Plastic pollution flowing into oceans to triple by 2040: study
SINGAPORE – The amount of plastic waste flowing into the ocean and killing marine life could triple in the next 20 years, unless companies and governments can drastically reduce plastic…
China launches independent, unmanned Mars mission
WENCHANG, China – China has successfully launched an unmanned probe to Mars in its first independent mission to another planet, a bid for global leadership in space and a display…
China says UK citizenship pathway for Hong Kong residents violates international law
SHANGHAI – A new British policy allowing Hong Kong residents to claim British citizenship is a violation of international law and interferes with China’s internal affairs, China’s embassy in London…
US gives China 72 hours to shut Houston consulate, Trump says other closures ‘always possible’
BEIJING/WASHINGTON – The United States has given China 72 hours to close its consulate in Houston amid accusations of spying, marking a dramatic deterioration in relations between the world’s two biggest…
PM Johnson seeks to revive strained relations with Scotland
LONDON – Prime Minister Boris Johnson will seek to play down tensions with Scotland during a visit on Thursday, saying that the COVID-19 crisis has shown the collective power of…
UK’s Prince Philip hands over patronage of the Rifles after 67 years
WINDSOR, England – Prince Philip, the 99-year-old husband of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth, has made a rare public appearance to hand over his patronage of the Rifles to Prince Charles’s wife,…
Thailand to extend emergency decree until end of August
BANGKOK – Thailand will extend a state of emergency until the end of August, a senior official says, maintaining the security measure put in place to contain its coronavirus outbreak.…
US Senate report accuses China of ‘digital authoritarianism’
WASHINGTON – China is using its technological rise to develop “digital authoritarianism” to conduct surveillance and censor information not just within its borders, but around the world, a US Senate…
Pompeo to discuss tackling China with PM Johnson after Huawei ban
LONDON – US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will discuss ways to tackle the growing might of China when he meets Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson, just a week after…
Hong Kong tightens coronavirus restrictions as cases hit record
HONG KONG – Hong Kong has tightened coronavirus restrictions, with non-essential civil servants told to work from home from this week, as the global financial hub reported a record number of daily…
