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US universities curb international student internships following federal warning
SCMP •

US universities curb international student internships following federal warning

International students in the United States are facing new hurdles when it comes to internships and off-campus work after several major universities paused or restricted certain forms of Curricular Practical Training (CPT). CPT is a form of work authorisation that allows foreign students to take part in internships and other practical training related to their studies. The changes follow two Augus...

Former care home warden guilty of raping intellectually disabled female resident
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Former care home warden guilty of raping intellectually disabled female resident

A former assistant warden at a care home run by Hong Kong’s largest NGO for people with intellectual disabilities has been convicted of raping a female resident five times two years ago. A High Court jury of four men and two women returned a unanimous verdict on Wednesday, finding Chung Pui-kei guilty of five counts of raping a mentally incapacitated woman who lived at a Tai Po home operated by th...

How the SCO chips away at US power without an alliance system
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How the SCO chips away at US power without an alliance system

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) was born 25 years ago as a modest mechanism for managing borders between China, Russia and four Central Asian states. At its anniversary summit in Bishkek this week, it looks more consequential – and harder for the United States to dismiss. The timing is important. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine remains unresolved, while the war between Iran and the US has...

Indonesia investigates reports of 8 citizens fighting in Russia’s war against Ukraine
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Indonesia investigates reports of 8 citizens fighting in Russia’s war against Ukraine

Indonesia on Wednesday said the government was ascertaining reports that eight of its citizens who applied for civilian jobs allegedly ended up fighting in Russia’s war against Ukraine. Coordinating Minister for Legal, Human Rights, Immigration and Corrections Yusril Ihza Mahendra said authorities were checking the identities and hiring processes involved, which offered attractive perks such as hi...

Air China Boeing 747 grounded in New York following gate refuelling incident

Air China Boeing 747 grounded in New York following gate refuelling incident

SCMP •

A Boeing 747-8 operated by Air China reportedly suffered a fuel leak at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport early on Monday, leading to the flight being cancelled. No injuries were reported in or around the aircraft, which was expected to operate flight CA982 from New York to Beijing that day. The leak is said to have occurred between 1am and 2am while the plane was parked at the gate...

South China Sea island build-up heightens Vietnam’s security concerns

South China Sea island build-up heightens Vietnam’s security concerns

SCMP •

Vietnam faces heightened security in the South China Sea amid reports of construction works in the Paracels archipelago – which Beijing calls Xisha Islands – with analysts saying that the latest developments could alter the strategic balance in the contested waters. Hanoi voiced its strong objection after reports citing satellite imagery said new Chinese infrastructure had appeared on Yagong Islan...

Malaysian under fire for competing at transgender beauty pageant in Thailand

Malaysian under fire for competing at transgender beauty pageant in Thailand

SCMP •

The Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) will summon a Malaysian participant in the Miss Equality World 2026 pageant in Thailand for questioning, following the circulation of social media posts. In a statement on Tuesday, Jakim director general Dr Sirajuddin Suhaimee said Jakim would work with state Islamic religious authorities and relevant agencies to take action against the individu...

Malaysian under fire for cross-dressing at beauty pageant in Thailand

Malaysian under fire for cross-dressing at beauty pageant in Thailand

SCMP •

The Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) will summon a Malaysian participant in the Miss Equality World 2026 pageant in Thailand for questioning, following the circulation of social media posts. In a statement on Tuesday, Jakim director general Dr Sirajuddin Suhaimee said Jakim would work with state Islamic religious authorities and relevant agencies to take action against the individu...

Former Malaysian minister arrested  in state haj fund corruption probe

Former Malaysian minister arrested in state haj fund corruption probe

SCMP •

A former Malaysian minister has been remanded for five days as part of an anti-corruption inquiry into the management of the country’s state haj fund. The suspect, who is in his sixties, was detained at about 4.30pm on Tuesday after he went to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) headquarters in Putrajaya to have his statement recorded. MACC confirmed the arrest in a statement on social...

Chinese carmakers eye full hybrid market; BYD posts US$1.2 billion profit: 7 EV reads

Chinese carmakers eye full hybrid market; BYD posts US$1.2 billion profit: 7 EV reads

SCMP •

We have put together stories from our coverage on electric and new energy vehicles from the past two weeks to help you stay informed. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. After gaining EV sway, Chinese carmakers eye full hybrid market Chinese carmakers, already at the vanguard of electric vehicle (EV) technology and production, are looking to make a dent ...

