Scammers posing as police cheat 42 mainland students in Hong Kong out of millions

More than 40 mainland students studying in Hong Kong fell victim to scammers impersonating Chinese law enforcement officers in the first quarter of this year, police said on Sunday, with the biggest case involving over HK$8 million (US$1.02 million).
Among the 42 cases, one victim was tricked into staging her own “abduction” after being lured to Thailand, despite having attended anti-scam courses at her university.
Hong Kong police said students from across the border accounted for a quarter of...



https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3356275/scammers-posing-police-cheat-42-mainland-students-hong-kong-out-millions?utm_source=rss_feed

Misdiagnosis isn’t misconduct, lawyer for accused doctor tells medical watchdog

The lawyer for a Hong Kong doctor accused of professional misconduct after a boy in his care was left permanently disabled more than 16 years ago has told the medical watchdog that misdiagnosis or incompetence does not equate to misconduct.
But the prosecution representing the Medical Council secretariat said on Sunday that misconduct referred to whether a doctor underperformed and the circumstances should be defined by inquiry panel members.
Dr Sit Sou-chi is accused of failing to conduct...



https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3356272/misdiagnosis-isnt-misconduct-lawyer-accused-doctor-tells-medical-watchdog?utm_source=rss_feed

China urged to fast-track carrier fleet upgrades as Japan boosts strike power

China should speed up aircraft carrier group upgrades and boost their combat capabilities to counter Japan’s growing defence strength amid mounting tensions, military experts have said.
This comes as Tokyo ramps up its defence posture with long-range anti-ship missiles and deployments on Japanese islands near Taiwan, putting Beijing on high alert. A recent simulated attack also highlighted the potential threat.
As tensions escalated in December over the Japanese prime minister’s comments on...



https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3356267/china-urged-fast-track-carrier-fleet-upgrades-japan-boosts-strike-power?utm_source=rss_feed

Will ‘Trump-class’ battleship be a sitting duck for Chinese carrier-killer missiles?

A US congressional committee has cast doubt on Donald Trump’s “Golden Fleet” programme, warning it could overwhelm already strained nuclear-powered shipbuilding capacity and calling for a detailed review of its centrepiece battleship.
One lawmaker also warned of the vulnerability of battleships in modern maritime warfare, citing the capabilities of the People’s Liberation Army’s Dongfeng missile series, which includes the DF-21D ballistic missile – widely dubbed a “carrier killer”.
The...



https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3356266/will-trump-class-battleship-be-sitting-duck-chinese-carrier-killer-missiles?utm_source=rss_feed

Congo’s health workers treat Ebola without pay as WHO seeks resources

Dr. Richard Lokudu, the medical director of Mongbwalu General Referral Hospital, has received barely any compensation for his work on the front line of one of Congo’s deadliest Ebola virus outbreaks.
Lokudu and several of his colleagues work all day at the hospital treating an influx of patients. Notifications of suspected cases come even late at night.
“I have not received my allowance [and] what happened to others could happen to me as well,” Lokudu said. “Despite all the infection prevention...



https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3356264/congos-health-workers-treat-ebola-without-pay-who-seeks-resources?utm_source=rss_feed

Can Mark Carney’s US-China juggling act keep Canada’s ‘primary relationship’ intact?

When China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi arrived in Canada late last month to consolidate a new economic partnership, Prime Minister Mark Carney was in New York pitching for more than US$1 trillion in investment.
“The timing was almost certainly deliberate,” said Alejandro Reyes, a professor of politics and a senior fellow at the Centre on Contemporary China and the World at the University of Hong Kong. “It signals to Washington that engagement with Beijing does not come at the expense of the...



https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3356252/can-mark-carneys-us-china-juggling-act-keep-canadas-primary-relationship-intact?utm_source=rss_feed

On Taiwan, the Trump-Xi summit offered more than optics

The international media consensus following the Beijing summit between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump was predictable: grand on optics, short on substance. Dismissing it on those grounds misses the deeper story of how the summit marked a turning point in how Washington and Beijing manage their rivalry, particularly over Taiwan.
To understand where this relationship is going, a brief historical detour is in order. In April 2001, then US president George W. Bush...



https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3355975/taiwan-trump-xi-summit-offered-more-optics?utm_source=rss_feed

Pakistan’s mediators in Iran as US downs drones, Lebanon looks for peace

Pakistan’s interior minister was in Tehran on Sunday in a fresh bid to restart negotiations between Iran and the US, as the American military said it shot down two more Iranian drones over the Strait of Hormuz that threatened international maritime traffic.
The latest action came as the Washington presses for Iran to make a deal to end the war in the Middle East, which has strained the global economy and threatened a hunger crisis in some of the world’s most vulnerable countries.
The heaviest...



https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3356261/pakistans-mediators-iran-us-downs-drones-lebanon-looks-peace?utm_source=rss_feed

Police arrest man after Tesla rams parked vehicle in latest drug-driving case

Hong Kong police have arrested a driver who crashed his car into a parked vehicle in Tai Kok Tsui and tested positive for ketamine, marking at least the fourth suspected drug-driving case in less than a week.
The accident occurred at around noon on Sunday on Hoi Fai Road outside the Olympian City 3 shopping centre where the 30-year-old’s Tesla car struck the rear of a stationary vehicle before veering onto the pavement.
The male driver of the parked car, also a Tesla, suffered neck injuries and...



https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3356259/police-arrest-man-after-tesla-rams-parked-vehicle-latest-drug-driving-case?utm_source=rss_feed

Keir Starmer will be ‘part of’ any Labour leadership race, deputy says

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will stand if a leadership contest is triggered, a senior minister said on Sunday, after media reported Starmer had contacted key backers insisting he would run in any race.
This came after popular Mayor of Manchester Andy Burnham, who is standing in a key by-election this month, said last week he would participate in any leadership race, although none has yet been triggered.
Starmer “has been absolutely clear – were there to be a contest – you need 81...



https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3356256/keir-starmer-will-be-part-any-labour-leadership-race-deputy-says?utm_source=rss_feed

Hong Kong to open first convenience store operated by humanoid robot in AI push

Hong Kong will soon open its first convenience store operated by a humanoid robot as part of the city’s push to integrate AI into everyday life and deepen residents’ understanding of the technology, the finance chief has said.
Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po also revealed on Sunday that a high-level government committee dedicated to AI development in Hong Kong had been formed and would hold its first meeting this month.
The 24-hour convenience store was located on the waterfront in Hung Hom...



https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3356255/hong-kong-open-first-convenience-store-operated-humanoid-robot-ai-push?utm_source=rss_feed

Will Xi’s North Korea visit show Kim that China remains Pyongyang’s most vital ally?

President Xi Jinping is heading to North Korea on Monday with the aim of proving that China remains the best prospect for reviving his host country’s economy.
The visit, Xi’s first in seven years, will focus on reinforcing ties with Pyongyang at a time when the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula appears increasingly out of reach, according to analysts.
The carefully timed sequence of diplomatic meetings also reflects Beijing’s growing confidence on the world stage and its ability to engage...



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