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Trump invokes Defence Production Act as Iran war strains weapons stockpiles
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Trump invokes Defence Production Act as Iran war strains weapons stockpiles

US President Donald Trump has tapped the Defence Production Act in a bid to bolster weapons stockpiles that critics say have been strained by the war in Iran and other conflicts. This came as Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held a telephone call with his Pakistani counterpart on Tuesday during which they spoke about the memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran. That MOU, announced on S...

Trump taps Defence Production Act to boost US weapons stockpiles drained by Iran war
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Trump taps Defence Production Act to boost US weapons stockpiles drained by Iran war

US President Donald Trump invoked the Defence Production Act in an effort to bolster delivery of weapons whose stockpiles critics say have been strained by the war in Iran and other conflicts. The president cited “systemic constraints in the munitions industrial base” in his order for Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth to make “voluntary agreements and plans of action” to address the depleted US defen...

China’s Shein to be ousted from Paris department store after other brands flee
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China’s Shein to be ousted from Paris department store after other brands flee

A department store in central Paris announced on Tuesday the end of its cooperation with Chinese ultra-fast fashion giant Shein, which, French media reported, could see the e-commerce platform’s first physical store closed by this Christmas. La Societe des Grands Magasins (SGM), owner of the historic BHV Marais, which sits opposite Paris City Hall a few hundred meters from Notre-Dame cathedral, ha...

Shein faces exit from Paris department store after backlash
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Shein faces exit from Paris department store after backlash

A department store in central Paris announced on Tuesday the end of its cooperation with Chinese ultra-fast fashion giant Shein, which, French media reported, could see the e-commerce platform’s first physical store closed by this Christmas. La Societe des Grands Magasins (SGM), owner of the historic BHV Marais, which sits opposite Paris City Hall a few hundred meters from Notre-Dame cathedral, ha...

2 passengers killed as truck collides with taxi on Hong Kong road

2 passengers killed as truck collides with taxi on Hong Kong road

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Two passengers were killed late on Tuesday when a truck slammed into their taxi on a wet highway in Hong Kong, with the cab flipping at least six times and tossing one of the victims onto the road. Police said the collision occurred at about 10pm on Tsing Sha Highway in Cheung Sha Wan as both vehicles were heading eastbound. The taxi was struck by the light goods truck near Hoi Lai Estate. The tax...

Russian warship fires warning shots near yacht in English Channel

Russian warship fires warning shots near yacht in English Channel

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Russia said one of its warships fired warning shots on Tuesday near a yacht making a “dangerous approach” in the English Channel, though Britain evaluated that the shots were “not aimed at the vessel”. The incident involved the Russian frigate Admiral Grigorovich and a UK-registered yacht around 20 nautical miles (37km) south of the Isle of Wight, just outside British waters, a UK defence source s...

Russian warship fires warning shots at UK yacht in English Channel

Russian warship fires warning shots at UK yacht in English Channel

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Sailors on board ⁠a Russian frigate fired warning shots at a civilian yacht that had come near to it in the English Channel, close to British territorial waters, ‌a source familiar with the incident on Tuesday said. Britain’s ministry of defence said it was investigating reports of an incident in the Channel. No injuries or damage to the yacht were reported. The incident involved the Russian friga...

Russian warship fires warning shots at UK yacht in the Channel

Russian warship fires warning shots at UK yacht in the Channel

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⁠Sailors on ⁠board a Russian frigate ⁠fired warning shots at a civilian yacht near the Isle of Wight in the Channel that had come near to it on Tuesday, ‌a source familiar with the incident said. Britain’s ministry of defence said it was investigating reports of an incident in the Channel. No injuries were reported. The incident involved the Russian frigate Admiral Grigorovich and it was being ⁠mo...

Corporate leaders turn to new doctorate to strategise AI adoption

Corporate leaders turn to new doctorate to strategise AI adoption

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[The content of this article has been produced by our advertising partner.] For modern-day businesses, effective AI adoption is increasingly seen as make or break if they are to stay competitive. Executives do see this potential but frequently reduce it to little more than a tool for drafting reports or creating slides.  And this digital divide is what the Doctor of Business Artificial Intelligenc...

Man ‘mistakenly beat girlfriend to death while trying to help her lose weight’

Man ‘mistakenly beat girlfriend to death while trying to help her lose weight’

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A jobless man accused of killing his girlfriend in a Hong Kong village house and illegally disposing of her body four years ago has claimed he mistakenly beat her to death while trying to help her lose weight by keeping her awake at night. Ng Ka-sing, 29, is standing trial at the High Court for allegedly murdering his 30-year-old partner Yip Tsz-ching at their 700 sq ft flat in Galore Garden in Hu...

