2 h. ago Malaysian police hunt Hindu priest accused of molesting beauty queen

Malaysian police have launched a manhunt for a Hindu priest accused of molesting a beauty queen under the pretence of giving her a blessing at a temple. The incident occurred last Saturday at Mariamman Temple in Sepang, a short distance from Kuala Lumpur International Airport. It only came to light when the victim, actor and television host Lishalliny Kanaran, decided to go public with her allegations on Tuesday, sharing them on social media. The suspect is believed to be an Indian national...

Politics

3 h. ago 5 stocks gain in Hong Kong trading debut as bull market rages on

Hong Kong’s stock exchange had its busiest day of the year for new listings on Wednesday as five mainland Chinese companies made their debuts, cementing the city’s position atop the global ranking for initial public offerings (IPO). Wuhan Dazhong Dental Medical (2651) was the biggest winner of the day when its shares jumped 20 per cent at the open to HK$24, from its IPO price of HK$20. The shares of Apple supplier Lens Technology (6613) began trading at HK$18.88, a premium of 3.8 per cent from...

Economics

3 h. ago Hong Kong uniquely placed to help fill global public goods gap left by US

USAID, long one of the foremost tools of US soft power, ended its six decades as an independent agency on July 1, with no details on how it had been reviewed disclosed. Meanwhile, the China-initiated International Organisation for Mediation (IOMed), made a high-profile debut in Hong Kong in May. Foreign Minister Wang Yi attended the inauguration and stressed looking for ways to resolve issues “so as to lend our thoughts to countries seeking to resolve problems or disagreements with others”. This...

Politics

3 h. ago Hong Kong has new path to prominence as a hub for public goods

USAID, long one of the foremost tools of US soft power, ended its six decades as an independent agency on July 1, with no details on how it had been reviewed disclosed. Meanwhile, the China-initiated International Organisation for Mediation (IOMed), made a high-profile debut in Hong Kong in May. Foreign Minister Wang Yi attended the inauguration and stressed looking for ways to resolve issues “so as to lend our thoughts to countries seeking to resolve problems or disagreements with others”. This...

Politics

4 h. ago Developing | Taiwan aerospace, shipbuilding hit by Beijing export ban

Developing | Taiwan aerospace, shipbuilding hit by Beijing export ban  South China Morning Post

Events

16 h. ago China needs to help young students facing unique pressures in age of AI

Suicide rates among adolescents in China reveal a unique pattern: some studies show that those from more affluent families and with better-educated parents are at a higher risk of taking their own lives compared to those from less privileged backgrounds. This stands in stark contrast to trends observed in many other countries, where children from poorer families and those exposed to domestic violence are more likely to attempt suicide. However, this does not imply that children from poorer...

Events

17 h. ago ‘Treated like servants’: Taiwan on edge as US tariff deadline passes

Anxiety is running high in Taiwan as the island nervously awaits the outcome of its tariff negotiations with the United States, amid growing concern it could be hit with duties of 25 per cent or higher – well above the 10 per cent rate Taipei had hoped for. The worry stems from US President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariff regime, announced in April, which gave trade partners 90 days to negotiate new terms or face tariffs mirroring those imposed on US exports. With the grace period now over,...

Events

17 h. ago Pakistan Punctures Chinas J35 Bubble In Rare Public Admission Post Operation Sindoor; Will Beijing Hit Back?

Pakistan Punctures Chinas J35 Bubble In Rare Public Admission Post Operation Sindoor; Will Beijing Hit Back?  Zee News

Events

20 h. ago As Delhi scraps vehicle ban plan, what next for clean air in India’s capital?

India’s capital has put the brakes on a contentious vehicle scrappage policy aimed at curbing deadly air pollution after fierce resistance from residents, highlighting the city’s struggle to balance environmental urgency with economic realities and the need to find alternative solutions. The rule, which took effect on July 1 in New Delhi but is now suspended, barred refuelling and permitted impounding of private petrol cars older than 15 years and diesel vehicles older than 10. Officials had...

Politics

21 h. ago 80% of Hong Kong Uber drivers worried about quota and fees under new rules

Nearly 80 per cent of 4,800 Uber drivers polled in Hong Kong are worried that a strict quota or high licensing fees under coming new regulations for ride-hailing platforms will threaten their livelihoods. The results of the poll conducted by platform operator Uber in June were revealed on Tuesday, just days after Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan announced that a highly anticipated regulatory proposal would be submitted to the legislature before the end of the month. Currently, it...

