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AdvertisementUS-Cuba relationsWorldAmericasCuban dissident Jose Daniel Ferrer leaves island for US exile after imprisonmentUS Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed Ferrer’s arrival on Monday ‘after suffering years of abuse, torture and threats to his life’
Reading Time:2 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPAssociated PressPublished: 5:27am, 14 Oct 2025Updated: 5:46am, 14 Oct 2025Prominent Cuban dissident Jose Daniel Ferrer left the island on Monday for exile in the US at the request of the US government, Cuban and American authorities confirmed.
AdvertisementThe director of bilateral relations for the Cuban Foreign Ministry, Alejandro Garcia, told Associated Press that Ferrer, 55, departed before noon from his hometown Santiago in eastern Cuba en route to Florida.
“He leaves the country due to a request made by the US government to the Cuban government, which [Ferrer] is in agreement with,” Garcia said.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed Ferrer’s arrival on Monday “after suffering..

AdvertisementMadagascarWorldAfricaIn address to nation, Madagascar president says in ‘safe place’ after attempt on lifeFollowing weeks of protests calling for his resignation, Andry Rajoelina fled the country on a French army aircraft on Sunday, officials said
Reading Time:3 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPAgence France-PressePublished: 4:55am, 14 Oct 2025Updated: 5:08am, 14 Oct 2025Madagascar’s President Andry Rajoelina said on Monday he was in a “safe place” after an attempt on his life, following weeks of youth protests calling for his resignation.
AdvertisementIn an address to the nation, Rajoelina did not disclose his whereabouts, which remain unknown, but a military source and other officials told Reuters he had fled the country on a French army aircraft on Sunday after Malagasy troops announced their support for the protesters.
“I was forced to find a safe place to protect my life today. In all this, I never stop looking for solutions,” the 51-year-old leader said in the live addre..

Dubai Healthcare City Phase 1. Image: DHCC Dubai Healthcare City Authority (DHCA) has announced a massive AED 1.3 billion (approximately $354 million) expansion plan for Phase 1 of Dubai Healthcare City (DHCC), aimed at bolstering Dubai’s position as a global hub for healthcare investment and innovation. The ambitious development, slated to begin construction in December 2025 and expected to be completed by November 2027, promises to set new standards in sustainable healthcare infrastructure.Dubai Healthcare City’s first LEED Platinum office & medical complexAt the heart of the expansion is the UAE’s first LEED Platinum-certified office building within DHCC. The state-of-the-art structure, designed by P&T Architects and Engineers, will span 13,000 square meters across nine floors and three basement levels. It will offer flexible office spaces and commercial units on the ground floor, emphasizing sustainability and smart design.Alongside this office tower, the development features a pur..

US President Donald Trump on Sunday departed for a visit to Israel and Egypt, calling the trip a “very special” moment as he hailed a ceasefire and hostage release deal that he said had brought the Gaza war to an end.“This is going to be a very special time,” Trump told reporters before boarding air force one at joint base Andrews. “Everybody’s very excited about this moment in time.”Air force one took off near Washington amid light rain, with secretary of state Marco Rubio, defense secretary Pete Hegseth and CIA chief John Ratcliffe accompanying the president, according to the White House.Asked whether he was confident the conflict between Israel and Hamas was over, Trump replied, “The war is over. Okay? You understand that?”Speaking about the significance of his trip, Trump said, “This is a very special event… Everybody’s cheering at one time. That’s never happened before. Usually, if you have one cheering, the other isn’t… This is the first time everybody is amazed and they’re t..

Sebastien Lecornu (AP) France’s newly re-appointed Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu on Sunday unveiled his new Cabinet, balancing members of President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist alliance, conservative allies, and a few figures from outside politics, AP reported.The 39-year-old Lecornu faces immediate challenges, including producing a national budget and restoring investor confidence amid growing political turmoil and public discontent. France’s parliament remains deeply fractured, with Macron’s camp lacking a clear majority, increasing the risk of a no-confidence vote.Among key appointments, former labor minister Catherine Vautrin was named defense minister, tasked with overseeing France’s military support for Ukraine and addressing European security threats from Russia. Paris police chief Laurent Nunez, who supervised security operations during the 2024 Paris Olympics, was appointed interior minister, while Roland Lescure will take charge as finance minister, a pivotal post as France ..

