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<rss version="2.0"><channel><title>rthk.hk - Express News: World News</title><link>https://news.rthk.hk</link><description>rthk.hk - Express News: World News</description><language>en</language><copyright>Radio Television Hong Kong</copyright><webMaster>webmaster@rthk.gov.hk (webmaster)</webMaster><pubDate>Sun, 16 Aug 2026 14:30:20 +0800</pubDate><lastBuildDate>Sun, 16 Aug 2026 09:38:56 +0800</lastBuildDate><category>News</category><docs >http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss</docs ><ttl>10</ttl><image><url>http://rthk.hk/include2010/homepics/images/home_logo.png</url><title><![CDATA[rthk.hk - Express News: World News]]></title><link>https://news.rthk.hk</link></image><item><title><![CDATA[Australia to buy back guns in November: Albanese]]></title><guid>https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1866324-20260816.htm</guid><link>https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1866324-20260816.htm</link><description><![CDATA[Australia's most populous state will start a gun buyback scheme in November, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Saturday, launching a reform promised after last year's mass shooting at Bondi Beach.

A father-and-son duo are accused of opening fire on a Jewish celebration in New South Wales state last December, killing 15 people in one of Australia's deadliest modern mass shootings.

New South Wales authorities pledged a suite of gun control reforms in the wake of the attack, including a buyback scheme.

Albanese said the state's gun buyback would start on November 2, offering cash for eligible handguns, shotguns and rifles.

"We must do everything we can to make sure the antisemitic terrorist attack in Bondi doesn't happen again," he said.

"That includes meaningful nationwide gun reform."

New South Wales has already passed laws restricting individuals to owning no more than four guns, with some exemptions for farmers.

The buyback scheme will be offered to gun owners who have more weapons than allowed under the new rules.

They will be paid as much as A$1,000 (US$700) depending on the gun type, with costs split between the federal and state governments.

State Premier Chris Minns said hundreds of thousands of guns could be returned.

"We want those guns handed in, compensated for and safely destroyed," he said.

"This is a big undertaking, but the principle behind it is simple: fewer dangerous guns in our community means a safer New South Wales."

Australian authorities initially announced a nationwide gun buyback rolled out across all states and territories.

But those plans have stalled due to disagreements over who would foot the bill and how it should be implemented.

Gunman Sajid Akram, 50, was shot and killed by police during the assault at Sydney's famed Bondi Beach on December 14.

His son Naveed, an Australian-born citizen who remains in prison, has been charged with terrorism and 15 murders. (AFP)



Edited by Tony Sabine]]></description><pubDate>Sun, 16 Aug 2026 09:38:56 +0800</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[S Korea urges peaceful coexistence with DPRK]]></title><guid>https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1866280-20260816.htm</guid><link>https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1866280-20260816.htm</link><description><![CDATA[South Korean President Lee Jae-myung called on South Korea and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to respect each other, refrain from unnecessary confrontation, and pursue peaceful coexistence and mutual growth.

In an address marking the 81st anniversary of the Korean Peninsula's liberation from Japanese colonial rule on Saturday, Lee called for dialogue among the directly concerned parties to officially end the Korean War and transform the Korean Peninsula's unstable armistice into a peace regime.

"Let us put down our intentions to threaten each other and begin discussions to end the long-running war as the directly involved parties," Lee said in his speech.

"Through this, it may also be possible to discuss effective measures to halt the advancement of North Korea's nuclear capabilities." 

Lee's proposal came as the DPRK this week denounced upcoming annual US-South Korean military drills, warning of stronger deterrence measures.

The DPRK has also recently been bristling over Japan's gradual military build-up in the Pacific after Tokyo pledged to up its defence capabilities with a "sense of urgency and crisis".

Lee has reversed the stance of his hawkish predecessor since taking power in Seoul in June 2025, offering the nuclear-armed DPRK talks without preconditions.

Washington, Seoul's key security ally, stations about 28,500 troops in South Korea to bolter the country's defences.

Colonel Ryan Donald, spokesman for the US and South Korean Combined Forces Command, said this week that the DPRK's deployment of troops to the European war had changed the threat his soldiers may face on the Korean peninsula.

"They've taken those lessons they learned there and brought them back to North Korea," he said as he talked about the 11-day South Korea-US joint exercises due to begin on Monday.

"Our training accounts for that threat." (Xinhua/AFP)


Edited by Tony Sabine]]></description><pubDate>Sun, 16 Aug 2026 09:25:04 +0800</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Lebanon PM slams Israeli strikes on civilians]]></title><guid>https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1866308-20260815.htm</guid><link>https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1866308-20260815.htm</link><description><![CDATA[Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said at least 11 people including two women and three children killed in an Israeli strike on Saturday were not military targets, after Israel said it struck Hezbollah "infrastructure".

