Category: World

Regal Hotels and affiliates sold the 494-room Regal Kowloon Hotel for about HK$1.52bn (US$194m) to Centaline Group’s real estate arm, which plans to convert the property into a student hostel.

Hawaii’s National Guard has been mobilized to assist recovery after Oahu suffered its worst flooding in 20 years, supporting local emergency efforts and relief operations.

Han Shen Lin, director of the China Office at the Asia Consultative Group, says China is likely to stay neutral in the Iran conflict, pursuing a cautious, long‑term strategy to protect its strategic and economic interests.

Tensions have spiked as Donald Trump’s deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz — or face strikes on power plants — approaches, with US-Israel military action now in its 24th day.

Customs data show China cut exports of gallium and germanium to Japan to zero in early 2026 while increasing rare-earth magnet shipments, a move that could signal targeted trade pressure amid diplomatic friction.

Celebrity posts and influencer hype have pushed at‑home LED face masks into the mainstream. The devices sell out rapidly, but questions remain about what they actually deliver.

A US-led initiative is proposing an ammunition production facility in the Philippines under PIPIR, prompting critics to warn it could make Manila a logistics hub for US military activity.

President Prabowo said Indonesia will not pay the reported US$1 billion joining fee for permanent membership of the Trump-linked “Board of Peace,” pledging instead to contribute peacekeeping troops amid domestic criticism.

Hong Kong prosecutors have added a terrorism-related conspiracy charge under the national security law against two men accused in an alleged three-year-old bomb plot and moved to transfer the case to the High Court.

The IEA signalled possible additional releases from oil reserves as supply disruptions tied to the Iran conflict raise the risk of a “very severe” global energy crisis, a development that could push up fuel and transport costs worldwide.

A former Hong Kong assistant principal, Ng Ka-yun, 47, was given a 36-month bind-over and ordered to pay HK$2,000 after stealing over HK$3,000 in groceries from Sogo, avoiding a criminal conviction.

HK4FAMILIES, a new Hong Kong NGO born from three years of research, will help family businesses focus on transferring legacy, values and harmony alongside wealth.

Hart Haus in Kennedy Town is featuring two new exhibitions by queer female artists during Hong Kong art week, including Florence Lee Yuk-ki’s “Double Blue,” which uses fairy-tale and escapist themes to reflect on modern life.

North Korea’s state media says Kim Jong Un has been reappointed as president of State Affairs, a move that signals continuity in the isolated regime’s leadership.

IEA head Fatih Birol warned that the current energy crunch, driven by the Iran war, is worse than the 1970s oil shocks combined and poses a “major threat” to the global economy.

Hong Kong’s public sculpture scene, which took off in the 1970s, includes landmark works like Henry Moore’s Double Oval and the Bruce Lee statue, reflecting a blend of East and West and making art part of everyday urban life.

Hong Kong’s Art March proceeded with most overseas galleries attending, but air travel disruptions tied to the Middle East conflict have raised questions about how participants and shipped artworks will exit the city.

Hong Kong has updated the implementation rules of its national security law to allow punishment for refusing to provide device passwords during investigations, a change that took effect immediately.

Peking University researchers led by Jiao Ning published a Nature paper describing a method to convert olefins—cheap industrial feedstock—into high-value alkynes, resolving a 160-year chemical puzzle.

SCMP’s weekend roundup covers five notable Asia stories: a change in the timing of Trump’s planned China visit, factory closures amid rising Chinese exports, Takaichi’s profile in China, and pop-culture crowds at ComplexCon.