7 h. ago Charlie Kirk shooting: FBI hunts for killer, offers US$100,000 reward

The FBI on Thursday released two photographs of a person of interest wanted in connection with the shooting of US President Donald Trump’s youth leader ally Charlie Kirk, offering a US$100,000 reward for information leading to the identification and arrest of the person or people responsible for the attack Investigators said they have also recovered a high-powered, bolt-action rifle they believe was used in the killing and are reviewing video footage of the person they believe was...

Events

7 h. ago Charlie Kirk shooting: FBI finds rifle in woods, killer still at large

The FBI on Thursday released two photographs of a person of interest wanted in connection with the shooting of US President Donald Trump’s youth leader ally Charlie Kirk, offering a US$100,000 reward for information leading to the identification and arrest of the person or people responsible for the attack Investigators said they have also recovered a high-powered, bolt-action rifle they believe was used in the killing and are reviewing video footage of the person they believe was...

Events

8 h. ago Why did Harvard top mathematician Liu Jun leave the US for China?

When it was officially announced in late August that statistician Liu Jun had left Harvard University and joined Tsinghua University in Beijing, speculation ran rampant. Was it political tension? Research funding cuts? A backlash against Chinese academics in the US? For Liu, the answer is simple – and deeply personal. It “has nothing to do with Trump”, he said in an email to the South China Morning Post, explaining that his decision was not out of political protest or professional...

Politics

10 h. ago Malaysian society is polarised but can overcome challenges: Anthony Loke

Malaysia may have become more polarised amid intense race rhetoric and systemic problems, but individuals have agency to do their part and private companies have a role to play in ensuring deeper ethnic integration, Transport Minister Anthony Loke has said. Speaking to Malaysians living in Hong Kong at an event organised by the Malaysian Chamber of Commerce Hong Kong and Macau on Wednesday night, Loke noted that although their country was divided along class and education lines with social media...

Politics

11 h. ago New Guidelines on Handling Sensitive Personal Data in China in Effect November 1

New Guidelines on Handling Sensitive Personal Data in China in Effect November 1  China Briefing

Politics

11 h. ago Malaysia calls on China to push C919 jet globally as AirAsia circles deal

Malaysian Transport Minister Anthony Loke has called on the Chinese state-owned maker of the C919 passenger jet to set its sights on the global market and be more aggressive in boosting its international standing, as AirAsia nears a deal to become its first foreign buyer. Loke made the comments on Wednesday while speaking at a Malaysian Chamber of Commerce Hong Kong and Macau (Maycham) event, where he outlined a series of updates on his country’s transport industry – from air travel to...

Politics

15 h. ago Why Malaysian mothers have become ‘personal debt collectors’

Malaysian mothers are being pressed into acting as “personal debt collectors” as fathers refuse or fail to pay child maintenance, a study published this week has found, with weak enforcement in the country’s sharia courts identified as an aggravating factor. The 2024 Telenisa Report by women’s rights group SIS Forum, released on Tuesday, is based on findings from cases handled by its free legal aid clinic throughout last year, which largely helps low-income Muslim women seeking advice on...

Politics

17 h. ago Where is Malaysia’s Pamela Ling? Few clues 5 months after kidnap drama

Five months after she was snatched from a car in broad daylight in Malaysia, little is known about the disappearance of Pamela Ling, with a “chilling” lack of clarity in the case sparking calls for a wider investigation. Ling, 42, was kidnapped on April 9 by three people believed to have impersonated police, forcing her into their vehicle after stopping her private hire car on the highway not far from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) headquarters. The victim was on her way to the...

Events

17 h. ago Thailand seeks to use Hong Kong’s financial status to secure smart city funding

Thailand aims to use Hong Kong’s status as a global financial centre to raise funds for a new smart city in its flagship economic development zone, according to the head of the megaproject’s public agency. Chula Sukmanop, secretary general of the Eastern Economic Corridor Office, also dismissed accusations that Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative was a debt trap, highlighting benefits such as the thousands of jobs it had created for Thai people in the electric vehicle (EV) sector. The Eastern...

Politics

19 h. ago Split the bill – or split legal hairs – over a dinner date in Hong Kong

Life is uncomplicated when you go it alone – you pick a place to eat, choose what you fancy on the dinner menu and on the wine list, enjoy them in the company of the person you have known, trusted and loved for your whole life, and pay the bill. Turns out, the law is also uncomplicated – there is simply an implied contract between you and the restaurant, formed with your promise to pay for what you ordered at the menu price and served to you. If you don’t pay, the restaurant can sue you under...

Politics

21 h. ago China eyes C919 jet breakthrough as Malaysian airline in talks to buy aircraft

Malaysian low-cost airline AirAsia has shown strong interest in acquiring the Chinese C919 passenger jet, its executive said, as part of its strategy to tap into Southeast Asia’s 700 million-strong population and capitalise on growing China-Asean business ties. “We’re in active discussions to buy the C919,” Tony Fernandes, CEO of Capital A – an investment holding company of AirAsia – told the Belt and Road Summit in Hong Kong on Wednesday. “We’re the first foreign airline to be working with...

