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Trump delays 50% US tariffs on Canadian goods for 3 days after last-minute talks
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Trump delays 50% US tariffs on Canadian goods for 3 days after last-minute talks

US President Donald Trump paused the planned roll-out of new tariffs on some Canadian goods late on Tuesday, after negotiations between both countries that went down to the wire. The reprieve from Trump’s 50 per cent duties would last three days, the US leader said in a social media post. This was “based on the fact that Canada and the U.S.A., subject to the finalisation of documents, have a DEAL!...

Trump and Carney hold urgent talks as steep 50% US tariffs on Canada loom
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Trump and Carney hold urgent talks as steep 50% US tariffs on Canada loom

Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney has held urgent talks with US President Donald Trump, Ottawa confirmed Tuesday, in an effort to avoid fresh US tariffs on Canadian goods as a midnight deadline fast approaches. Trump signed orders for the steep 50 per cent duties last month, with the White House alleging “discriminatory treatment” by Canada against US alcohol, car and dairy products. The tariffs...

Will Washington’s tech crackdown test fragile US-China truce?
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Will Washington’s tech crackdown test fragile US-China truce?

Ahead of next month’s expected summit between US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Washington, a low profile US regulatory agency has opened a new front in the technology battle between the world’s two superpowers, even as it attempts to avoid sabotaging the vital high-stakes meeting. The latest action by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in July saw it advance stri...

Trump posts map with Hormuz as ‘new US territory’, says no Iran talks planned
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Trump posts map with Hormuz as ‘new US territory’, says no Iran talks planned

US President Donald Trump said that Tuesday that no talks with Iran were under way or scheduled, as he posted a map showing the Strait of Hormuz as a new American territory in a fresh jibe at Tehran. Trump has been pressing his threat to claim sovereignty over the crucial energy waterway as the nearly six-month-old Iran war grinds on with little sign of resolution. Trump’s envoy and son-in-law Jar...

Ex-Mos Burger boss among 8 in court over using ‘phantom workers’ to defraud chain

Ex-Mos Burger boss among 8 in court over using ‘phantom workers’ to defraud chain

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A former Mos Burger branch manager, his wife and six alleged “phantom workers” have appeared in court after being charged by the city’s corruption buster for allegedly conspiring to defraud the fast-food chain of about HK$680,000 (US$86,670) in wages. The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) said on Tuesday that Tsui Hin‑po, former manager of the chain’s Tin Shui Wai branch, and his wi...

WHO chief warns DR Congo Ebola outbreak ‘far from being under control’

WHO chief warns DR Congo Ebola outbreak ‘far from being under control’

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The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is moving faster than any previous epidemic of the disease and risks spreading to more countries, the head of the World Health Organization has warned. “We must be frank: the epidemic is far from being under control,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told an emergency meeting on the outbreak on Tuesday. “It had a big head start,...

In Spain’s Ceuta, migrant women tell of sexual harassment: ‘it’s really bad’

In Spain’s Ceuta, migrant women tell of sexual harassment: ‘it’s really bad’

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Some women who entered Spain’s ⁠North African enclave of Ceuta on July 30 as part of a mass migrant crossing say the ⁠hardships of sleeping rough as they wait to be registered are compounded by the threat and fear of sexual harassment. More than a dozen women have set up camp on a wooded roadside running up to the barbed wire fencing that surrounds the government-run migrant reception centre, near...

Israeli military ‘paralysis’ on settler violence exposed in West Bank siege

Israeli military ‘paralysis’ on settler violence exposed in West Bank siege

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The Israeli military is touted as the most powerful in the Middle East, striking targets deep into enemy territory. But for more than a week, Israeli troops have somehow failed to evict a small group of settlers sitting on rocks in the occupied West Bank. Experts says the military has long shown inertia when its task is stopping surging violence against Palestinians, due to government backing for ...

China debuts regular Arctic shipping service amid Iran war. Is this the Polar pivot?

China debuts regular Arctic shipping service amid Iran war. Is this the Polar pivot?

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As the Iran war spills over into the Red Sea – a crucial chokepoint for Asia-Europe trade – China has marked a milestone by launching its first regular service through the Arctic’s Northern Sea Route (NSR), a development welcomed by Russia. The route, which runs along Russia’s northern Arctic coast, slashes travel time compared with alternative paths. A journey from Ningbo city on China’s southeas...

The Polar pivot? China debuts regular Arctic shipping service as Iran war drags on

The Polar pivot? China debuts regular Arctic shipping service as Iran war drags on

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As the Iran war spills over into the Red Sea – a crucial chokepoint for Asia-Europe trade – China has marked a milestone by launching its first regular service through the Arctic’s Northern Sea Route (NSR), a development welcomed by Russia. The route, which runs along Russia’s northern Arctic coast, slashes travel time compared with alternative paths. A journey from Ningbo city on China’s southeas...

