Hong Kong’s consumer watchdog has received at least 174 complaints after Taiwanese rock band Mayday cancelled one of its coming concerts at Kai Tak Sports Park and rescheduled it for later, sparking frustration among fans. The Consumer Council said that as of 5pm on Thursday, it had received complaints from 80 residents and 94 from outside Hong Kong, involving a total sum of HK$485,333 (US$62,010). The largest local claim amounted to HK$7,900, whereas the largest non-local case concerned... [Continue Reading]
Prime minister makes claim as accusations mount that he is using row with Ukraine for political gain in run-up to electionsHungary’s prime minister, Viktor Orbán, has accused Ukrainians of plotting to attack his family, as an increasingly bitter standoff between Kyiv and Budapest continues.Orbán and his allies appear to be using the dispute for maximum political gain before the election due next month that could end the 16-year rule of his nationalist government. Continue reading... [Continue Reading]
Nicole Scherzinger, Ashley Roberts and Kimberly Wyatt announce a new single and world tour. [Continue Reading]
A new service is being launched to assist Irish small and medium businesses in dealing with post-Brexit red tape and logistical challenges when exporting to Britain. [Continue Reading]
His first ‘errand’ involved stopping at an enormous house in Kensington and knocking on the door. [Continue Reading]
We're so back. [Continue Reading]
So sweet! [Continue Reading]
Tourists, international students and foreign employees of Chinese companies could serve as grass-roots ambassadors, helping China’s story to resonate with audiences worldwide, according to one of the country’s leading political advisers. Zhang Bo, a professor at Beijing Language and Culture University who is also a member of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, made the suggestion on the sidelines of the annual “two sessions” meeting. Speaking to the South China Morning Post,... [Continue Reading]
The Broncos' defence is labelled "pathetic" as they surrender a 20-6 lead, hit back in the second half but eventually lose 40-32 on the back of future teammate Jonah Pezet's game-sealing try. [Continue Reading]
‘This is not a war about whose military is better, bigger or more powerful.’ [Continue Reading]
The Hobart Clinic's chief executive has resigned as the state government commissions a review of the mental health hospital's corporate governance. [Continue Reading]
Around 1.30 am local time, two tankers were hit by an 'unknown projectile' off the coast of Iraq, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operation. [Continue Reading]
Cathay Pacific Airways and its budget arm HK Express will double their fuel surcharges next week, following a similar move by another Hong Kong carrier amid rising oil prices driven by conflict in the Middle East. The city’s flag carrier said on Thursday the increase would apply to tickets issued on March 18 or later. “The price of jet fuel has approximately doubled since March amid the latest developments in the Middle East,” Cathay said, citing the surge as the reason for the higher... [Continue Reading]
Right wing hardliner Jose Antonio Kast was sworn in as Chile’s president Wednesday, marking the nation’s most stark shift to the right since since the brutal dictatorship of general Augusto Pinochet, whom Kast greatly admires. Kast vowed in his inaugural address to follow through on sweeping reforms, including building physical border barriers along the frontier with Bolivia. [Continue Reading]
Police Scotland has been fined £66,000 by a watchdog after it failed to protect sensitive personal information. [Continue Reading]
South Korea’s long-awaited public inquiry into the 2022 Itaewon crowd crush opened on Thursday with tearful testimony from survivors and heated exchanges between police officials accused of mishandling emergency calls on the night of the disaster. The hearing came more than three years after the tragedy, following prolonged political gridlock, disputes over accountability and repeated delays in forming an independent investigative body. The National Commission for the Investigation of the... [Continue Reading]
Are there enough interceptor missiles to defeat Iran’s response to the US and Israel's attacks? [Continue Reading]
Jack Draper produces a superb fightback to beat Novak Djokovic and reach the Indian Wells quarter-finals - a result he believes could be "a real big moment" in his season. [Continue Reading]
Zhao Tong is a senior fellow with the Nuclear Policy Programme at Washington-based think tank the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and its East Asia-based research centre on contemporary China, Carnegie China. His research focuses on strategic security issues, including nuclear weapons policy, deterrence, arms control, non-proliferation, missile defence, hypersonic weapons, regional security in the Asia-Pacific and China’s security and foreign policy. SCMP Plus readers get early access... [Continue Reading]
