No need for Hong Kong to match Singapore’s HK$400,000 birth perk, top official says
SCMP •

No need for Hong Kong to match Singapore’s HK$400,000 birth perk, top official says

Hong Kong does not need to emulate Singapore’s generous childbirth incentives, a senior official has said, defending the city’s latest 11-measure policy drive as a “comprehensive” approach tailored to local needs across short-term cash flow, housing and childcare. Addressing concerns that Hong Kong’s drive was too incremental compared with Singapore’s multi-tier sustained funding, Deputy Chief Sec...

'Great deal of scepticism' as Trump launches own TV channel

'Great deal of scepticism' as Trump launches own TV channel

France 24 •

The White House launched a "Trump TV" stream on Monday evening, days after Trump banned three media outlets from the White House. The White House said the stream will run videos and highlights of what it calls the Trump administration's achievements but critics have compared it to state propaganda networks seen in autocratic countries such as North Korea, reports the Guardian’s Washington bureau c...

US networks halt Trump coverage after three media outlets banned

US networks halt Trump coverage after three media outlets banned

France 24 •

US television networks on Monday effectively boycotted coverage of President Donald Trump in protest at his decision to ban three leading outlets - CNN, MS NOW and Politico - from the White House. As a result, Trump's opening of his cherished new White House helipad and his trip to the United Nations General Assembly proceeded without live television coverage.

Judge allows SpaceX land swap for more than 700 wildlife-refuge acres in Texas

Judge allows SpaceX land swap for more than 700 wildlife-refuge acres in Texas

Times of India •

A federal judge has refused to block a land swap that would give SpaceX more than 700 acres of Texas wildlife refuge land. The company would surrender 683 acres it owns in exchange. Environmental and tribal groups challenged the deal, citing ecological, cultural and historical concerns, but the judge said they had provided limited evidence of potential harm.

Sri Lanka court convicts 15 over 2019 Easter bombings, 9 acquitted

Sri Lanka court convicts 15 over 2019 Easter bombings, 9 acquitted

SCMP •

Sri Lanka’s High Court has convicted 14 of the 24 men accused of being directly involved in the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings, which killed 279 people, while one defendant was found guilty of only some of the charges. Nine others were acquitted, the court said. The three-judge bench read out its decision after a five-year trial and said sentencing would take place later. Suicide bombers struck three...

Sri Lanka court convicts 14 men over 2019 Easter bombings, 9 acquitted

Sri Lanka court convicts 14 men over 2019 Easter bombings, 9 acquitted

SCMP •

Sri Lanka’s High Court has convicted 14 of the 24 men accused of being directly involved in the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings, which killed 279 people. The three-judge bench read out its decision after a five-year trial and said sentencing would take place later. The charges included murder and conspiracy to commit terrorism. Nine others were acquitted, while one defendant was found guilty of only s...

Sri Lanka trial for 2019 Easter Sunday bombings set to finish

Sri Lanka trial for 2019 Easter Sunday bombings set to finish

SCMP •

Sri Lanka is set to conclude on Tuesday the trial of 24 men accused of plotting the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings, the deadliest attack against civilians in the island’s history. Suicide bombers struck three luxury hotels and three churches on April 21, 2019, killing 279 people, including 45 foreigners. Investigators blame the attack on a home-grown Islamist extremist group. One of 25 men indicted o...

EU deadlocked on changes to Russia sanctions ahead of key Ukraine, Greenland talks - Europe live

EU deadlocked on changes to Russia sanctions ahead of key Ukraine, Greenland talks - Europe live

The Guardian •

Without an agreement sanctions on nearly 3,000 entities accused of supporting the war on Ukraine will lapse at the end of the dayin BrusselsThe EU is deadlocked over a plan to remove two Russian billionaires, Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman, from its sanctions list as part of a bitterly disputed deal to keep broader restrictions in place on nearly 3,000 people and companies accused of enabling...

A historic Georgia town is up for sale for $13.5 million

A historic Georgia town is up for sale for $13.5 million

Times of India •

For sale: the picturesque town of Gay, Georgia, featuring sixty acres filled with seventeen historic structures. Two established businesses currently pull in more than a million dollars each year, delighting over one hundred thousand yearly visitors. This rare real estate opportunity is ideal for those looking to innovate in development or boost local tourism.

US tightens Japan, South Korea ties ahead of Trump-Xi summit

US tightens Japan, South Korea ties ahead of Trump-Xi summit

SCMP •

The United States, Japan and South Korea agreed to resist “economic coercion” and emphasised the need for stability in the Taiwan Strait, taking an implicit shot at China just days before President Xi Jinping’s White House summit. The three countries plan new talks on economic security and enhancements to a trilateral supply chain early warning system, according to a statement issued after a meeti...