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2026-10-05 10:31:05 GMT

Why India’s missile deals in Central Asia matter to Russia and China
India has sold its Akash air-defence missile system to Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, giving it a foothold in Central Asia as it seeks to become a major global arms exporter.
Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh confirmed the latest sales on Thursday last week, hinting at interest from elsewhere as he called the Akash “one of our success stories”.
Developed by India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation, the Akash is a home-grown, short-range surface-to-air missile system that can hit...
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https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3369812/why-indias-missile-deals-central-asia-matter-russia-and-china?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-09-24 13:50:44 GMT

Exco declarations reveal new roles for ex-lawmakers as minister retains 22 flats
Updated declarations of interest by members of Hong Kong’s top decision-making body have revealed new business ventures and corporate board appointments for several former veteran lawmakers, while constitutional affairs chief Janice Tse Siu-wa remains the biggest landlord among ministers.
The Executive Council’s annually updated declarations of interest were published on Thursday in accordance with regulations requiring all members, including senior politically appointed officials, to declare...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3368705/exco-declarations-reveal-new-roles-ex-lawmakers-minister-retains-22-flats?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-09-24 10:08:42 GMT

8 killed in Russian strikes on Ukraine, maternity clinic damaged
Russian drone and missile strikes on Ukraine’s capital Kyiv and its northeast killed eight people on Thursday in attacks that included a maternity hospital and a farm, officials said.
Moscow has stepped up its air ‌war in recent months, deploying more of its faster and harder-to-stop drones while Ukraine is short of interceptors to down ballistic missiles.
Two people died in the latest assault on Kyiv, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky, who was in New York for the UN General...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3368667/8-killed-russian-strikes-ukraine-maternity-clinic-damaged?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-09-24 04:44:43 GMT

Italy greenlights return of nuclear power after decades-long ban
Italy’s Senate on Wednesday gave final approval to legislation paving the way for a return to nuclear power nearly four decades after the Chernobyl disaster prompted the country to abandon atomic energy.
The measure cleared the upper house 81-51 with seven abstentions. It marks a major step in Premier Giorgia Meloni’s drive to bolster energy security and meet climate goals, even though the construction of possible new reactors is still years away.
The bill, which earlier passed the lower Chamber...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3368603/italy-greenlights-return-nuclear-power-after-decades-long-ban?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-09-18 12:00:07 GMT

Could China’s sixth-generation fighter carry a laser to defend against incoming missiles?
China may be aiming to equip its sixth-generation fighter jets with laser weapons that experts say could help defend them against incoming missiles.
At the 14th China International Defence Electronics Exhibition, held in Beijing from September 15 to 17, the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) Beijing Precision Engineering Institute for Aircraft Industry presented details of a “fighter aircraft laser-weapon tracking and aiming system”.
According to social media posts, the booth display...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3368015/could-chinas-sixth-generation-fighter-carry-laser-defend-against-incoming-missiles?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-08-22 10:00:06 GMT

Why China’s EV boom is seen as an ‘unparalleled opportunity’ in Africa
While the US and some European governments view China’s vast production of electric vehicles and green-energy tech as overcapacity, African companies see it as an opportunity to secure EV technology and develop the industry.
China is the global leader of the EV industry – it makes nearly 75 per cent of the world’s electric vehicles and dominates the supply chain.
Its high production has driven down the cost of EVs, batteries and components, which has improved access to technologies that were...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3364799/why-chinas-ev-boom-seen-unparalleled-opportunity-africa?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-08-22 08:30:04 GMT

What’s so bad about a planned Hong Kong economy? Just look at Singapore
Why is the idea of a planned economy anathema to so many people despite China’s success? And why do so many retain faith in market economies given the economic chaos much of the Western world is descending into? These questions have acquired a particular piquancy as Hong Kong embraces long-term planning for the first time, attracting criticism from some that it is falling into Chinese-style error.
Having been in Asia for 50 years – in Singapore, which I consider a planned economy, and Hong Kong...
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https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3364315/whats-so-bad-about-planned-hong-kong-economy-just-look-singapore?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-08-18 08:15:06 GMT

Hong Kong scrambles to contain cholera outbreak in 1961 – from the SCMP archive
This article was first published on August 18, 1961.
Hong Kong declared infected area
Authorities adopt strict measures against cholera
Stringent health measures to protect Hong Kong have been taken following the confirmation yesterday (August 17, 1961) of four cases of cholera and the declaration of the Colony as an infected area.
There have been two deaths from the disease and another suspect has been admitted to Lai Chi Kok Hospital.
Mobile teams of health inspectors with police officers have...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3363014/hong-kong-scrambles-contain-cholera-outbreak-1961-scmp-archive?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-08-04 13:00:07 GMT

Is tech the main battleground as EU and US drift apart? One Chinese prediction says so
Clashes between the United States and European Union are becoming the “new normal” with competition over tech regulations at the “core”, according to an analysis published by a leading Chinese think tank.
Guo Mingxu, head of the European Economy Programme at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, cited a recent row about hefty fines imposed on US tech giants for breaching European law as an example of how the relationship was shifting from being a collaborative partnership...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3362926/tech-main-battleground-eu-and-us-drift-apart-one-chinese-prediction-says-so?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-07-25 10:00:13 GMT

What a helicopter’s flight in the Taiwan Strait says about Beijing’s war plans
A People’s Liberation Army helicopter’s unprecedented flight in the Taiwan Strait has raised concerns in Taipei that Beijing is rehearsing a new kind of operation for a potential cross-strait conflict.
Taiwan’s defence ministry said it detected four PLA aircraft, including a helicopter and an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), operating around the island on July 20 and the following morning.
The helicopter and drone crossed the median line and remained east of it for nearly 9.5 hours in the “R9”...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3361835/what-helicopters-flight-taiwan-strait-says-about-beijings-war-plans?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-07-24 04:30:06 GMT

South Korean unions use new labour rules to push envelope on bonus demands
Barely four months into its implementation, South Korea’s new labour-friendly law is coming under growing scrutiny as workers’ demands for bonuses tied to a fixed percentage of corporate profits spread across the country.
If left unchecked, critics warn, the revised Trade Union and Labour Relations Adjustment Act – commonly known as the Yellow Envelope Act – could fuel labour disputes, create uncertainty for businesses and threaten an economy that is only beginning to recover.
At the heart of...
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https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3361662/south-korean-unions-use-new-labour-rules-push-envelope-bonus-demands?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-07-24 04:15:05 GMT

Fresh US tariffs on 60 countries; first China duo win Fields Medal: SCMP’s 7 highlights
We have selected seven stories from this week’s news across Hong Kong, mainland China, the wider Asia region and beyond that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing.
1. US slaps fresh tariffs on China, 50-plus countries in latest wave
The United States imposed late on Thursday a fresh wave of tariffs against 60 countries, including China, Japan, South Korea, India and European Union member states,...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3361663/fresh-us-tariffs-60-countries-first-china-duo-win-fields-medal-scmps-7-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-07-24 04:00:08 GMT

Vatican and Beijing agree on new China bishop as ordination fills 20-year vacancy
Joseph Chang Yanfeng was ordained bishop of Chifeng in China’s northern Inner Mongolia autonomous region on Wednesday, highlighting the uneasy diplomatic engagement between Beijing and the Vatican on the sensitive issue of Catholic appointments.
According to Vatican News, Pope Leo XIV approved Chang’s appointment on June 15, under the terms of the 2018 provisional agreement between the Holy See and Beijing.
The ordination fills a vacancy for the Catholic diocese of Chifeng that had lasted nearly...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3361584/vatican-and-beijing-agree-new-china-bishop-ordination-fills-20-year-vacancy?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-07-23 10:19:17 GMT

