South China Morning Post

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 09:00:10 +0000
Xi-Trump summit, China AI at Brics, Asian Games
Chinese President Xi Jinping will travel to the US for a summit next week, which is likely to include talks about artificial intelligence (AI), tariffs and a potential trade-war truce extension. Final details will be firmed up in New York on Sunday a...

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 09:00:06 +0000
Top Chinese AI models make 10% of OpenAI, Anthropic revenue despite high valuations: report
Chinese artificial intelligence models from seven major developers combined generate only about 10 per cent of the revenue reported for OpenAI and Anthropic, even as investor enthusiasm remains intense, according to US-based research firm Rhodium Gro...

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 08:51:57 +0000
North Korea’s nuclear tests awaken fault lines pointing to huge volcano at China border
North Korea’s underground nuclear tests have triggered a chain of seismic events, activating ancient fault lines that stretch towards one of the most dangerous volcanoes on Earth, about 100km (62 miles) away, according to a paper published by the j...

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 08:27:40 +0000
Chinese paint cuts wall temperature by 25 degrees Celsius in summer test: report
China has begun mass production of a super-coating that can cut wall temperatures by 25 degrees Celsius in summer, according to the state-run Science and Technology Daily. The material, which has undergone six months of real-world testing at a petroc...

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 08:26:24 +0000
South Korea’s president rejects US request for Iran war support
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has drawn a clear line against any US request for Seoul to join the war against Iran, explicitly ruling out the dispatch of troops or military assets that could involve his country in the conflict. The stance come...

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 08:00:06 +0000
How China plans to ‘firmly rank at the global forefront’ with 25% of first-in-class drugs
China has set its sights on becoming a global biomedicine powerhouse by 2030, targeting key technological breakthroughs and at least a quarter of the world’s first-in-class drugs market under a new five-year plan for the sector. By the end of the d...

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 07:36:04 +0000
Pride or practicality? Indonesia receives first aircraft carrier amid fears of upkeep cost
Indonesia welcomed its first aircraft carrier on Friday, a former Italian warship that the government says will strengthen the archipelago nation’s maritime security and disaster response capabilities. The 41-year-old former ITS Giuseppe Garibaldi,...

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 07:03:08 +0000
At least 1 dead, 4 injured in Philippine high school shooting
At least ⁠one person ⁠was killed and four ⁠others injured in a shooting at a high school in the southern Philippines on Friday, the provincial governor said. The incident follows two shootings since ‌June at schools in the south of the countr...

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 07:00:23 +0000
From US Fed rates to China’s global export share: 4 figures shaping markets
The US Federal Reserve raised its benchmark interest rate by a quarter of a percentage point this week, followed by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority and the Bank of Japan, while the 10-year US Treasury yield fell back below 5 per cent. Here are some ...

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 06:51:50 +0000
Senior HSBC bankers face double blow as school-fee subsidy cut adds to job risks: sources
Senior bankers at HSBC are facing a double blow of losing a key employment benefit while also confronting potential job losses as the lender carries out a range of measures to cut costs and achieve fair treatment for all staff, according to sources. ...

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 06:00:35 +0000
Could Chinese explorers have settled New Zealand before the Maori?
For generations, the narrative of New Zealand’s human settlement has held that Polynesian voyagers – the ancestors of the Maori – arrived and settled the islands in the 13th century, followed by European explorers in the 17th century. This time...

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 05:47:01 +0000
Hong Kong talent schemes could add 1.2% to GDP annually, John Lee says
Talent attracted to Hong Kong under various admission schemes could add about 1.2 per cent to the city’s gross domestic product (GDP) each year, the city leader has said, adding that more than half of those reaching the three-year mark are willing ...

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 05:46:04 +0000
Torrential rain in Vietnam leaves 3 dead, 16,000 homes flooded
Heavy rains triggered flooding and landslides across northern Vietnam, killing three people and damaging thousands of homes as well as more than 22,000 hectares (54,000 acres) of crops. The northern region has experienced downpours since Monday, with...

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 05:45:55 +0000
Russians begin voting in parliamentary election in shadow of war
Polling stations opened Friday in Russia’s Far East, kicking off a three-day election that President Vladimir Putin’s party is all but guaranteed to win in the fifth year of war with Ukraine. It will be Russia’s first parliamentary election sin...

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 05:22:04 +0000
Thailand’s Muslim separatists vow to fight for independence ‘until the end of time’
Two decades into an insurgency that has killed thousands in southern Thailand, a leader of the main Malay–Muslim separatist group has vowed to keep fighting until it achieves its goals. “This struggle will continue until the end of time,” Nikma...

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 05:15:07 +0000
Hong Kong IT analyst charged with murdering wife at their flat
A Hong Kong IT analyst has been remanded in custody after being charged with killing his wife in a flat at a private residential estate two days ago. Wong Chi-kwong, 51, was brought to Eastern Court for the first time on Friday to face a count of mur...