9 children, 5 others injured after 2 buses collide at Hong Kong primary school

9 children, 5 others injured after 2 buses collide at Hong Kong primary school

SCMP •

Fourteen people, including nine children, have been injured in a collision involving two school buses at a Hong Kong girls’ primary school. The Fire Services Department said on Wednesday that it dispatched 10 ambulances to handle the accident at 1.26pm at Good Hope Primary School cum Kindergarten, located at No 381 Jat’s Incline in Ngau Chi Wan. Eight of the 14 injured people were sent to United C...

At least 14 injured after 2 buses collide at Hong Kong primary school

At least 14 injured after 2 buses collide at Hong Kong primary school

SCMP •

At least 14 people have been injured in a collission involving two school buses at a girls’ school in Hong Kong. The Fire Services Department said on Wednesday that it dispatched 10 ambulances to handle the accident at 1.26pm at Good Hope Primary School cum Kindergarten, located at No 381 Jat’s Incline in Ngau Chi Wan. Two of the 14 injured people were rushed to United Christian Hospital in Kwun T...

Philippine fast-food giant Jollibee picks Hong Kong over New York for spin-off’s listing

Philippine fast-food giant Jollibee picks Hong Kong over New York for spin-off’s listing

SCMP •

The parent company of Philippine fast-food giant Jollibee plans to spin off and list its international operations, choosing Hong Kong over New York in a strong endorsement of the city’s initial public offering (IPO) diversification efforts. Jollibee Foods Corp (JFC) said in January that it intended to list its overseas arm, Jollibee Foods Corporation International (JFCI), in the United States. The...

Philippine fast-food giant Jollibee picks Hong Kong over New York for spin-off listing

Philippine fast-food giant Jollibee picks Hong Kong over New York for spin-off listing

SCMP •

The parent company of Philippine fast-food giant Jollibee plans to spin off and list its international operations, choosing Hong Kong over New York in a strong endorsement of the city’s initial public offering (IPO) diversification efforts. Jollibee Foods Corp (JFC) said in January that it intended to list its overseas arm, Jollibee Foods Corporation International (JFCI), in the United States. The...

Chinese research team may have cracked secret to crossbreeding Asian and African rice

Chinese research team may have cracked secret to crossbreeding Asian and African rice

SCMP •

Chinese scientists have identified a genetic barrier that makes it hard to crossbreed African and Asian rice varieties – a discovery that could lay the foundations for creating high-yielding hybrids. While both Asian and African cultivated rices possess distinct strengths, crossing them often produces offspring with sterile pollen and low yields. A research team has now identified three genes that...

Southeast Asia’s scam gangs regroup after Cambodia’s purge

Southeast Asia’s scam gangs regroup after Cambodia’s purge

SCMP •

Cambodia says it has flushed out a scam industry estimated to have stolen tens of billions of US dollars last year alone, but a string of arrests in recent days suggests the gangs behind it may have simply changed address. Scam centres proliferated across Cambodia during the pandemic, when hundreds of thousands of jobless young people were pulled into defunct casino complexes to target victims wor...

Tencent’s Hy4 model gains in open-source AI rankings after ecosystem-driven training

Tencent’s Hy4 model gains in open-source AI rankings after ecosystem-driven training

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Tencent Holdings’ strategy of using its vast product ecosystem to train its new Hy4 preview model gives it an edge in developing AI agents and brings its flagship model suite back into the top tier of open-source offerings, according to analysts. The Chinese tech giant’s “differentiated product-plus-model strategy”, where preview models were first deployed across Tencent’s suite of products, enabl...

CityU investigates after clip shows man carrying woman in bra, shorts at disco night

CityU investigates after clip shows man carrying woman in bra, shorts at disco night

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Hong Kong’s City University (CityU) has launched an investigation after a video surfaced showing a half-naked man carrying a woman wearing only a bra and shorts during a student-led orientation event. The university issued a statement on Wednesday stressing “zero tolerance” of improper conduct after the clip appeared online showing the behaviour during a disco-themed party. The clip has since been...

CityU vows ‘zero tolerance’ as orientation disco night video triggers probe

CityU vows ‘zero tolerance’ as orientation disco night video triggers probe

SCMP •

Hong Kong’s City University (CityU) has launched an investigation after a video surfaced showing a half-naked man carrying a woman wearing only a bra and shorts during a student-led orientation event. The university issued a statement on Wednesday stressing “zero tolerance” of improper conduct after the clip appeared online showing the behaviour during a disco-themed party. The clip has since been...