Seoul drops ‘denuclearisation-first’ stance on Pyongyang
South Korea has abandoned its campaign prioritising pressure on the North to dismantle its nuclear weapons, a minister said on Thursday, marking a fresh overture by Seoul’s dovish government.
President Lee Jae Myung has reversed the stance of his hawkish predecessor since taking power in Seoul in June 2025, offering nuclear-armed Pyongyang talks without preconditions.
The hermetic leadership of North Korea has yet to respond to his repeated offers.
But in a Thursday meeting with local reporters,...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3361606/seoul-drops-denuclearisation-first-stance-pyongyang?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-07-20 10:43:38 GMT

Mentally disabled Hong Kong waiter gets 28 months for inciting subversion
A Hong Kong court has sentenced a man with an intellectual disability to two years and four months in prison for inciting subversion, promoting a pro-Taiwan party and disseminating anti-Communist Party messages, with the judge noting his condition had affected his moral judgment.
District Court Judge Stanley Chan Kwong-chi on Monday handed the sentence to Chan Ho-hin, a 23-year-old waiter, who had earlier pleaded guilty to publishing 118 subversive messages on his social media accounts between...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3361227/mentally-disabled-hong-kong-waiter-gets-28-months-inciting-subversion?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-07-20 04:27:41 GMT

Malaysia braces for record high temperatures under ‘super’ El Nino
Malaysia is expected ⁠to see record high ⁠temperatures next year ⁠as El Nino strengthens, its meteorological department has said.
The El Nino phenomenon is a natural part of the weather cycle, characterised by weakening trade winds and ‌warmer sea currents in the Pacific Ocean.
Climate experts have warned of a strong or super-strong El Nino this year, raising risks of severe weather such as droughts, floods and heatwaves.
Mohd Hisham Mohd Anip, director general of Malaysia’s Meteorological...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3361164/malaysia-braces-record-high-temperatures-under-super-el-nino?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-07-15 04:00:11 GMT

Will AI kill English classes? Chinese university to drop them as tech booms
A Chinese research university plans to phase out traditional English classes, citing the ability of artificial intelligence (AI) translators to bridge language barriers in real time.
In a video posted to the university’s social media account on July 2, Zhao Wei, the provost of Shenzhen University of Advanced Technology (SUAT), announced that the institution would do away with standard English courses in favour of classes that emphasised cross-cultural skills.
These new courses are designed to...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3360516/will-ai-kill-english-classes-chinese-university-drop-them-tech-booms?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-07-08 03:11:42 GMT

Rainy holidays, AC exports: Thailand eyes red-hot business from Europe heatwave
As soaring temperatures fuel demand for cooling in Europe, Thailand is pitching itself as a source of relief, promoting rainy-season holidays while exporting more air conditioners.
With tourism and outbound shipments two of the Southeast Asian economy’s biggest drivers, Europe’s heatwaves are creating opportunities on both fronts.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand has launched a campaign encouraging European travellers to swap scorching summer temperatures for the nation’s milder rainy season,...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3359793/rainy-holidays-ac-exports-thailand-eyes-red-hot-business-europe-heatwave?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-06-28 16:27:33 GMT

5 members of Israel’s Arab minority killed in suspected crime spree
Israel was shaken on Sunday by an unusual series of suspected criminal acts of violence that left five members of Israel’s Arab minority dead in a single day.
Two people died in explosions involving car bombs in the Tel Aviv district of Jaffa and in the suburb of Holon. Three others were killed in two separate killings in Israel’s Arab communities.
All four incidents are linked to organised or criminal violence, according to the police’s findings so far.
Criminal violence has escalated among...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3358673/5-members-israels-arab-minority-killed-suspected-crime-spree?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-06-17 10:55:37 GMT

Sri Lanka arrests son of ex-president Mahinda Rajapaksa for corruption
The son of Sri Lanka’s former president Mahinda Rajapaksa was arrested on Wednesday on corruption charges, the anti-bribery commission said, the latest case to target the once all-powerful political clan.
Yoshitha Rajapaksa, 38, is accused of tapping state funds for overseas training during his career as a naval officer.
The Bribery Commission said he was being investigated for having risen through the ranks without the necessary qualifications and going to Britain for government-funded officer...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3357448/sri-lanka-arrests-son-ex-president-mahinda-rajapaksa-corruption?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-06-10 04:11:56 GMT

The US$4.25 trillion question: Becerra and Hilton will face off for California governor
The race for California governor in November will be a battle between a Democrat promising to cement the state’s status as a stronghold of liberal policies and a Republican pledging to dramatically reverse course in America’s most populous state.
Republican Steve Hilton, a former Fox News commentator backed by President Donald Trump, has won enough votes to advance to the general election, Associated Press determined on Tuesday. He will face Democrat Xavier Becerra, a former state attorney...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3356578/us425-trillion-question-becerra-and-hilton-will-face-california-governor?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-06-06 08:30:05 GMT

The problem with Japan’s bid to strengthen energy security, supply chains
What is in effect Japan’s version of the Belt and Road Initiative is being rolled out at an accelerating pace. But unlike China’s global infrastructure initiative, which mainly takes the form of highways, railways and sea lanes, Japan’s project is all about energy networks and supply chains.
It poses a further challenge to America’s waning economic and strategic influence in Asia, the world’s most populous, resource-rich and potentially powerful region. What is more, it is a cooperative venture...
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https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3355995/problem-japans-bid-strengthen-energy-security-supply-chains?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-06-05 23:38:18 GMT

Putin says no reason to meet Ukraine’s Zelensky, calls his letter ‘rude’
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday he currently saw no reason to meet Volodymyr Zelensky after the Ukrainian president published an open letter proposing they hold face-to-face talks to agree an end to a war now in its fifth year.
In his letter, which was sent to other countries, including the US, Zelensky said most Russians ‌had grown tired of Ukrainian missile and drone attacks, high inflation and fuel shortages, and were ready for peace.
He also suggested that continuing the war...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3356180/putin-says-no-reason-meet-ukraines-zelensky-calls-his-letter-rude?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-06-04 08:41:24 GMT

Tibetology is key to China shaping global views on the region, top official says
Chinese academics specialising in Tibet must find more creative ways to shape the global conversation about the region while remaining strictly aligned with the Communist Party’s ideology.
That was the message Li Ganjie, head of the Communist Party’s United Front Work Department, had for researchers who gathered to mark the 40th anniversary of the China Tibetology Research Centre on Wednesday.
According to state news agency Xinhua, Li said that the international situation was “volatile” and...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3355946/tibetology-key-china-shaping-global-views-region-top-official-says?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-06-02 09:00:06 GMT

As pioneering Chinese web forum returns, authorities warn free speech has limits
Chinese authorities have praised the return of Tianya – which was one of the country’s most popular internet forums in the pre-algorithm, pre-short-video era – while cautioning that freedom of speech must be balanced with responsibility.
The pioneering web portal was launched by Tianya Community Network Technology Co. in 1999, when the internet was in its infancy in China, but suddenly closed in April 2023 due to financial problems. On Sunday, the company announced that the forum would come back...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3355684/pioneering-chinese-web-forum-returns-authorities-warn-free-speech-has-limits?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-05-29 09:08:45 GMT

How will South Korean nuclear submarines alter underwater balance near first island chain?
South Korea’s plans to build nuclear-powered submarines by the mid-2030s will spur a US-allied network of advanced underwater capabilities near the first island chain, strengthening deterrence against potential adversaries such as China and North Korea, analysts say.
The South Korean defence ministry this week announced its basic plans to build the country’s first nuclear-powered submarine, giving its first detailed outline of the programme since US President Donald Trump granted initial...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3355292/how-will-south-korean-nuclear-submarines-alter-underwater-balance-near-first-island-chain?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-05-29 08:30:05 GMT

