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Like father, like son: Chinese duo build mini national engineering marvels in home lab

A Chinese father-and-son duo established a home laboratory to create miniature models of China’s significant national strategic hardware, captivating many online with their skill and passion. Duan Yanjuan, a 13-year-old second-year junior secondary school student in Shanghai, has already replicated turbojet engines…

Hong Kong finance chief says economy grew in third quarter, warns of external risks

Hong Kong’s economy continued to expand in the third quarter of this year, driven by strong exports and tourism, the city’s finance chief has said, while warning of risks including the war in the Middle East and inflation. Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po also reiterated his confidence that the economy would grow…

Despite rising yields and political gridlock, France not facing a debt crisis: analysts

Despite the recent surge in French borrowing costs that pushed the country’s 10-year bond yield spread with Germany to a level unseen since the euro zone crisis, analysts are urging calm, saying France is not facing a debt crisis but cautioning that future uncertainties remain. “The short answer is no, this is not a…

Kagan, Soai win Nobel Chemistry Prize for solving chemical asymmetry puzzle

The 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry has been awarded to Henri B. Kagan and Kenso Soai for solving the mystery of why only one version of some molecules’ mirror-image forms appears in nature, a discovery decisive for the development of pharmaceuticals. The pair were honoured “for the discovery of non-linear effects and…

Ex-Buddhist monk who founded Thai Aids hospice convicted of embezzlement

A former Buddhist monk in Thailand was convicted on Wednesday of misusing donations to a highly praised hospice he established for people with HIV/Aids and given the maximum term of 50 years in prison. Alongkot Poonmook, formerly known as Phra Ratcha Wisutthiprachanat, was forced to leave the monkhood after he was…

Nasa releases striking image of dawn on Mars

Nasa has released a striking image of dawn on the Martian surface taken by its Curiosity rover, showing sunlight bathing jagged crags formed billions of years ago as the car-sized vehicle continues to explore Earth’s planetary neighbour. Curiosity landed in 2012 in Gale Crater near the Martian equator, and since 2014…

Why Morgan Stanley sees more upside in Hong Kong offices than New York towers

Higher interest rates have weighed on property markets in both Hong Kong and New York, but Morgan Stanley sees greater upside potential in the Asian financial hub – particularly the office segment – in the months ahead, according to its latest report. The US investment bank highlighted the similarities between two of…

How closer China-US ties – and more Xi-Trump summits – could work in Iran’s favour

China and the US – Iran’s key partner and its chief adversary – found firmer common ground on Tehran at the Washington summit last month, and further head-of-state diplomacy could work in Iran’s favour, according to analysts. Iran was on the agenda when the presidents of the United States and China met in Beijing in…

US risks ceding AI governance leadership to China and the EU

Standing alongside prominent technology executives, US President Donald Trump announced a voluntary agreement under which major artificial intelligence (AI) companies will use internal controls and monitoring, outside audits and board oversight to manage risks. The White House calls the commitments “morally binding”…

Israel continues demolishing buildings in Gaza a year after ceasefire

It’s perhaps the most dramatic wound inflicted on the Gaza Strip by Israel’s military campaign over the past three years: the city of Rafah, once home to a quarter million people, has been erased. Satellite imagery shows the Israeli military has systematically razed the southern city and other towns and districts to…

Singapore to charge American man over perfume theft spree at Changi Airport

A 47-year-old man will be charged on Thursday over a series of perfume thefts at Changi Airport, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) said on Wednesday. The thefts date back to November last year and involved almost S$1,410 (US$1,102) worth of perfume, the police said in a news release. SPF said it was alerted to the…

Malaysia’s Melaka sets election date as BN, PAS near alliance against Anwar

Malaysia’s Melaka will hold a state election on November 14 as the Umno-led Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition nears a pact with Islamist rivals, leaving Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s alliance facing another difficult contest after a string of recent defeats. The filing of nominations would begin on October 31 and early…

