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1. China keeps defence budget growth steady as modernisation deadline looms

   China has earmarked a 7 per cent increase in defence spending this year, keeping the growth rate largely stable even as the White House aims to ramp up expenditure for the military. In a budget released on Thursday at the start of the annual session of the National People’s Congress (NPC), Beijing said it would allocate 1.91 trillion yuan (US$277 billion) for defence. The 7 per cent is a shade...

2. Tung Wah College to undergo review in April on bid to gain university status

   Tung Wah College, a tertiary institution in Hong Kong known for its nursing care and allied health programmes, will undergo a combined review next month on its application to become both a private university and a university of applied sciences (UAS) and is “very confident”, its head has said. Professor Sally Chan Wai-chi, president of the 16-year-old Ho Man Tin-based college, said on Thursday...

3. Driver of medium goods vehicle arrested after crash kills cabby and passenger

   Hong Kong police have arrested a driver after his medium goods vehicle collided head-on with a taxi, fatally injuring the driver and passenger. The force said on Thursday the driver of the goods vehicle, a 35-year-old man surnamed He, was arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving causing death and was being detained for questioning. The taxi was travelling along Fan Kam Road near the Fanling...

4. Warning over screen time and chatbots as number of depressed hits record high

   One in three Hong Kong adults have moderate to severe symptoms of depression, almost triple the rate from 2012, with Generation Z respondents who spent a lot of time on screens affected the most, a survey has found. The biennial study, conducted by the Mental Health Association NGO and the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), also found that 22 per cent of the 2,700 adult respondents turned...

5. China’s ‘two sessions’ show plans for resilience in a stormy world

   China’s “two sessions” this year presents less of a story of an economic miracle than of transition: from high-speed to high-quality growth, and from dependence on external demand to a more resilient, innovation-driven economy. Against a backdrop of global tensions and fragmenting supply chains, Beijing is using this political moment to signal that it sees opportunity in adversity and is...

6. Philippines advances Sara Duterte impeachment case, but ‘this is not a cakewalk’

   Philippine lawmakers have moved two impeachment complaints against Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio a step closer to formal proceedings, advancing a case that could ultimately threaten her political future as a potential contender for the presidency in 2028. The drawn-out process also carries political risks for both camps, with some lawmakers arguing that a failed Senate conviction could...

7. 16 Hongkongers sued for refusing to vacate homes in HK$15 billion URA project

   The Hong Kong government has lodged civil lawsuits against 16 residents who allegedly refused to vacate homes in a neighbourhood known for its Thai and Chiu Chow heritage, earmarked for a HK$15 billion (US$1.91 billion) redevelopment project. The secretary for justice, on behalf of the Urban Renewal Authority (URA), initiated proceedings at the District Court on Wednesday seeking eviction orders...

8. China boosts diplomatic budget by 9.3% as US leaves ‘fiscal void’

   China is expanding its diplomatic budget by 9.3 per cent, the highest increase in three years, signalling Beijing’s plans to consolidate its geopolitical clout as instability mounts around the globe, according to analysts. The Ministry of Finance on Thursday proposed that 70.975 billion yuan (US$10.28 billion) be allocated for Beijing’s diplomatic spending in 2026, up 9.3 per cent from the...

9. Azerbaijan vows to respond after Iranian drones injure 4

   Azerbaijan warned on Thursday that it was preparing unspecified response measures after a pair of Iranian drones flew across its border and injured four people in the Nakhchivan exclave, raising concern about further spillover of the ‌conflict in the Middle East. “These attacks will not remain unanswered,” the Azerbaijani Defence Ministry said in a statement. It added that it was investigating...

10. Italy to send aid to Gulf states and Cyprus after Iranian strikes

    Italy is planning to send air defence aid to Gulf countries and naval assets to Cyprus after Iranian air strikes, the government said on Thursday, amid concern for the safety of citizens and troops in the region as well as for energy security. As the US-Iran war entered its sixth day, the conflict has widened beyond Gulf states and into Asia, convulsing global markets and prompting thousands of...