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South Korean judge who handed Kim Keon-hee 4-year term found dead days after verdict

Shin Jong-oh, who was found with severe injuries on the ground near the Seoul High Court, had a suicide note in his pocket, police say Shin Jong-oh, who had overturned a lower court’s not guilty verdict and imposed a harsher sentence on Kim, was discovered with severe injuries in a flower bed near the Seoul High Court building in Seocho district, southern Seoul. Police suspect the 55-year-old died after falling from the building. “It is true that an apparent suicide note was found in his pocket,” an officer at Seocho Police Station told This Week in Asia. The note reportedly included phrases such as “I am sorry” and “I am leaving of my own accord”. However, police said it did not mention Kim’s case or any of his judicial duties.

May 6, 2026

Business

From Beijing to Berlin: Chinese EVs turn heads as brands eye European markets

BYD, Geely and Xpeng showcase eye-catching EVs at Beijing auto show as they build momentum in Europe and target more discerning buyers For German consumer Erik Böhme, a first visit to the Beijing auto show was an eye-opener – the world’s largest car exhibition showcased a vast array of electric vehicle (EV) brands, many already gaining traction in Europe. “I think there will be more Chinese brands coming and being successful in Europe,” said Böhme, a freelance automotive consultant who spent two days at the event, which ran through May 3. Böhme was among 250 foreign media, clients and social media influencers invited by Geely Automobile, China’s second-largest EV maker, to attend the show in Beijing. Around 50 of them came from Europe, the world’s third-largest car market. Other Chinese carmakers, including Xpeng and Chery Automobile, also flew in hundreds – in some cases thousands – of overseas visitors, with Europeans making up a large share. The push comes as Chinese EV makers pivot from a bruising domestic price war to overseas expansion, targeting higher margins, particularly in Europe, amid tightening regulations at home.

May 6, 2026

Business

‘May can give a false sense of safety,’ expert warns after Hong Kong hiker dies in Japan

Veteran mountaineer Chung Kin-man says May is not a stable period for climbing – not completely warm, with cold spells still possible Hikers should not underestimate the risks of climbing in Japan during the volatile spring transition in May, a mountaineering expert has warned after two Hong Kong men became stranded in the Northern Alps, one of whom later died. Veteran mountaineer Chung Kin-man said on Wednesday that climbers might develop a false sense of safety due to warmer weather in lowland areas in May, even as conditions in the mountains remained unstable, with risks of snowstorms, strong winds and freezing temperatures. He said May falls between the traditional winter and summer climbing seasons, creating highly unstable conditions that required mountaineers to prepare for both cold and wet environments. “May is not a stable period for climbing; it’s not completely warm and there may still be cold spells,” Chung said. “In hotter conditions, you would normally bring much less gear, wear fewer clothes and use different equipment, and even your climbing schedule would be different. “But if you use warm-weather gear in May, it may not be enough.

May 6, 2026

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.

May 6, 2026

Business

Thailand scraps 25-year-old agreement with Cambodia on joint energy exploration

Cambodia ‌will now initiate a compulsory conciliation ‌mechanism under the ⁠UN Convention on the ‌Law of the ‌Sea “Cancelling the deal is not related to the border conflict with Cambodia, but ‌part of my policy. It has been 25 years and there has been no progress,” Anutin told reporters, adding that Cambodia would be informed of the decision. Cambodia’s Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn expressed ‌regret over the termination and said Phnom Penh “has no option” but to settle the boundary issue under processes outlined ⁠in the United Nations Convention ⁠on the Law of the Sea, or Unclos. “Cambodia’s decision to pursue compulsory conciliation under Unclos reaffirms its commitment to resolving maritime disputes peacefully and in accordance ‌with international law,” he said in a statement.

