World

From cooking barbecued pork with Yakult to trying Superman posture tricks, young people in China are embracing a lifestyle of xie xiu or “evil cultivation” to create bizarre life hacks to cope with stress. The idea stems from Taoist culture, which provides deviant paths to immortality, describing those who reject orthodox practices and abandon moral codes. In Chinese web novels, …

Japan’s police are turning to artificial intelligence (AI) to identify individuals who appear likely to commit “terrorist attacks” based on their social media posts, but observers say the move could backfire by sweeping up innocent citizens engaging in normal political discussion. The National Police Agency is seeking 49.5 million yen (US$338,000) in next year’s budget for a pilot project that …

It is sometimes argued that democracy suffers when autocrats manipulate legal frameworks or when institutions are weakened. Yet in liberal democracies such as Australia, a quieter but similarly corrosive danger is emerging: the normalisation of street-level hostility. This hostility, particularly towards migrants from the Indo-Pacific region, is an early warning signal of democratic erosion. In late August, thousands joined coordinated …

The head of the world’s trade watchdog has delivered an upbeat take on US President Donald Trump’s unilateral tariffs – one of the biggest shocks to the global trading system since its emergence after the Second World War – casting the disruptions as a chance to cut supply imbalances, open new markets and spur “reglobalisation”. A little over six months …

The US Federal Reserve has announced that it will cut interest rates by a quarter of 1 percentage point in a widely anticipated move. The US central bank also expects two more quarter-point cuts this year. The cut puts the target range for its main lending rate at 4 to 4.25 per cent. Still, market stakeholders are watching the Fed’s …

The Israeli military said it was opening an additional route for 48 hours that Palestinians could use to leave Gaza City as it stepped up efforts on Wednesday to empty the city of civilians and confront thousands of Hamas combatants. Hundreds of thousands of people are sheltering in the city and many are reluctant to follow Israel’s orders to move …

OPINION — In early 2024, the American public received a stark warning from top U.S. security officials. Chinese state-sponsored hackers, known as “Volt Typhoon,” had penetrated not just data repositories but embedded themselves deep within the control systems of U.S. critical infrastructure—including communication networks, energy grids, and water treatment facilities. As FBI Director Christopher Wray testified, the intent was a …

OPINION — The war in Ukraine has evolved into a complex geopolitical conflict, shaped not only by military strategy but by global economic dependencies. While Western nations continue to provide financial and military aid, a critical vulnerability has emerged: Ukraine’s heavy reliance on Chinese drone components. The Ukrainian drone manufacturers with whom I have spoken admit that their drones are …

Hong Kong authorities will strengthen protection for local workers by tightening restrictions on employers importing waiters and junior cooks, while enacting legislation to better protect delivery workers. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu announced in his policy address on Wednesday that the government would prioritise the employment of local workers and crack down on abuse of a labour importation scheme. The …

Hong Kong authorities are set to reshape how they deliver public services, rolling out a sweeping plan to embed AI in at least 200 administrative procedures by the end of 2027 in a bid to boost efficiency and create a more responsive, tech-driven bureaucracy. The timeline, listed in Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s policy address on Wednesday, will result in …