36 h. ago Officer allegedly tricked into Cambodian scam farm returns to Hong Kong, resigns

A Hong Kong officer allegedly tricked into working at a Cambodian scam farm has returned to the city and handed in his resignation, the police chief has revealed. Commissioner of Police Joe Chow Yat-ming also said on Saturday that the case was now being handled by the Organised Crime and Triad Bureau after the force sent a four-member team to Cambodia to arrange and aid the former officer’s return. Last week, the force confirmed that the officer managed to flee from a scam farm in Cambodia after...

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36 h. ago Police officer allegedly tricked into Cambodian scam farm returns home, resigns

A Hong Kong officer allegedly tricked into working at a Cambodian scam farm has returned to the city and handed in his resignation, the police chief has revealed. Commissioner of Police Joe Chow Yat-ming also said on Saturday that the case was now being handled by the organised crime and triad bureau after the force sent a four-member team to Cambodia to arrange and aid the former officer’s return. Last week, the force confirmed that the officer had managed to flee from a scam farm in Cambodia...

Events

39 h. ago Australia posts US$659,000 reward for gunman’s arrest over police killings

Australia posted a US$659,000 reward on Saturday for the arrest of a gunman on the run for a 12th day after allegedly killing two police officers. Police in the eastern state of Victoria said they were offering the “life-changing” amount in their hunt for the 56-year-old fugitive, Desmond Freeman. Freeman is accused of opening fire when police arrived at his home in Victoria with a search warrant. The shooting killed 59-year-old detective Neal Thompson and 35-year-old senior constable Vadim de...

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3 d. ago Fear travels: Cambodians in Japan silenced through threats to loved ones

It begins with a knock at the door in Phnom Penh: police officers asking about a son, sister or cousin living thousands of miles away – and warning the family to make them stop. Cambodian dissidents who thought they had found safety in Japan are still facing threats delivered not to their own doors, but to the homes of loved ones left behind, according to a new Human Rights Watch report. The NGO’s Tokyo office said on Tuesday that nearly all of the 23 Cambodian nationals it interviewed in Japan...

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3 d. ago ‘Make them stop’: Cambodian exiles in Japan face intimidation tactics back home

It begins with a knock at the door in Phnom Penh: police officers asking about a son, sister or cousin living thousands of miles away – and warning the family to make them stop. Cambodian dissidents who thought they had found safety in Japan are still facing threats delivered not to their own doors, but to the homes of loved ones left behind, according to a new Human Rights Watch report. The NGO’s Tokyo office said on Tuesday that nearly all of the 23 Cambodian nationals it interviewed in Japan...

Politics

5 d. ago Hong Kong auxiliary policeman arrested for alleged indecency while driving cab

An off-duty Hong Kong auxiliary police officer has been suspended from duty after he was arrested for allegedly performing an indecent act while driving a taxi in Causeway Bay. The man, 57, was transporting a female passenger when she reportedly noticed his alleged indecent act as the taxi drove along the Canal Road flyover. When she arrived at her destination in Happy Valley, the woman, 55, alerted police officers nearby, saying the driver had allegedly been masturbating. The driver was...

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6 d. ago Taiwan taps young blood for security council as it faces Beijing and Trump

Taiwan has injected new blood from the younger generation into its security team as it seeks to tackle growing threats from Beijing and navigate US President Donald Trump’s transactional approach to policy. The office of Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te on Monday announced that its spokesman Lii Wen and Taipei City councillor Chao Yi-hsiang had been appointed deputy secretaries general of the National Security Council (NSC) with immediate effect. The two men, both in their thirties,...

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6 d. ago Man arrested in Australia after crashing car into Russian consulate in Sydney

A man was arrested on Monday after a car crashed into the Russian consulate in Sydney, Australian police said. New South Wales police said in a statement that officers responded shortly after 8am to reports of an unauthorised vehicle parked in the driveway of an address on Fullerton Street that corresponded with the location of the Russian consulate. Officers attempted to speak to the driver before he “drove his vehicle into the gates of the property”, police said. A 39-year-old man was arrested...

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6 d. ago Man charged in Australia after crashing car into Russian consulate in Sydney

Australian police charged a man on Monday after a car was driven into the gates of the Russian consulate in Sydney. New South Wales police said in a statement that officers responded shortly after 8am to reports of an unauthorised vehicle parked in the driveway of an address on Fullerton Street that corresponded with the location of the Russian consulate. Officers attempted to speak to the driver before he “drove his vehicle into the gates of the property”, police said. A 39-year-old man was...

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7 d. ago Hong Kong police drugs crackdown snares 418, with boy, 13, youngest arrested

A 13-year-old boy was among more than 400 people arrested in a citywide anti-drug operation over the summer, with Hong Kong police saying he was suspected of trafficking four capsules believed to contain etomidate, previously known as space oil. Police said on Sunday that officers smashed 303 drug cases during the seven-week operation, code-named “Tailbacker”, with 328 male and 90 female suspects arrested. The arrestees, aged between 13 and 73, included 11 boys and six girls. The police force...

