https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/rss/feed en https://assets-v2.i-scmp.com/production/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday asked European Union leaders to provide Kyiv an extra 70 billion euros (US$79 billion) in funding next year to help it keep fighting Russia. “The war will cost 155 billion euros next year. And we need at least 70 billion euros more from you – for defence, for weapons and for our resilience,” Zelensky said in a speech at an EU summit in Brussels. “This is a realistic amount. And I ask you to find this support. It will help us hold Russia back.” The... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3371207/zelensky-asks-eu-extra-79-billion-sustain-ukraines-war-effort?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3371207/zelensky-asks-eu-extra-79-billion-sustain-ukraines-war-effort?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Oct 2026 15:09:01 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan China and America are talking again. There are leaders’ meetings, phone calls and a new channel for discussing artificial intelligence. Officials are cautiously trying to keep the relationship from veering into crisis. And yet some of the hardest questions remain untouched. Neither side is giving much ground on advanced chips, export controls remain a battlefield and neither Washington nor Beijing appears ready to slow its race to develop increasingly powerful AI. So what, exactly, does it mean... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3371126/us-scholars-take-how-shifts-us-china-relations-are-felt-tsinghua-classroom?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3371126/us-scholars-take-how-shifts-us-china-relations-are-felt-tsinghua-classroom?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Oct 2026 15:00:07 +0000 Ng Kang-chung Ng Kang-chung Hong Kong police have arrested two men over their alleged involvement in at least six break-ins across Kowloon over the past three months, with total losses amounting to HK$1.7 million (US$216,629). The pair – a 54-year-old mainland Chinese man and a 34-year-old Hong Kong resident – were arrested separately on Thursday in Sham Shui Po and Tsim Sha Tsui, respectively. Police identified and located them following a break-in targeting four flats in a private residential building on Farm Road in... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3371200/hong-kong-police-arrest-2-men-over-hk17-million-kowloon-break-spree?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3371200/hong-kong-police-arrest-2-men-over-hk17-million-kowloon-break-spree?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Oct 2026 14:04:52 +0000 Stephy Zhang Stephy Zhang Former Olympic champion Mima Ito has been dropped from Japan’s latest national table tennis squad, replaced by 28-year-old breakthrough player Hitomi Sato, who finished runner-up at the recent WTT China Smash. Across the border, meanwhile, followers of rival powerhouses China have focused their attention on widely circulated Chinese media reports that the Japan Table Tennis Association plans to dismantle the high-profile mixed-doubles pairing of Sora Matsushima and Miwa Harimoto. Under the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/china/article/3371194/japan-drop-table-tennis-star-mima-ito-could-axe-sora-matsushima-miwa-harimoto-partnership?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/china/article/3371194/japan-drop-table-tennis-star-mima-ito-could-axe-sora-matsushima-miwa-harimoto-partnership?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Oct 2026 14:00:12 +0000 Gabriel Dominguez Gabriel Dominguez Japan is increasingly turning to foreign companies to accelerate its military modernisation, drawing on overseas technology, expertise and production capacity to plug defence gaps that could prove critical in a potential regional conflict involving China. The push has gathered momentum over the past week, with Tokyo confirming a contract for Ukrainian interceptor drones and a multinational fighter consortium preparing to expand its design operations in Japan. French defence giant Thales is also... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/military/article/3371170/japan-taps-foreign-tech-plug-defence-gaps-chinas-power-grows-will-it-pay?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/military/article/3371170/japan-taps-foreign-tech-plug-defence-gaps-chinas-power-grows-will-it-pay?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Oct 2026 14:00:10 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao Alibaba Group Holding’s two major domestic online marketplaces, Taobao and Tmall, plan to greatly expand the use of artificial intelligence across merchants’ operations next year, a senior executive said, as the e-commerce giant doubles down on the technology to drive growth amid a challenging consumer landscape. “Starting next year, AI will comprehensively enter the internal enterprise workflows of merchants,” Liu Bo, president of Tmall, said at the company’s Singles’ Day media briefing on... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/big-tech/article/3371203/alibaba-embed-ai-throughout-taobao-tmall-merchant-operations-2027-executive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/big-tech/article/3371203/alibaba-embed-ai-throughout-taobao-tmall-merchant-operations-2027-executive?