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Trump ‘insists’ to Netanyahu that he will continue...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/11

US President Donald Trump held talks with Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday to discuss renewed US nuclear talks with Iran, and said he told the Israeli prime minister that negotiations with Tehran would continue to see if a deal could be reached. Netanyahu had been expected to push for Trump to ‌widen talks with Iran beyond its nuclear programme to include limits on Tehran’s missile arsenal and other security threats. In their seventh meeting since Trump returned to office last year, Netanyahu

Trump’s attorney general accused of hiding names in...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/11

A Republican US lawmaker on Wednesday accused Attorney General ⁠Pam Bondi of concealing the names of powerful associates of the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein as she faced questions about the Justice Department’s handling of investigative files in a charged hearing before a House of Representatives panel. Congressman Thomas Massie, a Republican from Kentucky, who helped lead the effort to require the files’ release, accused the Justice Department of a “massive

Man questioned about Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/11

Fresh surveillance images from Nancy Guthrie’s porch the night she went missing, coupled with intense police activity across Arizona and the detention of a man had raised hopes that authorities were nearing a major break.By Wednesday, however, the man said he had been released after questioning, leaving it unclear where the investigation stood into last week’s disappearance of Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie. Just hours after the FBI released videos on...

Nato launches Arctic Sentry mission in bid to ease...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/11

Nato said on Wednesday that it had launched a mission to strengthen its presence in the Arctic, part of an effort to defuse severe tensions within the alliance prompted by US President Donald Trump’s push for the US to acquire Greenland. The new mission, Arctic Sentry, will coordinate an increasing military presence of Nato allies in the region, including exercises such as Denmark’s Arctic Endurance on Greenland, the ‌alliance’s military headquarters said in a statement. Nato did not quantify...

Carney says Canada ‘mourns’ with Tumbler Ridge after...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/11

Canadians were in shock on Wednesday after one of the country’s deadliest mass shootings as authorities said seven people were killed at a school in remote northern British Columbia and two others were killed at a nearby home. A woman that police believed was the shooter was found dead, apparently from a self-inflicted wound. Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) said more than 25 people were wounded in Tuesday’s shooting, including two who were airlifted for medical care with life-threatening...

What will headline the Xi-Trump summit? Former US...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/11

Economic issues are expected to take centre stage at the US-China summit in April but regional security will also feature, according to former US ambassador to Beijing Nicholas Burns. Speaking via a video link to the Yale Centre Beijing on Tuesday, Burns said US President Donald Trump would be “right to focus on economic issues” during his trip to the Chinese capital for talks with President Xi Jinping. “And let us hope that they can sustain the truce in tariffs – the tariff wars – and

US adds 130,000 jobs in January amid Trump policy...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/11

US job growth beat expectations in January while unemployment crept down, official data showed on Wednesday, defying immediate concerns about labour market fragility on the back of US President Donald Trump’s economic policies. The United States added 130,000 jobs last month, the Department of Labour said, significantly higher than the 55,000 predicted in surveys by Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal. The jobless rate dropped to 4.3 per cent from 4.4 per cent in December. Trump...

Police chief says no let-up on national security...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/11

Hong Kong’s police chief has said that national security remains a priority despite the city’s overall stabilising social situation, citing absconders and foreign forces among lingering threats. Commissioner of Police Joe Chow Yat-ming said on Wednesday the force would continue to ramp up intelligence gathering and enhance national security education among officers and the public, especially young people. “National security is a concept that requires everyone’s participation. That’s why we

How AI, delivery drones helped China cut logistics...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/11

China’s logistics efficiency hit a new high in 2025, as expanding infrastructure investment and rapid adoption of new technologies supported productivity growth in the world’s second-largest economy. The ratio of total social logistics costs to gross domestic product fell to 13.9 per cent in 2025 – the lowest level on record – down from 14.1 per cent in 2024, according to data released by the National Development and Reform Commission. That meant 13.9 yuan (US$2.01) was spent on logistics for...

German court jails US military contractor in China...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/11

A US citizen was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison on Wednesday for offering China sensitive information while working as a civilian contractor at a US military base in Germany. The defendant, only partially named as Martin D., was put on trial in a German court in the western city of Koblenz, with proceedings held partly behind closed doors. In 2024, prosecutors charged that Martin D. had “contacted Chinese government agencies several times and offered to pass on sensitive...