Singapore must be able to say ‘no’ to US, China to preserve trust: foreign minister

Singapore occupies a “peculiarly sensitive existential point” as it seeks to retain strategic options amid a great power rivalry, Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan has said, doubling down on the city state’s stance of refusing to take sides. He also warned that the global landscape would remain unsettled if China…

Russian strikes kill 11 across Ukraine after Zelensky warning

At least 11 people were killed in Russian strikes on Wednesday, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, including five when a missile destroyed a residential block in the north of the country. Emergency services picked through the rubble of the destroyed five-storey building in Pryluky, in the Chernigiv…

Former nursing student jailed for stealing from hospital patients and colleagues

A former nursing student at a leading private hospital in Hong Kong has been jailed for two years and four months for stealing cash, credit cards and a phone from patients and colleagues, causing losses of at least HK$59,000 (US$7,517). Leung Ho-fung, 29, was sentenced at the District Court on Wednesday after pleading…

Israel marks 3 years since October 7 attack that sparked war in Gaza

Israel marked the third anniversary of Hamas’ October 7 attack on Wednesday with silent tributes, new strikes on Gaza and intense political debate, weeks before elections in which the country’s deadliest day will be front and centre. At the site of the Nova music festival, where Hamas militants in trucks and…

Last chance saloon: EU presses China for a sign to prove trade talks can work

The European Union’s top trade mandarins depart for Beijing on Wednesday for two days of intensive negotiations but expectations in Brussels are measured as to what the talks will deliver. Maros Sefcovic, the EU’s trade chief, will meet his Chinese counterpart, Wang Wentao, on Thursday and Friday – three months after…

Viral trapped shark in South Korea brings tourism, retail windfall to Busan

A marooned three-metre-long (nine feet) shark in South Korea has drawn more than a million visitors to the coastal city of Busan, boosting local retail sales and triggering a trademark war, as authorities rush to stop opportunistic vendors from cashing in on the viral phenomenon. The shark, nicknamed “Bukangi” in…

Hong Kong police investigate case of girl, 10, made to carry bags of beer

Hong Kong police are investigating after videos posted online showed a 10-year-old girl carrying heavy bags of beer and being berated by a man during a confrontation with bystanders concerned about her well-being. Police said they received a report at about 10.30pm on Tuesday that a girl in a school uniform was seen…

521kg of meth seized from Laos private jet bound for Manila, not Malaysia: police

The 521kg (1,148lbs) of suspected methamphetamine seized by Laotian authorities from a private jet was not sourced from Malaysia, with the drugs believed to have originated in Laos and been destined for Manila, the Philippines. Bukit Aman Narcotics Crime Investigation Department (NCID) director Hussein Omar Khan said…

Chinese woman snaps up nearly 200 parking spaces to flip to neighbours for profit

A woman in central China invested 14 million yuan (US$2 million) to acquire 196 parking spaces in a residential community, later selling them at a significant mark-up, which led to furious residents suing her. The lawsuit centred around a residential block, the name of which was not disclosed, located in Changsha…

Malaysia’s Myanmar bet? Repatriations pave way for diplomacy

Malaysia’s repatriation of Myanmar nationals ahead of a visit to Kuala Lumpur by the war-torn country’s leader appears to mirror efforts by other Asean countries seeking to mend ties with Naypyidaw. Several Asean members have stepped up engagement with Myanmar at the bilateral level recently, raising questions about…

Hong Kong’s AI city brain must understand how people really speak

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s vision of an “AI city brain” is bold and timely. An integrated system linking data across transport, public works, environmental monitoring and emergency response could help Hong Kong manage risks more proactively and coordinate services more effectively. The initiative is highly…

China’s DeepZang AI aims to transform Tibetan language tech, promote ethnic unity

Creators of China’s first Tibetan-language AI model have pledged to speed up upgrades aimed at promoting ethnic integration. Approaches to advancing the large language model, DeepZang, were discussed at a seminar on Monday that brought together representatives from research institutes, universities and enterprises…