"The women and children who were killed are not military targets," Salam said, adding that "Israel must halt this escalation", which he said was "extremely dangerous and undermines efforts to consolidate stability in the south".

Meanwhile, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said Israeli strikes on the country's south were a "clear message" on negotiations between the two countries, ahead of the next round of US-sponsored talks early next month in Rome.

Aoun condemned the "ongoing Israeli attacks" on the south and "repeated violations of the framework agreement... and international law on protecting civilians, which led to the death of an entire family in the village of Ansar", according to a statement from his office, adding that "these violations are a clear message on the negotiation process".

Hezbollah said that Israeli attacks on Lebanon would be met with an "appropriate" response after deadly strikes on the country's south on Saturday, urging authorities to halt "humiliating" negotiations with Israel.

Israel "must clearly understand that its attacks, violations and attempts to impose a fait accompli cannot continue, and will be met with an appropriate response", the Iran-allied group said in a statement, adding that Lebanese authorities "must not insist on continuing along the humiliating path of direct negotiations and providing the enemy with free concessions".

At least 4,300 people have been killed in ⁠Lebanon by Israel in the latest round of hostilities since March 2. (AFP/Reuters)




Edited by Azam Khan]]></description><pubDate>Sat, 15 Aug 2026 22:18:50 +0800</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Magnitude 6.4 quake hits Indonesia, second in a day]]></title><guid>https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1866307-20260815.htm</guid><link>https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1866307-20260815.htm</link><description><![CDATA[A 6.4-magnitude earthquake struck Indonesia's western Sumatra island late on Saturday, the country's meteorology agency BMKG said, the second tremor to hit the vast Southeast Asian nation in a day.

The US Geological Survey said it recorded a 6.9 magnitude tremor off the coast of Sumatra.  

The epicentre was located at Pematangsiantar, about 126 kilometres southeast of the island's capital Medan. The quake stuck at a depth of 183 kilometres.

There was no tsunami threat and no initial reports of damage or casualties there, according to BMKG.

It comes 12 hours after an earthquake of magnitude 7.7 and dozens of aftershocks struck off eastern ⁠Indonesia, killing at least 47 people and injuring 40 others.

Suharyanto, the head of Indonesia's national disaster mitigation agency, said earlier that people were trapped in several buildings.

"These will be the initial targets of the disaster response teams," said Suharyanto, who, like many Indonesians, uses one name.

Two helicopters and a plane were being readied to assist in rescue operations. (AFP)





Edited by Azam Khan]]></description><pubDate>Sat, 15 Aug 2026 21:09:58 +0800</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Xi keen to work with Seoul to keep ties on right track]]></title><guid>https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1866279-20260815.htm</guid><link>https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1866279-20260815.htm</link><description><![CDATA[President Xi Jinping extended congratulations to South Korean President Lee Jae-myung on the 78th anniversary of the founding of the country's government.

In his message on Saturday, Xi pointed out that China and South Korea are important neighbours and partners.

Over the 34 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, he said, the two countries have, through joint efforts, achieved mutual success and common development, with fruitful outcomes in exchanges and cooperation across various fields.

Xi said that, at the end of last year and the beginning of this year, he and Lee successfully exchanged visits, providing strategic guidance for the development of China-South Korea relations.

Xi said he attaches great importance to the development of China-South Korea relations and stands ready to work with Lee to ensure that the strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries continues to move forward along the right track, bringing greater benefits to the two peoples and making greater contributions to peace and development in the region and beyond. (Xinhua) 




Edited by Azam Khan]]></description><pubDate>Sat, 15 Aug 2026 15:51:54 +0800</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Indonesia comes to grips with deadly quake toll]]></title><guid>https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1866275-20260815.htm</guid><link>https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1866275-20260815.htm</link><description><![CDATA[At least 38 people died after an earthquake of magnitude 7.7 and dozens of aftershocks struck off eastern ⁠Indonesia on Saturday, a rescue agency said.

Tsunami waves of less than one metre were recorded in several areas of the country, and the tsunami warning was lifted about three hours after the quake.

The governor of East Nusa Tenggara province, Emanuel Melkiades Laka Lena, said five people died from collapsing rubble as they slept.

Rescuers around the port town of Maumere found 38 dead and 13 people injured, two of them seriously, according to Suharyanto, head of Indonesia's national disaster mitigation agency. Maumere is the main town in Sikka Regency on Flores Island in the east of Indonesia's vast archipelago.

Teams have yet to reach Nagekeo, the region closest to the epicentre, and communications signals there had been affected, he said, adding attempts to reach ⁠Nagekeo by car were blocked by landslides and another team was attempting to go by ferry.

Parts of a building collapsed into dust and rubble as people screamed and ran in the street at a port in Maumere, the main town in Sikka Regency on Flores Island, a video on Facebook showed.

