South China Morning Post

Thu, 08 Oct 2026 09:00:04 +0000
To retire or not to retire? Malaysia divided over working past 60
Chew Kin Wah spent seven seasons gracing Malaysian television screens as “Kee Tat” in the hit sitcom Kopitiam in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Now 61, the Malaysian actor is still working, albeit more selectively, taking projects when the right...

Thu, 08 Oct 2026 08:33:13 +0000
Iron cage beds at elderly home in Thailand fuel anger, owner defends ‘innovation’
A care scandal has erupted in Thailand after a nursing home was exposed for confining old and sick residents in beds covered by iron cages with barely a foot of space above their heads. Images of bedridden patients at the Sothornchai Nursing Home in ...

Thu, 08 Oct 2026 08:31:26 +0000
China’s AI chipmaker Biren tumbles 12% as it seeks US$510 million in share placement
Shares of artificial intelligence chipmaker Shanghai Biren Technology tumbled more than 12 per cent in Hong Kong on Thursday amid plans to raise HK$4 billion (US$510 million) through a share placement, as competition with other Chinese Nvidia challen...

Thu, 08 Oct 2026 08:13:32 +0000
In Indonesia, will VP Gibran’s ‘diploma-gate’ haunt his future after court ruling?
A legal challenge to the vice-presidency of Indonesia’s Gibran Rakabuming Raka could haunt his political future even though he has survived damning court findings on his educational qualifications. The Constitutional Court on Tuesday dismissed a pe...

Thu, 08 Oct 2026 08:11:07 +0000
Hong Kong IPO boom at risk as cornerstone backers get cold feet, sources say
Exuberance among cornerstone investors in Hong Kong’s booming initial public offering (IPO) market seems to be fading, forcing some issuers that had hoped to list this month to postpone their offerings. With more than 60 per cent of new listings in...

Thu, 08 Oct 2026 08:06:40 +0000
Police recover HK$30 million in gold swapped for fabric softener in hotel theft
Hong Kong police have recovered about HK$30 million worth of stolen gold and arrested two men in connection with an elaborate hotel-room swap in which 30kg of gold granules were replaced with eight bottles of fabric softener. The force said it receiv...

Thu, 08 Oct 2026 08:00:09 +0000
Chinese team says its all-in-one mini artificial pancreas offers next-gen diabetes care
Chinese scientists have created a wearable all-in-one device combining a glucose sensor and insulin micropump that they say paves the way for a fully autonomous mini artificial pancreas, although it has so far only been tested on mice. Unlike existin...

Thu, 08 Oct 2026 07:38:25 +0000
US AI firm Anthropic enables Chinese-language options for Claude chatbot
US artificial intelligence company Anthropic has introduced Chinese-language options to its Claude chatbot in supported markets, even as it continues to block users from mainland China. Checks by the South China Morning Post on Thursday confirmed tha...

Thu, 08 Oct 2026 07:29:53 +0000
Abby Choi’s ex-father-in-law a ‘cunning old fox’ who clung to her wealth, court told
The mother of slain Hong Kong socialite Abby Choi Tin-fung has described her daughter’s former father-in-law as a “cunning old fox” who clung to her family’s fortune, rejecting his lawyer’s suggestion that he bought a Rolls-Royce with money...

Thu, 08 Oct 2026 07:27:19 +0000
Britain downscales and renames Jerusalem consulate after Israel orders closure
Britain said on Thursday its ⁠nearly 200-year-old consulate in Jerusalem ⁠would remain operating at a smaller scale, renamed ⁠as the “UK Mission” in the city, after Israel ordered it shut in a dispute over sanctions on settlements. Israel l...

Thu, 08 Oct 2026 07:16:15 +0000
Anwar’s push to return Myanmar to Asean sparks criticism over weakened leverage
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Thursday said Malaysia would do “whatever is possible” to strengthen cooperation with Myanmar and fully reintegrate the diplomatically isolated nation into the Asean fold. The pledge came during an unusually high-p...

