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1. Bolstering oil stockpile, China’s import surge seen creating a 120-day shock shield

   China’s surge in crude imports early this year has strengthened its stockpiles against a backdrop of rising Middle East tensions and global supply risks. China imported 96.93 million tonnes of crude in January and February, up 15.8 per cent from the same period in 2025, according to customs data released on Tuesday. The value of those imports, meanwhile, fell 5.2 per cent from last year in US...

2. How cheaply can China fend off a drone swarm with its latest microwave weapon?

   China has lowered the operational cost of an anti-drone high-power microwave (HPM) system to just a few yuan per shot, making it a cost-effective option for policing applications, according to a state media report. The launch of an urban police anti-drone swarm microwave defence system marked a further reduction in cost and increased accessibility of HPM technology as it expanded into civilian...

3. Japan: Fukushima worker devotes life to abandoned pets after nuclear disaster

   Not far from the Fukushima nuclear disaster site, former plant worker Toru Akama tends to dozens of pets abandoned after the catastrophe 15 years ago, work he sees as part of his quest for redemption. Miaows and barks break the silence of the countryside, once an evacuation zone, as the 63-year-old brings food to the animals left behind when their owners fled the triple disaster of March 11,...

4. Hong Kong marine insurers gain edge over London with cheaper war-risk cover

   Hong Kong is set to challenge London’s dominance in marine insurance as Middle East tensions highlight the city’s ability to provide war-risk cover at a lower cost, according to the local insurance regulator’s chairman. Stephen Yiu Kin-wah on Tuesday said the Insurance Authority had supported insurers in launching a special war-risk insurance pool last November, which now covered 10 mainland...

5. 11 domestic helpers among 20 arrested in Hong Kong crackdown on illegal labour

   Hong Kong authorities have arrested 20 people, including domestic helpers suspected of unlawfully providing services such as massages and manicures, in a crackdown on illegal labour. The Immigration Department said that it conducted a three-day operation across the city between Sunday and Tuesday, searching 19 target locations, including restaurants, care homes, hotels, commercial and industrial...

6. Middle East tensions add uncertainty to Hong Kong retail rents, Wharf REIC says

   Hong Kong’s fragile retail recovery is clouding the outlook for shopping mall rents, with Wharf Real Estate Investment Company (REIC) warning that rising geopolitical tensions could add further uncertainty even as visitor traffic improves. The landlord of Harbour City in Tsim Sha Tsui and Times Square in Causeway Bay said the retail market showed gradual improvement in 2025 as tourism picked...

7. Indonesia’s role in US-led ‘Board of Peace’ under scrutiny amid Iran crisis

   Indonesia’s involvement in US leader Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace” is drawing growing criticism at home as the war in the Middle East intensifies scrutiny of President Prabowo Subianto’s closer engagement with Washington. Critics have urged Jakarta to withdraw from the board and reconsider related policies, including plans to send troops to Gaza and a recent trade arrangement with the United...

8. Stability comes first: Chinese defence chief signals Beijing’s strategic caution

   Beijing’s defence minister called for shaping a stable environment for China to serve its broader political and diplomatic agenda, conveying the government’s strategic caution amid global uncertainties, analysts said. Dong Jun gave his comments on Friday during a group discussion involving military and armed police lawmakers at the country’s annual legislative gathering in Beijing. According to...

9. Swedish man owns vehicle testing centre in China’s Inner Mongolia; likely the only foreigner there

   Over two decades in a little-known, freezing city in northern China, a Swedish man has built a career and witnessed the booming development of the country’s carmaking industry. Gustav Holmgren, 44, whose Chinese name is Ge Siwen, is the legal representative and site manager of ATM (Hulun Buir) Proving Ground Service, which provides cold-weather vehicle testing for carmakers. He is, perhaps, the...

10. Iran war: Asia sees violence, fuel rationing, queues as energy crunch hits

    The oil price spike caused by the war in the Middle East has sparked unrest in Bangladesh and exasperation at petrol pumps around Asia, where many economies are heavily dependent on fossil fuel imports. Even as governments move to limit the impact on fuel prices, queues have formed at petrol stations in countries including Vietnam, Pakistan and the Philippines, although the situation remains...