Land sales offer only temporary relief for West Kowloon arts hub, experts warn

Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Cultural District is betting on property development to ease its financial pressures amid a widening operating deficit, but experts have warned that land sales will only provide temporary relief and cannot replace a sustainable long-term funding model for the arts hub. The warning comes as the…

As bear attacks rise in Japan, fearful residents change daily routines

Jeff Kingston used to take long walks with his dogs across the hills of Gunma in central Japan. But not this year. He has good reason. Kingston says he has encountered bears in those mountains more than 100 times over the years and been charged by aggressive bears around a dozen times. In 2014, a black bear knocked…

US, WHO press Moscow over plague after death of Russian lab tech

The United States made a formal request pressing Russia for information on the reported plague death of a laboratory technician, a source close to the matter said Tuesday, as calls grew for transparency from Moscow. Russian authorities have denied that they are imposing anti-plague measures and played down the reports…

US citizen arrested in connection to Canada school shooting

US authorities arrested ⁠a person in Washington state on Tuesday ⁠who they accuse of providing advice and offering to live-stream a deadly mass shooting carried out earlier this year in Canada. James Cody Bryant, 30, was detained on a charge of conspiracy to murder people in a foreign country in connection to the…

China’s economy to slow as global growth stays solid, US think tank report says

China’s economic growth is expected to slow further next year as export strength fades and weak domestic demand persists, even as the global economy remains resilient, according to a new outlook from the Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE). The Washington-based think tank projects China’s GDP will…

Ex-CIA official accused of stealing US$40 million in gold bars pleads guilty

A former senior CIA official pleaded guilty Tuesday in Virginia to a charge that he abused his position and government funds to enrich himself by acquiring Florida real estate and hundreds of gold bars worth over US$40 million, according to court records. David Rush fabricated a “highly classified” government…

After cordial Xi-Trump summit, could China’s US dollar pivot cause tremors?

As President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump talked tariffs, agricultural quotas and critical minerals at last month’s closely watched summit in Washington, an “elephant in the room” loomed over the discussion: China’s efforts to gradually diversify away from US dollar assets. Beijing has gradually been…

US seeks US$100 million bail each for Chinese-born couple in surrogacy child abuse case

Los Angeles County prosecutors are seeking bail of US$100 million each for a Chinese-born couple charged on Tuesday with conspiring to abuse young children who were born through surrogacy and raised in their California mansion. Guojun Xuan, 66, and Silvia Zhang, 39, allegedly directed nannies to physically punish the…

Christa Pike conscious and speaking after botched execution in US

Tennessee death row inmate Christa Pike is awake and speaking at a hospital, her lawyers said Tuesday, six days after the state’s failed attempt to execute her by lethal injection left her unconscious and on a ventilator. Pike, 50, survived two doses of pentobarbital as executioners attempted to put her to death last…

Can’t Uygurs drink Starbucks and taste American freedom?

“Morally bankrupt”? Was Michigan Republican John Moolenaar talking about himself? Last week, the chairman of the House Select Committee on China demanded that Starbucks “immediately reverse course and close its stores”. The coffee chain’s crime? It opened two stores in Urumqi – the capital of Xinjiang Uygur autonomous…

Trump says Iran could ‘take out’ Los Angeles or San Diego, drawing backlash

US President Donald Trump suggested to a crowd of his supporters in Nebraska that Iran could “take out” a major US city like Los Angeles or San Diego, drawing a swift rebuke from California’s Democratic leaders and some fellow Republicans. Trump, speaking at a political rally in the state’s farm belt on Monday…

EU wants to track potential rogue efforts to block out the sun

The European Union has launched a €35 million (US$39.4 million) tender to fund research and coordination on, among other things, detecting rogue efforts to alter the Earth’s atmosphere by blocking out the sun. The EU’s Horizon Europe arm, which funds research and innovation, launched the call for projects on Tuesday…

