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Hong Kong police arrest 2 after man dies following dispute at flat
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Hong Kong police arrest 2 after man dies following dispute at flat

Hong Kong police have launched a murder investigation and arrested two men after a man died following a dispute in a Mong Kok flat where drugs were also found. A police spokesperson said on Wednesday that officers received a call at about 2.50pm from a man who reported that his 45-year-old friend was attacking another acquaintance, 58, with scissors inside a flat at 22 Tong Mi Road. Officers arriv...

Sudan’s RSF committed ethnic cleansing, says Amnesty
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Sudan’s RSF committed ethnic cleansing, says Amnesty

The Sudanese paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) committed crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing during their attack on El-Fasher city between 2024 and 2025, Amnesty International alleged Wednesday. Sudan has been mired since April 2023 in a brutal war between the army and the RSF, which has killed tens of thousands and forced millions to flee, according to the United Nations. Both side...

Belgium apartment block fire kills at least 5, seriously injures several
SCMP

Belgium apartment block fire kills at least 5, seriously injures several

At least five people have been killed and many injured in a fire in an apartment block in the Belgian city of Antwerp, police said on Wednesday. The blaze broke out mid-morning on the eighth floor of the building, where more than 200 people live, in the city’s Linkeroever neighbourhood, sending vast plumes of smoke into the air, Antwerp police said in a statement. An evacuation of the 10-storey bu...

In the AI era, US-China competition hinges on who can adapt faster
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In the AI era, US-China competition hinges on who can adapt faster

Power has historically been measured by indicators such as territory, population, industrial production, military capability and economic scale. Those foundations remain indispensable. But each technological revolution has changed the nature of geopolitical competition. The Industrial Revolution rewarded manufacturing capacity. The 20th century rewarded industrial scale, military mobilisation and ...

China’s Kling AI nears US$3 billion round at US$18 billion valuation: sources

China’s Kling AI nears US$3 billion round at US$18 billion valuation: sources

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Kuaishou-backed Kling AI is close to completing a US$3 billion fundraising round that would value the company at US$18 billion post-investment, according to people familiar with the matter, as competition intensifies in China’s artificial intelligence video generation sector. The latest valuation was narrowed from an initial target of US$20 billion set in April, when Chinese short-video giant Kuai...

Why is Hong Kong holding Communist Party anniversary events? One word: stability

Why is Hong Kong holding Communist Party anniversary events? One word: stability

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Greater social and political stability in Hong Kong will allow the city to hold high-profile celebratory events for the anniversary of the Communist Party’s establishment, analysts and politicians have said, encouraging residents to learn more about the party. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu announced on Wednesday that the government would organise a series of celebratory activities in the city t...

Stability in Hong Kong allows bigger celebrations of Communist Party anniversary: analysts

Stability in Hong Kong allows bigger celebrations of Communist Party anniversary: analysts

SCMP

Greater social and political stability in Hong Kong will allow the city to hold high-profile celebratory events for the anniversary of the Communist Party’s establishment, analysts and politicians have said, encouraging residents to learn more about the party. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu announced on Wednesday that the government would organise a series of celebratory activities in the city t...

Can China’s ‘CO2 rocket’ launch cold on the same gas that carbonates Coca-Cola?

Can China’s ‘CO2 rocket’ launch cold on the same gas that carbonates Coca-Cola?

SCMP

A Chinese aerospace start-up plans to launch a rocket using carbon dioxide, the same compound that gives Coca-Cola its fizz and bite. Hunan-based commercial space firm Zhiyu Aerospace Technology announced on Monday that it was collaborating with another local tech company to apply “supercritical carbon dioxide cold-launch” technology to small launch vehicle systems. Z-Trak Space, as the company is...

US, Iran officials hold indirect talks in Qatar to try to end war: diplomat

US, Iran officials hold indirect talks in Qatar to try to end war: diplomat

SCMP

Indirect talks in Doha, Qatar, between officials from the United States and Iran aimed at ending the Middle East war have started, a diplomat with knowledge of the talks said on Wednesday. The diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive talks, confirmed negotiations were under way after they earlier said the US and Iran were to hold “indirect technical talks on Wednesday ...

‘YMCA’ Village People singer Victor Willis dies at 74

‘YMCA’ Village People singer Victor Willis dies at 74

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Victor Willis, lead singer of the disco group Village People whose hit Y.M.C.A. became a fixture at rallies for US President Donald Trump, has died, his spouse said in a Facebook post on Wednesday. “It is with profound sadness that I must announce the death of my husband, VICTOR WILLIS. Victor passed away on Tuesday, June 30, 2026, as a result of a short, but aggressive illness,” the post on Willi...

