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...
Read full story →
Tajikistan News
June 12, 2026 at 11:15 PM
BISHKEK, June 12 (Xinhua) -- Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze's visit to Kyrgyzstan marks the beginning of a new stage in the development of bilateral relations, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov said Friday. Kobakhidze, who arrived in Bishkek for an official visit lasting through Saturday, is making the first high-level official visit by a Georgian delegation to Kyrgyzstan. Kyrgyzstan views Georgia
Read full story →
Turkmenistan News
June 12, 2026 at 11:15 PM
BISHKEK, June 12 (Xinhua) -- Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze's visit to Kyrgyzstan marks the beginning of a new stage in the development of bilateral relations, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov said Friday. Kobakhidze, who arrived in Bishkek for an official visit lasting through Saturday, is making the first high-level official visit by a Georgian delegation to Kyrgyzstan. Kyrgyzstan views Georgia
Read full story →
Kyrgyzstan News
June 12, 2026 at 11:15 PM
BISHKEK, June 12 (Xinhua) -- Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze's visit to Kyrgyzstan marks the beginning of a new stage in the development of bilateral relations, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov said Friday. Kobakhidze, who arrived in Bishkek for an official visit lasting through Saturday, is making the first high-level official visit by a Georgian delegation to Kyrgyzstan. Kyrgyzstan views Georgia
Read full story →
Kyrgyzstan News
June 12, 2026 at 9:16 PM
BEIJING, June 12 (Xinhua) -- China is building a mega waterway project to expand shipping capacity along the Yangtze River, betting that a smoother "golden waterway" will keep goods flowing along one of the world's busiest inland shipping routes and shore up the country's internal connectivity. The Yangtze is China's longest river and a vital artery for freight between its inland and coastal regions. The Three G
Read full story →
Tajikistan News
June 12, 2026 at 9:16 PM
BEIJING, June 12 (Xinhua) -- China is building a mega waterway project to expand shipping capacity along the Yangtze River, betting that a smoother "golden waterway" will keep goods flowing along one of the world's busiest inland shipping routes and shore up the country's internal connectivity. The Yangtze is China's longest river and a vital artery for freight between its inland and coastal regions. The Three G
Read full story →
Turkmenistan News
June 12, 2026 at 9:16 PM
BEIJING, June 12 (Xinhua) -- China is building a mega waterway project to expand shipping capacity along the Yangtze River, betting that a smoother "golden waterway" will keep goods flowing along one of the world's busiest inland shipping routes and shore up the country's internal connectivity. The Yangtze is China's longest river and a vital artery for freight between its inland and coastal regions. The Three G
Read full story →
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…
Read full story →
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…
Read full story →
News - South China Morning Post
June 12, 2026 at 3:54 PM
China’s chip design software industry is rallying behind Huawei Technologies’ ambitious new architecture aimed at producing chips that can rival leading global products, but analysts warn a steep uphill climb remains before local players can break the market stranglehold of US rivals. Empyrean Technology, a major Chinese electronic design automation (EDA) provider, became the latest supporter of the new chipmaking methodology. The company recently unveiled Argus, a new physical verification...
Read full story →
News - South China Morning Post
June 12, 2026 at 12:15 PM
Hong Kong will allow dogs into 1,000 restaurants starting on July 9, under a scheme that caterers say could lift business by up to 20 per cent. The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department on Friday announced the scheme’s roll-out date after holding a ballot to select 1,000 restaurants from the 1,615 eligible applications. The licensed restaurants are evenly distributed across Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and the New Territories. Wan Chai had the highest number of successful applicants, with...
Read full story →
News - South China Morning Post
June 12, 2026 at 11:57 AM
Hong Kong can be “more than New York and Silicon Valley combined” by positioning itself as a hub that integrates global financial depth with technological innovation and manufacturing capacity, the finance chief has said. Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po said on Friday that Hong Kong had a unique edge over New York and Silicon Valley, thanks to advanced manufacturing capabilities that its American rivals lacked, which were the result of integration with the Greater Bay Area. Speaking at the...