"The quake was massive, the shock was so strong, we were resting at home with family," said Nona, a 51-year-old resident of Talibura, a village in East Nusa Tenggara. "There were 13 of us inside the house and we all ran to save ourselves."

Strong shaking was felt across East Nusa Tenggara, West Nusa Tenggara and parts of South Sulawesi, and residents in several areas reported shaking lasting about one minute, BNPB said in a statement.

"Most of the people felt the shock and scattered out of their homes," it said.

A hospital in the district of Ende in East Nusa Tenggara Province was moving patients outside, Kompas TV footage showed, and Kompas.com reported at least one landslide.

Indonesian geophysics agency BMKG recorded the first quake at 4.58am at a depth of 15 kilometres, followed by several aftershocks.

About 2,000 residents in Nagekeo evacuated, and damage was reported to a number of houses, warehouses and government facilities, BNPB said. Authorities also reported traffic congestion and power outages affecting parts of the regency, it said. (Reuters)



Edited by Azam Khan
_____________________________
Last updated: 2026-08-15 HKT 17:47]]></description><pubDate>Sat, 15 Aug 2026 14:52:06 +0800</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Beijing lodges serious protests over Yasukuni moves]]></title><guid>https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1866271-20260815.htm</guid><link>https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1866271-20260815.htm</link><description><![CDATA[China strongly deplores Japan's negative moves related to the Yasukuni war shrine, and has lodged serious protests against Japan, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson said on Saturday.

The spokesperson made the remarks after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi made a monetary offering to the Yasukuni Shrine on August 15, which marks the day of Japan's unconditional surrender in World War II, while certain cabinet members also visited the shrine.

During WWII, Japan launched the war of aggression and committed horrendous crimes, the spokesperson said, noting that as the spiritual tool and symbol of Japanese militarism, Yasukuni is, in fact, a shrine for war criminals, as it honours 14 convicted Class-A war criminals responsible for the war of aggression.

No pretext whatsoever can hide the Japanese politicians' true intention, which is to change the verdict on the war criminals, cover up Japan's war crimes, distort the historical facts, and pave the way for accelerating remilitarisation, the spokesperson said.

"This is an affront to historical justice, a challenge to the foundational norms of civilisation, and a provocation against the postwar international order. Such behaviours have been firmly rejected by the overwhelming majority of the international community," the spokesperson said.

Noting that this year marks the 80th anniversary of the opening of the Tokyo Trials, the spokesperson said to view and treat history correctly is an important prerequisite for Japan's postwar return to the international community, the political foundation for Japan's ties with neighbouring countries, and more importantly, a key measure for Japan's commitment to peaceful development.

"We urge the Japanese side to do serious soul-searching on its history of aggression, make a clean break with militarism, and earn trust from its Asian neighbours and the rest of the world with concrete actions," the spokesperson added.




Edited by Robert Kemp


_____________________________
Last updated: 2026-08-15 HKT 15:36]]></description><pubDate>Sat, 15 Aug 2026 13:33:12 +0800</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[UAE ship hit as Tehran says 'Hormuz to remain Iranian']]></title><guid>https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1866262-20260815.htm</guid><link>https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1866262-20260815.htm</link><description><![CDATA[United Arab Emirates' state-owned oil giant Adnoc said on Saturday another of its vessels came under attack in the Strait of Hormuz, the latest incident in the waterway at the centre of the US-Iran conflict.

The attack came as Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi stressed that the strait "will remain Iranian", after US President Donald Trump said he would "soon" declare the waterway part of American territory.

"The Strait of Hormuz has been Iranian, is Iranian, and will remain Iranian," Gharibabadi said on X, adding that the route "will be opened and closed only at Iran's command".

Tehran has imposed an effective blockade of the strait, a vital shipping route for global energy supplies, carrying out strikes on commercial ships since the war began in February.

The Islamic republic has said it wants to charge users for passage, which Washington fiercely opposes.

The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, or Adnoc, "confirmed that one of its vessels was attacked while transiting the Strait of Hormuz on the evening of Friday," according to the official WAM news agency, but reported no injuries.

The announcement came a day after the UAE accused Iran of attacking two vessels linked to Adnoc as they passed through the strait.

Last week, Adnoc reported that three of its tankers had been attacked in the waterway, while the UAE foreign ministry separately announced an attack on another Adnoc tanker a day later.

Continued attacks in the strait, which shippers were free to transit before the United States and Israel began attacking Iran in late February, led to the collapse of an April ceasefire between the Washington and Tehran. (AFP)



Edited by Robert Kemp]]></description><pubDate>Sat, 15 Aug 2026 11:11:47 +0800</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Koizumi faces Yasukuni visit fallout as PM stays away]]></title><guid>https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1866253-20260815.htm</guid><link>https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1866253-20260815.htm</link><description><![CDATA[Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi sent a ritual offering to the notorious Yasukuni Shrine, a symbol of Japanese militarism and wartime aggression, on Saturday, local media reported.

