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During a recent discussion in Shenzhen with British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, I was reminded that the development of artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer only a technological race. It is a test of whether major economies can build the institutions, standards and economic systems needed to integrate intelligent machines into human society. Britain has every reason to enter this new era ...
Pope Leo on Wednesday blessed a giant new tower at Barcelona’s famed Sagrada Familia Basilica after celebrating mass inside what is now the world’s tallest church. A choir of 600 singers performed at the service which lasted around 90 minutes and was attended by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez as well as King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia. The stained-glass windows in various colours shone brig...
The United States ramped up pressure on Iran on Wednesday by carrying out more strikes and the Treasury Department slapping fresh sanctions on entities that it says “have supported weapons procurement” on behalf of Tehran, including some in mainland China and Hong Kong. “We hit them hard yesterday and we’re going to hit them again hard today,” US President Donald Trump told reporters at the White ...
The United States ramped up pressure on Iran on Wednesday by carrying out more strikes and the Treasury Department slapping fresh sanctions on entities that it says “have supported weapons procurement” on behalf of Tehran, including some in mainland China and Hong Kong. “We hit them hard yesterday and we’re going to hit them again hard today,” US President Donald Trump told reporters at the White ...
The United States ramped up pressure on Iran on Wednesday, with President Donald Trump threatening more strikes and the Treasury Department slapping fresh sanctions on entities that it says “have supported weapons procurement” on behalf of Tehran, including some in China and Hong Kong. “We hit them hard yesterday and we’re going to hit them again hard today,” Trump told reporters at the White Hous...
Nasa’s administrator Jared Isaacman on Wednesday defended the make-up of the space agency’s latest Artemis crew, an all-male group. The nominations have earned criticism that Nasa may have acted in accordance with US President Donald Trump’s direction to eliminate diversity and inclusion efforts. Isaacman insisted in a lengthy social media post that the “crew selection does not involve any politic...
Bill Gates told members of Congress on Wednesday that he “did not fully understand the extent” of Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes when he associated with the late convicted sex offender to raise money for his philanthropic foundation. Gates also testified that he never witnessed any criminal conduct from Epstein. He accused Epstein of blackmailing him over his extramarital affairs. “These affairs had not...
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates said on Wednesday that he “never victimised anyone”, as he faced questioning from US lawmakers over his ties to late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Gates, one of the world’s richest men and a leading philanthropist, was appearing before the House Oversight Committee for a transcribed interview about the disgraced financier, who died in a New York jail cell in 2019 wh...
The use of social media in planning violent protests over the Belfast knife attack has drawn condemnation, with Britain’s ruling Labour Party accusing Elon Musk of stoking divisions. The tech billionaire, who continued overnight to promote calls for people to take to the streets in response to the assault, hit back at the claims and blamed immigration policy for the tensions. Hadi Alodid, a 30-yea...
Winning consortiums bidding for core land parcels at an innovation hub near Hong Kong’s border must post a HK$100 million (US$12.7 million) construction bond and meet a tight 30-month development deadline, according to tender documents obtained by the South China Morning Post. Industry leaders said the requirements, which deviated from those in conventional government land sales, suggested that th...
The Pentagon’s newly expanded blacklist of Chinese military-linked companies has tested the fragile stability reached at last month’s summit, highlighting that intense competition persists despite recent efforts to ease bilateral tensions. On Monday, the US Defence Department released its updated Section 1260H list as required by American law, expanding the roster to 188 entities, up from 134 last...
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday brushed off concerns about consumer inflation surging to a fresh three-year high in May, on the back of soaring energy prices caused by his war in Iran. “The numbers were great … I love the inflation,” Trump told reporters, a comment pounced on by Democrats who have made rising prices a cornerstone of their campaign to take control of Congress in November’s m...
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday brushed off consumer inflation surging to a fresh three-year high in May, with soaring energy prices caused by his war in Iran posing a key challenge to Republicans ahead of midterm elections. “The numbers were great … I love the inflation,” Trump said when asked if he was concerned by Wednesday’s data. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson later insisted the pre...
US consumer inflation surged to a three-year high in May, according to official data released on Wednesday, as increased energy prices rippled through the world’s largest economy. US President Donald Trump praised the inflation report in comments to reporters Wednesday, saying, “the numbers were great” and “I love it”. He said the inflation data was good because it showed energy prices were a huge...
US consumer inflation surged to a fresh three-year high in May, according to official data released on Wednesday, as increased energy prices rippled through the world’s largest economy. The consumer price index (CPI) rose 4.2 per cent year on year, up from April’s 3.8 per cent figure, the US Bureau of Labour Statistics said. It was the highest reading since April 2023, according to official data, ...
