Far from being a particularity in Hong Kong, rodent problems are a fixture of urban environments the world over.

The rapid emergence of AI has sparked concerns about its attendant risks, and few sectors exemplify that more than the production of sex robots.

Rather than end wildfires, humanity’s challenge is to restrain destructive fire and reduce the amount of combustion driving climate change.

After bananas and coffee, oranges are the latest breakfast staple to succumb to disease and weather as Brazil’s crop collapses.

While the end of globalisation is much touted today, nations are grappling with too many issues that cannot be solved unilaterally.

Environmentalists want an overhaul of world aquaculture, but not enough focus is on countries that can make the biggest difference.

Hong Kong should focus on connections with people and organisations that can serve the city’s unique role in global trade and investment.

Sports shoe tech development is moving at a sprinter’s speed, with smart shoes offering wearers more information than ever. Such advances are, however, far beyond the needs of most runners, who would be better off looking for discounts at outlet stores.

After shelving Hong Kong’s waste charging scheme, the government needs to rid itself of the bureaucratic shackles that have led to decades of inaction. Officials must create a system that can meet the city’s needs before its landfills run out of space in 2026.

Two cases in Britain have recently been concluded, with damning evidence of abuse of government power and cover-ups. In drawing a line under the infected blood scandal, the British prime minister acknowledged that it was “a day of shame for the British state”.

The world is seeing a renewed focus on spying amid heightened geopolitical stress, alarming wars, new invasive technologies and national security fears. Engaging in espionage is a dangerous, expensive habit few countries can truly afford, and we must pray all of them choose to engage in it responsibly.

The West misunderstands China’s efforts at boosting innovation and satisfying domestic demand as seeking to undermine foreign competitors. While oversupply is a valid concern, a bigger problem is concentrated production among a small cluster of firms which US tariffs on China will not address.

In enacting yet another round of tariffs on Chinese exports, the Biden administration has its sights set firmly on its fortunes in November’s election. The US president has to shore up Democrats’ support in rust belt states and clearly thinks American firms and consumers are ready to pay the price tariffs will bring.

The arithmetic underpinning the global economy is massively out of kilter at a time when the world desperately needs concrete action on climate change. We cannot afford to have leaders clinging to the status quo while increasing spending on defence and other domestic priorities.

Rebuilding the US shipbuilding sector will take decades, if at all possible, and diluting China’s dominance will mainly benefit shipbuilding powerhouses like South Korea and Japan.

Much of the criticism of artificial flowers is environmental: they are made in factories, use plastics and end up in landfills. But the cut-flower business also has poor green credentials.

Getting a good night’s sleep has become a lucrative business with a range of solutions from supplements to sleep tourism being touted. The industry is populated by serious academics and pharmacologists but, with so much we still do not know, snake-oil treatments also proliferate.

EU and US manufacturers already complaining of Chinese competition in solar power and electric vehicles won’t like China’s hydrogen policy. As it moves to produce hydrogen using renewable energy, this could become an important part of the world’s low-carbon future.

China’s subsidies have been more effective than in most parts of the world because they are an intrinsic part of a distinct economic model. Rather than targeting China, the US and Europe should examine the effectiveness of their own economic strategies.

An initially strong draft WHO treaty focusing on rapid information sharing, fair vaccine distribution and relaxing intellectual property rights appears to have been diluted. Failure to forge an agreement and put aside national differences would be a tragedy for which we will pay a terrible price, perhaps very soon.

With so many nations struggling to provide electricity and clean water, and to rebuild healthcare and education, it’s a travesty that billions of dollars are being diverted to arms production and defence.

Countries must match their rhetoric with action to solve pressing problems such as climate change and the regulation of artificial intelligence. Despite paralysis at institutions like the United Nations, organisations like the Arctic Council and International Seabed Authority are making progress.

UN Tourism forecasts a full recovery this year but the data is skewed by the robust recovery in Europe; across Asia, arrivals remain well below 2019 levels.

The mess Hong Kong has made of its waste management is unlikely to improve with the waste charging scheme and single-use plastic ban on the horizon. Rather than charging ahead, it might be wiser to further delay enactment until there is greater clarity of purpose and the plans could be improved.

By 2050, it’s projected only a quarter of countries will have above-replacement birth rates; by 2100 there will be just six. This will reconfigure the world economy and require societies to be reorganised.

The Clarion-Clipperton zone in the Pacific is believed to hold more cobalt and nickel than all the world’s terrestrial mines combined. The International Seabed Authority is under increasing pressure, caught between mining interests and environmentalists.

The rise of such crimes, sometimes violent, has been made easier by social media and cryptocurrency. Best to keep your luxury watch in a safe, or better still, not have one at all.

It’s not just how we can produce and afford the electricity, but also how we ensure we don’t aggravate global warming and squeeze domestic water supplies.

Chocolate will stay expensive as the cocoa crop faces existential challenges while demand continues to surge, including from China. The most urgent task is to grow cocoa without harming the environment, and ensure that cocoa farmers can lift themselves out of poverty in the process.

Little was expected of the thousands of trade officials gathered in the UAE for the WTO ministerial conference, and they delivered just that. At a time when pressure for reform and the need for global cooperation are mounting, the WTO is still struggling to get out of its own way.