https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/rss/330834/feed en https://assets-v2.i-scmp.com/production/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg William Yiu,Edith Lin William Yiu,Edith Lin Hong Kong has retained its status as the world’s freest economy in the latest annual ranking by a top Canadian think tank, although its score has declined in recent years. Switzerland overtook Singapore to claim second place in 2026, pushing the city state down to third in the league table released by the Fraser Institute on Tuesday. The Economic Freedom of the World report, compiled by the Vancouver-based public policy research organisation using data from 2024, ranked Hong Kong first among 165... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3369922/hong-kong-remains-worlds-freest-economy-switzerland-overtakes-singapore?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3369922/hong-kong-remains-worlds-freest-economy-switzerland-overtakes-singapore?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Oct 2026 09:36:16 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Switzerland’s glaciers, which are disproportionately impacted by climate change, have lost nearly 20 per cent of their mass in five years, experts said on Thursday, with 2026 registering the second biggest melt on record. Swiss glaciers saw 5.5 per cent of their volume melt away this year, the Glacier Monitoring in Switzerland (GLAMOS) network found in a new study, published after a record hot summer preceded by a winter with little snowfall. “The glaciers this year have lost enormous quantities... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3369404/expert-gives-grim-warning-after-swiss-glaciers-shrink-20-5-years?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3369404/expert-gives-grim-warning-after-swiss-glaciers-shrink-20-5-years?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Oct 2026 02:19:19 +0000 Enoch Yiu,Themis Qi Enoch Yiu,Themis Qi Hong Kong commercial banks continue to offer incentives to attract mainland visitors during the first golden week after Beijing tightened cross-border investment rules and enforced the collection of a 20 per cent levy on overseas investment or insurance gains. HSBC would offer up to HK$88,000 (US$11,215) for new high-end clients, as well as experiences including a National Day fireworks dinner and tickets to the China Open tennis tournament in Beijing or a K-pop concert, according to the bank’s... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/banking-finance/article/3369382/hong-kong-banks-set-golden-week-lures-mainland-chinese-visitors-despite-new-levies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/banking-finance/article/3369382/hong-kong-banks-set-golden-week-lures-mainland-chinese-visitors-despite-new-levies?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 30 Sep 2026 15:39:25 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Mark Carney built a global profile in 2026 by standing up to US President Donald Trump. If some prediction-market traders and prominent admirers are right, the Canadian prime minister could end the year with the Nobel Peace Prize and Time magazine’s Person of the Year. Carney briefly became the favourite Monday for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize on Kalshi, a US-based prediction market, when traders on the exchange put his chances at 14 per cent. His odds later fell, illustrating the highly... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3369288/theres-been-buzz-around-carney-prize-long-coveted-trump?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3369288/theres-been-buzz-around-carney-prize-long-coveted-trump?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 30 Sep 2026 04:46:40 +0000 Ben Jiang Ben Jiang Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang and AMD chief Lisa Su have joined an influential advisory board at a prestigious Chinese university, placing the two US artificial intelligence chip leaders in a high-level forum known for connecting global executives with senior Chinese officials. Huang and Su were among three new members appointed to the advisory board of Tsinghua University’s School of Economics and Management (SEM), alongside Marc Pictet, senior managing partner of Swiss wealth and assets... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/big-tech/article/3369237/nvidia-and-amd-chiefs-join-tsinghua-advisory-board-us-china-chip-tensions-persist?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/big-tech/article/3369237/nvidia-and-amd-chiefs-join-tsinghua-advisory-board-us-china-chip-tensions-persist?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 29 Sep 2026 13:35:01 +0000 SCMP Style Reporter SCMP Style Reporter There is a certain freedom in refusing to follow a predetermined path. It is a quality Serenay Sarıkaya has brought to a career that has moved effortlessly between television, film and theatre, and one that now connects her with Richard Mille as the brand’s newest partner. Having entered the industry at just 15, the Turkish actress has built her career by following curiosity rather than convention. Each new role has offered another opportunity to explore unfamiliar territory, from the stage to... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/style/luxury/watches/article/3369008/style-edit-richard-mille-welcomes-turkish-actress-serenay-sarikaya-its-family?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/style/luxury/watches/article/3369008/style-edit-richard-mille-welcomes-turkish-actress-serenay-sarikaya-its-family?