Meta to launch teen accounts on Instagram in Hong Kong this week
New protections require parent or guardian to be assigned as account handler, allowing adults to oversee their children’s online activities.
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Trump signs order on plastic drinking straws, says paper ones ‘explode’
Move by Trump targets a Biden administration policy to phase out federal purchases of single-use plastics, including straws.
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Singapore’s pandan cakes, extortion at Jakarta airport: 7 Asia highlights
From an iconic dessert to a ‘missing’ Malaysian influencer, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent Asia reporting.
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Beijing’s Xia Baolong urges Hong Kong to better integrate into development plans
No 2 official Eric Chan says HKMAO director ‘very concerned’ about Hong Kong, with focus on Greater Bay Area cooperation.
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Why China’s not in a rush to make trade concessions to Trump
While trade negotiations will not completely break down, Beijing is unlikely to engage without concrete win-win proposals.
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DeepSeek ends promotional pricing amid surging popularity, secures AI.com redirect
DeepSeek has raised the price of accessing its V3 model via API for the first time since it exploded in popularity last month.
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Trump’s Panama tensions augur risk for Chinese investments
US claims of Chinese influence in Panama Canal may not affect operations, analysts said, but Beijing’s investments in the region could be a target.
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Australia makes its case against US tariffs on steel, aluminium
‘Thousands of good-paying American jobs’ have been created by Australia’s steel and aluminium exports, its trade minister said on Monday.
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Hong Kong national security police question 2 relatives of fugitive Carmen Lau
Relatives of Lau, a former Wong Tai Sin district councillor and opposition figure, brought in to police station in Sha Tin.
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China has met most of its 5-year goals. It hasn’t done so well on emissions
Country will struggle to meet targets for energy consumption and carbon emissions reduction, according to Tsinghua University analysis.
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Trump tells US Treasury to stop minting new pennies
US president said cost to produce a penny was ‘more than 2 cents’, calling it ‘so wasteful’.
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Legal challenge to US tariffs, Chinese billionaires, Nezha 2: 5 weekend reads you missed
From a legal hurdle for US tariffs to a record-breaking animated film, here are five stories you may have missed over the weekend.
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Aga Khan, leader of Ismaili Muslims, laid to rest in Egypt during private burial ceremony
The spiritual leader, who is widely regarded as a builder of bridges between Muslim societies and West, died in Portugal on Tuesday.
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Sam Nujoma, Namibia’s fiery freedom fighter and first president, dies at 95
Nujoma built ties with China, North Korea, Cuba, Russia - some of which had supported his liberation movement by providing arms and training.
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Hongkongers lose HK$200 million to scams in a week, AI voice-cloning used
Merchant swindled out of HK$145 million after scammers use artificial intelligence to mimic voice of financial manager of mainland firm.
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Why China’s best bet is growing and sharing the green tech pie
Countries don’t want to be relegated to the least profitable roles in the green transition. China must share the pie for long-term stability.
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Thai hostage freed from Gaza feels ‘reborn’ after return home
The hostages were five of the 31 Thais abducted by Hamas, while two were confirmed dead in May and one is believed to be alive in Gaza.
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Macau and Hong Kong put on notice by Beijing point man’s visit, experts say
Xia Baolong’s visit to Hengqin, coming quick on the heels of the president’s to Macau, shows Beijing is stressing need to speed up development of Hengqin and nudge Hong Kong.
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Are China’s rural poor losing faith in education’s power to transform lives?
Farmers are turning away from educating their children beyond compulsory schooling, a gap that could lead to a human capital crisis.
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Why China’s super-rich are spending billions to set up universities
For China’s billionaires, founding new universities offers a chance to make money – and demonstrate they are ‘politically correct’.
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