22 h. ago Aukus deal to move ‘full steam ahead’ after surviving Trump review

The Pentagon said on Thursday it has endorsed the tripartite Aukus security pact with the United Kingdom and Australia, which would involve Canberra’s acquisition of at least three Virginia-class nuclear submarines within 15 years. The administration of Donald Trump said earlier this year it was reviewing a 2021 deal for the nuclear-powered attack submarines signed under his presidential predecessor, Joe Biden. The Department of Defence completed its five-month review, which endorsed the Aukus...

Politics

27 h. ago HSBC to occupy over 40,000 sq ft at Hong Kong’s Capitol Centre in 2026

HSBC is set to occupy more than 40,000 sq ft of space in Capitol Centre in Causeway Bay, as Hong Kong’s largest bank joins a growing list of finance and banking firms snapping up commercial space in the city. The London-headquartered lender signed a five-year lease, which starts May 18, 2026, for five levels – ground plus four floors of the building, according to Land Registry records. The deal was registered in late November. The records did not show the size or rent for the leased space, but...

Events

29 h. ago Admiral denies ‘kill them all’ order in boat attack but video alarms lawmakers

A Navy admiral commanding the US military strikes on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean told lawmakers on Thursday that there was no “kill them all” order from Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth but a stark video of the attack left grave questions as Congress scrutinises the campaign that killed two people. Admiral Frank Bradley appeared for a series of closed-door classified briefings at the Capitol as lawmakers conduct an investigation after a report that he ordered the follow-on attack that...

Events

29 h. ago US admiral denies ‘kill them all’ order in Caribbean boat strike

A US Navy admiral commanding the US military strikes on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean told lawmakers Thursday that there was no “kill them all” order from Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, but a stark video of the attack left grave questions as Congress scrutinises the campaign that killed two survivors. Admiral Frank “Mitch” Bradley appeared for a series of closed-door classified briefings at the Capitol as lawmakers conduct an investigation after a report that he ordered the follow-on...

Events

34 h. ago FBI arrests suspect in 2021 Capitol riot pipe bomb mystery after 5

The FBI made an arrest on Thursday in its nearly five-year-old investigation into who placed pipe bombs in Washington on the eve of the January 6 riot at the US Capitol in 2021. The arrest marks the first time investigators have settled on a suspect in an act that had long vexed police, spawned a multitude of conspiracy theories and remained an enduring mystery in the shadow of the dark chapter of American history that is the violent Capitol siege. The arrest took place on Thursday morning and...

Events

34 h. ago FBI charges man with planting pipe bombs on eve of January 6, 2021 Capitol riot

The FBI arrested a 30-year-old Virginia man and charged him on Thursday with planting a pair of pipe bombs in Washington the night before the January 6, 2021, assault on the US Capitol by supporters of President Donald Trump, capping a years-long investigation that gave rise to numerous conspiracy theories. The suspect, Brian Cole Jnr, of Woodbridge, was charged with use of an explosive device and attempted malicious destruction by means of explosive materials, Attorney General Pam Bondi and...

Events

37 h. ago Chinese executive named as suspect in Indonesia radioactive contamination probe

Indonesian authorities on Thursday named a Chinese executive of a metal smelting company as a suspect in a caesium-137 contamination case that resulted in the recall of some exports to the US. Lin Jingzhang, who is a director of PT Peter Metal Technology (PMT), has been designated as a suspect, Bara Hasibuan, a spokesperson for the investigating task force, said. “The Certain Crimes Directorate of the Indonesian National Police’s Criminal Investigation Unit has named Lin Jingzhang, a citizen of...

Politics

51 h. ago Manslaughter hard to prove in Hong Kong fire amid regulatory gaps, experts warn

Shortcomings in Hong Kong’s building regulations could complicate efforts to prove manslaughter in the Tai Po housing estate blaze that killed 159 people, according to legal and construction experts. Police have arrested 21 people so far, including 15 for alleged manslaughter, after authorities found flammable foam panels and nets that were not flame-retardant on the scaffolding that covered the eight blocks of Wang Fuk Court, which had been under renovation since July last year. The blaze at...

Events

53 h. ago Nvidia CEO meets Trump, says he’s not sure if China would accept H200 chips

Nvidia Chief Executive Officer Jensen Huang said he was unsure whether China would accept the company’s H200 artificial intelligence chips should the United States relax restrictions on sales of the processors, following a meeting Wednesday with US President Donald Trump. Addressing reporters at the US Capitol, Huang said he and Trump talked about export controls but declined to offer specifics. The Nvidia chief’s meeting with the president comes after Trump administration officials discussed...

