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Jean-Luc Melenchon, the leading figure in the hard-left France Unbowed (La France Insoumise) political party, will stand in next year’s presidential election, he said on Sunday. “Yes, I am a candidate,” Melenchon told TF1 TV. Melenchon, 74, has been a fixture of the French left for decades, holding ministerial posts in past governments when he was a Socialist Party member. He ran for president ...
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will meet Pope Leo on a trip to Rome this week, in the wake of the pontiff’s clash with US President Donald Trump, a Vatican source said on Sunday. The source confirmed Italian media reports about the meeting, which newspapers said would take place on Thursday in an attempt to “thaw” relations. It comes just weeks after Trump’s extraordinary criticism of Pope Leo ...
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will meet Pope Leo on a trip to Rome this week, in the wake of the pontiff’s clash with US President Donald Trump, a Vatican source said on Sunday. The source confirmed Italian media reports about the meeting, which newspapers said would take place on Thursday in an attempt to “thaw” relations. It comes just weeks after Trump’s extraordinary criticism of Pope Leo ...
The United States will launch an effort on Monday to “guide” stranded ships from the Iran-gripped Strait of Hormuz, President Donald Trump said, as two ships around the strait reported attacks. Trump gave few details about what could be a sweeping attempt to help hundreds of vessels and some 20,000 seafarers. Iran quickly denounced the move as a ceasefire violation. Trump said in a social media po...
The United States will launch an effort on Monday to “guide” stranded ships from the Iran-gripped Strait of Hormuz, President Donald Trump said, as two ships around the strait reported attacks. Trump gave few details about what could be a sweeping attempt to help hundreds of vessels and some 20,000 seafarers. Iran quickly denounced the move as a ceasefire violation. Trump said in a social media po...
The United States will launch an effort on Monday to “guide” stranded ships from the Iran-gripped Strait of Hormuz, US President Donald Trump said, giving few details about what could be a sweeping attempt to help hundreds of vessels and some 20,000 seafarers. Iran quickly denounced it as a ceasefire violation. Trump said in a social media post on Sunday that “neutral and innocent” countries have ...
US President Donald Trump announced a project that will start on Monday to help stranded ships leave the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has effectively closed, but offered few details. In a social media post on Sunday, Trump said “neutral and innocent” countries have been affected by the Iran war and “we have told these Countries that we will guide their Ships safely out of these restricted Waterway...
US President Donald Trump announced a project that will start on Monday to help stranded ships leave the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has effectively closed, but offered few details. In a social media post on Sunday, Trump said “neutral and innocent” countries have been affected by the Iran war and “we have told these Countries that we will guide their Ships safely out of these restricted Waterway...
A cargo ship near the Strait of Hormuz has reported being attacked by multiple small craft, the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre said on Sunday, marking at least two dozen attacks in and around the strait since the Iran war began. All crew on the unidentified northbound carrier were safe after the attack off Sirik, Iran, east of the strait, the monitor said. Irani...
Beijing’s point man on Hong Kong affairs has called on the alumni of the prestigious Tsinghua University to help the city better serve national development with their patriotism, pragmatism and global networks. Adding to the remarks by the director of the central government’s liaison office on Sunday, city leader John Lee Ka-chiu also expressed hope that more of the university’s graduates would as...
China may be feeling uneasy about talk of a rare five-year defence cooperation plan between North Korea and Russia that could accelerate Pyongyang’s military modernisation on multiple fronts, analysts said. According to the Russian state news agency Tass, Russian Defence Minister Andrey Belousov held talks to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Pyongyang on April 26, with Belousov describing relati...
A state-backed Nigerian militia, operating alongside the military, killed scores of ethnic Fulani herders in a raid, local sources have told journalists. The herders were killed in an operation that also involved vigilantes from Benin, just across the border from Niger State, after the herders were accused of being informants for the jihadist group Ansaru. The Nigerian vigilantes from Bussa distri...
China has ordered companies throughout the country not to comply with US sanctions on five Chinese oil refiners accused of trading in Iranian fuel, a move observers say could mark a new stage in Beijing’s pushback against American long-arm jurisdiction. The order is the first application of a measure designed to block “improper” foreign actions, and could be a potential headache for US sanctions e...
For decades, the global image of Chinese trade was synonymous with massive container ships loaded with footwear, bags and furniture. However, a profound structural shift is under way. Having conquered the world of physical goods, China is now rapidly ascending the industrial chain as an emerging exporter of manufacturing technology. In 2025, the country’s exports of telecoms, computer and informat...
At the end of March, China inaugurated the World Data Organisation in Beijing, a body with a stated mission of “bridging the data divide, unlocking data’s value and powering the digital economy”. The move is the latest signal of a broader trend: over the past several years, Beijing has developed a distinct data governance strategy to drive artificial intelligence (AI) development as it reshapes th...