Politics

21 h. ago AirAsia eyes deal for C919 passenger jet, in bid to tap China

Malaysian low-cost airline AirAsia has shown strong interest in acquiring the Chinese C919 passenger jet, its executive said, as part of its strategy to tap into Southeast Asia’s 700 million-strong population and capitalise on growing China-Asean business ties. “We’re in active discussions to buy the C919,” Tony Fernandes, CEO of Capital A – an investment holding company of AirAsia – told the Belt and Road Summit in Hong Kong on Wednesday. “We’re the first foreign airline to be working with...

Politics

27 h. ago Kamala Harris says allowing 2024 Biden candidacy was reckless: ‘Joe got tired’

Kamala Harris believes it was reckless to allow former US president Joe Biden to decide to seek re-election in 2024, but she felt she was the last person who could advise her 81-year-old boss not to run, according to excerpts from her new book released on Wednesday. Biden, a Democrat, ended his re-election campaign on July 21, 2024, after a poor debate performance against Republican candidate Donald Trump that prompted aides and party officials to question publicly whether he could endure a full...

Politics

33 h. ago Lions kill zookeeper at Thai safari park after he steps out of car

A zookeeper was killed in a lion attack in Thailand, officials said on Wednesday, raising questions over safety and the legitimacy of the safari park’s lion ownership. The mauling happened at Safari World Bangkok, which calls itself one of Asia’s largest open-air zoos and offers lion and tiger feeding trips for around 1,200 baht (US$37) per person. “The deceased is a zoo staff member who usually fed the lions,” said Sadudee Punpugdee, wildlife protection director of the Department of National...

Events

35 h. ago Xin Zhilei, Venice Film Festival best actress, from poverty to Donnie Yen protégé

China’s Xin Zhilei, the winner of the best actress award at the recent Venice Film Festival, has come a long way from her humble beginnings as a restaurant waitress. Since Xin won the prestigious prize on September 6, her life story has trended on mainland social media, with internet users celebrating her hard work and grit through the years. Xin, 39, was born in Heigang, an underdeveloped city in northeastern Heilongjiang province, both her parents were manual workers. She has a younger brother...

Culture

40 h. ago How North Korea’s missile breakthrough could make it world’s ‘fourth ICBM power’

A new era in North Korea’s missile programme may be dawning, as analysts warn of an imminent test launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of carrying multiple warheads to the US mainland. Fresh from his appearance at China’s Victory Day parade in Beijing last week, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un personally oversaw the trial of a lighter, more robust solid-fuel ICBM engine, state media reported on Tuesday, touting the achievement as a “strategic” breakthrough. Reportedly built...

Events

41 h. ago Fans, TV, perfume: Malaysian singer Eda Ezrin opens up about Thai prison life

Malaysian singer Eda Ezrin has opened up about her time at the Narathiwat Provincial Central Prison in Thailand, a month after her release on August 6. In a TikTok live stream last week, the 30-year-old said she shared a room with 50 other inmates. She added that detainees were allowed to buy food and personal items – including toiletries, toothbrushes, make-up and even perfumes – provided they had money in their bank account. Eda, whose real name is Wan Norsahidah Azlin Wan Ismail, said she...

Events

42 h. ago Poland engages drones in its airspace for first time during Ukraine war

Poland said it scrambled its own and Nato air defences to shoot down drones on Wednesday after a Russian air attack on western Ukraine, the first time in the Ukraine war that Warsaw has engaged assets in its airspace. Poland’s military command said Polish airspace was repeatedly violated by “drone-type objects” during the Russian attack across the border in Ukraine. “An operation is under way aimed at identifying and neutralising these objects weapons have been used, and service personnel are...

Events

42 h. ago Poland shoots down drones in its airspace for first time during Ukraine war

Poland said it scrambled its own and Nato air defences to shoot down drones on Wednesday after a Russian air attack on western Ukraine, the first time in the Ukraine war that Warsaw has engaged assets in its airspace. Poland’s military command said Polish airspace was repeatedly violated by “drone-type objects” during the Russian attack across the border in Ukraine. “An operation is under way aimed at identifying and neutralising these objects ... weapons have been used, and service personnel...

Events

42 h. ago Poland shoots down drones in its airspace during Russian attack on Ukraine

Poland said it scrambled its own and Nato air defences to shoot down drones on Wednesday after a Russian air attack on western Ukraine, the first time in the Ukraine war that Warsaw has engaged assets in its airspace. Poland’s military command said Polish airspace was repeatedly violated by “drone-type objects” during the Russian attack across the border in Ukraine. “An operation is under way aimed at identifying and neutralising these objects ... weapons have been used, and service personnel...

Events