Day: October 4, 2025

Early sales of mooncakes – a food traditionally distributed among families, workplaces and other social groups to celebrate China’s Mid-Autumn Festival – have softened compared to previous years, another sign the country’s domestic demand has yet to fully reenergise. Advertisement Packages of mooncakes, typically round baked goods with a variety of dense fillings, are popular gifts during the holiday season, with luxury variants stuffed with premium ingredients like black truffle or Spanish ham serving as status symbols. While not all recipients eat their mooncakes – the calorie-dense pastries are an…

Advertisement However, it also poses a dilemma for China, which has strong relations with both countries, including a long-standing collaboration with Riyadh on its civilian nuclear programme. Analysts suggested Beijing would not wish this nuclear partnership to develop further to avoid provoking the US or giving the impression it was encouraging nuclear proliferation. When asked whether the pact would place Saudi Arabia under Pakistan’s nuclear umbrella, a senior Saudi official replied that it would “encompass all military means”. Advertisement Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has since apologised to Qatar for…