Renewed calls have been raised to allow Hong Kong’s young families to use part of their mandatory pension savings to buy homes, with a recent survey finding that high flat prices and large down payments have dampened their desire to own homes. The study released on Sunday also called for the government to offer housing loans to first-time buyers and to halve the down payment required for middle-in...
Donald Trump’s latest attacks on US allies in Europe – including the order to withdraw troops from Germany and threats to do the same in Italy and Spain – may help to relieve the pressure on China. For now, Beijing’s priority should be to deny the US the chance to “redirect attention towards China” and let Washington’s own actions do the work, some analysts have argued. Trump has escalated his att...
Hong Kong police are searching for a man suspected of causing criminal damage to the sign outside the United States consulate in Central. Police received a report at around 2.40pm on Sunday from consulate staff that the sign on the exterior wall of the premises at Garden Road showed signs of tampering. Officers at the scene discovered the first “S” in the “States” section of the sign had been part...
A small boat carrying migrants trying to cross the English Channel ran aground on a beach in northern France, leaving two dead and 16 people injured, including three with serious burns, authorities said on Sunday. The vessel, carrying 82 people, set out overnight from Hardelot beach, a few kilometres south of the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer, but the engine failed and it began to drift, Christophe Mar...
A proposed accountability framework will hold government department heads personally liable for systemic loopholes that they fail to flag to superiors, Hong Kong’s civil service chief has said. Secretary for the Civil Service Ingrid Yeung Ho Poi-yan also said that public perception could play a role in decisions on pay adjustments for government employees, after being questioned about the potentia...
During a recent concert in Beijing, as Persian melodies flowed from ancient instruments played by Majid and Massoud Shamaeezadah, the Iran war was never far from the twin brothers’ minds. “Every time we play, we think of our country, Iran,” Majid said afterwards. “Our music is very deep. It carries many feelings at once: sadness, happiness and imagination of home.” The concert, held at the brother...
During a recent concert in Beijing, as Persian melodies flowed from ancient instruments played by Majid and Massoud Shamaeezadah, the Iran war was never far from the twin brothers’ minds. “Every time we play, we think of our country, Iran,” Majid said afterwards. “Our music is very deep. It carries many feelings at once: sadness, happiness and imagination of home.” The concert, held at the brother...
Tents inside Hong Kong bus terminuses that have drawn online complaints during mainland China’s Labour Day “golden week” holiday are being used by domestic helpers, who say they have nowhere else to go on their days off. Images of tents lining streets across the city, from Tai Po to Central and Tseung Kwan O, have circulated widely on social media in recent days. Some posts suggested mainland visi...
Tents beneath Hong Kong bus terminuses that have drawn online complaints during mainland China’s Labour Day “golden week” holiday are being used by foreign domestic helpers, who say they have nowhere else to go on days off. Images of tents lining streets across the city, from Tai Po to Central and Tseung Kwan O, have circulated widely on social media in recent days. Some posts suggested mainland v...
Japan’s prime minister is set to arrive in Australia to strengthen ties with one of her country’s strongest allies as she seeks to build on an updated regional strategy laid out in Vietnam. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is scheduled to touch down late on Sunday local time in Canberra for the three-day visit, which will focus on defence, critical minerals and broader economic security. The two coun...
Two American military cargo aircraft have been spotted landing in Beijing – another apparent sign that US President Donald Trump’s trip to China will go ahead as expected this month. According to images posted on Chinese social media by several aviation photography enthusiasts, the C-17 US Air Force heavy-lifters – bearing the tail numbers 088204 and 055140 on their vertical stabilisers – arrived ...
Nearly 60 per cent of homeless residents in Hong Kong plan to reduce medical visits in response to higher public medical fees introduced this year, a non-governmental organisation survey has found, with advocates urging authorities to introduce automatic waivers and simplify subsidy application procedures. Kenny Ng Kwan-lim, deputy head of programmes at Impact HK, a charity supporting the city’s h...
Two foreign activists from a Gaza-bound flotilla who were brought to Israel for interrogation appeared before an Israeli court on Sunday, according to the rights group defending them. The flotilla of more than 50 vessels had set sail from France, Spain and Italy with the aim of breaking an Israeli blockade of Gaza and bringing supplies to the devastated Palestinian territory. They were intercepted...
Hong Kong should not renew the HK$3 per litre diesel subsidy when it expires at the end of June. Instead, it should use the funds to launch a crash programme to accelerate electrification of public transport, starting with the minibus fleet. The crisis in the Middle East has had a serious impact on fuel prices. In response, a government task force has recommended a package of measures to provide t...
A woman carrying a knife has been arrested after being tackled by the crowd during the Rain Rave Water Music Festival in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday night. In a viral video, a man can be seen attempting to disarm the woman. Several others from the crowd, along with security personnel, then joined in to restrain her until the police arrived. She was seen being arrested shortly after. Kuala Lumpur poli...