‘Upside potential’: World Gold Council counts on Asian buyers to curb price plunge

‘Upside potential’: World Gold Council counts on Asian buyers to curb price plunge

SCMP

Asian markets are a growing force in gold price discovery as the metal remains sensitive to heightened geopolitical concerns and abrupt shifts in investor sentiment, according to the World Gold Council. Asian trading hours have been a key driver at gold price rebounds during the first half of the year, while the pullbacks tended to occur when US markets were open, according to the council’s global...

Mainland Chinese tourists pack landmarks as Hong Kong marks 29th anniversary

Mainland Chinese tourists pack landmarks as Hong Kong marks 29th anniversary

SCMP

Festive events and promotions across Hong Kong marking the 29th anniversary of its return to Chinese sovereignty have drawn large numbers of mainland tourists to major attractions and landmarks in the city. Amid a sea of red national flags and celebratory banners on Wednesday, visitors told the South China Morning Post that they thoroughly enjoyed the perks on offer, including complimentary ferry ...

Spain blames over 1,000 excess deaths on heatwave, in second-hottest June ever

Spain blames over 1,000 excess deaths on heatwave, in second-hottest June ever

SCMP

Spain recorded 1,029 excess deaths last ⁠month attributable to ⁠heat, official data showed ⁠on Wednesday, as a five-day heatwave with temperatures surpassing 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) made it the second-hottest June on record. Data on the Health Ministry’s ‌daily mortality monitoring system MoMo showed this June had the most deaths attributed to heat since the same month in 2015....

Indonesian civil trainee deaths spur criticisms of Prabowo’s reliance on military drill

Indonesian civil trainee deaths spur criticisms of Prabowo’s reliance on military drill

SCMP

When Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto promised to build 80,000 village cooperatives across the archipelago, the aim was to drive rural growth, strengthen food security and give communities greater control over essential goods and services. But the deaths of five trainees preparing to manage the cooperatives have cast a shadow over the US$13.4 billion programme, one of Prabowo’s flagship initi...

Thailand’s Bangchak takes over Hong Kong Caltex petrol stations in HK$2.1b deal

Thailand’s Bangchak takes over Hong Kong Caltex petrol stations in HK$2.1b deal

SCMP

One of Thailand’s largest energy conglomerates has bought Caltex petrol stations in Hong Kong in a HK$2.1 billion (US$270 million) deal, which the firm will use as a springboard into North Asia. Semi-privatised Bangchak Corporation Public Company on Tuesday completed the acquisition of 100 per cent of the shares of Chevron Hong Kong from Chevron Companies (China), according to a Bangchak statement...

Thailand’s Bangchak fuels North Asia push with HK$2.1b Caltex petrol stations deal

Thailand’s Bangchak fuels North Asia push with HK$2.1b Caltex petrol stations deal

SCMP

One of Thailand’s largest energy conglomerates has bought Caltex petrol stations in Hong Kong in a HK$2.1 billion (US$270 million) deal, which the firm will use as a springboard into North Asia. Semi-privatised Bangchak Corporation Public Company on Tuesday completed the acquisition of 100 per cent of the shares of Chevron Hong Kong from Chevron Companies (China), according to a Bangchak statement...

Malaysia closes jurisdictional gaps on child sexual abuse in ‘meaningful reform’

Malaysia closes jurisdictional gaps on child sexual abuse in ‘meaningful reform’

SCMP

Malaysia has given its courts the power to prosecute some sexual offences against children committed overseas, extending the reach of its law beyond national borders as abuse allegations increasingly cross countries, devices and jurisdictions. But lawyers and child rights advocates say the change will only be as strong as Malaysia’s ability to secure evidence, obtain cooperation from foreign gover...

How a ‘Chinese heart’ could get US blood pumping despite biotech decoupling

How a ‘Chinese heart’ could get US blood pumping despite biotech decoupling

SCMP

A “Chinese heart” could be helping to save lives in the United States despite efforts to decouple the two countries’ biotechnology sectors as a result of rising political tensions. The fully magnetically levitated pump, which is slightly bigger than a table tennis ball, has been fitted to more than 100 patients with advanced heart failure across the United States as part of a nationwide clinical t...

Chinese student displays 70 marathon medals at graduation after running to fund education

Chinese student displays 70 marathon medals at graduation after running to fund education

SCMP

A university student in northwestern China who used a shoulder pole to carry over 70 marathon competition medals to his graduation ceremony has captivated mainland social media. Jin Yanwei, 24, graduated from Xian Traffic Engineering Institute in Shaanxi province this summer. The school held its graduation ceremony on June 23. After receiving his graduation certificate from two school leaders, Jin...

