Land tender for flagship Northern Metropolis tech hub draws 6 bids
SCMP •

Land tender for flagship Northern Metropolis tech hub draws 6 bids

Hong Kong’s flagship technology hub at the border received six bids from conglomerates and hi-tech firms in its inaugural land tender by the deadline on Monday, underscoring investors’ high expectations and confidence in the sites, its operator said. Following the close of the tender opened in June, the Loop Hong Kong Park Company, which operates the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Pa...

In 1952, Rockefeller saw untouched St. John; his group later donated 5,000 acres for a US park
Times of India •

In 1952, Rockefeller saw untouched St. John; his group later donated 5,000 acres for a US park

Laurance Rockefeller's 1952 boat trip inspired him to preserve St. John's undeveloped island beauty. His organization acquired nearly 5,000 acres, which became the park's foundation. Congress established Virgin Islands National Park in 1956, preserving tropical forests and beaches. Additional submerged lands were incorporated later, expanding the protected area significantly. This conservation eff...

Hongkonger jailed 3½ years for molesting girlfriend’s daughter, filming assaults

Hongkonger jailed 3½ years for molesting girlfriend’s daughter, filming assaults

SCMP •

A moving services manager has been sentenced to 3½ years in prison for molesting his girlfriend’s 11-year-old daughter at home and filming and photographing the assaults, with a Hong Kong judge imposing a heavier penalty to reflect the impact on the vulnerable child. Deputy District Judge Ivy Chui Yee-mei said on Monday that a deterrent sentence was necessary for the 47-year-old defendant, whose o...

Hong Kong government loses appeal over Fanling golf course housing plan

Hong Kong government loses appeal over Fanling golf course housing plan

SCMP •

The government’s push to boost short-term public housing supply has suffered a setback after it lost an appeal against a court decision overturning conditional approval for building 12,000 flats on part of Hong Kong’s oldest golf course. In a judgment delivered on Monday, the Court of Appeal found that official endorsement of the project’s environmental impact assessment report was marred by an un...

In a town in the heart of the US, Israeli settler violence in West Bank hits close to home

In a town in the heart of the US, Israeli settler violence in West Bank hits close to home

The Guardian •

War on Gaza and violence in West Bank is playing out in the streets of Toledo, Ohio, where the Arab American community has flourishedFrom his office outside Toledo, Ohio, Thamin Tim Ridi opens his phone to livestream the scene outside the besieged house of his brother, Loui, thousands of miles away in the occupied West Bank.This month, with his property at risk of being destroyed by Israeli settle...

Xi Jinping’s Cairo trip marks ‘best ties in history’ as Egypt seeks to balance West

Xi Jinping’s Cairo trip marks ‘best ties in history’ as Egypt seeks to balance West

SCMP •

Chinese President Xi Jinping is returning to Egypt after a decade as Beijing deepens its economic, military and diplomatic ties with Cairo and seeks to work more closely with Egypt on crises across the Middle East and Africa. Xi will visit Egypt this week following his trip to Kyrgyzstan for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit, which finishes on Tuesday. China’s foreign ministry last week...

After the floods, Nepal's survivors look to rebuilding their lives

After the floods, Nepal's survivors look to rebuilding their lives

France 24 •

In Nepal, after the deadly flood, another ordeal begins for the survivors: finding shelter, food, and simply the means to survive. In the devastated villages, families lost everything in minutes. And while rescue workers continue searching for possible survivors, those who escaped the disaster are trying to rebuild their lives, despite the threat of another flood. FRANCE 24's special correspondent...

Relentless heat worsens Gaza's ongoing struggle to access water

Relentless heat worsens Gaza's ongoing struggle to access water

France 24 •

In Gaza, securing drinking water is a relentless daily struggle. The war with Israel has destroyed critical water and sanitation infrastructure, and as temperatures soar, the extreme heat is escalating an already severe shortage into a deadly humanitarian crisis. Two and a half years of war with Israel have damaged or destroyed nearly 90% of Gaza’s water and sanitation infrastructure according to ...

Iran, US trade fire in first exchange in a month

Iran, US trade fire in first exchange in a month

France 24 •

Iran attacked US military targets in the Middle East on Monday in retaliation following American strikes on an island in the Strait of Hormuz, the first exchange of fire for a month in a war that has engulfed the region.

Middle East war flares up after Iran responds to US attacks

Middle East war flares up after Iran responds to US attacks

France 24 •

Iran attacked US military targets in the Middle East in retaliation for the first American strikes on its territory in a month. This signs a fresh flare-up of the war that has engulfed the region. Washington said its attacks were aimed at preventing Iran from placing more sea mines in the strait and as it threatens new secondary economic sanctions. FRANCE 24's Reza Sayah is in Tehran and tells us ...

French high schools rush to put Macron’s phone ban into force

French high schools rush to put Macron’s phone ban into force

The Guardian •

Unions say ban will take time to enact, while president also wants under-15s social media ban as key legacyFrench high schools are rushing to put in place a hurriedly signed off ban on mobile phones this week as Emmanuel Macron pushes for children to spend less time in front of screens.Education unions warned that banning mobile phone use in lycées – where children are aged 15 to 18 – would be har...