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Thailand’s Pattaya pins hopes on arrival of 5,000 US sailors to boost tourism
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Thailand’s Pattaya pins hopes on arrival of 5,000 US sailors to boost tourism

After more than 250 days at sea fighting the war on Iran – and amid reports of dire conditions on board – the USS Abraham Lincoln is finally set to dock near Pattaya this week, giving more than 5,000 American sailors and Marines shore leave as the Thai resort city hopes they will spend big during their last pit stop before home. The eastern Thai beach resort, known for its colourful nightlife, has...

China’s top brokerages step up global push as overseas profits surge
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China’s top brokerages step up global push as overseas profits surge

China’s leading brokerages are accelerating their push overseas, pouring billions of yuan into their international arms as cross-border deals expand and profits from overseas operations grow, according to their latest interim reports. Citic Securities, one of China’s largest brokerages, saw revenue generated outside mainland China rise 45.5 per cent, year on year, to 15.86 billion yuan (US$2.4 bil...

Going big and going green can work together for Hong Kong mega-events
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Going big and going green can work together for Hong Kong mega-events

Hong Kong’s mega-event economy is thriving. In a blog post last month, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po noted that in the first half of 2026, the city hosted more than 130 mega-events, drawing 1.75 million visitors and injecting roughly HK$5.8 billion (US$739.9 million) into the local economy. These figures are the ongoing dividends of the government’s sustained policy and financial backing. Th...

HKIS settles out of court and breaks ties with US-based church co-founder
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HKIS settles out of court and breaks ties with US-based church co-founder

An almost year-long legal dispute involving a prestigious Hong Kong international school and its US-based co-founder, a Lutheran church, has been resolved out of court, with the school making a substantial payment and ending its association with the religious body. Harold Kim, chairman of the board of managers of Hong Kong International School (HKIS), announced the move in a letter to parents on T...

HKIS settles out of court and ends association with US-based church co-founder

HKIS settles out of court and ends association with US-based church co-founder

SCMP

A prestigious Hong Kong international school embroiled in an almost year-long legal dispute with its US-based co-founder, a Lutheran church, has been resolved out of court with the school making a substantial payment and ending its association with the religious body. Harold Kim, chairman of the board of managers of Hong Kong International School (HKIS), announced the move in a letter to parents o...

Nepal floods: meet the principal whose quick thinking saved 900 students

Nepal floods: meet the principal whose quick thinking saved 900 students

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Rajendra Dawadi was inside his classroom when a colleague rushed in with a warning: floodwaters were racing through Nepal’s Trishuli Valley, tearing apart homes, bridges and entire villages. Then a teacher received another warning by phone. Moments later, a parent arrived to take her child home. The danger had not yet been confirmed, but Dawadi, the principal, had little time to act. He rang the s...

US university to pay US$2.1 million settlement over claims it didn’t disclose China ties

US university to pay US$2.1 million settlement over claims it didn’t disclose China ties

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A prominent American university has agreed to pay a US$2.1 million settlement to resolve allegations that it failed to disclose employees’ ties to China when applying for federal grant funding, the Department of Justice announced on Monday. Ohio State University’s (OSU) settlement relates to Nasa and National Science Foundation (NSF) grants that provided funding to the university from November 201...

The laptop, the social media user and the false alarm in Taiwan over a Beijing ‘spy’

The laptop, the social media user and the false alarm in Taiwan over a Beijing ‘spy’

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A false espionage alarm about a Taipei subway user has fuelled concerns that growing fears of Beijing are breeding unhealthy suspicion on the island and eroding public trust. The controversy erupted after a social media user posted a photograph of a man holding a laptop on a Taipei Main Station metro platform on Saturday. Seeing the words “2nd Theatre Photosynthesis System” appeared in simplified ...

Chinese schools spark controversy over strict hair policy barring non-compliant male students

Chinese schools spark controversy over strict hair policy barring non-compliant male students

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Two schools in northwestern China have ignited controversy by enforcing a strict hairstyle policy on students, who may be stopped at the school gate or even turned away if they fail to comply with the requirements. August 23 marked the first day of the new school term at Yinchuan High School and Yinchuan No 24 Middle School in Yinchuan, the capital city of the Ningxia Hui autonomous region. Viral ...

US Treasury’s Bessent calls on Japan to boost yen through rate increases

US Treasury’s Bessent calls on Japan to boost yen through rate increases

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Japanese Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama said on Monday she ‌met US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and agreed that orderly yen movement is critical for global market stability. The ⁠two countries also confirmed that ‌continued, cooperative measures would contribute to this common goal, ‌Katayama told reporters after attending the ⁠Group ⁠of 20 finance leaders’ gathering. She declined ‌to comme...