Hong Kong approves average fee hikes of up to 4.75 per cent for non-public schools

Hong Kong’s private, semi-private and international schools have been given the green light to raise tuition fees by an average of 4.75 per cent, 4.07 per cent and 4 per cent, respectively. The Education Bureau said on Tuesday it had received applications from 185 schools as of August 31 to adjust tuition fees for the…

4 Indonesian seamen kidnapped by Somali pirates return home

Four Indonesian seamen who were kidnapped and held hostage by Somali pirates aboard an oil tanker for more than five months arrived back home on Tuesday. The men were among 17 crew rescued a week ago when maritime police from the semi-autonomous region of Puntland in northern Somalia stormed the Palau-flagged MT…

UK police arrest seventh man linked to security incident at US-run airbase

British police on Tuesday arrested a 22-year-old man in London on suspicion of a terror offence over a security incident at a US-run military airbase in England that authorities have linked to Iran. The arrest is the seventh in connection with a suspected plot against RAF Fairford, located 160km (100 miles) west of…

Iceland is ‘critical outpost’ for security, Rubio says during visit

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday that Iceland had long been a “critical outpost” for security during a visit to the island, as his country pushed for greater US influence in the Arctic region. His trip comes after US President Donald Trump has stirred up the power balance in the region by making…

Rising electricity needs put Southeast Asia’s energy security at risk: report

Risks to Southeast Asia’s energy supplies are multiplying faster than nations are coming up with solutions to meet rapidly rising demand for electricity, according to an International Energy Agency report released on Tuesday. Southeast Asia has a seemingly insatiable appetite for energy, but the region is now in a…

Chinese team creates ‘lifelike’ hydrogel that changes shape for smart devices

Chinese researchers have developed a “lifelike” shape-changing hydrogel they say could provide a platform for next-generation developments, such as flexible tissue engineering scaffolds, brain-computer interfaces and humanlike robots. Inspired by living organisms, the team created a light-triggered system called…

Registration on both sides of border needed for Huanggang ‘joint clearance’

Hong Kong and mainland Chinese residents will have to register with immigration authorities on both sides of the border to use automated “joint clearance” channels at the revamped Huanggang Port crossing, with around 100,000 travellers a day expected to use the control point when operations begin. Hong Kong’s…

Catalan separatist leader Puigdemont set for Spain return after arrest warrant lifted

A Spanish judge on Tuesday lifted an arrest warrant for exiled former Catalan separatist leader Carles Puigdemont, paving the way for his return to Spain ahead of a general election in November. Supreme Court judge Pablo Llarena made the move after Spain’s Constitutional Court backed extending a 2024 amnesty law to…

US firm to make battle-tested drones in Taiwan, boosting supply chain resilience

Two combat-tested American drones could become part of Taiwan’s expanding unmanned arsenal as the island seeks to build a “drone shield” against the People’s Liberation Army. California-based defence technology company Aevex Aerospace is working with Taiwan’s Coretronic Intelligent Robotics Corporation (CIRC) to…

How traditional Chinese medicine is shaping Kazakhstan’s health system

China has pledged to expand its health partnership with Kazakhstan by helping the Central Asian nation integrate traditional medicine directly into its national healthcare system, shifting away from simple product exports. The Chinese embassy in Kazakhstan on Monday called for the alignment of high-level policy to…

India opposition lawmakers detained over protest against election chief

Indian police detained several opposition lawmakers in the capital of New Delhi on Tuesday for trying to breach barricades during a protest march to demand the resignation of the election chief over a controversial revision of voter lists. The march presents a fresh political challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi…

As China’s AI race accelerates, ‘model fatigue’ becomes the next challenge

On September 22, the global artificial intelligence landscape spun on its axis within a matter of hours. In Beijing, Xiaomi engineers went live with an unusual broadcast, streaming the training run of their new MiMo-V2.6 model. In San Francisco, Anthropic unveiled its frontier Opus 5.5 model. About an hour later…

