https://www.scmp.com/rss/91/feed All the latest breaking news from Hong Kong, China and around the world en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Xinlu Liang Xinlu Liang US President Donald Trump’s US$500 billion Stargate AI project is being undermined by the war with Iran, a conflict that is accelerating the decline of the United States, according to Chinese analysts. The project, designed to cement US dominance in the field of artificial intelligence, was announced in January last year, shortly after Trump’s return to power, and involves leading companies such as OpenAI, SoftBank and Oracle. A critical component of this plan was building the world’s largest AI... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3353040/why-trumps-war-iran-may-be-accelerating-end-us-hegemony-and-undermining-stargate?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3353040/why-trumps-war-iran-may-be-accelerating-end-us-hegemony-and-undermining-stargate?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 May 2026 10:01:04 +0000 Jess Ma Jess Ma Hong Kong authorities have stressed that an operational glitch at a nuclear plant in neighbouring Shenzhen involving the closure of a cooling water isolation valve earlier this week posed no risk to public health or the environment. The Security Bureau said on Sunday that Guangdong’s Nuclear Emergency Committee Office had notified it of an operational event at Ling Ao Nuclear Power Station in mainland China, that occurred last Thursday. The plant, about 50km (31 miles) north of urban Hong Kong,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3353039/shenzhen-nuclear-power-plant-glitch-posed-no-safety-risk-hong-kong-authorities-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3353039/shenzhen-nuclear-power-plant-glitch-posed-no-safety-risk-hong-kong-authorities-say?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 May 2026 09:51:02 +0000 Edith Lin,Emily Hung Edith Lin,Emily Hung Multiple residents of Hong Kong’s fire-ravaged Wang Fuk Court have reported problems with registering for an online meeting hosted by the estate’s administrator, with the firm saying it has stepped up arrangements to enhance cybersecurity. A resident received an SMS from Hop On Management Company, the estate’s administrator, on Sunday saying he had not completed registration for the May 20 update session for owners, two days after the firm had confirmed a “successful registration”. “You have not... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3353038/what-mess-wang-fuk-court-residents-flag-glitches-online-owners-meeting?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3353038/what-mess-wang-fuk-court-residents-flag-glitches-online-owners-meeting?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 May 2026 09:40:56 +0000 Nayan Seth Nayan Seth Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s diplomatic balancing act during his visit to China last month marked a sharp contrast with a European Union grappling with geopolitical upheaval and economic stagnation. Sanchez pushed for closer ties with Beijing while raising concerns over a persistent bilateral trade deficit and the Ukraine war, an approach that analysts said could serve as a diplomatic template for Brussels amid its fraying relationship with Washington. According to Wang Hanyi, a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3353031/could-spains-compliment-sandwich-approach-china-work-eu?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3353031/could-spains-compliment-sandwich-approach-china-work-eu?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 May 2026 09:00:05 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Tired of petrol shortages and skyrocketing prices, Simón Huanca took matters into his own hands. The 53-year-old Indigenous artisan imported a Chinese electric car to navigate El Alto, Bolivia’s highest city, using the vehicle to transport both his family and the alpaca wool for his weaving workshop. He also installed a dedicated charger in his own garage, mainly for convenience, but also because there are only three public charging stations serving the vast metropolitan area of El Alto and... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3353036/evs-surge-bolivia-amid-fuel-shortages-junk-gas-scandal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3353036/evs-surge-bolivia-amid-fuel-shortages-junk-gas-scandal?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 May 2026 08:52:10 +0000 Tony Zhao Tony Zhao China may finally have a chance to loosen the grip of deflation. Yet, the more important question is whether it can do so without making households feel poorer first. The latest producer price index (PPI), which measures the prices factories charge, brings that possibility back into serious debate. China’s March PPI rose by 0.5 per cent year on year, ending 41 months of decline; it was up 1 per cent from February. After years of weak prices, cautious household spending and squeezed corporate... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3352619/can-china-engineer-price-recovery-doesnt-make-people-feel-poorer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3352619/can-china-engineer-price-recovery-doesnt-make-people-feel-poorer?