Carlton kicks only one goal in the second half, but it is just enough to hold off a late charge by a wayward Richmond at the MCG. [Continue Reading]
The co-founder of a fabled restaurant in Denmark - Noma in Copenhagen - has said that he is stepping down after reports of past abuse at his business. [Continue Reading]
François Picard is pleased to welcome Sophie in 't Veld, former Dutch MEP and member of Volt Europa. She argues that the EU faces a profound structural crisis in its capacity to act on the global stage. What appears as policy debate is, in practice, an internal academic discussion with little consequence for international affairs. In moments of crisis, the EU is not shaping events but reacting to them, often in response to the initiatives of other powers. Ms. Veld warns that Europe has become largely irrelevant in global geopolitics. [Continue Reading]
A Tehran resident in her 30s agreed to share her thoughts with Agence France-Presse about the ongoing war and daily life. Her identity has been withheld for her protection. Here is an edited transcript of the conversation. How is daily life in Tehran? People left in waves, especially those who were next to targets. The financial situation is very bad. My job has been halted and I am spending out of my savings. Going away has costs too, so this may be one of the reasons why people are leaving... [Continue Reading]
Russian President Vladimir Putin's envoy said that he had joined a "productive meeting" with US negotiators, the first talks between Moscow and Washington since the start of the Iran war. [Continue Reading]
Not awkward at all. [Continue Reading]
The head chef of world-renowned restaurant Noma has been forced to step down over allegations of bullying and abuse. [Continue Reading]
Trump previously blamed Iran for the attack. [Continue Reading]
Payment of 2% at employee-owned partnership follows sales increase to £13.4bn• Business live – latest updatesThe owner of John Lewis and Waitrose has paid an annual bonus to workers for the first time in four years after underlying profits rose by 6%.The retail group’s 69,000 employees – which it calls partners – will share £35m, the equivalent of 2% of salary, after it recorded an increase in sales and profits. The payout amounts to about one extra week of pay. Continue reading... [Continue Reading]
Filipino sailor George Miranda was racing to help a stricken vessel aboard the tugboat Mussafah 2 when he last spoke to his wife and young daughter. The 46-year-old, whose small ship was struck by a pair of missiles this week in the Strait of Hormuz, is the only seafarer from the Philippines known to be missing in the Middle East war, the government says. But more than 6,000 others from the country that supplies a quarter of the world’s sailors are still working in the conflict zone and... [Continue Reading]
A protest statue depicting Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein in a Titanic-style pose was installed on the National Mall near the US Capitol in Washington, drawing attention from passersby. [Continue Reading]
Lawmakers express concerns as Trump officials project $50bn more may be needed for Iran war funding. [Continue Reading]
The final report into the Centrelink debt recovery process that wreaked havoc on the vulnerable is not the full-stop many wanted. It has not restored the trust that was so fundamentally brokenFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe whistleblower’s message landed just before Christmas.It was 2016, now a distant memory. Continue reading... [Continue Reading]
The Iraqi Ministry of Oil issued a statement calling for the protection of maritime corridors used for energy transportation, citing recent hostile activities targeting oil tankers in the Gulf region. This move comes amid rising tensions that risk disrupting key shipping lanes vital to global oil supplies. These corridors are crucial not just for Iraq and its neighbors but for the worldwide energy market, as any blockage or attack can lead to increased energy prices and economic instability. Iraq’s alert highlights the growing concerns over maritime security in a geopolitically sensitive area. The ministry urged all involved parties to maintain... [Continue Reading]
