Can Ukraine’s worst week in years become the best?

JULY 19, 2026 – I have had many requests to discuss the removal of Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov. However, I wanted to hold off until…

They just evacuated

HKFP Lens: Hong Kong holds annual book fair as independent booksellers face exclusion, legal woes

Hong Kong is holding its annual book fair amid a censorship row over the organisers’ decision to ban two independent bookshops from participating. The event…

A blockade at Hormuz, a crisis for all humanity

The current architecture of international relations faces a profound, non-linear crisis that extends far beyond the traditional boundaries of regional military conflict. The ongoing military…

US ends its state of emergency over Hong Kong security threat

The United States has chosen not to extend its state of emergency over what it deemed threats posed by Beijing’s hardline national security law in…

‘Indispensable’ Xiaohongshu app fuels Chinese tourism

Competition is fierce for professional photographers at Beijing’s tourist hotspots, including a scenic lake where women in flowy traditional robes pose for snaps to share…

‘We are X’: Hong Kong moves to reform its archaic sex laws, but victims of prolonged child sexual abuse feel left out

When police asked Mui to recall every sexual abuse incident she suffered, she found it incredibly painful. She had been abused by her stepfather for…

Iran’s strike just flipped the war

2 US troops killed as Iran War spirals

China’s new AI just shocked Wall Street

Japan Imperial Household law to permit adoption from cadet branch

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi won a legislative victory on Friday with the passage of a revision to the Imperial Household Law, but she faced significant…

Is vanadium the future of critical minerals? Kazakhstan hopes so

Vanadium is viewed as a critical mineral by the United States, the European Union, Russia, China and many other countries because of its importance to energy storage and industrial alloys.…

From solo to symphony, China bids to fine-tune the AI race

Artificial intelligence should not be a solo performance by one country, but a symphony of international cooperation. That was Chinese President Xi Jinping’s framing on…

China slams Trump claims of US election meddling as ‘pure fabrications’

Beijing accused US President Donald Trump of making “fabrications” on Friday, after he said China had meddled in US election data, reviving his long-standing baseless…

China warns of ‘countermeasures’ to US stay limits for journalists

China warned on Friday it could take “countermeasures” after Washington finalised rules shortening how long journalists can stay in the United States, with Chinese nationals…

End-times prophecy jumps from lunatic fringe to US elite belief

It recently emerged that tech billionaire Peter Thiel is running a secret society that brings together fellow CEOs and billionaires with political leaders. Members reportedly…

Bangladesh shelves India reset as tensions trump trust

Driven by shifting domestic political dynamics and a transforming regional landscape, Bangladesh’s new prime minister, Tarique Rahman, who came to power after a landslide in…

China’s anti-stealth shield has a radar reality gap

China is building an increasingly sophisticated anti-stealth network, but its effectiveness may depend less on individual radar performance than on its ability to integrate, maintain…

Musk’s SpaceX now begs for bailout

Trump just attacked Canada and You