Unmarried Indonesian couple get 21 lashes each over viral live stream kiss

About 100 people witnessed the caning, carried out by a group of people wearing robes and hoods on a stage in Banda Aceh

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A man reacts to lashing in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, on Thursday. Photo: EPA

A young couple in Indonesia ’s conservative Aceh province were publicly caned on Thursday after an Islamic sharia court convicted them of violating Islamic law by kissing during a TikTok live stream.

Aceh’s sharia court ordered the two people to be whipped with a rattan cane 21 times


China food-security risks worsen as extreme weather becomes more common

China’s Politburo called for “forceful” countermeasures against floods and droughts as El Nino effects exacerbate the impact of extreme weather events in the country.Local authorities should strengthen flood controls on major rivers, improve rescue capabilities and bolster management of water sources, the top decision-making body said after a monthly meeting on Tuesday chaired by President Xi Jinping. Other steps include greater protection for agricultural infrastructure, according to...

Hong Kong retail sales grow 7.9% in May, extending winning streak to 13 months

Department stores and optical shops recorded gains of 9.2 per cent and 10.3 per cent, respectively in May. Photo: Sam Tsang
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China can help Ukraine recover from war and advance industry, ambassador says

China can provide “all-round” support for Ukraine’s post-war industrial recovery , Beijing’s envoy to Kyiv said while reaffirming his country’s commitment to pushing for a ceasefire and a political settlement for a conflict in its fifth year .

Ma said China’s history of industrial transformation and poverty alleviation could provide a solid foundation and momentum to strengthen cooperation and stabilise bilateral ties.

Kyiv residents hide in metro stations as Russian drones and missiles hit Ukrainian capital

“China has a complete industrial system, mature


Inside CXMT’s US$4.3b IPO: soaring profits meet US export threat and high-stakes HBM race

As China’s leading DRAM maker ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT) prepares for its expected 29.5 billion yuan (US$4.3 billion) Shanghai Star Market listing, the critical question facing investors is whether the firm can convert its cyclical windfall into permanent industry leadership.

The Hefei-based chipmaker enters the market at a uniquely lucrative moment: a global memory shortage driven by surging artificial intelligence computing demand has triggered a massive upcycle in pricing, delivering windfall earnings.

In the first quarter, CXMT’s


Why Hong Kong has become the worst-performing major stock market

A monitor shows the level of the Hang Seng Index in Central on June 26. Photo: Edmond So

Nicholas Spiro is a partner at Lauressa Advisory, a specialist London-based real estate and macroeconomic advisory firm.

There are many disconnects in financial markets. One of them is Japan’s benchmark 10-year bond yield, which currently stands at just 2.7 per cent despite the country’s large public debt burden – more than 240 per cent of


China Citic Tower plane crash pilot ‘suffered from anxiety’

Liu flew into Citic Tower, also known as China Zun, in Beijing last Friday. Photo: Reuters

The pilot of a small plane that crashed into Beijing’s tallest building last week had long suffered from anxiety and discussed “ending his life” in his diary, authorities in the Chinese capital said on Thursday.

In a brief summary of an investigation, the Chaoyang district government said the pilot was a 66-year-old Beijing resident, identified only by his surname


Sun is setting on US dominance of the world, scholar Wu Xinbo says

Wu Xinbo is the dean of the Institute of International Studies at Fudan University in Shanghai and a leading Chinese researcher on the US. In this interview, he analyses how shifts in US foreign policy are changing the relationship between the two countries.SCMP Plus readers get early access to articles in the Open Questions series.As the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary, how do you assess US foreign policy and the future direction of its relations with China?Simply put, US...

Indonesia’s Widodo backs son’s party for 2029 election with new political tour

Indonesia ’s former president Joko Widodo has begun a nationwide political tour that analysts say is aimed at transforming his younger son’s small party from a marginal player into a significant force before the 2029 elections.

Widodo, popularly known as Jokowi, kicked off the tour in Lampung on Friday, using the visit to appear alongside Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI) officials and accept a local royal title, signalling that he remains a force in Indonesian politics after leaving office.

Dressed in the colours of the PSI –


Why the World Bank is winding down loans to China amid a ‘natural’ shift

Beijing has downplayed reports that the World Bank will phase out lending to China by 2031, with the Ministry of Finance noting that the nation’s advancing economy and changing development needs were shifting cooperation away from financing and towards knowledge sharing.

“This is the natural result of changing domestic needs and the transformation of bilateral cooperation,” the ministry said in a statement on Wednesday, referring to the World Bank’s declining lending to China in recent years.

Responding to reports that the World Bank would cap sovereign