US Treasury’s Bessent calls on Japan to boost yen through interest rate hikes

US Treasury’s Bessent calls on Japan to boost yen through interest rate hikes

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US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says he believes Japan’s government and central bank will take action that leads ‌to a stronger yen, signalling a strong chance of a Bank of Japan (BOJ) interest rate hike in September. The remarks to CNBC on Monday followed those by Bessent a day earlier, when said he expected BOJ Governor Kazuo Ueda to “do the right thing” on monetary policy to combat yen decl...

Shein shares recover after 10% drop on Hong Kong debut

Shein shares recover after 10% drop on Hong Kong debut

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Shein Global Holdings plunged as much as 10 per cent in its Hong Kong trading debut on Tuesday after raising HK$13.6 billion (US$1.7 billion), further shaking market confidence in the company’s valuation. The shares opened flat at the offer price of HK$48.56 before falling as much as 10 per cent to HK$43.72. They later pared most losses, trading at HK$48.50 by market close – a 0.1 per cent drop. S...

Shein shares plunge 10% in Hong Kong debut following US$1.7 billion listing

Shein shares plunge 10% in Hong Kong debut following US$1.7 billion listing

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Shein Global Holdings plunged as much as 10 per cent in its Hong Kong trading debut on Tuesday after raising HK$13.6 billion (US$1.7 billion), further shaking market confidence in the company’s valuation. The shares opened flat at the offer price of HK$48.56 before falling as much as 10 per cent to HK$43.72. They later pared some losses to trade at HK$45.64 as of 9.45am local time. On Monday eveni...

Shein shares plunge up to 28% in grey market ahead of Hong Kong debut

Shein shares plunge up to 28% in grey market ahead of Hong Kong debut

SCMP

Shein Global Holdings shares plunged in the grey market day ahead of its Hong Kong debut, further shaking market confidence in the company’s valuation. On Monday evening its shares closed 13.1 per cent lower at HK$42.2 after dropping as much as 28 per cent, according to Futu Holdings data. With a board lot size of 100 shares, each lot yielded a loss of HK$636, excluding transaction fees. Shein rai...

Bullying mayor ousted as Japan’s voters reject political abuse

Bullying mayor ousted as Japan’s voters reject political abuse

SCMP

Yokohama’s mayor has become the latest local official in Japan to be forced from office by scandal, as analysts say voters are no longer willing to look the other way. Takeharu Yamanaka reportedly called his staff “human trash” and told a senior official to “commit seppuku” (ritual suicide) if the city failed to win a bid for an international conference. He stepped down on Friday after a prolonged...

Elite Hong Kong schools urged to raise the bar, challenge high-ability students

Elite Hong Kong schools urged to raise the bar, challenge high-ability students

SCMP

Some elite schools in Hong Kong have been criticised for failing to provide sufficient learning opportunities or challenging tasks to stretch top performers, with reviewers urging teachers to design questions and tasks with greater depth. The remarks appeared in the Education Bureau’s External School Review reports, which assessed 68 secondary and primary institutions. Some institutions were told ...

Woman fatally shot by police after deadly stabbing attack in New York’s Times Square

Woman fatally shot by police after deadly stabbing attack in New York’s Times Square

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A woman randomly stabbed two people in New York City’s Times Square on Monday, killing one woman, and then was fatally shot by police, according to officials. The shooting happened just before 4.30pm next to a New York Police Department substation, just outside One Times Square, the building that hosts the city’s annual New Year’s Eve ball drop celebration. It is one of the most heavily touristed ...

Woman fatally shot by police after deadly stabbing spree in New York’s Times Square

Woman fatally shot by police after deadly stabbing spree in New York’s Times Square

SCMP

A woman randomly stabbed two people in New York City’s Times Square on Monday, killing one woman, and then was fatally shot by police, according to the New York Police Department. The shooting happened next to a New York Police Department substation, just outside One Times Square, the building that hosts the city’s annual New Year’s Eve ball drop celebration. It is one of the most heavily touriste...

Woman shot by US police after 2 people stabbed in New York’s Times Square

Woman shot by US police after 2 people stabbed in New York’s Times Square

SCMP

A knife-wielding woman stabbed two people in New York’s Times Square on Monday before she was shot by police, according to authorities and US media. Local news reports said the suspect was taken to a hospital in critical condition, while the status of the two victims was not immediately clear. Police reportedly do not believe the stabbing was terror-related and are looking into the woman’s mental ...

