In the eighth instalment of his exclusive series for the South China Morning Post, American theoretical physicist and Nobel laureate Frank Wilczek explores the big world manifestation of small world quantum mechanics. Read his previous articles here....

An elderly woman from central China has turned to the internet in search of a new “daughter” to care for her in place of her biological daughters, offering a flat and a monthly salary in return. The woman, from Henan province and known by her sur...

Asia’s oil-dependent economies could soon find further relief as a peace deal between Moscow and Kyiv edges closer, raising the prospects of Russia resuming crude supply to global markets and again reshaping supply dynamics that have significantly ...

Leaving Prince of Wales Hospital in Sha Tin on Thursday, unaware of the whereabouts of some of his relatives, a 76-year-old man surnamed Lam was left uncertain how to arrange the funeral of his older brother, who had just died in Hong Kong’s worst ...

The South Korean government on Thursday imposed sanctions on individuals and companies across Southeast Asia tied to regional crime rings, in response to a surge in crimes targeting Korean nationals. “It is our first unilateral sanction responding ...

Internet users in Hong Kong poured out condolences for victims and their families affected by the city’s worst fire in decades, expressing shock and disbelief on the second day of the tragedy on Thursday. Many sent messages of grief and condolences...

Floodwaters began to recede on Thursday in parts of southern Thailand including Hat Yai, a major city entirely submerged for five days, revealing grim finds of bodies and unprecedented damage to homes and farmland. The overnight death toll of 33 appe...

China’s embassy in Japan has advised citizens to put travel plans on hold “in the near term”, citing a spike in unprovoked assaults and discrimination. In a security warning issued on social media, the embassy reported a “significant” surge...

Sitting at an empty Jakarta stall, Alfindo Hutagaol gobbled down some rice, green sambal and grilled dog meat – a meal that is now banned in the Indonesian capital. The Muslim-majority archipelago is one of a handful of countries that still permit ...

China’s industrial profits dropped in October after a strong September, according to official year-on-year data released on Thursday, and analysts are pointing to domestic competition and trade tensions weighing on corporate balance sheets. Profits...

The Jack Ma Foundation said on Thursday it would donate HK$30 million (US$3.9 million) to support families, firefighters and rescuers affected by a deadly fire at a housing estate in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district. In a statement, the foundation – e...

In north-central China’s Ningxia Hui autonomous region – where desert mountains frame ancient mausoleums and Islamic culture shapes daily life for the Hui Muslim community – a new Indonesian feature film has transformed the landscape into a sta...

Japanese drink giant Asahi Group Holdings said on Thursday an investigation has found that personal information linked to around 2 million customers and employees may have been leaked in a cyberattack that hit its domestic servers in late September. ...

A 40-year-old man has stunned mainland Chinese social media by marrying just four hours after a blind date arranged by multiple matchmakers, subsequently depleting his entire savings of over 240,000 yuan (US$34,000) within a month of marriage. Huang ...

The race to launch China’s first reusable rocket is heating up, with three contenders now lined up at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in the country’s northwest for flights that could make history. On the pads stand the state-owned Long March...

A ceasefire between Afghanistan’s Taliban regime and Pakistan, agreed after intense clashes last month, is hanging by a diplomatic thread, following a wave of suicide bombings in Pakistan and disputed claims that it retaliated with cross-border dro...

China has launched a 19-point plan to better align the supply of consumer goods with demand, as Beijing steps up its efforts to rebalance its economy towards a consumption-driven growth model. A document outlining the plan issued by the Ministry of I...

Hong Kong developers have postponed property sales scheduled for Friday as the city mourns the deaths of dozens of residents in a devastating fire that broke out in Tai Po. Sino Group and New World Development announced on Thursday that the sale of 1...

A test train crashed into railway workers in China’s southwestern Yunnan province early on Thursday morning, killing 11 people and injuring two, state media said. The test train No 55537, which was used to test seismic equipment, collided with cons...

A travel ban imposed by the Philippines against two figures tied to its notorious offshore gaming industry (Pogos) marks a bid by the Ferdinand Marcos Jnr administration to boost public standing, but the country’s unfolding flood-control scandal re...

A Chinese biomedical researcher whose academic trajectory included years at the University of California, Berkeley, and collaborations with pioneering chemical engineers has died at the age of 44. Xie Hongxue, who had been working as a lecturer for n...

Russia’s offer to transfer fifth-generation fighter jet technology to India is being seen as a strategic overture at a time when New Delhi’s relations with Washington are strained over trade disputes and diplomatic spats. Analysts say the propose...

Food giant Campbell’s said on Wednesday it has fired an executive who was recorded making racist comments and mocking the company’s products and customers. Martin Bally, a vice-president in Campbell’s information security department, was named ...

An Indonesian domestic worker forced into unpaid labour was rescued by Malaysia’s Immigration Department after a raid at a home in Batu Caves, Selangor state. In a statement on Wednesday, immigration director general Zakaria Shaaban said the victim...

