News - South China Morning Post
June 13, 2026 at 1:00 PM
The invention of modern anaesthetics in 1846 is a pivotal milestone in the history of modern medicine, yet humans have long sought to alleviate surgical pain. Recent research has showed that in the 14th century, Ming dynasty (1368–1644) surgeons utilised a toxic plant concoction to create an anaesthetic, developed by the renowned traditional Chinese medicine surgeon Xia Quan. This discovery provides physical evidence that supports ancient texts, making it a fascinating contribution to medical...
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News - South China Morning Post
June 13, 2026 at 12:31 PM
In a blaring nightclub in wartime Myanmar, partied-out revellers doze until dawn by the dance floor, wary of journeying home despite the end of a post-coup curfew. Lasers streak the smoke-filled air and music is cranked up to 150 decibels, according to one DJ – as loud as a jet engine at take-off – but the weekend clubbers slumbering on sofas dotted around the warehouse-sized Yangon venue do not stir. “That became a habit, they’re used to it,” said one 29-year-old veteran of the capital’s elite...
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News - South China Morning Post
June 13, 2026 at 12:00 PM
Chinese investors in Indonesia’s nickel industry recently sent a formal protest letter to President Prabowo Subianto. The message reflects their concerns over Indonesia’s political and economic direction, and the long-term trajectory of Chinese investment and Indonesia’s industrialisation programme will hinge on how Indonesia resolves them. The letter, submitted by the China Chamber of Commerce in Indonesia (CCCI), complained about a series of government policies, including proposed royalty...
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News - South China Morning Post
June 13, 2026 at 12:00 PM
Two major Japanese chemical manufacturers could halt production of a gas crucial to AI chipmaking starting next month, as supply tightens and prices surge amid Beijing’s export controls on tungsten. The price of tungsten hexafluoride has jumped more than 200 per cent year on year because of supply bottlenecks, coupled with rising chip demand, market data showed. The gas is a critical precursor in the semiconductor industry, where it is used to develop the microscopic connections inside advanced...
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Turkmenistan News
June 13, 2026 at 11:48 AM
(260613) -- ILOCOS SUR PROVINCE, June 13, 2026 (Xinhua) -- Players of Kyrgyzstan celebrate after scoring during the classification 11-12 match between Kyrgyzstan and Lebanon at the 2026 AVC Women's Cup in Ilocos Sur Province, the Philippines, on June 13, 2026. (Xinhua/Rouelle Umali)
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Turkmenistan News
June 13, 2026 at 11:45 AM
KABUL, June 13 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan has freed 763 Afghan inmates from its prisons over the past week, while 3,700 Afghan refugees returned home from the country in a single day, Afghan officials said on Saturday. The freed prisoners, who were held on various charges, crossed into Afghanistan through the Spin Boldak border crossing in southern Kandahar province and the Torkham crossing in eastern Nangarhar provin
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Turkmenistan News
June 13, 2026 at 11:33 AM
Baku [Azerbaijan], June 13 (ANI): Renowned spiritual leader, humanitarian, and founder of The Art of Living Foundation, Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, visited Baku and addressed a large gathering during a special public event held in the city.The event brought together government officials, representatives of various organisations, and members of the public interested in spirituality, personal well-being, and inn
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News - South China Morning Post
June 13, 2026 at 11:25 AM
A woman swimmer was seriously injured in a shark attack at a Sydney beach on Saturday, authorities said, in the latest of a spate of such encounters off Australia’s coast. Emergency services were called to Coogee Beach in the east of Sydney, Australia’s largest city, in the morning on reports that the 35-year-old had been bitten by a large shark about 30 metres (100 feet) from the shore. “The woman was pulled from the water by members of the public, who commenced first aid,” police said in a...
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News - South China Morning Post
June 13, 2026 at 11:00 AM
Peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait needs a “joint answer” from people on both sides, Beijing’s top Taiwan affairs official said on Saturday. “As profound changes unseen in a century accelerate across the world, the international landscape is becoming increasingly turbulent and complex, the situation in the Taiwan Strait remains complex and severe,” Wang Huning told the Straits Forum, an annual event designed to boost exchanges between Taiwan and mainland China. “The future direction of...
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The Astana Times
June 13, 2026 at 10:30 AM
The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world. ASTANA – The Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi is widely regarded as one of the most important architectural monuments of the Turkic world and a spiritual treasure of Islamic civilization. Built in the late 14th century by order of Amir Temir, the complex has served for centuries as a center of Sufi teaching, spiritual education and Islamic scholarship. The Khoja Ahmed Yasawi mausoleum. Photo credit: Kazakhtourism Click to see the map in full size. The map is designed by The Astana Times. Yet the monument is more than an architectural masterpiece. According to researchers, its inscriptions and symbols form a coherent system of teachings on faith, self-knowledge and spiritual growth. According to Saipulla Mollakanagatuly, head of the Yasawi Studies Research Center, the epigraphic inscriptions throughout the mausoleum are far more than decorative elements. “If you look at the mausoleum from the west, its …
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News - South China Morning Post
June 13, 2026 at 10:30 AM
Bangladesh’s new leader is set to visit Malaysia and China later this month in a trip that Dhaka says reflects its independent foreign policy – with the decision to skip India seen less as a snub than a bid to strike a diplomatic balance. Tarique Rahman, who became Bangladesh’s 11th prime minister in February, plans to visit Malaysia on June 21–22 before a three-day official visit to China from June 23 on his first overseas trip since taking office. The Malaysia leg, scheduled ahead of any visit...
