News - South China Morning Post
June 12, 2026 at 7:00 PM
The United States and China should hold regular high-level meetings and deepen cooperation on emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, as greater transparency is essential to avoid a downturn in relations, a veteran US diplomat has said. Richard Haass, president emeritus of the Council on Foreign Relations, said meetings between senior officials from Washington and Beijing should become routine, rather than being treated as “news”. “This is a relationship that needs to be...
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News - South China Morning Post
June 12, 2026 at 7:00 PM
As the United States quietly pulls its most precious military assets away from the coasts of Asia, they are falling back to places like Guam in Micronesia, a US island territory far beyond the reach of most conventional missiles. It sounds like a retreat but for the Chinese military it is actually a much trickier problem. In modern warfare, distance can become a shield and dispersion a weapon. This is the puzzle a team of Chinese defence scientists has been solving. Their answer, published...
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News - South China Morning Post
June 12, 2026 at 6:49 PM
Hong Kong’s finance chief praised a blockbuster film about the Teochew community as it premiered locally on Friday, and highlighted the ethnic group’s contributions to the city’s development, even as some critics panned the production as overly patriotic. Dear You, an unexpected box-office hit that was shot on a shoestring budget, focuses on a grandson’s efforts to learn more about his family history by tracing letters sent home in Chaoshan from Thailand. The film will go into general release in...
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News - South China Morning Post
June 12, 2026 at 6:38 PM
An intern doctor has been arrested by Hong Kong police on suspicion of accessing patient data without authorisation and fired from her hospital, according to an insider and medical authorities. A source said the 24-year-old woman was arrested on Friday evening after allegedly accessing a computer with dishonest intent at Caritas Medical Centre in Sham Shui Po. She was being detained for investigation, the insider added. According to the source, the Hospital Authority had received an anonymous...
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News - South China Morning Post
June 12, 2026 at 6:30 PM
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Friday rejected the idea that he had lost authority in his role, and said he would fight to keep his job, adding that anyone who wanted to replace him would have to deal with the same financial constraints. The comments come a day after Defence Minister John Healey delivered a fresh blow to the prime minister’s already weakened leadership by quitting and accusing Starmer of being unable to commit the resources needed to keep the country safe, in a dig...
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The Astana Times
June 12, 2026 at 6:27 PM
The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world. ASTANA — The relationship between Kazakhstan and the European Union (EU) is entering a new phase, marked by growing trade volumes, closer political dialogue and expanding cooperation in digital governance, critical raw materials and transport connectivity. A series of high-level meetings held this month in Astana, Brussels and Strasbourg highlighted the breadth of the partnership, which increasingly extends beyond traditional energy ties and reflects broader European interest in Central Asia amid shifting geopolitical and economic realities. High-level meetings highlighted the growing EU–Central Asia partnership beyond traditional energy ties. Photo credit: primeminister.kz EU remains Kazakhstan’s largest economic partner The strength of economic ties was underscored during the 19th meeting of the Kazakhstan-European Union Dialogue Platform chaired by Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov in Astana on June 11…
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News - South China Morning Post
June 12, 2026 at 5:50 PM
China’s decision to ban Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jnr and his family from Chinese territory has taken Beijing’s maritime feud with Manila into unusually personal territory, with analysts saying the move appeared aimed at warning other Philippine officials against taking a hard line. The sanctions, announced by China’s foreign ministry on Thursday following Teodoro’s recent criticism of Beijing, also prohibit Chinese organisations and individuals from engaging in transactions,...
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The Astana Times
June 12, 2026 at 5:49 PM
The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world. ASTANA — Kazakhstan is expanding its international air links with the launch of new routes to Armenia and Uzbekistan, as authorities continue efforts to increase flight connectivity and strengthen regional travel and business ties. Photo credit: Shutterstock According to the Transport Ministry, Armenian carrier FlyOne Armenia entered the Kazakh market on June 12, launching direct scheduled passenger flights between Yerevan and Almaty. The airline will operate the route twice a week, on Mondays and Fridays, increasing the total number of weekly flights between Kazakhstan and Armenia from three to five. Officials said the new service is expected to support trade, investment, tourism and cultural exchanges between the two countries. The expansion comes as Kazakhstan continues to attract new international carriers and broaden its route network. On June 13, Uzbekistan’s Centrum Air is set to launch its firs…
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Tajikistan News
June 12, 2026 at 5:49 PM
HINGGAN LEAGUE, June 12 (Xinhua) -- Alin Lake is a "pearl" of the wetlands in the Horqin National Nature Reserve, Horqin Right Wing Middle Banner of Hinggan League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. At sunset, the sky is ablaze with color, dyeing the river's surface red and creating a breathtaking scene where water and sky merge into one, as brilliant as molten gold.
