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Europe

Archaeologists at Pompeii use AI to reveal the face of one of the victims

A digital portrait represents a man who was among 2 victims discovered as they attempted to flee the city during the AD 79 volcanic eruption.

The Pompeii Archeological Park near Naples, southern Italy. Archaeologists have used artificial intelligence to digitally reconstruct the face of a victim of the AD79 eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Photo: AP

United States & Canada

Bruised by Trump, Nato alliance considers end to annual summits

Trump’s administration has engaged repeatedly in scathing criticism of many of the US-led defence alliance’s 31 other members.

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US President Donald Trump at the Nato summit in The Hague, the Netherlands in June. Photo: Reuters

Africa

Plane crash in South Sudan kills 14

All 13 passengers and the pilot were killed.

Video image shows the wreckage of a Cessna aircraft after it crashed southwest of Juba, South Sudan on Monday. Photo: AP

Football

Champions League semis contrast easy-on-eye PSG-Bayern, robust Atletico-Arsenal

Holders PSG and German champions Bayern each have won Champions League in past six seasons, while Atletico, Arsenal have never lifted trophy.

PSG have been peaking in the second half of the season, and have found a new level since signing Georgia winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (middle) in January last year. Photo: Reuters

Diplomacy

Why tougher US visa rules for skilled foreign workers may end in ‘brain drain’

Trump administration is targeting several visa categories, including popular H-1B pathway, with bias towards fewer numbers and more revenue.

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Illustration: Henry Wong
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Europe

UK PM Starmer faces vote on possible probe over Mandelson

Starmer’s Labour Party has ‌a large majority in parliament and could vote down the launch of an inquiry.

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This handout photograph taken and released by the UK Parliament’s House of Commons on April 20, 2026 shows Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer makes a statement on the vetting procedure undertaken for the former UK ambassador to the United States, Peter Mandelson, on April 20. Photo: AFP/House of Commons

Markets

Alibaba gets nod to spin off warehouse park as Reit in logistics pivot

Hong Kong exchange’s approval is first step in plan to list asset on Shenzhen bourse as Beijing encourages Reit listings.

Employees walk past a company logo at the Alibaba office in Beijing on April 1, 2026. Photo: AFP

Diplomacy

2 months into the Iran war, who holds the upper hand?

Analysts are divided on who has the most to lose as the conflict drags on.

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The war in Iran is dragging on in part because both sides remain confident that time is on their side, according to one analyst. Photo: AFP

Middle East

Video | Over 20,000 seafarers stranded by Strait of Hormuz shutdown

20,000 seafarers on around 1,600 ships are stranded in the Persian Gulf due to transit risks.

Ships and boats in the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Musandam, Oman, April 20, 2026. REUTERS
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Tech Trends

Chinese optical chipmaker’s profit soars 1,153% on strong AI demand

Yuanjie Semiconductor Technology’s profit gain matches its elevenfold share price increase over the past year.

A silicon wafer sample is on display during the Semicon China semiconductor exhibition in Shanghai on March 25, 2026. Photo: AFP
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Science

Chinese supercomputers help crack mystery of Yellowstone volcanic plumbing

Scientists who started research in the US make breakthrough after returning to China and gaining access to domestic computing power.

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The Steamboat Geyser erupts in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. Chinese scientists say Yellowstone’s magma channels were not blasted open by magma forcing its way upward, as long believed. Photo: Reuters

Society

Fire risks not spotted due to old inspection guidelines, Tai Po blaze inquiry told

Government surveyors were following outdated guidelines that didn’t require them to examine renovation works in person at Wang Fuk Court, committee hears.

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A block at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po. The residential complex was undergoing renovation when the fire broke out last November. Photo: Jelly Tse

Law and Crime

Bureau defends Hins Cheung mentor role after mainland China online backlash

Internet users in mainland China slam move to make Cantopop singer mentor in project to rehabilitate young protesters.

Hins Cheung previously expressed “deep repentance” for his past words and actions. Photo: Getty Images

Tech Trends

Chinese robotaxi firms accelerate global roll-outs as cost edge drives expansion

Pony AI and WeRide harness China’s supply chain strength to cut costs, boost efficiency and scale robotaxi fleets worldwide.

A Pony AI robotaxi is displayed at the Beijing Auto Show. Photo: DPA

China Business

China’s CATL touts landmark energy-storage order for sodium-ion batteries

Deal for massive grid storage system shows that CATL has ‘overcome all the challenges in mass-producing sodium-ion batteries’, company says.

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Electricity arcs in a cold-environment demonstration of CATL’s sodium-ion battery technology during Auto China 2026 in Beijing on April 25, 2026. Photo: AP Photo
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United States & Canada

Elon Musk’s trial against Sam Altman reveals power struggle for OpenAI

Musk, one of the original co-founders of OpenAI, is seeking US$150 billion in damages from the company and Microsoft, one of its largest investors.