Elderly man found dead, wife hospitalised after smell reported at Hong Kong flat

An elderly man was found dead and his wife was taken to hospital after authorities responded to a report of a foul smell from a flat in Hong Kong on Tuesday. Authorities received a report at about 5.20pm from security staff at One Madison, a residential building on Castle Peak Road in Cheung Sha Wan, after an unusual…

Greenpeace catches Hong Kong geopark ‘golden week’ visitors damaging marine life

About 100 incidents of visitors catching sea cucumbers and digging up sea snails and clams were recorded at a popular spot in Hong Kong’s Unesco-listed geopark on a single day of the National Day “golden week”, a green group has found, following similar incidents last year. The Po Pin Chau section of the High Island…

School protests sweep France in most violent student demonstrations in decades

Demonstrations swept across France on Tuesday as teachers and parents took ⁠to the streets with high school pupils on the biggest day of what Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu described as the most violent student demonstrations in decades. Police fired tear gas and water cannons to disperse violent groups on the…

Saudi-Iran war risk grows as Riyadh resumes Yemen bombing

Iran and Saudi Arabia are edging dangerously closer to direct conflict, analysts warn, after Riyadh resumed major air strikes on Yemen’s Tehran-allied Houthi rebels this week, ending a four-year lull. More than 100 Saudi warplanes bombed rebel positions on Monday, enabling Yemeni government forces to retake much of…

Indonesia’s Prabowo taps Widodo’s allies as advisers amid falling approval rating

Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto is seeking to keep potential rivals in his inner circle as he faces growing political pressure by appointing influential figures from across the political establishment to a presidential advisory council, according to analysts. The council, which advises the president on the…

Fire breaks out on rooftop of residential building in Hong Kong’s Mong Kok

Firefighters battled a fierce rooftop blaze at a residential building in Hong Kong’s Mong Kok district for around an hour on Tuesday before dousing the flames. The Fire Services Department received a report at about 5.20pm that items stored on the rooftop of the 26-storey Block B of Shun King Building on Nelson Street…

Hong Kong’s Generation Y unhappiest amid housing and economic pressures, poll finds

Hong Kong’s Generation Y residents – those aged 30 to 45 – are the city’s unhappiest age group, largely because of dissatisfaction with economic and housing conditions, a poll has found. The Hong Kong Happiness Index stood at 5.87 out of 10, according to a survey of 1,039 adults conducted by HK.WeCare, an initiative…

Construction worker jailed for life for killing bus driver after smoking dispute

A construction worker has been sentenced to life in prison for murdering a man who confronted him about smoking while they were waiting for a lift at a private housing estate in Hong Kong. A High Court jury on Tuesday found Tam Yun-chiu, 52, guilty of killing Ho Lok-man after hearing that he repeatedly punched the…

‘Neutrino Man’ Francis Halzen wins Nobel Prize in Physics

Belgian-American particle physicist Francis Halzen won the 2026 Nobel ⁠Prize in Physics for his work creating an Antarctic observatory of ice to detect high-energy neutrinos, elusive subatomic particles that can reveal otherwise inaccessible information about the cosmos. Halzen, 82, realised that pristine ice at the…

Kenya reports first Ebola case imported from DR Congo after patient dies

Kenya reported its first-ever Ebola death, the health minister said on Tuesday, after a Kenyan man who had been living in the Democratic Republic of Congo died after returning to the country. The DR Congo declared its 17th Ebola outbreak in May. The deadly disease has killed more than 15,000 people in Africa over the…

Hong Kong remains world’s freest economy as Switzerland overtakes Singapore

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…

Why India is getting serious about ending the Ukraine war

India’s recent push to become more involved in helping end the Russia-Ukraine war comes as the costs of the conflict continue to mount for New Delhi, amid the threat of US tariffs on major buyers of Russian energy and a recent drone attack on an Indian-owned pharmaceutical plant in Ukraine. Sunday morning’s drone…