Politics

58 h. ago Hong Kong orders scaffold netting to be removed at 200 sites in wake of inferno

Authorities have ordered scaffold netting to be removed at about 200 locations across Hong Kong by Saturday after suspected false safety certificates were found at two building sites following the Tai Po blaze that claimed 159 lives. A week after Hong Kong’s worst inferno in decades, police on Wednesday arrested six men from the company responsible for the fire alarm system at the Wang Fuk Court housing complex, where the blaze ripped through seven towers covered in bamboo scaffolding and...

Politics

59 h. ago Beijing slams ‘external hostile forces’ for exploiting deadly fire in Hong Kong

Beijing’s national security arm in Hong Kong on Wednesday condemned “external hostile forces” for exploiting the deadly Tai Po fire that killed at least 159 people, as police arrested a man after he allegedly made derogatory online comments about the victims. In a strongly worded post, a spokesman for the Office for Safeguarding National Security condemned “a small clique of external hostile forces” for “stirring up trouble and taking advantage of the chaos” in the aftermath of the fire. The...

Events

67 h. ago Call of duty: New Zealand police wait for evidence after Faberge pendant theft

Police in New Zealand are waiting for nature to take its course after a man allegedly tried to smuggle a NZ$33,000 ($19,000) pendant out of a jewellery store by swallowing it. The 32-year-old man, who has not been publicly named, is accused of eating an ornate Faberge octopus pendant at Partridge Jewelers in Auckland on Friday. Evidence of the alleged theft had yet to emerge, police said on Wednesday. “At the time of his arrest he underwent a medical assessment, and an officer is assigned to...

Events

3 d. ago FBI agents yanked off spy cases as insiders complain Trump is pumping brake on China crackdown... to play nice with Xi

FBI agents yanked off spy cases as insiders complain Trump is pumping brake on China crackdown... to play nice with Xi  Daily Mail

Politics

3 d. ago 6 arrested over fire alarm system at Hong Kong blaze estate; death toll now 159

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Get faster notifications on the latest updates by downloading our app. What we know so far: 159 people, including a firefighter, confirmed dead 79 injured, including 12 firefighters About 30 people remain unaccounted for HK$2.3 billion raised for rescue and relief efforts The eight blocks in Wang Fuk Court had been undergoing renovations since July...

Events

3 d. ago National Guard shooting suspect pleads not guilty to murder from hospital bed

The suspect accused of shooting two National Guard members in an ambush in downtown Washington last week was charged on Tuesday with murder and other offences as he made his first court appearance, appearing remotely from a hospital bed. A judge ordered Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, held in custody without bond, citing the “sheer terror” of the shooting blocks from the White House that killed one member of the National Guard and critically injured a second. Lakanwal pleaded not guilty to all...

Events

3 d. ago Why Trump’s US sovereign wealth fund brings high stakes and serious risks

The US Supreme Court lawsuit challenging President Donald Trump’s tariff war and the recent budget fight on Capitol Hill might have dragged down – if not sunk – one of Washington’s proposed tools to spearhead its strategic competition with China. Ten months after Trump’s executive order authorising the creation of the nation’s first-ever sovereign wealth fund (SWF), there are still few clues about how it can be funded, structured and managed, leaving a giant question mark on whether it could run...

Politics

3 d. ago Trump wants a sovereign wealth fund to compete with China. Big questions remain

The US Supreme Court lawsuit challenging President Donald Trump’s tariff war and the recent budget fight on Capitol Hill might have dragged down – if not sunk – one of Washington’s proposed tools to spearhead its strategic competition with China. Ten months after Trump’s executive order authorising the creation of the nation’s first-ever sovereign wealth fund (SWF), there are still few clues about how it can be funded, structured and managed, leaving a giant question mark on whether it could run...

Politics

3 d. ago Chinese national who smuggled pathogens into Michigan has been deported, FBI says

Chinese national who smuggled pathogens into Michigan has been deported, FBI says  CBS News

Events

3 d. ago EU’s former top diplomat Mogherini detained in training fraud probe: source

The EU’s former foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini was taken into custody on Tuesday as police staged raids probing a suspected fraud scheme involving the training of European diplomats. Mogherini, who was high representative for foreign affairs from 2014 to 2019, now leads the College of Europe graduate school whose premises were searched along with the offices of the European External Action Service (EEAS) diplomatic service. The 52-year-old Italian was arrested in Brussels along with the...

Politics

3 d. ago EU’s former top diplomat Mogherini detained in fraud investigation

The EU’s former foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini was taken into custody on Tuesday as police staged raids probing suspected fraud over contracts to train future European diplomats. Mogherini, who was high representative for foreign affairs from 2014 to 2019, now leads the College of Europe graduate school whose premises were searched along with the offices of the EEAS diplomatic service. The 52-year-old Italian was arrested in Brussels along with the training school’s deputy head, and...

Politics