She made a "tamagushi" ritual offering to the war-linked shrine through senior officials of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party on the occasion of the anniversary of Japan's unconditional surrender in World War II, Kyodo News reported.

Shinjiro Koizumi visited instead, public broadcaster NHK reported, marking the first visit by an incumbent Japanese defence minister since one of his predecessors, Minoru Kihara, did so in 2024.

Yasukuni Shrine, located in central Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward, honours 14 convicted Japanese Class-A war criminals from World War II. It has long been a source of diplomatic friction between Japan and its neighbours.

For a long time, visits and ritual offerings made by Japanese officials to the controversial shrine have consistently sparked criticism and opposition both at home and abroad, hurting the feelings of the people of China, South Korea and other countries and regions victimised by Japan's wartime aggression. 

Several senior lawmakers of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party likewise paid visits to the controversial shrine on Saturday, the report said. (Xinhua)



Edited by Robert Kemp]]></description><pubDate>Sat, 15 Aug 2026 10:23:23 +0800</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Former Cambridge professor Jason Arday found dead]]></title><guid>https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1866249-20260815.htm</guid><link>https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1866249-20260815.htm</link><description><![CDATA[Jason Arday, a former University of Cambridge professor who was at the centre of a plagiarism scandal, has died aged 41.

Arday had resigned earlier this month as a professor of sociology of education following the accusations, which caused a furore in the world of academia. He was the university's youngest ever Black professor.

He was found unresponsive by the ambulance service at a property in Battersea, south London.

"Sadly, a 41-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene. His next-of-kin have been informed and are being supported by officers," the Metropolitan Police said in a statement.

"At this time his death is being treated as unexpected, but is not believed to be suspicious. The case is being investigated by officers from the Met's Central South Command Unit," the police said.

The University of Cambridge announced an investigation earlier this week into the circumstances of Arday's appointment to the Faculty of Education in 2022 and his time there since.

A high-profile professor who appeared frequently in the media, Arday faced accusations this year that parts of his 2015 PhD thesis were plagiarised, which he denied.

The allegations expanded to include apparent inconsistencies in Arday's other academic work, and questions over his claims about his career, personal life and medical conditions.

"We are desperately saddened to hear this tragic news. Our heartfelt sympathies go to Jason Arday's family and friends at this incredibly difficult time," Cambridge's Vice-Chancellor Deborah Prentice said in a statement.

Britain's education secretary, Lucy Powell, said she was saddened to hear the news of Arday's death.

His family said they were in shock.

"The campaign of misinformation was too much for Jason, who was a gentle man and who always wanted to see the best in everyone," the family said in a statement provided by Arday's publisher, Simon & Schuster UK.

"We won't comment further at this point beyond asking the press to leave us alone now, and to stop the campaign of harassment which has been waged against Jason and his family for too long."




Edited by Robert Kemp]]></description><pubDate>Sat, 15 Aug 2026 09:31:52 +0800</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Powerful quake strikes off Flores in Indonesia]]></title><guid>https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1866247-20260815.htm</guid><link>https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1866247-20260815.htm</link><description><![CDATA[A strong 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck off Flores island in eastern Indonesia early on Saturday, sending thousands running in panic after authorities issued a tsunami warning.

Residents in Nagekeo regency, the area closest to the epicentre, raced for higher ground as the sea retreated -- a possible sign of an approaching tsunami, AFP journalists saw.

The warning was later lifted.

The epicentre of the shallow quake was located off the north coast of the island, about 68 kilometres (42 miles) northwest of the coastal town of Ende, US and Indonesian authorities said.

The initial jolt was followed by strong aftershocks in the same area, including one with a magnitude of 6.1.

"Suddenly it started to shake and I panicked," 31-year-old hospital customer service official and Maumre resident, Lukas Lotar, told AFP.

"Patients also fled the hospital, the jolt was big. I saw some walls were cracked," he said.

A resident in Nagekeo, Yohanes Babo, 56, said he was at a market when the earth started shaking.

"The shaking was strong. Thankfully, we were already outside the house," he told AFP.

"People were panicking, running here and there. We're evacuating for the time being... and trying to get to the hills," he said, adding: "My family is safe. No one was harmed."

Indonesia's Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) warned of the possibility of tsunami waves following the quake and urged people to get to higher ground.

"We strongly urge our communities along the northern coast of Flores and in the southern parts, on the southern islands and across the southern region, to carry out self-evacuation immediately," Abdul Muhari, an official at the national disaster agency, BNPB, said.

Residents should "move away from the shore, either by going more than two kilometres inland or by moving up into hilly areas more than 10 meters high," he told local broadcaster Kompas TV.

BMKG earthquake and tsunami director Wijayanto said tsunami modelling suggested the potential for a tsunami in the provinces of East Nusa Tenggara, South Sulawesi, and West Nusa Tenggara.

