China builds Southeast Asia expertise as US lets it wither
In the contest for influence in Southeast Asia, the United States and China agree on one thing: the region is indispensable. Yet beneath the flurry of high-level summits lies a quieter divergence in h...
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How Iran used US ceasefire to replenish its depleted missile stockpiles
Western allies believe Iran has most likely added new-build Russian weapons to its inventory and reconstituted large swathes of its missile arsenal during the eight-week ceasefire, giving the Islamic...
1h ago
Hong Kong slams Washington Post commentary on national security law changes
Hong Kong authorities have hit out at The Washington Post for making “groundless allegations” about amendments to the city’s home-grown national security law in an editorial piece, while stressing tha...
1h ago
‘Further reforms’: John Lee vows more changes ahead for economy
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu has pledged to push for “further reforms” despite geopolitical risks in the final year of his current term, citing how he had steered Hong Kong through a sustained per...
1h ago
Surge in AI-related court cases fuels calls for China to clarify its laws
The Chinese legal system is grappling with a surge of artificial intelligence cases, but experts have warned that the lack of a unified legislative framework is hampering efforts to tackle the problem...
1h ago
Thailand, Vietnam team up in an Asean ‘plus or minus’ gamble
It was a gesture that was equal parts diplomacy and theatre: Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul coaxing a melody out of a traditional Vietnamese t’rung xylophone at a Hanoi state banquet on Monda...
3h ago
UFC fight, military flyover, fireworks: inside Trump’s US$60 million 80th birthday bash
Donald Trump celebrates his 80th birthday in a typically forceful style on Sunday, as the oldest US president ever to take office holds a bloody cage match on the White House lawn. The unprecedented “...
3h ago
Will turmoil around former leader Ma Ying-jeou affect Taiwan’s local elections?
What began as an internal personnel dispute at the Ma Ying-jeou Foundation has evolved into an increasingly bitter and publicly fought battle that is engulfing the former Taiwanese leader whose politi...
4h ago
What does North Korea get from its blossoming ties with Russia?
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s latest message of reassurance to Russian President Vladimir Putin, coming shortly after Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Pyongyang, constitutes a form of strat...
4h ago
Why executive branches are best placed to gauge national security risks
The recent enactment of a subsidiary legislation in Hong Kong regarding the appropriate procedure to be followed in cases of non-national security offences involving national security considerations n...
4h ago
‘Not giving up on any market’: John Lee on his strategy to push Hong Kong’s interests
Hong Kong is determined to expand into new markets while consolidating ties with traditional partners and “will not give up any markets” despite geopolitical pressures, the city leader has said. In an...
4h ago
Chinese man weighing 63kg believes online products could help gain weight loses 6.5kg
A Shanghai man who wanted to gain weight spent 10,000 yuan (US$1,500) on online health products he thought would do the job only to end up losing 6.5kg in a month. The man, surnamed Liu, has trended o...
5h ago
Japan adds Indonesia to ‘network of navies’ after Australia, Philippines
Indonesia sits at the confluence of the world’s busiest sea lanes. Its coastline stretches nearly 55,000km (34,000 miles) and its waters encompass the Malacca and Lombok straits, chokepoints through w...
5h ago
China’s Geely Auto to slash excess capacity amid overhaul to boost carmaker’s global edge
Geely Auto, which is locked in a fierce battle for dominance against BYD in China’s crowded automotive market, has pledged to purge excess capacity through an asset restructuring while ramping up its...
6h ago
How did a Venezuelan dropout become a crime boss on the US hit list?
The Tren de Aragua leader killed in a US-Venezuelan raid was a high school dropout who lived in comfort behind bars as he transformed a prison gang into one of the most powerful and extensive criminal...
7h ago
Trump to name James McDonald – one of his lawyers – as Wall Street’s top cop
US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that he planned to appoint James McDonald as US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, the federal prosecutor whose office handles many of the most...
7h ago
Dear You – the Chinese migration film igniting a propaganda debate in Southeast Asia
In less than two months, the indie film Dear You has become an unlikely mass hit. Shot in the Teochew language from the Chaoshan region of southern China’s Guangdong province, the movie follows a man...