Hong Kong court rejects HK$12m claim against Cecilia Cheung over contract dispute

Hong Kong court rejects HK$12m claim against Cecilia Cheung over contract dispute

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A Hong Kong court has dismissed a HK$12 million (US$1.53 million) claim against actress Cecilia Cheung Pak-chi by her former agent, finding that she had never signed an agency contract she allegedly breached nor received advance payment for her services. Cheung, 46, was involved in a legal battle with Asia Entertainment Group (AEG) president Samuel Yu Yuk-hing for allegedly reneging on her promise...

FBI says foiled drone and sniper plot at Trump’s White House fight night

FBI says foiled drone and sniper plot at Trump’s White House fight night

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US law enforcement said it had foiled an alleged plot to attack the White House during a crowded mixed martial arts event attended by US President Donald Trump. “Multiple individuals are now in custody and allegedly planned attacks were stopped cold,” FBI Director Kash Patel said on Tuesday. The Department of Justice announced charges against five men and said the plotters planned to fly drones ar...

5 arrested after FBI foils drone, sniper plot during White House fight night

5 arrested after FBI foils drone, sniper plot during White House fight night

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US law enforcement on Tuesday said it had foiled a plot to attack the White House during a crowded mixed martial arts event attended by President Donald Trump and other top officials. “Thanks to the rapid action of the FBI, our partners, and the Department of Justice in a multi-state operation, multiple individuals are now in custody and allegedly planned attacks were stopped cold,” FBI Director K...

Iran war ‘stark wake-up call’ for fossil fuel-dependent Southeast Asia: IEA report

Iran war ‘stark wake-up call’ for fossil fuel-dependent Southeast Asia: IEA report

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The Iran war has exposed major risks for Southeast Asia that could cost the region billions of dollars, if it does not diversify sources of energy more quickly, according to an International Energy Agency (IEA) report released on Tuesday. An overreliance on oil and gas transported through the Strait of Hormuz left the region particularly vulnerable to shocks from the Iran war, a “stark wake-up cal...

Iran war ‘stark wake-up call’ for fossil fuel- dependent Southeast Asia: IEA report

Iran war ‘stark wake-up call’ for fossil fuel- dependent Southeast Asia: IEA report

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The Iran war has exposed major risks for Southeast Asia that could cost the region billions of dollars, if it does not diversify sources of energy more quickly, according to an International Energy Agency (IEA) report released on Tuesday. An overreliance on oil and gas transported through the Strait of Hormuz left the region particularly vulnerable to shocks from the Iran war, a “stark wake-up cal...

Hong Kong must remain outward-looking to thrive: past and present TDC leaders

Hong Kong must remain outward-looking to thrive: past and present TDC leaders

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Hong Kong must remain an outward-looking economy and a free port to thrive, current and former leaders of the city’s trade promotion body have said, stressing the importance of working with mainland China and tackling challenges creatively. Hong Kong Trade Development Council chairman Frederick Ma Si-hang and four of his predecessors spoke on Tuesday at a panel discussion marking the organisation’...

Hong Kong must stay outward-looking and a free port to thrive, trade leaders say

Hong Kong must stay outward-looking and a free port to thrive, trade leaders say

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Hong Kong must remain an outward-looking economy and a free port to thrive, current and former leaders of the city’s trade promotion body have said, stressing the importance of working with mainland China and tackling challenges creatively. Hong Kong Trade Development Council chairman Frederick Ma Si-hang and four of his predecessors spoke on Tuesday at a panel discussion marking the organisation’...

Hong Kong must stay outward-looking and a free port to thrive, trader leaders say

Hong Kong must stay outward-looking and a free port to thrive, trader leaders say

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Hong Kong must remain an outward-looking economy and a free port to thrive, current and former leaders of the city’s trade promotion body have said, stressing the importance of working with mainland China and tackling challenges creatively. Hong Kong Trade Development Council chairman Frederick Ma Si-hang and four of his predecessors spoke on Tuesday at a panel discussion marking the organisation’...

China’s Xi vows support for Myanmar as President Min Aung Hlaing moves to bridge isolation

China’s Xi vows support for Myanmar as President Min Aung Hlaing moves to bridge isolation

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Chinese President Xi Jinping reaffirmed support for Myanmar’s leadership under former junta chief Min Aung Hlaing on Tuesday, reinforcing Beijing’s influence as its southern neighbour struggles to contain a gruelling civil war. Speaking after a welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People, Xi said Beijing prioritised its ties with Myanmar, which he said held an “important position” in China’s ...