Thu, 08 Oct 2026 06:30:28 +0000
Xi-Trump summit outcomes
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Thu, 08 Oct 2026 06:11:14 +0000
North Korea decries medical aid, says ‘nothing to give or receive’ from Seoul
North Korea’s Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of ‌leader Kim Jong-un, denounced on Thursday South Korea’s plans to provide medical equipment aid to Pyongyang, calling it a “political provocation” and violation of its sovereignty. In a stat...

Thu, 08 Oct 2026 06:00:13 +0000
US judge blocks release of alleged Beijing agent accused of filming Taiwan leader’s son
A federal judge on Wednesday ordered Wanying “Heather” Zhang be held in custody, after her lawyers – who had fought to keep her out of jail – said she “looks forward to establishing” her innocence at trial. They argued that the US governm...

Thu, 08 Oct 2026 05:06:24 +0000
German President Steinmeier targets China trip as Berlin sharpens trade stance
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier is planning to visit China in the coming weeks, even as relations between the two countries sour over trade, according to multiple sources familiar with the arrangement. It will mark the first official visit t...

Thu, 08 Oct 2026 04:49:19 +0000
Man arrested after red paint splashed at joint office of ‘unhelpful’ lawmakers
Hong Kong police have arrested a man for allegedly splashing red paint at the joint office of two lawmakers whom he accused of being unhelpful. A source said on Thursday that police had arrested the 66-year-old man over the incident at the office sha...

Thu, 08 Oct 2026 04:47:35 +0000
Why China’s new air force base in Laos could rattle Vietnam
A newly opened China-backed air force training centre in Laos could unsettle Vietnam, even as it aims to modernise Vientiane’s military and balance defence ties among Beijing, Moscow and Hanoi, observers say. China’s National Defence Ministry sai...

Thu, 08 Oct 2026 04:41:30 +0000
Naked, gilded Trump statue goes on display at EU Parliament
A gilded statue of US President Donald Trump naked went on display in the European Parliament building in Strasbourg on Tuesday. Danish artist Jens Galschiot is exhibiting the satirical statue, titled “Orange Plague” and also known as “King of ...

Thu, 08 Oct 2026 04:00:09 +0000
US wraps up military mission in Iraq, giving Baghdad room to strengthen China ties
The US has ended its military mission in Iraq, a move analysts said could give Baghdad more room for diversified partnerships and indirectly benefit China’s energy and commercial interests. But they cautioned that the shift was unlikely to create a...

Thu, 08 Oct 2026 03:00:28 +0000
As China and the EU begin crunch trade talks, optimism is in short supply
As China and the European Union began a fresh round of trade talks in Beijing on Thursday, observers on both sides appeared to agree on one thing: a big breakthrough was unlikely. Chinese firms based in Europe said they hoped the talks could achieve ...

Thu, 08 Oct 2026 03:00:18 +0000
Data centre opposition is growing in Australia. Is there a middle ground?
Australia may have vast tracts of land and political will to support the growth of the artificial intelligence industry, but the development of data centres to power the technology is proving more challenging. Last month, property developer Goodman G...

Thu, 08 Oct 2026 02:46:24 +0000
Helper arrested for allegedly slapping five-year-old boy after he refuses to eat
Hong Kong police have arrested a foreign domestic helper for allegedly slapping a five-year-old boy who refused to eat his meal at a Kowloon City flat. Police received a report at about 11.57pm on Wednesday from the boy’s mother, who said her son h...

Thu, 08 Oct 2026 02:33:22 +0000
Workers, mostly Indian, building US consulate in Milan agree to record settlement
Foreign workers building the vast new US consulate compound in Milan signed agreements at a Milan hotel Wednesday securing payouts averaging €45,000 (US$50,400) each for alleged labour abuses while working for an American construction company. More...

Thu, 08 Oct 2026 02:33:10 +0000
China boss gifts top employees new BMWs to protect them from harsh weather commutes
A restaurant boss in China has received widespread online admiration for gifting brand-new BMWs to her top-performing employees because she hated seeing them brave harsh weather on electric bikes during their commutes. Ma Yanli, owner of a beef hotpo...

Thu, 08 Oct 2026 02:30:11 +0000
Will Huanggang Port opening boost spending at Shenzhen’s border retail shops?
Retail businesses in Shenzhen are gearing up for the imminent opening of the revamped Huanggang Port at the border Hong Kong shares with mainland China, but some fear the area still lacks commercial appeal to make travellers stay. After six years of ...