How Trump’s war on Iran is jeopardising Asia’s remittance lifeline
There seems to be no end to the harm arising from US President Donald Trump’s madcap war on Iran. Go beyond the direct tragic impact across Iran itself, the collateral damage from Tehran’s effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, and its ad hoc assaults on US allies in the region: beyond the burgeoning impact of shortages of oil, gas, hydrogen, helium and sulphur, and the prospect of food shortages arising from the collapse in fertiliser supplies; beyond the hardships of tens of thousands of...
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https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3355220/how-trumps-war-iran-jeopardising-asias-remittance-lifeline?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-05-26 07:03:52 GMT

China defence chief Dong Jun tipped to skip this year’s Shangri-La Dialogue
Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun is set to skip the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore for the second year in a row, according to two sources familiar with the matter.
Instead, China will send a lower-level People’s Liberation Army (PLA) delegation to Asia’s premier defence forum which will open on Friday and continue until Sunday, the sources said.
This year marks the 23rd edition of the Shangri-La Dialogue, which brings together defence ministers, military chiefs, diplomats and analysts to...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3354871/china-defence-chief-dong-jun-tipped-skip-years-shangri-la-dialogue?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-05-26 07:00:09 GMT

Less than 10% of Chinese public worried about AI destroying jobs: survey
China is better positioned than many other nations to lead in artificial intelligence due to the public’s “strikingly positive” attitude towards the technology, according to a new survey by University College London.
Less than 10 per cent of respondents in China worried that AI would make it harder to find a job and about one-third believed the technology would create more high-skilled work, the survey found.
A whopping 96 per cent of Chinese people surveyed said they used AI at work every week...
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https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3354861/less-10-chinese-public-worried-about-ai-destroying-jobs-survey?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-05-24 07:18:39 GMT

Crowds top 10,000 at Hong Kong’s Cheung Chau Bun Festival as parade draws visitors
Hong Kong’s annual Cheung Chau Bun Festival drew more than 10,000 visitors by noon on Sunday, including tourists who had travelled specially to witness the signature parade featuring “floating” children dressed as Middle Eastern oil moguls and judges.
Visitors to the outlying island on Sunday splurged on frozen pineapples, watermelon juice and frozen mango mochi to beat the heat as the mercury hit 30 degrees Celsius (86 Fahrenheit).
The event, also known as Da Jiu Festival, includes the Piu Sik...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3354665/crowds-top-10000-hong-kongs-cheung-chau-bun-festival-parade-draws-visitors?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-05-24 06:33:52 GMT

Japan to scour social media in hunt for visa overstayers, illegal foreign workers
Japan’s immigration authorities plan to crack down on visa overstayers and illegal foreign workers by monitoring social media and other platforms for information or leads.
The initiative is part of the country’s efforts to reduce the number of overstayers at a time when Japan is taking in more foreign workers due to labour shortages.
As early as next year, the Immigration Services Agency plans to use analytical tools to identify online information related to illegal work, including solicitations...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3354663/japan-scour-social-media-hunt-visa-overstayers-illegal-foreign-workers?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-05-23 21:00:08 GMT

‘Fjord’ by Romania’s Mungiu wins Palme d’Or at Cannes
Cristian Mungiu’s Norway-set drama about political polarisation Fjord has won the Palme d’Or, handing the Cannes Film Festival’s top honour for the second time to Mungiu, the Romanian director of 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days.
At a 79th Cannes Film Festival that saw few films break out, Fjord found wide admiration for its engrossing tale of what Mungiu called “left-wing fundamentalism”.
It stars Sebastian Stan and Renate Reinsve as Romanian Evangelicals who move to Norway, but soon after have...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3354651/fjord-romanias-mungiu-wins-palme-dor-cannes?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-05-22 14:51:54 GMT

China AI firms Zhipu, MiniMax to join Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Tech Index
Chinese AI firms MiniMax Group and Knowledge Atlas Technology – better known as Zhipu AI – will join the Hang Seng Tech Index next month.
Their inclusion follows investor criticism that the city’s primary technology gauge has underperformed by missing out on the global artificial intelligence boom.
Concurrently, Shanghai-based courier J&T Global Express, lightweight metal giant Aluminum Corp of China and Beijing-founded global drug firm BeOne Medicines will join the benchmark Hang Seng Index....
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https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3354580/china-ai-firms-zhipu-minimax-join-hong-kongs-hang-seng-tech-index?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-05-21 21:24:32 GMT

US voices hope on Iran deal progress before Pakistan army chief visit
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio voiced hope on Thursday of progress on ending the war with Iran, with mediator Pakistan’s army chief due to arrive in the Islamic republic for talks.
The expected visit by Field Marshal Asim Munir, a powerful figure with a growing role in Pakistan’s foreign relations, comes a day after US President Donald Trump warned that negotiations to end the war were on the “borderline” between a deal and renewed strikes.
“I believe the Pakistanis will be travelling to...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3354435/us-voices-hope-iran-deal-progress-pakistan-army-chief-visit?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-05-16 19:33:13 GMT

Timmy, the stranded whale that captivated Germany, found dead in Denmark
A humpback whale that underwent a rescue operation in Germany two weeks ago after beaching itself there has been found dead near a Danish island, officials said on Saturday.
“It can now be confirmed that the stranded humpback whale near Anholt is the same whale that was previously stranded in Germany and was the subject of rescue attempts,” said Jane Hansen, division head at the Danish Environmental Protection Agency.
The whale, dubbed “Timmy” in German media, was initially spotted stuck on a...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353843/timmy-stranded-whale-captivated-germany-found-dead-denmark?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-05-13 10:00:33 GMT

Why Indonesia is expanding under-16 social media ban to e-commerce
Indonesia, already leading Southeast Asia’s push to keep children off risky digital platforms with an under-16 social media ban, now wants to extend those protections to e-commerce after officials said young people had become victims of online scams and unsupervised digital spending.
The plan has drawn support from child psychologists, who warn of impulsive consumption among young users. However, it also presents e-commerce companies with a difficult compliance test: building age-verification...
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https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3353440/why-indonesia-expanding-under-16-social-media-ban-e-commerce?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-05-12 09:07:05 GMT

Asean explores ‘tentative’ Myanmar re-engagement with virtual talks
A planned virtual meeting between Southeast Asian foreign ministers and Myanmar’s junta-appointed representative has analysts predicting a potential normalisation of ties five years after the coup that first caused them to rupture.
Asean Secretary General Kao Kim Hourn confirmed on Thursday on the sidelines of the 11-member regional bloc’s summit in the Philippines that a meeting was expected “in the very near future”.
Myanmar’s military-backed government has been frozen out of the Association...
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https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3353268/asean-explores-tentative-myanmar-re-engagement-virtual-talks?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-05-08 14:12:46 GMT

US adds 115,000 jobs in April, but experts warn of hidden weakness in economy
US employment rose more than expected in April, while the unemployment rate remained steady, government data showed, with the world’s largest economy firming recent labour market gains but analysts warning of underlying weakness.
“Total nonfarm payroll employment edged up by 115,000 in April, and the unemployment rate was unchanged at 4.3 per cent,” the US Bureau of Labour Statistics (BLS) said.
The gains mainly came in the healthcare, transport and warehousing and retail trade sectors.
US job...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3352952/us-adds-115000-jobs-april-experts-warn-hidden-weakness-economy?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-05-08 00:00:17 GMT

