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Pakistan army chief field marshal Asim Munir hosted his daughter’s wedding last week in the garrison city of Rawalpindi, where she was married to her first cousin, Abdul Rehman, according to Pakistani media reports. The ceremony was attended by senior political leaders and top military officials but was kept low-key due to security considerations, with no official photographs released.Among those present at the ceremony were Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari, prime minister Shehbaz Sharif, deputy prime minister and foreign minister Ishaq Dar, Punjab chief minister Maryam Nawaz, the chief of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), and several serving and retired senior army officers, including former army chiefs.Pakistani journalist Zahid Gishkori said around 400 guests attended the event, which was deliberately kept subdued. Gishkori, in a video posted on social media platform YouTube, confirmed the family connection between the bride and groom. “Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir's d..

Keir Starmer The 61-second video of UK PM Keir Starmer would be shocking, if it were true. “The UK is set to introduce a nationwide curfew, beginning at 11pm each night,” he appears to say on one of thousands of TikTok videos of him posted in last six months. “Under the new rule, no one will be permitted to leave their home after 11pm without official authorisation.”Starmer never made any such policy or announcement. But thanks to AI, the PM in the short video sounded eerily like the real one. The fake video attracted over 430,000 views and inspired similar posts on X and Facebook. That video, and other similar ones, appears to have been taken down by the Chinese-owned social media company, which officially prohibits “fake authoritative sources or crisis events, or falsely shows public figures in certain contexts.” Coup In Britain? Starmer’s ‘Own Cabinet Plots’ His Downfall | ‘Full Bunker Mode’ In No. 10 But the clip was just one of 6,042 such videos, most featuring Starmer, identified..

AdvertisementShanghaiChina Future TechSemiconductorsChina’s DRAM giant CXMT plans US$4.2 billion IPO on Shanghai’s Star MarketListing aims to fund wafer expansion and DRAM upgrades as Beijing drives tech self-reliance
Reading Time:2 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPThemis QiPublished: 12:30pm, 31 Dec 2025CXMT Corporation, parent of Chinese memory chip giant ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT), aims to raise 29.5 billion yuan (US$4.2 billion) from an initial public offering in Shanghai to fund technology upgrades, as Beijing presses ahead with its drive for tech self-reliance amid geopolitical tensions.
The Shanghai Stock Exchange received CXMT’s application for a listing on the Nasdaq-style Star Market, a filing on the bourse’s website showed on Tuesday night. This marks a critical step towards a listing for China’s largest dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) designer and manufacturer.
The company planned to issue no more than 10.62 billion new shares, the filing said.
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AdvertisementHong Kong societyHong KongSocietyHong Kong to step up inspections as new smoking bans take effect on ThursdaySome residents say they are aware of new rules banning smoking while queuing or near certain facilities, whereas tourists note they are not but will comply
Reading Time:3 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPLeopold ChenPublished: 12:27pm, 31 Dec 2025Updated: 12:48pm, 31 Dec 2025Hong Kong authorities will ramp up inspections at bus stops and tourist spots starting on Thursday, when new rules banning smoking while queuing or near designated facilities take effect.
While some residents told the Post on Wednesday that they were aware of the new measures, visitors in Tsim Sha Tsui said they were not but would comply.
Tobacco and Alcohol Control Office head Manny Lam Man-chung said that the move aimed to enforce new smoking control measures and raise public awareness.
AdvertisementOfficers will issue penalty tickets to smokers who fail to observe the new rules, but will be more ..

(Picture from X) Saudi Arabia early Tuesday bombed the Yemeni port city of Mukalla, saying it was targeting a shipment of weapons that had arrived from the United Arab Emirates for a separatist group. The strike marked a sharp rise in tensions between Saudi Arabia and the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC). It also added strain to the already uneasy relationship between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi, who have supported different sides in Yemen’s long war against the Iran-backed Houthi rebels.Saudi Fighter Jets 'Bombard' UAE-Backed Separatist Fighters In Yemen In Huge Escalation Over SouthSaudi Arabia’s state news agency said the airstrikes were launched after two ships from Fujairah, a port in the UAE, arrived in Mukalla. The statement said the weapons unloaded from the ships posed a threat to security and stability, prompting a “limited military operation” to destroy them.The UAE has not yet commented on the strike.Mukalla lies in Yemen’s Hadramout region, which the STC r..

