https://www.scmp.com/rss/325306/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Ishani Sarkar Ishani Sarkar Eric Kripke’s hit superhero series The Boys has officially come to an end, and fans can’t stop buzzing over the larger-than-life ending. The last episode of the show’s fifth and final season (spoiler alert) ends with the gory death of its central antagonist, Homelander, played by Antony Starr. We also lose Billy Butcher (Karl Urban) moments into his villain arc as he attempts a mass purging of the superheroes, only to be shot by Hughie (Jack Quaid). In an interview with Rolling Stone, Kripke... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3354345/meet-antony-starr-who-plays-homelander-amazon-prime-videos-boys?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3354345/meet-antony-starr-who-plays-homelander-amazon-prime-videos-boys?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 May 2026 10:00:14 +0000 Letters Letters Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words. I read with a heavy heart your report, “Medical blunder probe opened over death linked to improperly sealed catheter” (May 14), detailing the shooting of air bubbles into the heart of an already very ill patient suffering from an acute heart attack. He subsequently passed away.... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3354112/medical-incident-probes-stats-and-facts-are-vital-transparency?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3354112/medical-incident-probes-stats-and-facts-are-vital-transparency?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 May 2026 03:30:05 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji For generations of Indian tech workers, the H-1B visa has been a golden ticket, turning ambitious engineers from Hyderabad and Bengaluru into Silicon Valley professionals, as it transformed Indian IT firms into global powerhouses. Now, a Trump administration proposal to sharply raise the minimum salaries required to qualify for the programme threatens to close that door to the United States, redirecting Indian talent towards Europe, Australia, New Zealand and beyond instead. Under the new... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3354237/trumps-h-1b-visa-squeeze-paves-way-indian-tech-exodus?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3354237/trumps-h-1b-visa-squeeze-paves-way-indian-tech-exodus?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 May 2026 10:00:18 +0000 Fiona Sun,William Yiu Fiona Sun,William Yiu Road safety has been thrust back into the spotlight after two Hong Kong tourists were killed in a car crash in New Zealand. The Chinese consulate in Christchurch on Saturday revealed details of the fatal traffic accident that occurred southwest of the city a day earlier. The South China Morning Post outlines what road safety precautions motorists should take when driving overseas. 1. What should you look out for at a new destination? In Hong Kong, traffic drives on the left side of the road,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3353829/new-zealand-car-crash-how-hongkongers-can-stay-safe-self-drive-trips-abroad?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3353829/new-zealand-car-crash-how-hongkongers-can-stay-safe-self-drive-trips-abroad?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 16 May 2026 13:28:34 +0000 William Yiu William Yiu Two Hong Kong tourists have been killed and two others injured in a car crash in New Zealand. The Chinese consulate in Christchurch revealed the fatal crash on Saturday, saying it occurred a day earlier. “According to a New Zealand police report, a serious traffic accident occurred on the afternoon of May 15 near the intersection of North Rakaia Road and State Highway 1 in the Selwyn District on the South Island,” it said. “The crash resulted in the deaths of two Hong Kong tourists, while two... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3353800/2-hong-kong-tourists-killed-2-injured-new-zealand-car-crash?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3353800/2-hong-kong-tourists-killed-2-injured-new-zealand-car-crash?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 16 May 2026 05:38:00 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall Statues erected by South Korean civic groups on the other side of the world honouring the tens of thousands of women forced into sexual slavery by imperial Japanese forces during World War II have once again succeeded in making Tokyo’s elites deeply uncomfortable. The decisions by local governments in Germany’s capital and New Zealand’s largest city to rescind or decline to renew permits for “comfort women” memorials have been pounced on by conservatives within Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3353417/japan-south-korea-comfort-women-row-stoked-statues-abroad?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3353417/japan-south-korea-comfort-women-row-stoked-statues-abroad?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 May 2026 00:00:08 +0000 Mia Nurmamat Mia Nurmamat As trade wars and deadly conflicts expose Asia’s vulnerability to geopolitical shocks, Chinese policymakers and advisers are warning of an “urgent need” for the world’s biggest trading bloc to reshape regional energy and manufacturing supply chains. Members of the Beijing-backed Asia-Pacific framework must reduce their reliance on vulnerable shipping routes and use the certainty of collaboration to offset growing geopolitical uncertainty, the experts urged at a forum in China’s southern island... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3353401/reshaping-rcep-china-advisers-urge-trade-overhaul-shield-bloc-global-shocks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3353401/reshaping-rcep-china-advisers-urge-trade-overhaul-shield-bloc-global-shocks?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 May 2026 07:11:11 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall Japan’s Mogami-class destroyer appears to be pulling ahead in the race to become the next generation of warships for the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN), in what would be another major deal for Japan’s defence industry just weeks after Tokyo announced it was lifting its long-held ban on weapons exports. Under its 2025 Defence Capability Plan, the government in Wellington has committed to replacing its two ANZAC-class frigates – launched in the early 1990s – with more capable, modern warships. The... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3352966/why-japans-mogami-class-warship-winning-over-new-zealand?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3352966/why-japans-mogami-class-warship-winning-over-new-zealand?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 May 2026 02:30:05 +0000 David Dodwell David Dodwell Even as “China shock 2.0” is roiling Western manufacturers, we must, it seems, brace for “China shock 3.0” – to the global food economy – as President Xi Jinping doubles down on the imperative that has obsessed Beijing for decades: food security. “China’s Food Future”, a consultation paper by Systemiq funded by the California-based Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, warns that China is poised to “reshape global agricultural commodity supply chains”. It suggests China is set to apply to... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3352799/prepare-china-shock-30-global-food-economy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3352799/prepare-china-shock-30-global-food-economy?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 May 2026 08:30:05 +0000 Göktuğ Çalışkan Göktuğ Çalışkan When the United States and the Philippines opened this year’s Balikatan exercises, the message travelled far beyond the parade ground. More than 17,000 troops are taking part in drills set to run until May 8. What matters is where the drills unfold, who has joined and what kind of regional habit they are helping to normalise. Japan took part in its first Balitakan live-fire exercises. Australia, Canada, France and New Zealand were also active participants. Then the exercises moved closer to... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3352387/why-chinas-warning-over-military-blocs-finding-listeners-asia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3352387/why-chinas-warning-over-military-blocs-finding-listeners-asia?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 May 2026 21:30:05 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg New Zealand is weighing the purchase of advanced warships from Japan or the UK to modernise its ageing fleet and bolster its defence capability. The South Pacific nation, member of the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing network alongside Australia, the US, the UK and Canada, is focused on Japanese Mogami-class or the UK’s Type 31 frigates. Discussions are under way with the Royal Australian Navy and the UK’s Royal Navy about the frigate replacement and ongoing service arrangements, Defence Minister... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3352684/new-zealand-eyes-japanese-mogami-class-warships-possible-replacements-ageing-fleet?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3352684/new-zealand-eyes-japanese-mogami-class-warships-possible-replacements-ageing-fleet?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 May 2026 01:55:44 +0000 Richard Heydarian Richard Heydarian “In an increasingly severe security environment, no single country can now protect its own peace and security alone,” declared Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi last month, signalling a major shift in Tokyo’s defence posture. “Under the new system, we will strategically promote equipment transfers while making even more rigorous and cautious judgments on whether transfers are permissible,” she added, confirming long-running speculation that Tokyo would relax decades-old restrictions on... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3352476/us-allies-asia-are-looking-build-middle-power-coalitions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3352476/us-allies-asia-are-looking-build-middle-power-coalitions?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 May 2026 21:30:05 +0000 CNA CNA Singapore and New Zealand on Monday signed the world’s first legally binding bilateral agreement to keep essential supplies – including food, fuel, healthcare products and chemical and construction materials – flowing even during crises. The Agreement on Trade in Essential Supplies was signed by Singapore’s Minister-in-charge of Energy, Science and Technology Tan See Leng and New Zealand’s Minister for Trade and Investment Todd McClay at the Singapore-New Zealand Annual Leaders’ Meeting in... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3352337/singapore-nz-sign-worlds-first-bilateral-treaty-protect-essential-trade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3352337/singapore-nz-sign-worlds-first-bilateral-treaty-protect-essential-trade?