An alert was issued for waves ranging from 0.5 metres to three metres (1.6 to 9.8 feet), but was later lifted.

"We have ended (the tsunami warning) but we will keep monitoring the sea level," said Wijayanto, who like many Indonesians, goes by one name.

Residents in the town of Maumere on Flores Island were evacuating to higher ground, an AFP correspondent saw.

Images broadcast on Indonesian television showed hundreds of people in nearby Nagekeo regency evacuating the area from among the rubble of damaged buildings.

Authorities have not reported any casualties, but said tsunami waves between 19 and 30 centimetres have been detected.



Edited by Robert Kemp]]></description><pubDate>Sat, 15 Aug 2026 09:22:34 +0800</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Trump says he will declare Hormuz as US territory]]></title><guid>https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1866240-20260815.htm</guid><link>https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1866240-20260815.htm</link><description><![CDATA[US President Donald Trump on Friday said he would "soon" declare the Strait of Hormuz waterway part of US territory after defeating Iran.

"After we finish defeating Iran, which is being very badly defeated -- pretty soon I'll be declaring the Hormuz Strait a territory of the United States," he said with a chuckle during a political rally at a police academy in New York state.

"It's true," he added.

Trump, together with Israel, launched a war against Iran on February 28 with the stated aims of ending the country's nuclear programme and sparking a popular uprising.

However, Iran struck back by establishing de facto control over much of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital passageway for large amounts of global energy and other commodity shipping.

The United States remains locked in a stalemate with Iran over the strait, with Iran denying access to much of the civilian shipping and the US Navy mounting a blockade of Iranian ports in an attempt to cripple its economy.

"We have the blockade. No ships get through unless we want them to," Trump the cheering crowd of supporters and police.



Edited by Robert Kemp]]></description><pubDate>Sat, 15 Aug 2026 07:59:38 +0800</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[US retail sales weakest in over a year in July]]></title><guid>https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1866212-20260814.htm</guid><link>https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1866212-20260814.htm</link><description><![CDATA[US retail sales declined unexpectedly in July, government estimates showed on Friday, marking their weakest showing in more than a year as consumers pulled back at auto dealers and online stores.

Total sales were down 0.6 percent in July from the previous month, at US$763.6 billion, according to the US Department of Commerce.

Excluding sales at auto dealers and gasoline stations, sales dipped 0.2 percent on a month-on-month basis.

Analysts had expected a 0.1 percent uptick in sales for the month instead, and all eyes are on US consumer health as households grapple with inflation while drawing down on their savings.

"American consumers are showing signs of fatigue. July retail sales were disappointing on all levels," said Navy Federal Credit Union chief economist Heather Long.

Consumers likely brought forward their spending to capitalise on online sales events in June, Long said. But she warned: "Even with lower spending on gas in July, consumers weren't eager to spend elsewhere."

Inflation has remained elevated in recent months, boosted by higher gasoline prices, after US-Israel strikes targeting Iran prompted Tehran to block most traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.

The waterway is critical for global energy transit and the disruption has pushed prices up at US gasoline stations.

But gasoline prices cooled in July, weighing on sales at the pump, even as costs remain higher than before the Middle East war started.

Among major categories, retail sales at motor vehicle and parts dealers were down 1.8 percent from the prior month. Spending ticked down at grocery stores too, while hobby spending was flat.

Sales at gasoline stations dropped by 0.9 percent, and those at online stores tumbled 2.2 percent.

Still, retail sales were up five percent from the same period a year ago. (AFP)


Edited by Aaron Tam]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 14 Aug 2026 22:35:03 +0800</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Farage beats Count Binface in UK by-election]]></title><guid>https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1866166-20260814.htm</guid><link>https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1866166-20260814.htm</link><description><![CDATA[Reform UK leader Nigel Farage regained his parliamentary seat on Friday in an election he triggered to bolster his position against allegations of financial impropriety, a strategy that was undermined when his main challenger, a comedian ⁠dressed as a trash can, won more than a quarter of the vote.

Farage, one of Britain's leading Brexit campaigners, in a highly unusual move did not turn up for the count in the southern English seaside resort of Clacton because he said the police had advised him that there was a campaign to disrupt the result.

"I am damned if I am going to stand on a stage, having won a resounding victory... and be demeaned and humiliated by nobodies," Farage told supporters at a party before the result was announced. 

The election was triggered after Farage resigned from parliament last month to seek a fresh mandate from voters in what he described as a war against an establishment bent on discrediting him over taking undeclared gifts from donors. 

After Britain's main parties pulled out ⁠of the race, calling it a self-serving stunt, Farage's main challenger ended up being Count Binface, a figure created by ⁠comedian Jonathan Harvey, who has become a ⁠fixture of fun at British elections

While Farage took 22,239 votes, or 62.8 percent, Count Binface, whose policies included capping the price of ice cream cones and conscripting anyone using a speakerphone on public transport, secured 9,455 votes, or 26.7 percent.

