What’s happening with Malaysia’s ‘corporate mafia’ probe? Minister wants updates
Business

What’s happening with Malaysia’s ‘corporate mafia’ probe? Minister wants updates

A Malaysian minister urged the country’s police chief to clarify the status of investigations into allegations that a network of businessmen was colluding with anti-corruption agency officials to oust executives. The government has ordered law enforcement agencies, including the Malaysian Anti‑Corruption Commission (MACC), to look into the allegations involving the businessmen, nicknamed the “corporate mafia”. So far, the police say they have found no evidence of the MACC’s involvement. “It is...

Deadly hantavirus outbreak traps 150 on cruise ship as WHO identifies more cases
Business

Deadly hantavirus outbreak traps 150 on cruise ship as WHO identifies more cases

Passengers and crew hunker down in isolation on a ship stuck off Cabo Verde following a hantavirus outbreak A hantavirus outbreak tied to a cruise ship off Cabo Verde has grown to seven cases, including two confirmed infections, the World Health Organization said on Monday, with three deaths among those linked to the voyage. The Dutch-flagged MV Hondius is carrying 147 passengers and crew from 23 countries. Among the passengers are 17 Americans, 19 Britons and 13 from Spain. Sixty-one crew members are also on board. Of the seven cases identified, one British passenger in intensive care in Johannesburg was later confirmed to have hantavirus. A Dutch passenger who died after disembarking in the British Overseas Territory of Saint Helena also tested positive. She had left the ship with the remains of her husband, who died on board in April. Three additional suspected cases with mild symptoms remained on board, the WHO said. The cause of death of a German passenger who died on May 2 has not been established. Hantavirus is a rare infection typically spread through exposure to infected urine, saliva and droppings from rodents.

Tourist’s photos with removed Hong Kong trail sign draw backlash online
Business

Tourist’s photos with removed Hong Kong trail sign draw backlash online

Viral images show a backpacker posing with MacLehose Trail sign, prompting criticism over visitors’ behaviour during ‘golden week’ holiday A tourist has shared photos of herself holding a MacLehose Trail sign apparently removed from its metal stand during the Labour Day “golden week” holiday, drawing criticism from Hong Kong internet users. In one of two photos posted on her RedNote account, “2 star”, on Monday, the woman is seen holding the wooden panel, with a caption reading: “This is my favourite tourist picture” and a hashtag for Po Pin Chau, a well-known natural landmark in Sai Kung and a popular destination for visitors. In the second image, the sign is at the base of the metal stand by the roadside. In the post’s comment section, the woman said she found the sign already fallen and had merely picked it up for a photo. “There was absolutely no act of damaging public property,” she wrote, without specifying when the pictures were taken. The photos later went viral after being widely shared on Hong Kong social media. The post had attracted more than 19,000 “likes” and 600 comments by Tuesday afternoon, with many users criticising what they described as inconsiderate behaviour and damage to the city’s environment.

EcoCeres to invest HK$10 billion in sustainable aviation fuel plants in Greater Bay Area
Business

EcoCeres to invest HK$10 billion in sustainable aviation fuel plants in Greater Bay Area

Sustainable aviation fuel plants backed by tycoon Peter Lee’s family office hailed by Hong Kong leader as ‘milestone’ cross-border collaboration A biofuel company backed by the family office of tycoon Peter Lee Ka-kit will invest HK$10 billion (US$1.3 billion) in sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production plants in the Greater Bay Area, a project that Hong Kong’s leader has hailed as a “milestone” collaboration between the city and mainland China. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said the venture represented joint efforts by the Hong Kong and Dongguan governments to align with Beijing’s 15th five-year development plan between 2026 and 2030. He described it as “a milestone” and “an excellent example of synergy of the two places”. “Hong Kong brings global finance, professional services and research capabilities. Dongguan brings mature chemical industry parks, logistics and a steady supply of used cooking oil – the essential raw material for SAF,” the city leader said. “Together, we form a powerful combination.” SAF is a renewable fuel produced from waste materials such as used cooking oil and agricultural waste that reduces life cycle emissions by up to 80 per cent compared with conventional fuel.

China stray dog becomes local hero after car crash, 56 cabbies cover medical costs, aid in recovery
Business

China stray dog becomes local hero after car crash, 56 cabbies cover medical costs, aid in recovery

‘Friendly’ canine who became taxi drivers’ best friend suffers multiple fractures; plight sparks online calls to build dog a safe play area A stray dog in central China has gone viral after a group of taxi drivers raised money for his surgery following a car accident. At the high speed rail station in Xuancheng, Anhui province, a yellow dog became a beloved figure among the local cabbies. Lively, friendly and always eager to run, the dog quickly warmed his way into the drivers’ hearts. Last summer, driver Zhang encountered the dog and was moved by his gentle nature. From that day, Zhang and his fellow drivers began bringing food and spending their breaks playing with the dog. They affectionately named him “Stationmaster Huang” as a tribute to the comfort he brought during their long, tiring shifts.

HSBC profit flat as Middle East provisions offset wealth growth
Business

HSBC profit flat as Middle East provisions offset wealth growth

Credit impairment charges rose 44 per cent to US$1.3 billion, driven by provisions linked to the Middle East conflict and UK fraud exposure HSBC, Hong Kong’s largest lender, reported broadly flat first-quarter profit as lower interest rates and provisions linked to the Middle East conflict offset solid growth in its wealth management business. Net profit for the first three months of 2026 rose 0.14 per cent year on year to US$6.94 billion, or 41 US cents per share, the London-based bank said in a Hong Kong stock exchange filing on Tuesday. The result missed the US$7.07 billion consensus estimate of 17 analysts polled by the bank. Pre-tax profit fell 1 per cent to US$9.38 billion, also below the consensus forecast of US$9.59 billion. The bank recorded US$1.3 billion in credit impairment charges during the quarter, up 44 per cent from a year earlier. This included a precautionary provision of US$300 million to reflect uncertainty related to the Middle East conflict, as well as US$400 million tied to fraud-related, secondary securitisation exposure involving a UK financial sponsor.

