The Hong Kong Investment Corporation (HKIC) recorded a major jump in investment income during its second year of operation, as it expanded its role as the city’s “patient capital” engine driving local economic development. The wholly state-owned investment firm generated about HK$6.46 billion (US$824 million) in investment income in 2025, a stunning 175 per cent year-on-year increase, according to its latest financial report released on Thursday. The fund achieved a net internal rate of return...

After vanishing from a market near her home 35 years ago, a woman in southern China has finally been reunited with her birth family. However, injuries found on her face and the failure of nearby broadcast appeals to reach her parents fuelled online speculation about how she disappeared. Zhong Fenglin, 37, once lived near a market in Nanning, Guangxi, where her parents sold ginger and garlic. In 1991, her father took the two-year-old to his vegetable stall. Unable to watch her while working, he...

Every year, summer rains cause flooding in China. They also bring high-stakes work for officials. Once an evacuation order goes out, local governments have long checked on families by calling them on the phone. Xie Yunshi, an official in the suburbs of the Chinese capital, told Beijing Daily that when waters rose in the past, his department would organise a dozen people to call every single family, sometimes at midnight. But this year, Xie spent the price of a latte to solve this problem. He...

Argentina may face FIFA disciplinary action after displaying a Falklands sovereignty banner. The team celebrated a World Cup semi-final victory over England with the controversial message. This political display follows a similar incident for which Argentina was previously fined. Argentina's vice-president supported the players' actions on social media platforms. The team now prepares for the World Cup final against Spain.

The New York Times has filed a motion to quash subpoenas that the Justice Department served on journalists who reported on security concerns involving the new, Qatari-gifted Air Force One, teeing up a significant court fight over press freedom and the government’s ability to force reporters to identify sources

Harry Kane has revealed Thomas Tuchel's final touchline instruction before England's World Cup semi-final collapse against Argentina. Despite taking the lead, Tuchel urged his players to keep attacking rather than defend. England instead conceded twice late on, with Kane admitting the team ultimately tried to hold on as another major tournament ended in heartbreaking fashion.

Wildfire smoke turned skies orange over Toronto and the rest of Ontario.

US lawmakers are pushing for more scrutiny of Chinese investment in pharmaceuticals and biotechnology, as Washington’s strategic competition with Beijing expands beyond semiconductors and artificial intelligence into the healthcare sector. Bipartisan US senators on Wednesday unveiled legislation aimed at increasing transparency around foreign influence in the pharmaceutical industry, amid growing concerns over US dependence on China for critical drug ingredients and medical supply chains. “There...

State MP abandons supreme court challenge, saying her party ‘can now decide whether to pursue mediation or reconvene to disendorse me’

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Victorian Liberal MP Moira Deeming has dropped legal action against her own party as she seeks to make a last-ditch appeal to avoid being disendorsed before the state election.

Deeming launched an 11th-hour

There are currently 838 wildfires actively burning across the country, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre.

Journalists who had reported on security concerns around the new Air Force One, a gift from Qatar, received summons

The New York Times on Wednesday filed a motion to quash subpoenas the justice department served journalists who reported on security concerns involving the new Air Force One, a gift from Qatar, teeing up a significant court fight over press freedom and the government’s ability to force reporters to identify sources.

“As we set out in our motion, these subpoenas are brought in bad faith to punish the Times for its coverage. They violate the constitutional rights of the Times and its journalists. We are going to court to defend our journalists’ rights to report freely on the administration and to provide the public with stories that matter,” David McCraw, the newspaper’s senior vice-president and deputy general counsel, said in a statement.

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The Israel Defense Forces removed soldier Shira Braun from its international communications unit and imposed a suspended jail sentence after she appeared in a livestream with controversial influencer Braden "Clavicular" Peters. The IDF said the action was based on her conduct, not misuse of official systems. Peters, known for his ties to polarizing internet figures and controversial content, drew criticism during his Israel visit, prompting debate over military standards, influencer culture, and institutional accountability.

Dena Karari, dual US-Iranian citizen, ‘now safely outside of Iran, and in good condition’, president posts on Truth Social

Donald Trump said Wednesday Iran had agreed to release an American citizen who was “wrongfully detained” since December 2024.

“She is now safely outside of Iran, and in good condition,” Trump wrote on social media, without naming the woman. “The United States of America appreciates this gesture of Goodwill by Iran!”

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By keeping the number of investments to about 25 per fund, Greylock aims to remain what it calls "the most important partner" to its founders.

Hong Kong suspended classes on Thursday morning after the city’s weather forecaster issued a red rainstorm warning, which was lowered to amber in less than two hours. The red warning was raised at 7.40am and replaced by the amber signal at 9.25am. The Education Bureau said students attending morning and whole-day schools were not required to go to class while the red warning was in force. Schools should nevertheless keep their premises open to care for students who have already arrived, the...

'There was blood in the water, and we went for it,' Argentina coach said of the relentless late attacks against England.

Organized cleanliness drives now precede Prime Minister Modi's state visits across India. These initiatives transform pre-VVIP spruce-ups into public campaigns involving citizens and officials. Haryana launched a statewide drive ahead of Prime Minister Modi's upcoming visit to Jind. Similar campaigns were observed in Odisha and West Bengal during recent visits. The true success of these drives will be measured by sustained cleanliness after the visits conclude.

The latest round of attacks comes amid continued threats by Trump to “knock out” Iran’s power plants and bridges unless Tehran returns to the negotiating table.

The Congress party is not favoring a leadership change in its Punjab unit. This stance comes despite some functionaries demanding Amarinder Raja Warring's removal. Party leaders are wary of reversing recent appointments, which caused internal backlash. Dissidence presents a difficult situation for the Congress party ahead of polls. The party may try to persuade dissidents with assurances and future promises.

