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SCMP

We have selected seven stories from this week’s news across Hong Kong, mainland China, the wider Asia region and beyond 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. Chinese scientists create ‘dream bullet’ years after US abandons project

After the US abandoned development of its ‘dream shell’, Chinese scientists now claim they have managed to create the smart shell for kinetic energy weapons that could reshape the military landscape.
2. Hong Kong to attract more top acts such as Taylor Swift, Beyoncé: tourism chief
Hong Kong’s tourism minister has pledged to take steps to attract more international stars to boost the local economy after lawmakers questioned why the city had missed out on performances by global artists such as Taylor Swift and Beyoncé.
3. ‘Dare not spend’: China seeks fix as slowing economy may shrink middle class

For China’s middle class, things have never looked harder. No signs have yet emerged to upend their frustration as the property market meltdown and free-falling stock market have continued to wipe out their wealth.
4. China, Singapore agree visa-free deal for travel stays of up to 30 days
China and Singapore will introduce a 30-day mutual visa exemption agreement from February 9 – Lunar New Year’s Eve – allowing citizens of the two countries to travel, visit families and go on business trips.
5. Thai woman faces jail after friend takes her pet lion cub out for a drive in a Bentley

A Thai owner of a pet lion cub could face jail after a viral video of her friend driving around Pattaya in a convertible Bentley, with the big cat wearing a chained collar sitting in the back seat, sparked accusations of animal cruelty and endangering public safety.
6. Why are rivals of Malaysia’s PM Anwar ensnared in a corruption investigation?
Investigators are looking into the wealth of high-profile politicians and businesspeople named in the Pandora and Panama Papers. But political rivals to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim call it selective persecution.
7. Seeds and nuts are superfoods – 5 of the best for heart health and more

Are you nutty about nuts? Do you know the difference between a nut and a seed? Are all nuts equal? Increasingly we hear how good nuts and seeds are for us, and are urged to add them to salads, smoothies and breakfast cereals. But why?


Cheaper durians for China, Hong Kong helpers camp in tents: 5 weekend reads you missed

King Charles’ gift amuses Chinese, anti-spy agency makes allegation: SCMP’s 7 highlights

A 60-year-old Singaporean pole dancer, Guizhou’s spicy food: 7 Lifestyle highlights

China’s EV makers to cut charging times; Tesla rival Li Auto’s expansion: 7 EV reads

SCMP Highlights

Hong Kong to attract top stars like Taylor Swift, Chinese scientists create ‘dream bullet’: SCMP’s 7 highlights of the week

Taylor Swift performs in Arlington, Texas, in March 2023. Hong Kong tourism chief Kevin Yeung says that he will talk to local concert organisers about bringing in more big concert acts to the city. Photo: AFP

Scientists claim to have created a “dream shell” that can travel at high-speed and hit with high-precision. Photo: Xinhua

China’s middle class continues to face economic pitfalls that threaten to wipe out wealth. Illustration: Davies Christian Surya

A pet lion cub sits in the back of a convertible Bentley in Pattaya, Thailand. Photo: Facebook/Madamannudon

Nuts and seeds are very good for us, and can contribute to weight loss. Photo: Shutterstock

China’s attack simulation, Philippine constitution change, public nudity in Taiwan: 5 weekend reads you may have missed

A long-range attack on an aircraft carrier strike group is considered difficult to achieve, but Chinese researchers claim their simulation shows it is possible. Photo: US Navy

Philippines’ President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr delivers a speech at Camp Aguinaldo military headquarters in Quezon City, Philippines on December 21, 2023. Photo: AP

People at the SkyCasino in Genting Highlands. The resort dominates Malaysia’s domestic gambling scene. Photo: Shutterstock

Naturists Julia Fu and Tom Yang at a farm in Sanzhi, Taiwan. Both are members of the Return to Nature social media group, which holds monthly events — despite public nudity being technically against the law in Taiwan. Photo: Brian Wiemer

Gillian Chung (pictured in 2010), one half of Hong Kong’s Cantopop duo Twins, is now thriving as a singer and actress but the road to success — marred by a scandal involving intimate photos — has not been an easy one. Photo: SCMP

Why foreigners are leaving China, Singapore’s S. Iswaran resigns, Cathay Pacific’s new hires: SCMP’s 7 highlights of the week

China and the United States are among major world powers racing to be No 1 in utilising the key technology of quantum computing, which has the potential to transform many fields. Photo: Reuters

illustration by Lau Ka-kuen

Former minister S. Iswaran leaves the Singapore State Courts on January 18. Photo: Bloomberg

People waiting to enter the GSC cinema in Palm Mall shopping complex in Seremban, Malaysia. Photo: Shutterstock

News

China

Asia

Hong Kong

Lifestyle

From China and Singapore agreeing to a visa-free travel deal from Lunar New Year to a pet lion cub in a luxury car, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent reporting


From China and Singapore agreeing to a visa-free travel deal from Lunar New Year to a pet lion cub in a luxury car, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent reporting.


Hong Kong to attract top stars like Taylor Swift, Chinese scientists create ‘dream bullet’: SCMP’s 7 highlights of the week

.css-1mniedq{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;}From China and Singapore agreeing to a visa-free travel deal from Lunar New Year to a pet lion cub in a luxury car, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent reporting

1. Chinese scientists create ‘dream bullet’ years after US abandons project

From China and Singapore agreeing to a visa-free travel deal from Lunar New Year to a pet lion cub in a luxury car, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent reporting