US President Donald Trump on Monday said that Iran will have to face “very powerful” consequences if it tries to rebuild its missile programme.This comes after reports that Tehran may be attempting to rebuild its ballistic missile programme at sites different from those targeted by US strikes earlier this year. However, this development is yet to be confirmed. Trump Threatens To Bomb Iran Again If It Dares To Rebuild Nuclear Programme | ‘Full-Scale War…’ Speaking to reporters after his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump said, “Now I hear that Iran is trying to build up again. And if they are, we're going to have to knock them down. We'll knock them down. We'll knock the hell out of them. But hopefully that's not happening.”“I don't want to say it, but Iran may have been behaving badly. It hasn't been confirmed yet, but if it is, they know the consequences. The consequences will be powerful, maybe more powerful than last time. Ira..

AdvertisementThailandThis Week in AsiaPoliticsThai election: border row aids Anutin as Shinawatra clan fights for survival, reformists chaseCaretaker PM Anutin rides nationalist wave over Cambodia; Pheu Thai taps Thaksin’s nephew to revive brand; reformists drop key vows to stay relevant
Reading Time:3 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPAidan JonesPublished: 12:30pm, 30 Dec 2025Campaigning for Thailand’s February 8 general election has begun with a frenetic three-way battle defined by corruption allegations, a tense border conflict with Cambodia and the emergence of a new frontman for the once all-conquering Shinawatra political dynasty.But the caravans of politicians criss-crossing the nation and blitzing social media have so far failed to inspire a public, which has seen its electoral choices repeatedly nullified by courts and coups, as conservatives find ways to return to power.The election is a contest between the conservative Bhumjaithai Party led by caretaker Prime Minister Anutin Char..

AdvertisementBritainWorldEuropeActor Idris Elba, ice legends Torvill and Dean among hundreds recognised in UK honoursNew Year UK honours are awarded for contributions in areas such as government, academia, the arts and sports
Reading Time:2 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPReutersPublished: 12:22pm, 30 Dec 2025Actor Idris Elba and ice dancers Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean were among the hundreds named in British King Charles’ New Year ‌honours list published on Monday.
The full list includes more than 1,157 people ‍in politics, sport, the arts or community service to be awarded titles from Member, Commander or Officer of the Order of the British Empire to the highest honours of knighthoods and damehoods.
Elba, who is known for ⁠his roles in the television series Luther and The Wire, was awarded a knighthood for his anti-knife-crime campaigning with young people.
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North Korea has test-fired two strategic long-range cruise missiles (AP image) North Korea has test-fired two strategic long-range cruise missiles to demonstrate its nuclear combat readiness. This comes as tensions continue to rise on the Korean Peninsula amid increased military activity by the United States and South Korea.According to state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), the missile launches took place on Sunday over the Yellow Sea, west of the Korean Peninsula. Leader Kim Jong Un personally oversaw the drill, which was aimed at reviewing the combat capability and counter-offensive readiness of long-range missile units.KCNA reported that the missiles flew for more than two hours before successfully hitting their targets. The state media released videos showing the missiles being launched and striking targets at sea. Kim expressed “great satisfaction” with the exercise and said North Korea would continue the “unlimited and sustained development” of its nuclear combat forces. F..

Time to screen social media LONDON: A frustrated father in Spain, whose teenage daughter regularly sidesteps parental controls that block social media, wants the government to ban apps like TikTok and Instagram for children. In France, a mother of three worries about social media's effect on young people and will not give her children smartphones until they are 15. But she is sceptical a government prohibition is the answer. A mother in Chile says it is a parent's job, not government's, to teach children how to use social media responsibly.Since Australia this month barred children under 16 from using social media, parents around the world have been debating whether similarly tough action is needed in their own countries. In Australia, surveys show most parents support the new rules, while young teenagers have talked about using VPNs and other workarounds. Several countries are weighing whether to adopt similar laws. Australia Enforces World’s First Under-16 Social Media..