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 May 2026 08:30:04 +0000 Frank Chen Frank Chen China’s flagship civilian aircraft maker is planning to upgrade the cabin capacity of its C919 narrowbody airliner to improve passenger experience and boost the plane’s chances of challenging the Boeing-Airbus duopoly, a source with knowledge of the plans said. Bigger overhead luggage compartments and drip-proof air conditioning outlets are among the design upgrades being sketched out by the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac). “Comac has realised it must make passengers as... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3352901/chinas-comac-looking-upgrade-c919-flying-experience-more-cabin-luggage-capacity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3352901/chinas-comac-looking-upgrade-c919-flying-experience-more-cabin-luggage-capacity?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 May 2026 08:00:12 +0000 Fran Lu Fran Lu In ancient China, ordinary people were not allowed to wear yellow as it symbolised the imperial power, apart from one exception: the emperor’s yellow jacket. Magua is a style of jacket worn by Manchu males during the Qing dynasty (1644–1912). It was worn over the long robe as protection while riding horses. Huang magua, or the imperial yellow jacket, has a special meaning due to its colour. In Qing dynasty, only the emperors, empresses and empress dowagers could wear yellow. Ordinary people... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3352773/what-was-qing-dynastys-imperial-yellow-jacket-what-it-symbolised-why-it-mattered?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3352773/what-was-qing-dynastys-imperial-yellow-jacket-what-it-symbolised-why-it-mattered?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 May 2026 08:00:06 +0000 Jess Ma Jess Ma Hong Kong customs has arrested a woman on suspicion of trying to smuggle seven animals worth about HK$4,300 (HK$549), including a sugar glider and a chinchilla, into the city. A Customs and Excise Department spokesman said on Sunday that officers intercepted the 46-year-old traveller at the Lok Ma Chau Spur Line checkpoint the day before, seizing the animals from paper bags she carried. “Customs reminds the public that importing animals into Hong Kong without a valid permit is an offence,” the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3353034/hong-kong-woman-arrested-smuggling-seven-animals-border-checkpoint?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3353034/hong-kong-woman-arrested-smuggling-seven-animals-border-checkpoint?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 May 2026 07:59:33 +0000 The Star The Star Malaysia has ramped up health screenings at all international entry points, particularly in the maritime sector, to prevent hantavirus from entering the country, according to Health Minister Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad. Dzulkefly assured the public that as of Sunday, there have been zero hantavirus cases reported in Malaysia or involving Malaysians, noting that the six lab-confirmed cases recently highlighted were all reported abroad. However, he stressed that the country must remain vigilant against the... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3353033/malaysia-tightens-border-screenings-prevent-hantavirus-entry?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3353033/malaysia-tightens-border-screenings-prevent-hantavirus-entry?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 May 2026 07:45:33 +0000 Lo Hoi-ying Lo Hoi-ying Hong Kong recorded 17 per cent growth in investment in the first quarter of the year, driven mainly by machinery purchases and construction-related activities that reflected a steadily improving property market, the finance chief has said. Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po noted on Sunday that while the city recorded its fastest quarterly expansion in nearly five years at 5.9 per cent, not all residents might immediately perceive the improvements in the economy. Nevertheless, he remained... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3353030/hong-kong-records-17-jump-investments-led-machinery-purchases-construction?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3353030/hong-kong-records-17-jump-investments-led-machinery-purchases-construction?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 May 2026 07:28:31 +0000 Minxiao Chang Minxiao Chang In China, a grey market of API relay platforms is thriving, allowing local developers to bypass restrictions to access top-tier overseas AI models such as Anthropic’s Claude and Google’s Gemini, which are officially unavailable in the country, despite an escalating crackdown by the foreign providers. Such relay stations, which route access to overseas AI models through proxy servers hosted outside mainland China, are becoming a go-to place for developers wanting to use US AI models for tasks... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3353002/shadow-apis-how-chinese-developers-bypass-restrictions-access-claude-and-gemini?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3353002/shadow-apis-how-chinese-developers-bypass-restrictions-access-claude-and-gemini?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 May 2026 07:00:05 +0000 Reuters Reuters Kuwait’s military says it has responded to a drone attack as the Iran war’s shaky ceasefire is tested. Kuwaiti Defense Ministry spokesman Brig. General Saud Abdulaziz Al Otaibi said that hostile drones entered Kuwait’s airspace early on Sunday, and that forces responded “in accordance with established procedures.” There were no immediate reports of casualties. Washington has been awaiting Iran’s response to a new proposal for a deal to end the war, reopen the strait to shipping and roll back... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3353029/trump-awaits-irans-response-amid-relative-calm-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3353029/trump-awaits-irans-response-amid-relative-calm-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 May 2026 06:58:24 +0000 Junaid Kathju Junaid Kathju Vietnam has become the latest country to enter talks to buy India’s supersonic BrahMos missile – and at least 15 more are reportedly interested – as defence ministries across Asia and elsewhere increasingly look beyond Western-made systems. New Delhi and Hanoi are in advanced negotiations over a potential US$700 million deal, with talks progressing during Vietnamese President To Lam’s visit to India this week, where he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and other... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3352981/vietnam-joins-rush-indias-battle-tested-brahmos-missiles?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3352981/vietnam-joins-rush-indias-battle-tested-brahmos-missiles?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 May 2026 05:30:06 +0000 Jeffie Lam Jeffie Lam Britain has warned it will not tolerate attempts by foreign states to intimidate or harass individuals on its soil, as it summoned China’s ambassador after two men linked to Hong Kong’s London trade office were convicted of spying on activists. The United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office confirmed on Saturday that Ambassador Zheng Zeguang had been summoned the previous day after the British court’s verdict in the national security case. Bill Yuen Chung-biu, manager of the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3353026/uk-warns-against-foreign-intimidation-over-hong-kong-linked-spying-convictions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3353026/uk-warns-against-foreign-intimidation-over-hong-kong-linked-spying-convictions?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 May 2026 05:00:15 +0000 Fiona Sun Fiona Sun Authorities will negotiate with operators of popular care homes in Guangdong province to secure more places for elderly Hongkongers to meet rising demand, the welfare minister has said, amid a ninefold surge in city residents moving into such facilities across the border in recent years. Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han said in an interview with the South China Morning Post that the number of elderly Hong Kong residents living in care homes under the Residential Care Services... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3353016/hong-kong-seek-more-elderly-care-places-guangdong-chris-sun-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3353016/hong-kong-seek-more-elderly-care-places-guangdong-chris-sun-says?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 May 2026 04:00:21 +0000 Zhang Tong Zhang Tong A team in China has designed a catalyst that can transform nitrate pollution from agricultural and industrial waste water into ammonia – the chemical backbone of urea fertiliser – with nearly three times the efficiency of conventional catalysts. The study detailing this advance was published on March 18 in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, where it was showcased on the front cover. It has opened the door to a low-energy, waste-to-resource technology that could one day strengthen... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3352847/chinas-super-catalyst-turns-waste-water-fertiliser-building-block-tripling-output?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3352847/chinas-super-catalyst-turns-waste-water-fertiliser-building-block-tripling-output?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 May 2026 04:00:11 +0000 Tribune News Service Tribune News Service More than 100 people aboard a cruise ship that departed from Fort Lauderdale in Florida last month have fallen ill from norovirus, according to the US Centres for Disease Control. The Caribbean Princess, a Princess Cruises ship, departed from Port Everglades on April 28 for an 11-day voyage, according to Cruise Mapper. But on Thursday, the CDC announced that 102 passengers and 13 crew members were sick and had been isolated. There are more than 4,000 people on board, according to the CDC. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3353023/norovirus-outbreak-caribbean-princess-cruise-ship-sickens-over-100-guests?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3353023/norovirus-outbreak-caribbean-princess-cruise-ship-sickens-over-100-guests?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 May 2026 03:30:43 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow While leading US artificial intelligence developers such as Anthropic and OpenAI unveil new models with enhanced cybersecurity capabilities, China is also aggressively scaling up its own AI-driven cyber defence market. Anthropic’s Mythos, launched in April, sparked a rapid global response due to its ability to discover and exploit cybersecurity vulnerabilities with unprecedented speed and efficiency. “Our assessment is that China’s own Mythos will definitely emerge, though currently the overall... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3352978/china-scrambles-close-ai-security-gap-anthropic-openai-pull-ahead-new-models?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3352978/china-scrambles-close-ai-security-gap-anthropic-openai-pull-ahead-new-models?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 May 2026 03:00:22 +0000 Reuters Reuters Two Singaporean nationals missing for ⁠days were confirmed dead on Sunday from the eruption of Mount Dukono on Indonesia’s Halmahera Island, the local rescue agency said. Rescuers found the bodies around the crater rim and evacuation was under ‌way, agency head Iwan Ramdani said. “Evacuation of the bodies is still hampered by eruptions that continue to occur and bad weather,” Iwan said, adding rain was falling in the area. Some 150 personnel with two thermal drones have been deployed since... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3353022/mount-dukono-eruptions-rain-stall-search-2-singaporeans-missing-indonesia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3353022/mount-dukono-eruptions-rain-stall-search-2-singaporeans-missing-indonesia?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 May 2026 02:50:08 +0000 Fiona Chow Fiona Chow Amid the crackle of vinyl records and the nostalgia of Cantonese golden oldies, Holy Lee Hau-yin, a Hong Kong mother of three young children, is spinning a new narrative as a professional disc jockey and turning a page on her troubled past. After suffering an abusive marriage and the exhaustion of a decade of childcare, Lee will spend Mother’s Day on Sunday with renewed hope. The 28-year-old is set to perform for a private event at The Peninsula Hong Kong hotel and ultimately hopes to make a... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3353011/turning-tables-how-3-hong-kong-mothers-are-spinning-trauma-hope-djs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3353011/turning-tables-how-3-hong-kong-mothers-are-spinning-trauma-hope-djs?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 May 2026 02:00:08 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall Yasuyuki Watanabe has not seen his daughter in more than 15 years. But he is not celebrating the landmark custody reform that Japan has just implemented. Until last month, Japanese law required one parent to hold sole custody of children after a divorce, leaving the other party reliant on informal goodwill or court-encouraged visitation to maintain a relationship with their child. For Watanabe, 54, the result was a system seemingly designed to exclude him, where one parent could disappear from a... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3352549/divorced-reality-japans-joint-custody-reform-divides-parents?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3352549/divorced-reality-japans-joint-custody-reform-divides-parents?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 May 2026 02:00:05 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A cruise ship hit with a deadly hantavirus outbreak arrived in Spain’s Canary Islands on Sunday, where most of the nearly 150 people on board will be evacuated and flown home after weeks at sea. The Dutch-flagged MV Hondius arrived near the Spanish port of Granadilla escorted by a civil guard vessel, confirmed by data from the maritime tracking service VesselFinder. Passengers and some of the crew are expected to evacuate before the ship, where an outbreak of hantavirus led to the deaths of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353021/hantavirus-hit-cruise-ship-nears-canary-islands-who-led-evacuation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353021/hantavirus-hit-cruise-ship-nears-canary-islands-who-led-evacuation?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 May 2026 01:59:18 +0000 Cheryl Arcibal Cheryl Arcibal Hong Kong’s West Kowloon is poised to emerge as the second-most important office sub-market after Central with the completion of new buildings that will accommodate banks and insurance companies, according to industry officials. However, there was expected to be limited demand from newcomers or via corporate expansion, with leasing activity dominated by relocations and higher vacancy rates in some of the city’s other business districts. The 40-hectare stretch of reclaimed land is being touted as... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3352926/hong-kongs-cultural-hub-west-kowloon-emerging-central-20?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3352926/hong-kongs-cultural-hub-west-kowloon-emerging-central-20?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 May 2026 01:30:09 +0000 Christine Loh Christine Loh There is growing unease in how we describe political systems today. Words that once seemed clear no longer illuminate as they should. “Free”, “democratic”, “liberal” and “authoritarian” are among the most commonly used terms in political discourse, yet their meanings have become increasingly blurred and contested. This is not simply a matter of semantics. It reflects a deeper mismatch between the language we use and the realities we are trying to describe. The problem is not new. In George... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3352499/rise-china-complicates-authoritarian-vs-democratic-binary?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3352499/rise-china-complicates-authoritarian-vs-democratic-binary?