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Oct 2026 13:37:50 +0000 Jess Ma Jess Ma Hong Kong’s Fire Services Department will launch three new AI-assisted drone technologies to strengthen fire detection and its response to heightened risks during tomb-sweeping activities ahead of the Chung Yeung Festival on Sunday. Wong Tak-fai, acting divisional officer for information and communications technology, said on Friday that the technology would improve the speed and accuracy of fire detection to help the department operate more efficiently. “Artificial intelligence [AI] not only... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3371201/ai-powered-drones-help-detect-hill-fires-during-chung-yeung-festival?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3371201/ai-powered-drones-help-detect-hill-fires-during-chung-yeung-festival?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Oct 2026 13:16:39 +0000 Dannie Peng Dannie Peng China’s R&D investment grew by 8.2 per cent last year – fuelled by double-digit growth in fundamental science and university funding – in sharp contrast with deep budget cuts across the US research sector. Total investment in research and experimental development crossed 3.9 trillion yuan (US$583 billion) in 2025, “maintaining a trajectory of steady growth”, the National Bureau of Statistics said when releasing the data on Friday. State news agency Xinhua noted on Friday that in the five years... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3371198/chinas-rd-spending-keeps-steady-rise-no-1-us-seeks-further-funding-cuts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3371198/chinas-rd-spending-keeps-steady-rise-no-1-us-seeks-further-funding-cuts?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Oct 2026 13:00:12 +0000 Alice Li Alice Li While Washington’s efforts to block Chinese electric vehicles (EVs) were originally intended to protect its domestic automotive industry, they have sparked concerns the strategy is hurting America’s carmaking competitiveness. With a lack of a coherent industrial policy discouraging long-term investment, the protectionist approach was backfiring on Detroit’s EV transition, said David Zhang, a macroeconomics and policy analyst at Trivium China, who added that EVs could be a “perfect concession” in... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/global-economy/article/3371167/anti-china-protectionism-backfiring-american-carmakers-ev-plans-analyst?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/global-economy/article/3371167/anti-china-protectionism-backfiring-american-carmakers-ev-plans-analyst?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Oct 2026 13:00:07 +0000 Alice Li,Howard Liu Alice Li,Howard Liu Dutch semiconductor equipment giant ASML is expanding into next-generation hybrid bonding, a technique that creates dense electrical connections by directly joining chips or silicon wafers, according to a new report. Major Chinese companies are also adopting the technology to improve chip performance. ASML submitted 27 patent families related to hybrid bonding tools between December 2022 and November 2024, according to a report published by semiconductor and AI supply chain research firm... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/tech-trends/article/3371181/asml-eyes-hybrid-bonding-report-finds-chinese-firms-adopt-chip-packaging-technique?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/tech-trends/article/3371181/asml-eyes-hybrid-bonding-report-finds-chinese-firms-adopt-chip-packaging-technique?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Oct 2026 12:30:12 +0000 C. Uday Bhaskar C. Uday Bhaskar The awarding of the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize to South African jurist Navanethem “Navi” Pillay matters for reasons that go well beyond the laureate herself. The award does three things at once. First, it restores credibility to the prize. Second, it rejects in unambiguous terms the Thrasymachian doctrine that might is right, which has become the operating philosophy of major powers. Third, it highlights a warning of what happens when a hegemon decides it is above the law. The correction was... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3370866/nobel-peace-prize-message-behind-navi-pillays-win?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3370866/nobel-peace-prize-message-behind-navi-pillays-win?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Oct 2026 12:30:07 +0000 Reuters Reuters Police detained India’s ‘cockroach’ movement founder Abhijeet Dipke on Friday, lstudent leaders and supporters on Friday as hundreds poured into central Delhi, waving the national flag and demanding the resignation of India’s election chief. The youth-led ‘Cockroach Janta Party’ (CJP), opposition groups and student organisations have held almost daily protests this month demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation over a revision of voter lists that critics ⁠say favours... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/south-asia/article/3371196/indian-police-detain-cockroach-movement-leader-ahead-new-delhi-protest?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/south-asia/article/3371196/indian-police-detain-cockroach-movement-leader-ahead-new-delhi-protest?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Oct 2026 12:06:11 +0000 Reuters,Associated Press Reuters,Associated Press Golf’s Asian Tour has postponed the Saudi International indefinitely and cycling’s Urban World Championships have been cancelled following a deadly attack on Riyadh, although local organisers said next year’s Asian Cup football tournament remained on track. Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement claimed ‌responsibility for Saturday’s strike on Riyadh’s international airport that killed at least 12 people and wounded more than 300. The Urban Cycling World Championships had been scheduled for... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3371147/asian-cup-football-remains-track-golf-cycling-events-affected-after-saudi-attack?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3371147/asian-cup-football-remains-track-golf-cycling-events-affected-after-saudi-attack?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Oct 2026 12:01:07 +0000 He Huifeng He Huifeng With the US set to lower tariffs on US$30 billion worth of shipments from China, Chinese exporters said this week they expected a new wave of orders from American buyers and planned to reactivate idle factory capacity. Many among the 32,000-plus Chinese exhibitors and 210,000 preregistered foreign buyers at the twice-yearly Canton Fair, China’s oldest and biggest trade exhibition, shared that upbeat outlook this week – though it was tempered by stiffer headwinds from the European market. Chinese... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3371178/tariff-threats-ease-us-fashion-again-among-chinese-exporters?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3371178/tariff-threats-ease-us-fashion-again-among-chinese-exporters?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Oct 2026 12:00:11 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela Chinese scientists have unearthed a fossil of the earliest known flightless bird, offering compelling evidence that not all early birds evolved to take to the skies. The discovery could also challenge long-held assumptions – including ideas dating back to evolutionary theorist Charles Darwin – that flightlessness in birds arose only as a secondary adaptation after earlier species had mastered flight. The 150 million-year-old fossil of the Late Jurassic avialan Yuezhuornis yangyuanensis found in... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3371125/sorry-darwin-chinese-fossil-shows-not-all-early-birds-evolved-fly?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3371125/sorry-darwin-chinese-fossil-shows-not-all-early-birds-evolved-fly?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Oct 2026 12:00:08 +0000 Edith Lin,Connor Mycroft Edith Lin,Connor Mycroft Hong Kong authorities have found that lifts in another 39 buildings are lacking proper door-frame components following an investigation into faulty replacement works carried out by a contractor involving missing fire-safety parts. The South China Morning Post also learned on Friday that police had arrested a director and two registered lift engineers from the lift contractor, Taizoom Elevator, on suspicion of deception over work at 48 lifts at two housing estates. The latest incidents come just... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3371193/3-arrested-over-missing-fire-safety-parts-48-hong-kong-lifts-source-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3371193/3-arrested-over-missing-fire-safety-parts-48-hong-kong-lifts-source-says?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Oct 2026 11:30:01 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Singapore has identified seven companies it says were involved in wildfires in Indonesia that are choking the city state with haze, and plans to issue notices requiring them to take preventive measures, the Business Times reported. The companies will receive notices under the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act requiring them to stop or refrain from burning and submit plans to prevent a recurrence, the newspaper reported, citing Sustainability and the Environment Minister Grace Fu at a Friday press... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3371188/singapore-targets-7-companies-over-wildfires-indonesia-toxic-haze-worsens?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3371188/singapore-targets-7-companies-over-wildfires-indonesia-toxic-haze-worsens?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Oct 2026 11:07:48 +0000 Carol Yang Carol Yang In talks with Israel’s president on Thursday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called for an immediate easing of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and for Israel to reverse its West Bank settlement expansion. “The imperative priority is to fully open access routes into Gaza. Two million civilians must not be left to struggle on the brink of survival, nor can this humanitarian catastrophe be allowed to spread,” Wang said, according to a Chinese foreign ministry statement on Friday. The meeting with... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3371186/chinas-wang-yi-urges-israel-end-west-bank-settlement-expansion-and-ease-gaza-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3371186/chinas-wang-yi-urges-israel-end-west-bank-settlement-expansion-and-ease-gaza-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Oct 2026 11:00:17 +0000 Sumnima Kandangwa Sumnima Kandangwa A New York store named Art of Play has become the centre of a feud with Kelly Clarkson after the singer went on X and alleged she was treated as if she couldn’t afford the shop’s items. “Just drove all the way to Brooklyn to check out this store I thought looked really rad and had a few things in mind to buy and literally was looked at as if I couldn’t afford it and was told he could find something comparable for me. Wow, dude. You’re an idiot and just lost a huge sale,” Clarkson wrote on... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3371155/meet-dan-and-dave-buck-co-owners-art-play-store-feuding-kelly-clarkson?