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 05:00:06 +0000
Saudi scrambles to solve ‘humiliating dilemma’ after US rejects Red Sea intervention
Saudi Arabia faces a “humiliating dilemma” after the United States refused to militarily intervene to prevent the Iran-aligned Houthi militia from tightening its blockade of the kingdom’s key backup maritime trade route with Asia, according to ...

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 04:45:05 +0000
China launches Pinglu Canal; Hong Kong unveils first 5-year plan: SCMP’s 7 highlights
We have selected seven stories from this week’s news across Hong Kong, mainland China, the wider Asia region and beyond that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please conside...

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 04:23:51 +0000
Malaysia’s Najib Razak allowed to serve rest of jail term under house arrest
Malaysia’s Pardons Board on Friday agreed to allow disgraced former prime minister Najib Razak to serve out the remainder of his jail term under house arrest. King Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar granted Najib a “conditional pardon”, where the former l...

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 04:12:54 +0000
Hongkongers pay tribute to late leader Tung Chee-hwa at community halls
Residents visited three community halls across Hong Kong to pay tribute to the city’s first chief executive Tung Chee-hwa on Friday, bringing flowers and writing heartfelt messages in public condolence books. The arrangements came ahead of other we...

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 04:11:25 +0000
US to allow Iranian leaders to attend UN meeting in New York amid wartime stand-off
The Trump administration has approved visas for top Iranian officials, including the president and foreign minister, to attend next week’s UN General Assembly high-level meeting in New York even as the two countries are locked in a stalemated war. ...

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 04:00:06 +0000
Bail out or downsize? Malaysia’s stark choice as AirAsia losses mount
Malaysia could struggle to preserve some domestic air links if low-cost carrier AirAsia is forced to scale back operations, analysts have warned, as rival airlines would have little commercial incentive to take over unprofitable routes. That reality ...

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 03:15:05 +0000
Ngong Ping 360 cable car opens in Hong Kong after typhoon delay - SCMP archive
This article was first published on September 18, 2006. Breezy launch is on the cards By Dennis Eng The Ngong Ping 360 cable car will open today in one of the windiest months of the year, according to the Hong Kong Observatory. Windy conditions with ...

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 03:00:08 +0000
ByteDance spin-off Anew Labs raises US$290m as AI drug developers enjoy fundraising boom
China is seeing a fresh fundraising boom for artificial intelligence-powered drug developers, with start-ups including a ByteDance spin-off raising hundreds of millions of dollars this week as investors rush to back domestic challengers to Anthropic ...

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 03:00:05 +0000
Can the new Pinglu Canal become China’s Yangtze of the southwest?
The opening of China’s first new river-to-sea canal since 1949 – which will boost trade links with Southeast Asia – could transform the economy of the country’s landlocked southwestern interior in ways comparable to the Yangtze’s role in Sh...

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 02:33:14 +0000
China’s ‘future Elon Musk’ solves daily problems with AI; vocabulary method draws 20 million views
A 13-year-old boy from eastern China has garnered significant attention online for his ability to leverage artificial intelligence and programming to solve everyday challenges. Yang Xizhe, a junior secondary school student from Hangzhou, Zhejiang pro...

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 02:30:58 +0000
Authorities aim to launch revamped Huanggang Port on October 12
Hong Kong’s redeveloped Huanggang Port could begin operations as early as October 12, allowing cross-border travellers to complete dual immigration procedures in a single inspection under a new joint clearance system. The South China Morning Post l...

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 02:15:33 +0000
Factsheet series: Hong Kong’s debut 5-year plan and 2026 policy address

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 02:01:04 +0000
US firm Waymo to launch robotaxi service in Singapore in 2028
Waymo plans to launch its robotaxi service in Singapore in 2028, giving the US company its first foothold in Southeast Asia. Fully electric Jaguar I-Pace vehicles were due to arrive in the city state in the coming months, ahead of preparations for a ...

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 02:00:24 +0000
The story begins …
Download the PDF This is the second part of a Factsheet series on Hong Kong’s debut five-year plan and the 2026 policy address. Click here for part one. The series was produced with support from the Hong Kong SAR government. To see the South China ...

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 02:00:18 +0000
Hong Kong’s new chapter
Download the PDF This is the first part of a Factsheet series on Hong Kong’s debut five-year plan and the 2026 policy address. Click here for part two. The series was produced with support from the Hong Kong SAR government. To see the South China M...

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 02:00:17 +0000
The need for speed as Hong Kong plugs in
[The content of this article has been produced by our advertising partner.] Hong Kong is preparing for many more electric vehicles on its roads. The city’s First Five-Year Plan, announced alongside the Policy Address, calls for the steady electrifi...

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 02:00:14 +0000
Filipino fishers count the cost of South China Sea dispute
For fishermen like Joey Marabe in the Philippine province of Zambales, the geopolitical contest playing out in the South China Sea can be measured in dwindling catches and shrinking incomes, as the presence of Chinese vessels around a contested shoal...

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 01:56:25 +0000
Australia’s Sydney Airport staff shortages prompt plan to close tower overnight
Australia’s major airlines have backed a proposal to close Sydney Airport’s control tower overnight to free up air traffic controllers, the latest step to address a persistent labour shortage that is disrupting flights and raising safety concerns...

