https://www.scmp.com/rss/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Reuters Reuters Philippine government lawyers have urged the Supreme Court to reject the bid of fugitive Senator Ronald dela Rosa, who is wanted for alleged crimes against humanity linked to his role in a bloody “war on drugs”, to block his arrest and surrender. Dela Rosa, ‌the former police chief who oversaw former President Rodrigo Duterte’s anti-narcotics crackdown, had asked the Supreme Court to stop authorities from arresting and surrendering him to the International Criminal Court. He is facing the same... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3353881/philippine-lawyers-support-icc-arrest-warrant-fugitive-senator?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3353881/philippine-lawyers-support-icc-arrest-warrant-fugitive-senator?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 May 2026 10:00:38 +0000 Xinlu Liang Xinlu Liang In November 1861, during his self-imposed political exile, French writer Victor Hugo penned a blistering condemnation of his country. The author of Les Misérables described two “bandits” – France and Britain – who had attacked the Old Summer Palace, or Yuanmingyuan, in Beijing the previous year. “One plundered, the other burned.” “All the treasures of all our cathedrals put together could not equal this formidable and splendid museum of the Orient,” he said. “The French empire has pocketed half... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3353871/france-passes-law-returning-loot-should-china-pop-champagne?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3353871/france-passes-law-returning-loot-should-china-pop-champagne?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 May 2026 10:00:12 +0000 Ishani Sarkar Ishani Sarkar The highly anticipated 2026 edition of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit is here, and it’s already making a splash. For this year’s issue, the magazine tapped Hilary Duff, Tiffany Haddish, Alix Earle and Nicole Williams English as cover models. The editor-in-chief of the publication, MJ Day, explained in a press release that “each woman brings a distinct combination of relevance, resilience and range that extends far beyond what’s expected”. She further highlighted that the women “represent the power... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3353724/meet-nicole-williams-english-sports-illustrated-swimsuit-2026s-cover-star?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3353724/meet-nicole-williams-english-sports-illustrated-swimsuit-2026s-cover-star?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 May 2026 10:00:06 +0000 Robin Zebaida Robin Zebaida Ever tried that children’s game of trying to pat your head while rubbing your stomach? Or drawing a circle with one hand and simultaneously a triangle with the other? The key is coordination, of course, and plenty of that is required if you are playing the piano and singing at the same time. Born in the UK, raised in Canada and based in Germany, pianist-soprano Rachel Fenlon is renowned for her self-accompanied concerts. On May 12, she made her Hong Kong debut with a performance of Franz... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3353677/soprano-pianist-rachel-fenlon-blends-intensity-and-innovation-dexterous-hong-kong-debut?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3353677/soprano-pianist-rachel-fenlon-blends-intensity-and-innovation-dexterous-hong-kong-debut?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 May 2026 09:15:05 +0000 Reuters Reuters North Korean women’s soccer club Naegohyang FC arrived in South Korea on Sunday for an Asian Women’s Champions League semi-final, marking the first visit by athletes from ‌the isolated state to the South in eight years. The delegation of 27 players and 12 staff entered the country ahead of Wednesday’s match against South Korea’s Suwon FC Women in Suwon. The visit has been approved under the inter-Korean exchange law and covers their stay through next weekend, though the team could leave earlier... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3353876/north-korean-footballers-arrive-south-match-tickets-sell-out?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3353876/north-korean-footballers-arrive-south-match-tickets-sell-out?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 May 2026 08:55:27 +0000 Akhmad Hanan Akhmad Hanan US President Donald Trump’s visit to Beijing with a delegation of leading American tech executives should not be read as a throwback to transactional diplomacy. It points to something more consequential. After years of rhetoric about economic separation, the reality is becoming harder to ignore: the United States and China are not decoupling. They are learning how to compete while remaining deeply entangled. For much of the past decade, Washington has framed its China policy around technological... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3353561/why-trump-took-us-tech-leaders-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3353561/why-trump-took-us-tech-leaders-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 May 2026 08:30:05 +0000 Agencies Agencies Chelsea appointed Xabi Alonso as the club’s latest manager on Sunday on a four-year deal with the Spaniard tasked with turning around the club’s fortunes. Alonso replaces Liam Rosenior, who was fired last month, and will become the fifth permanent coach appointed by Chelsea’s American owners Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital since they bought the club in 2022. The former Real Madrid boss will take charge of the Blues from July 1 in what is his first managerial role in the Premier League. Callum... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3353872/xabi-alonso-appointed-chelsea-manager-club?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3353872/xabi-alonso-appointed-chelsea-manager-club?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 May 2026 08:26:59 +0000 Oscar Liu Oscar Liu Residents at a private housing estate in Hong Kong have stepped up pest prevention measures, as authorities investigate the city’s first human case of rat hepatitis E recorded this year. Janitors were seen deep-cleaning public areas at the 25-block Laguna Verde estate in Hung Hom on Sunday, with sanitation efforts also encompassing the area’s waterfront promenade park, planters and the nearby shopping centre. A day earlier, health authorities revealed that a 42-year-old patient was found to have... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3353870/estate-residents-step-cleaning-after-citys-first-rat-hepatitis-case-year?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3353870/estate-residents-step-cleaning-after-citys-first-rat-hepatitis-case-year?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 May 2026 08:13:14 +0000 Tom Hussain Tom Hussain Calls by hardline Indian political figures to resume backchannel talks with Pakistan, a year after their latest conflict, reflect the realisation that both countries cannot afford another war for the time being, analysts say. Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) secretary general Dattatreya Hosabale’s push earlier this week for so-called Track 2 diplomatic engagement with Pakistan has raised hopes for a reduction in the tensions between the two countries. In an Indian media interview on Wednesday,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3353849/will-geopolitical-shifts-push-india-pakistan-towards-cautious-diplomacy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3353849/will-geopolitical-shifts-push-india-pakistan-towards-cautious-diplomacy?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 May 2026 08:00:09 +0000 Fran Lu Fran Lu Visitors to the Forbidden City in China’s capital city might find it hard to ignore its magnificent red door, but there is more to the entrance than its beauty. The golden door nails not only neatly line up, they were exclusive to the royal family and cannot be seen everywhere in China. In the Ming (1368–1644) and Qing (1644–1912) dynasties, door nails were a symbol of hierarchy, and are bound by strict rules. Firstly, the number of door nails must be odd because in traditional Chinese culture,... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3353579/china-forbidden-citys-red-gates-golden-door-nails-subject-rules-regarding-number-colour?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3353579/china-forbidden-citys-red-gates-golden-door-nails-subject-rules-regarding-number-colour?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 May 2026 08:00:07 +0000 CNA CNA The Singapore Police Force has obtained footage of the AI-generated Zoom video conference that was part of a scam involving the impersonation of senior government officials, including Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, it said on Saturday. In one case, a victim lost at least S$4.9 million (US$3.8 million) in what was claimed to be funding help related to the Strait of Hormuz, police said earlier. Victims would typically receive a WhatsApp message from a scammer impersonating the secretary to the... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3353868/how-victim-lost-us38-million-singapore-deepfake-zoom-scam-impersonating-pm-wong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3353868/how-victim-lost-us38-million-singapore-deepfake-zoom-scam-impersonating-pm-wong?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 May 2026 07:47:22 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis The late Hong Kong filmmaker Alex Law Kai-yui is best known abroad for directing Painted Faces (1988), which depicted the early lives of martial arts cinema icons Sammo Hung Kam-bo and Jackie Chan. But with his life partner Mabel Cheung Yuen-ting, Law also wrote or directed several other classic Hong Kong films, such as The Illegal Immigrant (1985) and The Soong Sisters (1997). While their wider filmography captured the grand sweep of history, some of the couple’s most poignant collaborations... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3353554/why-hong-kong-filmmaking-couple-alex-law-and-mabel-cheungs-nostalgia-films-are-must-sees?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3353554/why-hong-kong-filmmaking-couple-alex-law-and-mabel-cheungs-nostalgia-films-are-must-sees?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 May 2026 07:15:04 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse An Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has killed more than 80 as authorities warned there was no vaccine for the strain in a crisis that the World Health Organization declared an international health emergency on Sunday. A total of 88 deaths and 336 suspected cases of the highly contagious haemorrhagic fever have been reported, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC Africa) said in an update on Saturday. The Geneva-based WHO said early on Sunday the outbreak... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3353866/ebola-outbreak-dr-congo-uganda-declared-international-health-emergency?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3353866/ebola-outbreak-dr-congo-uganda-declared-international-health-emergency?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 May 2026 07:11:40 +0000 Leopold Chen Leopold Chen Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po will seek to explain Hong Kong’s efforts to combat terrorism funding and work to attract more capital and business to the city during a five-day Europe trip, with the minister noting that stabilising geopolitics will strengthen foreign ties and the economic environment. The finance chief’s coming trip was announced on Sunday, and follows an easing of tensions after US President Donald Trump visited mainland China and the reveal that Russian President Vladimir... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3353864/hong-kongs-paul-chan-heading-europe-so-whats-itinerary?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3353864/hong-kongs-paul-chan-heading-europe-so-whats-itinerary?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 May 2026 07:08:08 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng China’s industrial sectors are racing to integrate artificial intelligence to boost efficiency, bolstered by state support, but experts warn that critical vertical markets – such as healthcare and aerospace – may be too “high risk” for the shift towards autonomous agents. Hailed as the driver of a “fourth industrial revolution”, AI is shifting away from chatbots to agentic AI – systems capable of independent execution within a workflow, industry experts said at the International Data Corporation... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3353797/ai-agents-face-trust-issues-high-risk-industrial-sectors-experts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3353797/ai-agents-face-trust-issues-high-risk-industrial-sectors-experts?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 May 2026 07:00:05 +0000 Emily Hung Emily Hung More than 310 enterprises from mainland China and abroad have established or expanded operations in Hong Kong by early May, bringing in more than HK$26 billion (US$3.3 billion) in capital in the first year of operation, according to the government agency tasked with attracting foreign investment. Casting a positive light on stabilising Sino-US relations following the Xi-Trump summit, InvestHK director general Alpha Lau Hai-suen said Hong Kong must proactively adapt to the changing international... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3353861/hong-kong-draws-over-310-firms-and-hk26-billion-capital-investhk-head-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3353861/hong-kong-draws-over-310-firms-and-hk26-billion-capital-investhk-head-says?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 May 2026 06:38:23 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A surge in arrests of suspected foreign scammers in Sri Lanka has authorities concerned that the island is fast becoming a hub for online crime, following sweeping crackdowns in hotspots Cambodia and Myanmar. Officials say some scam networks forced out of countries in Southeast Asia have simply shifted to new bases, increasingly moving operations to Sri Lanka – an attractive destination due to a relaxed visa regime and reliable, high-speed internet. Since the start of the year, police have... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3353862/next-stop-sri-lanka-how-scammers-fleeing-cambodia-myanmar-found-new-hub?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3353862/next-stop-sri-lanka-how-scammers-fleeing-cambodia-myanmar-found-new-hub?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 May 2026 06:37:49 +0000 SCMP SCMP Tung vows to make library a world-class cultural centre By Shirley Lau This article was first published on May 17, 2001 After years of controversy and months of delay, the $690 million Central Library opened yesterday (May 16, 2001) with a commitment from Tung Chee-hwa to make it a world-class cultural centre. The 12-storey building in Moreton Terrace, Causeway Bay, contains 1.2 million items and a new system that allows the public to retrieve digitalised information such as maps and... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3353534/hong-kongs-hk690-million-central-library-opens-causeway-bay-2001-scmp-archive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3353534/hong-kongs-hk690-million-central-library-opens-causeway-bay-2001-scmp-archive?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 May 2026 06:15:04 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Iran’s World Cup squad will travel to Turkey on Monday for a training camp, friendlies and to complete visa applications before heading to the United States. Team Melli will be returning to Antalya where they trained and played friendlies in March. They are taking a squad of 30 players, which will have to be trimmed to the World Cup maximum of 26. Perhaps the best known is 33-year-old former Porto striker Mehdi Taremi, now with Olympiacos. “Selecting 30 players for this final training camp ahead... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3353858/iran-confirms-squad-heading-turkey-world-cup-preparation-after-fifa-assurances?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3353858/iran-confirms-squad-heading-turkey-world-cup-preparation-after-fifa-assurances?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 May 2026 06:00:17 +0000 Zhang Tong Zhang Tong A Chinese company is turning the emissions from a coal-fired power plant into fertiliser, expanding the application of a technology that could make both carbon capture and food cheaper. A report published on Monday by China Electric Power News cited a person involved in the project as saying that “flue gas enters from one end of the pipe, and fertiliser comes out from the other end”. China Electric Power News is a newspaper under the National Development and Reform Commission, China’s top... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3353798/china-turns-coal-power-plant-exhaust-cheap-effective-fertiliser?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3353798/china-turns-coal-power-plant-exhaust-cheap-effective-fertiliser?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 May 2026 06:00:14 +0000 Sylvia Ma Sylvia Ma China’s gold recycling industry is expanding at its fastest pace in a decade amid sustained fervour in the bullion market and strong investment demand that have fuelled a wave of new entrants into the market, latest data showed. Business registrations in the sector – which involves firms buying gold bars and jewellery and reselling it – surged 78.74 per cent in 2025 from a year earlier to 740, according to a report published by Chinese corporate data tracker Qichacha. That marked the fastest... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3353731/explosive-why-chinas-gold-recycling-industry-growing-record-speed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3353731/explosive-why-chinas-gold-recycling-industry-growing-record-speed?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 May 2026 06:00:10 +0000 Aidan Jones Aidan Jones The face of beauty in Asia is changing, says Dr Dissapong Panithaporn. He should know, as he sees it every day in Thailand. The younger generation, women and men in their mid-twenties, are edging away from plastic surgery and fillers towards something more natural, the leading Thai dermatologist said. ‘’The whole trend has shifted from anti-ageing to longevity of skin, prevention and preservation rather than correction or repair,’’ Dissapong – better known as Dr Joe – said from his Bangkok... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3353848/move-over-k-beauty-thailand-next-big-thing-aesthetics?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3353848/move-over-k-beauty-thailand-next-big-thing-aesthetics?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 May 2026 05:30:05 +0000 Leopold Chen Leopold Chen Hong Kong police will prosecute a seventh suspect who was handed over by Shenzhen authorities on Saturday and are seeking another over the 1999 murder of a newspaper vendor. The force said on Sunday that it would charge a 54-year-old man surnamed Lin with murder for his alleged role in the killing of Ho Wai-ha in Sham Shui Po more than 25 years ago. Lin is suspected of recruiting the attackers and arranging a vehicle for them. A holding charge was laid after authorities in Shenzhen handed over... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3353857/hong-kong-police-prosecute-7th-suspect-1999-murder-seeking-8th?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3353857/hong-kong-police-prosecute-7th-suspect-1999-murder-seeking-8th?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 May 2026 05:09:40 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg US President Donald Trump and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jnr succeeded in their efforts to defeat Senator Bill Cassidy in Louisiana’s Republican primary, a signal of the enduring strength of the president’s hold on his party despite an unpopular war and soaring fuel prices. Cassidy was one of seven Republican senators in 2021 who voted to convict Trump on the charge of inciting an insurrection on January 6 that year. He placed last in a three-way race on Saturday against Representative... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3353856/republican-senator-bill-cassidy-pays-price-voting-convict-trump?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3353856/republican-senator-bill-cassidy-pays-price-voting-convict-trump?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 May 2026 04:43:32 +0000 Charmaine Yu Charmaine Yu Can the modern technology of AI benefit the ancient practice of yoga? Yogananth Andiappan, a second-generation yoga master and fixture of Hong Kong’s wellness scene, says yes. The 44-year-old, who opened the Anahata Yoga Studio in 2007 and the non-profit centre Andiappan Yoga Community in 2010, both in Central, is expanding his online yoga platform by integrating AI into its functionality to help provide more personalised feedback than other similar apps. Andiappan has used AI to analyse over... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3353632/hong-kong-yoga-masters-new-app-uses-ai-provide-personal-insight-and-advice?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3353632/hong-kong-yoga-masters-new-app-uses-ai-provide-personal-insight-and-advice?