After enjoying a ⁠lengthy lead in the opinion polls, Reform has seen its popularity wane, ‌driven partly by the funding accusations made against Farage, who is under investigation in parliament over whether he should have declared a £5 million gift from a cryptocurrency billionaire investor. 

After declaring his decision to trigger the ‌election in Clacton little more than a ploy to distract from those allegations, other British parties pulled out of the race, leaving even some of Farage's strongest supporters ⁠questioning whether the veteran politician had been wrong-footed.

Farage's ‌position has not been helped by a rise in support for the governing Labour Party. 

Since Andy Burnham became prime minister last month, Labour has been enjoying a bounce in ratings, with the party leading Reform 28 percent to 25 percent. 

Burnham has dominated the airwaves and social media in his first few weeks in office, and while the next national election is expected in three years' time, he appears to be consolidating a left-leaning bloc around Labour.

Reform, on ⁠the other hand, is ‌competing for a divided right-wing vote with the Conservative Party and the anti-immigration party Restore Britain gaining ‌in support. (Reuters & AFP)



Edited by Edmond Fong]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 14 Aug 2026 14:33:47 +0800</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Four killed as record deluge drenches Tokyo]]></title><guid>https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1866159-20260814.htm</guid><link>https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1866159-20260814.htm</link><description><![CDATA[Record rainfall left thousands of travellers stranded at Tokyo's Narita airport on Friday as flooding in the surrounding area disrupted transport, knocked out power to homes and claimed at least four lives. 

More than 360 millimetres of rain fell in 24 hours in parts of Chiba prefecture, which adjoins Tokyo, inundating roads and railways during one of Japan's busiest holiday weeks. 

Authorities said four deaths have been confirmed so ⁠far, including one person trapped in a submerged vehicle, while another person ⁠is missing. 

Soldiers have ⁠been dispatched to the area to help with relief efforts.

"This case was an extremely unusual situation," Chiba governor Toshihito Kumagai said on ⁠Friday morning. "I have responded to many ‌disasters in the past, but I have never experienced a case like this." 

More than 22,000 households remained without power ‌on Friday at 11am, according to utility provider Tokyo Electric Power. 

In Chiba city, ⁠one of the worst-hit areas, hundreds of people spent the night under foil blankets at government buildings serving as temporary evacuation centres.

The transport disruption left around 7,000 people stranded at Narita, an airport ‌spokesperson said, adding that all flights are scheduled to operate normally on Friday. 

Japan Airlines said some flights may experience delays but no cancellations are currently expected. 

Some major highways in Chiba were shut, forcing drivers onto alternative routes and causing heavy ⁠traffic, according ‌to highway operator Nexco East.

Several rail services also remained ‌suspended on Friday morning, though some trains connecting Narita to Tokyo had resumed operations, easing congestion at the international transport hub. 

Overnight, ‌hundreds of passengers queued to collect blankets, water bottles and snacks from airport staff before bedding down across the terminal building, footage on public broadcaster NHK showed. 

"We are never going to forget ⁠this trip," one American traveller stranded with his family at the airport told NHK. (Reuters)


Edited by Edmond Fong]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 14 Aug 2026 12:57:15 +0800</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Probe begins over three near-misses at Sydney Airport]]></title><guid>https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1866150-20260814.htm</guid><link>https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1866150-20260814.htm</link><description><![CDATA[Australia's transport authorities said on Friday they were investigating what went wrong after three near-misses in less than two weeks at Sydney Airport, including two in one day.

A Virgin Australia 737 had been cleared for take-off by air traffic control on Sunday morning when the crew saw a Qantas plane crossing the runway ahead of them, the country's transport safety investigator said.

The crew brought the plane to a stop about a kilometre from the other aircraft, which had also been cleared to taxi across the runway.

Earlier in the day, a Jetstar pilot was forced to apply the brakes suddenly to avoid crashing into a Qatar Airways jet.

They came after two Qantas planes also avoided a collision on July 27 after they had been cleared for takeoff.

"I can reassure the travelling public that we will consider any organisational or systemic issues that may have contributed to these occurrences, and will do so in a comprehensive and timely manner," Transport Safety Bureau Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell said on Friday.

"We look at all the evidence, how busy the airport was, what was the manning in the tower at the time." 

Questions have also been raised as to why it took so long for the incident to be reported.

Mitchell said there had been a "supervisory or a training situation taking place" on Sunday.

"We do know, as I've mentioned before, that this is a significant, I guess, ramping up period for air services in terms of recruiting, training and qualifying air traffic controllers," he added.

"What we do know is three incidents occurred that shouldn't have occurred. We need to understand why."