Germany joins France in call for China trade defences

Germany and France, the European Union’s two largest economies, jointly called for tougher EU trade defences, as European and Chinese negotiators prepare for crunch talks this week under the shadow of a potential trade war. “The open and rules-based trade system is massively affected by weaponisation of trade…

8 public officers in Singapore referred to police after property review

Eight public service officers have been referred to Singapore police after a review of 191 officers’ property transactions, Coordinating Minister for Public Services Chan Chun Sing has told parliament. The review followed a working paper by the US-based National Bureau of Economic Research, which identified 2007 to…

Short trade truce can’t paper over realities of US-China relationship

The recent US-China summit yielded a narrow, caution-filled outcome for bilateral trade: a two-month extension of the Kuala Lumpur trade truce, which now expires on January 10 next year. This reprieve eases fears of immediate tariff escalation and shows that head-of-state diplomacy can still curb spiralling…

West Kowloon arts hub deficit widens to HK$998 million as operating costs rise

The authority managing Hong Kong’s arts hub in West Kowloon recorded a wider deficit in the 2025-26 financial year but expects to generate more income next year by putting a residential development project out to tender. The West Kowloon Cultural District Authority’s deficit ballooned to HK$998 million (US$127…

Mox, BOCHK, ZA Bank and Citibank apps land among Asia-Pacific’s 10 best, study says

Banking apps from Mox Bank, Bank of China (Hong Kong) (BOCHK), ZA Bank and Citibank Hong Kong are among the top 10 in Asia-Pacific, according to a study exclusively previewed by the South China Morning Post. Sia, an international consulting firm, assessed 145 banking apps in 20 markets in Europe, Asia and Australia…

How Singapore’s local cafes compete with Chinese coffee giant Luckin

When Chinese coffee giant Luckin Coffee moved into the unit next to his neighbourhood cafe in Singapore, Folk Yard owner Chew Yit Shan grew nervous. Luckin launched with an aggressive promotional deal of S$1 (78 US cents) per cup, served in just two minutes. In the first few months following its arrival, Chew saw…

Abby Choi called ex-father-in-law ‘old crook’ amid HK$72m flat row, court hears

Hong Kong socialite Abby Choi Tin-fung called her former father-in-law an “old crook” as she accused her ex-relatives of turning her children against her when she tried sell a HK$72 million (US$9.17 million) flat, a court has heard. Choi’s mother, Cheung Yin-fa, on Tuesday said her daughter had become hostile towards…

Southeast Asia urged to step up war against AI-powered scams through data sharing

Governments and financial institutions in Southeast Asia urgently need to find a way to safely and quickly share data if they hope to contain a surge in scams, cybersecurity experts warn, as artificial intelligence enables criminal operations in the region to expand their reach rapidly. Criminal enterprises stole as…

From cabin crew to cockpit: Malaysian woman’s AirAsia pilot dreams take off

She spent some of her teenage years helping her mother at a sundry shop in Malaysia after school, and throughout that period kept a dream of achieving something higher alive. Now, 36-year-old Suriati Sukardi is a pilot, flying AirAsia’s commercial A320 and A321 Airbus aircraft. Before that, she had landed a job as the…

North Korea’s DMZ landmines sabotage the South’s peace push

North Korea’s laying of landmines along its heavily fortified border with the South has laid bare how misaligned the two nations have become over their de facto land boundary, after three South Korean soldiers were wounded in an explosion last month. Seoul blames Pyongyang for the blast near the military demarcation…

Nvidia-backed Reflection AI challenges Chinese dominance in open-weight models

An Nvidia-backed US start-up has unveiled an open-weight model to challenge China’s dominance in freely available artificial intelligence, releasing a system that early third-party testing suggests could be one of the most token-efficient open models in its class. Reflection AI on Monday debuted Beam, its first…