Can Vietnam’s bureaucracy reform boost investment amid growth threats?
A bonfire of red tape to unleash investment and complete stalled projects across Vietnam may drive economic expansion but is unlikely to offset the damage caused by US tariffs and the fuel crisis which have threatened the country’s growth ambitions.
Vietnam’s Communist Party General-Secretary and President To Lam, the most powerful leader in a generation, has set an annual growth target of 10 per cent until 2030 to galvanise a nation whose ponderous bureaucracy has snarled private investment and...
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https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3352808/can-vietnams-bureaucracy-reform-boost-investment-amid-growth-threats?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-05-07 23:42:36 GMT

Islamic State-linked Australian women charged with keeping slave in Syria
Two Australian women “kept a female slave” after travelling to Syria in 2014 to support Islamic State, police said on Friday after the pair were charged in Melbourne.
The women returned to Australia on Thursday evening for the first time in almost a decade, travelling from a Syrian detention camp where they were stranded after the group’s collapse.
They were immediately arrested after their Qatar Airways flight landed at Melbourne International Airport.
Police accused the women – a mother and...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3352825/islamic-state-linked-australian-women-charged-keeping-slave-syria?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-05-07 11:47:52 GMT

India’s military turns to green energy options as Iran war prompts new strategy
India’s military is exploring alternative energy sources amid surging oil and gas prices caused by supply disruption from the Iran war, a trend that analysts say is set to accelerate among Asian countries heavily dependent on energy imports.
According to local media reports, the Indian army plans to get biogas stoves to replace natural gas-fired appliances for cooking. It is also exploring the use of green fuels for army vehicles and administrative work, as well as solar and wind power for...
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https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3352787/indias-military-turns-green-energy-options-iran-war-prompts-new-strategy?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-05-04 02:23:49 GMT

United Airlines Boeing 767 jet hits light pole, truck while landing at Newark
A United Airlines plane hit a light pole and a delivery truck on a New Jersey highway while landing Sunday at Newark Liberty International Airport, officials said.
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) officials said the Boeing 767 landed safely after arriving from Venice, Italy, and the agency would investigate the incident.
No injuries were reported on the plane, and the truck driver was taken to the hospital with minor injuries and released, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3352305/united-airlines-boeing-767-jet-hits-light-pole-truck-while-landing-newark?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-05-04 02:12:34 GMT

Hong Kong Exchange Fund records smallest gain in 5 quarters amid Middle East crisis
Hong Kong’s Exchange Fund, the war chest used to defend the local currency, reported its smallest investment gain in five quarters as the Middle East crisis weighed on stock market performance.
The fund gained HK$34.5 billion (US$4.4 billion) in the first quarter, 56 per cent lower than HK$79.2 billion a year earlier, according to data released by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) on Monday. The fund still managed to report its fifth consecutive quarterly gain, but it was the smallest gain...
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https://www.scmp.com/business/markets/article/3352304/hong-kong-exchange-fund-records-smallest-gain-5-quarters-amid-middle-east-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-05-04 02:00:22 GMT

Mainland Chinese students turn to Hong Kong universities amid gaokao, US visa worries
Hong Kong universities are rapidly gaining favour among mainland Chinese families as they shun the intense domestic competition of the gaokao and uncertainties stemming from Sino-US tensions, embracing the city’s generous non-local admission quotas.
The Blue Book on Mainland Students Studying in Hong Kong released late last month underscores this trend, attributing it to geographic proximity, cultural familiarity, and pragmatic considerations regarding career prospects and residency planning,...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3352283/mainland-students-turn-hong-kong-universities-amid-gaokao-us-visa-worries?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-05-04 01:53:41 GMT

How South Korea is transforming way it bids farewell to migrants killed at workplace
On a quiet March morning at Incheon International Airport, the head of a government agency responsible for administering industrial accident insurance stood before a memorial adorned with flowers and a photo of Nguyen Van Tuan.
The 23-year-old Vietnamese worker had died 10 days earlier in a conveyor belt accident at a gravel factory in Icheon, Gyeonggi province.
Korea Workers’ Compensation and Welfare Service (K-Comwel) President Park Jong-kil bowed deeply, offered flowers and placed his hand on...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3352303/how-south-korea-transforming-way-it-bids-farewell-migrants-killed-workplace?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-05-02 22:00:12 GMT

Faith, hope and ancestry: William Lai’s clan village in Beijing’s push for cross-strait ties
As the closest mainland Chinese province to Taiwan, Fujian is a key site for Beijing’s messaging towards the island. In the second of a two-part series, Xinlu Liang looks at how the ancestral home village of William Lai Ching-te has become a focus for efforts to promote closer ties based on kinship and religion.
The village of Xintian in Fujian province is usually a quiet rural backwater but that changed in November when popular Taiwanese YouTuber and bodybuilder Holger Chen Chih-han descended...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3352228/faith-hope-and-ancestry-william-lais-clan-village-beijings-push-cross-strait-ties?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-05-02 08:37:09 GMT

Why are modern Chinese film audiences shying away from dubbed films?
At the December premiere of the Chinese-dubbed 1957 Billy Wilder classic Witness for the Prosecution in a Shanghai cinema, dubbing artist Qiao Zhen voiced a more immediate mystery: “Do you still enjoy Chinese-dubbed films?”
When audience members, mainly nostalgia-seeking fans, responded with applause and shouts of “Yes!”, the 83-year-old veteran became emotional, offering a moving defence of his art form.
“Several years ago we felt this profession had fallen into a low point,” he told the...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3352213/why-are-modern-chinese-film-audiences-shying-away-dubbed-films?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-04-30 20:59:21 GMT

Trump says he’s lifting some tariffs on Scotch whisky after King Charles visit
US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he was removing certain tariffs on Scotch whisky after this week’s White House visit by the UK’s King Charles and Queen Camilla.
“The King and Queen got me to do something that nobody else was able to do, without hardly even asking!” Trump posted on social media.
Trump said people had wanted this change, especially with regard to the wooden barrels in which the spirits of Scotch and bourbon can be aged.
His post left it unclear if the tariffs were...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3352087/trump-says-hes-lifting-some-tariffs-scotch-whisky-after-king-charles-visit?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-04-27 15:23:04 GMT

Plane crash in South Sudan kills 14
A small plane crashed on Monday in South Sudan near the capital Juba, killing all 13 passengers and the pilot, local officials said.
On top of instability, conflict and poverty, South Sudan also lacks reliable transport infrastructure with frequent plane crashes attributed to overloading and bad weather.
The plane was a Cessna that departed Juba International Airport at 9.15am local time and crashed about 20km (12 miles) from the capital with no survivors, the South Sudanese Civil Aviation...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3351612/14-killed-plane-crash-outskirts-south-sudans-capital?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-04-27 07:48:04 GMT

China delivers record LNG carrier as shipbuilding rivalry with South Korea intensifies
China has delivered its largest-ever liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier, bringing the number of domestic shipyards capable of designing and building the advanced vessels to five, as the country steps up its challenge to South Korea’s dominance in the high-value sector.
The milestone was marked by China Merchants Heavy Industry (Jiangsu), a subsidiary of China Merchants Group, which delivered the 180,000-cubic-metre (6.36-million cubic-feet) vessel on Sunday, according to a company press...
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https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3351546/china-delivers-record-lng-carrier-shipbuilding-rivalry-south-korea-intensifies?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-04-27 07:30:29 GMT