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 29 Sep 2026 02:00:15 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao Alibaba Group Holding has become an official technology and cloud partner of NBA team Brooklyn Nets, as the tech giant pushes for a deeper presence in the sports industry. The collaboration was announced on Monday under a multi-year strategic partnership between Alibaba and Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment, the parent company of the basketball team. It would also see Alibaba become Brooklyn Nets’ official jersey patch sponsor ahead of the basketball team’s 60th anniversary season, according to a... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/article/3369124/alibaba-deepens-sports-tech-push-new-brooklyn-nets-partnership?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/article/3369124/alibaba-deepens-sports-tech-push-new-brooklyn-nets-partnership?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 29 Sep 2026 01:24:03 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Swiss voters on Sunday roundly rejected a proposal to tighten their country’s neutrality, final results showed, dismissing an initiative championed by the hard-right and dubbed “pro-Russian” by opponents. While the Swiss widely embrace their neutrality, the initiative to enshrine a strict definition into the constitution exposed deep disagreement over what that neutrality entails. The proposal was rejected by 70.1 per cent of voters, according to the final results. “This result is not a vote... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3368976/swiss-reject-tighter-neutrality-rules-referendum-backed-right-wing-populist-party?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3368976/swiss-reject-tighter-neutrality-rules-referendum-backed-right-wing-populist-party?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 27 Sep 2026 17:15:02 +0000 Gabriel Dominguez Gabriel Dominguez Taiwan’s coastguard fired a supersonic anti-ship missile during a military exercise last week, an unusual move by a civilian law enforcement agency that analysts say could be aimed at complicating potential war plans. The drill matters not only because it highlights the growing integration between the agency and Taiwan’s navy, experts argue, but also because missile-armed coastguard vessels would add another threat the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) would have to account for in a conflict. On... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/military/article/3368380/taiwan-coastguards-rare-missile-firing-reveals-deepening-links-navy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/military/article/3368380/taiwan-coastguards-rare-missile-firing-reveals-deepening-links-navy?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Sep 2026 13:00:11 +0000 Emma Ma Emma Ma China has elevated veteran trade diplomat Li Chenggang to the country’s top-level international trade representative post, giving him a prominent role ahead of an expected meeting between President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump. Li has been officially appointed by the State Council as China’s international trade representative, carrying a minister’s rank, Xinhua news agency reported on Sunday. He was previously the international trade negotiator of the Ministry of Commerce, and the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/article/3368164/china-elevates-li-chenggang-top-international-trade-role-ahead-xis-us-trip?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/article/3368164/china-elevates-li-chenggang-top-international-trade-role-ahead-xis-us-trip?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 20 Sep 2026 12:31:23 +0000 Zhang Shidong Zhang Shidong Japan is adding a fresh layer of uncertainty to global financial markets by potentially triggering a new bout of turmoil in bond markets and dampening the appetite for risk assets, as Tokyo’s pursuit of bigger government spending stokes concerns about fiscal discipline and sends sovereign bond yields to multi-year highs. The nation’s 10-year bond yield hit 3.03 per cent this week, a level not seen in three decades, while 30-year bond yields traded at 4.1 per cent, also nearing a 30-year high.... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/china-business/article/3367872/how-will-rate-increase-japan-affect-capital-flow-global-financial-markets?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/china-business/article/3367872/how-will-rate-increase-japan-affect-capital-flow-global-financial-markets?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Sep 2026 01:00:06 +0000 Divia Harilela Divia Harilela If Justin Bieber, Travis Scott or Kim Kardashian are anything to go by, then the latest must-have in interior design is a modular sofa, specifically the Dune by Pierre Paulin. Designed nearly 60 years ago in collaboration with Herman Miller, this space-age couch is enjoying a new lease of life thanks to its cool design, versatility and promise of exceptional comfort. Back in the real world, modular furniture is experiencing a renaissance beyond the living room. “Modular furniture first gained... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/style/lifestyle/design/article/3367539/modular-furniture-trend-loved-justin-bieber-kim-kardashian-and-travis-scott?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/style/lifestyle/design/article/3367539/modular-furniture-trend-loved-justin-bieber-kim-kardashian-and-travis-scott?