Politics

23 h. ago Hong Kong scam losses down 25% in first 5 months of year, but cases up

Scam-related losses in Hong Kong have declined 25 per cent to HK$2.8 billion (US$357 million) in the first five months of this year, but the number of cases has increased amid an overall drop in crime. Commissioner of Police Joe Chow Yat-ming revealed the latest figures at a North District Council meeting on Tuesday, saying the city had recorded 35,888 cases from January to May this year, a 2.8 per cent dip from the same period last year. But the number relating specifically to scams during the...

Politics

23 h. ago Malaysia seeks urgent trade talks with US after 25% tariff blow

Malaysia will press ahead with talks towards a “comprehensive” trade agreement with the United States, its trade ministry has said, as Kuala Lumpur races to soften the blow of a newly imposed 25 per cent tariff on its exports unveiled by US President Donald Trump. On Monday, Trump revealed he had sent letters to leaders of 14 countries announcing tariffs ranging from 25 to 40 per cent, in an apparent gambit to accelerate trade negotiations. The new 25 per cent tariff on Malaysian goods is one...

Politics

25 h. ago Will Myanmar block East Timor’s Asean entry? The junta draws a red line

As East Timor edges closer to joining Asean, Myanmar’s military rulers are seeking to block its entry, in a warning to it – and governments everywhere – against engaging with the war-torn country’s opposition forces. Last week, sources cited by public broadcaster Thai PBS revealed that Myanmar’s military regime had formally notified Malaysia, the current chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, of its intent to withhold support for East Timor’s membership when the bloc convenes in...

Politics

26 h. ago Beijing Hyundai Elexio SUV interior revealed, set for Q3 launch

Beijing Hyundai Elexio SUV interior revealed, set for Q3 launch  CarNewsChina.com

Politics

28 h. ago Alarms ring in Taipei as Beijing activates another Taiwan Strait flight route

Beijing’s sudden activation of another civilian air route near the Taiwan Strait’s unofficial median line has renewed alarm in Taipei, with defence experts and lawmakers warning the move could raise the risk of miscalculation in an already tense air corridor. The mainland’s Civil Aviation Administration activated the last of three branches off the M503 north-south flight path through the strait on Sunday. The M503 and its offshoots were established in 2015 to connect various cities along the...

Events

37 h. ago Brics leaders silent about Trump’s threat of more US tariffs on member nations

The leaders of Brics nations remained silent on Monday in the face of US President Donald Trump’s latest tariff threat against the bloc, offering no public response to what critics called an alarming act of economic intimidation. Trump said on Sunday that he would impose an additional 10 per cent tariffs on imports from Brics members and aligned countries that pursue what he called the group’s “anti-American policies” after Brics issued a leaders’ declaration condemning tariffs, unilateralism...

Politics

37 h. ago Brazil’s Lula rebukes Trump on tariff threat as Brics bloc remains silent

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva rebuked US President Donald Trump for his latest tariff threat against Brics nations on Monday, while the bloc as a whole offered no public response to what critics called an alarming act of economic intimidation. “I don’t think it’s very responsible and serious for a president of a country the size of the US to threaten the world over the internet – it’s not right,” Lula said during a news conference at the conclusion of the Brics leaders’ summit...

Politics

37 h. ago ‘We don’t want an emperor’: Brazil’s Lula speaks up as Brics silent on tariffs

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva rebuked US President Donald Trump for his latest tariff threat against Brics nations on Monday, while the bloc as a whole offered no public response to what critics called an alarming act of economic intimidation. “I don’t think it’s very responsible and serious for a president of a country the size of the US to threaten the world over the internet – it’s not right,” Lula said during a news conference at the conclusion of the Brics leaders’ summit...

Politics

38 h. ago University of Hong Kong plans to cut size of development site after backlash

The University of Hong Kong (HKU) plans to reduce the size of a development project by 15 per cent following a public backlash, leaving most of a Pok Fu Lam green belt untouched, the Post has learned. A source said on Monday that the university was considering building on a residential plot nearby. The revised proposal for HKU’s Global Innovation Centre will be discussed at a town planning board meeting on Friday, after the university gathers feedback from the community. HKU originally planned...

Politics

41 h. ago All eyes on Beijing as Taiwan set to attend Japan’s WWII memorials in a first

Taiwan is set to join Japan’s memorial ceremonies next month for the 80th anniversary of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombings, marking the island’s first-ever participation in the annual events. Observers said Beijing was likely to take a dim view of the matter, though the scale of its response might depend on the rank of the Taiwanese attendees. Nagasaki mayor Shiro Suzuki said on Saturday that the city had accepted Taiwan’s request to attend the August 9 ceremony in memory of the victims...

Events