Malaysia’s Najib drops appeal to serve 1MDB-linked prison sentence under house arrest
Former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak has dropped his legal bid to serve the remainder of his corruption sentence under house arrest, closing off a closely watched appeal tied to his 2024 royal pardon.
Najib, 72, is serving a six-year jail sentence in Kajang Prison after his original 12-year term for the misappropriation of 42 million ringgit (US$10.6 million) from SRC International was halved by the Pardons Board in 2024.
SRC International was formerly a unit of 1MDB, the state fund at...
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https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3351542/malaysias-najib-drops-appeal-serve-1mdb-linked-prison-sentence-under-house-arrest?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-04-27 07:26:48 GMT

Lightning strikes kill 14 in a day as seasonal storms hit Bangladesh
At least ⁠14 people ⁠were killed after lightning ⁠strikes hit several parts of Bangladesh, officials said on Monday, as seasonal thunderstorms swept across the country.
The deaths were ‌reported from several districts after sudden storms brought heavy rain and intense lightning on Sunday.
Most of the victims were farmers working in open fields and labourers caught in ⁠exposed areas, local authorities said. Several other people were ‌injured and taken to nearby hospitals, with some in critical...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3351543/lightning-strikes-kill-14-day-seasonal-storms-hit-bangladesh?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-04-26 01:30:11 GMT

Iconic South Korean district on the brink in divisive urban renewal fight
For 42 years, Ha Sung-ki has sold large speakers to churches and event halls from his electronics shop inside Seoul’s Sewoon Plaza.
On a weekday afternoon, the corridor outside – once part of a bustling merchants’ network – is largely empty.
“These days, the number of customers crossing the street to come here can be counted on your fingers – sometimes fewer than 10 a day,” he said.
“People used to come for the nostalgia, the vintage products and the experience of assembling electronic...
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https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3351379/iconic-south-korean-district-brink-divisive-urban-renewal-fight?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-04-26 01:30:08 GMT

10 ways Hong Kong schools can effectively promote mental health
Student mental health is a matter of great concern. According to the latest data from the Education Bureau, the number of secondary students with mental health issues has doubled over the past five years, from 660 in 2020-21 to 1,330 in 2024-25.
In recent years, the government and various stakeholders in society have worked to halt the continued rise in student suicides. However, the number of suspected suicide cases still rose by 10 per cent between 2024 and 2025, from 28 to 31. To help...
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https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3350606/10-ways-hong-kong-schools-can-effectively-promote-mental-health?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-04-26 01:00:25 GMT

Some Hong Kong trees are behaving strangely and botanists want to know why
A citywide study should be launched to examine how global warming is affecting plants in Hong Kong and the knock-on effect on the rest of the ecosystem, botanists have urged after witnessing clear changes in leaf-shedding and flowering patterns.
Some species, such as the red kapok tree and the flame tree, which should shed all leaves during winter, had shown signs of incomplete leaf drop by spring or early flowering in recent years, the experts said, stressing the importance of looking into...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3351437/some-hong-kong-trees-are-behaving-strangely-and-botanists-want-know-why?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-04-26 01:00:13 GMT

Muddy yet clear-cut: How Chinese investors are turning jungle into Indonesia’s new capital
After an hour’s drive through the jungle of Borneo, you reach more jungle. Your rental van from the Balikpapan city airport shakes precariously, navigating a partial bridge washout. A roadside sign admonishes against poaching the endangered sun bears.
By hour three you’ve arrived at Indonesia’s new capital, which is due to start taking over from gridlocked, polluted and seaward-sinking Jakarta in 2028.
Welcome to Ibu Kota Nusantara, known locally as just Nusantara or IKN. Eventually, if all goes...
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https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3350981/muddy-yet-clear-cut-how-chinese-investors-are-turning-jungle-indonesias-new-capital?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-04-26 01:00:10 GMT

Rumours of China Forbidden City using 600,000 tonnes of pig blood to ‘dispel evil’ debunked
A long-standing and widely-circulated rumour that the Forbidden City in Beijing uses 600,000 tonnes of pig’s blood each year to dispel evil has been debunked.
The liquid is actually used as a form of adhesive which is painted on the famous palace’s signature red walls and pillars, according to a recently published book.
The book Sitting under the Roof of the Forbidden City: Answering 50 Questions about the Forbidden City is wrote by Zhou Qian, a researcher at the palace for 20 years who is also...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/environment/article/3350878/rumours-china-forbidden-city-using-600000-tonnes-pig-blood-dispel-evil-debunked?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-04-24 21:30:09 GMT

Kuomintang gets the carrots, DPP the stick
Another day, another big humiliation for William Lai Ching-te. The Taiwanese leader effectively had to cancel a visit to eSwatini, the island’s last partner in Africa, for the celebrations of the 40th anniversary of King Mswati III’s accession to the throne and his 58th birthday.
Taiwan said the visit was “postponed” after the Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar cancelled their previously approved overflight permission without warning.
Lai and his Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)...
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https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3351128/kuomintang-gets-carrots-dpp-stick?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-04-24 21:20:25 GMT

OpenAI’s Sam Altman apologises to Canada town for not reporting mass shooter
OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman has apologised to a Canadian town devastated by a February mass shooting, saying he was “deeply sorry” the company did not tell police about the killer’s troubling ChatGPT account.
OpenAI had banned an account linked to Jesse Van Rootselaar in June 2025, eight months before the 18-year-old woman killed eight people at her home and a school in the tiny British Columbia mining town of Tumbler Ridge.
The account was banned over concerns about usage linked to violent...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3351391/openais-sam-altman-apologises-canada-town-not-reporting-mass-shooter?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-04-24 15:48:35 GMT

Germany’s Merz says no ‘immediate’ Ukraine EU membership, floats Kyiv joining meetings
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Friday there was no prospect of Ukraine’s “immediate accession” to the EU, but suggested Kyiv could join meetings of the bloc’s members without voting rights.
Ukraine is pushing to speed up its bid to join the 27-nation European Union as it fights Russia’s invasion on the battlefield.
Kyiv’s progress has been blocked by Hungary’s nationalist premier Viktor Orban, but his defeat in elections earlier this month raised hopes it can move to the next step.
EU...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3351383/germanys-merz-says-no-immediate-ukraine-eu-membership-floats-kyiv-joining-meetings?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-04-23 00:48:03 GMT

Iran war latest: Trump has ‘no time frame’ as world waits for peace talks
All eyes are on the Strait of Hormuz as the world waits for a new round of US-Iran peace deal talks to ease the global energy crisis, while the extended ceasefire announced by US President Donald Trump remains up in the air.
These are the main takeaways from what happened overnight.
Peace talks?
It remains unclear when the two sides will return to the negotiating table.
Trump on Wednesday said there was “no time frame” for when the war on Iran might come to an end.
During an interview with Fox...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351064/iran-war-latest-trump-has-no-time-frame-world-waits-peace-talks?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-04-23 00:30:07 GMT

Travel scheme could allow Hong Kong, Macau yachts to sail to 6 Greater Bay Area ports
A long-awaited cross-border solo travel scheme will allow yachts from Macau and Hong Kong to easily sail to about six designated ports in the western waters off the Greater Bay Area, with the policy to be finalised as early as this summer, the South China Morning Post has learned.
A Guangdong provincial government document, seen by the SCMP, also showed several routes that were recommended for leisure, such as the waters off Castle Peak Bay, the Pearl River Delta and Fan Lau Kok of the Lantau...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3351051/travel-scheme-could-allow-hong-kong-macau-yachts-sail-6-greater-bay-area-ports?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-04-22 19:00:36 GMT