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Sep 2026 00:00:12 +0000 SCMP Style Reporter SCMP Style Reporter Few watchmakers have exploration so deeply woven into their history as Tudor. Its connection to adventure dates back to the 1950s, when Tudor watches accompanied the British North Greenland Expedition into one of the world’s most unforgiving environments. Decades later, that spirit of utility continues to inform Tudor’s approach to the modern tool watch, most recently through the expanded Ranger collection and the return of the Northflag. The Ranger traces its roots to a name registered by Hans... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/style/luxury/watches/article/3367029/style-edit-tudor-expands-ranger-collection-and-brings-back-northflag?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/style/luxury/watches/article/3367029/style-edit-tudor-expands-ranger-collection-and-brings-back-northflag?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Sep 2026 02:00:09 +0000 SCMP Style Reporter SCMP Style Reporter A series of timepieces from Cyrus, available in Hong Kong at Masterpiece by King Fook, highlight this most original of Swiss luxury watchmakers’ spirit of boundary-pushing creativity and daring individuality. Founded in 2010, the independent manufacture handcrafts its watches in small runs, infusing every one with a distinctive character. That Cyrus’ watches break away from the herd with aesthetically and mechanically distinctive designs comes as no surprise when you learn that they’re the work... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/style/luxury/watches/article/3367043/style-edit-masterpiece-king-fook-showcases-daring-cyrus-timepieces?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/style/luxury/watches/article/3367043/style-edit-masterpiece-king-fook-showcases-daring-cyrus-timepieces?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Sep 2026 02:00:14 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press UK lawmakers on Friday voted down legislation to allow terminally ill adults in England and Wales to choose to end their lives. The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill was opposed by 286 members of parliament, while 270 voted for it. The vote brings an end to a two-year debate in parliament about assisted dying. On two previous occasions in 2024 and 2025, the elected House of Commons had backed the bill, but it did not become law because it was effectively filibustered by unelected... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3367258/uk-lawmakers-reject-bill-legalise-assisted-dying-england-and-wales?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3367258/uk-lawmakers-reject-bill-legalise-assisted-dying-england-and-wales?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 11 Sep 2026 14:40:04 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Police say five people have died and 40 others were injured after a Dutch tour bus slammed into a roadside crash barrier and overturned in eastern Switzerland. The bus, with 45 people on board, overturned Thursday afternoon in a construction zone between the villages of Susch and Zernez in the Alpine canton of Graubuenden. Seven rescue helicopters and 13 ambulance crews took part in the rush to evacuate the victims, police said. Three people remain in serious condition in hospital. Images from... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3367111/several-dead-dutch-coach-crash-switzerland?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3367111/several-dead-dutch-coach-crash-switzerland?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 10 Sep 2026 23:22:39 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The Swiss federal intelligence service on Thursday published a 200-page dossier on the notorious Nazi war criminal Josef Mengele, the German doctor known as the “Angel of Death” for conducting horrific medical experiments on prisoners at Auschwitz. During World War II, Mengele served at the Auschwitz extermination camp in Nazi-occupied Poland, where about 1.1 million people were killed, around 1 million of them Jews. He became infamous for carrying out brutal medical experiments on inmates,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3367107/switzerland-publishes-200-page-dossier-nazi-doctor-mengele-known-angel-death?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3367107/switzerland-publishes-200-page-dossier-nazi-doctor-mengele-known-angel-death?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 10 Sep 2026 18:37:29 +0000 SCMP Style Reporter SCMP Style Reporter There have been moments in watchmaking when a problem as fundamental as gravity became the starting point for an entirely new chapter in horology. For Abraham-Louis Breguet, that moment came at the turn of the 19th century. In the pocket watches of his era, the balance and hairspring were particularly vulnerable to the effects of gravity with the watch remaining in a vertical position for extended periods. His solution was not to fight gravity, but to keep the regulating mechanisms moving... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/style/luxury/watches/article/3366627/style-edit-breguets-tourbillon-legacy-and-its-enduring-role-watchmaking-history?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/style/luxury/watches/article/3366627/style-edit-breguets-tourbillon-legacy-and-its-enduring-role-watchmaking-history?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 08 Sep 2026 02:00:16 +0000 SCMP Style Reporter SCMP Style Reporter No other Swiss luxury watchmaker constantly pushes back the boundaries of the possible quite like Richard Mille. The high-performance worlds of motorsport and sailing share a similar passion for mechanical mastery – and it’s an affinity that leads naturally to collaboration. Richard Mille is partner to a trio of sporting events, covering sailing, road racing and rallying, that celebrate the brand’s fondness for precision machines that blend supreme beauty with peerless technical... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/style/luxury/watches/article/3366601/style-edit-richard-mille-revs-vintage-elegance-3-racing-events?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/style/luxury/watches/article/3366601/style-edit-richard-mille-revs-vintage-elegance-3-racing-events?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 08 Sep 2026 02:00:13 +0000 SCMP Style Reporter SCMP Style Reporter This October, Audemars Piguet will invite guests in Macau to experience watchmaking not from across a boutique counter, but from the watchmaker’s bench. Hosted at AP House Macau – the largest AP House in Greater China – the new masterclass transforms the intricate mechanics of haute horlogerie into an intimate, hands-on encounter. Created for seasoned collectors and curious newcomers alike, the programme brings the manufacture’s tradition of passing knowledge between generations from Le Brassus... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/style/luxury/watches/article/3365966/style-edit-audemars-piguet-host-hands-watchmaking-masterclass-macau?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/style/luxury/watches/article/3365966/style-edit-audemars-piguet-host-hands-watchmaking-masterclass-macau?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 07 Sep 2026 02:00:07 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Ten research teams were honoured on Thursday at a satirical science awards ceremony that was hosted outside the US for the first time due to travel concerns. Researchers who studied milk from cockroaches and analysed soil health using underwear received Ig Nobel prizes celebrating unusual and imaginative contributions to science. The awards organised by a digital magazine called the Annals of Improbable Research shifted to Europe after 35 years in the US over concerns about attendees being able... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3366281/scientists-studying-cockroach-milk-and-nose-blowing-win-ig-nobel-prizes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3366281/scientists-studying-cockroach-milk-and-nose-blowing-win-ig-nobel-prizes?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 03 Sep 2026 20:07:51 +0000 Zhengxu Wang Zhengxu Wang On August 26, a section of glacier collapsed at an altitude of more than 5,000 metres on the Nepalese side of the Himalayas. The falling ice and rock accelerated down a steep valley at about 50 metres per second, scouring debris and transforming into a high-speed mudslide that slammed into Gyirong Port on the Chinese side just seven minutes later. The force of the flow largely buried and obliterated the border facilities. Hundreds of people, many of them travellers, remain missing on the Chinese... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3365825/nepal-china-floods-highlight-growing-front-climate-change-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3365825/nepal-china-floods-highlight-growing-front-climate-change-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Sep 2026 21:30:07 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Zurich, Aug 31, 2026 (AFP) -A 43-year-old Swiss man was arrested on Monday on “strong suspicion” of being behind a rare deadly gun attack at a rave in Switzerland, police said. Gunfire erupted in the early hours of Sunday morning as an annual rave was winding down at the racecourse in Aarau, capital of Switzerland’s northern canton of Aargau. The attack triggered an international manhunt for the shooter, who left an Italian woman dead and wounded five others, some seriously. “A 43-year-old Swiss... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3365736/shooting-erupts-rave-party-switzerland?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3365736/shooting-erupts-rave-party-switzerland?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 30 Aug 2026 06:23:25 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial The human catastrophe resulting from the flash flood and mudslide on the Nepal-China border continues to unfold. The search for answers has already begun. But the safety of survivors, rescue of victims and relief operations are paramount. President Xi Jinping’s directives to emergency responders and dispatch of Premier Li Qiang to the border to oversee operations are evidence of that. The immediate cause of the disaster remains the subject of debate. But there seems little doubt of the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/comment/article/3365608/china-nepal-border-flash-flood-must-galvanise-climate-change-cooperation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/comment/article/3365608/china-nepal-border-flash-flood-must-galvanise-climate-change-cooperation?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Aug 2026 23:15:08 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage A peace plan agreed between the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Rwanda-backed M23 movement last weekend could open the rebel-held Rubaya coltan deposit and other parts of mineral-rich eastern Congo to US investors. But observers say that even a lasting settlement would leave the United States far behind China, whose companies have spent decades building mining assets, relationships and supply chains across the country. The peace road map followed five days of talks and set out steps and... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3365482/truce-dr-congo-offers-us-mining-foothold-while-chinese-firms-dominate-output?