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 May 2026 04:15:04 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Australia’s Qantas was forced to divert a flight bound for the United States over a disruptive passenger, with local media reporting the man bit a flight attendant. The flight from Melbourne was headed to Dallas on Friday when it was forced to make a stop-off in Papeete, the capital of French Polynesia, due to the disruptive passenger. The man was restrained by fellow passengers, with local media including national broadcaster ABC reporting he bit a member of Qantas staff. The man was met by... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3353854/melbourne-us-qantas-flight-diverted-after-man-bites-flight-attendant?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3353854/melbourne-us-qantas-flight-diverted-after-man-bites-flight-attendant?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 May 2026 04:02:55 +0000 Ada Li Ada Li Furious Chinese fans have blasted the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) after official merchandise for the World Team Table Tennis Championships twice got the nation’s flag wrong. Posters, T-shirts and hoodies, priced between £35 (HK$350) and £67, all celebrating the victories for the country’s men and women, initially featured a flag with six stars, not five as it should have done. Fans first spotted the error on Friday, and flooded social media with complaints directed at the ITTF... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3353851/china-flag-row-erupts-after-table-tennis-chiefs-add-extra-star-team-title-merchandise?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3353851/china-flag-row-erupts-after-table-tennis-chiefs-add-extra-star-team-title-merchandise?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 May 2026 04:00:29 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela China has launched a new offensive on desertification in western Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, deploying the same technology used on the moon to help safeguard food security. Last month, several projects involving sand control, desertification prevention, and wind erosion and salinity management were launched at the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography (XIEG). The projects are meant to help the region build an ecological barrier to protect the region’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3353836/china-launches-new-war-deserts-technology-tested-far-side-moon?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3353836/china-launches-new-war-deserts-technology-tested-far-side-moon?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 May 2026 04:00:25 +0000 Lo Hoi-ying Lo Hoi-ying Hong Kong’s food hygiene authorities are training 90 officers to assist and inspect restaurants applying for a new dog licence, while a cafe owner expects the framework to reduce legal grey areas when it goes into effect. Applications for the licence will open on Monday, with the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department expecting the scheme to launch in July with a maximum quota of 1,000 restaurants in the first phase. Senior Superintendent of Legislative Review Yip Kwok-cheung said the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3353835/90-officers-trained-inspect-eateries-under-hong-kongs-new-pet-friendly-scheme?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3353835/90-officers-trained-inspect-eateries-under-hong-kongs-new-pet-friendly-scheme?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 May 2026 04:00:19 +0000 Yeon Woo Lee Yeon Woo Lee Artificial intelligence is set to make its World Cup debut in 2026, as football’s most-watched tournament turns to real-time data models and live 3D simulations to reshape match strategy and event operations. Each team will have access to its own AI model, allowing analysts to compare playing patterns through video clips and 3D avatars. Coaches will be able to assess how tactical changes might work against their next opponents, while players will receive personalised match analysis. The system,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3353833/ais-world-cup-debut-real-time-data-poised-reshape-football-strategy-level-field?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3353833/ais-world-cup-debut-real-time-data-poised-reshape-football-strategy-level-field?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 May 2026 04:00:16 +0000 Zha Daojiong Zha Daojiong Southeast Asia stands at the threshold of a nuclear renaissance. Vietnam and Russia signed an agreement in March for the Ninh Thuan 1 Nuclear Power Plant. The Philippines and Indonesia aim to have operational reactors by the early 2030s. Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore are studying small modular reactors. Given heightened energy insecurity, climate commitments and the imperative to meet surging electricity demand from industrial growth, data centres and AI development, nuclear energy is... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3353742/china-offers-southeast-asia-clear-nuclear-power-advantages?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3353742/china-offers-southeast-asia-clear-nuclear-power-advantages?