Meet the Chinese AI star who splashed a reported US$70m on a California mansion

Meet the Chinese AI star who splashed a reported US$70m on a California mansion

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Tony Wu Yuhuai, the China-born co-founder of Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence lab, sparked discussions across Chinese social media after reportedly spending US$70 million on a six-bedroom Californian mega-mansion. The property deal, the largest so far this year in the Bay Area, pushed the thirty-something AI star under the spotlight, alongside other Silicon Valley-based Chinese talent that has ...

Hong Kong customs raids office in Opatra London probe after 6 complaints

Hong Kong customs raids office in Opatra London probe after 6 complaints

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Hong Kong customs has raided a corporate secretarial office in Sheung Wan as part of an investigation into a local beauty chain linked to UK brand Opatra London, following six complaints alleging high-pressure sales tactics involving up to HK$100,000. Officers from the Customs and Excise Department seized documents from a unit in the Wing On Centre on Connaught Road Central on Tuesday. While liste...

Infertility could affect 79.6 million women by 2036, posing challenge for Hong Kong

Infertility could affect 79.6 million women by 2036, posing challenge for Hong Kong

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Global infertility cases among women aged 35 to 49 are projected to almost double to 79.64 million by 2036, posing a major public health challenge for Hong Kong as delayed childbearing becomes increasingly common, a large-scale study has found. The study, co-led by the University of Hong Kong (HKU) and shared on Tuesday, said the city’s average maternal age was among the world’s highest and called...

Infertility may affect 79.6 million women by 2036, posing challenge for Hong Kong

Infertility may affect 79.6 million women by 2036, posing challenge for Hong Kong

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Global infertility cases among women aged 35 to 49 are projected to rise by almost half to 79.64 million by 2036, posing a major public health challenge for Hong Kong as delayed childbearing becomes increasingly common, a large-scale study has found. The study, co-led by the University of Hong Kong, said on Tuesday that the city’s average maternal age was among the world’s highest and called for s...

When prey instinct strikes: fast ways to save small pets from big dogs

When prey instinct strikes: fast ways to save small pets from big dogs

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The safe handling of dogs has become the subject of intense social media debate in Hong Kong after two small pets were fatally mauled by a large canine on the loose on Monday. The 60kg dog, which was not on a leash, killed a miniature poodle near Yoho Mall in Yuen Long and a bichon frise at nearby Lolli Park within 20 minutes of each other. The licensed animal has been captured and an investigatio...

Xi hits out at ‘outside interference’ in Latin America in meeting with Ecuador’s president

Xi hits out at ‘outside interference’ in Latin America in meeting with Ecuador’s president

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China firmly supports Latin American nations in upholding their autonomy and pursuing international cooperation based on their own interests, Chinese President Xi Jinping told his Ecuadorian counterpart Daniel Noboa on Tuesday. “Latin American and Caribbean nations should have freedom to choose their international partners without outside interference,” Xi said, in a veiled criticism of US interve...

Chinese doctors get double-thigh amputee to walk again in world first

Chinese doctors get double-thigh amputee to walk again in world first

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Chinese surgeons have enabled a man to walk again after an accident severed both his legs at the thigh, marking a rare success for advanced reconstructive procedures. After nearly 20 months of intensive post-operative recovery, the patient is reportedly able to walk indoors with a frame and manage most daily tasks unassisted. Crucially, sensation has returned to his lower legs down to his ankles. ...

82% of Chinese firms eye overseas growth, with Hong Kong top service support choice

82% of Chinese firms eye overseas growth, with Hong Kong top service support choice

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More than 80 per cent of surveyed mainland Chinese companies plan to grow their overseas presence, with Hong Kong listed as their top choice for a professional services platform to support expansion, the Trade Development Council (TDC) has found. The council’s survey, published on Tuesday, also showed that about 94 per cent of respondents were eyeing countries in the Belt and Road Initiative for e...

German court convicts Ukrainian man over Russian sabotage plot

German court convicts Ukrainian man over Russian sabotage plot

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A German court on Tuesday handed a jail sentence of one year and three months to a Ukrainian man for spying for Russia and helping prepare possible acts of sabotage. The court in Stuttgart acquitted two other Ukrainian men aged 22 and 25 who were on trial for the same plot, which involved posting test packages containing GPS trackers in March last year to Ukraine. The plan was aimed at scoping out...

Court orders defunct Apple Daily to pay HK$1.5 million over defamatory articles

Court orders defunct Apple Daily to pay HK$1.5 million over defamatory articles

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A Hong Kong court has ordered the defunct Apple Daily newspaper to pay HK$1.5 million (US$191,200) in damages to a listed company and two senior executives over 10 defamatory articles that accused them of spying on the city’s pro-democracy activists at Beijing’s behest. In a written judgment delivered on Tuesday, the High Court ruled against former media boss Jimmy Lai Chee-ying’s flagship publica...