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 May 2026 06:59:47 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse New Zealand officials rejected on Wednesday an application to install a statue commemorating so-called “comfort women” enslaved by Japan before and during World War II after Tokyo suggested it could harm diplomatic relations. Japan forced up to 200,000 women from Korea, China and Southeast Asia into sexual slavery from 1932 until 1945 and the issue remains a sore point in Tokyo’s relations with its neighbours. The Korean Garden Trust had sought to install a statue honouring the survivors at... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3351852/new-zealand-officials-reject-statue-remembering-japans-wwii-sex-slaves?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3351852/new-zealand-officials-reject-statue-remembering-japans-wwii-sex-slaves?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Apr 2026 09:23:25 +0000 Hei Kiu Au Hei Kiu Au Walk into any serious steakhouse in Hong Kong today and you’ll find dry-aged beef on the menu, often for double the price of regular steak. What was an age-old practice has, in the past decade, made a comeback as chefs seek to unlock a deeper dimension of flavour. But here’s what most diners don’t realise: the technique has moved beyond beef. Across the city, chefs are dry-ageing fish, lamb, chicken and pigeon. Can the same process that transforms a slab of beef do the same for other... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/100-top-tables/article/3351650/beyond-steak-how-dry-age-fish-lamb-and-poultry-according-3-hong-kong-chefs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/100-top-tables/article/3351650/beyond-steak-how-dry-age-fish-lamb-and-poultry-according-3-hong-kong-chefs?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Apr 2026 05:00:08 +0000 Emily Hung Emily Hung Twenty-two-year-old Hongkonger Elio* started smoking at the age of 16, when he was studying abroad in New Zealand. But what began as a pastime soon evolved into a daily habit to manage the stress of an uncertain future. Despite suffering from a collapsed lung in 2020, he resumed smoking and drinking a few months after recovery, later switching to e-cigarettes amid rising tobacco taxes. After the 2022 ban on the sale of vapes, he restricted his habit to one capsule every three days – equivalent... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3351753/will-hong-kong-vapers-go-underground-public-possession-ban-kicks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3351753/will-hong-kong-vapers-go-underground-public-possession-ban-kicks?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Apr 2026 00:30:55 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji A free-trade agreement signed between India and New Zealand has marked yet another regional push towards diversification and away from overdependence on major powers. The deal, which comes after 15 years of on-and-off negotiations, gained urgency in recent weeks as Indian exporters contend with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and steep American tariffs that have rattled supply chains. New Zealand, for its part, has been pursuing a strategy to reduce dependence on China, its largest trading... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3351708/india-new-zealand-boost-trade-diversification-forward-looking-pact?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3351708/india-new-zealand-boost-trade-diversification-forward-looking-pact?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Apr 2026 10:00:28 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz in the Middle East has turned the spotlight on a strategic waterway thousands of miles away in Southeast Asia, with littoral states having different ideas on how to control their stake. Indonesian officials last week flirted with the idea of imposing tolls for passing vessels in the Strait of Malacca. Malaysia and Singapore, however, have insisted that navigation in the vital corridor remains free. The likelihood of tolls in the strait is low thanks to... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3351687/why-asean-cooperation-remains-primary-shield-against-malacca-strait-tolls?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3351687/why-asean-cooperation-remains-primary-shield-against-malacca-strait-tolls?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Apr 2026 07:58:19 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press India and New Zealand on Monday signed a free-trade agreement to deepen economic ties and expand market access, as both countries navigate mounting global trade disruptions. The deal comes as New Delhi moves to diversify export markets to offset the impact of steep tariffs imposed by the United States and instability in shipping and energy routes due to the Iran war. For New Zealand, the agreement is part of a broader push to reduce reliance on China, its largest trading partner. The agreement... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3351592/india-new-zealand-sign-once-generation-free-trade-deal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3351592/india-new-zealand-sign-once-generation-free-trade-deal?