China tried 3 times to talk crime families out of scam business in Myanmar: state media

China tried three times to persuade powerful families in northern Myanmar to shut down scam operations before Myanmar police carried out large-scale arrests in 2023, according to a new documentary broadcast on Chinese state television. The three-part documentary, jointly produced by China’s Ministry of Public Security…

Ukraine attacks Moscow region with 650 drones as both sides step up strikes

A massive attack involving 650 drones targeted Moscow overnight, leaving at least two dead, Russian authorities said on Tuesday. Most of the drones were destroyed by air defences at long range, including 105 intercepted as they approached the capital, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin wrote on Telegram. Russian state news…

Japan PM Takaichi defends skipping G7 online meeting

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi defended her absence from a Group of Seven online meeting, responding over social media to some critics who questioned why she did not attend despite her apparently free schedule. “This was a last-minute meeting arranged by the chair, France, and allowed for substitute…

John Lee promises ‘high-quality’ experience for Apec finance meeting guests

Hong Kong’s leader has pledged to provide guests attending this month’s Apec Finance Ministers’ Meeting with a “high-quality” experience, as the city works closely with Beijing to assist delegations with the registration process. About 500 guests, including finance ministers and senior officials from the 21 member…

John Lee urges public to tune in to Legco debate on city’s 5-year plan, policy address

Hong Kong’s leader has urged residents to pay close attention to a coming three-day debate on the city’s inaugural five-year plan and latest policy address in the legislature. The debate on the two policy documents is set to begin on Wednesday morning and continue until Friday, according to the Legislative Council’s…

Hong Kong prepares reforms, accountability measures ahead of Tai Po fire report

Hong Kong authorities have made “a series of preparations” to implement reforms and pursue accountability ahead of the final report of an inquiry panel on the Tai Po blaze later this month, the city’s leader has said, pledging to act “as soon as possible”. It was understood that the government has established a…

Turkmenistan grows its arsenal of Chinese air defences as Russia’s role shrinks

Turkmenistan has added the FK-2000 missile-and-gun system to its growing arsenal of Chinese-made air defences, highlighting Beijing’s expanding role in the Central Asian weapons market once dominated by Russia. At least 10 FK-2000 vehicles – along with an array of other Chinese-made military equipment – could be seen…

India sizes up US F-35 stealth jets in landmark first on home turf

US F-35 stealth fighters have joined Indian warplanes for military exercises near the Pakistan border in recent days, marking the first time America’s most advanced multirole combat aircraft has taken part in joint drills in India. The US jets’ participation in the drills “signals a degree of military confidence and…

AirAsia chief’s jab backfires, Singaporeans going ‘car-lite’: 7 Asia highlights

We have selected seven stories from the SCMP’s coverage of Asia over the past week that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. AirAsia chief mocks Singapore Airlines’ food – and social media hits back AirAsia…

Random checks to be carried out at luxury Stanley estate for substandard work

Hong Kong’s building authorities will conduct random sampling and inspections at the remaining properties of a luxury development in Stanley where substandard work was uncovered at one house, as well as at other projects undertaken by the contractor and professionals involved. The Buildings Department revealed the…

Malaysia’s queen comforts family of girl found dead at school, pledges to get justice

The father of 16-year-old Irene Sofiya said he drew comfort from Malaysia’s Queen Raja Zarith Sofiah and her assurance that she would do what she can to help seek justice for his daughter. Mohd Khairool Faisal Khyar, 42, said he deeply appreciated the queen’s concern and words of encouragement during her visit to the…

Trump approves firing squad execution for US military base shooter Nidal Hasan

US President Donald Trump has approved the execution by firing squad of Nidal Hasan, a US Army psychiatrist who shot dead 13 people at a military base in 2009, the Pentagon said on Monday. Hasan’s execution for the attack at Fort Hood in Texas – which also wounded more than two dozen people – will be the first carried…