Thu, 08 Oct 2026 02:30:06 +0000
The ‘G2’ illusion? After Xi-Trump summit, China wants equality while the US seeks deals
Washington and Beijing may have signed an agreement built around “reciprocity”. But a more consequential question remains unresolved: does it mean equal status for Beijing? Countries without a seat at the table are watching that ambiguity closely...

Thu, 08 Oct 2026 01:57:01 +0000
Boy, 13, rescued after climbing onto air-conditioning unit to escape fire in flat
Hong Kong firefighters have rescued a 13-year-old boy who climbed out a window onto the air-conditioning unit to escape a fire that broke out in his flat, while his mother has been arrested on suspicion of child neglect. Police received reports at 7....

Thu, 08 Oct 2026 01:54:42 +0000
Yemen’s Houthis claim strikes on Saudi airports, killing 3
Saudi authorities said Wednesday three people were killed in attacks on two of the kingdom’s international airports, including in the capital Riyadh, after Yemen’s Houthis claimed to have fired on both transport hubs. The Iran-backed Houthis have...

Thu, 08 Oct 2026 01:30:06 +0000
Protect the middle? Why Southeast Asia should care about a vulnerable class
As households across Southeast Asia face rising prices, higher borrowing costs and insecure jobs, analysts say governments should do more to protect a middle class that drives consumer spending but can fall between the cracks of social protection sys...

Thu, 08 Oct 2026 01:03:10 +0000
Elon Musk hits out at ‘certain oligarchs’ for blocking Starlink in India
Elon Musk accused unnamed rivals of blocking SpaceX’s Starlink satellite broadband network in India, an apparent swipe at billionaires Mukesh Ambani and Sunil Bharti Mittal. SpaceX has been awaiting approval from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s go...

Thu, 08 Oct 2026 01:00:10 +0000
Beyond the summit: how US-China relations could still unravel
This year’s Chinese National Day reception in Washington felt noticeably jollier than those I have attended in recent years. The mood was more relaxed and Chinese Ambassador Xie Feng’s opening speech was upbeat. He even joked about the panda amba...

Thu, 08 Oct 2026 00:59:20 +0000
End ‘wholesale restrictions’ on Chinese EVs in US, experts say
The United States should engage with Chinese carmakers and battery manufacturers “strategically”, using targeted safeguards instead of the current “wholesale restrictions”, which could lead US carmakers to lose global market share, according ...

Thu, 08 Oct 2026 00:30:05 +0000
Mainland Chinese arrivals beat last year’s ‘golden week’ figures despite shorter holiday
Mainland Chinese visitor arrivals in Hong Kong during the entire National Day “golden week” holiday exceeded the government’s forecast and surpassed last year’s total despite the break being one day shorter, with major mall and hotel operator...

Thu, 08 Oct 2026 00:00:18 +0000
Japan ‘considering ownership’ of nuclear submarines as regional rivalries worsen
Japan is expected to float the idea of acquiring a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines in revised security documents to be released later this year, with analysts suggesting that Tokyo’s initial aim is to promote discussion of the issue and overcom...

Wed, 07 Oct 2026 23:39:15 +0000
‘China already has spies’ at US AI labs, former Anthropic researcher warns
Former Anthropic and OpenAI researcher Jacob Coxon said he was 90 per cent certain that China already had spies inside both US artificial intelligence (AI) companies, without providing evidence. Coxon made the allegation in an interview with entrepre...

Wed, 07 Oct 2026 22:41:05 +0000
Trump says he deserves Nobel Peace Prize but has doubts he will get it
US President ⁠Donald Trump, who waged war ⁠with Iran and has ⁠yet to broker peace in Ukraine, said on Wednesday that he should win the Nobel Peace Prize but acknowledged doubt about his chances. “I don’t know what their decision is going to...

Wed, 07 Oct 2026 22:29:00 +0000
Trump to give Musk top US science medal
President Donald Trump will present close ally Elon Musk and other tech bosses with the top US scientific award at a ceremony on Thursday, the White House said. Google co-founder Sergei Brin, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and AMD chief Lisa Su will also re...

