World News Hub

Western Europe experienced hottest June-July on record: EU monitor

Western Europe experienced its hottest June-July on record as climate change fuels an historic summer of heat, drought and wildfires across the region, the EU's global warming monitor said Monday.

World’s seas have hit hottest temperature on record for July, say scientists

Average sea surface temperature outside polar regions was highest on record for July, beating previous high in 2023The world’s seas were hotter last month than in any July on record, scientists have said, as devastating heat struck western Europe.Sea surface temperatures hit record highs for July on the Atlantic coast and western Mediterranean, the EU’s Copernicus climate change service found, wit...

As mainland China tightens its tax rules, can Hong Kong remain a magnet for billionaires?

For decades, Hong Kong has been a magnet for the rich. From wealthy Chinese setting up family trusts to millionaires migrating from across Southeast Asia, all of them have been sucked in by the city’s promise of free capital flows, a trustworthy legal system and extensive financial expertise. It is a winning combination that helped Hong Kong leapfrog Switzerland as the world’s biggest cross-border...

As China tightens its tax rules, can Hong Kong remain a magnet for billionaires?

For decades, Hong Kong has been a magnet for the rich. From wealthy Chinese setting up family trusts to millionaires migrating from across Southeast Asia, all of them have been sucked in by the city’s promise of free capital flows, a trustworthy legal system and extensive financial expertise. It is a winning combination that helped Hong Kong leapfrog Switzerland as the world’s biggest cross-border...

China is using AI facial ID to track migrating fish in Tibet’s largest river

China is using an artificial intelligence-driven fish identification system to conduct round-the-clock tracking of species passing along a fishway on a dam on Tibet’s largest river. Monitoring the route once relied on labour-intensive manual counts, but it now uses an AI-based “fish facial recognition” system to identify species unique to the Tibet autonomous region, according to a report publishe...

Pakistan says ‘purely defensive’ Mecca accord is open to others

Pakistan’s foreign minister said a new defence agreement his country signed with Saudi Arabia and Turkey was not directed against any country and remained open to other nations in the region. The landmark Mecca Joint Defence Agreement was signed on Friday by the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif as the three c...

Alleged Irish crime boss Daniel Kinahan in court after Dubai extradition

Suspected Irish crime boss Daniel Kinahan has appeared before a Dublin court after being extradited from Dubai.

Flight cancelled as child refuses to sit down and fasten seatbelt

A flight in Canada has been cancelled after a child refused to sit down and fasten their seatbelt.

Houthis launch fresh ballistic missile and drone attacks on al-Makha port

Iran-backed Houthis have resumed attacks on Yemen’s al-Makha port in the Red Sea.

Jetstar, Qatar Air jets in near-miss at Sydney airport

Women’s public role shrinks in China as official rhetoric shift towards family: Study

John Lee is right about local governance. Now he must deliver

Something unexpected happened at the town hall meeting held a week ago to gather public opinion on Hong Kong’s first five-year plan and the coming policy address. Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu spoke about the need to upgrade the city’s urban management systems. Our results-oriented, reform-focused chief executive seems to be ready for another colossal task. Lee began his term with pla...

Australia news live: Malcolm Turnbull says trusting Aukus is ‘stark staring bonkers’; Laneway festival to skip two cities next year

Former PM has told a public inquiry the agreement will probably result in no submarines for Australia. Follow today’s news liveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastPolice say the remains found in a suitcase near Goulburn are not human.Supt Linda Bradbury with NSW police said:Some good news here that we don’t have a suspicious death of a human on our hands. … We are still unde...

Police Probe Teen Gunman: Thai 14-year-old learned gun use from violent content; govt vows school safety steps

Hong Kong records hottest day ever as Typhoon Dolphin fuels heatwave

Observatory says 36.9C posted on Sunday is city’s highest official temperature since its records began 142 years ago, with storm driving intense heat in regionHong Kong has officially recorded its highest ever temperature as Typhoon Dolphin swept warm air over the city, the meteorological service said.The city’s weather observatory posted a temperature of 36.9C on Sunday, the highest recorded sinc...

Porter Airlines flight in Canada canceled after child refuses to sit down

A Porter Airlines flight in Canada was canceled last week after a young child refused to sit down and buckle up, forcing the plane back to the terminal and delaying it past the airport’s runway closure

Thirty years on, man accused of orchestrating Tupac Shakur's murder goes on trial

The man charged in the 1996 killing of rapper Tupac Shakur, one of America's most notorious unresolved murders, goes on trial Monday in Las Vegas. Duane “Keffe D” Davis, 63, faces one charge of murder with a deadly weapon with the intent to promote, further or assist a criminal gang in Shakur's death. 

Thirty years on, man accused of orchestrating Tupac Shakur's 1996 murder goes on trial

The man charged in the 1996 killing of rapper Tupac Shakur, one of America's most notorious unresolved murders, goes on trial Monday in Las Vegas. Duane “Keffe D” Davis, 63, faces one charge of murder with a deadly weapon with the intent to promote, further or assist a criminal gang in Shakur's death. 

China experts explain why hugging winter melons for cooling in summer can cause explosions

While many people have embraced the trend of hugging a giant winter melon to sleep as a means of cooling down during summer, some have shared their “painful” experiences, recounting instances where the fruit exploded, releasing a foul-smelling and putrid liquid that soiled their beds and floors. They detailed this “disastrous scene” on social media, noting that the winter melons exploded after sev...

Taiwan practices war games as it fears increasing Chinese aggression, questions Trump's support

Taiwan continued its 10-day war games this weekend, preparing for a potential invasion by China, which claims the territory as its own and has threatened to seize it by force. Anna Coren has more details from Taiwan.

Could Morocco’s football chief Fouzi Lekjaa become its next prime minister?

Lekjaa’s decision to join a political party has fuelled speculation about his political ambitions.

Iranian leaders demand U.S. pay for war damage or will keep Strait of Hormuz closed

Iran's Revolutionary Guard insisted that the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the U.S. complies with a list of demands, including paying for war damage. Imtiaz Tyab reports on the latest in a series of mixed messages from the regime.

Men Sentenced For Stream Violence: court convicts duo over aggravated attacks; Kick faces increased scrutiny

French streamer Jean Pormanove’s shocking death has taken another turn after Safine Hamadi and Owen Cenazandotti were convicted of aggravated violence connected to his livestreams. Hamadi received an 18-month suspended sentence, while Cenazandotti received two years, with both fined and banned from Kick for six months. Neither was convicted of causing Graven’s death, as prosecutors linked it to hi...

Australia news live: Malcolm Turnbull says trusting Aukus is ‘stark staring bonkers’; Minns considers banning ebikes for under-12s

Former PM has told a public inquiry the agreement will probably result in no submarines for Australia. Follow today’s news livePolice say the remains found in a suitcase near Goulburn are not human.Supt Linda Bradbury with NSW police said:Some good news here that we don’t have a suspicious death of a human on our hands. … We are still undertaking more forensic work to identify what they are. But w...

Youth membership in Hong Kong uniformed groups drops 8% over 5 years

Youth membership in Hong Kong’s uniformed groups has declined by 8 per cent over the past five years despite steady government funding, the South China Morning Post has found, a trend attributed to persistently low birth rates and a wider array of extracurricular activities for students. While several lawmakers have called for introducing key performance indicators (KPIs) for uniformed groups to e...