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A Hong Kong school that instantly dismissed its principal after he was filmed swearing at security guards in Singapore has published an advertisement to recruit a new head, requiring applicants to have “excellent character”. The advertisement was posted on the school’s website on Tuesday morning, six days after its governing board decided to terminate principal Lee Cheuk-hing with immediate effect...
About 3,000 residents at a Tsuen Wan housing estate have been left without water and with disrupted lift services for more than 24 hours after a power outage, with electricity only gradually restored around noon on Tuesday. The outage struck Phase 1 of Tsuen Wan Centre on Monday morning, affecting around 1,000 households across five blocks and a care home for people with disabilities. According to...
Hong Kong’s leader has pledged to exercise prudence and seriousness when defining national security offences under newly proposed legislation, dismissing concerns about a centralisation of power and stressing that the process often involves “state players” and highly sensitive information. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu also said on Tuesday that the subsidiary legislation, which introduces a cla...
Thai shrimp farmers have warned they face being driven out of business after Malaysia banned imports of five shrimp species over apparent safety concerns, as the industry also grapples with disease outbreaks, rising competition and renewed US tariff threats. Malaysia issued a temporary ban on June 1, also tightening import requirements for Thai sea bass. The move was a gut punch for Thailand’s sea...
At an undisclosed test site, a helicopter takes off, towing a kite-like array of massive coils. The system, called Airborne Transient Electromagnetic (Atem) detection, works by firing a powerful pulse of electricity through a giant transmitter coil. This creates a brief, strong electromagnetic field that penetrates the ground or water. When the pulse is turned off, the magnetic field induces tiny,...
Hong Kong will launch a two-month public consultation on Monday on its first five-year blueprint to align the city’s development with the national plan, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu has announced. Lee said on Tuesday the consultation would begin on June 15, marking what he described as a historic milestone for the city. “The formulation of Hong Kong’s first five-year plan is a historic step an...
Gale-force winds and rough seas battered New Zealand’s capital of Wellington on Tuesday, forcing ferry and flight cancellations and road closures as authorities urged hundreds of residents along the city’s south coast to evacuate. A light aircraft was briefly blown over by strong winds at Wellington airport after a gust of wind tipped the plane onto its wing and wheel, the airport confirmed by...
Malaysia’s most powerful Islamist party has cut ties with a former electoral ally, blowing open a bitter feud within the country’s main opposition bloc as several key elections loom. Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) president Abdul Hadi Awang announced late on Monday that the party’s central working committee had decided to “terminate political cooperation with Bersatu”, endorsing an earlier deci...
China and North Korea have pledged to strengthen strategic cooperation and defend each other’s sovereignty, according to a North Korean state media report covering Chinese President Xi Jinping’s two-day visit to Pyongyang. The two leaders vowed to “open a new chapter” in bilateral ties and expand exchanges and cooperation in political, economic, cultural and other fields, the official Korean Centr...
A veteran Hong Kong basketball coach has been arrested on suspicion of common assault after he was seen in a video slapping a young player, the South China Morning Post has learned. A source told the SCMP that Yung Kam-wah was arrested on Monday and released on bail early on Tuesday, adding that he must report to police in July. Under the law, a person convicted of common assault is guilty of an o...
As the war in Iran disrupts global oil and chemical supplies, China’s coal-heavy energy sector is seizing an unprecedented opportunity. Dannie Peng visited Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region to witness the operations of one of China’s four major bases for large-scale, modern coal-chemical production. In this reporter’s note, she documents her observations and experiences during the trip. For her rep...
US President Donald Trump was booed loudly by fans inside Madison Square Garden when he was shown on video screens during the national anthem prior to Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Monday night. Trump was shown for several seconds giving a military salute. The boos ended when the US flag followed him on the screens, and fans cheered when New York Knicks players were shown. Mentions of the San Antoni...
Deep underneath Singapore’s northeastern district of Punggol, a 5km (three-mile) network of metal pipes roars as it pumps chilled water to cool offices and classrooms overhead. The 140-year-old concept known as district cooling uses less electricity than centralised air conditioners – a major advantage for a resource-starved tropical island-nation that has to import nearly all its energy and where...
A historically strong earthquake struck off Cuba’s northwest coast on Monday, according to official reports, shaking parts of Cuba, Mexico and Florida that are typically not prone to quakes. The US Geological Survey (USGS) measured the quake at a magnitude 6.1 at a shallow depth of 26km (16 miles) and its epicentre 104km west-northwest of Mantua, Cuba, about two to four hours by car from the c...
Chinese President Xi Jinping has returned to Pyongyang’s Kumsusan State Guest House, the highly secluded counterpart to Beijing’s Diaoyutai State Guest House. Xi began a two-day state visit to North Korea on Monday. He was welcomed at the airport by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, before attending a welcoming ceremony at Pyongyang’s Kim Il-sung Square and then heading on to the guest house. The g...