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also called for an investigation into the incidents. (AFP)




Edited by Azam Khan]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 14 Aug 2026 11:54:15 +0800</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[11 injured after passenger train derails in England]]></title><guid>https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1866128-20260814.htm</guid><link>https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1866128-20260814.htm</link><description><![CDATA[A passenger train derailed in southern England on Thursday, seriously injuring two people and causing minor injuries to nine others after three carriages overturned, the British Transport Police said.

The Southern Rail train from Victoria station in London to Eastbourne was carrying about 150 people when it went off the tracks outside the tourist town of Lewes.

Passenger Rob Bradley said the train began rocking as it picked up speed and the carriage he was riding in with his six-year-old daughter jumped upward and the brakes immediately engaged.

“Everything got thrown forward. My laptop, my AirPods, our bags,” Bradley told the BBC. “The train kind of skidded for quite a while before it stopped and only then when we turned around did we see that the whole back of the train — literally where we were sat — was open and there was smoke and dust pouring into the carriage.”

He could then see the car behind had flipped on its side and slid down an embankment into a lower field.

Bradley said he and his daughter were uninjured but he could see other passengers from one of the flipped cars with blood on their heads and clothing. Another passenger told him they had been cut when a window shattered.

Aerial footage showed firefighters and paramedics treating passengers in a field next to the train, with several ambulances and three helicopters standing by.

All passengers were evacuated within about three hours, the transport police said.

The cause of the derailment is under investigation. (AP)



Edited by Altis Wong]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 14 Aug 2026 09:25:09 +0800</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Mercury tops 42C in France as Europe swelters]]></title><guid>https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1866102-20260814.htm</guid><link>https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1866102-20260814.htm</link><description><![CDATA[Millions of people across Europe – particularly in France, Italy, Spain and Britain – baked through a new wave of extreme temperatures on Thursday as the continent's latest heatwave picked up.

More than 135 million people were forecast to face temperatures above 35C, with Britain recording its fifth-hottest day on record and parts of France soaring past 42C.

"The heat has been unbearable here, honestly," said pharmacist Bailey Williamson, voicing concern for hospital patients as Britain sweltered.

Europe is the fastest-warming continent and in some places is ill-equipped to deal with hot weather. Scientists blame ever hotter and more frequent heatwaves on human-caused climate change.

Repeat heatwaves and drought have fuelled a historically hot summer of wildfires, and contributed to the deaths of thousands of people.

In London, temperatures hit 38.1C at Kew Gardens, making it the fifth-hottest day on record for Britain, according to official weather agency the Met Office.

Williamson, 20, who works for the National Health Service (NHS), said the heat was hitting hospital patients hard. "People in beds are really, really sick, and they can't even breathe because of the heat problem – so it's really bad," he said.

Hospitals had recorded an increase in heat stroke cases, and the NHS was struggling to keep up, he added.

"It's scary," Williamson said of the heatwaves. "I think it's a real sign about how bad climate change has really got."

In France, temperatures climbed even higher, with weather service Meteo-France recording 42.5C in Chateaumeillant in central France, the country's highest reading on Thursday. Paris hit 38C and much of the country was under a heatwave alert.

In Italy, similar temperatures were forecast to affect 29 million people, particularly along the west coast, in the Po Valley, the south and on Italy's islands.

Large parts of the Iberian Peninsula also sweltered, with around 25 million people affected in Spain. The country's Aemet weather agency recorded temperatures of 37C in central regions on Thursday.

In the UK, temperatures also reached 36C or higher in 40 locations across central and southern England. The country is on track to record its hottest ever summer, the Met Office said this week.

The heatwave has fanned wildfires across Europe. In northern Greece, hundreds of tourists were evacuated by boat as a forest fire bore down on two popular resorts, while crews in central England's West Midlands region battled blazes damaging homes amid drought conditions. (AFP)



Edited by Cecil Wong]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 14 Aug 2026 07:52:20 +0800</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Ebola outbreak spreads to sixth DR Congo province]]></title><guid>https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1866098-20260814.htm</guid><link>https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1866098-20260814.htm</link><description><![CDATA[An Ebola outbreak that is on track to become the deadliest in the Democratic Republic of the Congo's history has spread to a sixth province, raising fears it could spill over into South Sudan.

The outbreak, which began in the conflict-scarred north-eastern province of Ituri, is already considered the largest ever in the unstable, vast central African country.

Declared on May 15, it is thought to have already been spreading for several weeks and is the DRC's 17th Ebola outbreak.

The DRC's deadliest Ebola outbreak from 2018 to 2020 killed nearly 2,300 people out of 3,500 recorded cases.

So far, authorities say the current outbreak has killed more than 2,128 people, out of 4,566 confirmed cases.

Until now, five Congolese provinces had been affected: Ituri, which borders Uganda and South Sudan, North Kivu and South Kivu, Haut-Uele and Tshopo.