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3365482/truce-dr-congo-offers-us-mining-foothold-while-chinese-firms-dominate-output?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Aug 2026 08:00:10 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Uefa is preparing a criminal complaint against Fifa president Gianni Infantino in Swiss courts for possible financial mismanagement over his failed plan to sell future World Cup profits to private investors. Uefa said on Thursday it filed documents in a Manhattan court requesting discovery of potential evidence from the New York investment fund, Thrive Capital Management, founded by Joshua Kushner. Uefa also filed a request in a southern Florida district for authorisation of discovery “in a... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3365501/uefa-targets-infantino-criminal-complaint-over-failed-world-cup-investor-plan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3365501/uefa-targets-infantino-criminal-complaint-over-failed-world-cup-investor-plan?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Aug 2026 15:41:22 +0000 Cheryl Arcibal Cheryl Arcibal Hong Kong’s growing number of expatriates is boosting the city’s residential property leasing market with luxury rents likely to rise by about 5 per cent this year and continue their upswing in 2027, according to property consultancy JLL. The private residential rental index by the Rating and Valuation Department had surged by 18.5 per cent as of June to 205.8 from the Covid-19 pandemic trough in January 2023, which was 173.6, marking the first sustained breach of the 200 threshold. “Hong Kong’s... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/article/3365263/more-expats-flock-hong-kong-luxury-home-rents-poised-further-upswing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/article/3365263/more-expats-flock-hong-kong-luxury-home-rents-poised-further-upswing?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 26 Aug 2026 04:00:08 +0000 Zhang Shidong Zhang Shidong China’s deliberation on its sweeping cross-border anti-corruption law may ripple through Hong Kong’s financial and property markets, as Beijing seeks harsher punishments for corrupt officials and broadens its scrutiny of the massive pool of wealth transferred overseas. Hong Kong remains in focus after the draft law was submitted on Tuesday to the standing committee of the national legislature for deliberation, analysts said. The law was “designed to give mainland authorities a clearer statutory... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/china-business/article/3365213/hong-kongs-property-financial-markets-face-test-under-cross-border-anti-corruption-law?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/china-business/article/3365213/hong-kongs-property-financial-markets-face-test-under-cross-border-anti-corruption-law?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Aug 2026 23:00:08 +0000 Huizhao Huang Huizhao Huang China and Switzerland have concluded negotiations on the scrapping of tariffs on 99.8 per cent of Swiss exports, with analysts saying the deal carries more symbolic than economic weight amid growing trade tensions between China and the European Union. The agreement was announced by the Swiss side on Thursday after a meeting in Bern between Commerce Minister Wang Wentao and Swiss President Guy Parmelin. It will upgrade a 2014 free-trade agreement (FTA) under which only about half of Swiss exports... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3365073/china-and-switzerland-have-new-tariff-scrapping-trade-deal-how-will-eu-react?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3365073/china-and-switzerland-have-new-tariff-scrapping-trade-deal-how-will-eu-react?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Aug 2026 12:00:09 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo It is not the most enticing reading material: “Macroeconomic and Foreign Exchange Policies of Major Trading Partners of the United States.” But this 59-page report, issued last month by the US Treasury Department, reveals much about contemporary America. Remember the joint intervention by Japan and the United States in the international currency market to prop up the yen at the end of July? By now, everyone knows it didn’t work, a waste of monetary resources for both countries while earning a... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3364765/us-telling-its-trading-partners-do-i-say-not-i-do?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3364765/us-telling-its-trading-partners-do-i-say-not-i-do?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Aug 2026 21:30:05 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Cameroon’s President Paul Biya has returned to the country after a more than two-month absence that has fuelled fierce debate about his ability to rule after 44 years in power. Biya, who at the age of 93 is the world’s oldest serving head of state, landed in Yaounde in the late afternoon from Geneva, where he had been staying since June 7 on what his office called “a short private stay”. Cameroonian media had reported that Biya, leader since 1982, had been in the Swiss city with family members... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/africa/article/3364736/paul-biya-cameroons-undefeated-ruler-44-years-returns-after-long-absence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/africa/article/3364736/paul-biya-cameroons-undefeated-ruler-44-years-returns-after-long-absence?