Lithium is a key component in electric vehicle batteries and so automakers are racing to secure supplies, expecting surge in demand amid a global push for the electrification of transportation.

Beijing has rolled out tax relief and other beneficial policies such as more favourable loan rates and rent exemptions for small and micro-sized firms, but analysts still expect a big hit to consumption this year.

Some commenters suggest sending supplies from sanctioned places such as Xinjiang and Russia.

Yi’s remarks would bolster confidence among investors who have been beaten down by a relentless sell-off in technology stocks, combined with concerns of an economic slowdown as the Covid-19 pandemic flared up.

A British man and a French teen were rescued three days after going missing while diving in Malaysia, but the man’s son is still missing. The captain of the boat has been arrested after testing positive for drugs.

Former No 2 official declares his bid for chief executive race. 

Tokyo and Manila agreed to consider further expanding defence ties against a backdrop of regional tensions – including China’s conduct in regional waters – and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Beijing’s North Korea envoy Liu Xiaoming signals reluctance to back further sanctions.

Residents urged not to consume Belgium-made Surprise Milk Chocolate Egg with Toy (3 x 20g) with a best-before date of October 24.

Authorities in Shanghai will conduct a new round of mass Covid-19 testing, the results of which will help to determine new zoning classifications in the city.

Justice ministry said the non-governmental organisations – critical of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine – violated the current legislation of the Russian Federation.

Given Russia’s difficulties during street fighting in Ukraine, the People’s Armed Police could be used to complement the army’s field operations, observers say.

Khan said he is in a fight to protect the country’s sovereignty and called his supporters to the streets to defy opponents determined to unseat him.

Envoy Palitha Kohona says his country is seeking financial help to overcome spiralling economic woes that led to public unrest and a political crisis.

Chief executive assures city that decline in overall infection numbers continues and social-distancing curbs are set to be eased.

A litany of laws and regulations require manual signatures and paper contracts in any transaction related to land, making the process time-consuming and expensive – especially during a pandemic.

At least 50 people were killed and hundreds wounded as Russian troops reportedly bombed civilians waiting at a railway station to be evacuated from the Donetsk region on Friday.

Lee’s campaign office includes 17 deputy directors led by Tam Yiu-chung, Hong Kong’s sole delegate to the National People’s Congress Standing Committee, insiders say.

Fascinating stories have emerged in state media of the downfall of politically well-connected individuals now denounced as political grifters. But there’s more than meets the eye, writes Wang Xiangwei.

The British government sees fit to criticise the national security law even as it introduces a harsh new police bill at home. As for the Sino-British Joint Declaration, London itself has gone back on its agreement with Beijing that it would not grant...

To cultivate this ‘green gold’, Mexico’s forests have been stripped and its water table lowered, even as the massive profits attract drug cartels and crime. Getting the fruit to Hong Kong also requires expensive temperature-controlled transport...

Restaurant in Jakarta straps in its customers to serve them meals 50 metres above the ground as Indonesians celebrate Ramadan amid loosening pandemic curbs.

Asia’s economies will have to compete with the EU for LNG supplies from the Gulf and the US. Fears are growing of the knock-on effect on economic growth, political stability and climate change.

Shanghai residents go back to a cashless economy; trading for food and essentials including everything from garlic to sanitary napkins as the city of 25 million remains locked down.

Ongoing pandemic restrictions leave many feeling anxious, depressed and isolated, with experts flagging concerns about the elderly.

Apps and gadgets to help people sleep are catering to hundreds of millions across China dealing with anxiety caused by the latest surge in Covid-19 infections.

Tesla and Covestro are among foreign multinationals lobbying Beijing to allow more truck drivers to work between Shanghai and other regions of China, after their operations were hit hard by the city’s Covid-19 containment measures.

A complete list of items presented by foreign governments during his final year in office cannot be compiled because of missing data, the State Department says.

Despite the resignation of two UK judges from Hong Kong’s top court, the city’s almost 180-year common law tradition and principle of legal system transparency cannot be so easily uprooted. Hong Kong’s global ranking on the rule of law is close...

Researchers hope the rejuvenation method could see applications like speeding up healing time in burn victims, and eventually extending human life.

Researchers at a military laboratory say their system can both spot and fix problems that leave satellites vulnerable to cyberattacks.

Australia is still popular with Chinese investors despite tricky ties but government figures show yearly approvals of new US investments have surged. Investors from Singapore have been piling funds into the real estate sector.

Akshata Murthy, the wife of British finance minister Rishi Sunak, said she would stop avoiding British tax on her foreign income – bowing to pressure which her husband had earlier dismissed as a political smear.

With Australia’s reduced trade with China, exports to the US have increased, but the US$1billion a month of trade isn’t enough to offset the loss.

He gets to keep the best actor award for King Richard, but will not be able to attend the ceremonies or any other events held by Hollywood’s top film group for the next decade.

The former world No 1 was accused of hiding millions of pounds worth of assets, including two Wimbledon trophies, to avoid paying his debts.

Prosecutors say Ng helped embezzle millions of dollars from Malaysia’s state fund in one of the biggest financial scandals in history.

About 13 billion doses have been produced and 11 billion administered; excess doses could go to waste due to short shelf life while billions of people remain unvaccinated, most of them in developing nations.

The four men left Nasa’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida on a landmark debut flight and orbital science mission; the SpaceX-supplied Crew Dragon capsule is set to dock some 400km above the Earth after a 20-hour flight.

Some countries have started giving fourth doses to seniors and other vulnerable people.

France is the EU’s second largest economy, the only one with a UN Security Council veto, and its sole nuclear power; it is a vital friend for America – Presidents Biden and Macron are on solid terms.

While some manufacturers in affected areas are still operating in ‘factory bubbles’, interruptions tend to be more on the logistics side, and hundreds of thousands of automobiles may not be sold this month.

Reports that Akshata Murty’s foreign earnings are shielded from British tax authorities have added to the pressures for her embattled husband; her father founded tech giant Infosys, now worth around US$100 billion.

The stop work throws a wrench into the global supply chain of electronics and mechanical products, from printed circuit boards (PCBs), machine parts to the assemblies of original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).

China ‘can overcome any difficulty’ if the party’s leadership is firmly upheld, president says at ceremony to award medals to those involved in the Games.

Officials from Shanghai’s Pudong New Area accused of incompetence, failing to stop the outbreak spreading beyond Beicai and lack of accountability.

As voters in France and around the world prepare for tightly contested first round of the presidential poll, 4,800 citizens in Shanghai cannot leave their homes.

Xi Jinping tells Rodrigo Duterte that regional armed alliances are not the path to regional security.

Foreign ministry spokesman says China ‘opposes the politicisation’ of human rights issues.

UN said food prices could rise by up to 20 per cent as a result of the conflict, raising the risk of increased malnutrition; Russia and Ukraine are major exporters of wheat, corn, barley and sunflower oil.