4 h. ago Israel strike on Hamas leaders in Doha draws rare rebuke from Trump

US President Donald Trump made a rare public break with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying the leader’s decision to launch a unilateral attack against Hamas in Qatar “does not advance Israel or America’s goals”. The strike on the militant group’s leadership in Doha, the capital of a US ally, dramatically escalated regional tensions and risked derailing US-backed efforts to broker a ceasefire in Gaza. “This was a decision made by Prime Minister Netanyahu, it was not a decision made...

Politics

12 h. ago Can Indonesia’s cabinet reshuffle restore public trust and calm protesters?

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto’s cabinet reshuffle is a “tactical” step to restore public trust in the government, according to analysts, but they argue it will not be enough to quell the unrest among protesters if it does not lead to more systemic reform. The shake-up on Monday saw the departure of high-profile officials such as Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati and Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Budi Gunawan, alongside the creation of a stand-alone...

Events

12 h. ago Extending Hongkongers’ UK settlement period to 10 years a ‘breach of trust’: MP

The UK Home Office minister has said that the proposal to extend the settlement period for Hongkongers from five to ten years is subject to consultation, but their economic contribution remains ‘huge and lasting’. Other parliamentarians in the debate agreed that Hongkongers should be exempt from the proposed extension announced by British authorities in May. They argued this change would be a betrayal of trust by moving the goalposts and would delay access to lower university tuition fees in the...

Politics

12 h. ago Changing Hongkongers’ UK settlement period to 10 years ‘subject to consultation’

A UK Home Office minister has said that a proposal to extend the settlement period for Hongkongers from five to 10 years is subject to consultation, but their economic contribution is “huge and lasting”. Other parliamentarians in the debate agreed that Hongkongers should be exempt from the proposed extension announced by British authorities in May. They argued this change would be a betrayal of trust by moving the goalposts and would delay access to lower university tuition fees in the UK and...

Politics

15 h. ago British duo face harsh Bali drug laws after cocaine smuggling arrest

Two British men have been arrested on suspicion of smuggling over a kilogram of cocaine onto the Indonesian resort island of Bali, an official said on Tuesday, potentially exposing them to some of the world’s toughest drug laws. Indonesia commonly sentences drug traffickers to death, although the country has not carried out such a sentence for nearly a decade. Rudy Ahmad Sudrajat, the head of the Bali Narcotics Agency, said an airport security officer intercepted one of the men, a 29-year-old...

Events

15 h. ago Peek behind Putin’s hotel door shows China delivering a colourful welcome

Newly published video offers a rare glimpse into Russian President Vladimir Putin’s stay in China last week, after a Russian state media journalist posted the footage to his Telegram channel. Contrary to the president’s public image as a tough guy, the Russian leader’s residence in China was decorated with colourful Chinese figurines. Footage posted by Pavel Zarubin on Monday showed dolls dressed in Chinese opera costumes, Chinese dancing lion statues and panda figurines in the style of Russian...

Politics

15 h. ago Where’s Labubu? Peek into Putin’s hotel reveals colourful China welcome

Newly published video has offered a rare glimpse into Russian President Vladimir Putin’s stay in China last week, after a Russian state media journalist posted the footage to his Telegram channel. Contrary to his tough-guy public image, the Russian leader’s residence in Beijing was decorated with colourful Chinese figurines. Footage posted by Pavel Zarubin on Monday showed dolls dressed in Chinese opera costumes, Chinese dancing lion statues and panda figurines in the style of Russian nesting...

Politics

15 h. ago Philippine contractors allege political bribery in flood control scandal

Two contractors at the centre of the Philippines’ growing flood control scandal have named nearly 20 lawmakers and government officials they accuse of demanding kickbacks and offered to turn state witnesses, but legal experts say their alleged role in the scheme could undermine their plea for immunity. In sworn testimony presented to the Senate on Monday, Cezarah “Sarah” Discaya and Pacifico “Curlee” Discaya – a married couple – claimed that corrupt politicians and Department of Public Works and...

Events

16 h. ago Nepal’s prime minister resigns over deadly social media protests

Nepal Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli resigned on Tuesday, his aide Prakash Silwal said, as anti-corruption demonstrators defied an indefinite curfew and clashed with police, a day after 19 people died in violent protests triggered by a social media ban. “I have resigned from the post of prime minister with effect from today in order to take further steps towards a political solution and resolution of the problems,” Oli said in a letter to the president. The 73-year-old’s move plunges the...

Politics

17 h. ago Chinese warned about foreign spies posing as NGO staff to target military units

Beijing’s top anti-spy agency has warned the Chinese public about espionage being carried out in the country’s border areas under the guise of philanthropy. The Ministry of State Security announced on Tuesday that it had uncovered a case involving foreign spies operating near China’s military installations while posing as members of a charity organisation. In a case briefing posted on its social media platform, the ministry said villagers living near an unidentified restricted military zone...