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 01:30:08 +0000
China publicly names officials in ‘unprecedented’ hidden-debt crackdown. Can it work?
A recently issued official circular has put China’s long-running problem with hidden local government debt back in the spotlight. Earlier this month, the Ministry of Finance (MoF) and the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) jointly ...

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 01:30:05 +0000
Like Shenzhen, the Northern Metropolis is animated by the spirit of experimentation
At the heart of Hong Kong’s first five-year plan lies the Northern Metropolis – a massive tract of land spanning roughly a third of our entire city. Much ink has been spilled over what this project represents and why it matters, but if I had to s...

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 01:12:05 +0000
Singaporean climber dies on Nepal’s Mount Manaslu, first foreign casualty of season
A Singaporean climber died on Nepal’s Mount Manaslu, the world’s eighth highest peak, expedition organisers said. Lau Wee Seng, 50, felt unwell as he was descending from Camp II at around 6,000 metres after an acclimatisation rotation, according ...

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 01:01:09 +0000
The story begins …
This is the second part of a Factsheet series on Hong Kong’s debut five-year plan and the 2026 policy address, click here for part one. The series was produced with support from the Hong Kong SAR government. To see the South China Morning Post’s ...

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 01:00:12 +0000
Scientists trace half the DNA in Xinjiang’s oldest tombs to Yellow River farmers
Nestled between the Tianshan Mountains and the Gobi Desert, the Hami oasis in Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region is a land of little rain, battered by wind and sand year-round. It is also home to the region’s oldest known burial site, the Tianshanbei...

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 01:00:05 +0000
Hong Kong’s new chapter
This is the first part of a Factsheet series on Hong Kong’s debut five-year plan and the 2026 policy address, click here for part two. The series was produced with support from the Hong Kong SAR government. To see the South China Morning Post’s c...

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 00:30:06 +0000
Blanket of security planned for state funeral of Tung Chee-hwa in Hong Kong
Hong Kong police will impose a high level of security for this weekend’s state funeral of the city’s first chief executive, Tung Chee-hwa, including providing protection for the three top Beijing officials attending the event, the South China Mor...

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 00:00:17 +0000
Poland eyes deeper Philippines defence ties following Black Hawk deal
Poland’s delivery of Black Hawk helicopters to the Philippines has given Warsaw a foothold in Manila’s defence market as it seeks to expand exports from its growing defence industry, with analysts saying drones, air defence and potentially co-pro...

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 23:46:50 +0000
King Charles was ‘giddily elated’ after Diana’s death, her brother says
Britain’s King Charles sounded “like a lottery winner” after the death of ⁠his late first wife Diana, ⁠her brother writes in his forthcoming ⁠book, new extracts of which were published on Thursday. Diana’s brother Charles Spencer said t...

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 23:07:17 +0000
White House pulls Trump nominee to head ICE
The White House on Thursday withdrew its nominee to head US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the agency tasked with carrying out President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown. Lance Schroyer, a former US Marine and Oklahoma state trooper, was ...

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 23:00:08 +0000
Hong Kong malls bet on Asian Games to boost footfall, tenant sales amid spending shifts
Hong Kong shopping mall operators are extending a strategy used during this year’s Fifa World Cup into the Asian Games, leveraging major sporting events to draw visitors and support tenant sales as retailers face competition from Shenzhen, overseas...

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 22:00:12 +0000
China has gained pace in the space race by recovering rockets – but can it relaunch one?
As technological developments augur an era of renewed space exploration, China is aiming to become a major player. In the second part of this two-part series, Wency Chen and Ben Jiang examine the country’s strategy and progress on reusable rockets ...

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 21:53:45 +0000
US families ramp up efforts for loved ones’ release from China ahead of Xi’s visit
Chen Youlin, a Chinese-American scientist, travelled back to China in October 2024 for a month-long holiday, including to celebrate his mother’s 80th birthday. As he prepared to leave, authorities arrested him at the airport in Beijing. For more th...

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 21:30:04 +0000
What the China-Nepal floods teach us about crisis communication
The Himalayan disaster that tore through the China-Nepal border last month was a human calamity before it became a media story. A torrent of ice, rock, mud and debris swept through valleys, destroying key infrastructure, severing roads and communicat...

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 21:11:34 +0000
US trade chief pressed Brazil to review Anglo American nickel sale to China
US Trade Representative (USTR) Jamieson Greer asked Brazil to review the sale of Anglo American’s nickel mines to a Chinese state-controlled miner in exchange for tariff relief, two people familiar with the negotiations told the South China Morning...

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 21:06:14 +0000
US approves sale of 48 F-35 jets to Saudi Arabia despite Israeli concerns
The United States has approved a US$24.3 billion sale of 48 F-35 stealth warplanes to Saudi Arabia, the State Department said Thursday, the kingdom’s latest major arms purchase since the start of the Iran war. Saudi Arabia has long sought to buy F-...

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