Wed, 07 Oct 2026 22:17:09 +0000
Rubio touts US power, calls on Europe to emerge from ‘slumber’
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday flexed American power and called on Europe to shake off its “long slumber” in a rousing speech delivered beneath the Acropolis in Athens. “We believe that Europe can awaken from its long slumber an...

Wed, 07 Oct 2026 22:00:11 +0000
Trump urged Xi to talk to Takaichi and lift export curbs on Japan, sources say
US President Donald Trump pressed his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping to roll back China’s export curbs on Japan during their meeting in the US, urging talks between the Chinese and Japanese leaders as Tokyo seeks to manage mounting pressure from Be...

Wed, 07 Oct 2026 21:30:05 +0000
Can the Gulf aviation superhub model survive the war?
For decades, the Gulf superhubs of Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi performed an improbable trick. They redirected millions of people travelling between the West and Asia to connect through their airports. Last year, the three airports handled about 182 mil...

Wed, 07 Oct 2026 20:58:12 +0000
Maduro and wife to face new US charges over alleged torture of Americans
Ousted Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores are expected to face new criminal charges ‌in the United States over allegations that Americans detained in Venezuela were tortured, a US official said on Wednesday. The new charg...

Wed, 07 Oct 2026 20:46:25 +0000
Madrid woman whose eviction ignited Spain’s housing protests dies at 87
Maricarmen Abascal, the 87-year-old Spanish woman whose dramatic eviction last month sparked mass housing protests that led to an early election, has died, the Madrid tenants’ union said on Wednesday, as thousands demonstrated over her death. Abasc...

Wed, 07 Oct 2026 20:04:14 +0000
New York’s famed Chrysler Building finally finds a buyer
A US real estate firm announced on Wednesday it is buying the Chrysler Building and will undertake a vast makeover of the art deco landmark that dominates New York’s skyline. The Chrysler Building, which was opened in 1930 as a symbol of exuberance...

Wed, 07 Oct 2026 19:27:59 +0000
US issues first outbound investment fine over Chinese robotics AI deal
The US Treasury on Wednesday announced its first penalty under rules governing American investment in sensitive Chinese technologies, revealing a US$200,000 fine against the parent of Plug and Play Tech Centre for failing to report an investment in a...

Wed, 07 Oct 2026 18:57:49 +0000
Canada will not allow assisted suicide for those with only mental illness
Canada will not allow medically assisted suicide for people whose only condition is mental illness, the justice minister said on Wednesday, seeking to close debate on one of the country’s most controversial healthcare issues. Canada legalised assis...

Wed, 07 Oct 2026 17:00:31 +0000
Trump wants to turn his Florida golf course into a presidential retreat
US President Donald Trump wants to turn his luxury Florida golf course into retreat for future American leaders modelled on the historic Camp David getaway, the White House said on Wednesday. The plan would make the Trump International Club in West P...

Wed, 07 Oct 2026 16:18:10 +0000
US proposes US$70,000 fee for foreign students to work after graduation
The United States has proposed requiring universities and other certified schools to pay US$70,000 for each foreign student entering a post-graduation work programme, a measure that could sharply raise the cost for thousands of Chinese graduates seek...

Wed, 07 Oct 2026 15:37:20 +0000
France halts use of stun grenades in policing of student protests
The French government said on Wednesday it was pausing the use of stun grenades in its policing of student protests, after a 15-year-old boy’s hand was blown off during a clash with riot police, fuelling protesters’ accusations of police brutalit...

Wed, 07 Oct 2026 15:00:10 +0000
Singapore’s air pollution worst in world as haze shuts Malaysia schools
Singapore’s air pollution worsened to the highest in the world as haze from Indonesia wildfires blankets the region days before the city state’s annual Formula One weekend. Air quality levels in Singapore were in the “very unhealthy” range as...

Wed, 07 Oct 2026 15:00:07 +0000
China’s thorium-229 nuclear clock beats Vienna’s on stability, studies show
Initial results from the world’s first two working nuclear clocks indicate that China’s timepiece is about six times as stable as the one in Vienna, according to papers published this week by the journal Nature. The clocks were developed independ...

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