AdvertisementIsrael-Gaza warWorldMiddle EastTrump says ‘the war is over’ in Gaza as he sets off for the Middle East to mark ceasefire dealTrump will first visit Israel, where he has been invited to address the parliament, then fly to Egypt for a summit to discuss peace in Gaza
Reading Time:4 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPAgenciesPublished: 5:49am, 13 Oct 2025US President Donald Trump headed off on a high-stakes trip to Israel and Egypt on Sunday, saying “the war is over” in Gaza.
AdvertisementAir Force One took off from Joint Base Andrews near Washington in light rain, Agence France-Presse reporters said. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and CIA chief John Ratcliffe were also aboard the plane, the White House said.“This is going to be a very special time,” Trump told reporters. “Everybody’s very excited about this moment in time.”The US president also said hostages “may get out a little bit early”.
“The war is over. OK? You understand that?” Trump responded..

AdvertisementIndiaOpinionChina OpinionRichard HeydarianOpinion | Why India is hedging its bets on another China charm offensiveAs Washington pushes New Delhi closer to Beijing, both Asian powers must exercise strategic patience for an effective detente
Reading Time:3 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPRichard HeydarianPublished: 5:30am, 13 Oct 2025In a fast and furious year of devastating wars and high-stakes diplomacy, the historic meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi stands out as a potential harbinger of a new global order.AdvertisementIn his first visit to China in seven years, Modi agreed with Xi that Asia’s two powers should be “partners” rather than “rivals”, on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Tianjin.Modi stressed that “their differences should not turn into disputes” and expressed a commitment to the “fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable settlement” of their border dispute. Crucially, he mentioned t..

Astronomer's Gwyneth Paltrow ad was done by actor Ryan Reynolds' production house Maximum Effort. Astronomer CEO Pete DeJjoy in his latest message revealed that they not only roped in Gwyneth Paltrow but also actor Ryan Reynolds — to tide over the Coldplay scandal in which the company's former CEO Andy Byron and former HR chief Kristin Cabot were involved. They were caught canoodling at a Coldplay concert in Boston, cheating on their respective partners. In the wake of a major social media backlash, both of them resigned and Astronomer is believed to have the last laugh in their masterclass PR. The company released a video featuring Gwyneth Paltrow who was formerly married to Coldplay lead singer Chris Martin but now it has been revealed that the tongue-in-cheek ad was created by Maximum Effort — a production company of Ryan Reynolds.Gwyneth Paltrow has been hired by the company as a spokesperson on a “very temporary basis”. In the video, she answers questions which ar..

The project is expanding globally with planned rollouts in Indonesia, Malaysia, Turkey, and India to share the Hijrah experience/ Image: Saudi Gazzette TL;DR
Saudi Arabia's immersive Hijrah experience opens in November.
Over 1 million people have already registered.
The 470 km route includes 41 restored sites and a Hijrah museum.
Part of Vision 2030 to boost religious and cultural tourism.Saudi Arabia’s groundbreaking cultural project, ‘In the Prophet’s Steps’, has crossed a major milestone, over one million people have registered to take part in the immersive Hijrah experience ahead of its official November launch. Led by the General Entertainment Authority (GEA), this initiative brings to life the migration of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) from Makkah to Madinah, aiming to offer a deeply spiritual, historically accurate, and technologically advanced journey to both domestic and international visitors.The Project: What ‘In the Prophet’s Steps’ Is All About ‘In the Prophet’s Steps,’..

AdvertisementScienceChinaScienceWu Yiquan: the Chinese AI researcher scoring big on the basketball courtBrains and brawn: university assistant professor turns heads with his slam dunks
Reading Time:2 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPHolly ChikPublished: 6:00am, 29 Jul 2025Amid China’s tech revolution, a new kind of multidisciplinary star is emerging – one who dominates both coding and sport.AdvertisementWu Yiquan, an artificial intelligence (AI) scientist pioneering legal large language models by day, is also making headlines as a rising provincial basketball sensation.Wu, an assistant professor at the Zhejiang University law school, specialises in developing and training legal large language models for applications in education and research.The 1.8m-tall (5 feet 9 inches) star caught media attention after he scored 22 as the defender for the West Lake team in a Zhejiang Provincial City Basketball League qualifier match on July 17.
In an interview with Henan-based news site Daxiang News on..