Ex-Hong Kong police inspector with HK$2 million debt jailed for lying to colleagues
Business

Ex-Hong Kong police inspector with HK$2 million debt jailed for lying to colleagues

Tang Chun-ho, 45, falsely claimed a bank was pursuing him over a loan, borrowing HK$130,000 from a colleague A former senior Hong Kong police inspector has been jailed for six weeks after lying to colleagues to borrow HK$140,000 (US$17,871), as he struggled with debts exceeding HK$2 million. Kwun Tong Court on Tuesday sentenced Tang Chun-ho, 45, after finding him guilty of making false claims to secure loans from colleagues in 2023. Magistrate Lau Suk-han said the defendant had shown no remorse. “The court has already rejected [the defendant’s defence], yet he repeated it in the background report, which indicates a lack of remorse,” Lau said. Tang was found guilty of falsely claiming to a colleague in November 2023 that a bank was pursuing him over a loan. He borrowed a total of HK$130,000 from the colleague. Two months later, he told a subordinate that his father was in critical condition and asked to borrow HK$10,000 to cover medical expenses. Tang, formerly a commander in Sai Kung district, was charged by the Independent Commission Against Corruption with one count of fraud and one count of a prescribed officer accepting an advantage.

Caning for Singapore school bullies? Only as last resort, education minister says
Business

Caning for Singapore school bullies? Only as last resort, education minister says

Under Singapore’s stricter framework for student misconduct, bullies can face suspension, caning and lowered conduct grades Responding to more than 20 parliamentary questions on the Ministry of Education’s (MOE) updated efforts to tackle bullying, Lee acknowledged that studies linked poorly administered and frequent corporal punishment – particularly in unregulated settings such as the home – with negative outcomes. “We recognise this, and I want to emphasise that the context in our schools is quite different,” he said. Schools follow strict protocols when caning is considered: for example, it must be approved by the principal and administered only by authorised teachers. They also take into account the student’s maturity and whether the measure would help him learn from his mistake. “If it is used, it is never administered in isolation but always as part of a suite of restorative and disciplinary measures,” Lee said.

South Korea rebuffs Trump’s ‘Project Freedom’ call after Hormuz ship fire
Business

South Korea rebuffs Trump’s ‘Project Freedom’ call after Hormuz ship fire

When a South Korean cargo ship exploded and caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz late on Monday, Donald Trump wasted no time declaring what he thought it meant. “Perhaps it’s time for South Korea to come and join the mission!” the US president wrote on his social media platform Truth Social, invoking the incident as fresh justification for Seoul to send naval forces to the embattled waterway. Seoul’s answer, for now, has been a polite but firm no – or at least, not yet. The explosion occurred...

India-Russia pact allows troops and warships on each other’s soil
Economy

India-Russia pact allows troops and warships on each other’s soil

Analysts say agreement deepens trust despite Moscow's close China ties The Russian missile ship Naro-Fominsk, left, sails along the Neva River in Saint Petersburg, Russia, in July 2024. Indian Navy sailors stand on the deck of the INS Mahe. (Source photos by Reuters) NEW DELHI -- India and Russia have taken their defense ties to a new high in the form of a new pact under which they can share military bases, ports and airfields, and station up to 3,000 troops in each other's territory.

Indonesia posts 5.61% GDP growth in first quarter, buoyed by Eid spending
Economy

Indonesia posts 5.61% GDP growth in first quarter, buoyed by Eid spending

Government subsidies tame inflation, but risks loom as rupiah hits new low Millions of Indonesian Muslims traveled to their hometowns for Eid al-Fitr, which fell in late March this year. Increased household spending during the holiday helped the economy grow 5.61% on an annualized basis in the first quarter of 2026. © Reuters JAKARTA -- Indonesia on Tuesday reported 5.61% year-on-year economic growth for the January-March quarter as government subsidies supported spending during the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan and the Eid al-Fitr holiday.

China unveils driverless mining truck that can ‘crab-walk’ across rough terrain
Business

China unveils driverless mining truck that can ‘crab-walk’ across rough terrain

The Shuanglin K7 is the world’s first mining truck capable of moving sideways and pivoting on the spot, allowing it to work in narrow pits Despite a kerb weight of nearly 100 tonnes, this advanced model boasts exceptional manoeuvrability – it can move sideways and pivot on the spot, allowing it to operate in narrow pits and across complex, sloped roadways. At the same time, it offers the hauling capacity and power required for continuous, round-the-clock operation, according to an April 19 report by state-owned newspaper Science and Technology Daily. The vehicle, measuring over five metres (16.4 feet) tall and wide and 13.79 metres long, was unveiled in Shanghai on April 18. Named the “Shuanglin K7”, it was developed through a collaboration between the Shuanglin Group – a Shanghai-based automotive components manufacturer – and Tsinghua University. Traditional mining trucks take a long time to turn around in tight loading areas, a manoeuvre that often creates blind-spot risks. In contrast, the K7 can perform demanding moves such as lateral translation and on-the-spot turns. This is made possible by a technology known as a distributed electric drive-by-wire corner module.