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3371155/meet-dan-and-dave-buck-co-owners-art-play-store-feuding-kelly-clarkson?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Oct 2026 11:00:05 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof A Malaysian ruler known for being reserved has publicly berated his chief minister over efforts to unseat him, telling the politician to “go away” and withdraw his claim that the monarch no longer holds the throne. Negeri Sembilan, south of Kuala Lumpur, has been caught in a dispute since April over who is its rightful ruler, bringing down one state government aligned with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s ruling Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition and leaving its newly appointed chief minister without... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/people/article/3371185/malaysias-negeri-sembilan-ruler-orders-chief-minister-out-sight-rare-public-rebuke?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/people/article/3371185/malaysias-negeri-sembilan-ruler-orders-chief-minister-out-sight-rare-public-rebuke?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Oct 2026 10:58:20 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang Beijing has invited White House press secretary Katie Zacharia to visit the country more often after she said in an interview that China “doesn’t even have proper toilets”. The newly appointed spokeswoman for the Trump administration made the controversial remarks in an interview on Thursday with conservative commentator Jack Posobiec, when talking about the perception around 2016 that “the gold days, the glory days of the US were over and China was on the horizon”. “I remember this very... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3371184/china-invites-trump-press-secretary-katie-zacharia-visit-after-proper-toilets-slur?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3371184/china-invites-trump-press-secretary-katie-zacharia-visit-after-proper-toilets-slur?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Oct 2026 10:53:29 +0000 Leopold Chen,Edith Lin Leopold Chen,Edith Lin Hong Kong authorities have ordered the developer of One Stanley to inspect eight more homes, including one acquired by a Mongolian mining tycoon’s family, as concerns over substandard work at the seaside luxury estate mount. The details of the inspection were contained in a sales brochure updated by developer K&K Property on Friday and follow an announcement by the Buildings Department last month that it would conduct random checks on buildings at the estate. Online property news platform... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3371183/inspections-ordered-8-more-houses-hong-kongs-one-stanley-after-rebar-scandal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3371183/inspections-ordered-8-more-houses-hong-kongs-one-stanley-after-rebar-scandal?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Oct 2026 10:42:49 +0000 Brian Wong Brian Wong The former father-in-law of slain Hong Kong socialite Abby Choi Tin-fung failed to repay a HK$250,000 loan from her partner’s father and asked for help in hiring lawyers after he was remanded in custody for allegedly killing the model three years ago, a court has heard. Tam Chak-kwan, founder of the popular restaurant chain TamJai Yunnan Mixian, testified in the High Court on Friday about his interactions with Kwong Kau in the year leading to the latter’s arrest for his suspected role in Choi’s... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3371182/ex-father-law-failed-repay-hk250000-loan-abby-choi-murder-trial-hears?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3371182/ex-father-law-failed-repay-hk250000-loan-abby-choi-murder-trial-hears?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Oct 2026 10:40:16 +0000 Xinyi Wu Xinyi Wu China’s national rail operator has added a new service category for high-speed trains running above 350km/h to accommodate faster routes in the future, signalling the impending commercial debut of its newest and fastest train model and potentially marking another milestone for the world’s fastest train fleet. China State Railway Group’s overhaul of its train numbering system would introduce the prefix “X” – short for xin, the Chinese word for “new” – for Fuxing trains with a maximum speed higher... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3371156/chinas-400km/h-trains-getting-closer-debut-numbering-system-change-hints?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3371156/chinas-400km/h-trains-getting-closer-debut-numbering-system-change-hints?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Oct 2026 10:30:08 +0000 Enoch Yiu Enoch Yiu Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing said it had delayed a plan to shorten the settlement time for share transactions to the second half of 2028, so it could address widespread industry requests for more preparation time. Confirming a report by the South China Morning Post on Wednesday, the exchange said in a statement on Friday that it would not proceed with the timeline it proposed in a consultation paper in April, aiming to implement a so-called T+1 system in the fourth quarter of 2027, replacing... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/markets/article/3371176/hkex-pushes-back-t1-trade-settlement-2028-after-brokers-request-more-prep-time?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/markets/article/3371176/hkex-pushes-back-t1-trade-settlement-2028-after-brokers-request-more-prep-time?