Raid to relief as US military aids Venezuela after twin earthquakes

The US military has established a robust footprint of US forces in and around Venezuela to support relief operations, with more than 900 personnel inside the country and another roughly 800 in Caribbean hubs Puerto Rico and Curacao, according to the top US general for Latin America.

General Francis Donovan, the commander of US Southern Command, said US forces had participated in search-and-rescue operations, helped get the airport up and running and mobilised air and naval assets to ‌allow for the arrival of humanitarian relief


Oman Air targets Singapore with new nonstop flight as Gulf carriers ramp up services

Flights to Gulf hub airports, which were closed at the start of the Iran war, returned to around 90 per cent of normal levels by mid-June

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A Boeing 737 Max 8 operated by Oman Air sits on the tarmac at Muscat International Airport on March 13. Photo: Reuters

Oman Air is looking to capitalise ⁠on the Gulf ⁠state’s appeal as a largely ⁠untapped tourism destination as it launches flights from Muscat to Singapore on Thursday and considers an expansion to North Asia over the next year.

The new nonstop Singapore

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China’s Wang Yi reaffirms support for Mideast talks in meeting with top Saudi diplomat

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (right) meets his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan al-Saud in Beijing on Tuesday. Photo: Xinhua

Carol Yang in Beijing and Fan Chen in Hong Kong

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Tuesday met his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan al-Saud in Beijing, reaffirming China’s strong support for negotiations in the Middle East and calling for sustained dialogue despite a fragile ceasefire.

“Talking is better than fighting, and dialogue is better than confrontation,” Wang said, according to a statement released by China’s foreign ministry on Tuesday night

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Malaysia lures priced-out Hong Kong property buyers

Kuala Lumpur at twilight. Hong Kong ranked as the third-largest source of applications last year under the Malaysia My Second Home long-stay visa scheme. Photo: Getty Images

Norman Wong sold his Hong Kong flat and relocated to a rented home in Malaysia after concluding the city no longer offered the quality of life he expected for the price.

“What am I actually getting for this money in terms of quality of life?” asked Wong, a healthcare professional from Kowloon.

“Space is at a premium in Hong Kong that most of us have simply accepted as the norm. When I started seriously looking at Malaysia

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Hong Kong tech chief warns AI will unleash ‘greatest industrial revolution’

As Hong Kong marks the 29th anniversary of its return to Chinese rule on July 1, the South China Morning Post talks to the city’s senior officials about the administration’s achievements so far and what may lie ahead.

Hong Kong’s tech chief has warned that AI will “exceed all previous industrial revolutions” and heavily impact graduates and workers in traditional sectors, while pledging to accelerate training and industry development to create new jobs.

Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry Sun Dong said Hong Kong was


As China narrows maths gap with US, Hong Kong bids to host 2030 global event

Top mathematicians see candidacy as ‘tipping point’, with one saying ‘moment has now arrived’ for finest Chinese students to study at home

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Hong Kong's open immigration policy is a selling point for hosting global events. Photo: Karma Lo

Even before the world’s top mathematicians gather in Philadelphia for the International Congress of Mathematicians later this month, a high-stakes battle is unfolding over where the global event will next take place


New Japan visa rules threaten to force out foreign business owners: ‘my dream is broken’

Japan’s business manager visa holders surged to 46,000 by mid-2025 – up 70 per cent from 2020. About half were Chinese nationals

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Budhathoki Samjhana checks receipts at Chitwan Rhino Restaurant and Bar in Tokyo’s Okubo-Shin area on June 12. Photo: AFP

In a tiny Tokyo restaurant filled with the smell of Nepalese dumplings, Budhathoki Samjhana surveys the business she built from scratch but may now have to give up as Japan tightens visa rules.
Even though Japan has

Xi Jinping meets foreign leaders: tracker, June 2026

Chinese President Xi Jinping hosted the leaders of Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia, Bangladesh and Belarus in June. He also travelled to North Korea on his first overseas journey this year and his first visit to Pyongyang since 2019.In total, 20 national leaders have met Xi in Beijing this year, including US President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin. The long list shows China’s growing global influence amid rising geopolitical tensions.Xi may meet Trump three more times this year. He...

China’s new investment law asserts control over offshore tech transfers in landmark move

A guard stands at attention outside the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. China has enacted a sweeping overseas investment law. Photo: TNS

China has enacted a sweeping overseas-investment law that aims to safeguard national interests against trade barriers and unauthorised use of advanced technology abroad, though analysts warn that the move could complicate operations for foreign partners.
The State Council’s 34-article Regulation on Overseas Investment, taking effect on Wednesday, authorises “necessary and defensive measures” to protect Chinese investors and interests overseas in response to foreign trade-related barriers.

Under the mandate,


India’s ruling party risks being sucked into Uttar Pradesh temple donation probe row

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives to lead the opening of Ram Temple in Ayodhya on January 22, 2024. Photo: AP

An investigation into alleged financial irregularities at a Hindu temple closely associated with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is threatening to tarnish one of his party’s signature projects.

Two office bearers at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya have resigned, while police arrested eight officials of the trust managing the site after allegations of embezzlement surfaced earlier this month, a person familiar with the matter said, who asked not to be identified because the investigation was ongoing.

Monthly cash

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