In the face of increasing market saturation, China’s ride-sharing and taxi drivers are competing for passengers by offering extra, sometimes quirky, services, from selling snacks to giving haircuts. In China, ride-sharing driver, delivery rider and courier are said to be the three most popular jobs sought by the unemployed. China’s ride-sharing market witnessed a boom around 2015 and by 2024, Chin...
In my travels around the world, I’m often asked if the best days of Hong Kong are behind us. My answer is always an emphatic “no” – and this is not merely a pep talk. When you step back and take a broad macroeconomic view, it becomes clear that, structurally speaking, our greatest opportunities lie just ahead. While many commentators scramble to draw parallels between Japan’s “lost decades” and Ch...
A Hong Kong school that summarily dismissed its principal after he was filmed swearing at security guards in Singapore could face a high legal threshold to justify the move if the dispute goes to court, a lawmaker has stated, likening the decision to a death sentence in the labour sector. Another lawmaker said the termination might affect the principal’s provident fund payments. Lee Cheuk-hing, th...
When Chinese artificial intelligence developers Zhipu AI and MiniMax made their debuts on the Hong Kong stock exchange in January, investors initially saw one as a better bet than the other. Beijing-based Zhipu closed its first trading day on January 8 with a market capitalisation of HK$57.9 billion (US$7.4 billion). A day later, Shanghai-based MiniMax listed at HK$106.7 billion, almost twice as l...
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has ruled out expanding military ties with Japan any time soon, insisting that historical grievances must be resolved first. The two countries have come under growing pressure to strengthen defence ties as North Korea, China and Russia draw closer together. But analysts say such a move remains politically risky for Lee’s government given deep-seated public rese...
The International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor Karim Khan has been suspended pending a vote by member states on his fate, the court’s governing body said on Monday, following a probe into accusations of sexual harassment made against him. A diplomatic source briefed on the decision told Reuters the court’s governing body’s executive bureau has ruled Khan had committed serious misconduct foll...
The embattled chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) was suspended from his duties late on Monday, after the court’s oversight body referred Karim Khan for disciplinary proceedings. In a scandal that has dragged on for more than two years, Khan is facing allegations of sexual misconduct with a female aide. He has steadfastly denied any wrongdoing. A final decision on the fate o...
Enhancing national security has always been an ongoing priority rather than a completed task for Hong Kong following the introduction of the statute in 2020. This has been made clear by Beijing when the authorities take stock of their work on this front. The latest move to enact subsidiary laws that clarify what constitutes national security cases is an example. The move involves a classification ...
A new US$4.7 billion bridge connecting Detroit and Windsor, Ontario, is on track to open in the coming weeks, a bridge authority said on Monday, despite a threat by US President Donald Trump in February to block its opening. A formal ribbon-cutting is expected later this week, a source told Reuters. Detroit media outlets reported on Monday the Gordie Howe International Bridge is expected to open ...
A new US$4.7 billion bridge connecting Detroit, Michigan and Windsor, Ontario is on track to open in the coming weeks despite a threat made in February by US President Donald Trump, a bridge authority said on Monday. A formal ribbon cutting is expected later this week, a source told Reuters. Detroit media outlets reported on Monday the Gordie Howe International Bridge is expected to...
Hong Kong has taken a monumental step forward in expanding its global economic footprint. Last week, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu, leading a high-level business delegation, wrapped up a successful five-day mission to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. This historic visit – marking the first time the chief executive has led a mission to Central Asia – yielded 96 cooperation agreements and memorandums o...
US President Donald Trump has nominated Todd Blanche, acting US attorney general, to fill the position on a permanent basis, rewarding a loyal ally whose controversial actions ensure an uphill Senate confirmation fight. The White House announced on Monday it had sent Blanche’s nomination to the Senate, a move Trump telegraphed last week during remarks at a private event in the Rose Garden. Blanche...
US President Donald Trump nominated Todd Blanche, acting US attorney general, to fill the position on a permanent basis, rewarding a loyal ally whose controversial actions ensure an uphill Senate confirmation fight. The White House announced on Monday it had sent Blanche’s nomination to the Senate, a move Trump telegraphed last week during remarks at a private event in the Rose Garden. Blanche for...
A Norway court on Monday ordered the release of ailing Crown Princess Mette-Marit’s son Marius Borg Hoiby, who faces a multitude of charges including rape and abuse, citing her health crisis. Prosecutors quickly appealed the decision, so Hoiby will remain in custody until the appeal is processed. The 29-year-old, Mette-Marit’s son from a relationship before her 2001 marriage to Crown Prince Haakon...
A Norway court on Monday ordered the release of ailing Crown Princess Mette-Marit’s son Marius Borg Hoiby, who faces a multitude of charges including rape and abuse, citing her health crisis. Prosecutors quickly appealed the decision, so Hoiby will remain in custody until the appeal is processed. The 29-year-old, Mette-Marit’s son from a relationship before her 2001 marriage to Crown Prince Haakon...