Top Peru ministers resign in protest over stalled US fighter jet deal
Peru’s foreign and defence ministers resigned on Wednesday in protest over the decision by the government to stall a US$3.5 billion deal for the purchase of 24 US F-16 fighter jets.
The ministers said Peru’s reputation was in jeopardy after interim president Jose Maria Balcazar said on Tuesday that he would leave it up to the winner of June’s presidential run-off to finalise the agreement.
Foreign Minister Hugo de Zela told RPP radio he stood down “because the political decision made by Mr...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3351057/top-peru-ministers-resign-protest-over-stalled-us-fighter-jet-deal?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-04-22 17:19:53 GMT

Gibraltar’s monkeys may be eating soil to cope with junk food from tourists
On the tourist-packed ⁠Rock of Gibraltar, one of the most common sights is monkeys ⁠begging for food – and sometimes stealing sweet and salty snacks from unsuspecting visitors.
Scientists now have documented an unusual behaviour among these macaques that may help them ward off a bellyache from all this junk food.
Researchers said the monkeys have been observed eating soil more frequently, a behaviour they said may help the macaques avoid stomach upset from consuming human snacks.
They found that...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3351054/gibraltars-monkeys-may-be-eating-soil-cope-junk-food-tourists?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-04-21 22:00:12 GMT

China and Philippines taking ‘baby steps’ towards better relations: Manila’s ambassador
The Philippines is trying to gradually establish “stable foundations” for its relations with China before tackling tougher problems such as the long-running South China Sea dispute, according to the country’s ambassador to Beijing.
“We need a new equilibrium in our relations with China. Both sides [have agreed] to take incremental or baby steps towards that,” Jaime FlorCruz told the South China Morning Post.
“That means a relationship that is stable, that is predictable, that is not subject to...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350870/china-and-philippines-taking-baby-steps-towards-better-relations-manilas-ambassador?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-04-21 21:30:08 GMT

US-China AI race must strike a balance between security and openness
The United States House Select Committee on China recently released a report on artificial intelligence. Titled “Buy What It Can, Steal What It Must: China’s Campaign to Acquire Frontier AI Capabilities”, it captures a hardening view in Washington that Beijing’s artificial intelligence rise is closely tied to both market access and security concerns.
Whether fully substantiated or not, such beliefs are increasingly shaping the policy lens through which technology competition between the two...
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https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3350871/us-china-ai-race-must-strike-balance-between-security-and-openness?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-04-21 20:42:21 GMT

Canadian who was detained by China warns against Carney’s electric vehicle deal
A Canadian who was detained in China for nearly three years warned that Prime Minister Mark Carney’s electric vehicle deal risks creating a strategic dependency that the Asian superpower can exploit for political coercion.
Michael Kovrig, a former diplomat who was imprisoned from 2018 to 2021, said on Tuesday that the agreement would lead to unfair competition and the erosion of Canada’s industrial base.
Carney announced during a January trip to Beijing that Canada would accept an initial quota...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3350931/canadian-who-was-detained-china-warns-against-carneys-electric-vehicle-deal?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-04-20 21:36:48 GMT

Tim Cook to step down as Apple CEO, handing reins to firm’s hardware leader
Apple CEO Tim Cook is stepping down from the job that he inherited from the late Steve Jobs, ending a nearly 15-year reign that saw the company’s market value soar by more than US$3.6 trillion during an iPhone-fuelled era of prosperity.
Cook, 65, will turn the CEO duties over to Apple’s head of hardware engineering, John Ternus, on September 1 while remaining involved with the Cupertino, California, company as executive chairman.
That is similar to the transitions made by Amazon’s Jeff Bezos and...
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https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3350792/tim-cook-step-down-apple-ceo-handing-reins-firms-hardware-leader?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-04-20 14:00:08 GMT

‘Hormuz moment’ could herald decline of US dominance: Citic Securities analysts
With global attention fixed on the US and Iranian shipping blockades in the Strait of Hormuz and how many vessels have traversed the critically important waterway, a leading Chinese investment bank has been calculating the long-term gains and losses and how they could rewrite the global economic order.
The United States was on the horns of a dilemma over the strait that might herald an acceleration of Washington’s strategic retreat and its increasingly transactional relationships with other...
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https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3350721/hormuz-moment-could-herald-decline-us-dominance-citic-securities-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-04-18 18:22:52 GMT

Canadian man Kenneth Law to plead guilty in suicide kit case to avoid murder trial
A Canadian man accused of helping 14 ⁠people in the province ⁠of Ontario kill themselves by selling a ⁠legal but deadly substance online will avoid a murder trial by pleading guilty to lesser charges, his lawyer said on Saturday.
Kenneth Law, 60, will plead guilty to counselling or aiding suicide under a deal with Crown prosecutors that will see more serious ‌first-degree murder charges withdrawn, Matthew Gourlay of Henein Hutchison Robitaille said in an email.
Law’s case is scheduled to return...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3350600/canadian-man-kenneth-law-plead-guilty-suicide-kit-case-avoid-murder-trial?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-04-06 02:00:13 GMT

Hong Kong’s new academy for female medical scientists aims to bridge gender gap
The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) has launched an academy to nurture the next generation of female medical scientists, aiming to bridge a sex gap in which women make up just one-third of researchers globally.
The Women in Science and Medicine Academy (Wise) aims to attract 100 early-career female researchers from the city and overseas in five years, supporting them with mentorship, leadership training and global exposure.
Professor Siew Ng, an associate dean of CUHK’s medical school and...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/article/3349097/hong-kongs-new-academy-female-medical-scientists-aims-bridge-gender-gap?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-22 07:00:08 GMT

Vietnam protests as China’s Paracels build-up escalates at Antelope Reef
Hanoi has protested to Beijing over Chinese land-reclamation activities in the disputed Paracel Islands, following reports of accelerated dredging and landfill operations at Antelope Reef in the South China Sea.
“Vietnam resolutely opposes such activities, makes representations and affirms its position on this matter,” Vietnamese foreign ministry spokeswoman Pham Thu Hang said on Saturday.
She said Hanoi had “ample historical evidence and legal grounds” to assert sovereignty over the Paracel...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347467/vietnam-protests-chinas-paracels-build-escalates-antelope-reef?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-22 06:22:39 GMT

Finance chief urges Hong Kong to enhance global standing amid shifting geopolitics
Hong Kong will step up efforts to bolster its global standing and strengthen links between mainland China and the West, enabling the city to better serve as a ‘superconnector’ and ‘super value adder’ for the nation amid growing geopolitical complexities, the financial chief has said.
Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po wrote in his weekly blog on Sunday that the international community was seeking to foster bilateral and regional cooperation to ensure flexibility in trade and resilience in...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3347464/finance-chief-urges-hong-kong-enhance-global-standing-amid-shifting-geopolitics?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-22 06:18:23 GMT

Hospital Authority investigates privacy concerns over doctor’s social media post
Hong Kong’s Hospital Authority has launched an investigation into the controversy over a social media image posted by a doctor showing him performing a resuscitation procedure inside a public hospital, sparking outcry over patient privacy and professional ethics.
Jensen So, a doctor from the Kowloon West cluster and a former contestant on ViuTV’s popular reality talent show King Maker III, posted the image on his Instagram account last Thursday. It has since been widely circulated on another...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3347463/hospital-authority-investigates-privacy-concerns-over-doctors-social-media-post?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-22 06:00:18 GMT

Can China massively reduce food imports with super-efficient unmanned rice farms?
China’s drive to grow 90 per cent of its own grain by 2032 just gained a critical weapon: an unmanned ratoon rice farm that produces 50 per cent higher yields.
By harnessing smart seedling care, sowing, growing and harvesting, a Chinese biotechnology company and scientists from several institutes have built the world’s first smart farm for regenerated rice.
Located in the Datong Lake District in China’s central Hunan province, the smart rice farm has enabled an ancient but technically...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3347232/can-china-massively-reduce-food-imports-super-efficient-unmanned-rice-farms?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-22 06:00:11 GMT

