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As Chinese chipmakers close the tech gap, South Korea races to protect its lead

Report urges Samsung, SK Hynix to sharpen cost competitiveness in commodity memory while doubling down on cutting-edge sectors such as HBM.

SK Hynix memory products attract attention at the 28th Semiconductor Exhibition held in Seoul on October 16. Photo: Reuters

Politics

Communist Party opens fifth plenum with focus on discipline and loyalty to Xi

Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to deliver a work report to the fifth plenum of the Communist Party’s 20th Central Committee this week and provide an explanation regarding the draft of the document. Photo: Xinhua

Tech Trends

In Focus | Why does China favour open AI models like DeepSeek while others remain cautious?

Illustration: Dennis Yip

Banking & Finance

Top bankers to gather in Hong Kong to learn how city can rethink ‘the playbook’

Some 280 global top bankers, including 120 group chairmen and CEOs, will attend the fifth Global Financial Leaders’ Investment Summit.

A view of Hong Kong’s dense urban skyline, captured from The Peak. Photo: Dickson Lee

China

Lula pulls off Brazil’s first-ever run-off comeback to beat Bolsonaro

Victory keeps Beijing’s top overseas investment destination aligned with China as conservative rival rejects results.

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Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva greeting supporters in Sao Paulo on Sunday. Photo: Reuters
Supporters of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva celebrate after he won. Photo: AP
Supporters of Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva watch the results. Photo: Reuters
Supporters of opposition presidential candidate Senator Flavio Bolsonaro react to the results. Photo: AP
A supporter of Brazil’s presidential candidate Flavio Bolsonaro. Photo: Reuters

Society

Hong Kong positioned as green gateway for belt and road firms: John Lee

‘In building a greener, more prosperous and sustainable future, Hong Kong is your reliable partner,’ the city’s leader says.

Chief Executive John Lee delivers a speech at Belt and Road Green Innovation Conference. Photo: Kit Lai
Huang Runqiu has said that Hong Kong has served as a major global financial and trading hub. Photo: Kit Lai

World

US visits to China decline, Turkish rare earth deposit: 5 weekend reads

From Turkey’s largest rare earth deposit to why China’s youth embrace Japanese pop culture, here are five stories you may have missed over the weekend.

China’s Bayan Obo holds the world’s largest rare earth element deposit. Photo: Reuters

Middle East

Longevity-first healthcare takes spotlight at Abu Dhabi Future Health Summit

In partnership with:Future Health – A Global Initiative by Abu Dhabi
The future of healthcare is expected to be transformed by innovations focused on predicting and preventing health issues.

China Economy

Exoskeletons, anyone? China showcases next-gen technology at annual trade fair

From rescue drone gear to mobility exoskeletons, Chinese firms are rapidly bringing frontier tech to market as they plough funds into R&D.

A buyer inspects smart healthcare equipment on display at the Canton Fair in Guangzhou. Photo: Xinhua

Travel & Leisure

Luxury hotels at sea: how 5-star brands are redefining ocean opulence

Between a cruise liner and a private yacht charter lies the luxury hotel at sea, offering five-star service and intimate, experience-led voyages.

The Luminara Suite on the The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection's Luminara, the third vessel to launch in its fleet. Photo: The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection

Health & Environment

Cooler than Tokyo: Sendai named Japan’s most comfortable city amid record heat

The city’s average maximum temperature was 26.8 degrees Celsius over this summer, the lowest since 2020.

People walk through a shopping arcade in Sendai, Miyagi prefecture, northeastern Japan. Photo: Reuters

East Asia

Japanese ex-prime minister Yasuo Fukuda, who sought China ties, dies at 90

Known as ‌a diplomatic dove, Fukuda visited China soon after becoming prime minister and invited then Chinese president Hu Jintao to visit.

Japan’s then prime minister Yasuo Fukuda speaks at a news conference in Tokyo on April 30, 2008. Photo: Reuters

Entertainment

Why Zhou Xun risked it all for that long take in The First Taste of Loneliness

The Chinese actress and director Gu You talk about the audacious 20-minute unbroken scene and how loneliness brings one closer to happiness.

(From left) Xi Meijuan, Zhou Xun and Wang Shengdi in a still from The First Taste of Loneliness, Gu You’s new film, which premiered at the Busan International Film Festival in South Korea earlier this month.

Science

Tibetan river hosting world’s biggest dam is facing increasing flood risk: study

Researchers create a hydrological history using tree rings and data to project future run-off and flood risk in the Yarlung Tsangpo River.

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The Yarlung Tsangpo River in the Tibet autonomous region of China. Photo: China News Service via Getty Images

Diplomacy

Why North Korean leader Kim toured a Chinese bus factory in Dandong

An afternoon visit to Dandong Huanghai Automobile highlights Pyongyang’s push to electrify and modernise its bus system.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visits the Dandong Huanghai Automobile factory in the Chinese city of Dandong on Saturday. Photo: KCNA via KNS/AFP

China Business

Weak earnings outlook further pressures China’s bearish stock market

Earnings growth probably slowed in third quarter, dragged by industries ranging from consumer goods to green energy, brokerage says.

A woman shops in Beijing, on October 14, 2026. Photo: EPA

Politics

Hong Kong arbitration body eyes Mideast, Africa prospects amid global tensions

Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre says city’s neutrality and predictability are key draws for new markets.

The Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre's Domitille Baizeau (left) and Victor Dawes at the ADR in Asia Conference 2026. Photo: Silvia Siu

Middle East

Saudi coalition intercepts missile as Houthis claim new attack on Riyadh airport

Air defences destroy incoming projectile shortly after flights resume at the capital’s main hub despite rebel warnings.

Saudi security officials inspect debris from an intercepted ballistic missile near Mecca on October 24, amid a barrage of Houthi strikes targeting the kingdom. Photo: SPA via Reuters

Health & Environment

In South Korea, jail time awaits Halloween police impersonators

Police crack down on fake uniforms as Seoul marks a fourth Halloween since the Itaewon crowd crush disaster.

A man dressed in a police uniform stands on a street in Hong Kong during Halloween in 2019. Photo: AFP
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Artificial Intelligence

100 million views: why China’s viral AI rap track has struck a chord

Struggles of 10 historic icons in The One Who’s Been There resonate with burnt-out modern listeners tackling job insecurity, bills and more.

The song brings together 10 iconic figures from Chinese history and mythology, from revered poets and statesmen to the legendary Monkey King, to offer empathy and encouragement to today’s burnt-out world. Photo: Youtube/@喆FILM_Official
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Australasia

Boarding on confusion: Sydney’s second airport blows some passengers off course

Entertainment

Why Zhou Xun risked it all for that long take in The First Taste of Loneliness

Society

Fire breaks out at Hong Kong’s Shek Kwu Chau waste-to-energy plant

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SCMP Shorts
Man arrested for allegedly putting rat poison in food left for stray cats in a Hong Kong park
Man arrested for allegedly putting rat poison in food left for stray cats in a Hong Kong park
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un pays unexpected visit to Chinese border city of Dandong
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un pays unexpected visit to Chinese border city of Dandong
One dead, more than 600 injured by Typhoon Champi in Taiwan
One dead, more than 600 injured by Typhoon Champi in Taiwan
Relief efforts continue in Tibet after magnitude 7.0 quake
Relief efforts continue in Tibet after magnitude 7.0 quake
Rescuers pull survivors from rubble after Tibet earthquake
Rescuers pull survivors from rubble after Tibet earthquake
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