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Oct 2026 10:19:32 +0000 Zabrina Lo Zabrina Lo One might not expect British fashion designer Kim Jones, a figure synonymous with modern luxury, to highlight reptiles as one of his earliest memories of Hong Kong. “I love Hong Kong, the weird side of it and the fact that there are king cobras that live here, and different snakes and the sort of things which most people probably get terrified of,” the 53-year-old says. Jones first visited Hong Kong after joining Dunhill as its creative director in 2008, visiting regularly in the late 2000s to... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3371101/im-so-excited-kim-jones-choosing-hong-kong-home-his-revived-fashion-label?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3371101/im-so-excited-kim-jones-choosing-hong-kong-home-his-revived-fashion-label?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Oct 2026 10:15:06 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse European leaders on Friday rallied around Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky as Kyiv’s ties with US President Donald Trump have nosedived and worries grow that US leader is increasingly siding with Russia. Relations between Kyiv and Washington have soured since last week, when Trump eased sanctions on Russia in exchange for Moscow releasing large amounts of diesel onto global markets. Zelensky infuriated Trump further by ordering Ukraine’s forces to restart strikes on Russian oil refineries in... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3371174/european-leaders-back-zelensky-ukraine-us-ties-fray-over-trumps-russia-sanctions-lift?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3371174/european-leaders-back-zelensky-ukraine-us-ties-fray-over-trumps-russia-sanctions-lift?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Oct 2026 10:14:29 +0000 Themis Qi Themis Qi International investors will keep an eye on a forum next week for clues from China’s regulators on how they plan to further open its financial markets, after Visa’s long-awaited approval fuelled hopes for deeper participation in the world’s second-largest economy. Regulators could announce more measures at the Financial Street Forum to deepen the internationalisation of the yuan and optimise the Connect series of cross-border investment links between investors in mainland China and the rest of... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/banking-finance/article/3371171/financial-street-forum-forecast-calls-more-opening-chinese-regulators?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/banking-finance/article/3371171/financial-street-forum-forecast-calls-more-opening-chinese-regulators?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Oct 2026 10:00:34 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji Digangana Mukherjee, a mother of a six-year-old girl and a 10-year-old boy, has banned television at her home in the Indian city of Mysore because she does not want her children to become addicted to watching content on screen. A year ago, when her son’s school started using a smart classroom board that streamed online content, she and her husband decided to enrol him in a school where teachers used chalk on a slate board, and the pace of lessons was slower. Now, she is happy that the Indian... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3371153/indias-proposed-social-media-ban-under-18s-wins-parents-backing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3371153/indias-proposed-social-media-ban-under-18s-wins-parents-backing?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Oct 2026 10:00:13 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan The eastern city of Hangzhou has sparked widespread controversy by banning residents in its downtown area from walking their dogs during the day. Under the city’s Restraining Dog Raising Rules, owners of small ornamental dogs in designated “key restraining” areas may walk their pets only between 7pm and 7am. Large dogs cannot be taken outdoors at any time. The rules stipulate that dog owners must keep their pets on a leash and clean up their excrement immediately. Violators face fines of 200 to... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3371142/china-tech-city-dog-walking-limits-criticised-some-question-how-dogs-can-get-some-sunshine?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3371142/china-tech-city-dog-walking-limits-criticised-some-question-how-dogs-can-get-some-sunshine?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Oct 2026 10:00:11 +0000 Ishani Sarkar Ishani Sarkar Lily Mo Sheen, daughter of Michael Sheen and Kate Beckinsale, knows how to steal the spotlight. The 27-year-old actress turned heads at the Los Angeles premiere of Sense and Sensibility on October 7, effortlessly channelling Jane Austen in a white silk slip dress that she paired with black Tabi footwear. In March, Lily attended the Elton John Aids Foundation’s 34th Annual Academy Awards Viewing Party in West Hollywood, California, wearing a semi-sheer strapless beaded gown. Last December, she... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3371078/lily-mo-sheens-rising-career-what-know-about-michael-sheen-and-kate-beckinsales-actress-daughter?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3371078/lily-mo-sheens-rising-career-what-know-about-michael-sheen-and-kate-beckinsales-actress-daughter?