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Britain

Britain
The latest breaking news and stories on the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (UK), a constitutional monarchy in northern Europe which includes England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and the world’s sixth largest economy. Also covering the UK’s relationship with the European Union (EU) post Brexit, as well as with China, plus commentary and updates on the UK’s economy, politics, society and social issues.
Capital
London
Head of State
King Charles III
King Charles III
Head of Government
Prime Minister Keir Starmer
Amy Yip in a still from Sex and Zen (1991). Photo: Golden Harvest
SCMP Highlights

When Hong Kong films embraced sex, sugar’s link to dementia: 7 Lifestyle stories

From Hong Kong’s Category III era to a Korean auteur’s new masterpiece, here are seven stories from SCMP’s recent reporting.

Extreme weather

August was hottest month ever recorded globally, scientists say

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Sexual harassment and assault

Tate brothers lose bid for release from US jail pending extradition fight

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US, Israel war on Iran

Nuclear agency board refers Iran to UN Security Council for first time in 20 years

IAEA remains blocked from key sites damaged during June 2025 military strikes by the US and Israel.

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A satellite image taken in February shows a new roof over a previously destroyed building at Iran’s Isfahan nuclear site. Image: Planet Labs PBC via Reuters
Reform UK party

Police widen criminal probe into Reform UK over foreign funding claims

The party has denied wrongdoing and says it will ‘fully cooperate’ with the police investigation.

European Union

‘He was our rock’: Norwegians bid final farewell to King Harald V

Foreign dignitaries in attendance include Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Britain’s Prince William.

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South Korea

Caught between US and Iran, South Korea weighs Hormuz role

Seoul is sending a fact-finding mission to the UAE as it balances Washington’s security requests with warnings of Iranian retaliation.

Vessels transit the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Iran’s southern port city of Bandar Abbas on Monday. Photo: AFP
Australia

Public inquiry in Australia exposes deep doubts about benefits of Aukus deal

Under the Australia-UK-US security pact, Canberra will get eight nuclear-powered submarines at an estimated cost of up to US$266 billion.

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Thailand

Thailand probes clinic linked to UK influencer’s penile filler death

Igho Ubiribo’s death from a penis enlargement procedure at a Bangkok clinic has sparked medical tourism safety concerns in Thailand.

Aviation

Cyberattack ruled out as UK air travel chaos deepens

Nearly 300 flights cancelled a day after an air traffic control problem disrupted travel across Britain.

Passengers wait at a departure lounge at a terminal in Heathrow Airport, Britain, on Wednesday. Photo: EPA
Belt and Road Initiative

Letters | Belt and Road Initiative is more than a trade and investment platform

Readers discuss how far the belt and road framework has come, the use of AI in official translations, and the start of the school year.

A Chinese communication engineer guides a Kenyan staff member on backup power replacement for the communication system at Mtito Andei station on the Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway in Kenya on July 23. The railway is part of China’s Belt and Road Initiaitve. Photo: Xinhua
Science

US, China trials suggest a single nanodrug shot might stop bad cholesterol forever

Separate trials using CRISPR and base editing to silence lipid genes show drastic drops in LDL-C without daily medication.

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Diplomacy

As I see it | Britain should accept a Hong Kong-style handover of the Falklands

Argentina has history, geography and justice on its side. The 1984 Joint Declaration offers a clear precedent for a peaceful, negotiated transfer of sovereignty.

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Art

Must-see fall 2026 art exhibitions and a new museum on our radar

Explore a spaceship-like cultural centre co-founded by the Star Wars creator, the historic Bayeux Tapestry, designs by Geoffrey Bawa, and more.

Sonámbulo: Mexican Stand-Off (2006) by Rafael Navarro. Photo: Lucas Museum of Narrative Art
Food and Drinks

Chinese matcha’s rise and the Hong Kong couple stirring up the UK tea scene

A mission to bring Chinese tea culture to Britain unexpectedly turned Hong Kong couple Raphael Chow and Joyce Ding into matcha entrepreneurs.

Hongkongers Joyce Ding and Raphael Chow are the co-founders of London-based Brut Tea, a fine loose leaf tea company whose sales of Chinese matcha have eclipsed those of its original loose leaf teas. Photo: Brut Tea
US, Israel war on Iran

US targets Iran’s airlines with sweeping new sanctions

The US Treasury is aiming to ground Mahan Air and other firms in a sharp escalation of Trump’s economic pressure campaign.

China-UK relations

China’s Xi Jinping urges deeper UK ties in first call with new PM Andy Burnham

Xi asks to ‘transcend differences’, while British leader speaks of will to restore ties to ‘highest historical level’, Xinhua reports.

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United States

UK, France, Canada block imports from Israeli West Bank settlements

Foreign Minister Ed Miliband says Britain refuses to be ‘bystanders to further suffering and to the destruction of the two-state solution’.

Israeli settlers with their animals in the Palestinian village of Duma, near Nablus, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank in February. Photo: Reuters
Science

Could China sanction US for illegal international seabed mining? A study says yes

But issue is said to create tension for Beijing between defending the multilateral system and protecting its own access to critical minerals.

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Commodities

Copper rally sets record LME price as US tariff fears fuel supply ‘scramble’

Inventories of the metal are diverging across major exchanges as AI infrastructure build-up spurs demand and potential trade restrictions keep prices elevated.

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IPO

More Chinese developers of brain-computer interfaces move towards IPOs

Arfysica and Neuracle aim for Star Market listings amid what a Morgan Stanley analyst calls the ‘early stage of a multi-year IPO upcycle’.

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The firms join a broader trend of hi-tech firms flocking to the Shanghai Stock Exchange’s Nasdaq-style Star Market. Photo: Xinhua
Science

Chinese scientists propose turning abandoned coal mines into underground farms

Insulated from surface weather and natural disasters, mining tunnels could offer agricultural advantages amid climate change, scientists say.

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Transforming decommissioned mines into farmland could aid in the treatment and use of polluted mine water, according to a Chinese research team. Photo: AFP
Singapore

Singapore ministers set for pay rise with entry-level pay up to US$1.4 million

First pay update since 2012 aims to ensure political salaries do not ‘fall further behind’ market rates, the prime minister says.

Education in Hong Kong

Letters | Why Hong Kong’s medical schools should phase in their Cantonese requirement

Readers discuss language prerequisites at the city’s medical schools, and the promise of AI.

Middle East

Burnham risks friction with Trump over Israeli West Bank settlement sanctions

Downing Street targets West Bank trade while attempting to reassure White House over symbolic impact.

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham. Photo: Reuters
China-Japan relations

In Focus | How Tokyo is widening regional defence ties to complicate Beijing’s Taiwan calculus

Tokyo is strengthening partnerships across the Indo-Pacific and beyond, possibly bolstering its ability to withstand a prolonged armed conflict.

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Illustration: Brian Wang
Royalty

King Charles clarifies Harry and Meghan’s status after UK return

Palace letter confirms couple will not use royal titles or receive state-funded security for private work.

Banking & finance

Can China bring in more bullion as central banks shift gold reserves from US?

Geopolitical tensions and US dollar concerns have seen Shanghai and Hong Kong step up efforts to build gold storage infrastructure.

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