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 May 2026 01:30:05 +0000 Zoey Zhang Zoey Zhang A casual peace sign in a selfie has become China’s latest online privacy concern after experts warned that the popular pose could expose users’ fingerprints. In a mainland workplace reality show aired in April, financial expert Li Chang used a celebrity selfie to show how clearly visible fingers in a photograph could put personal biometric data at risk. Li said fingerprints could potentially be extracted from selfies taken within 1.5 metres if the fingers faced the camera directly. Even at a... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3352777/china-tv-variety-show-exposes-scam-linking-peace-sign-selfies-privacy-risks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3352777/china-tv-variety-show-exposes-scam-linking-peace-sign-selfies-privacy-risks?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 May 2026 01:00:05 +0000 Matthew Cheng Matthew Cheng The Hong Kong Bar Association has proposed criminalising bid-rigging by introducing a “double-track” approach to the Competition Ordinance, describing it as a quick fix to increase deterrence and encourage more whistle-blowers to expose industry malpractice following the city’s deadliest fire in decades. Under the current civil regime established in 2015, the ordinance only punishes individuals involved in serious anticompetitive acts, such as bid-rigging, with fines. But the new proposal calls... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3353008/bar-association-proposes-double-track-approach-criminalising-bid-rigging?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3353008/bar-association-proposes-double-track-approach-criminalising-bid-rigging?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 May 2026 00:30:05 +0000 David D. Lee David D. Lee Every year for the past three years, Edward Sugiana has made the same pilgrimage from Vancouver to a memorial hall on the southern fringes of Seoul that has become one of K-pop’s most sacred and sorrowful sites. Inside a small private room, Post-it notes from fans cover the walls alongside flowers and photographs of the girl group Kara. Nearly seven years after her death, visitors continue to arrive to pay tribute to Goo Hara – a woman many never met, but whom thousands feel they lost. “At the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3352925/k-pop-moved-goo-hara-sulli-and-jonghyuns-suicides-fans-never-did?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3352925/k-pop-moved-goo-hara-sulli-and-jonghyuns-suicides-fans-never-did?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 May 2026 00:00:12 +0000 Yeon Woo Lee Yeon Woo Lee China wants artificial intelligence to become a new engine of growth, powering everything from factory upgrades to scientific discovery. But outside the country’s technology hubs, the economic benefits promised by AI may be harder to realise. Recent studies suggest that AI will widen regional divides. Big cities with deep pools of talent, capital and innovative firms are best placed to adopt the technology, while smaller cities and rural areas may struggle to keep up. According to analysts, the... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3352918/chinas-ai-drive-seen-widening-wealth-gap-testing-common-prosperity-push?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3352918/chinas-ai-drive-seen-widening-wealth-gap-testing-common-prosperity-push?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 May 2026 00:00:09 +0000 Emiliano Martínez Viademonte Emiliano Martínez Viademonte Beneath the shining white glaciers of the Andean mountains lie valuable deposits of gold, copper and molybdenum which, until recently, were off-limits to the mining companies that have set their eyes on these untapped minerals. That could be about to change, after legislators in Argentina agreed to amend the Glacier Law that has prohibited all mining and exploration activities in the country’s glacier regions since 2010. The legislation defined the country’s 16,000 glaciers – covering an area of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3352693/gold-vs-water-argentina-opens-glaciers-mining-what-cost-world-food-supplies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3352693/gold-vs-water-argentina-opens-glaciers-mining-what-cost-world-food-supplies?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 May 2026 22:00:06 +0000 Dong Lei Dong Lei Foreign affairs are not a series of disconnected episodes. They are a test of whether nations learn from history and act with foresight. The United States has often failed that test. It forgets that unchecked aggression leads to wider wars and that removing governments without building new authority invites chaos. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Iran’s destabilising role in the Middle East and the collapse of Libya and Afghanistan all testify to what happens when those lessons are ignored. China,... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3352526/us-china-must-choose-constructive-power-over-destruction?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3352526/us-china-must-choose-constructive-power-over-destruction?