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Oct 2026 10:00:08 +0000 Liu Zhen Liu Zhen China revealed AI-powered drone interceptors and other uncrewed systems at an international counterterrorism forum in Beijing this week, as security experts warned that new technologies could enable new forms of terrorism. The equipment was on display at the Great Wall-2026 International Forum on Counterterrorism, which ran from Tuesday to Thursday and was attended by more than 320 defence experts and military delegates from 62 countries. Discussions focused on how advances in artificial... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/military/article/3371127/china-leans-hi-tech-systems-counter-emerging-ai-fuelled-terror-threats?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/military/article/3371127/china-leans-hi-tech-systems-counter-emerging-ai-fuelled-terror-threats?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Oct 2026 09:56:50 +0000 Howard Liu Howard Liu Chinese chip and tech firms have flagged as much as six-fold growth in unaudited third-quarter profits, as huge demand for home-grown processors and artificial intelligence infrastructure filters through links in the supply chain amid the country’s push for self-reliance. Shanghai-listed Yuanjie Semiconductor Technology expected its quarterly net profit to land between 403 million yuan and 453 million yuan, up 579 per cent to 660 per cent from a year earlier. The maker of laser chips for optical... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/tech-trends/article/3371159/chinas-ai-boom-self-sufficiency-push-fuel-earnings-surge-local-chip-firms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/tech-trends/article/3371159/chinas-ai-boom-self-sufficiency-push-fuel-earnings-surge-local-chip-firms?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Oct 2026 09:30:09 +0000 Mike Chan Mike Chan Hong Kong will host a World Fencing League event next year, bringing the sport’s best and brightest to the city for one day in April, sources have told the South China Morning Post. The brainchild of 2016 US Olympic team foil bronze medallist Miles Chamley-Watson, WFL staged its inaugural event in Los Angeles earlier this year, and featured the likes of Hong Kong’s Ryan Choi Chun-yin, who captained Team Shield. Sources said the league was being pencilled in for the penultimate week of April, a... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/hong-kong/article/3371151/world-fencing-league-bringing-sports-best-and-brightest-hong-kong-april?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/hong-kong/article/3371151/world-fencing-league-bringing-sports-best-and-brightest-hong-kong-april?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Oct 2026 09:30:07 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar Indonesia has spent months trying to persuade investors that its economy is on the right course. A weakening rupiah, mounting budgetary pressures and a series of contentious policy decisions have made that task harder. Doubts about the management of Southeast Asia’s largest economy have now coalesced around its central bank, whose independence has come under intense scrutiny recently as President Prabowo Subianto seeks to steer economic policy. The appointment of Destry Damayanti – initially as... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/economics/article/3371114/indonesias-central-bank-insists-it-independent-investors-want-proof?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/economics/article/3371114/indonesias-central-bank-insists-it-independent-investors-want-proof?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Oct 2026 09:00:07 +0000 Xiaofei Xu Xiaofei Xu China on Friday unveiled a draft plan to impose new export bans affecting 14 technologies in sectors ranging from artificial intelligence to biotechnology and photovoltaic solar power. The notice – jointly issued by China’s Ministry of Commerce and Ministry of Science and Technology – proposes export bans for a string of AI-related technologies; certain cell and gene therapy technology platforms; and technology for producing certain kinds of solar cell modules. It also lists a further 26... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3371149/china-mulls-new-tech-export-bans-covering-ai-biotech-and-solar-power?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3371149/china-mulls-new-tech-export-bans-covering-ai-biotech-and-solar-power?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Oct 2026 08:31:39 +0000 Aidan Jones Aidan Jones Authorities in Thailand have uncovered an audacious scheme involving hundreds of metres of internet cable sent over the Thai border to keep a suspected Myanmar scam compound online, after finding two ramshackle village homes using enough daily bandwidth to power an entire village. Officers raided the homes in Nong Lu, a Thai border village in Kanchanaburi province, which is the gateway to the Three Pagodas Pass in Myanmar – now a notorious hub for cyber scammers. Many scam centre leaders have... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/people/article/3371148/thai-raid-foils-cross-border-cable-ruse-powering-myanmar-scam-centre?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/people/article/3371148/thai-raid-foils-cross-border-cable-ruse-powering-myanmar-scam-centre?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Oct 2026 08:31:20 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo Americans are souring on artificial intelligence, so Washington is trying to convince them the old-fashioned way: by citing, ad nauseam, the China threat. US President Donald Trump, flanked by tech executives at the White House late last month, warned voters that if they rejected data centres, companies would “be forced to go overseas”. He added that “whoever wins superintelligence wins” and that “you’re probably not gonna have a second place”. The implication was that detractors would be... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3370992/us-tech-bros-are-coming-asia-and-latin-americas-power-grids?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3370992/us-tech-bros-are-coming-asia-and-latin-americas-power-grids?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Oct 2026 08:30:06 +0000 Xiaofei Xu Xiaofei Xu French luxury giant LVMH Group kicked off a global open-house event showcasing its craftsmanship in Shanghai on Thursday, as the event’s founder Antoine Arnault hailed a “special bond” with Chinese customers at a launch event in Paris. It came as the group faced pressure from sluggish demand in China and a backlash over a lawsuit against a local tea company. At the launch event at the Samaritaine department store in central Paris for this year’s Les Journées Particulières, first initiated by... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/companies/article/3371145/lvmh-touts-special-bond-china-subdued-backdrop-weighs-sales?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/companies/article/3371145/lvmh-touts-special-bond-china-subdued-backdrop-weighs-sales?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Oct 2026 08:23:33 +0000 Payal Uttam Payal Uttam At the 2026 Jakarta Biennale, visitors can plant cassava in moist soil. An evocative soundscape, including the calls of threatened birds-of-paradise, fills the air. Paintings made with natural pigments on tree bark hang on the walls. The installation by Papua-based artist collective Alyakha Kolektif draws attention to illegal gold mining and excessive logging that are damaging the environment in Indonesia’s Sentani region. The cassava planting, which continues until late October, is intended as... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/arts/article/3371089/gritty-jakarta-biennale-polished-art-jakarta-both-tell-indonesias-story-haze-and-all?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/arts/article/3371089/gritty-jakarta-biennale-polished-art-jakarta-both-tell-indonesias-story-haze-and-all?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Oct 2026 08:15:07 +0000 Elizabeth Cheung Elizabeth Cheung Private hospitals and clinics have thrown their support behind proposed Hong Kong government measures that will make their pricing more transparent, such as publishing annual billing statistics, despite potentially higher operating costs. Healthcare providers said on Friday that the latest proposed measures, which could start with private hospitals from August next year at the earliest, were “feasible” and “reasonable”. Details were set out in a document submitted by the Health Bureau to the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3371134/hong-kong-private-healthcare-providers-face-new-rules-make-fees-more-transparent?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3371134/hong-kong-private-healthcare-providers-face-new-rules-make-fees-more-transparent?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Oct 2026 07:35:40 +0000 Lo Hoi-ying Lo Hoi-ying An elderly woman who pasted materials containing pro-independence slogans and Hong Kong’s colonial-era flag outside her flat has been sentenced to three months in a maximum-security psychiatric institution for displaying seditious publications. West Kowloon Court ordered housewife Yang Chau-ki, 62, to undergo mandatory psychiatric treatment at the Siu Lam Psychiatric Centre on Friday. She was charged with knowingly displaying publications with seditious intent under Hong Kong’s Article 23... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3371131/hong-kong-housewife-gets-3-months-psychiatric-institution-over-seditious-posters?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3371131/hong-kong-housewife-gets-3-months-psychiatric-institution-over-seditious-posters?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Oct 2026 07:32:05 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo Okinawa Governor Genta Koja said on Friday he accepts the deployment of US military MV-22 Osprey transport aircraft at the Futenma air station, reversing the southern Japan prefecture’s long-standing opposition to their presence. Previous prefectural governments, under governors critical of US bases, had opposed the deployment of the tilt-rotor aircraft since before they were first stationed at the base in 2012, citing safety concerns. Koja assumed the post of Okinawa governor late last... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/east-asia/article/3371133/japans-okinawa-drops-opposition-hosting-crash-prone-us-osprey-aircraft?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/east-asia/article/3371133/japans-okinawa-drops-opposition-hosting-crash-prone-us-osprey-aircraft?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Oct 2026 07:29:23 +0000 Shi Huang Shi Huang Li Renke, a visionary cardiovascular scientist who applied engineering principles to the human heart and developed conductive biomaterials to repair tissue damaged by heart attacks, died while attending an academic conference in the Chinese city of Xian earlier this month. He was 65. His death on October 10 was announced by The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen (CUHK-Shenzhen), where he was presidential chair professor and associate dean of research and translation at the school of... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3371077/pioneering-heart-stem-cell-expert-li-renke-dies-65-during-chinese-conference?