Read full story →
News - South China Morning Post
June 12, 2026 at 11:01 AM
India’s new ambassador to China has paid his first visit to Tibet in the latest sign of thawing relations between the two Asian neighbours. Vikram Doraiswami – who speaks Chinese and took up the post in Beijing last month – arrived in Lhasa, capital of the Tibet autonomous region, on Thursday, according to a statement posted on social media by the Indian embassy. The visit was to “review arrangements made by the local government for Indian pilgrims proceeding to Mount Gang Renpoche and Lake...
Read full story →
News - South China Morning Post
June 11, 2026 at 7:02 PM
About 50,000 regular users of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge will soon be able to pass through new immigration e-channels without stopping or displaying their identity cards, as facial recognition will be used for clearance. Or Chung-yuk, assistant director of information systems at the Immigration Department, said on Thursday that Hong Kong permanent residents aged 11 or above who were regular users of the bridge could use two new “seamless” e-channels from June 25. “Users will not need to...
Read full story →
News - South China Morning Post
June 11, 2026 at 5:46 PM
China launched a new test communication satellite on Thursday in a pivotal step to validate technology essential for next-generation orbital connectivity speeds and reliability. The Communication Technology Test Satellite No 25 was sent into orbit on a Long March 5 rocket launched from the Wenchang spaceport in the southern island province of Hainan at 3.30pm on Thursday. “The satellite will be mainly used to verify multi-band, high-rate satellite communication technologies,” state broadcaster...
Read full story →
News - South China Morning Post
June 11, 2026 at 5:21 PM
Hong Kong’s new legislation allowing certain criminal cases to be handled under national security procedures is expected to be used only rarely, with the city leader typically issuing such certification before trial, security and justice officials have said. A Legislative Council subcommittee completed its scrutiny of the Safeguarding National Security (Procedural Matters) Regulation during a meeting on Thursday that lasted around two hours. The regulation empowers the chief executive to define...
Read full story →
News - South China Morning Post
June 11, 2026 at 11:44 AM
Hong Kong’s business community has signed six agreements with Kazakhstan to support the development of the country’s new hi-tech and economic hub, as Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu positions the city as the project’s gateway to global capital and the mainland Chinese market. The memorandums of understanding (MOUs), unveiled at an investment round table on Thursday, centre on the development of Alatau City, the Central Asian country’s flagship future-city project, and focus on innovation and...
Read full story →
News - South China Morning Post
June 11, 2026 at 3:36 AM
US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that the United States might not renew its free trade agreement with Canada and Mexico and criticised trade deficits with those countries, although he said he was talking with their leaders about the matter. The three countries need to approve a renewal of their existing agreement by July 1 or signal their intention to exit the pact, a process that would take 10 years and would buy time for alterations. “I’m not looking to renew it,” Trump said at...
Read full story →
News - South China Morning Post
June 11, 2026 at 1:43 AM
Pope Leo on Wednesday blessed a giant new tower at Barcelona’s famed Sagrada Familia Basilica after celebrating mass inside what is now the world’s tallest church. A choir of 600 singers performed at the service which lasted around 90 minutes and was attended by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez as well as King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia. The stained-glass windows in various colours shone brightly in between the treelike columns of the temple as Leo delivered his homily in Spanish, Catalan...
Read full story →
The Astana Times
June 10, 2026 at 7:12 PM
The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world. ASTANA – The Kazakh capital hosted the C5+1 Critical Minerals Dialogue on June 10, bringing together senior officials from Central Asian countries and the United States to strengthen cooperation on critical mineral supply chains, investment and technological development. Photo credit: The Astana Times/ Fatima Kemelova Opening the dialogue, Kazakhstan’s Minister of Industry and Construction Yersayin Nagaspayev said critical minerals are becoming the foundation of the global technological transition and a new industrial architecture. Kazakhstan’s Minister of Industry and Construction Yersayin Nagaspayev. Photo credit: The Astana Times/ Fatima Kemelova “Central Asia possesses significant mineral resources, growing industrial potential and a strategic location between major global markets. Kazakhstan views the critical minerals sector as a strategic priority and invites American companies to participate in…
Read full story →