China bosses use smart seats, Wi-fi to track staff activities, leads to anti-monitoring gadgets
In some Chinese workplaces, employers use office Wi-fi, surveillance cameras and even smart seats to monitor what staff do, say and search online.
Workers’ Daily reported that a woman working at a technology company in Guangzhou, southern China, discovered that a camera had been installed above her desk after she declined to go on a business trip because she was ill.
In January, she said a manager warned her not to use private group chats during office hours.
After checking the camera’s storage...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3347010/china-bosses-use-smart-seats-wi-fi-track-staff-activities-leads-anti-monitoring-gadgets?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-22 05:59:07 GMT

Israeli towns reel from ‘terrifying’ Iranian missile strikes
Sheltering from an Iranian missile attack on his town in southern Israel on Saturday, 17-year-old Ido Franky heard “terrifying” blasts like nothing he had experienced before.
An Iranian missile hit Franky’s town of Arad, hours after another struck Dimona – home to a nuclear facility – wounding dozens and leaving entire residential blocks with heavy damage.
Franky rushed to shelter with his family as air raid sirens sounded, warning of an incoming attack.
“There was a ‘boom, boom!’, my mother was...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3347462/israeli-towns-reel-terrifying-iranian-missile-strikes?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-16 12:54:18 GMT

Frenchman jailed for 10 years in Azerbaijan: ‘I’m not a spy’
Azerbaijan on Monday sentenced a Frenchman to 10 years in prison in an espionage case launched during a period of diplomatic tensions between Paris and Baku that have now eased.
Martin Ryan was arrested in December 2023 and went on trial in January last year, when relations between Azerbaijan and France had deteriorated to new lows over Paris’ support for Armenia, Baku’s long-time rival.
The court found him guilty of spying against Azerbaijan and sentenced him to 10 years.
Prosecutors had sought...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3346788/frenchman-jailed-10-years-azerbaijan-im-not-spy?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-16 12:48:53 GMT

China and the US end trade talks as doubts form over Trump visit
China and the US wrapped up their sixth round of trade talks in Paris on Monday, with the agenda ranging from a possible extension of bilateral tariff and non-tariff measures as well as bilateral investment.
“China and US conducted deep, frank and constructive consultations,” Li Chenggang, China’s top international trade negotiator, said after the meetings.
Both sides agreed to “continue to maintain the stability of tariffs”, Li said.
A day earlier US President Donald Trump told the Financial...
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https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3346787/china-and-us-end-trade-talks-doubts-form-over-trump-visit?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-16 12:33:01 GMT

Hong Kong in new push to get young people to register as voters
Young people can opt to make self-declarations to be exempted from producing proof of address to register as electors under a new Hong Kong government drive to boost voter numbers, lawmakers have been told.
A commissioner for oaths will be stationed at each Immigration Department registration of persons office, where young people replace their juvenile identity cards with adult ones upon turning 18.
The initiative was outlined as officials presented the 2026 voter registration campaign at...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3346785/hong-kong-new-push-get-young-people-register-voters?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-16 12:32:07 GMT

Malaysia’s Petronas wins right to challenge Sarawak gas laws in court
Malaysia’s highest court on Monday allowed national energy firm Petronas to pursue a legal bid to challenge several laws passed by the state of Sarawak, amid a protracted dispute over gas distribution rights.
Sarawak, on Borneo island, is home to more than 60 per cent of Malaysia’s gas reserves and has long sought greater control over its natural resources.
In recent years, it has passed laws and appointed its own firm Petros to procure, distribute, supply and sell all natural gas in the state,...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3346783/malaysias-petronas-wins-right-challenge-sarawak-gas-laws-court?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-16 12:30:11 GMT

Why Trump's push for China to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz may hurt trade talks
US President Donald Trump’s reported threat that he may postpone a long-awaited visit to China – unless Beijing helps unblock the Iran-controlled Strait of Hormuz – may put the current trade talks in Paris at risk by sidelining earlier priorities and potential deals, analysts say.
As the US-Israeli war in Iran enters its third week and disrupts global energy markets, Trump has reportedly urged Beijing to send warships to help reopen the strait and ease oil shipments. About 20 per cent of the...
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https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3346784/why-trumps-push-china-help-reopen-strait-hormuz-may-hurt-trade-talks?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-16 12:30:09 GMT

Europe says it must rearm – but to what end?
With the Middle East ablaze and war in Ukraine showing no sign of respite, a stark new consensus is hardening in Paris, London and Berlin that Europe must rearm.
Recently, French President Emmanuel Macron signalled a pivotal shift in deterrence by announcing an increase in the nation’s nuclear warheads and a “forward deterrence” plan. This follows a rare joint appeal from the British and German defence chiefs, who urged Europeans to build a moral and strategic case for a massive surge in...
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https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3346554/europe-says-it-must-rearm-what-end?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-16 12:02:37 GMT

Fix, don’t fire ‘digital employee’ OpenClaw over security risks: Paul Chan
Hong Kong’s finance chief has likened the powerful AI agent OpenClaw to an efficient “digital employee,” saying it should not be dismissed but rather improved to address security risk concerns.
Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po’s remarks on Monday followed the Digital Policy Office’s recent advisory urging government departments to avoid installing OpenClaw or its variants due to security concerns.
“AI agent OpenClaw has awed the world; the convenience it offers is just like having a digital...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3346782/fix-dont-fire-digital-employee-openclaw-over-security-risks-paul-chan?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-16 12:00:09 GMT

AI poisoning: fake fitness tracker fools chatbots in China, sparking outcry
An undercover investigation by state-run China Central Television (CCTV) has cast a harsh light on a controversial practice in a nascent industry: the “poisoning” of artificial intelligence models with fabricated information.
The report showed how techniques of generative engine optimisation (GEO) – the AI version of search engine optimisation (SEO) – could be used to manipulate AI chatbots, provoking widespread public concern and debate as both industry insiders and observers anticipated...
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https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3346761/ai-poisoning-fake-fitness-tracker-fools-chatbots-china-sparking-outcry?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-16 11:53:05 GMT

Hong Kong businessman expected to take loss on Peak properties he bought for US$255m
Luxury residential property on Hong Kong’s Peak Road owned by businessman Chan King-wai has been put up for sale by public tender, several years after he acquired it from companies linked to CK group.
Marketing agent JLL said on Monday that the adjoining sites at 86, 88 and 90 Peak Road are being offered for joint sale by tender. The residential lots have a combined area of about 28,620 sq ft.
The site could attract bids of about HK$70,000 (US$8,939) to HK$100,000 per square foot, said Joseph...
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https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3346780/hong-kong-businessman-expected-take-loss-peak-properties-he-bought-us255m?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-16 11:49:26 GMT

Arrest of stateless teen in Malaysia highlights plight of Sabah’s 1 million non-citizens
The arrest of a 17-year-old stateless teenager during a school outing to buy Eid clothes at a Sabah mall for allegedly failing to show valid residence papers, has returned scrutiny to Malaysia’s treatment of undocumented people.
Niko Ansboy, a student at Borneo Komrad, an alternative school for stateless children, was waiting outside a store during a school trip to the 1Borneo Hypermall when police detained him on Sunday.
He was stopped by officers patrolling after the Kota Kinabalu District...
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https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3346779/arrest-stateless-teen-malaysia-highlights-plight-sabahs-1-million-non-citizens?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-16 11:30:08 GMT

