China’s Property Crisis: From Evergrande Collapse to Spiraling Prices

Arayssi: Israel View Syria As Turkey’s Proxy in Mideast (Video)

Hundreds of meetings, €8 million a year: How Big Tobacco lobbies the EU

A massive surge in tobacco industry lobbying is undercutting the European Union’s public health agenda, derailing legislative proposals, and triggering a political battles over new nicotine products. EU lawmakers are increasingly giving in to the influence of the tobacco lobby. According to Transparency International's Integrity Watch database, meetings between tobacco industry representatives and MEPs have increased by 57%, rising from an average of 14.7 meetings per month to 23 by June 2026.

From travel warnings to visa fees: why Chinese tourism to Japan is in free fall

Mainland Chinese tourist arrivals in Japan fell for an eighth consecutive month in July, as group tours slumped and visa costs rose amid deteriorating ties between Beijing and Tokyo. Mainland China has traditionally been a major source of visitors for Japan, but tourist arrivals plunged 56.1 per cent year on year in July, extending a downward trend that began in December 2025, according to data released by the Japan National Tourism Organisation (JNTO) on Wednesday. Overall foreign arrivals...

Hesai rides on lidar growth as smart cars gain ground despite China’s struggling market

Chinese carmakers’ reinforced push to produce more smart vehicles could sustain growth for hi-tech component suppliers, even as the broader automotive market remains lacklustre, according to Hesai Group chief financial officer Andrew Fan. “Orders for our lidar sensors [this year] were higher than in the same period last year,” Fan told the South China Morning Post on Wednesday. “An increasing percentage of new [car] models are now fitted with lidars as brands make them more intelligent.”