12h ago
Trump says deal to end war to be signed on Sunday, but Iran questions timing
US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that an initial deal to end the war in the Middle East would be signed on Sunday, although Iran denied the signing would take place so soon. Trump added in a...
13h ago
Armed men in Haiti’s capital seize top official in rare high-level abduction
Armed men in Haiti have kidnapped James Boyard, cabinet director of the Defence Ministry and a highly respected security expert who also serves as inspector general of Haiti’s police, a person with th...
14h ago
Trump to discuss Strait of Hormuz demining efforts at G7
US President Donald Trump is expected to discuss plans to demine the Strait of Hormuz with allies during next week’s Group of Seven summit in France, a senior US administration official said on Saturd...
15h ago
Was Kim Jong-un the real winner from Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to North Korea?
Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to North Korea this week helped to improve Kim Jong-un’s international standing and gave him a “big strategic win”, analysts said. Pyongyang has become increasingl...
16h ago
China accuses US of power abuse with expanded blacklist of Chinese firms
Beijing has warned of a resolute response to the Pentagon’s newly expanded blacklist of Chinese companies, accusing Washington of using national security as a pretext to curb the development of Chines...
17h ago
Funeral for slain Iranian supreme leader Khamenei set for July
Iran’s state-run news agency said on Saturday funeral processions for its former supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, would be held in July, as mediators say an agreement to end the war is close. T...
17h ago
Why SpaceX may not be a model for Chinese companies to copy
China should not try to copy SpaceX despite the US company’s successful IPO, a leading economist has said. The company raised US$75 billion when it went public on Friday and made its chief executive E...
17h ago
How to say ‘tomato sauce’ in Cantonese? A Miss Hong Kong hopeful sparks culture debate
Fluency in Cantonese has captured public attention after a mainland Chinese contestant in a celebrated Hong Kong beauty queen contest spoke about her difficulties learning the language, prompting a ta...
17h ago
Chinese team flags life-threatening ‘glaring weakness’ in Nasa’s Artemis programme
In the 21st century race to the moon, there is a question that engineers must ask: what happens when the main engine fails? China and the United States are answering this in contrasting ways. Their an...
19h ago
India military transport plane crash kills 5
Five Indian air force personnel were killed when a military plane crashed while landing at a base in the country’s remote northeast on Saturday, the military said in a statement. “The Indian Air Force...
19h ago
Police seize HK$7.2m of drugs, arrest 4 including 2 lured through online gaming
Hong Kong police have arrested four men and seized 9.5kg of suspected drugs worth about HK$7.2 million (US$918,850) in a case involving two mainland Chinese men allegedly recruited by a syndicate thro...
19h ago
Can America sustain a war with China? New reports raise questions
The United States can launch stealth bombers across continents, track missiles from space and deploy forces anywhere on the planet. But as the nation approaches its 250th birthday next month, studies...
20h ago
2 rare owl chicks fledge in Hong Kong breeding success
A pair of rare brown wood owls have been bred at a botanic garden in Hong Kong, with two chicks fledging last month. Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden in Tai Po kept the breeding programme under wraps...
20h ago
Hop On misses court deadline for meeting owners from blaze-hit Tai Po estate
The administrator of the Hong Kong estate devastated by a deadly fire last November has missed the deadline to hold a much-anticipated meeting with flat owners, but has promised to resolve various cha...
21h ago
Discovery of ancient Chinese anaesthesia reveals advanced early surgical practices
The invention of modern anaesthetics in 1846 is a pivotal milestone in the history of modern medicine, yet humans have long sought to alleviate surgical pain. Recent research has showed that in the 14...
22h ago
Myanmar’s junta says everything’s back to normal. Yangon clubbers don’t believe it’s true
In a blaring nightclub in wartime Myanmar, partied-out revellers doze until dawn by the dance floor, wary of journeying home despite the end of a post-coup curfew. Lasers streak the smoke-filled air a...
22h ago
Indonesia’s nickel rule changes are spooking Chinese investors
Chinese investors in Indonesia’s nickel industry recently sent a formal protest letter to President Prabowo Subianto. The message reflects their concerns over Indonesia’s political and economic direct...