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OpenAI CEO Sam Altman approached ​Musk about co-founding OpenAI in May 2015. Photo: TNS

Outdoor

Adidas gets lift from 2 sub-2-hour runs, 2 world records at London Marathon

Both men’s and women’s winners, Sabastian Sawe and Yomif Kejelcha, wore the German brand’s new lightweight shoe, as did the men’s runner-up.

Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa (left) and Kenya’s Sabastian Sawe with their Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3 shoes after winning and setting world records at the London Marathon on Sunday. Photo: Reuters

Global Economy

Guangdong’s rule as China’s GDP king faces an unprecedented threat to the crown

A rival provincial powerhouse, with a GDP as big as some G7 nations, is becoming a hub for strategic emerging sectors while outpacing the national economic growth rate.

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A crane lifts a container at a port this month in China’s Jiangsu province, which has been threatening to end Guangdong’s uninterrupted reign as the nation’s largest provincial economy since the late 1980s. Photo: China Daily via Reuters

World Opinion

Opinion | Reopen Strait of Hormuz by reframing Iran’s tolls as reconstruction

The deeper issue is whether post-war reconstruction and security in the Gulf will be handled through negotiation or recurring coercion.

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The Panama-flagged MSC Francesca is seen during seizure by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in the Strait of Hormuz on April 24. Photo: West Asia News Agency via Reuters

Transport

Hong Kong proposes bill for unified regulation of new mass transit projects

Standardised framework would empower authorities to grant franchises, penalise operators and set fare mechanisms to improve service.

Hong Kong plans new law to standardise regulation of future mass transit projects, with tighter oversight on fares, service quality and operators. Photo: Handout
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Politics

Taiwan completes US tank deal as final Abrams shipment reaches port

Acquisition marks the biggest upgrade to Taiwan’s armoured forces in decades as island moves to bolster northern defence.

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A US-made M1A2T Abrams tank fires at a target during a live-fire drill in Taiwan’s Hsinchu county in July 2025. Photo: EPA

China Economy

China outlines new labour protection plan for nation’s 200 million gig workers

The 12-point document pledges stronger protections for gig-economy workforce, which has rapidly grown amid China’s economic slowdown.

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A group of delivery riders for the Chinese online platform Meituan takes a break in Chongqing, southwest China. Photo: Getty Images

China Business

WuXi AppTec posts record first-quarter revenue on strong global demand

Earnings top estimates as multinational pharmaceutical firms ramp up investment and partnerships in China.

WuXi AppTec’s first quarter results marked the third consecutive quarter in which revenue remained above the 12 billion yuan mark. Photo: Shutterstock

Diplomacy

Pakistani president’s visit seeks to bolster ‘full spectrum’ of ties with China

Asif Ali Zardari’s visit also comes at a time when Islamabad is seeking to play a key role in ending the US-Israeli war on Iran.

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Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari (centre) pictured on a visit to an industrial plant in Changsha. Photo: EPA

Fashion & Beauty

The ‘mob wives’ of New York are making fur fly again

Used real fur coats are flying off shelves as ‘thoughtful’ additions to wardrobes. But animal rights activists voice concerns over the trend.

Cowits niece poses wearing a fur coat, recalling “mob wife” fashion. Photo: Instagram/madisonavefurs
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Military

PLA showcases YJ-20 anti-ship missiles as US-Japan-Philippines test war moves

Video of PLA Navy strike tests emerges as US, allies take part in Balikatan 2026, marking Japan’s first-ever operational role in the drills.

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China’s YJ-20 hypersonic anti-ship missile system has a range of 1,000 to 1,500km, a cruising speed of around Mach 6 and a terminal dive speed reaching Mach 10. Photo: Handout

Australasia

India, New Zealand sign ‘once-in-a-generation’ free-trade deal

The deal will cut or remove tariffs on 95 per cent of New Zealand’s exports to India, with all Indian exports to New Zealand duty free.

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New Zealand Trade Minister Todd McClay (right) and Indian Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal after they signed documents on a free-trade agreement in New Delhi on Monday. Photo: AP

Law and Crime

Hong Kong police arrest 9 men in joint Asia-wide crackdown on child pornography

Suspects aged between 18 and 61 held in the city as part of coordinated operation involving seven jurisdictions and more than 300 arrests.

Hong Kong police seized 12 computers and external storage devices, along with eight mobile phones, uncovering more than 200 illicit images and videos. Photo: Shutterstock

People

‘I feel anger’: Japan’s women rise up against constitutional reform push

The women are part of a growing protest wave seeking to protect Japan’s post-war peace commitments.

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People protest against a constitutional amendment allowing Japan to sell weapons overseas, in Tokyo on April 21. Photo: EPA

Diplomacy

Exclusive | Territorial integrity is ‘red line’ for Europe, Finland warns after US Greenland threats

Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen insists on the importance of national sovereignty, saying ‘we react through the means we have’.

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Greenlanders protest against Donald Trump’s threats. Photo: AFP