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News - South China Morning Post
June 13, 2026 at 10:26 AM
A Hong Kong intern doctor arrested on suspicion of unauthorised access to patient data remains in custody, the South China Morning Post has learned. A source familiar with the matter told the SCMP that the 24-year-old woman, surnamed Lai, was arrested at about 7pm on Friday and was still being held at Cheung Sha Wan Police Station on Saturday morning She was arrested on suspicion of access to a computer with dishonest intent. The arrest came within three days of police receiving a report from a...
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News - South China Morning Post
June 13, 2026 at 10:25 AM
The United States said it downed multiple Iranian drones targeting commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz early on Saturday, hours after both sides said a deal to end the Middle East war was closer than ever. The interception came after weeks of halting talks between Tehran and Washington, mediated by Pakistan, that have been marked by threats and exchanges of fire despite a fragile truce agreed in April. US Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees operations in the region, posted on social...
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News - South China Morning Post
June 13, 2026 at 10:06 AM
Washington has ordered Anthropic – a leading entity in America’s AI sector – to block all foreign nationals from accessing its latest models, Fable 5 and Mythos 5, citing national security concerns, according to the Silicon Valley-based firm. The unprecedented export-control measure – the first to target specific AI models – came just days after Anthropic released the models, underscoring Washington’s increasingly hands-on approach to regulating frontier artificial intelligence...
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News - South China Morning Post
June 13, 2026 at 9:37 AM
Workers began removing President Donald Trump’s name from the facade of the Kennedy Centre early on Saturday, hours after a court-ordered Friday deadline to remove references to Trump from the building and other aspects of the iconic performing arts venue’s operations. Scaffolding was erected on Friday around a section of the building that includes Trump’s name, but shortly after midnight, the Kennedy Centre asked a judge to extend the deadline until noon Eastern Time on Saturday because of...
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The Astana Times
June 13, 2026 at 9:30 AM
The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world. ASTANA — After a week of sold-out performances in London, Kazakh ballet star Bakhtiyar Adamzhan is taking his acclaimed portrayal of Dracula to Scotland. The principal dancer of Astana Opera will perform the title role in Dracula at Edinburgh’s Festival Theatre from June 12 to 14, following a successful run at London’s Sadler’s Wells Theatre, where audiences filled the venue throughout the production’s engagement. Kazakh ballet star Bakhtiyar Adamzhan. Photo credit: Astana Opera Produced by BIG Live, Dracula reimagines Bram Stoker’s legendary character through a blend of classical ballet and contemporary choreography. Created by choreographer Joel Burke, the production combines academic ballet technique with cinematic storytelling, set to music by Johann Sebastian Bach, Sergei Rachmaninoff and Pyotr Tchaikovsky, alongside an original score by Jason Fernandez. At the center of the production is Adamzhan…
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News - South China Morning Post
June 13, 2026 at 9:00 AM
With more than 20 years of experience as a light goods van driver, Hongkonger Fung Fu only started considering switching to becoming a private driving instructor when he noticed the economic outlook was getting gloomier. “Many restaurants have closed down, and companies are making fewer orders of goods. Besides, more drivers are joining the logistics industry, resulting in keener competition,” the 48-year-old told the South China Morning Post. “As I am getting older, my job of carrying heavy...
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News - South China Morning Post
June 13, 2026 at 9:00 AM
When Natasha Ann Lum was growing up, there was no place for Singlish – an English-based creole language in Singapore – at home. Her father was adamant that Lum and her brother not speak with broken grammar or use conversational markers such as “lah”, “lor” or “eh”. “He didn’t have the luxury of education and felt like he missed out on work opportunities because he didn’t speak English at a level that was required, so he wanted to make sure my brother and I would be better off,” said the software...
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News - South China Morning Post
June 13, 2026 at 9:00 AM
China activated the world’s first three-band optical fibre communication system early this month, technology that its developers say could expand the carrying capacity of future AI networks. According to the project team, a single fibre can carry more than five times the traffic of conventional systems, while transmission capacity per core increases by nearly half. The project, completed in Qingdao in the eastern Chinese province of Shandong, was jointly developed by state-owned...
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News - South China Morning Post
June 13, 2026 at 8:39 AM
The International Criminal Court ordered a medical assessment of former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte to determine whether he is fit to stand trial, with proceedings set to start in November. It is the second time that Duterte, who is facing charges of crimes against humanity over his drug war that killed thousands of people, will undergo a health check ordered by the court. The ICC’s pre-trial chamber found in January that the former leader, who ruled the Philippines from 2016 to 2022,...
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