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7 d. ago Hong Kong police drug crackdown snares 418, with boy, 13, youngest arrested

A 13-year-old boy was among more than 400 people arrested in a citywide anti-drug operation over the summer, with Hong Kong police saying he was suspected of trafficking four capsules believed to contain etomidate, previously known as space oil. Police said on Sunday that officers smashed 303 drug cases during the seven-week operation, code-named “Tailbacker”, with 328 male and 90 female suspects arrested. The 418 arrestees, aged between 13 and 73, included 11 boys and six girls. The police...

Events

7 d. ago Hong Kong ‘lawyer’ bailed in HK$80,000 champagne dinner dine

Hong Kong police have granted bail to a man who allegedly pretended to be a lawyer and tricked his date into paying a restaurant bill of more than HK$80,000 (US$10,258). The 23-year-old man, surnamed Wong, who was arrested on suspicion of obtaining property by deception, was released on bail on Sunday but must report back for further investigation in late September, according to police. No charges have been filed against him. The case arises from a dinner at Mandarin Oriental’s Man Wah...

Politics

7 d. ago Chinese officials urge family to cremate sick man lying on floor, shocking public

A group of public servants in China have come under fire for urging a rural family to cremate their relative while he was still alive and in earshot. On August 19, a villager in eastern China’s Anhui province posted a video exposing local government officials for promoting cremation while an elderly member of a family was lying sick and dying. It is a local custom to place a dying person on the floor. The officials told the family about the perks of cremation, including their policy of providing...

Politics

8 d. ago 2 arrested as Hong Kong police find 44.5kg of ketamine hidden in storage units

Hong Kong police have arrested two men on suspicion of drug trafficking after finding 44.5kg of suspected ketamine worth HK$20 million hidden in subdivided factory units. Inspector Ng Ka-wai of the police force’s narcotics bureau said on Saturday that officers had stopped and searched the two local men, aged 23 and 30, the previous day, which led to the discovery of 178 packs of suspected ketamine in two separate storage units. “Our investigations suggest that the drug syndicate behind this...

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8 d. ago Hong Kong ‘lawyer’ arrested for allegedly leaving date with over HK$80,000 bill

Hong Kong police have arrested a man for allegedly tricking his date into footing a restaurant bill of more than HK$80,000 (US$10,264) after he went to the bathroom and never returned at Mandarin Oriental Hotel. A police source said the woman met the man, who claimed to be a 26-year-old lawyer, through messaging app Telegram a year ago, adding that they arranged a date at the hotel in Central on Thursday evening. “According to [the woman], the man arranged a bottle of wine for their dinner. As...

Economics

8 d. ago Hong Kong ‘lawyer’ arrested for allegedly leaving date with HK$80,000 bill

Hong Kong police have arrested a man who allegedly tricked his date into footing a restaurant bill of more than HK$80,000 (US$10,264) after he went to the bathroom and never returned to the Mandarin Oriental hotel. A police source said the woman met the man, who claimed to be a 26-year-old lawyer, through the messaging app Telegram a year ago, adding that they arranged a date at the hotel in Central on Thursday evening. “According to [the woman], the man arranged a bottle of wine for their...

Economics

8 d. ago The Dark Knight Rises at 2am: Florida man in Batman garb helps catch burglar

A man wearing Batman pyjamas has helped police in the United States to catch an early morning burglar. Officers at the Cape Coral Police Department, Florida, were responding to a burglary in progress at around 2am on Wednesday when they located their suspect, who was already being detained by a local man. “The neighbour, Kyle Myvett, told detectives he had gone to bed when his home security cameras alerted him to someone breaking into his vehicle,” police wrote on social media. Police said...

Politics

1 week ago Hong Kong customs officer unconditionally released over fatal motorbike crash

Hong Kong police have unconditionally released a customs officer who was arrested in January after he tried to intercept a motorcyclist who later crashed and died. The police force announced the decision on Thursday almost eight months after the off-duty officer’s action became the subject of widespread debate over its appropriateness and legality. “After further investigation and seeking legal advice, police were informed by the Department of Justice that no criminal prosecution would be...

Events

1 week ago US CDC chief fired, senior officials resign amid tensions over health directives

US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention Director Susan Monarez has been fired, the White House said on Wednesday, less than a month after being sworn in, and four senior officials have resigned amid growing tensions over vaccine policies and public health directives. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jnr has made sweeping changes to vaccine policies, including withdrawing federal recommendations for Covid shots for pregnant women and healthy children in May, and...

Events

1 week ago Lausanne police face new crisis after teen’s death sparks third night of violence

Lausanne authorities sought on Tuesday to head off a third night of violence in the Swiss city following the death of a teenager fleeing police on a scooter. The unrest comes with the Olympic capital’s police in the spotlight after four officers were suspended on Monday following the unearthing of racist, sexist and discriminatory messages in private WhatsApp groups. A 17-year-old Swiss resident of Lausanne, fleeing police on a scooter reported stolen on Saturday, hit a wall and died early on...

Events