As the 2026 Fifa World Cup prepares to kick off on Thursday, the world’s elite players are vying for more than just glory – they seek a shimmering prize whose bullion value has eclipsed all previous benchmarks. The trophy set to be hoisted in the US state of New Jersey next month is now worth 157 per cent more than it was during the 2022 tournament in Qatar, owing to a historic rally in gold price...
The Trump administration’s export controls, sanctions and tariffs are hurting American firms in China without achieving their policy goals of blocking critical technology or reviving US manufacturing, according to a new business survey. “US export controls are not calibrated to empower American companies … Instead, they are forcing buyers to go elsewhere,” the US-China Business Council said on Wed...
China’s Qianfan network has hit a national milestone by placing over 200 broadband satellites in orbit, but there are concerns its deployment could be too slow and costly. The constellation now has 201 satellites after a successful launch on board a Zhuque-2E rocket from the Gobi Desert at 4.23pm Beijing time on Tuesday. The mission delivered Qianfan DTC-01 – a direct-to-cell test satellite – alon...
A planned marine park in waters surrounding Sharp Island in Sai Kung will cover most coral reefs, Hong Kong authorities have said, allaying a green group’s concerns about insufficient protection of ecologically sensitive areas. Janet Lee Ka-wai, senior marine conservation officer at the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, also said on Wednesday that underwater mapping technology ha...
Hong Kong’s Hospital Authority has reported a medical intern to police for allegedly accessing patient data without authorisation, suspending her and a resident doctor over the case. The authority also said on Wednesday that it had warned the trainee over earlier misconduct while interning at Ruttonjee Hospital in Wan Chai and was investigating whether she was involved in more malpractice. It said...
The post-summit detente between Washington and Beijing has moved from diplomatic language to institutional design. Less than three weeks after the summit between President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump, the US Trade Representative (USTR) asked companies to identify “non-sensitive” Chinese goods that might qualify for tariff relief under a new US-China Board of Trade. On the same day, th...
A suspected bird strike on a Chinese-made C909 regional jet in Beijing has reportedly left some marks on its nose and airframe, but experts said the likelihood of any severe damage was very low. The incident underscores the real-world tests of reliability facing the model as it is more widely deployed at home and abroad, according to observers. Air China flight CA1150, arriving from Ordos in Inner...
An American diplomat was found dead in Myanmar’s largest city, the US State Department said, and members of the diplomatic community in Yangon say a Thai woman has been detained by police in connection with the investigation. American officials in Thailand and the US embassy in Myanmar referred questions on the case to the State Department, which confirmed the “death of a US government employee” a...
Asia-Pacific cities account for 39 per cent of the top global financial services companies and about 36 per cent of the world’s leading financial centres, Colliers said. Supported by strong labour markets and venture capital activity, cities such as Singapore, Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong ranked among the region’s top talent hubs. However, New York emerged as the clear leader in the property co...
A 30-year-old man from Sudan appeared in a Belfast court on Wednesday charged with attempted murder over a stabbing attack that left a victim seriously injured and triggered anti-immigrant violence in several parts of Northern Ireland. Hadi Alodid, 30, was ordered held in jail after an appearance by video in Belfast Magistrates’ Court, where he was accused of blinding Stephen Ogilvie in his left e...
If the Democrats win control of Congress in America’s midterm elections it could bring “renewed volatility” to relations with China, a veteran Chinese diplomat has warned. “The results [of the 2026 midterms] … are likely to have a profound impact on the stability of China-US relations,” said Bian Qingzu, former secretary general of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Count...
Malaysia’s prosecutors have closed a criminal intimidation probe involving former anti-corruption chief Azam Baki, saying a complaint by businessman Albert Tei did not “meet the legal threshold” for further action. The decision comes against the backdrop of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s government facing pressure over prosecutorial independence. Anwar had campaigned on a reformist, anti-corruptio...
Hong Kong customs officers have arrested a 39-year-old truck driver on suspicion of smuggling and seized goods worth HK$10 million (US$1.27 million), including weight-loss injections and fish maw. The Customs and Excise Department said on Wednesday that a medium goods vehicle was intercepted at the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge crossing on June 4. The vehicle, bound for Macau, was declared to be c...
Hong Kong’s police and anti-corruption agency have charged seven individuals and two companies with 25 offences, including manslaughter, conspiracy to defraud, money laundering, attempting to pervert the course of public justice, and tax evasion in connection with the city’s most deadly blaze in recent history. The defendants appeared at West Kowloon Court on Wednesday to face charges brought by p...
Hong Kong’s police and anti-corruption agency have charged seven individuals and two companies with 25 offences, including manslaughter, conspiracy to defraud, money laundering, attempting to pervert the course of public justice, and tax evasion in connection with the city’s most deadly blaze in recent history. The defendants appeared at West Kowloon Court on Wednesday to face charges brought by p...