CityU vows ‘zero tolerance’ as orientation ‘disco night’ video triggers probe

CityU vows ‘zero tolerance’ as orientation ‘disco night’ video triggers probe

SCMP •

Hong Kong’s City University has launched an investigation into an alleged indecent incident during a student-led orientation activity after a video surfaced showing a half-naked man carrying a woman wearing only a bra and shorts. The university issued a statement on Wednesday pledging “zero tolerance” for improper conduct, after a social media clip appeared to show intimate behaviour among individ...

US journalist jailed for 2 years for working as a Chinese agent

US journalist jailed for 2 years for working as a Chinese agent

SCMP •

An American journalist who lived in Beijing, worked for Chinese state media and pleaded guilty to helping Beijing collect US intelligence was sentenced on Tuesday to two years in federal prison. Thomas Weir Pauken II, 51, was also sentenced to three years of supervised release and barred from overseas travel during that period, according to the US Justice Department. He also used the alias Tom McG...

Flood-hit Nepal urges tourists to return: ‘our mountain trails are waiting for you’

Flood-hit Nepal urges tourists to return: ‘our mountain trails are waiting for you’

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Nepal urged international travellers not to abandon the Himalayas, declaring the country open for tourism as it continues to assess the human and economic toll from catastrophic floods that killed hundreds and left thousands missing. “Our mountain trails, trekking routes are still waiting for you,” Tourism Minister Khadak Raj Paudel said in a video message on social media, using the hashtag #Nepal...

Malaysian heritage site caught in row over non-local staff

Malaysian heritage site caught in row over non-local staff

SCMP •

Images of a migrant worker apparently guiding visitors around one of Kuala Lumpur’s best-known heritage sites have triggered a backlash in Malaysia, with critics asking why locals were not hired instead. The row erupted after photos and video circulated online showed visitors being shown around the Sultan Abdul Samad Building, a colonial-era landmark that has overlooked the capital’s Independence ...

Higher typhoon warning possible based on Saudel’s course after rare resurgence

Higher typhoon warning possible based on Saudel’s course after rare resurgence

SCMP •

Hong Kong’s weather forecaster could issue a higher typhoon signal closer to the weekend after Tropical Cyclone Saudel experienced a rare resurgence, with the potential to change course over the South China Sea and edge towards the Pearl River Delta. The Observatory said the No 1 typhoon signal would remain in force on Wednesday, as Saudel moved across the northeastern South China Sea. “Under the ...

Higher typhoon signal possible, depending on Saudel’s course after rare resurgence

Higher typhoon signal possible, depending on Saudel’s course after rare resurgence

SCMP •

Hong Kong’s weather forecaster may issue a higher typhoon signal closer to the weekend after Tropical Cyclone Saudel experienced a rare resurgence and could change its course over the South China Sea, edging towards the Pearl River Delta. The Observatory said the standby No 1 typhoon signal would remain in force on Wednesday, as Saudel travelled across the northeastern South China Sea. “Under the ...

Netanyahu accuses security officials of intentionally not waking him on October 7

Netanyahu accuses security officials of intentionally not waking him on October 7

SCMP •

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused security officials on Tuesday of intentionally failing to wake him on the morning of Hamas’ October 7 attacks, a day after his wife claimed an opposition figure knew of the onslaught in advance. Netanyahu is heading into close-fought elections later this year, and has come in for sustained criticism in the national debate over who is responsible fo...

China’s 2026 moon laser communication speed is slower than Nasa’s in 2013

China’s 2026 moon laser communication speed is slower than Nasa’s in 2013

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China has pulled off two-way laser communication between Earth and the moon, making it only the second nation after the United States to do so. But the data rates it achieved were well behind those recorded by Nasa more than a decade ago, and that has left space experts scratching their heads. Using telescopes in Yunnan province and an experimental satellite that is now orbiting the moon after a l...

Ukraine’s president warns airlines to avoid ‘drone-infested’ Russian airspace

Ukraine’s president warns airlines to avoid ‘drone-infested’ Russian airspace

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned Tuesday that his country’s drones would make Russia’s airspace “completely unsafe” for the duration of the war, drawing accusations of “state terrorism” from Russian leader Vladimir Putin. Both sides have intensified long-range attacks in recent months and diplomatic efforts led by the United States remain stalled more than four years into Russia’s ful...