22h ago
Do China’s export curbs on tungsten threaten Japan’s AI chip supply chain?
Two major Japanese chemical manufacturers could halt production of a gas crucial to AI chipmaking starting next month, as supply tightens and prices surge amid Beijing’s export controls on tungsten. T...
23h ago
Beachgoers in Australia rescue woman after shark attack at Sydney’s Coogee Beach
A woman swimmer was seriously injured in a shark attack at a Sydney beach on Saturday, authorities said, in the latest of a spate of such encounters off Australia’s coast. Emergency services were c...
23h ago
Peace for Taiwan needs ‘joint answer’ from both sides, says top Beijing official
Peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait needs a “joint answer” from people on both sides, Beijing’s top Taiwan affairs official said on Saturday. “As profound changes unseen in a century accelerate a...
1d ago
Why Bangladesh chose Malaysia and China before India for PM’s debut tour
Bangladesh’s new leader is set to visit Malaysia and China later this month in a trip that Dhaka says reflects its independent foreign policy – with the decision to skip India seen less as a snub than...
1d ago
Intern doctor held over unauthorised access to data remains in custody: source
A Hong Kong intern doctor arrested on suspicion of unauthorised access to patient data remains in custody, the South China Morning Post has learned. A source familiar with the matter told the SCMP tha...
1d ago
US downs Iranian drones in Strait of Hormuz despite peace deal progress
The United States said it downed multiple Iranian drones targeting commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz early on Saturday, hours after both sides said a deal to end the Middle East war was closer...
1d ago
US blocks foreign access to Anthropic’s newest AI models over security risks
Washington has ordered Anthropic – a leading entity in America’s AI sector – to block all foreign nationals from accessing its latest models, Fable 5 and Mythos 5, citing national security concerns, a...
1d ago
Kennedy Centre loses last-ditch attempt to keep Trump’s name on building
The Kennedy Centre was running out of options on Friday evening to keep President Donald Trump’s name on the facade of the iconic performing arts venue. A judge earlier in the afternoon rejected a req...
1d ago
Why driving instructor licences are becoming a hot ticket item for Hongkongers
With more than 20 years of experience as a light goods van driver, Hongkonger Fung Fu only started considering switching to becoming a private driving instructor when he noticed the economic outlook w...
1d ago
Can lah: how Singlish is finding its voice in Singapore’s language story
When Natasha Ann Lum was growing up, there was no place for Singlish – an English-based creole language in Singapore – at home. Her father was adamant that Lum and her brother not speak with broken gr...
1d ago
Chinese team builds first commercial ‘3-lane highway’ in optical fibre to boost capacity
China activated the world’s first three-band optical fibre communication system early this month, technology that its developers say could expand the carrying capacity of future AI networks. According...
1d ago
Philippines’ Duterte to undergo another health check to determine fitness for ICC trial
The International Criminal Court ordered a medical assessment of former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte to determine whether he is fit to stand trial, with proceedings set to start in November. I...
1d ago
G7 summit offers Trump, Modi chance to reset ties after US strikes kill Indian sailors
A possible meeting next week between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump offers a chance to reset ties following a year of strained relations over tariffs, Pakistan, and...
1d ago
Hong Kong faces another wet weekend as heavy rain and thunderstorms hit the city
Hong Kong has been hit by more heavy showers and thunderstorms as a trough of low pressure moved over the Pearl River Estuary. The downpours prompted the Hong Kong Observatory to issue an amber rainst...
1d ago
Out of the shadows: Huawei’s ‘chip queen’ steps back into the spotlight with scaling law
After seven years working in the shadows, He Tingbo stepped back into the limelight last month. The head of Huawei Technologies’ secretive semiconductor business – widely dubbed the company’s “chip qu...
1d ago
US strike kills leader of Venezuelan prison gang: Trump
President Donald Trump said late on Friday that a “swift and lethal kinetic” US strike has killed Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, whom he called “the infamous leader” of the Tren de Aragua gang. T...