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We have selected seven stories from this week’s news across Hong Kong, mainland China, the wider Asia region and beyond that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing.1. China builds a record-breaking hypergravity machine to compress space and timeChina is set to break its own record in hypergravity research with a colossal new centrifuge that can spin multi-tonne samples at unmatched intensities.2. China has logged a US$1 trillion trade surplus. Where is all that money going?China’s status as the world’s manufacturing leader has helped…

China needs to adapt to a more competitive global environment driven by market power, technological innovation and institutional leverage, according to analysts at a leading Beijing-based think tank.These pillars were more critical than conventional military dominance or strengthening territorial control in the great power rivalry, particularly as Beijing sought to project itself as a stabiliser in an increasingly fractured international order, the analysts added.“Market appeal, technological innovation and institutional influence are becoming the core metrics of competition, reshaping how states pursue power and legitimacy,” he said in a review published on Tuesday by the Beijing-based think tank affiliated with the…

Malaysia welcomed 2026 with tougher anti-littering enforcement, as New Year’s Eve celebrations saw less waste in the capital amid expanded efforts to keep the country clean.About 3.2 tonnes of rubbish were scooped up from three major hotspots in Kuala Lumpur – Dataran Merdeka, the KLCC area and Bukit Bintang – after the countdown, according to waste contractor Alam Flora.The figure marked an 11 per cent drop from the 3.6 tonnes collected a year earlier, officials said.Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim was among the hundreds of thousands who thronged the city to watch light shows, fireworks, concerts and other events to ring…

CRANS MONTANA, Switzerland (AP) — Swiss investigators say they believe sparklers on Champagne bottles ignited the fatal fire at a Swiss ski resort when they came too close to the ceiling of a bar crowded with New Year’s Eve revelers. Dozens of people were killed and injured when a fire ripped through a busy bar at a ski resort in Switzerland while partygoers were celebrating New Year’s Eve, authorities said. The blaze broke out at around 1:30 a.m. Thursday during the holiday celebration inside the Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana. This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.…

Hong Kong stocks started 2026 on a positive note on Friday, as investors bet on economic growth after both the mainland and Hong Kong markets recorded bull runs in 2025.The Hang Seng Index rose 1.5 per cent to 26,002.82 as of 10am local time on Friday, the best trading start since 2023. The Hang Seng Tech Index added 3 per cent. On the mainland, the markets were closed for public holidays.The Hang Seng Index ended 2025 with a 28 per cent gain on Wednesday, securing its best yearly performance since gaining 36 per cent in 2017. The CSI 300 Index…

Hong Kong stocks made a strong start to 2026 on Friday, as investors bet on economic growth after both the mainland and Hong Kong markets recorded bull runs in 2025.The Hang Seng Index surged 2.2 per cent to 26,198.63 as of 11.05am local time on Friday, the biggest gain since August 13. The Hang Seng Tech Index added 3.6 per cent. On the mainland, the markets were closed for public holidays.The Hang Seng Index ended 2025 with a 28 per cent gain on Wednesday, securing its best yearly performance since gaining 36 per cent in 2017. The CSI 300 Index…

Shares of Shanghai Biren Technology jumped 82.1 per cent upon their debut on Friday in Hong Kong’s first listing of the year, as investors piled into the Chinese graphics processing unit (GPU) maker amid the artificial intelligence wave.The first of China’s up-and-coming GPU developers to list in Hong Kong, the company’s shares first changed hands at HK$35.70, up from the initial public offering (IPO) price of HK$19.60, valuing the company at HK$85.5 billion (US$11 billion). Biren raised HK$5.58 billion after exercising an option to adjust the offer size to accommodate strong investor appetite.Biren decided to pursue a Hong Kong listing…

Shares of Shanghai Biren Technology jumped 82.1 per cent to HK$35.70 on Friday in Hong Kong’s first listing of the year, as investors piled into the Chinese graphics processing unit (GPU) maker amid the artificial intelligence wave.The first of China’s up-and-coming GPU developers to list in Hong Kong, the company’s shares first changed hands at HK$35.70, up from the initial public offering (IPO) price of HK$19.60, valuing the company at HK$85.5 billion (US$11 billion). Biren raised HK$5.58 billion after exercising an option to adjust the offer size to accommodate strong investor appetite.The listing followed the red-hot debuts of its peers…

A large anti-Israeli banner portraying an image of a Palestinian fighter and the slogan in Persian and Hebrew, “Endless Voice of Resistance” is erected in Palestine Square in Tehran on December 31, 2025. Israel’s Mossad spy agency issued a direct call on December 31, 2025,urging Iranians to press on with protests, saying it was supporting them “on the ground” as demonstrations spread in capital Tehran and other Iranian cities. Protests began on December 28, 2025, with Tehran shopkeepers rallying against Iran’s worsening economy have spread to other cities, drawing in students as well. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP via…

Dec. 26, 2025 – Jan 1, 2026 This photo gallery, curated by photo editor Leslie Mazoch, highlights some of the most compelling images worldwide published by The Associated Press in the past week. ___ Fireworks explode over Chao Phraya River during New Year celebrations in Bangkok, Thailand, Jan. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit, File) Fireworks explode over Chao Phraya River during New Year celebrations in Bangkok, Thailand, Jan. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit, File) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Read More This photo taken…