Papers please: China raises pressure on Panama amid canal row with ship inspection wave
Beijing has increased its inspections on Panama-flagged vessels entering Chinese ports, a source from the shipping industry said, an action intended to raise the Latin American country’s stress level after its courts voided the operating rights of Hong Kong-based conglomerate CK Hutchison in the Panama Canal.
Port state control (PSC) – the inspection regime countries may deploy to verify the compliance of foreign ships with various international standards – was being used as a form of leverage...
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https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3346767/papers-please-china-raises-pressure-panama-amid-canal-row-ship-inspection-wave?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-16 10:30:11 GMT

Most Filipino women think a woman’s place is in the home, survey finds
The Philippines ranks among Asia’s most gender-equal societies by several international measures. Yet ask Filipino women where they truly belong and most will still tell you: at home.
A new survey has found that 83 per cent of Filipino women agree “being a housewife is just as fulfilling as working for pay”, up from 70 per cent when the same question was posed in 1994.
The findings, released by independent pollster Social Weather Stations earlier in March to coincide with National Women’s Month,...
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https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3346760/most-filipino-women-think-womans-place-home-survey-finds?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-16 10:19:53 GMT

Iran to turn bombed girls’ school into museum commemorating US ‘crimes’
Iran plans to convert the girls’ school that was bombed on the first day of the war into a museum commemorating the nearly 200 victims of the strike.
“This school is a living document of the Americans’ willingness to commit crimes and must be registered and documented for preservation in the historical memory of the Iranian people,” the Iranian government said in a statement issued on Monday.
At least 168 pupils aged between seven and 12 years old, 26 teachers and four parents were killed in the...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3346768/iran-turn-bombed-girls-school-museum-commemorating-us-crimes?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-16 09:30:14 GMT

No ships cross Strait of Hormuz for first time since conflict began, data shows
Maritime tracking data showed that no ships passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, marking the first full day since the Middle East conflict began without any confirmed commercial traffic in either direction.
Crossings dropped to zero, below the previous seven-day average of 2.57 daily transits, according to maritime analytics firm Windward. Although no vessels entered the waterway that day, about 400 ships sailed in the Gulf of Oman on Friday, it said.
“The concentration suggests that...
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https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3346755/no-ships-cross-strait-hormuz-first-time-conflict-began-data-shows?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-16 09:15:03 GMT

Hong Kong policeman denies molesting clerk at headquarters in indecent assault case
A senior Hong Kong police officer has denied molesting a government clerk at the force’s headquarters more than a year ago.
Ian Chow Ngai-kong, 50, on Monday stood trial at Eastern Court on three counts of indecent assault over the alleged incidents at the police headquarters in Wan Chai on June 19 and November 1, 2024.
The court heard the complainant, a senior clerical officer from the Civil Service Bureau, was seconded to the police force to provide administrative support from August 2023.
She...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3346750/hong-kong-policeman-denies-molesting-clerk-headquarters-indecent-assault-case?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-16 09:14:40 GMT

Confusion over Malaysia-US trade deal as ‘null and void’ claim retracted
Malaysia’s government has been forced onto the defensive over its much-touted tariff deal with the United States, after a minister walked back an earlier claim that the agreement had been rendered “null and void” by a US Supreme Court ruling.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s administration signed the deal in October, promising US$240 billion in investments and purchases of American goods, including beef and aircraft, in exchange for continued access to the world’s largest consumer market at a...
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https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3346749/confusion-over-malaysia-us-trade-deal-null-and-void-claim-retracted?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-16 09:14:17 GMT

Dubai flights disrupted after drone attack near airport; missile kills 1 in Abu Dhabi
Missiles and drone attacks hit across the UAE on Monday, with a drone-related incident sparking a fuel tank fire near Dubai airport that disrupted travel, while a missile killed a civilian in Abu Dhabi.
In the eastern emirate of Fujairah, a drone attack on oil infrastructure sparked a fire, just one day after smoke was seen rising from a major UAE energy installation in the emirate.
The attacks came a day after Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said in an interview that rockets had been...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3346748/dubai-flights-disrupted-after-drone-attack-near-airport-missile-kills-1-abu-dhabi?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-16 09:11:33 GMT

2 dead after Japanese school trip boats capsize off US military base site in Okinawa
Two boats carrying 21 people capsized on Monday off Henoko, a controversial relocation site for a US military base off Japan’s southern island of Okinawa, throwing all into the water and leaving two of them dead, officials said.
The Japan Coast Guard said 18 of them were students from a Kyoto high school on two boats, 10 on Heiwa Maru and eight on the smaller Fukutsu, to observe the Henoko area as part of their peace education programme.
Rescuers pulled all 21 people out of the water, but a...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3346746/2-dead-after-japanese-school-trip-boats-capsize-us-military-base-site-okinawa?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-16 09:04:14 GMT

China may snub Trump plea for help in Strait of Hormuz
US President Donald Trump said he may put off a planned visit to Beijing as he sought to press China and other nations into helping reopen the Strait of Hormuz amid the war in Iran.
“We may delay” the trip, he told the Financial Times on Sunday, without saying for how long. The visit, scheduled for March 31 to April 2, includes a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Trump has “demanded” that about seven countries help to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, he told reporters on Sunday, as the...
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https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3346744/china-may-snub-trump-plea-help-strait-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-16 09:00:12 GMT

Malaysia’s US$6 billion megaport imperils Mah Meri way of life
Lingan bin Man pulls up to the fishing jetty in the early afternoon, guiding his small boat towards a narrow strip of wooden planks as waves crash against the dock.
On board are his wife and toddler. Together, the Malaysian family inspects the day’s catch: 2kg (4.4lbs) of clams after three hours at sea.
“I can sell this for US$7,” the 52-year-old said.
For fishermen in Kampung Sungai Kurau, a village on Pulau Carey, an island in Selangor state, this has become the new normal.
Members of the Mah...
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https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3346725/malaysias-us6-billion-megaport-imperils-mah-meri-way-life?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-16 09:00:10 GMT

Could this Chinese breakthrough pave way for global organ transplant system?
A team of scientists in China has developed a way to freeze and revive organs for transplant, extending their viability from as little as six hours to several days, according to a peer-reviewed study published in the Journal of Medical Devices.
While the technology is still at the experimental stage and has not yet progressed to human trials, it could one day transform the entire field of organ transplantation, especially for hearts, the researchers say.
“If just half of the currently discarded...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3346722/could-chinese-breakthrough-pave-way-global-organ-transplant-system?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-16 08:00:10 GMT

Shanghai sees massive F1 turnout, boosting city’s pitch as sporting destination
The Formula One (F1) Chinese Grand Prix drew record crowds over the weekend, another indication the wide-ranging efforts from host city Shanghai to raise its profile as a global sports and event destination are paying off.
The three-day event, which concluded on Sunday, attracted more than 230,000 cumulative spectators, the highest attendance headcount reported by the Chinese financial centre in nearly two decades.
On the opening day, the number of foreign arrivals through Shanghai’s ports...
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https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3346721/shanghai-sees-massive-f1-turnout-boosting-citys-pitch-sporting-destination?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-16 07:00:11 GMT

AI to narrow China’s rural-urban economic divide
China is counting on artificial intelligence (AI) to help the 450 million people living in rural areas left behind by the nation’s economic boom.
Farmers are already benefiting from the technology, using AI offerings such as DeepSeek or ByteDance’s Doubao for help with issues like pig rearing, pest control and government subsidies. The State Council’s “No 1 document” of 2026, extended a push for the “digital upgrading” of farming, with an emphasis on the greater integration of AI, drones, robots...
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https://www.scmp.com/plus/tech/tech-trends/article/3346713/ai-narrow-chinas-rural-urban-economic-divide?utm_source=rss_feed