The nation’s years of pain continue.

Adaptation to frightening new normal and reducing emissions further and faster is critical, scientists warn

Dozens of people drowned, hundreds had to be rescued and thousands were displaced when floods struck the coasts of west Africa last month.

Now scientists have concluded that the rains that caused the floods were supercharged by climate breakdown. Global heating, they say, turned what should have been a routine weather event into a climate catastrophe.

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Iranian media report explosions on Qeshm Island, Bandar Abbas and Chabahar, as Bahrain and Kuwait sound air raid sirens.

Japan has voiced concern about the United States’ campaign against the International Criminal Court (ICC), exposing a diplomatic bind for Tokyo as it seeks to defend a tribunal it has long championed without provoking its most important security ally. Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara told a press conference in Tokyo on Tuesday that Japan “places great importance on the eradication and prevention of serious crimes, as well as the upholding of the rule of law”. He added that Japan, the...

US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that arch foe Iran has freed an American citizen detained since December 2024 and allowed her to leave the country. “She is now safely outside of Iran, and in good condition,” Trump posted on social media, adding: “The United States of America appreciates this gesture of Goodwill by Iran!” Trump – who in recent days has ordered a resumption of strikes against Iran and reimposed a naval blockade of its ports – did not name the woman or describe why she...

Skullcandy’s audio products aren’t exactly known for their stellar audio quality or noise cancellation, but its latest headphones are getting an assist from Bose to turn things around.

Coin commemorating 250th anniversary will be released this fall and marks first time a living president appears on currency

The treasury department announced on Wednesday that the US Mint has started producing a new commemorative $1 coin featuring Donald Trump as part of the nation’s 250th anniversary celebration.

The coin is scheduled for release this fall. Treasury officials said its final design was approved earlier this year by the US Commission of Fine Arts, whose members were appointed by Trump.

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Microsoft is looking to sell its in-house AI models as more efficient and cost-effective than its competitors' models.

England manager Tuchel swapped Reece James for Dan Burn, and Declan Rice for defender Nico O’Reilly in the 82nd minute.

India's MBBS capacity reaches a record 1,36,939 seats for the 2026-27 academic session. This expansion is driven by new regulations allowing earlier seat increase applications. The National Medical Commission approved 9,911 additional undergraduate seats across the nation. These new seats include those in newly established and existing medical colleges. Private institutions contributed significantly to this substantial increase in medical seats.

Global views appear to have flipped in Beijing’s favour, driven in part by tensions between the Trump administration and US allies, a new Pew survey shows

The world has largely viewed the US more favourably than China for years, but those opinions have flipped in Beijing’s favour this year, according to a new poll from the Pew Research Center, a remarkable shift driven in part by tensions between the Trump administration and US allies.

More people have favourable views of China than the US in 25 out of the 36 countries and territories that were surveyed, including Canada and Mexico. The poll was conducted from February to May, a period when the United States and Israel were engaged in a war against Iran.

Blanche faces a bipartisan grilling as he seeks to assume the role of US attorney general permanently.

The United States has launched fresh strikes on Iranian missile and coastal defense sites after reinstating a naval blockade. Iran responded by warning it could disrupt more regional energy exports. DW has more.

Delayed birth and death registrations may soon require judicial magistrate orders. The government proposes this change to tighten the existing registration process. Reporting births and deaths after two years will need judicial approval. This aims to ensure near real-time recording and prevent misuse. The proposed amendment was placed before the Cabinet for consideration.

The banner, held up by Lisandro Martinez and Giovani Lo Celso, goes against FIFA’s Stadium Code of Conduct.

A former Canadian government nuclear bomb shelter in rural Nova Scotia may soon be home to the country’s first large-scale luxury survival shelter.

Setting a timer to take a short break after every 25 minutes of study, compiling a “mistakes booklet” to learn from past errors and using artificial intelligence to boost English skills are among the strategies used by top scorers in this year’s university entrance exam in Hong Kong. However, some of the 24 high achievers of this year’s Diploma of Secondary Education (DSE) exams said they would not rely too much on AI as this would prevent them from genuinely absorbing the knowledge. Wong...

A judge has temporarily blocked a Trump administration immigration policy. This policy targeted foreign researchers and fact-checkers working on misinformation. The judge found the policy likely violated the First Amendment and APA. This ruling allows researchers to continue their important work without fear. The litigation will now proceed on the merits of the case.

New Mexico says the withheld records are critical to its criminal investigation into alleged abuse at Epstein’s ranch.

Roughly 100 fires are raging out of control in Ontario, sending smoke streaming 1,000 miles to the south and east.

Mykhailo Fedorov announced he was leaving the ministry on Wednesday after conflicts with generals and military contractors over the role of innovative weaponry.

The address comes as the White House revives scrutiny of the 2020 election and pushes new voting restrictions.

Scientists describe "amazing feeling" to look into the face of an animal that so few people knew existed.

A large section of the giant Morandi motorway bridge crumbled and collapsed on to the railway tracks below.

United States forces disabled an oil tanker attempting to reach Iran's Kharg Island port. This action occurred during the initial enforcement period of a reinstated naval blockade. The vessel ignored multiple warnings and attempted to violate the US blockade. US forces also launched strikes against Iranian military capabilities in the region. Iran has condemned the blockade and warned of wider energy disruption.

Patrick Mahomes sparked online debate after publicly interacting with Brittany Mahomes' Instagram post but not sharing a birthday tribute for his half-sister, Mia Randall. Fans quickly noticed the omission, though there is no indication he didn't celebrate privately. The Chiefs quarterback is also balancing a busy offseason of celebrity events while preparing for the 2026 NFL season.