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3371077/pioneering-heart-stem-cell-expert-li-renke-dies-65-during-chinese-conference?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Oct 2026 07:27:28 +0000 Christina Zhao Christina Zhao Hong Kong’s market regulators cracked down on fraud with a multibillion-dollar asset freeze, while mainland trade momentum surged on robust tech demand. Meanwhile, mainland Chinese traders ramped up their exposure to local equities, and the city cemented its status as a top global destination for wealth philanthropy. Here are some of the figures that have drawn the most market attention this week. Hong Kong watchdogs freeze US$590 million Hong Kong’s securities watchdog moved against two groups... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/markets/article/3371124/ipo-fraud-chinas-export-boom-us-inflation-5-figures-investors-are-watching?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/markets/article/3371124/ipo-fraud-chinas-export-boom-us-inflation-5-figures-investors-are-watching?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Oct 2026 07:04:10 +0000 Eric Jiang,Lexi Tian Eric Jiang,Lexi Tian Hong Kong can capture a share of the global yacht industry, which is expected to reach HK$350 billion (US$44.6 billion) in six years, a senior official has said as the city launched a scheme to welcome leisure vessels from mainland China. Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan also announced fresh measures to attract overseas captains and draw superyachts to the city on Friday. The new Southbound Travel for Yachts from Guangdong scheme is part of the government’s broader plan to... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3371123/hong-kong-aims-share-hk350-billion-yacht-industry-travel-scheme-launches?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3371123/hong-kong-aims-share-hk350-billion-yacht-industry-travel-scheme-launches?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Oct 2026 07:03:02 +0000 Fan Chen Fan Chen Manila has called for diplomatic restraint in response to suggestions from the Chinese ambassador to the Philippines that Beijing could “easily win” a military showdown in the region but had instead chosen peace. The war of words comes amid rising tension over the Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea. Beijing has repeatedly driven away Philippine aircraft over the shoal in recent months, while accusing Manila of violating Chinese airspace. Ambassador Jing Quan made his comment on Thursday as... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3371121/envoy-says-china-could-easily-win-conflict-manila-claims-it-thinly-veiled-threat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3371121/envoy-says-china-could-easily-win-conflict-manila-claims-it-thinly-veiled-threat?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Oct 2026 06:58:59 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow A 17-year-old artificial intelligence researcher formerly with Moonshot AI has announced his departure for the United States, sparking intense speculation about his next move amid heated competition for elite talent between Silicon Valley and China’s tech hubs. Nathan Chen Guangyu wrote on social media on Thursday that he had left the Beijing-based start-up after less than a year, describing his time there as “the best [year] of my life so far”. The announcement caught many industry observers by... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/tech-trends/article/3371117/who-nathan-chen-chinese-teen-ai-prodigy-being-courted-silicon-valley?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/tech-trends/article/3371117/who-nathan-chen-chinese-teen-ai-prodigy-being-courted-silicon-valley?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Oct 2026 06:30:13 +0000 SCMP SCMP Suppose an anthropologist encountered AI as a newly discovered tribe or species. How would we study it? Imagine that we have just discovered an extraordinarily powerful new tribe. It speaks almost every language. It has absorbed an enormous proportion of recorded human knowledge. It never sleeps, reproduces extraordinarily rapidly, and is spreading through almost every institution. Yet we are uncertain whether we understand its customs, its powers — or even what sort of entity it is. Event... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/announcements/article/3371119/scmp-plus-exclusive-meet-chinas-viral-cambridge-professor-alan-macfarlane-person?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/announcements/article/3371119/scmp-plus-exclusive-meet-chinas-viral-cambridge-professor-alan-macfarlane-person?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Oct 2026 06:25:09 +0000 Jimmy Chow Jimmy Chow Pro Bono HK is known for helping people in need access justice in Hong Kong, but its work extends beyond legal advice to connecting clients with social workers and community groups for further support and promoting legal education. Founded in 2014, the organisation helps people who may not qualify for legal aid or cannot afford private representation. Its work ranges from tenancy and family disputes to inheritance matters and emergency legal support. Pro Bono HK and its volunteers are finalists... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3371081/beyond-legal-advice-hong-kong-charity-helps-bridge-gap-access-justice?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3371081/beyond-legal-advice-hong-kong-charity-helps-bridge-gap-access-justice?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Oct 2026 06:15:05 +0000