The American Express Times
Saturday, August 29, 2026
Chinese teams begin rescue mission
Chinese rescue teams have started operations in Tibet’s Gyirong county following a flash flood caused by a glacier collapse that killed at least five people and left over 500 missing in China, while Nepal reports nearly 600 deaths and over 1,900 missing. The disaster highlights the growing risks of climate change-induced glacier collapses in the…
★ Featured Stories
On an accidental mission for MI6
William Boyd’s novel *Cold Sunset* follows Gabriel Dax, a travel writer turned MI6 spy in 1964 California, as he seeks a poet with crucial World…
Star Wars Zero Company: The turn-based genre has long been ruled by XCOM
Bit Reactor released Star Wars Zero Company on August 27 for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S, featuring turn-based tactical combat set 20 years…
Radical planting and wildlife preservation insights
Horticulturist Hitchcock has created a sustainable garden using over 20,000 native and drought-tolerant plants to promote ecological resilience amid changing climate conditions. His design demonstrates…
Actress sued by mogul to regain ‘bride price’
Cryptocurrency entrepreneur Justin Sun has filed a lawsuit against actress Jing Tian and her parents to reclaim a disputed bride price of 30 million yuan.…
★ All Stories
Boy’s own story: warm and teasing 1970s tale
Italian author Alessandro Baricco's novel *Black September*, newly available in English, follows twelve-year-old Gigio Bellandi as he reflects on a pivotal summer in 1972 Tuscany…
Random is as random does
In the 1950s, Claude Shannon created a mechanical device that could predict human choices in a two-lever game with up to 65% accuracy by exploiting…
My summer without running water
Residents of Benenden in Kent have experienced repeated water outages lasting up to eight days over the past three months, disrupting households and local businesses…
Doxxing warning as worker suspended over brawl
An AIA employee was suspended after being involved in a public fight at a Kwun Tong shopping mall that was captured on video and went…
Cinema’s noon nap pass offers workers a break
A cinema in Xi’an, China, has launched a midday nap service offering reclining seats and amenities to workers during lunch breaks to boost weekday attendance.…
Why Tilda Swinton is dusting off her Y-fronts
Tilda Swinton is returning to the stage after nearly 40 years to star in a revived production of *Man to Man*, reuniting with the original…
A make-ahead Chinese feast
In Sichuan cuisine, meals often start with a variety of cold appetizers prepared in advance to showcase bold flavors and ease last-minute cooking. This tradition…
Rugged Americana’s age of innocence
An exhibition at Paris’s Palais-Royal will display vintage photographs by Bruce Bellas capturing American cowboys in the mid-20th century, highlighting their casual, fully clothed portraits…
The battle over British bubbles
MDCV UK is rapidly expanding its production of English sparkling wine using the faster and cheaper Charmat method, aiming to become the country’s largest producer…
Garden of the future
Horticultural ecologist James Hitchmough has created a 2.6-acre garden in Somerset designed to withstand climate change by combining wood pasture and flowering plants from diverse…
A wobbly Tibetan Plateau could mean trouble ahead
A study published in Nature Communications revealed increasing future instability in the Tibetan Plateau's soil moisture and hydrological system, forecasting rising geological hazards linked to…
Filipinos rethinking settlement in Japan
Japan reopened applications for 350 healthcare positions for Filipino workers, offering multi-year placements with language training amid ongoing labor shortages. This effort underscores Japan's urgent…
The irresistible allure of the Korean hanok
The hanok, a traditional Korean house known for its timber craftsmanship and philosophical design, is experiencing renewed cultural prominence through exhibitions and art projects in…
Harry and Meghan – are you ready for the sequel?
Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, have returned to the UK for the first time in six years, settling outside London…
Calls to widen coverage of heat alerts
Hong Kong authorities have updated the Heat Stress at Work Warning system to issue tiered alerts based on a revised Heat Index that considers multiple…
Rare earth magnets monopoly likely to stay
Brazil is not expected to produce rare earth magnets from its own raw materials before 2032, relying currently on imported processed inputs despite holding the…
China urged to boost childcare subsidy
Chinese experts are calling for a significant increase in childcare subsidies, proposing amounts up to 72,000 yuan per child to combat China’s rapidly declining birth…
US ban fuels decline in power gear stocks
The U.S. government issued an executive order banning certain foreign-made bulk-power grid equipment and software, causing sharp declines in shares of Chinese power equipment manufacturers…
Macau tycoon Lawrence Ho’s family office ventures into space with de-SPAC merger
Black Spade Capital is merging its third SPAC, Black Spade Acquisition III, with Singapore-based satellite communications company Astrum Space in a deal valuing the combined…
From 'Rodeo: Bruce of Los Angeles'
A new exhibition showcases Bruce Bellas’s mid-20th century photographs of rodeo performers, highlighting their natural and unembellished portrayal of masculinity. This collection contrasts sharply with…
'I want things that surprise me. I want better art'
British artist Ryan Gander will launch his citywide public artwork “The Find” in Seoul during Frieze Seoul in September, followed by a solo exhibition titled…
Sanctuary in the soil
Jonathan and Jane Ruffer have restored the historic Auckland Palace and its gardens in Bishop Auckland, transforming the site into a public cultural venue featuring…
Business executives tipped to join Xi for visit to Washington
Chinese and American officials are negotiating the inclusion of business executives in President Xi Jinping’s delegation for his upcoming visit to Washington to meet President…
The life of a song: Surfin’ Bird
In 1964, The Trashmen's Steve Wahrer delivered a distinctive solo performance of “Surfin’ Bird” on American Bandstand, popularizing a song that combined absurd lyrics and…
Call to protect data while using AI on 1823 platform
Hong Kong authorities have started integrating AI into the 1823 complaint platform to better route residents' issues to the correct departments and reduce waiting times.…
First regional mediation platform for medical disputes goes live
Hong Kong has launched the Healthcare Dispute Resolution Centre’s new online platform to provide mediation and arbitration services for medical and healthcare disputes, allowing patients…
Pioneer of space junk research dies aged 61
Gong Zizheng, a prominent Chinese scientist known for his work on space debris mitigation and asteroid defense, died at age 61 last Saturday. His leadership…
Top leader remains unseen six months into conflict
Mojtaba Khamenei has not made any public appearances or direct communications since becoming Iran’s supreme leader six months ago after being seriously wounded, raising questions…
Lithium mine doubts may fuel price volatility
Contemporary Amperex Technology Ltd.'s plans to restart the Jianxiawo lithium mine in Jiangxi province face delays after the removal of an environmental approval notice, casting…
How finance redeemed itself
Public trust in the financial sector has risen to 63 percent across 25 crisis-hit countries, now exceeding confidence in governments and judicial systems. This rebound…
MTR Corp to use skidding method for rail station
MTR Corporation will use a pioneering skidding construction method to build Hung Shui Kiu station atop an active railway viaduct, aiming to complete the project…
Australia axes two academic link-ups in step with US moves
Australia has ended two academic collaborations with Chinese institutions, the Australian National University cutting ties with Shandong University and the University of Queensland halting research…
Commercial space firms explore new frontiers
GalaxySpace successfully launched the Lingzhi-09 Thailand CubeSat, marking China’s first complete satellite package delivered to a Southeast Asian customer, including satellite development, launch, and operational…
City’s status as wealth hub safe from Beijing curbs, JPMorgan executive says
Beijing’s new rules on cross-border investment and offshore insurance are creating short-term uncertainty but are unlikely to weaken Hong Kong’s role as a major wealth…
torrent of ice, rock and silt
A massive glacier collapse triggered a destructive flow of ice, rock, and mud across the China-Nepal border, causing severe damage to infrastructure and settlements while…
Conditions revealed for ride-hailing licences
The Hong Kong Transport Department has begun accepting licence applications from ride-hailing companies under a strict new regulatory framework requiring extensive operational experience, financial resources,…
Doubt cast on effect of wage increase on broader economy
Several provinces in China, including Guangdong, Shanxi, and Xinjiang, have announced minimum wage increases ranging from 7 to 16.6 percent to take effect later this…