Former US president Barack Obama is getting a little help from his friends, including three former presidents, in celebrating the opening of his presidential museum in Chicago. The guest list for Thursday’s dedication ceremony includes Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder, Christina Aguilera and Bono. Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama posed for pictures before the ceremony with former presidents Joe Biden, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton along with former first ladies Jill Biden, Laura Bush...

US President Donald Trump is not expected to have a phone call with Taiwanese leader Lai Ching-te any time soon, despite saying earlier that he would be open to speaking with the person “running” the island. Two people familiar with the matter said there had been no movement towards arranging such a conversation, which was reliant on the American leader’s willingness to take the initiative. Three other sources said the US believed that a call with Lai could derail an expected summit with Chinese...

Hong Kong property tycoon Gordon Wu Ying-sheung has said he is “very optimistic about the future of China” due to its “stability” as he received the Game Changer Award from the Asia Society for his contributions to the country’s development. At a fireside chat on Thursday after receiving the award from the city leader, the 90-year-old founder and chairman of Hopewell Holdings said he has been betting on China since its opening up in 1978 and had remained confident. “I am very optimistic about...

North Korea’s Kim ⁠Yo-jong, the powerful sister of leader Kim Jong-un, condemned a G7 call for the country’s denuclearisation as a violation of its constitution and an infringement of ‌sovereignty, state media KCNA said on Thursday. Kim said denuclearisation was an “irreversibly finalised agenda” that could never be realised, and that nuclear possession was North Korea’s core interest and an irreversible line, the statement carried by KCNA said. “Denuclearisation is the line ⁠of no retreat that...

A US$300 billion reconstruction fund for Iran has emerged as a flashpoint in a newly reached ceasefire agreement between Washington and Tehran, raising fresh questions over who will ultimately bear the cost. Outlined in a 14-point memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed by the United States and Iran after more than 100 days of conflict, the fund commits Washington to work with regional partners on Iran’s reconstruction and economic recovery. Yet, the agreement offers no details on how...

A Vietnamese police operation rescued about 400 pet cats destined for the dinner plate, uncovering a nationwide racket fuelling the country’s rampant pet meat trade that uses a criminal corridor running from the south to the north. Hundreds of desperate cat owners rushed to a Ho Chi Minh police headquarters over the weekend to see if their lost pet was among the cats rescued from traffickers by police. In what is believed to be one of the largest busts of its kind, police said the cats were...

Trials are under way in China to roll out autonomous navigation and other smart shipping solutions to slash logistics costs ahead of the opening of the landmark Pinglu Canal, which will link its landlocked southwestern regions to Southeast Asia to spur trade and connectivity. Intelligent barges and other vessels have been tested on the artificial waterway in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region since Wednesday, as part of preparations for the commissioning of the roughly US$10 billion...