A person has now died from the virus in northern Bas-Uele province after travelling from neighbouring Haut-Uele, Jean Kaseya, the head of Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), told reporters on Thursday.

The outbreak is spreading at an unprecedented rate, Africa CDC added.

Three months after it was declared, seven times more cases and five times more deaths were recorded in the DRC than during the first three months of the largest Ebola outbreak in history, which hit west Africa in 2014, Africa CDC said.

However, the World Health Organization on Wednesday said it hoped to reverse the spread of Ebola in the DRC within three months.

Mercy Corps NGO warned on Thursday about the risk of the virus spreading to South Sudan, which borders both Ituri and Haut-Uele.

"Confirmed cases now sit just 35 kilometres from the South Sudan border, along high-risk travel corridors," it said in a statement.

The response in the DRC is hampered by stretched health services, insufficient clean water and safe toilets, fragile trust and insecurity, it added.

Some of the provinces where Ebola is present are densely populated and have only a weak government presence and largely lacking health infrastructure.

North Kivu and South Kivu are also split by the front lines between the Congolese army and the anti-government armed group M23, backed by Rwanda, which has seized vast swathes of territory.

Ebola, which spreads through contact with bodily fluids and causes a haemorrhagic fever, has killed more than 15,000 people in Africa over the past 50 years. (AFP)



Edited by Cecil Wong]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 14 Aug 2026 07:44:15 +0800</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Strain starting to tell on US aircraft carrier crew]]></title><guid>https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1866105-20260814.htm</guid><link>https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1866105-20260814.htm</link><description><![CDATA[Some sailors have reportedly tried throwing themselves into the sea, basic supplies can run short and sanitation is going awry: life on America's giant Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier is getting increasingly difficult as the Iran war drags on.

The ship – now in its ninth month of deployment – is expected to be replaced in the Middle East by another carrier, the George Washington, in a move sure to be welcomed by the Lincoln's crew and their loved ones.

But concerns about conditions on the Lincoln have prompted lawmakers to demand answers from Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth, who insists the situation has been "misrepresented."

Jonathan Schroden, chief research officer at the Centre for Naval Analyses, said the warship's sailors face significant challenges from their long time at sea.

"Even in peacetime conditions, the quarters are cramped, the workdays are long, the food is not great, and it's difficult to get fresh air, exercise and even a decent night's sleep," Schroden said.

"Add to that the stress that comes with being involved in combat operations – in which your ship is constantly threatened – and you can see how difficult life becomes for these sailors," he said.

The Lincoln departed California in November 2025 for duty in the South China Sea and was rerouted to the Middle East before US-Israeli attacks on Iran that began in late February.

Schroden noted that carrier strike groups are generally designed for six-month deployments for reasons "including sailor welfare."

Going beyond that "creates all kinds of compounding problems that the Navy then has to deal with down the line."

This includes increased maintenance costs and decreased readiness windows while ships are prepared to deploy again, he said.

Of special concern are accounts of suicide attempts aboard the Lincoln, with the Navy Times reporting this week that two sailors tried to jump off the ship.

Schroden said he had seen "reports of similar events occasionally over the past couple of decades" and that "it's rare but not unheard of, though tragic in every case."

In two recent meetings, family members clashed with Navy leadership over the difficult conditions – including food shortages – faced by the 5,000 sailors and Marines aboard the Lincoln and demanded to know when loved ones would return home, MSNOW reported.

The Lincoln is not the only carrier to face issues due to a lengthy time at sea: the USS Gerald R Ford also suffered various problems during a recent 326-day deployment.

The Ford took part in US operations in the Caribbean, where Washington's forces have carried out strikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats and seized Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, before being dispatched to the Middle East.

A fire broke out in a laundry room aboard the Ford in March, injuring two sailors and causing major damage to some 100 beds, according to the US military, while US media reported significant problems with the ship's toilet system while at sea.

Reports of conditions on the Lincoln have sparked an outcry from some lawmakers.

Senator Ruben Gallego called for "an official oversight visit with the bipartisan Senate delegation... to investigate the reported alarming conditions."

And Richard Blumenthal, another Democratic senator, said there were "widespread reports of shortages of basic supplies, water contamination, plumbing issues, deteriorating mental health, deck safety concerns" on the ship.

Hegseth, however, told journalists that conditions aboard the carrier have been "completely misrepresented."

"We make sure that every ship, every crew, every captain has everything we can provide them at every single moment," he said.

Blumenthal said the reported issues on the ship raise the broader question of "whether the Navy can sustain the operational tempo now being demanded of its carrier force."

Schroden said the Lincoln "appears to remain capable of conducting the missions with which it's been tasked."

"But as any sailor knows, the longer a ship is out to sea, the more problems it incurs and the harder the days become for those onboard," he added. (AFP)



Edited by Cecil Wong]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 14 Aug 2026 07:38:40 +0800</pubDate></item></channel></rss>