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Apr 2026 11:11:03 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Both chambers of Britain’s parliament have approved a bill that would ban children aged 17 and under from buying cigarettes during their lifetime. The Tobacco and Vapes Bill aims to stop anyone born after January 1, 2009 (now aged 17) from taking up smoking. Health minister Wes Streeting called this a “historic moment for the nation’s health” that will lead to the “first smoke-free generation, protected from a lifetime of addiction and harm”. When it gets royal assent and becomes law, it would... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3350946/uk-agrees-ban-cigarette-sales-people-born-after-2008?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3350946/uk-agrees-ban-cigarette-sales-people-born-after-2008?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Apr 2026 03:18:35 +0000 Reuters Reuters Far-flung Pacific nations ⁠are reeling from the impact of a global ⁠fuel crisis as authorities scramble to manage energy supplies while families must grapple ⁠with fuel curbs and higher costs for food and access to healthcare. Global oil supplies are running down as the US-Israeli war with Iran disrupts traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, which typically carries about 20 per cent of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas flows. Aid agencies have warned that the crisis has driven up prices... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3350937/pacific-islanders-skip-food-medicine-amid-global-fuel-shortage-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3350937/pacific-islanders-skip-food-medicine-amid-global-fuel-shortage-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Apr 2026 01:37:07 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A senior New Zealand minister has sparked outrage by deriding a planned free-trade deal with India as a “butter chicken tsunami”. Wellington is poised to sign a free-trade agreement with India in New Delhi next week. The New Zealand government has hailed it as a “once in a generation” deal that will give its businesses access to the world’s most populated country’s vast domestic market. But its ruling coalition partner, the right-wing populist NZ First party, has pulled support over fears it... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3350935/indians-slam-new-zealand-minister-butter-chicken-tsunami-remarks-outright-racism?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3350935/indians-slam-new-zealand-minister-butter-chicken-tsunami-remarks-outright-racism?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Apr 2026 00:33:51 +0000 Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang China’s next-generation “drone-carrier” amphibious assault ship is en route to the South China Sea for critical sea trials, the military announced on Tuesday, in the same waters where the US, the Philippines and Japan are conducting large-scale joint military exercises and the aircraft carrier Liaoning is apparently sailing to. “The Sichuan, our country’s first Type 076 amphibious assault ship, has set sail from Shanghai for relevant waters in the South China Sea to carry out scientific research... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3350932/chinas-new-type-076-drone-carrier-take-part-south-china-sea-training-drills?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3350932/chinas-new-type-076-drone-carrier-take-part-south-china-sea-training-drills?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Apr 2026 21:09:29 +0000 Reuters Reuters Residents in low-lying areas of New Zealand’s ⁠capital city Wellington ⁠were urged to evacuate on ⁠Monday, as heavy rain continued to drench the city, which experienced flash flooding overnight. A state of emergency was declared for the region on Monday afternoon, while weather forecaster MetService upgraded its heavy rain warning to red, the highest level, which indicates a threat to life from dangerous river conditions, significant flooding and slips. Mayor Andrew Little told state-owned Radio... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3350675/new-zealand-declares-emergency-wellington-record-rainfall-triggers-flash-floods?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3350675/new-zealand-declares-emergency-wellington-record-rainfall-triggers-flash-floods?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Apr 2026 04:26:50 +0000 Oscar Liu Oscar Liu The Hong Kong Sevens ended in a high-octane finale on Sunday with costume-clad rugby fans filling the stands at Kai Tak Stadium, but some nearby restaurants said they struggled to match last year’s takings, blaming an influx of new rivals for diluting profits. The atmosphere on Super Sunday was electric as a sea of excited spectators, some clad in creative and flamboyant costumes, filled the South Stand, with some experiencing the event for the first time at its 50th anniversary. Over three... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3350630/hong-kong-sevens-treat-fans-local-restaurants-hungry-more-trade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3350630/hong-kong-sevens-treat-fans-local-restaurants-hungry-more-trade?