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Aug 2026 20:11:08 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A court on the Indonesian resort island of Bali sentenced a Swiss tourist on Thursday to one year in prison for insulting a sacred Balinese Hindu observance. Luzian Andrin Zgraggen, 26, was found guilty of violating Indonesia’s new criminal code by posting social media messages about the Day of Silence, when people are required to stay home and are urged to remain silent and meditate. The Denpasar District Court determined that he posted the messages even after staff at the villa where he was... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/east-asia/article/3364722/bali-jails-swiss-tourist-insulting-sacred-day-silence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/east-asia/article/3364722/bali-jails-swiss-tourist-insulting-sacred-day-silence?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Aug 2026 12:31:24 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A German court on Tuesday handed a jail sentence of one year and three months to a Ukrainian man for spying for Russia and helping prepare possible acts of sabotage. The court in Stuttgart acquitted two other Ukrainian men aged 22 and 25 who were on trial for the same plot, which involved posting test packages containing GPS trackers in March last year to Ukraine. The plan was aimed at scoping out possibilities for “disrupting transport and infrastructure” and was ultimately directed by a... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3364460/german-court-convicts-ukrainian-man-over-russian-sabotage-plot?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3364460/german-court-convicts-ukrainian-man-over-russian-sabotage-plot?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Aug 2026 12:41:00 +0000 SCMP Style Reporter SCMP Style Reporter There are few worlds where precision, passion and heritage intersect quite as naturally as they do in motorsport. Naturally this is a world that Rolex understands well: from the pursuit of speed and endurance down the years to the preservation of the remarkable machines of each era, the Swiss watchmaker has long championed the people and ideas that keep pushing this – and other sporting endeavours – forward. That philosophy comes into sharp focus at California’s Monterey Car Week, which each... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/style/luxury/watches/article/3364227/style-edit-rolex-celebrates-25-years-monterey-motorsports-reunion?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/style/luxury/watches/article/3364227/style-edit-rolex-celebrates-25-years-monterey-motorsports-reunion?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Aug 2026 02:00:12 +0000 Xinmei Shen Xinmei Shen The rise of Chinese open-weight models has shaken up the global artificial intelligence (AI) market in recent months. With China’s systems offering high performance at a lower cost, businesses around the world are looking at shifting away from Silicon Valley’s leading providers. Now, a new Hong Kong-based company aims to turn that trend into a billion-dollar business. The “neo-cloud” provider Antimatter is helping firms switch from the dominant US models – and the cloud systems that serve them –... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/tech-trends/article/3364190/hong-kong-firm-bets-chinese-open-weight-models-rival-coreweave?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/tech-trends/article/3364190/hong-kong-firm-bets-chinese-open-weight-models-rival-coreweave?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 17 Aug 2026 01:00:13 +0000 SCMP Style Reporter SCMP Style Reporter Few watches have challenged the conventions of high watchmaking quite as boldly as the Royal Oak Offshore. Designed by Emmanuel Gueit and inspired by the world of high-performance offshore racing, it has oversized proportions, an exposed rubber gasket and an unapologetically muscular design that earned it the nickname “The Beast”. More than three decades later, that rebellious energy remains at the heart of the collection – only now it comes dressed for a new generation. For 2026, the Royal Oak... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/style/luxury/watches/article/3363674/style-edit-audemars-piguet-makes-splash-9-new-royal-oak-offshore-models?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/style/luxury/watches/article/3363674/style-edit-audemars-piguet-makes-splash-9-new-royal-oak-offshore-models?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 17 Aug 2026 01:00:10 +0000 SCMP Style Reporter SCMP Style Reporter For anyone seeking out a watch that gives their outfit just as much of a lift in the workplace as it does when they’re out on the town, the Omega Constellation collection has long been a go-to. Now, four fresh models in the range add a pop of colour to the wrist, making them genuine 24-hour companions. These are highly contemporary renderings of a collection that has long defined a very specific, highly tasteful idea of dressy elegance. The four iterations each offer a subtly different take on... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/style/luxury/watches/article/3363631/style-edit-omegas-polished-constellation-line-designed-24/7-wear?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/style/luxury/watches/article/3363631/style-edit-omegas-polished-constellation-line-designed-24/7-wear?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Aug 2026 02:00:08 +0000 SCMP Style Reporter SCMP Style Reporter For decades, women’s watchmaking was largely defined by aesthetics, with mechanics often taking a back seat to precious stones and decorative finishes. Richard Mille has taken a markedly different path. The maison approaches women’s timepieces with the same uncompromising engineering, technical innovation and performance-led philosophy that underpins its men’s collection, creating watches that are as mechanically sophisticated as they are visually captivating. Rather than viewing femininity... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/style/luxury/watches/article/3362900/style-edit-richard-milles-rm-07-01-rm-037-created-and-accomplished-women?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/style/luxury/watches/article/3362900/style-edit-richard-milles-rm-07-01-rm-037-created-and-accomplished-women?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Aug 2026 02:00:06 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick China has asked to join World Trade Organization consultations that Brazil opened against US tariffs of up to 37.5 per cent. Beijing filed the request in Geneva on Monday, telling the trade body it held a substantial commercial interest in the case. The move was first reported by the Brazilian newspaper Folha de S. Paulo and independently confirmed to the South China Morning Post by a Brazilian government source. In the request, China said Washington could apply comparable measures to Chinese... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/article/3363585/china-moves-join-brazils-wto-fight-over-trumps-forced-labour-tariffs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/article/3363585/china-moves-join-brazils-wto-fight-over-trumps-forced-labour-tariffs?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Aug 2026 22:05:12 +0000 Themis Qi Themis Qi For decades, Hong Kong has been a magnet for the rich. From wealthy Chinese setting up family trusts to millionaires migrating from across Southeast Asia, all of them have been sucked in by the city’s promise of free capital flows, a trustworthy legal system and extensive financial expertise. It is a winning combination that helped Hong Kong leapfrog Switzerland as the world’s biggest cross-border wealth hub last year, as the city rode a wave of blockbuster listings by Chinese technology... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/banking-finance/article/3363352/china-tightens-its-tax-rules-can-hong-kong-remain-magnet-billionaires?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/banking-finance/article/3363352/china-tightens-its-tax-rules-can-hong-kong-remain-magnet-billionaires?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Aug 2026 02:00:19 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Myanmar’s military-backed government has rejected the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ renewed call for the unconditional release of detained former leader Aung San Suu Kyi and dismissed the need for the organisation’s special envoy on Myanmar, according to the foreign affairs ministry. President Min Aung Hlaing, the former army chief who had originally seized power in 2021 from Suu Kyi’s civilian government, has been trying to win political legitimacy since the takeover and resume... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3363453/myanmar-rebuffs-asean-call-free-aung-san-suu-kyi-questions-need-envoy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3363453/myanmar-rebuffs-asean-call-free-aung-san-suu-kyi-questions-need-envoy?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 Aug 2026 12:24:09 +0000 Tom Hussain Tom Hussain A defence pact among Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan appears to be aimed at deterring Iran and Israel from tearing up the Middle East with their conflict amid Washington’s inability to guarantee regional security, observers say. Under the terms of the deal signed on Friday in Mecca by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, an armed attack against any one of the three states “shall be regarded as an attack... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3363383/how-saudi-arabia-turkey-pakistan-defence-pact-acts-insurance-over-us-disengagement?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3363383/how-saudi-arabia-turkey-pakistan-defence-pact-acts-insurance-over-us-disengagement?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 Aug 2026 08:00:06 +0000 Joshua Hendren Joshua Hendren Luminescence has become one of watchmaking’s coolest flexes. At this year’s Watches and Wonders in Geneva, there was a lot of buzz centred on glow-in-the-dark timepieces. It cropped up at heritage brands like Panerai and A. Lange & Söhne, while the horological trend was epitomised by IWC Schaffhausen’s new, lustrous blue take on its Big Pilot’s Perpetual Calendar. Today, watches that shine in the dark may have become big business, but the hype – and history – surrounding these designs has been... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/style/luxury/watches/article/3361954/luminous-watches-are-trending-iwc-panerai-and-lange-sohne?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/style/luxury/watches/article/3361954/luminous-watches-are-trending-iwc-panerai-and-lange-sohne?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 08 Aug 2026 16:00:06 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick China’s UnionPay International plans to connect Chinese payment apps to Pix, the Brazilian payment system at the centre of Washington’s trade case against Brasilia, allowing Chinese tourists to pay by scanning a code. Under the pilot, users of the UnionPay app and of Chinese bank apps linked to its platform would scan a merchant’s code and pay from the account they use at home. Chinese state media reported that access would later extend to other digital wallets in UnionPay’s global network. Pix... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/article/3363365/unionpay-plug-chinese-payment-apps-brazils-pix-after-us-tariffs-over-system?