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South China Morning Post

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‘We are a small country’: why Malaysia is resisting US defence spending call

Malaysia is unlikely to come close to a US call for Asian partners to spend 3.5 per cent of gross domestic product on defence, analysts have said, as Putrajaya tries to modernise an ageing military without overwhelming public finances or appearing to align with Washington’s China strategy. Defence Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin said the US had “every right” to ask allies to raise defence expenditure, but stressed that Malaysia faced limits as a developing economy. “For a country like Malaysia,...

RTHK News (Hong Kong)

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Economy shows resilience as AI electronic exports boom

Financial Secretary Paul Chan said on Monday Hong Kong’s economy remained resilient when it moved into the second quarter. This, he said, followed robust growth of 5.9 percent in gross domestic product in the first quarter. Speaking at a meeting of the Legislative Council’s financial affairs panel, Chan said the SAR saw year-on-year growth in merchandise exports of nearly 43 percent in April, driven by export of AI-related electronics products. The city also welcomed more tourists in April and during the Labour Day Golden Week holiday, in addition to seeing improvements in the labour market. However, Chan warned of uncertainties brought about by the Middle East stalemate. "Although the conflict has limited impact on Hong Kong’s economy, it has pushed up international oil prices and inflation pressure," he said. "The ceasefire agreement between the US and Iran is not on solid ground. If tensions escalate again, it is expected to exacerbate volatility in global financial markets, weaken external demand and pose downside risks to global and local economic outlook. "But strong global demand for advanced electronics and AI-related products is expected to help boost exports." Chan also said Hong Kong exports of services would remain robust with tourism booming, cross-border financial activities thriving and demand for business services remaining stable. He also urged the retail and catering sectors to transform themselves to match new consumption trends. "Consumption patterns have changed and people’s expectations are different from before," Chan said. "As a result, some of the big traditional restaurants may find it difficult to survive in the current environment if they continue with their past practices," he said. "At the same time, however, there are distinctive shops and cafes opening up in many districts, and some of them are doing well. Therefore, we encourage the industry to transform." Chan said the government would offer assistance in funding and training to aid in the sectors' transformation. Edited by Thomas McAlinden

South China Morning Post

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Shangri-La Dialogue: can Asia do ‘less Shangri-La, more ships, more subs’?

As the Shangri-La Dialogue drew to a close on Sunday, two issues dominated discussions throughout the event: defence spending and the varying level of commitment of countries to maintain peace in the region after calls by Washington for its allies and others to pull their weight. Analysts said the 3.5 per cent of gross domestic product for defence spending proposed by US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth was not something that most Asean countries – aside from Singapore – could commit to. Hegseth...

South China Morning Post

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Hong Kong private tutor jailed for 4½ years over repeatedly molesting boy

A convicted paedophile has been jailed for 4½ years for committing obscene acts against a seven-year-old boy while working as a private tutor in Hong Kong more than two years ago. Ng Tin-yu, 24, was sentenced on Wednesday for repeatedly molesting the boy at the latter’s home in Kowloon City until a surveillance camera on the premises captured one of the incidents, leading to the defendant’s arrest. He pleaded guilty earlier this month to nine counts of committing an act of gross indecency...

South China Morning Post

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Singapore’s economy grows on back of AI boom, defying Iran war slowdown

Singapore’s economy expanded faster than expected in the first quarter as the global artificial-intelligence boom lifted the nation’s manufacturing and services, offsetting the drag from higher crude prices. Gross domestic product grew a seasonally adjusted 1 per cent in the three months through March from the previous quarter, the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) said on Monday. That is well above the government’s advance estimate of a 0.3 per cent contraction and the median forecast of a...

South China Morning Post

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‘Fjord’ by Romania’s Mungiu wins Palme d’Or at Cannes

Cristian Mungiu’s Norway-set drama about political polarisation Fjord has won the Palme d’Or, handing the Cannes Film Festival’s top honour for the second time to Mungiu, the Romanian director of 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days. At a 79th Cannes Film Festival that saw few films break out, Fjord found wide admiration for its engrossing tale of what Mungiu called “left-wing fundamentalism”. It stars Sebastian Stan and Renate Reinsve as Romanian evangelicals who move to Norway, but soon after have...

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‘We are a small country’: why Malaysia is resisting US defence spending call

Economy shows resilience as AI electronic exports boom

Shangri-La Dialogue: can Asia do ‘less Shangri-La, more ships, more subs’?

Hong Kong private tutor jailed for 4½ years over repeatedly molesting boy

Singapore’s economy grows on back of AI boom, defying Iran war slowdown

‘Fjord’ by Romania’s Mungiu wins Palme d’Or at Cannes