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Apr 2026 11:20:28 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Sleep on a long-haul flight in economy class has always been a fantasy for many travellers. Air New Zealand will soon offer a solution that involves climbing into a triple-tier bunk bed wearing special socks. The airline will soon open bookings for four-hour stints in the Skynest sleep pods and says they will be the first lie-flat beds for budget air travellers. Fliers will get cosy with their fellow passengers, however, so crumbs, strong perfumes and bed-sharing are forbidden. The curtained... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3350551/air-new-zealand-invites-economy-passengers-join-mile-high-sleep-club-world-first?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3350551/air-new-zealand-invites-economy-passengers-join-mile-high-sleep-club-world-first?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Apr 2026 02:23:08 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang China has lodged a protest with New Zealand about the activities of a military aircraft near its coast, suggesting it had put commercial airlines at risk. Foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said on Friday that a P-8A anti-submarine patrol aircraft had “conducted continuous close-in reconnaissance and harassment in the airspace and waters of the Yellow Sea and East China Sea”. He said such actions undermined China’s security interests, heightened the risks of misunderstandings and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350508/china-complains-harassment-new-zealand-aerial-patrols-close-coastline?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350508/china-complains-harassment-new-zealand-aerial-patrols-close-coastline?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 11:50:59 +0000 Annemarie Evans Annemarie Evans I was born in Plympton, Devon (southwest England), in 1943. My family moved to London because of my father’s work and then to Glasgow, where I was in a preparatory school, Belmont House School, in Newton Mearns. That’s where I learned to play rugby. I went with the school team to Murrayfield (Stadium in Edinburgh) to watch Scotland play. My father was in the packaging business and he was the managing director of the Scotland part of the organisation. My mother was a physiotherapist. We had a... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/passions/article/3349401/former-hong-kong-rugby-team-captain-reflects-first-sevens-tournament-1976?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/passions/article/3349401/former-hong-kong-rugby-team-captain-reflects-first-sevens-tournament-1976?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 00:00:09 +0000 Raissa Robles Raissa Robles Balikatan, the flagship annual military exercise between Manila and Washington, begins in the Philippines this month without a single neighbouring Southeast Asian member taking part, despite the drills’ growing scale and multinational reach. Analysts say that hesitation helps explain Balikatan’s place in the region: for some Asean members, it is a reassuring sign of US commitment, but joining it risks looking like a strategic choice in the sharpening rivalry between Washington and Beijing. “To... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350190/why-southeast-asian-nations-are-hesitant-join-major-us-philippine-balikatan-drills?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350190/why-southeast-asian-nations-are-hesitant-join-major-us-philippine-balikatan-drills?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 12:00:12 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings Jet fuel shortages and surging prices are forcing flight cancellations across the Asia-Pacific, a squeeze that could intensify after the United States began controlling oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz following failed peace talks with Iran. Tehran’s effective closure of the strait – a chokepoint for about 20 per cent of global oil supply – is hitting regional airlines, particularly in countries without strategic energy reserves, analysts said. Jet fuel reached nearly US$198 in the... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3349928/asia-air-travel-faces-turbulence-iran-war-exposes-jet-fuel-vulnerability?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3349928/asia-air-travel-faces-turbulence-iran-war-exposes-jet-fuel-vulnerability?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 02:00:31 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela Scholar and author Sheng-Wei Wang discusses how studying an ancient Chinese world map led her to conclude China explored and mapped the world before the European Age of Discovery and how the legacy of colonialism and a Eurocentric record of global history continue to affect power dynamics today. SCMP Plus readers get early access to articles in the Open Questions series. What first made you suspect that it was Chinese explorers and not Europeans who launched the true Age of Discovery? The... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3349808/what-ancient-chinese-map-reveals-about-global-history-and-modern-power-sheng-wei-wang?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3349808/what-ancient-chinese-map-reveals-about-global-history-and-modern-power-sheng-wei-wang?