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 May 2026 04:00:10 +0000 He Huifeng He Huifeng A second airport has become an eagerly sought feature for several of China’s largest cities, reflecting a broader shift towards airspace competition and multi-centre aviation networks. With dual-airport systems already in place in Beijing, Shanghai and Chengdu, new projects in Hangzhou, Guangzhou and Chongqing are advancing even as concerns mount over long-term fiscal viability and regional traffic shifts. Second airports are being framed by local governments not only as capacity-expansion... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3353103/chinas-high-flying-cities-set-their-sights-second-airports-competition-soars?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3353103/chinas-high-flying-cities-set-their-sights-second-airports-competition-soars?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 May 2026 04:00:07 +0000 Leopold Chen Leopold Chen A 38-year-old motorcyclist has died after his vehicle crashed into a fallen tree branch by a road in Hong Kong’s New Territories. Police said on Sunday that they received a report at 10.32pm the day before that an accident involving a motorcycle had taken place in Tai Po. The force said the rider was travelling along Yuen Shin Road in the direction of Sha Tin when the incident happened. “When approaching Tolo Highway, [the motorcycle] reportedly failed to brake in time and crashed into a fallen... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3353853/hong-kong-man-38-killed-after-motorcycle-crashes-fallen-tree?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3353853/hong-kong-man-38-killed-after-motorcycle-crashes-fallen-tree?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 May 2026 03:46:59 +0000 Themis Qi Themis Qi ClearVue Technologies, an Australian solar technology company, will set up a joint venture with a Chinese partner in Hong Kong to produce power-generating glass for building facades, a concept seen as timely given rising energy prices amid geopolitical tensions. The Australian Securities Exchange-listed firm aims to take advantage of the manufacturing prowess of mainland China to provide “affordable” glass for commercial buildings via the joint venture with vacuum-glass maker LandVac, said Doug... https://www.scmp.com/business/climate-and-energy/article/3353712/every-window-solar-panel-australia-china-joint-venture-set-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/climate-and-energy/article/3353712/every-window-solar-panel-australia-china-joint-venture-set-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 May 2026 03:30:07 +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. The recent survey finding that nearly one in four Hong Kong students cannot complete homework without artificial intelligence is a wake-up call. The deeper crisis is not that students are using AI. It is that they may no longer notice what they are losing in the process. Earlier... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3353497/hong-kong-students-must-learn-use-ai-without-losing-themselves?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3353497/hong-kong-students-must-learn-use-ai-without-losing-themselves?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 May 2026 03:30:04 +0000 SCMP SCMP Acrimony set aside at Tower festivities By Goeffrey Crothall This article was first published on May 18, 1990 Leaders of politics, finance and commerce from Hongkong and China converged on No 1 Garden Road last night to celebrate the official opening of the territory’s tallest building, the Bank of China Tower. The acrimony and terse exchanges of recent weeks were seemingly forgotten as smiles and handshakes abounded. Even the Chief Secretary, Sir David Ford, managed a smile as he was pushed... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3353584/hong-kongs-iconic-bank-china-tower-opens-1990-scmp-archive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3353584/hong-kongs-iconic-bank-china-tower-opens-1990-scmp-archive?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 May 2026 03:15:04 +0000 David D. Lee David D. Lee The young woman in the stands simply sighed, turned her head and sat there, looking impossibly composed, while 15 million strangers fell briefly in love with someone who had never existed. She was, according to the caption accompanying one of many posts, “the average Korean woman”. Her admirers quickly crowned her a “baseball goddess”, analysing her every feature with the forensic enthusiasm reserved for internet obsessions, as the five-second clip went viral across South Korea’s online... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3353740/reality-deficit-how-south-korea-lost-plot-ai?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3353740/reality-deficit-how-south-korea-lost-plot-ai?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 May 2026 03:00:09 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The launch of limited edition Swatch watches descended into chaos on Saturday in several European cities and New York, with French police firing tear gas to restore order at one store near Paris. Hundreds of people waited through the night – and in some cases for several days – hoping to get their hands on the “Royal Pop” timepieces, made in collaboration with luxury watchmaker Audemars Piguet. In France, lines of hundreds of people formed through the night in several cities and a police source... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353850/swatch-audemars-piguet-watch-launch-ignites-global-chaos-tear-gas-fired-paris?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353850/swatch-audemars-piguet-watch-launch-ignites-global-chaos-tear-gas-fired-paris?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 May 2026 02:17:30 +0000 Aisyah Llewellyn Aisyah Llewellyn Chinese businesses in Indonesia have issued an unusually blunt warning to President Prabowo Subianto that a wave of tougher rules is hurting investor confidence, exposing growing tension between Jakarta’s push for control of the resources sector and foreign capital that has helped power the country’s nickel boom. Several ministers in Jakarta have pushed back, saying Indonesia must prioritise sovereignty over its natural resources, while stressing the government remains open to dialogue and has... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3353847/indonesia-pushes-back-after-chinese-business-group-complains-tougher-rules-hurt-investors?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3353847/indonesia-pushes-back-after-chinese-business-group-complains-tougher-rules-hurt-investors?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 May 2026 02:00:12 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang China has confirmed for the first time that it is drawing up a “comprehensive law” on artificial intelligence. Industry insiders said the move showed China had accumulated enough practical experience and was speeding up its governance as a result. A legislative work plan for the year issued last week by the State Council, China’s cabinet, outlined plans to “improve AI governance and accelerate comprehensive legislation for the sound development of AI”. It said the government would move faster to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3353834/what-do-chinas-plans-comprehensive-new-ai-law-mean-future-technology?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3353834/what-do-chinas-plans-comprehensive-new-ai-law-mean-future-technology?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 May 2026 02:00:10 +0000 Cheryl Arcibal Cheryl Arcibal Hong Kong’s retail property market is gradually building momentum as spending and confidence of consumers and tourists return, according to analysts. Unlike the city’s past peak rental levels, however, this time the tenant mix was more diversified, with retailers offering unique experiences and products that enhanced their appeal to shoppers, they said. “We see structural shifts towards more experience-driven and diversified tenant mixes, rather than a full return to past peak rental levels,”... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3353716/fresh-concepts-lift-hong-kong-retail-property-tourists-and-consumers-return?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3353716/fresh-concepts-lift-hong-kong-retail-property-tourists-and-consumers-return?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 May 2026 02:00:08 +0000 Wei Wei Wei Wei Three polls firmly caught my attention over the past month or so. Each was conducted by a different outlet and addressed different questions. However, taken together, they tell one overarching story – implicitly, but unmistakably. Beyond an assortment of data, the story is about direction. The first was a CNN poll. It showed that 76 per cent of Americans now see high prices and the cost of living as their country’s most serious economic problem. Even more striking, nearly seven in 10 expect a... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3353438/world-chaos-china-signals-stability-possible?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3353438/world-chaos-china-signals-stability-possible?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 May 2026 01:30:05 +0000 Jess Ma Jess Ma Hong Kong’s Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority (MPFA) is stepping up efforts to detect fraudulent certificates used for early withdrawal of pension contributions after two medical groups reported suspected cases to police in recent weeks. Responding to an inquiry from the South China Morning Post, an authority spokesman said its online platform had recently identified suspected fraud involving possibly fake medical certificates submitted to withdraw Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF)... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3353824/hong-kongs-mpf-authority-flags-fraudulent-certificates-early-pension-payouts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3353824/hong-kongs-mpf-authority-flags-fraudulent-certificates-early-pension-payouts?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 May 2026 01:00:10 +0000 Zoey Zhang Zoey Zhang A 76-year-old woman once dubbed China’s oldest mother of twins has returned to the spotlight after a photographic series chronicling her life recently won an international award. Sheng Hailin, from Anhui province in central China, has also become a social media influencer with nearly one million followers, offering solace and inspiration to bereaved parents rebuilding their lives after loss. Her only daughter, Tingting, and her newlywed husband died of carbon monoxide poisoning in 2009,... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3353532/woman-76-became-chinas-oldest-mum-giving-birth-twins-60-after-enduring-family-tragedies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3353532/woman-76-became-chinas-oldest-mum-giving-birth-twins-60-after-enduring-family-tragedies?