A 6.7-magnitude earthquake shook part of central Indonesia’s Sulawesi island on Tuesday, causing scattered damage and rattling residents of a city devastated by a quake and tsunami eight years ago. The strong shaking sent people fleeing into open areas in and around Palu, a city of about 400,000 people and the capital of Central Sulawesi province. Several hospitals evacuated patients, some with IV drips, outdoors as a safety measure. Images from the area showed heavily damaged structures with...

“Overcapacity” has become the buzzword in Washington and Brussels. American and European policymakers insist China churns out far more steel, electric vehicles and green technology than it can absorb, flooding the world with subsidised goods. Yet the economic data tells a different story: of double standards, protectionist impulses and a habit of moving the goalposts. Start with steel. Western officials point to China’s massive output as proof of distortion. But China official data puts the...

China’s ruling Communist Party has announced a new branch of President Xi Jinping’s political thought, which stresses governing the party with discipline and unified leadership. During a national conference on party building on Monday, the concept of “Xi Jinping Thought on Party Building” was hailed as “a milestone in the history of Marxist theory on party building and in the history of Chinese Communist Party building”, according to a report from state broadcaster CCTV. The new phrase was...

Hong Kong’s privacy watchdog has launched a data privacy academy as part of efforts to align with the national strategy of developing the city into an international high-calibre talent hub. Announcing the news at the 30th Anniversary Privacy Protection Summit on Tuesday, Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data Ada Chung Lai-ling said the office would also strive to implement and support the city’s first five-year plan. “As an educator and reformer, I am delighted to announce the launch of the...

Nisa Mohd did not send her daughter to boarding school unprepared. Before the now 17-year-old left for Melaka, her mother enrolled her in silat, the Malay martial art, and made one instruction clear: report any trouble immediately. She still watches for shifts in her daughter’s mood each time they speak. Millions of parents across Malaysia recognise her vigilance, with the country still following the inquest into the death last year of 13-year-old Zara Qairina Mahathir and a steady succession of...

Disney opens Shanghai park, with eye to future By Mandy Zuo (Additional reporting by Nikki Sun) This article was first published on June 16, 2016 China represents “incredible potential” for Walt Disney, said company chairman Bob Iger ahead of the opening of its Shanghai theme park today (June 16, 2016). The US$5.5 billion complex is the first step onto mainland soil by the Western media giant as it seeks to grow its brand beyond already saturated markets back home. And the company was already...

A poultry stall at a Hong Kong market has been disinfected after an environmental sample tested positive for the H9 bird flu virus, with shoppers remaining largely unfazed despite a recent infection involving a two-year-old boy. The affected stall, the only live poultry shop operating inside Sha Tin’s Wo Che Market, temporarily suspended operations on Tuesday morning for cleaning. The shop owner and three staff members were seen scrubbing live chicken cages and wiping down price tags while...