Woman shot by US police after stabbing 2 people in New York’s Times Square

Woman shot by US police after stabbing 2 people in New York’s Times Square

SCMP

A knife-wielding woman stabbed two people in New York’s Times Square on Monday before she was shot by police, according to authorities and US media. Local news reports said the suspect was taken to a hospital in critical condition, while the status of the two victims was not immediately clear. Police reportedly do not believe the stabbing was terror-related and are looking into the woman’s mental ...

Woman waving 2 knives is shot by US police in New York’s Times Square

Woman waving 2 knives is shot by US police in New York’s Times Square

SCMP

A woman brandishing two large knives was shot by police officers in New York’s Times Square on Monday, according to video taken by bystanders. The woman’s condition after the shooting was not immediately released by authorities, who were planning a news briefing. The shooting happened next to a New York Police Department (NYPD) substation, just outside One Times Square, the building that hosts the...

US Army Secretary Driscoll resigns after rifts in Pentagon leadership

US Army Secretary Driscoll resigns after rifts in Pentagon leadership

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US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll is stepping down after 18 months on the job, the White House said Monday, in the latest departure of a top military leader during the Trump administration. No reason was given for the departure of Driscoll, who is a friend of Vice-President J.D. Vance, but tensions with Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth have been widely reported. It marks the latest in a series of shake...

US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll resigns after 18 months on the job, White House says

US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll resigns after 18 months on the job, White House says

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US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll is stepping down after 18 months on the job, the White House said Monday, in the latest departure of a top military leader during the Trump administration. No reason was given for the departure of Driscoll, who is a friend of Vice-President J.D. Vance, but tensions with Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth have been widely reported. It marks the latest in a series of shake...

Trump praises China for remaining ‘relatively inactive’ during Strait of Hormuz crisis

Trump praises China for remaining ‘relatively inactive’ during Strait of Hormuz crisis

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US President Donald Trump praised China on Monday for remaining on the sidelines during the prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz, just weeks before Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to visit Washington. “Even with the Strait of Hormuz, he’s relatively inactive. He’s been relatively inactive by comparison to what he could have been,” Trump said while responding to a reporter’s question ...

Trump wins Supreme Court ruling to continue White House ballroom construction

Trump wins Supreme Court ruling to continue White House ballroom construction

SCMP

The US Supreme Court on Monday allowed President Donald Trump to continue construction of his White House ballroom, granting him a major victory as he works to leave a permanent mark on Washington. The conservative-dominated court ruled 5-4 to lift a lower order demanding most construction be halted, saying that the plaintiff in the case likely did not have legal standing to sue. Chief Justice Joh...

US Supreme Court lets Trump’s White House ballroom construction continue

US Supreme Court lets Trump’s White House ballroom construction continue

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The US Supreme Court in a 5-4 ruling on Monday let Donald Trump’s administration continue construction of his White House ballroom complex while the US president challenges a judicial order that would halt much of the development, with Chief Justice John Roberts in a dissent calling the project “likely unlawful”. The court granted the administration’s request to block a lower court’s order halting...

India needs to make up its mind about economic ties with China

India needs to make up its mind about economic ties with China

SCMP

As India prepares for the Brics summit less than two weeks away, relations with China are warming up. On July 22, Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar met his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi during the East Asia Summit; five days later, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri visited China. Last week, Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval also visited Beijing, for border talks. But In...

Can Chinese sleeper hit Dear You conquer the US box office next?

Can Chinese sleeper hit Dear You conquer the US box office next?

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China’s biggest box-office surprise this year – a Teochew-language family drama that became a hit in Southeast Asia – is finally coming to North American cinemas on September 4. Dear You, whose Chinese title translates as “Love Letters for Grandma”, has grossed nearly US$300 million in mainland China. Its North American release will test whether a Chinese film rooted in migration, family, and regi...

US jury continues deliberations in Lindsay Clancy child killings case

US jury continues deliberations in Lindsay Clancy child killings case

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Jurors in the Lindsay Clancy trial on Monday spent a third day deliberating without reaching a verdict on whether the former labour and delivery nurse is criminally responsible for killing her three children in 2023 – a case that has drawn attention to maternal mental health after childbirth. The jurors began discussing the case on Thursday in Plymouth County Superior Court in Massachusetts after ...