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Apr 2026 22:00:15 +0000 Xinlu Liang Xinlu Liang Cheng Li-wun, chairwoman of Taiwan’s biggest opposition party, the Kuomintang, highlighted the need for peace as she spoke to the media in Beijing on Friday afternoon after her historic meeting with Communist Party chief Xi Jinping. It is the first time the leaders of the KMT and the Communist Party have met in nine years and comes at a time of heightened cross-strait military tensions. Here are the main takeaways from the press conference. A ‘choice of war or peace’ In a clear reference to the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3349640/takeaways-cheng-li-wuns-press-conference-about-meeting-xi-jinping?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3349640/takeaways-cheng-li-wuns-press-conference-about-meeting-xi-jinping?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 08:25:02 +0000 SCMP’s Asia desk SCMP’s Asia desk A New Zealand doctor has sent the US embassy in Wellington an invoice for his clinic’s fuel bills, saying that President Donald Trump and his administration should take responsibility for starting a war that has sent oil prices spiralling. Shane Dunphy asked the embassy to reimburse him for the NZ$2,790.95 (US$1,600) in petrol vouchers he gave staff at Onslow Medical Centre in the capital so that they could travel to work, The Guardian newspaper reported. “Because of the current fuel crisis,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3348977/new-zealand-doctor-bills-us-embassy-rising-fuel-costs-payment-expected-within-7-days?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3348977/new-zealand-doctor-bills-us-embassy-rising-fuel-costs-payment-expected-within-7-days?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 10:25:40 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press When a hiker fell from a 55-metre (180-foot) waterfall in wild New Zealand bush, rescuers were forced to evacuate the badly hurt woman without her dog, which could not be found. After strangers raised thousands of dollars for a search, border collie Molly was flown to safety by a helicopter pilot who was determined to reunite pet and owner. A week earlier, an emergency rescue helicopter found Jessica Johnston with bruises and lacerations after a fall at a rocky spot at the waterfall on the South... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3348639/dog-lost-week-new-zealand-bush-found-after-strangers-fund-us6300-air-search?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3348639/dog-lost-week-new-zealand-bush-found-after-strangers-fund-us6300-air-search?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 07:14:46 +0000 Cliff Buddle Cliff Buddle Any parent with experience of children growing up in the social media age knows how addictive and potentially harmful the many hours they spend glued to their screens can be. We do not need a court to tell us. But the verdict delivered by a jury in Los Angeles last week, the first of its kind, has finally given legal force to concerns that have been growing for years. The landmark case against Meta and YouTube, which is being compared to the groundbreaking settlement made by major US tobacco... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3348266/verdict-finds-what-any-parent-knows-social-media-designed-be-addictive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3348266/verdict-finds-what-any-parent-knows-social-media-designed-be-addictive?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Mar 2026 14:49:26 +0000 SCMP SCMP This article was first published on March 29, 1976. By Jack Beattie World ‘sevens’ for HK? A seven-a-side rugby union world cup competition – and possibly staged in Hongkong! That’s the exciting prospect that emerged after yesterday’s first International “Sevens” Championships held at the Hongkong Football Club. Last night Rothmans and Cathay Pacific, the joint-sponsors of this unique event, which had 12 countries competing, were playing it a bit coy – but both agreed that a similar promotion... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3348128/first-hong-kong-sevens-rugby-tourney-held-1976-scmp-archive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3348128/first-hong-kong-sevens-rugby-tourney-held-1976-scmp-archive?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Mar 2026 02:30:07 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow A “ChatGPT moment” for China’s humanoid robots – the tipping point at which the technology becomes widely usable – remains years away as persistent challenges in adapting to new tasks and training efficiency continue to hold back the industry, leading experts said on Wednesday at the Boao Forum for Asia in Hainan. Despite rapid advances in recent years, humanoid robots were still far from large-scale deployment, with both hardware and software limitations yet to be fully resolved, panellists... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3347864/why-chinas-humanoid-robots-are-still-waiting-their-chatgpt-moment?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3347864/why-chinas-humanoid-robots-are-still-waiting-their-chatgpt-moment?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Mar 2026 01:15:07 +0000 SCMP’s Asia desk SCMP’s Asia desk A Chinese national accused of raping and strangling a woman during a violent home invasion appeared in a New Zealand court on Wednesday to face charges, seven months after he was extradited from Singapore. Zhang Xuesong reportedly fled to China following the alleged March 2024 Auckland break-in, complicating efforts to arrest him as no extradition treaty exists between the two countries. The 41-year-old subsequently visited Singapore, where he was returned to New Zealand last September. Zhang,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3347853/man-extradited-singapore-new-zealand-faces-rape-home-invasion-charges?