Three people have died on a cruise ship in the Atlantic, the WHO said Sunday, one a confirmed case of hantavirus an illness usually transmitted to humans from rodents. The outbreak occurred on the MV Hondius, travelling from Ushuaia in Argentina to Cabo Verde, formerly known as Cape Verde. To date, one case of hantavirus infection has been laboratory ...

Jean-Luc Melenchon, the leading figure in the hard-left France Unbowed (La France Insoumise) political party, will stand in next years presidential election, he said on Sunday. Yes, I am a candidate, Melenchon told TF1 TV. Melenchon, 74, has been a fixture of the French left for decades, holding ministerial posts in past governments when he was a Socialist ...

A cargo ship near the Strait of Hormuz has reported being attacked by multiple small craft, the British militarys United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre said on Sunday, marking at least two dozen attacks in and around the strait since the Iran war began. All crew on the unidentified northbound carrier were safe after the attack off Sirik, Iran, ...

Beijings point man on Hong Kong affairs has called on the alumni of the prestigious Tsinghua University to help the city better serve national development with their patriotism, pragmatism and global networks. Adding to the remarks by the director of the central governments liaison office on Sunday, city leader John Lee Ka-chiu also expressed hope that more ...

China may be feeling uneasy about talk of a rare five-year defence cooperation plan between North Korea and Russia that could accelerate Pyongyangs military modernisation on multiple fronts, analysts said. According to the Russian state news agency Tass, Russian Defence Minister Andrey Belousov held talks to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Pyongyang on ...

China has ordered companies throughout the country not to comply with US sanctions on five Chinese oil refiners accused of trading in Iranian fuel, a move observers say could mark a new stage in Beijings pushback against American long-arm jurisdiction. The order is the first application of a measure designed to block improper foreign actions, and could be a ...

A state-backed Nigerian militia, operating alongside the military, killed scores of ethnic Fulani herders in a raid, local sources have told journalists. The herders were killed in an operation that also involved vigilantes from Benin, just across the border from Niger State, after the herders were accused of being informants for the jihadist group Ansaru. ...

At the end of March, China inaugurated the World Data Organisation in Beijing, a body with a stated mission of bridging the data divide, unlocking datas value and powering the digital economy. The move is the latest signal of a broader trend: over the past several years, Beijing has developed a distinct data governance strategy to drive artificial ...

For decades, the global image of Chinese trade was synonymous with massive container ships loaded with footwear, bags and furniture. However, a profound structural shift is under way. Having conquered the world of physical goods, China is now rapidly ascending the industrial chain as an emerging exporter of manufacturing technology. In 2025, the countrys ...

Renewed calls have been raised to allow Hong Kongs young families to use part of their mandatory pension savings to buy homes, with a recent survey finding that high flat prices and large down payments have dampened their desire to own homes. The study released on Sunday also called for the government to offer housing loans to first-time buyers and to halve ...

Hong Kong police are searching for a man suspected of causing criminal damage to the sign outside the United States consulate in Central. Police received a report at around 2.40pm on Sunday from consulate staff that the sign on the exterior wall of the premises at Garden Road showed signs of tampering. Officers at the scene discovered the first S in the ...

Donald Trumps latest attacks on US allies in Europe including the order to withdraw troops from Germany and threats to do the same in Italy and Spain may help to relieve the pressure on China. For now, Beijings priority should be to deny the US the chance to redirect attention towards China and let Washingtons own actions do the work, some analysts have ...

A small boat carrying migrants trying to cross the English Channel ran aground on a beach in northern France, leaving two dead and 16 people injured, including three with serious burns, authorities said on Sunday. The vessel, carrying 82 people, set out overnight from Hardelot beach, a few kilometres south of the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer, but the engine ...

During a recent concert in Beijing, as Persian melodies flowed from ancient instruments played by Majid and Massoud Shamaeezadah, the Iran war was never far from the twin brothers minds. Every time we play, we think of our country, Iran, Majid said afterwards. Our music is very deep. It carries many feelings at once: sadness, happiness and imagination of ...

A proposed accountability framework will hold government department heads personally liable for systemic loopholes that they fail to flag to superiors, Hong Kongs civil service chief has said. Secretary for the Civil Service Ingrid Yeung Ho Poi-yan also said that public perception could play a role in decisions on pay adjustments for government employees, ...

Tents beneath Hong Kong bus terminuses that have drawn online complaints during mainland Chinas Labour Day golden week holiday are being used by foreign domestic helpers, who say they have nowhere else to go on days off. Images of tents lining streets across the city, from Tai Po to Central and Tseung Kwan O, have circulated widely on social media in recent ...

Japans prime minister is set to arrive in Australia to strengthen ties with one of her countrys strongest allies as she seeks to build on an updated regional strategy laid out in Vietnam. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is scheduled to touch down late on Sunday local time in Canberra for the three-day visit, which will focus on defence, critical minerals and ...

Two American military cargo aircraft have been spotted landing in Beijing another apparent sign that US President Donald Trumps trip to China will go ahead as expected this month. According to images posted on Chinese social media by several aviation photography enthusiasts, the C-17 US Air Force heavy-lifters bearing the tail numbers 088204 and 055140 on ...

Nearly 60 per cent of homeless residents in Hong Kong plan to reduce medical visits in response to higher public medical fees introduced this year, a non-governmental organisation survey has found, with advocates urging authorities to introduce automatic waivers and simplify subsidy application procedures. Kenny Ng Kwan-lim, deputy head of programmes at ...

Hong Kong should not renew the HK$3 per litre diesel subsidy when it expires at the end of June. Instead, it should use the funds to launch a crash programme to accelerate electrification of public transport, starting with the minibus fleet. The crisis in the Middle East has had a serious impact on fuel prices. In response, a government task force has ...

Two foreign activists from a Gaza-bound flotilla who were brought to Israel for interrogation appeared before an Israeli court on Sunday, according to the rights group defending them. The flotilla of more than 50 vessels had set sail from France, Spain and Italy with the aim of breaking an Israeli blockade of Gaza and bringing supplies to the devastated ...

A robot in a high-visibility vest carrying a loud hailer while patrolling a park in Chinas northeastern Jilin province has caused much amusement online. We have sprayed pesticides in the park. It is highly poisonous, the robot was exclaiming through the loud hailer. The robot was also saying that when worms eat the pesticide it they instantly lie down and ...

As the energy shock unleashed by tensions in the Middle East rippled through Africa, a massive oil refinery in Nigerias biggest city of Lagos, owned by Africas wealthiest man, came to the rescue. Running at its full capacity of 650,000 barrels per day, the worlds biggest single-train refinery supplied fuel to many African countries that usually relied on ...

A woman carrying a knife has been arrested after being tackled by the crowd during the Rain Rave Water Music Festival in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday night. In a viral video, a man can be seen attempting to disarm the woman. Several others from the crowd, along with security personnel, then joined in to restrain her until the police arrived. She was seen being ...

Astronomers in Japan have recently launched what they say is the countrys first organisation dedicated to the search for alien life, with radio observations planned in the summer next year. They must exist somewhere in the universe. Im excited to be putting this into action, said Shinya Narusawa, an astrophysical expert at the University of Hyogo and head ...