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 May 2026 21:30:05 +0000 Reuters Reuters Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday that he thought the Ukraine war was coming to an end, remarks that came just hours after he had vowed victory in Ukraine at Moscow’s most scaled-back Victory Day parade in years. “I think that the matter is coming to an end,” Putin told reporters of the Russia-Ukraine war, Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War II. He also said he would be willing to negotiate new security arrangements for Europe ‌and that his preferred negotiating partner... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3353020/putin-says-he-thinks-ukraine-conflict-coming-end?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3353020/putin-says-he-thinks-ukraine-conflict-coming-end?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 May 2026 19:54:08 +0000 Reuters Reuters British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, reeling from a crushing local election defeat, faced a new setback to his leadership on Saturday when a former minister said she would challenge him for the top job if no one else stepped forward. Starmer’s Labour Party recorded the worst losses of a governing party in municipal polls since 1995, prompting a growing number of his ‌own lawmakers to call on him to quit. To try to shore up his position in the party earlier on Saturday, he named two influential... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353019/ex-minister-tells-uk-cabinet-boot-starmer-or-shell-challenge-him-herself?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353019/ex-minister-tells-uk-cabinet-boot-starmer-or-shell-challenge-him-herself?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 May 2026 19:39:19 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse UK health authorities are gearing up to receive about 24 people from a virus-hit cruise ship, who will be isolated in a hospital once used for Covid-19 patients, NHS officials said Saturday. They are currently on board the Dutch ship, the MV Hondius, due to anchor off Spain’s Canary Islands on Sunday. Most of the nearly 150 people on board will be evacuated and flown home to their home countries after weeks at sea, in a carefully prepared repatriation effort. Among them are about 24 British... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353018/hantavirus-outbreak-uk-isolate-cruise-ship-passengers-ex-covid-hospital?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353018/hantavirus-outbreak-uk-isolate-cruise-ship-passengers-ex-covid-hospital?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 May 2026 17:15:25 +0000 Ambrose Li Ambrose Li An elderly woman tried to fight a younger one over priority seating inside an MTR train carriage in Hong Kong, with a clip capturing the dispute going viral on Saturday. In the clip posted on the social media platform Threads, the elderly woman in one of two adjacent priority seats is seen forcefully trying to remove the younger woman beside her. The older woman pushes the younger one’s face, grabs her hair and shakes her head, while using her foot to push her leg. The younger woman does not hit... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3353017/elderly-woman-tries-shove-younger-one-out-priority-seating-mtr-train?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3353017/elderly-woman-tries-shove-younger-one-out-priority-seating-mtr-train?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 May 2026 16:31:28 +0000 Denise Tsang Denise Tsang The funeral for the father of Mo Li Kai-yin, the dancer left paralysed after being struck by a falling giant screen during a concert by Hong Kong boy band Mirror, will be held early next month. The family said on Saturday that Reverend Derek Li Shing-lam’s funeral would be held at 10.30am on June 6 at St Andrew’s Church, Kowloon. The 71-year-old Li died on April 25, a week after disclosing on his social media that he was receiving treatment for an undisclosed illness. According to his previous... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3353015/funeral-derek-li-father-injured-mirror-dancer-mo-li-be-held-june-6?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3353015/funeral-derek-li-father-injured-mirror-dancer-mo-li-be-held-june-6?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 May 2026 15:48:44 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Sri Lankan authorities arrested a senior Buddhist monk on Saturday for the alleged sexual abuse of an underage girl, police said, marking the highest-profile case involving clergy in the country. Pallegama Hemarathana, 71, was arrested at a private hospital in the capital Colombo where he had sought treatment over the weekend amid an investigation into the alleged abuse of the 11-year-old girl in 2022. The crime is alleged to have taken place at a highly venerated temple in Anuradhapura, around... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3353014/sri-lankan-buddhist-monk-arrested-over-alleged-sex-abuse-11-year-old-girl?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3353014/sri-lankan-buddhist-monk-arrested-over-alleged-sex-abuse-11-year-old-girl?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 May 2026 15:27:13 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A person who jumped a fence and was on a runway at Denver International Airport was struck and killed by a Frontier Airlines plane during take-off, airport authorities said. The collision sparked an engine fire and forced passengers to evacuate. The plane, en route from Denver to Los Angeles International Airport, “reported striking a pedestrian during takeoff at DEN at approximately 11:19 p.m. on Friday”, according to a post on the airport’s official social media account. A spokesman for the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3353012/pedestrian-dies-us-after-being-hit-frontier-airlines-plane-denver-airport?