Hong Kong to recruit 2 civil service directors with...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/11

Hong Kong authorities have launched an unprecedented open recruitment exercise for director positions overseeing information services and environmental hygiene, with “strong political acumen” listed as a common requirement. The government posted the two job advertisements on its website on Wednesday, seeking directors for the Information Services Department and the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department. The posts will report to the permanent secretaries for home and youth affairs, and...

Trump administration blames Mexican cartel drones for...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/11

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reopened the airspace around El Paso International Airport in Texas on Wednesday morning, just hours after it announced a 10-day closure that would have grounded all flights to and from the airport. The FAA said in a social media post that it has lifted the temporary closure of the airspace over El Paso, saying there was no threat to commercial aviation and that all flights will resume. Transport Secretary Sean Duffy said in a post on social media...

Hong Kong vendors upbeat despite rent rises as crowds...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/11

Vendors at Hong Kong’s biggest Lunar New Year fair are confident of strong sales this year despite higher rents, with some noting a larger turnout in Causeway Bay on the event’s opening day than in 2025. Hundreds of shoppers visited the fair at Victoria Park on Wednesday to check out the offerings at 400 stalls, which included horse-themed merchandise, flowers and street food to celebrate the Year of the Horse. The fair is one of 14 across the city in locations such as Tsuen Wan, Kwun Tong

China is leading in holistic AI development. Can the...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/11

After a series of roller-coaster rides in financial markets, serious concerns remain about the long-term profitability of major artificial intelligence (AI) companies that mostly rely on circular financing – investing in each other to prop up demand. This volatility is worrisome when many Americans’ retirement pensions are closely tied to AI stocks, which have contributed to 80 per cent of the US stock market’s rise and 40 per cent of US GDP growth last year. Amid fears of a bubble, polls...

Ex-fintech executive who stole HK$19.2 million jailed...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/11

A former senior executive of a Hong Kong fintech company has been jailed for 6½ years for stealing HK$19.2 million (US$2.45 million) from his employer and laundering part of the money to support his gambling addiction and lavish lifestyle. The High Court on Wednesday handed down the sentence to Shum Lok-man after the 38-year-old divorcee pleaded guilty to three counts of theft and two of money laundering, admitting he gambled away 99 per cent of the proceeds. The court heard Shum had

As Central Asia builds ‘smart cities’ with China, is...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/11

Central Asian governments are forging ahead with ambitious “smart city” mega-projects to tackle rapid population growth and ageing Soviet-era infrastructure. They are also pulling in much-needed foreign investment, and China’s strong visibility in these projects – while Russia is notably absent – is fuelling debate over whether the region is trying to reduce its economic dependence on Moscow. It comes as competition among major powers in Central Asia is intensifying, with the US-led C5+1...

Gunman holds students and teachers hostage at Thai...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/11

A gunman was ‌holding an unknown number of students and ⁠teachers hostage ‌in a school ‌in southern Thailand’s ⁠Songkhla ⁠on ‌Wednesday, the ‌provincial administration said on social media.More to follow …

Iran’s revolution anniversary marred by protests,...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/11

Iran marked the 47th anniversary of its 1979 Islamic Revolution on Wednesday as the country’s theocracy remains under pressure, both from US President Donald Trump who suggested sending another aircraft carrier group to the Middle East and a public angrily denouncing Tehran’s bloody crackdown on nationwide protests. The commemoration represented a split-screen view of life in Iran, with state television showing hundreds of thousands of people across the country attending pro-government

China accuses US of seeking to revive its nuclear...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/11

China has rejected US claims that it conducted a nuclear test in 2020, saying the accusation is “an excuse” to justify a potential US return to nuclear testing. “The United States has persistently distorted and smeared China’s nuclear policy,” foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said on Wednesday. The pushback was in response to a statement by Thomas DiNanno, US undersecretary of state for arms control and international security, in Geneva on Friday. “The US government is aware that China has...

Gundam, Godzilla to headline Asian IP festival...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/11

An Asia-wide intellectual property festival will be held in Hong Kong in April, featuring Japanese musicians – including Cocomi as its ambassador – and pop culture exports such as hit franchises Gundam and Godzilla. Held at AsiaWorld-Expo on April 4 and 5, Con-Con Hong Kong will also showcase immersive exhibitions and dialogue sessions with Asian creators. “Con-Con”, which stands for Convention for Connection, was designed as a cross-sector platform with intellectual property (IP) at its

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