In a controversial move, the UK Home Office has launched a new pilot scheme targeting 150 families whose asylum claims have been refused. The families have been given a mere seven days to decide whether to accept a financial incentive to return to their home countries or risk being forcibly removed, which has raised significant concerns over the implications for their children and overall well-being. The scheme, which offers up to £40,000 per family to facilitate voluntary return, has sparked urgent pleas from families seeking more time to comprehend and respond to the life-altering decision they face. The Home Office... [Continue Reading]
It's impossible to know how long this war will last, but what is certain is that the longer the duration, the bigger the impact on consumers [Continue Reading]
The attack appears to be another Israeli attempted assassination, outside areas traditionally targeted. [Continue Reading]
Hail Creek is responsible for about 20% of Australia’s coalmine methane, while only producing 1% of the country’s coalFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastEnvironmental groups have called on the federal government to intervene after Australia’s most methane-polluting open-cut coalmine was approved for extension.A proposed expansion of the Hail Creek coalmine in central Queensland, described by conservationists as a “carbon bomb”, was backed by the state’s government on Wednesday. Continue reading... [Continue Reading]
In February, Emir Balat disappeared from the online marketplace he frequented. Weeks later, he was arrested in a homemade-bomb attack near Gracie Mansion. [Continue Reading]
Health justice charity Medact says data-sharing potential could be used for UK version of US immigration raidsPalantir’s NHS contract opens the door to the Big Brother-style data-sharing that Reform UK would use for a version of US immigration raids, health bosses have been told.Palantir Technologies – the data analytics company founded by Peter Thiel and Alex Karp – won a £330m NHS England contract to deliver the Federated Data Platform in 2023. Continue reading... [Continue Reading]
New York City will start offering free child care for 2-year-olds this fall. A question for the Mamdani administration is whether it will be available past 2:30 p.m. [Continue Reading]
A New Jersey jury found Harris Jacobs guilty of leaving the scene of an accident after he struck a pedestrian with his S.U.V. But jurors would not have the final word. [Continue Reading]
Health minister Zubir Ahmed says new definition of anti-Muslim hostility could be a turning point as he tells of Islamophobic abuseZubir Ahmed, a health minister, tries not to read the comments under his social media feeds, but sometimes curiosity gets the better of him.After performing a transplant on Christmas Day, the vascular surgeon scanned a post about the operation. Continue reading... [Continue Reading]
'But I can do a lot with 3 minutes...' [Continue Reading]
All next week's spoilers from the Dales. [Continue Reading]
All of your spoilers from Walford. [Continue Reading]
Party leader Ashton Hurn confirms Carston Woodhouse will not run for Liberals in SA’s state election, but says ‘people are entitled to have their views’Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA Liberal candidate in South Australia’s upcoming state election has been dumped after his “shocking and extreme” views on abortion, same-sex marriage, gender transitioning and feminism were aired by his Labor rival.The leader of the SA Liberals, Ashton Hurn, on Wednesday stood by Carston Woodhouse, who had been running for the seat of Wright in Adelaide’s north, after... [Continue Reading]
In today’s newsletter: Robert Malley, who led talks for the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, helps make sense of the warGood morning, and apologies for the interruption to your usual programming. Stepping out from behind the editing desk to write today’s newsletter feels somewhat like a player-manager throwing himself on to the pitch, but I’ll try not to destabilise your morning routine too much. Lord knows, the world doesn’t need any more chaos.Since the US and Israel first attacked Iran two weeks ago, it’s been a scramble to keep up with events. The death of a supreme leader, speculation about his... [Continue Reading]
Tehran fired fresh barrages of drones and missiles early on Thursday as the Iran war nears the two-week mark. Air raid alerts were sounded in Israel as authorities warned of incoming Iranian fire, as Gulf states brace for more attacks. [Continue Reading]
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr has ordered an investigation after watching a viral video showing an employee from the Migrant Workers Office in Bahrain telling off overseas Filipino workers (OFW) stranded in the kingdom due to the escalating Iran war. “The president was not pleased with this. He became angry on behalf of our OFWs because of the mistreatment by some public servants,” the presidential palace’s press officer Claire Castro said, according to the Inquirer on... [Continue Reading]