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3347853/man-extradited-singapore-new-zealand-faces-rape-home-invasion-charges?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Mar 2026 08:40:19 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial Threats to national security around the world have become more complex and varied amid heightened geopolitical tensions and technological advances. Laws designed to guard against such threats and the rules governing their implementation need to keep pace with developments. On Monday, Hong Kong introduced a raft of changes to regulations on the enforcement of the city’s national security law, passed by Beijing in 2020. It is the first time, except for a minor technical amendment in 2023, that the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3347749/rule-changes-will-help-hong-kong-better-combat-national-security-threats?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3347749/rule-changes-will-help-hong-kong-better-combat-national-security-threats?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Mar 2026 23:15:13 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran In New Zealand, Keisha Constantino likes to start her morning at a leisurely pace. She wakes up at 7am and takes time to get ready, reading a book or making matcha before heading to work as a teaching assistant and doctoral researcher at the University of Auckland. While at work, the 32-year-old Filipino balances her time between researching, writing and grading coursework, after which she heads to the university gym to exercise before heading home. “My evenings are sacred. I don’t take home any... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3347635/philippines-scores-poorly-work-life-balance-filipinos-are-not-surprised?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3347635/philippines-scores-poorly-work-life-balance-filipinos-are-not-surprised?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Mar 2026 01:30:19 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Beneath the powder snow at internationally popular Japanese ski resort Niseko, anxiety is mounting among residents over soaring prices and a massive influx of overseas workers. At a time when Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is talking tough on immigration, upscale Niseko has never been more popular with seasonal workers, investors and skiers from across the globe. The snow “is the best in the world”, said Gideon Masters, a 29-year-old Australian tourist. “It’s just soft, powder fluff. You can pick... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3347277/japans-ski-hub-deep-snow-cant-hide-gripes-inflation-and-polarisation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3347277/japans-ski-hub-deep-snow-cant-hide-gripes-inflation-and-polarisation?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Mar 2026 06:31:06 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Heavy social media use contributes to a stark decline in well-being among young people, with the effects particularly worrying in teenage girls in English-speaking countries and western Europe according to the World Happiness Report 2026 published on Thursday. The annual report, published by the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford, also found that Finland was the happiest land in the world for the ninth year in a row, with other Nordic countries such as Iceland, Denmark, Sweden... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3347092/worlds-happiest-places-revealed-social-media-weighs-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3347092/worlds-happiest-places-revealed-social-media-weighs-us?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Mar 2026 02:17:39 +0000 Xinyi Wu Xinyi Wu Chinese firms should prioritise regional political stability when they make overseas investment decisions, as mounting geopolitical tensions and currency fluctuations increase the risks of doing business abroad, a prominent Chinese entrepreneur has warned. “The current unrest in the Middle East, fluctuations of the US dollar and international complexities serve as a reminder for firms expanding abroad: we must go to locations that offer relative stability,” said Liu Yonghao, founder and chairman... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3346370/chinese-firms-should-focus-investing-politically-stable-regions-entrepreneur?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3346370/chinese-firms-should-focus-investing-politically-stable-regions-entrepreneur?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Mar 2026 14:00:08 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Meta disabled more than 150,000 accounts and Thai police arrested 21 people in a sweeping international crackdown on Southeast Asian criminal scam centres that targeted people around the world, the social media giant said on Wednesday. The operation was led by Thailand’s Royal Thai Police Anti-Cyber Scam Centre alongside the FBI and the US Justice Department’s Scam Centre Strike Force, with Meta investigators acting on intelligence shared in real time by law enforcement. Online scam networks –... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3346280/meta-disables-150000-accounts-global-sting-southeast-asian-scam-centres?