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1. Hong Kong’s retail sector is struggling but people will have to adapt: John Lee

   Hong Kong’s leader has conceded that the city has a problem with its sluggish retail scene amid a trend of locals spending their holidays across the border, but warned against using it as the sole yardstick in assessing the economy. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu also called on businesses to “work harder” in light of the market changes and to reform to retain if not grow their slice of the...

2. Microplastics from biodegradable material may be linked to diabetes, study finds

   Microplastics from a widely used biodegradable material can enter the metabolic cycle of bacteria and cells in the gut after being ingested, a new study has found. Researchers in China and the United States said the microplastics – from polylactic acid – were found to alter the gut metabolism and damage the gut barrier of mice. They said this could potentially contribute to conditions like...

3. ‘Delivery man-poet’: Chinese man with basic education made head of academic body

   A food courier in China who has written thousands of poems and published several books of poetry has been appointed as the head of an non-governmental organisation promoting reading in public. In early June, Wang Jibing, 55, was named vice director of the Xuzhou All People Reading Enhancement Association, a charitable organisation affiliated with Xuzhou municipal civil affairs bureau in eastern...

4. Basketball betting: Hong Kong plans fifth counselling centre for gamblers

   Hong Kong authorities are planning to set up a fifth counselling centre for gamblers, the home affairs chief has said, with the government proposing to legalise basketball betting and impose a 50 per cent duty on the operator’s net profits. Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs Alice Mak Mei-kuen said on Sunday that the government would require the Hong Kong Jockey Club, which is set to become...

5. Pakistan’s animal army marches to markets for haggling at annual festival

   Once a year, Pakistanis mobilise for an operation that is akin to a major battle taking place in terms of scale and blood being spilled. Much is at stake – at least financially – as veritable four-legged armies numbering hundreds of thousands march on Pakistan’s population centres from farmsteads around the country. For the livestock farmers leading the sieges, the deals cut at pop-up markets...

6. China signals readiness on rare earth talks, approves more exports

   China has approved some qualified rare earth export applications and is ready to deepen dialogue with nations over export controls, as the strategic resource continues to take centre stage in Beijing’s trade negotiations with Washington. In a statement posted on its official website on Saturday, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce said: “We have observed growing global demand for medium and heavy...

7. Labubu craze sweeps globe, highlights power China, Asia stars have on consumer trends

   Asian and Chinese stars are rewriting the fashion industry playbook, turning niche favourites into global must-haves. The Post explores how celebrity choices shape style and consumption while reflecting the values of today’s fans. Lisa Labubu At 28, Lisa of the South Korean girl band Blackpink has more than 100 million social media followers and more than 1.9 billion online streams for her solo...

8. Chinese legends, Disney characters compete in Hong Kong dragon boat races

   Competitors marked the final day of Hong Kong’s International Dragon Boat Races on Sunday by donning an array of colourful costumes that included beloved characters from animated films and Chinese folklore. Hongkongers, expats and a team of visiting Canadian paddlers were among those taking part in the fancy dress competition held on the event’s second day. The races were organised by the city’s...

9. How China’s diaspora became both an asset and a source of anxiety

   Wang Gungwu – one of Asia’s most respected historians and a pioneering scholar of the Chinese diaspora – explores in Roads to Chinese Modernity: Civilisation and National Culture how China evolved into a modern nation navigating reform and globalisation. In this excerpt, Wang traces how, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, reformers and revolutionaries such as Kang You-wei, Liang Qichao...

10. A star is born as Hong Kong pianist wins Van Cliburn competition

    Hong Kong pianist Aristo Sham Ching-tao has won the 2025 edition of the prestigious Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, putting him on track for global stardom. Sham, 29, is the first pianist from Hong Kong to win the competition, held in Fort Worth in the US state of Texas. The announcement on June 7 of his victory followed two-and-a-half weeks of intense anticipation. Live streams of...