New light shows replacing Hong Kong’s long-running “A Symphony of Lights” should help nearby shops and restaurants attract business, rather than simply drawing spectators who leave after the performance, tourism representatives have said. Lawmaker Perry Yiu Pak-leung and tourism union adviser Leung Fong-yuen on Wednesday backed experimenting with new formats as the nightly Victoria Harbour attraction prepares to stage its final show next Wednesday after 22 years. “Don’t simply attract tourists...

Two researchers in Hong Kong are using advanced data-driven computation and artificial intelligence (AI) alongside traditional scientific principles to better understand the mechanisms of the human brain and tackle the growing urban threat posed by extreme temperatures and air pollution. The academics at Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) have been recognised by Hong Kong’s Research Grants Council (RGC), a non-statutory advisory council under the University Grants Committee responsible for...

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent called for a more balanced trade relationship with China, with the objective to “de-risk, not decouple”, as Chinese ambassador Xie Feng spoke of adhering to “red lines” at an event in New York on Tuesday. “Trade must advance the interests of both parties without diminishing the sovereignty of either,” said Bessent, while emphasising that US-China ties were defined by the relationship between their leaders, who are due to meet next week for a summit. “That...

China has established an institute dedicated to preserving rare and endangered historical disciplines, advancing Beijing’s push to elevate traditional culture as a pillar of its soft power and national narrative. The institute was inaugurated at the University of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (UCASS) in Beijing on Friday, alongside the launch of an association to consolidate nationwide resources involving the studies. The institute includes a dozen ancient ethnic minority scripts such as...

Japan is considering including a commitment to strengthening its “capabilities to deny” an adversary’s aggression in coordination with the United States in a major defence policy document to be revised later this year, government sources said on Tuesday. The basic guidelines for the National Defence Strategy will also call for expanded Japan-US cooperation to strengthen the defence industrial base and deeper security ties with like-minded countries, the sources said. The National Security...

During a video call on Friday, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent urged Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng to uphold China’s previous commitments on agricultural goods and rare earth exports. A day earlier, Beijing reminded Washington to implement another deal – reciprocal tariff cuts covering US$30 billion worth of products on each side – as a precondition to buying more American farm products. Just days before President Donald Trump meets Chinese leader Xi...

Thousands of Indian soldiers who would otherwise leave the military after four years will be kept on duty, in a major rethink of the country’s controversial recruitment model as New Delhi grapples with persistent manpower shortages and security concerns along its borders with China and Pakistan, analysts say. Under revisions approved by the federal cabinet last Tuesday, more than 18,000 recruits from the inaugural batch of the Agnipath (“Path of Fire”) scheme will be granted a two-year service...