Hong Kong court orders defunct Apple Daily to pay HK$1.5 million over defamatory articles

Hong Kong court orders defunct Apple Daily to pay HK$1.5 million over defamatory articles

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A Hong Kong court has ordered the defunct Apple Daily newspaper to pay HK$1.5 million in damages to a listed company and two senior executives over 10 defamatory articles that accused them of spying on the city’s pro-democracy activists at Beijing’s behest. In a written judgment delivered on Tuesday, the High Court ruled against former media boss Jimmy Lai Chee-ying’s flagship publication after th...

What Reliance and Rolls-Royce mean for India’s fighter jet ambitions

What Reliance and Rolls-Royce mean for India’s fighter jet ambitions

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A proposed partnership between Indian industrial giant Reliance Industries and British aerospace engine maker Rolls-Royce could mark a breakthrough in India’s decades-long quest to develop a fighter jet engine, analysts have said. But they caution that money and manufacturing capabilities alone would not be enough to overcome the technical challenges of manufacturing such an engine. On Friday, the...

Wang Yi heads to Seoul as Trump cuts South Korea drills, opening door for China

Wang Yi heads to Seoul as Trump cuts South Korea drills, opening door for China

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China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi is set to visit Seoul days after Donald Trump called for the US to scale back military exercises with South Korea, sending ripples of unease through US allies in Asia. On Sunday, the United States president posted his decision to social media, raising questions about the durability of Washington’s security commitments in a region increasingly defined by competition...

Alibaba’s lightweight Qwen model takes on larger AI systems from OpenAI, DeepSeek, Zhipu

Alibaba’s lightweight Qwen model takes on larger AI systems from OpenAI, DeepSeek, Zhipu

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Alibaba Group Holding’s new lightweight AI model Qwen3.8-27B has matched much larger near-frontier rivals while being able to run on everyday hardware, impressing developers as local AI gains momentum. The Qwen3.8-27B, a small model with 27 billion parameters, performed on par with OpenAI’s GPT-5.6 Luna, which was billed as the most cost-efficient model in the US lab’s latest flagship series, benc...

Syrian court sentences detained Assad cousin to death for crimes against humanity

Syrian court sentences detained Assad cousin to death for crimes against humanity

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A Syrian court on Tuesday handed a death sentence to Wassim al-Assad who appeared in the dock, a cousin of long-time ruler Bashar al-Assad who was himself sentenced to death in absentia last week. The 46-year-old relative of Assad was convicted over atrocities committed under the autocrat’s rule during the country’s nearly 14-year civil war. Judge Fakhr al-Din al-Aryan said Assad’s cousin was conv...

Owner of unleashed 60kg dog arrested after 2 small pets killed in Hong Kong

Owner of unleashed 60kg dog arrested after 2 small pets killed in Hong Kong

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Hong Kong authorities have arrested the owner of a large, unleashed dog that fatally attacked two smaller pets in Yuen Long, as the incident sparks calls for heavier penalties for irresponsible pet owners. The owner of the 60kg dog was arrested in Yuen Long on Tuesday afternoon in an operation by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD), according to a spokesman. Officers reco...

‘Die on the road, not in hospital’: Chinese man takes paralysed wife on epic road trip

‘Die on the road, not in hospital’: Chinese man takes paralysed wife on epic road trip

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A man from eastern China has spent a decade travelling with his partially paralysed wife, claiming that life on the road has made her “100 times” more spirited. Liu Peijin, 69, a former serviceman from Weifang in Shandong province, dedicated 18 years to the military, much of that time away from his wife, who was his primary school classmate, as reported by Hongxing News. As newlyweds, they dreamed...

Philippines’ Marcos slammed over US$3b family estate tax, says ‘very busy’ with government

Philippines’ Marcos slammed over US$3b family estate tax, says ‘very busy’ with government

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Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr has put his anti-corruption drive at the centre of his presidency, but questions over his late father’s estate taxes and the family’s past ill-gotten wealth have prompted critics to question his commitment. Last month, Marcos pledged in his address to Congress to continue fighting alleged irregularities in flood-control projects, stressing that the campaig...

Philippines’ Marcos slammed over $3b family estate tax, says ‘very busy’ with government

Philippines’ Marcos slammed over $3b family estate tax, says ‘very busy’ with government

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Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr has put his anti-corruption drive at the centre of his presidency, but questions over his late father’s estate taxes and the family’s past ill-gotten wealth have prompted critics to question his commitment. Last month, Marcos pledged in his address to Congress to continue fighting alleged irregularities in flood-control projects, stressing that the campaig...