Foreign tourists visit a trendy and collectible toy store in Shanghai, east China, May 5, 2026. (Xinhua/Chen Haoming)BEIJING, May 6 (Xinhua) — China reported a surge in both payment transactions and value from overseas visitors during the five-day May Day holiday that concluded on Tuesday, official data showed Wednesday.According to the People’s Bank of China, China’s central bank, the number of such transactions and the value involved during the period grew 45.15 percent and 36.96 percent, respectively, compared to the same period last year.The growth in payments by individuals from overseas aligned with a big increase in visa-free arrivals. Official…
Author: Isla
Abdulkadir Gunyol, Tolga Yanik and Mucahithan Avcioglu06 May 2026•Update: 06 May 2026Turkish defense company Baykar signed the first export agreement for its Bayraktar KIZILELMA unmanned combat aircraft with Indonesia during the SAHA 2026 International Defense and Aerospace Exhibition in Istanbul.The agreement was signed at the Istanbul Expo Center during the exhibition organized by SAHA Istanbul.Anadolu is serving as the event’s global communications partner, where multiple agreements are being signed between Türkiye’s Defense Industries Secretariat and defense companies.Speaking at the ceremony, SAHA Istanbul Chairman and Baykar CEO Haluk Bayraktar described the agreement as a historic deal for both Baykar and Türkiye’s…
Both of her collar bones were broken In a lengthy new interview, former OnlyFans model Maria Kovalchuk recalled the moment she was attacked in Dubai in March of 2025. Last year, Maria went missing for 10 days in Dubai. She turned up nearly two weeks later in the hospital, but she was broken, confused, and tied to the bed. She’s long claimed that she was attacked by a group of “rich kids” with links to Russia and Eastern Europe. There were two men and two women, and they took away her passport and clothes before holding her hostage. She managed…
Hong Kong is investing in infrastructure and pointing to busy events agenda to cement its status as a cruise hub in Asia, according to Marilyn Tham, general manager of mega events, MICE and cruise at the Hong Kong Tourism Board.Following a strong 2025 that saw a 20 percent increase in the destination’s cruise passenger arrivals and calls, Hong Kong is targeting more turnaround operations, as well as fly-cruises for 2026 and beyond.Tham said the initiative is backed by the city’s connectivity and infrastructure, which recently saw enhancements to its international airport.“We are connected with more than 200 airports around the…
In June 2025, Himal Southasian launched a podcast series titled Partitions of the Heart in collaboration with Karwan-e-Mohabbat, hosted by the peace activist Harsh Mander. The inaugural season, called ‘Muslim Life – and Death – in Modi’s India’, focuses on the deepening crisis of Muslims in the country. Since 2017, Mander and Karwan-e-Mohabbat have done the extraordinary and difficult work of documenting a rising wave of hate and crimes against India’s Muslims, and of lending support and solidarity to victims of communal atrocities. In Mander’s words, “We live in deeply troubled times of visceral, everyday hate, violence, fear and division.…
Malaysia’s anti-corruption agency is seeking to charge two unnamed individuals over a 1.1 billion ringgit (US$278 million) semiconductor deal with British chip designer Arm Holdings, as former economy minister Rafizi Ramli returned for a third day of questioning in the same probe.The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) said the investigation was nearing completion after officers recorded statements from 22 witnesses, including Rafizi and his former aide, political analyst James Chai.Individuals linked to the deal – signed under the economy ministry last year and billed as part of Malaysia’s push to move up the semiconductor value chain – are being investigated for…
Claim 55% Off TipRanksThe latest announcement is out from Guangzhou Automobile Group Co ( (HK:2238) ). Guangzhou Automobile Group Co., Ltd. reported that its April 2026 vehicle production rose 23.28% year on year to 133,912 units and sales increased 3.88% to 120,960 units, bringing year-to-date production to 528,697 units and sales to 500,889 units. Growth was driven by strong gains at GAC Toyota and especially GAC Aion and other new energy operations, though GAC Honda continued to see sharp declines in both output and sales. New energy vehicles remained a key growth engine, with April production up 49.89% and sales…
JAKARTA – The Central Statistics Agency (BPS) DKI Jakarta recorded that there were still 211 slum residents (RW) in the capital in 2026 out of a total of 2,759 RW. Although the number has decreased compared to several years ago, slum settlement points are still concentrated in densely populated areas.DKI Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung said that the number had decreased significantly compared to 2017 which reached 445 RW. However, this shows that the problem of overcrowding in Jakarta has not been completely resolved.”So, there is a decrease in slum RW from 445 in 2017 to 211 this year. The decrease…
The robot pauses at the edge of the room as an engineer checks its sensors. Then, with a soft mechanical hum, this humanoid machine begins to move. It lifts a mannequin from a bed, slowly and carefully. The engineers hold their breath. I am in a robotics lab in Tokyo, Japan, as part of my Wellcome research fellowship. The engineers have repeated this test hundreds of times over several weeks, with mixed results. Japan has one of the world’s oldest populations, and a strained health and care workforce. It has also long been the global leader in the development and…
A regional standoff now threatens energy routes and risks wider confrontation, as conflicting claims about recent attacks raise uncertainty and heighten international concern. Iran denies any attacks on the United Arab Emirates and warns that a response from Iran would be devastating in the event of aggressive actions by the UAE. In a statement issued on May 5, the Khatam al-Anbia Headquarters, which coordinates Iran’s armed forces, assured that the country’s armed forces did not conduct missile operations or drone strikes against the UAE, and added that “if any actions were taken, we would clearly and decisively announce it”. “devastating…