern states Kedah and Perlis, forcing families and farmers to change routines amid health and agricultural concerns.
After nine years of failed attempts, South Korean authorities extradited 48-year-old Park Wang-yeol from the Philippines; investigators allege he ran a ‘VIP’ prison-based drug empire via Telegram.
A Kowloon City court placed a senior Hong Kong Immigration Department assistant on one-year probation after he was convicted of repeatedly choking his wife and young son; the defendant said imprisonment would cost him his job and long-earned pension.