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/article/3363365/unionpay-plug-chinese-payment-apps-brazils-pix-after-us-tariffs-over-system?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Aug 2026 19:59:05 +0000 Josiah Ng Josiah Ng Even as we entered the dog days of summer, the world of high horology kept ticking. Phillips announced a very rare F.P. Journe for auction later this year; celebrities showed off their watches at Wimbledon; and brands rolled out new pieces in summery blues and titanium to make sure you are taken care of on your holiday. Meanwhile, the industry saw a major shake-up as a former Audemars Piguet CEO unveiled a new brand, De Bethune appointed a new CEO, and US tariffs prompted small businesses –... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/style/luxury/watches/article/3363244/5-top-watch-moments-july-wimbledon-celebrity-wrist-game-rare-fp-journe-auction?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/style/luxury/watches/article/3363244/5-top-watch-moments-july-wimbledon-celebrity-wrist-game-rare-fp-journe-auction?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Aug 2026 06:00:21 +0000 Zhang Shidong Zhang Shidong The outlook for Chinese technology stocks has improved after a sharp monthly sell-off, as the global rebound in the artificial intelligence trade regains momentum, speculative positions are flushed out and falling oil prices ease fears of monetary tightening. The tech-heavy Star Market 50 Index, which features major chip manufacturing companies on the Shanghai Stock Exchange, closed the week up by 6.6 per cent. This partial recovery followed a 26 per cent slump in July, its steepest monthly... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/china-business/article/3363261/global-ai-trade-revival-brightens-outlook-chinese-tech-stocks-after-record-sell-offs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/china-business/article/3363261/global-ai-trade-revival-brightens-outlook-chinese-tech-stocks-after-record-sell-offs?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Aug 2026 05:41:13 +0000 Joshua Hendren Joshua Hendren Gold, platinum and steel may be watchmaking’s holy trinity, but some of the buzziest new horological launches are being designed in materials outside the usual playbook. “These developments are about creating an entirely new wearing experience: lighter, stronger and more dynamic than traditional luxury sports watches,” according to the product development team at independent Swiss watchmaker Norqain. That approach is present in Norqain’s latest timepieces, the Wild One Skeleton X-Lite, launched... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/style/luxury/watches/article/3362933/panerai-ulysse-nardin-and-other-brands-are-reinventing-watches-unusual-materials?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/style/luxury/watches/article/3362933/panerai-ulysse-nardin-and-other-brands-are-reinventing-watches-unusual-materials?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Aug 2026 16:00:10 +0000 Hao Nan Hao Nan The global AI race is becoming a contest over the international order. In June, the US convened the second summit under the 24-economy Pax Silica around secure supply chains, AI infrastructure and trusted technology partnerships. In July, all 193 UN member states met in Geneva for the inaugural Global Dialogue on AI Governance. Days later, 29 countries signed the agreement establishing the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organisation (WAICO) in Shanghai. Together, these developments... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3362786/us-and-china-compete-over-ai-middle-powers-can-craft-third-path?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3362786/us-and-china-compete-over-ai-middle-powers-can-craft-third-path?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 04 Aug 2026 12:30:06 +0000 Leopold Chen Leopold Chen Hong Kong’s Catholic diocese has urged worshippers to avoid masses led by a conservative group excommunicated by the Vatican after a priest from the fraternity was reported to be holding regular events in the city. The diocese’s call came about a month after the Vatican excommunicated followers of the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX) over the group’s decision to consecrate four new bishops against the direct instruction of Pope Leo XIV. In a statement on Monday, the diocese said the traditional... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3362818/hong-kong-church-goers-urged-avoid-masses-breakaway-catholic-group-sspx?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3362818/hong-kong-church-goers-urged-avoid-masses-breakaway-catholic-group-sspx?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 03 Aug 2026 11:19:28 +0000 Thomas Greminger Thomas Greminger In the latest salvo of hostile rhetoric surrounding AI, Donald Trump told reporters last month that “America’s goal must be to dominate the future, and that includes being the No 1 superpower in artificial intelligence”. “Whoever wins that race, is probably going to win, period,” the US president said. While it may be politically expedient to frame AI development as a zero-sum geopolitical race, such rhetoric is concerning given the extreme risks the technology poses. In May 2023, a group of... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/opinion/article/3362572/america-and-china-can-be-allies-against-ai-catastrophe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/opinion/article/3362572/america-and-china-can-be-allies-against-ai-catastrophe?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 01 Aug 2026 04:00:14 +0000