Category: World

Australia and the EU signed a trade deal creating a critical minerals partnership to reduce reliance on China’s dominant rare earths supply chains, a move EU chief Ursula von der Leyen called “crucial.”

Lebanon declared Iran’s ambassador persona non grata and summoned Tehran’s envoy, citing breaches of diplomatic protocol amid rising tensions linked to Israeli attacks.

The current global oil supply shortfall of about 20 million barrels per day is roughly four times larger than the 1973 embargo’s 4.5 million barrels per day, raising concerns about price spikes and economic fallout.

Fujian’s Liyuan Opera Inheritance Centre revived the Ming-era Teochew script Red Wedding Bed, retelling the Chen San and Huang Wu Niang romance with a surprise ending praised as “brilliant.”

Facing fuel supply disruptions linked to the Iran war, Vietnam’s prime minister visited Russia this week and reportedly signed multiple agreements as Hanoi seeks to secure energy supplies to protect its growth targets and political stability.

China’s People’s Daily warned that Japan’s rising defence spending and “Takaichinomics” risk economic instability as the yen falls and energy costs climb amid the Iran war, framing the move as a dangerous “defence bubble.”

Worn and scuffed designer handbags — from a cigarette-marked Gucci clutch to bashed Birkins — are being reinterpreted as signs of authenticity and cool, reflecting shifting ideas about luxury and value.

Ka Ying Rising won a turf trial at Sha Tin as he prepares to attempt a record 19th consecutive victory in the Group Two Sprint Cup (1,200m) on April 6, with jockey Zac Purton praising the world-class sprinter.

Zhou Liang, vice-chairman of China’s National Financial Regulatory Administration and a former anti-graft official, has been placed under investigation for “serious violations of discipline and law,” in a high-profile probe announced Tuesday.

Former ICC prosecutor Geoffrey Nice says the US and Israel view holding powerful states to account as ‘unrealistic,’ calling international accountability “a thing of the past.”

Rising fuel and shipping surcharges tied to the US-Israeli war on Iran are prompting some galleries at Art Central in Hong Kong to consider leaving artworks in the city for months to avoid inflated freight bills.

Amazon said drone activity disrupted its AWS Bahrain cloud region, the second AWS outage this month tied to the Iran war, highlighting risks to regional cloud reliability.

Xiaomi reported a 27% drop in fourth-quarter net profit to 6.5 billion yuan as weaker smartphone sales cut into margins and EV growth slowed, marking the first sequential profit decline since Q2 2024.

Euroconsumers and Football Supporters Europe have filed legal action with the European Commission against FIFA over World Cup ticket prices, asking EU authorities to examine fan and consumer concerns.

Two newly commissioned Type 055 guided-missile destroyers, Dongguan and Anqing, conducted their first live-fire drills in mid-March after assignment to the PLA unit overseeing Taiwan and the East China Sea.

Iran launched waves of missiles toward Israel, and Israel’s Magen David Adom said six people were lightly injured. The strikes raise concerns about regional escalation and economic ripple effects.

A Wuhan fitness coach paid 200,000 yuan (US$28,000) to finish 877 classes for clients after Aishang Gym abruptly closed, a move that went viral and drew wide praise online.

Taylor Sheridan’s neo-Western The Madison, starring Michelle Pfeiffer and introducing Elle Chapman as Paige McIntosh, premiered March 14 and quickly became Paramount+’s most-watched series, FlixPatrol reports.

Iran denied any direct or indirect talks with the United States and called statements by Donald Trump a “bluff,” underscoring deep mistrust and complicating diplomatic prospects.

After two serious knee injuries and being passed over by the previous manager, Kitchee left-back Jordan Lam has forced his way back into Hong Kong’s squad and is targeting his second cap in India next week.