A Malaysian factory worker who had spent nearly seven years building a life in South Korea was killed after going to help a friend caught up in a late-night confrontation, his family said – prompting an online fundraiser that collected about 80,000 ringgit (US$19,600) within a day to bring his body home. Ahmad Shah Ahmad Ros, 26, died in the early hours of Sunday in Daeso-eup, Eumseong county, about 130km (80 miles) southeast of Seoul. Local police have arrested a Malaysian man in his forties on...

Australia will consider building its first new oil refinery in more than 60 years, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Tuesday, as war in the Middle East ‌squeezes supplies from overseas and underscores the urgency to improve energy security. Albanese said the project will help build Australia’s resilience and sovereign capability on fuel, potentially helping shield the country from future supply shocks. If the project proves feasible, the new large-scale oil refinery will be built by...

Hongkonger Ms Lam has long known she is carrying a ticking time bomb after her mother and grandmother died of liver cancer. Her mother was completely asymptomatic until a late-stage diagnosis left no option for surgery. “I knew I carried the hepatitis B virus when I was in my twenties and had since then undergone regular health check-ups to manage the bomb,” the woman in her fifties recalled. Her regular checks were only disrupted during the Covid-19 pandemic. When she returned for a check-up in...

Hong Kong’s first large-scale Northern Metropolis land disposal tender was designed to test a new public-private partnership model integrating housing, economic transformation and innovation. As the Hung Shui Kiu pilot tender concludes, the market’s response provides insights into investor sentiment and highlights opportunities to strengthen future phases. The key question is how to turn this vision into projects that attract sustained private-sector participation. The tender shows investor...

The ex-leader of Hong Kong’s opposition Democratic Party, Wu Chi-wai, has been allowed to stay in the UK for six months, following reports that he faced deportation after he was briefly detained at the border last week. Wu Chi-wai. File Photo: Democratic Party. “I know that, throughout this event, many Hong Kong people and friends everywhere have been working tirelessly during this period, speaking out for me and voicing opinions through various channels and methods,” Wu said in a video posted by Green Bean Media, a Hong Kong diaspora media outlet. “With everyone’s assistance, today – on the afternoon of July 27, 2026 – I finally received a document issued by the UK Border Force officially approving my entry and granting me a standard stay of six months,” Wu said in Cantonese. The 63-year-old was released from prison in Hong Kong last month after serving four years and five months for conspiracy to commit subversion in the city’s largest national security case. Subversion is an offence under Hong Kong’s national security law, unilaterally imposed by Beijing in June 2020 to also criminalise secession, collusion with foreign forces, and terrorist acts. Wu Chi-wai speaks after being allowed to stay in the UK for six months. Photo: Screenshot via Green Bean Media. Wu also served a separate 14-month jail term for two authorised assembly cases. Immigration bail According to a Monday Associated Press report, Wu landed in the UK last week to see his wife and son in London but was only granted seven-day immigration bail. It would have seen him removed from the country this Wednesday. The AP reported that Wu, concerned his conviction would hinder his entry to Britain, informed the UK consulate in Hong Kong of his plans. But UK border authorities believed Wu could have other goals such as seeking long-term residence and only granted him seven days. He denied seeking asylum, despite reports from The Times last week, but said he had a long-term intention to reunite with his family: “Start afresh and cherish the time I have to reunite with my family… I feel this is my most important task in the near future.” Wu said in the Green Bean video: “With everyone reflecting opinions through different channels, that collective effort turned into a force that ultimately overturned the decision to deny my entry.” The Home Office also confirmed Wu was granted permission to enter the country, according to reports. ‘Discretionary treatment’ Nevertheless, Wu said his experience “failed to assuage Hongkongers’ concerns regarding entering and exiting the UK,” noting that his arrangement was discretionary treatment, not standard procedure. “The government has made it very clear that this case itself does not constitute any precedent. The entry procedures still require further clarification to avoid causing distress to Hongkongers,” he said. “Once again, thank you to all the friends who care for myself and for Hongkongers. I have been separated from my family for five and a half years, and I long to reunite with them and live a peaceful life. I also hope that all Hong Kong people can live well and cherish their loved ones. Thank you, everyone!” he said. The Democratic Party, which Wu once led, passed a resolution to disband last December, after operating in the city for more than three decades. In 2021, 47 prominent democrats were arrested and charged under the 2020 security law with “conspiracy to commit subversion,” after they organised primaries in a bid to win the 2020 legislative election. They were accused of planning to use legislative powers to indiscriminately veto bills, whilst forcing the chief executive’s resignation and a government shutdown. Most were detained for almost four years since their arrest. The scholars, lawmakers, activists and a journalist faced three hand-picked judges, with no jury. Sixteen pleaded not guilty whilst 31 pleaded guilty – of those, four acted as witnesses for the prosecution against their peers during the 118-day trial.

The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) has conducted a spot inspection after reports of a rat infestation at a Ka Wai Estate ParknShop supermarket in Hung Hom. Rodents at ParknShop in Hung Hom. Photo: @pennyyyymt via Threads. A Threads post shared on July 15 appeared to show rodents scurrying around the produce at around midnight. The supermarket said it had disposed of the affected food and engaged a pest control company to conduct disinfection and cleaning, according to HK01. In a Facebook post on Monday, the FEHD said it had launched a surprise inspection of the store and noted holes in the walls and evidence of rodent activity. Food and Environmental Hygiene Department officers inspect a Ka Wai Estate ParknShop supermarket in Hung Hom. Photo: FEHD, via FB. It issued statutory orders to the store and nearby premises requiring corrections within a set deadline. The department also promised follow-up inspections.

China to legislate on preschool education

China to legislate on preschool education

Storms and flooding incidents over the last few months have seen fake videos inundating social media.

As Japan increasingly relies on foreign workers, it is also grappling with how to integrate new cultures and religions.

The US Senate will vote Tuesday on Russian sanctions, days after Ukraine attacked an Iranian vessel in the Caspian Sea.

US regulator warns of Boeing 737 MAX seat safety concerns, calls for inspection of 453 US-registered jets.