Mahathir and PAS demand Malay unity in Malaysia’s Johor poll

Mahathir and PAS demand Malay unity in Malaysia’s Johor poll

SCMP

Malaysia’s Johor election has opened a new front in the country’s long-running racial politics, after former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad and Islamist party PAS urged voters to put “Malay-Muslim political power” ahead of party loyalty in one of the country’s most closely watched state polls. The southern state, which borders Singapore and sits at the centre of Malaysia’s cross-border growth pla...

Thailand’s suitcase murder raises safety fears as Pattaya mourns for teen victim

Thailand’s suitcase murder raises safety fears as Pattaya mourns for teen victim

SCMP

Just days after she last saw a teenager, known to her friends as Cake, on Pattaya Beach, Ning began to realise the unfolding horrors that shocked Thailand. The body of the 17-year-old was found on Saturday, placed inside a black suitcase and dumped in scrubland next to a railway track. “I would see her often. I didn’t realise she was still just a child,’’ Ning, 22, told This Week in Asia, giving a...

‘More space, better service’: Hongkongers flock to mainland for July 1 holiday

‘More space, better service’: Hongkongers flock to mainland for July 1 holiday

SCMP

Hongkongers poured across the border on Wednesday for a wider range of dining, shopping and family leisure options, seeking a short getaway on the public holiday marking the 29th anniversary of the city’s return to Chinese rule. Major border checkpoints, including the West Kowloon terminus and Shenzhen Bay, were packed with holidaymakers carrying luggage, shopping bags and foldable carts as they h...

Himalayan pass reopens as ‘goodwill’ gesture in China-India thaw

Himalayan pass reopens as ‘goodwill’ gesture in China-India thaw

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China and India resumed cross-border trade through the Lipulekh Pass in the Himalayas last week in the latest sign of a cautious rapprochement between the two countries. The reopening of the pass near the contested India-China-Nepal border after six years came shortly after Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s visit to New Delhi. It was described by analysts as a goodwill gesture from Beijing, but t...

Hongkongers snap up July 1 freebies and discounts with gusto

Hongkongers snap up July 1 freebies and discounts with gusto

SCMP

Hongkongers took full advantage of perks and discounts offered at restaurants, shops, transport and museums to celebrate the 29th anniversary of the city’s return to Chinese sovereignty on Wednesday. Long queues formed at local cha chaan tengs, cinemas, shopping centres and outside attractions in the West Kowloon Cultural District, as well as for free ferry and tram rides. At the arts hub, all fre...

Hongkongers attack July 1 freebies and discounts with gusto

Hongkongers attack July 1 freebies and discounts with gusto

SCMP

Hongkongers took full advantage of perks and discounts offered at restaurants, shops, transport and museums to celebrate the 29th anniversary of the city’s return to Chinese sovereignty on Wednesday. Long queues formed at local cha chaan tengs, cinemas, shopping centres and outside attractions in the West Kowloon Cultural District, as well as for free ferry and tram rides. At the arts hub, all fre...

Singapore seizes US$42.4 million bungalow linked to Nvidia chip fraud

Singapore seizes US$42.4 million bungalow linked to Nvidia chip fraud

SCMP

Singapore authorities have seized a Good Class Bungalow (GCB) valued at around S$55 million (US$42.4 million) and around S$1 million of funds in connection with a fraud conspiracy, the police said on Wednesday. The case has been linked to the movement of Nvidia chips in contravention of US export controls. It is understood that the GCB is located at 12 Chee Hoon Avenue. The police issued a prohibi...

Singapore telecoms company slashes CEO’s salary over outages

Singapore telecoms company slashes CEO’s salary over outages

SCMP

The chief executive of Singapore’s largest and oldest telecommunications company took a pay cut last year despite the company posting a sharp rise in profits, after a series of network failures dented its operational record. Singtel CEO Yuen Kuan Moon received S$6.8 million (US$5.3 million) for the financial year ended March 31, down 16.9 per cent from S$8.2 million a year earlier, according to th...

Lawmaker William Wong says sorry after arrest over CUHK drink-driving crash

Lawmaker William Wong says sorry after arrest over CUHK drink-driving crash

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Hong Kong lawmaker William Wong Kam-fai has apologised for “causing inconvenience” to the public following his arrest for suspected drink-driving, careless driving and failing to stop and report an accident, after crashing his car into two vehicles. “I sincerely apologise for the traffic incident involving me on the campus of the Chinese University of Hong Kong [CUHK] a few days ago, which has spa...

Lawmaker William Wong says sorry after arrest over alleged drink-driving crash

Lawmaker William Wong says sorry after arrest over alleged drink-driving crash

SCMP

Hong Kong lawmaker William Wong Kam-fai has apologised for “causing inconvenience” to the public following his arrest for suspected drink-driving, careless driving and failing to stop and report an accident, after allegedly crashing his car into two vehicles. “I sincerely apologise for the traffic incident involving me on the campus of the Chinese University of Hong Kong [CUHK] a few days ago, whi...