Events

17 h. ago China public security authority accuses Dior’s Shanghai branch of illegal data transfer

China public security authority accuses Dior’s Shanghai branch of illegal data transfer  1470 & 100.3 WMBD

Events

20 h. ago South Korea overhauls flawed prosecution office accused of selective justice

South Korea’s powerful prosecution service, long accused of wielding justice selectively, is to be dismantled under a sweeping reform plan that government officials and ruling party lawmakers say is necessary to curb abuse of authority. But critics warn the move may create constitutional disputes and deepen political fault lines. President Lee Jae-myung’s Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), which holds a majority in the National Assembly, joined forces with the Presidential Office and the cabinet...

Society

22 h. ago Nepal’s Gen Z revolt turns deadly as police fire on protesters, killing 19

The chants of students turned into screams in Nepal on Monday as police opened fire on unarmed protesters in Kathmandu, turning a simmering youth-led movement against corruption and censorship into the bloodiest confrontation the Himalayan republic has seen in years. By nightfall, at least 19 demonstrators had been killed by police gunfire, according to official figures, with more than 300 wounded across Kathmandu and other cities. Many of the victims were students in uniform. Videos...

Events

27 h. ago More factories but less pollution: how China’s green tech revolution works

Over his nearly two-decade career as an environmental researcher, Ma Jun has witnessed arguably the fastest environmental improvement in the world. In 2006, he founded the Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs (IPE) – a non-profit environmental research organisation based in Beijing. At the time, data collected by his organisation showed around 28 per cent of monitored water sources nationwide were severely polluted and rendered unusable, leaving nearly 300 million people without...

Politics

31 h. ago Banksy mural of judge beating protester to be removed from outside London court

A new mural by elusive street artist Banksy showing a judge beating an unarmed protester with a gavel will be removed from a wall outside one of London’s most iconic courts, authorities said on Monday. The mural appeared on Monday and depicts a protester lying on the ground holding a blood-splattered placard while a judge in a traditional wig and black gown beats him with a gavel. Banksy posted a photo of the work on Instagram, his usual method of claiming a work as authentic. It was captioned...

Events

31 h. ago Banksy mural of judge beating protester to be removed in London

A new mural by elusive street artist Banksy showing a judge beating an unarmed protester with a gavel will be removed from a wall outside one of London’s most iconic courts, authorities said on Monday. The mural appeared on Monday and depicts a protester lying on the ground holding a blood-splattered placard while a judge in a traditional wig and black gown beats him with a gavel. Banksy posted a photo of the work on Instagram, his usual method of claiming a work as authentic. It was captioned...

Events

34 h. ago Hong Kong officials ‘could have provided better guidance to failed balloon event’

Hong Kong authorities could have provided better guidance to the organiser of a HK$30 million (US$3.85 million) botched hot-air balloon festival, lawmakers have said, even as the government stressed it had already offered professional advice. Lawmakers Doreen Kong Yuk-foon and Michael Tien Puk-sun said on Monday that the government should be more proactive when dealing with high-risk or special events and could conduct reviews for activities held in public venues. “I hope the government can...

Politics

36 h. ago Hong Kong to review public housing workflow after mother, son suicide case

Hong Kong’s Housing Department has pledged to review its work procedures on public flat tenants with special needs after a mother and son, both reportedly suffering from mental illnesses and facing eviction, committed suicide. Social workers and housing advisers said on Monday that authorities could improve administrative procedures to be more accommodating in such cases, and consider and streamline rehousing arrangements for them. “It is reasonable to take back flats and combat the abuse of...

Events

36 h. ago At least 60 arrested in Pakistan at protest over suicide attack

Police arrested at least 60 people and deployed tear gas in Pakistan’s poorest province during a strike on Monday, as protesters demanded accountability over a suicide attack claimed by Islamic State (Isis). Businesses shut and demonstrators took to the streets across more than a dozen cities in Balochistan in response to a September 2 bombing at a political rally that killed 15 people. In provincial capital Quetta, police arrested protesters blocking a road and fired tear gas to disperse...

Events

38 h. ago Are ‘unscrupulous’ insurers causing richer Malaysians to seek public hospitals?

Malaysians from the highest income group are increasingly turning to public hospitals for treatment as surging private healthcare costs drive up insurance premiums, with lawmakers and industry professionals warning of more pressure on the national healthcare system. The cost of private healthcare in Malaysia rose by nearly 12 per cent in 2024, well above the global average of about 6 per cent, according to a report on medical trends around the world by professional services firm Aon. A separate...

Politics