May 6, 2026

Business

Education Bureau steps in after Hong Kong school’s phone ban sparks backlash

Students at Kwun Tong Maryknoll College protest stricter phone rules imposing demerits and confiscation Hong Kong education authorities have contacted a school after its newly tightened rules and penalties on mobile phone use triggered an outcry among students. Under the new measures, due to take effect in the coming weeks, Form Three and Four students at the boys’ school Kwun Tong Maryknoll College will be banned from using mobile phones on campus, with devices stored in lockers and accessible only during designated time slots. The rules also stipulate that no other items may be kept in the lockers, and playing mobile games at the school entrance is prohibited. “Violators will receive four demerits each time. The school will conduct regular inspections, if a phone is found on a student, it will be considered a violation and the phone will be confiscated,” it said. Form Three and Four students were reportedly targeted because they accounted for more breaches related to mobile phone use on campus. The school said the measures aim to “promote student self-discipline, reduce classroom distractions, and lower the risk of mobile phone loss and theft”.

May 6, 2026

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.

May 6, 2026

Business

America builds AI, China uses it. That gap may decide the future

The US still leads in AI development but lags in large-scale deployment behind China, which is rapidly becoming the leader in implementation This difference is not primarily about technological capability. It is about implementation. Economists have seen this pattern before. During the electrification of manufacturing, factories that simply replaced steam engines with electric motors saw little productivity improvement. Real gains only came when companies reorganised entire production systems around electricity – a dynamic often associated with economist Robert Solow and later expanded by Erik Brynjolfsson in the context of digital transformation.

May 6, 2026

Business

Hong Kong home sales surge to 2-year high, boosting overall transactions

A total of 8,692 transactions in all sectors were concluded last month, up 12.3 per cent from March’s 7,737 deals A total of 8,692 transactions across homes, offices, shops, car parking spots and industrial spaces were concluded last month, up 12.3 per cent from March’s 7,737 deals, according to data released on Tuesday by the Land Registry. The total sales value rose 17 per cent to about HK$72.9 billion (US$9.3 billion). Sales of new and second-hand residential units climbed 16.7 per cent month on month to 7,368 in April, the highest since April 2024 when 8,551 units were sold, the data showed. The sales value in April increased about 15.4 per cent over March to HK$63.67 billion. “The number of new home sales registrations has rebounded significantly, coupled with stable performance in the secondary market and commercial and industrial properties, resulting in a continued boom in the market,” said Derek Chan Hoi-chiu, head of research at Ricacorp Properties. A steady recovery in the city’s residential market was spurring a wider recovery for the city’s office and retail segments, according to Morgan Stanley.

May 6, 2026

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.

May 6, 2026

Business

Sea robbery fears stalk Singapore and Malaysia’s busiest waterways

Opportunistic nighttime raids in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore are testing security in a vital maritime chokepoint The crew managed to raise the alarm in time and thankfully no one was hurt. But by the time the vessel was searched the intruders were gone, vanished back into the water with a clutch of spare engine parts in tow. The nighttime raid on the Taipan was the latest in a steady drumbeat of low-level robberies along one of the world’s most consequential shipping corridors: a narrow, reef-strewn passage through which an estimated 70 per cent of Asia’s oil imports flow, alongside trillions of dollars in annual cargo. Analysts are careful to stress that the attacks are not signs of a looming security collapse. But they are a symptom of nagging vulnerabilities in a globally important shipping chokepoint.

May 6, 2026

Business

Indonesia caps ride-hailing commission fees at 8% in ‘radical correction’ of sector

The new commission scheme shows the state’s support for ride-hailing drivers, but may not necessarily boost their incomes, observers say The move could mark a significant shift in one of Southeast Asia’s biggest on-demand economies, where millions of drivers for platforms such as Gojek and Grab have become a highly visible labour force and, analysts say, a potent political bloc. Last week, Prabowo announced a presidential decree that would lower the commission fees ride-hailing companies charge drivers for each order, from 20 per cent to 8 per cent. Drivers would also get universal healthcare and work accident insurance, he said. “It’s not right that you [drivers] are the ones sweating, but they [the companies] are getting the money. Sorry, if they [the companies] don’t want to comply, don’t bother doing business in Indonesia,” Prabowo said in front of drivers during a May Day rally in Jakarta on Friday.

May 6, 2026