Trump’s woes at home, what China’s World Cup presence shows: 7 US-China relations reads

Trump’s woes at home, what China’s World Cup presence shows: 7 US-China relations reads

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We have selected seven of the most interesting and important news stories covering US-China relations from the past few weeks. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Trump has an understanding with Xi. His own administration doesn’t like it On a state visit to China last month, US President Donald Trump shocked his political base with a series of rhetorica...

Building renovation corruption complaints spike 1.5 times after Tai Po fire: ICAC

Building renovation corruption complaints spike 1.5 times after Tai Po fire: ICAC

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Hong Kong’s graft buster has received more than 1.5 times as many corruption complaints concerning building renovation in the first four months of 2026 compared with the same period last year, following heightened public concern over bid-rigging after the deadly Wang Fuk Court fire. In response to the surge in complaints, the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) said on Tuesday that it...

Building renovation graft complaints spike 1.5 times after Tai Po fire: ICAC

Building renovation graft complaints spike 1.5 times after Tai Po fire: ICAC

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Hong Kong’s graft buster has received more than 1.5 times as many corruption complaints concerning building renovation in the first four months of this year compared with the same period last year, following heightened public concern over bid-rigging after the deadly Wang Fuk Court fire. In response to the surge in complaints, the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) said on Tuesday th...

Philippines vows to block structures at Scarborough Shoal amid fears of Chinese expansion

Philippines vows to block structures at Scarborough Shoal amid fears of Chinese expansion

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A floating Chinese platform at Scarborough Shoal has revived fears in the Philippines that Beijing could be taking another incremental step towards turning one of the South China Sea’s most sensitive disputed features into a permanent outpost. The Armed Forces of the Philippines said on Tuesday it would not allow any structure to be built at the shoal, nearly three weeks after satellite images fir...

EU bows to Trump pressure on tariffs but warns of future chaos

EU bows to Trump pressure on tariffs but warns of future chaos

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The European Parliament approved on Tuesday cutting duties on many US goods imports to fulfil the European Union’s side of a trade ‌deal struck last year, and avert a new round of tariff conflict between the world’s largest trading partners. US President Donald Trump struck a framework deal with the European Union at his Turnberry golf course in Scotland last July under which the EU agreed to remo...

How Israel’s exit from US aid signals wider decline in Washington’s alliances

How Israel’s exit from US aid signals wider decline in Washington’s alliances

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Israel’s efforts to phase out American military aid signal the decline of US alliances under the demands of Washington’s “America first” position, according to a prominent Chinese international relations analyst. Zhu Zhaoyi, executive director of the Institute of Middle East Studies at Peking University HSBC Business School, wrote in a commentary published on Monday that factors such as rising fin...

China’s AI outpaces global rivals but trails in trust, survey shows

China’s AI outpaces global rivals but trails in trust, survey shows

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Many people believe Chinese artificial intelligence models are leading the global tech race – even in countries considered key US allies – according to a new poll by the London-based consultancy Public First. However, the poll also revealed that China lags in trust regarding its AI models. The survey, which covered over 18,000 people across 15 countries, found that respondents from 11 nations ackn...

China’s AI outpaces global rivals but trails in trust: Public First

China’s AI outpaces global rivals but trails in trust: Public First

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Many people believe Chinese artificial intelligence models are leading the global tech race – even in countries considered key US allies – according to a new poll by the London-based consultancy Public First. However, the poll also revealed that China lags in trust regarding its AI models. The survey, which covered over 18,000 people across 15 countries, found that respondents from 11 nations ackn...

Is Europe declining faster than Qing China? A Chinese-French debate

Is Europe declining faster than Qing China? A Chinese-French debate

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Is the economic decline of Europe worse than the last decades of the Qing dynasty? That’s a question posed by Luis Vassy, director of Sciences Po, one of France’s premier universities. It has caused something of a stir in Europe and China. “The European Union has seen its share of the world economy fall from 30 per cent to 17 per cent between 2008 and 2025, a span of 17 years,” he wrote in Le Gran...

Najib’s 1MDB plunder made Attila the Hun ‘look like a choirboy’: Malaysian judge

Najib’s 1MDB plunder made Attila the Hun ‘look like a choirboy’: Malaysian judge

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The judge who convicted former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak over the 1MDB scandal said the plunder of the sovereign wealth fund was so vast that it eclipsed the exploits of Attila the Hun, one of history’s most notorious conquerors. “The scale of the plunder that took place (financially speaking, of course) made Attila the Hun look like a choirboy in comparison,” Collin Lawrence Sequerah s...