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3353012/pedestrian-dies-us-after-being-hit-frontier-airlines-plane-denver-airport?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 May 2026 15:00:32 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Hungary’s Peter Magyar took his oath of office on Saturday to become the country’s new prime minister, ending Viktor Orban’s 16 years of autocratic rule. Magyar’s centre-right Tisza party defeated Orban’s nationalist-populist Fidesz in a stunning blow last month, gaining more votes and seats in Parliament than any other party in Hungary’s post-Communist history. The win, which gave Tisza a two-thirds parliamentary majority, will allow it to roll back many of the policies that gave Orban a... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353010/hungarys-new-pm-peter-magyar-sworn-ending-viktor-orbans-16-year-rule?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353010/hungarys-new-pm-peter-magyar-sworn-ending-viktor-orbans-16-year-rule?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 May 2026 14:24:17 +0000 Mark Magnier Mark Magnier US President Donald Trump’s landmark visit to China comes as the Iran war disrupts global energy supplies, fuels economic uncertainty and adds fresh strain to Washington-Beijing ties. In the latest part of a series examining how rivalry, interdependence and geopolitical crises are reshaping the relationship between the two powers, we look at how Trump’s weakened hand could tilt summit talks. When next week’s summit between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping was first... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3352986/trump-heads-china-weakened-xi-gains-leverage-ahead-summit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3352986/trump-heads-china-weakened-xi-gains-leverage-ahead-summit?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 May 2026 14:00:04 +0000 Lam Ka-sing Lam Ka-sing About 100 ships registered in Hong Kong or locally managed or owned are stranded in the Strait of Hormuz along with an estimated 2,300 seafarers, an industry leader has said. Richard Hext, chairman of the Hong Kong Shipowners Association, told the South China Morning Post on Friday that it was very risky to sail vessels through the strait due to the risk of attack, even though the United States and Iran had recently reached a temporary ceasefire. The United States-Israel war against Iran has... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3353009/100-hong-kong-linked-ships-stranded-strait-hormuz-amid-middle-east-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3353009/100-hong-kong-linked-ships-stranded-strait-hormuz-amid-middle-east-war?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 May 2026 13:30:36 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang China and France must respect each other’s core interests, particularly the one-China principle, and strengthen a strategic partnership “free from external interference”, top diplomat Wang Yi said during talks with a senior adviser to the French president on Friday. Wang, director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, held talks in Beijing with Emmanuel Bonne, diplomatic adviser to the French president, according to China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Wang said the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3353004/beijing-urges-france-respect-one-china-principle-during-high-level-talks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3353004/beijing-urges-france-respect-one-china-principle-during-high-level-talks?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 May 2026 13:00:06 +0000 Reuters Reuters ⁠The US and Iran appeared no closer on Saturday to finding an end to their war after the two sides traded fire in the Gulf amid a tenuous ceasefire, while a US intelligence analysis concluded Tehran could withstand a naval blockade for months. Recent days have seen the biggest flare-ups in fighting in and around the Strait of Hormuz since a ceasefire began a month ago, and the United Arab Emirates came under renewed ‌attack on Friday. Washington has been awaiting Tehran’s response to a US... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3353007/us-iran-war-no-closer-ending-gulf-clashes-flare?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3353007/us-iran-war-no-closer-ending-gulf-clashes-flare?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 May 2026 12:56:28 +0000 Holly Chik Holly Chik China is sending a new kind of explorer to the moon – with a humanoid upper body and four wheels. The lunar rover, developed by a team led by the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), is designed to act as an AI-powered porter for the Chang’e-8 mission, scheduled for 2029. The 100kg (220lbs) robot will transport, deploy and install instruments and sensors at their designated lunar locations after the Chang’e-8 probe lands. It is also tasked with collecting samples of the moon’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3352998/meet-chinas-moon-porter-change-8-mission-4-wheeled-robot-2-arms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3352998/meet-chinas-moon-porter-change-8-mission-4-wheeled-robot-2-arms?