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 May 2026 01:00:05 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Arriving in England last year to take his career up a notch, Rishi Gurung was immediately dropped into a boxing ring with heavy-hitting local welterweight Alfie Winter. “Can you imagine? The first guy I had to face, he tried to kill me,” Gurung said. “He was trying to destroy my will.” A Nepalese immigrant to Hong Kong when he was 10, Gurung was initially drawn to boxing because “you’re all by yourself … and I enjoyed people punching me, and punching them back”. As the blows rained down from... https://www.scmp.com/sport/boxing/article/3353811/hong-kong-boxer-gurungs-world-title-quest-wants-chris-eubank-jnr-conor-benn-fights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/boxing/article/3353811/hong-kong-boxer-gurungs-world-title-quest-wants-chris-eubank-jnr-conor-benn-fights?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 May 2026 00:00:14 +0000 Minh Tran Minh Tran Ahead of next year’s Apec summit, Vietnam has a grand plan to transform Phu Quoc, its largest island, into Southeast Asia’s leading conference and exhibition hub. The 137 trillion dong (US$5.2 billion) blueprint includes an airport overhaul, a light-rail line, clusters of luxury hotels and a brand-new sewerage system – much of it paid for by one of the country’s largest conglomerates, in return for tracts of land, operating concessions and the cachet of building national landmarks. But problems... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3353741/vietnams-us5-billion-apec-island-running-out-time?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3353741/vietnams-us5-billion-apec-island-running-out-time?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 May 2026 00:00:12 +0000 Cameron Dueck Cameron Dueck The voices come from a distance, indirect and indecipherable. Unfamiliar voices speaking in a foreign language. They weave in and out of range, in and out of my drowsy dream. A child’s shout is followed by the tinkle of laughter. Slowly my mind climbs out of the warm burrow of sleep to see what all the fuss is about. It takes me a moment more to realise the voices are German. I’m still dancing between dreams and reality, enjoying the gauzy confusion. Why German and not English or Cantonese? I... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/travel/article/3353659/mastering-art-tourist-nap-richer-travel-experience?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/travel/article/3353659/mastering-art-tourist-nap-richer-travel-experience?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 May 2026 00:00:09 +0000 Reuters Reuters Bulgaria won the Eurovision Song Contest for the first time on Saturday in a final overshadowed by five countries’ boycott over Gaza, claiming a dramatic ‌victory despite another big public vote for Israel that secured it second place. The garish and usually good-natured competition involving pop acts from countries across Europe and beyond, now in its 70th year, has been plunged into crisis by a dispute over Israel’s military offensive in Gaza, a response to ⁠the Hamas-led attack on October 7,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353846/bulgarias-dara-wins-eurovision-contest-beating-out-israel-top-spot?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353846/bulgarias-dara-wins-eurovision-contest-beating-out-israel-top-spot?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 16 May 2026 23:46:15 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial The problem of loneliness is a familiar one in Hong Kong, highlighted by tragedies among isolated elderly members of society. However, it is not only those in advanced years or residents living alone who feel disconnected. Such feelings are also much too prevalent among adults across age groups living with their families. The results of a survey conducted by the Hong Kong Family Welfare Society suggest one in five such people in the city feel lonely. An estimated 520,000 household members... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3353666/those-lonely-not-alone-also-deserve-hong-kongs-attention?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3353666/those-lonely-not-alone-also-deserve-hong-kongs-attention?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 16 May 2026 23:15:08 +0000 Lisa Cam Lisa Cam There will be a dynamic interplay of the five elements – metal, wood, water, fire and earth – in the fourth lunar month of the Year of the Horse 2026. As the fire element intensifies, it will both empower and challenge. While wood fuels this fire, creating momentum for growth and recognition, an overbalance could lead to impulsiveness and conflict. However, the presence of water provides a stabilising counterforce, encouraging adaptability. Read on to see what feng shui master Andrew Kwan... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-zodiac/article/3353495/year-horse-2026-fourth-month-predictions-all-12-chinese-zodiac-signs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-zodiac/article/3353495/year-horse-2026-fourth-month-predictions-all-12-chinese-zodiac-signs?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 16 May 2026 23:15:05 +0000