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3346280/meta-disables-150000-accounts-global-sting-southeast-asian-scam-centres?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Mar 2026 01:12:19 +0000 dpa dpa Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has called for former British prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor to be removed from the royal line of succession over his “deplorable” links to Jeffrey Epstein. The former duke was arrested in February on suspicion of misconduct in public office following allegations he shared sensitive information with the paedophile financier while serving as the UK’s trade envoy. Speaking to reporters in Tokyo, Carney said: “I certainly think his actions are deplorable and... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3345792/canadas-carney-wants-andrew-removed-uk-line-succession-over-epstein-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3345792/canadas-carney-wants-andrew-removed-uk-line-succession-over-epstein-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Mar 2026 05:00:13 +0000 Donald Rothwell Donald Rothwell The Iranian diaspora has been celebrating and governments around the world have generally not mourned the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in last weekend’s US and Israeli air strikes on Iran. While there has been much political justification for these attacks from Washington and Israel, neither has sought to legally justify their conduct. No real effort has been made to reference the acknowledged right of self-defence, most likely because the evidence did not exist. In other words, there was no... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3345741/australia-needs-make-its-stance-iran-attacks-known?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3345741/australia-needs-make-its-stance-iran-attacks-known?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Mar 2026 04:00:08 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings Though a Hong Kong operator has lost control of the Panama Canal, one of the world’s most pivotal waterways for merchant ships, researchers said this week that Chinese state institutions have funded hundreds of other seaports around the world. Specifically, they have invested a total of US$23.9 billion over the past quarter century in 363 ports and related activities abroad, according to AidData, a research lab at US university William & Mary. The lab called the investments a safeguard against... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3345361/panama-out-study-says-china-investing-us239-billion-worlds-seaports?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3345361/panama-out-study-says-china-investing-us239-billion-worlds-seaports?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Mar 2026 23:00:10 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg New Zealand’s tourism industry still needs to do more if it is to regain its title as the nation’s biggest earner of overseas revenue. While foreign visitor spending gained 7 per cent to a record NZ$18.1 billion (US$11 billion) in the 12 months through March 2025, it still lags behind the dairy industry’s NZ$23.1 billion of exports in the same period, according to government data released on Tuesday in Wellington. Tourism overtook dairy as the nation’s top overseas earner in 2016 and remained... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3345202/tourism-once-new-zealands-top-overseas-earner-lags-behind-dairy-post-pandemic?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3345202/tourism-once-new-zealands-top-overseas-earner-lags-behind-dairy-post-pandemic?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Mar 2026 01:31:18 +0000 Oscar Liu Oscar Liu The escalating conflict in the Middle East is set to drive up travel costs for Hong Kong passengers as many are forced to opt for more expensive direct routes to Europe, according to analysts. They said on Monday that the suspension of major transit hubs in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Doha in Qatar had left travellers scrambling for seats on direct flights or “conflict-free” paths to Europe, with surging demand set to trigger a spike in airfares. A check of Hong Kong flag carrier... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3345146/middle-east-conflict-drive-airfares-hong-kong-travellers-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3345146/middle-east-conflict-drive-airfares-hong-kong-travellers-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Mar 2026 12:00:15 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar A confrontation between a foreign tourist and residents on a popular Indonesian holiday island has reignited debate over the regulation of mosque loudspeakers in the Muslim-majority country. The dispute, involving a New Zealand national on Gili Trawangan, has drawn fresh attention to whether related government guidelines on the use of such speakers should instead become a binding law. On February 18, the woman disrupted a Koran recitation night session at a musalla – a small prayer room – near... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3344616/row-over-speakers-indonesian-island-1000-mosques-sparks-debate-compromise?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3344616/row-over-speakers-indonesian-island-1000-mosques-sparks-debate-compromise?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Feb 2026 10:31:05 +0000