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 May 2026 12:00:05 +0000 Daniel Ren,Cheryl Arcibal Daniel Ren,Cheryl Arcibal Hong Kong homebuyers snapped up new flats on offer on Saturday, fuelling optimism that the bull run in the city’s property market will continue. All 154 units at Sun Hung Kai Properties’ Lime Spark project sold out as of 4.30pm, while 147 homes, or 93 per cent of the 158 flats available at Henderson Land’s Highwood Phase 2 project, found buyers, according to real property agents. “Home prices have climbed by nearly 8 per cent this year, and prospective buyers are likely to find that a delay in... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3352997/hong-kong-home-market-maintains-upwards-momentum-eager-buyers-snap-new-flats?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3352997/hong-kong-home-market-maintains-upwards-momentum-eager-buyers-snap-new-flats?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 May 2026 11:13:54 +0000 Leopold Chen Leopold Chen Stories filled with tragic bravery, outrage at heedless officials and horror as loved ones perished were among those shared by 24 residents of the fire-ravaged Wang Fuk Court estate, as they testified at a public hearing investigating Hong Kong’s deadliest blaze in decades. Over multiple sessions that began on March 19, some told the presiding committee how their repeated efforts to raise bid-rigging and safety concerns about the estate’s exterior renovation fell on deaf ears, well before the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3353000/heroism-and-grief-6-residents-stories-wang-fuk-court-fire-hearings?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3353000/heroism-and-grief-6-residents-stories-wang-fuk-court-fire-hearings?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 May 2026 11:01:23 +0000 Karen Tian Karen Tian China’s trade with the United States has declined this year, official data shows, as US President Donald Trump heads to Beijing next week for a high-stakes visit that could determine the future of economic relations between the two superpowers. China’s merchandise exports to the US fell 10.2 per cent year on year to US$133.4 billion in the first four months of 2026, according to data released on Saturday by the General Administration of Customs. Imports from the US also declined 10.9 per cent to... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3352992/not-decoupling-what-us-china-trade-data-signals-ahead-xi-trump-summit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3352992/not-decoupling-what-us-china-trade-data-signals-ahead-xi-trump-summit?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 May 2026 11:00:05 +0000 Matthew Cheng Matthew Cheng A wanted member of the overseas group “Hong Kong Parliament” has been arrested in Thailand for overstaying her visa and is reportedly set to be deported to mainland China. The organisation said on Friday that Zhang Xinyan, who took part in what it called a parliamentary election and was sworn in as a member last year, was recently arrested in Thailand for overstaying her visa. It was not immediately clear what type of visa Zhang held. In a reply to the South China Morning Post on Saturday, a... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3352996/wanted-hong-kong-parliament-member-could-be-deported-thailand?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3352996/wanted-hong-kong-parliament-member-could-be-deported-thailand?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 May 2026 10:11:41 +0000 Dannie Peng Dannie Peng China has built the world’s first dual-core quantum computer, a development that could “significantly enhance” efficiency, according to official media. The breakthrough signalled that Chinese quantum computing technology was “entering a new stage”, the state-owned Science and Technology Daily reported this week. While other quantum computers rely on high energy consumption and need to be run in temperatures close to absolute zero, the design of this computer uses neutral atoms – which consume... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3352995/china-unveils-hanyuan-2-worlds-first-dual-core-quantum-computer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3352995/china-unveils-hanyuan-2-worlds-first-dual-core-quantum-computer?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 May 2026 10:05:12 +0000 Denise Tsang,Lam Ka-sing Denise Tsang,Lam Ka-sing An exclusive Hong Kong sports club will press ahead with an imminent change of operator for its Central clubhouse despite objections by some of its members about unfair access and incompatibility of their client profiles, the South China Morning Post has learned. The controversy began about a fortnight ago after private members’ club Carlyle & Co announced it would take over the operation of the Town Club of the Hong Kong Golf & Tennis Academy (HKGTA). Some HKGTA members told the SCMP that the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3352993/hong-kong-golf-tennis-academy-members-reject-central-service-takeover-carlyle-co?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3352993/hong-kong-golf-tennis-academy-members-reject-central-service-takeover-carlyle-co?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 May 2026 09:25:26 +0000