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1. Vietnam adds over 2 square km of land in South China Sea, US report says

   Vietnam has expanded its outposts in the South China Sea by hundreds of acres over the past year, according to a new report, as Hanoi and Beijing race to reinforce competing territorial claims through land reclamation. Vietnam has added about 534 acres (2.16 square km) of land in the Spratly Islands, bringing its total reclaimed area to roughly 2,771 acres (11.2 square km), according to the...

2. ByteDance raises 2026 capex by at least 25% amid AI boom, rising memory costs, sources say

   TikTok owner ByteDance is ramping up its spending on artificial intelligence infrastructure, boosting its planned capital expenditure this year to more than 200 billion yuan (US$30 billion), according to two people familiar with the matter. This represented an increase of at least 25 per cent compared with a preliminary plan discussed late last year that proposed AI capex of 160 billion yuan,...

3. South Korea draws Gulf oil storage interest as Hormuz stays closed

   South Korea is drawing growing interest from Middle Eastern oil producers seeking to store crude oil at the country’s petroleum reserve bases, the world’s sixth largest, amid a prolonged blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a South Korean official and an expert on the matter have said. The strait’s closure in the wake of the US-Israel war on Iran has taken a toll not only on South Korea and other...

4. What is ‘authentic’ Filipino identity? New Miss Universe Philippines’ win reignites debate

   The Philippines has crowned its newest Miss Universe candidate, Bea Millan-Windorski, with the country – known for its penchant for beauty pageants – preparing to send its latest representative to the global competition in November. The 23-year-old, who grew up in Wisconsin in the United States and is a history and international relations graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, stood...

5. Rare earth strategy provides ‘opportunities for Africa’ as US attempts to counter China

   The US is shifting strategy to fund local African processing and mining infrastructure after recognising it cannot yet process the critical minerals it is racing to secure from the continent to counter China. Tom Haslett, managing director of policy for critical minerals at the US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), said that unlike China, which had “significant industry backing...

6. Malaysia resorts to cloud seeding to save rice crop from drought

   Malaysia is resorting to cloud seeding to bring much-needed rain to the country’s “rice bowl” north, where a drought has delayed planting of the staple crop and raised supply fears. “This year... has been affected by prolonged dry weather, low rainfall and reduced dam water levels,” said Malaysia’s Minister of Agriculture and Food Security Mohamad Sabu. The conditions mean farmers have missed...

7. 2 bike-sharing apps vie for Hong Kong riders amid industry’s roller coaster development

   Over the past year, retired economist Thomas Yuen Wai-kee has used shared bikes operated by Locobike and Helloride a few times each month to go on leisure rides in Hong Kong. So far the 62-year-old, a former assistant economics professor with Hong Kong Shue Yan University, has enjoyed their services, saying the two dockless shared bike operators offer different experiences. “Locobike provides...

8. Balikatan 2026: US, Japan, Philippines flex military muscle amid China tensions

   It took less than six minutes for Japan’s Type 88 missile to find its mark, a decommissioned Philippine warship 75km (47 miles) off the coast of Ilocos Norte. The US-made Tomahawk took rather longer to hit its target, some 630km (390 miles) away. It was, analysts say, a pointed display of resolve: Japanese, American and Filipino troops bringing this year’s Balikatan joint exercises to a...

9. 2 Singaporeans, 1 Indonesian still missing after Mount Dukono eruption

   Indonesian authorities resumed their search ⁠on Saturday for three hikers missing after Mount Dukono erupted on the island of Halmahera, a rescue official said. At least 100 rescuers, military and police personnel, as well as two thermal drones, were ‌deployed to find the two Singaporeans and one Indonesian, said Iwan Ramdani, the head of the local rescue agency. Survivors have told police that...

10. China defies Hormuz crisis with record monthly export value in April

    China’s export sector showed strong resilience last month, with the total value of outbound shipments hitting a monthly record even as the Strait of Hormuz crisis during the US-Israeli war in Iran showed little sign of abating after driving up energy and shipping costs. The value of China’s exports rose in April by 14.1 per cent, year on year, to US$359.44 billion, according to data released by...