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Kyrgyzstan News
June 12, 2026 at 5:49 PM
HINGGAN LEAGUE, June 12 (Xinhua) -- Alin Lake is a "pearl" of the wetlands in the Horqin National Nature Reserve, Horqin Right Wing Middle Banner of Hinggan League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. At sunset, the sky is ablaze with color, dyeing the river's surface red and creating a breathtaking scene where water and sky merge into one, as brilliant as molten gold.
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Turkmenistan News
June 12, 2026 at 5:49 PM
HINGGAN LEAGUE, June 12 (Xinhua) -- Alin Lake is a "pearl" of the wetlands in the Horqin National Nature Reserve, Horqin Right Wing Middle Banner of Hinggan League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. At sunset, the sky is ablaze with color, dyeing the river's surface red and creating a breathtaking scene where water and sky merge into one, as brilliant as molten gold.
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News - South China Morning Post
June 12, 2026 at 5:39 PM
A Hong Kong court has extended an injunction restraining the finance chief of a private college, his wife and two other defendants from handling more than HK$25 million in allegedly misappropriated funds. The High Court on Friday also ordered the four defendants to disclose to Hong Kong Chu Hai College all of their assets worth HK$50,000 or more within 21 days, to help the plaintiff assess which items could be linked to the case. Finance director Ray Yip Kam-chun appeared in court for the first...
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News - South China Morning Post
June 12, 2026 at 5:30 PM
Even Western pundits grudgingly admitted the summit between President Xi Jinping and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was a success. Both sides, according to Bloomberg, “appear to have walked away with what they wanted”. Given China’s rising pre-eminence while avoiding any damaging war, it’s no surprise that Xi had the upper hand in his recent meetings with US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. But with Kim, the stakes for Beijing were just as high, in light of Tokyo’s...
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Tajikistan News
June 12, 2026 at 5:27 PM
(Berlin) - Belarusian authorities are carrying out a countrywide intimidation campaign against former and current students of the European Humanities University (EHU), Human Rights Watch said today. The authorities have searched the homes of dozens of students and their families and harassed, interrogated, and detained them. The actions violate
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Turkmenistan News
June 12, 2026 at 5:27 PM
(Berlin) - Belarusian authorities are carrying out a countrywide intimidation campaign against former and current students of the European Humanities University (EHU), Human Rights Watch said today. The authorities have searched the homes of dozens of students and their families and harassed, interrogated, and detained them. The actions violate
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Kyrgyzstan News
June 12, 2026 at 5:27 PM
(Berlin) - Belarusian authorities are carrying out a countrywide intimidation campaign against former and current students of the European Humanities University (EHU), Human Rights Watch said today. The authorities have searched the homes of dozens of students and their families and harassed, interrogated, and detained them. The actions violate
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News - South China Morning Post
June 12, 2026 at 5:26 PM
The US and Iran may sign an agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz on the sidelines of the Group of Seven world leaders summit next week, according to senior officials. A senior Iranian official indicated overnight that a deal is likely, said a G7 official and a diplomat from outside the group, who both asked not to be named discussing sensitive matters. This year’s G7 summit takes place in Evian, in the French Alps, from June 15 to June 17. Geneva, in Switzerland, is nearby and being floated...
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The Astana Times
June 12, 2026 at 5:13 PM
The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world. ASTANA – The Astana Times has selected articles from international media outlets covering Kazakhstan. This week’s foreign media digest highlights Kazakhstan’s efforts to deepen cooperation with the European Union, growing international interest in the country’s critical minerals sector, and the continued expansion of its tourism industry. Astana. Photo credit: The Astana Times. Kazakhstan seeks a deeper EU partnership in science, education and innovation Kazakhstan is seeking to place science, higher education and innovation at the center of its growing partnership with the European Union, according to the EU Reporter article published on June 5. That was the key message from a roundtable held in Brussels under the “Shanyraq Dialogue” platform, hosted by the Embassy of Kazakhstan to Belgium and attended by Kazakhstan’s Minister of Science and Higher Education, Sayasat Nurbek. The discussion reflected K…
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News - South China Morning Post
June 12, 2026 at 5:00 PM
Zhejiang University in China has overtaken Harvard University to become the top academic institution in the world, according to the 2026 Nature Index. This is the first time Harvard has lost its top position in the rankings since the index’s inception in 2014. Tsinghua University, also from China, was third. Chinese institutions dominated this year’s list, accounting for nine of the top 10 – up from eight in last year’s rankings. Of the top 20, China has 17, with Stanford University No 12 and...
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News - South China Morning Post
June 12, 2026 at 4:46 PM
Beijing has confirmed the arrest of Min Zin, a US citizen and political analyst at a Myanmar-focused think tank, on suspicion of espionage and endangering national security. “It is understood that Min Zin has been placed under criminal detention by the relevant authorities in accordance with the law on suspicion of engaging in espionage and endangering China’s national security,” foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said on Friday. Lin did not give further details of charges against Min Zin, but...
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