Squash players in comical outfits swung their rackets nonstop with enthusiasm at an annual fundraising tournament last week to support vulnerable communities in Hong Kong. Held at the Hong Kong Football Club (HKFC) squash centre, the 27th Wing Ding S...

The organiser of a private cultural festival celebrating Japanese craftsmanship said it would go ahead with the event in Hong Kong next month, despite feeling under pressure as friends voiced concerns about possible fallout from the ongoing Sino-Japa...

Corrupt local officials in China are manipulating collective decision-making procedures for personal gain and to mask their activities, state media has warned. A report published on Wednesday highlighted examples of behind-the-scenes manipulation whe...

On the 32nd anniversary of New Oriental, a private Beijing-based education services provider, the company’s founder, Yu Minhong, wrote an internal letter to his staff about his trip to the South Pole. “I am standing in the icy world of Antarctica...

Italian TV personality Alberto Mondi has apologised for comments that sparked controversy over historical distortion involving South Korea and Japan. Posting on his social media on Wednesday, Alberto said, “I sincerely apologise for causing concern...

Chinese gaming businessman Xu Bo has hit the headlines after he tried to claim 300 million yuan (US$42 million) from his former partner, who then said that he had fathered more than 300 children. Born in 1977, Xu is a well-known figure in China’s g...

A Hong Kong village has been without water for more than 10 days, with the Water Supplies Department pledging to resolve the disruption by the end of the week. Eight village houses and some temporary structures in Kai Hang Tun village in Sai Kung los...

A director at Jackeline Beauty Salon – the Hong Kong chain made famous by its “no acne” ads – has bought a HK$152.27 million (US$19.58 million) Ho Man Tin duplex, underscoring renewed appetite for prime homes among the city’s wealthy. The e...

A mounting series of corruption and influence-peddling allegations against South Korea’s former first lady, Kim Keon-hee, is fuelling accusations that an unelected figure exerted unlawful control over state affairs. Investigators and analysts alike...

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Get faster notifications on the latest updates by downloading our app. What we know so far: 55 people, inclu...

Scientists have detected what they believe to be lightning on Mars by eavesdropping on the whirling wind recorded by Nasa’s Perseverance rover. The crackling of electrical discharges was captured by a microphone on the rover, a French-led team repo...

Hong Kong’s first locally developed artificial intelligence chatbot, HKChat, has raised expectations that it could compete with more popular and established AI apps, as it racked up around 90,000 users in the city within a week of its low-key relea...

Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday declared a “nationwide security emergency” as the country scrambled to respond to a wave of mass kidnappings that have seen hundreds of people, mostly children, captured in a week. “This is a natio...

A Massachusetts woman who was once engaged to the brother of White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt remains in ICE custody two weeks after being arrested on her way to pick up the son she shares with her former fiancé. Bruna Ferreira, 33, was ...

The dust has yet to settle despite the conclusion of the 47th Asean Summit under Malaysia, which remains the chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations for the remainder of the year. There are two main takeaways from the Kuala Lumpur meeting...

Investigators led by the FBI’s joint terrorism task force sought clues on Thursday to what drove an Afghan immigrant to open fire on two National Guard soldiers mere blocks from the White House in what officials called an “ambush” attack on Tha...

US President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he is barring South Africa from participating in the Group of 20 summit next year at his Miami-area club and will stop all payments and subsidies to the country over its treatment of a US government repre...

A bipartisan group of US lawmakers is urging Donald Trump’s administration to reject Myanmar’s “sham” elections next month, days after the administration cited the country’s electoral progress as grounds to remove legal protections for Myan...

French President Emmanuel Macron will visit China next week and meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping, the Elysee Palace said in a statement on Wednesday. The three-day visit is scheduled to begin on December 3, with two stops in Beijing and Chengdu...

South Korea launched its largest satellite yet on its nationally developed space rocket early on Thursday, the fourth of six planned launches through 2027. The three-stage Nuri rocket lifted off from the country’s spaceport on an island off the sou...

Even as the devastating fire in Tai Po raged into the night, theories swirled around the possible causes of one of Hong Kong’s deadliest blazes in recent decades, with experts and residents suggesting that a combination of factors may have been inv...

A group of army officers said they had seized power in coup-prone Guinea-Bissau on Wednesday, a day before the planned announcement of results from a hotly contested presidential election. In a statement read on state television by spokesperson, Dini...

A judge on Wednesday dismissed the Georgia election interference case against US President Donald Trump and others after the prosecutor who recently took over the case said he would not pursue the charges. Pete Skandalakis, the executive director of ...

At least 36 people including a firefighter were killed and 279 are still missing after a ferocious blaze ravaged a housing estate in Tai Po yesterday, as scorching flames engulfed bamboo scaffolding and ripped through seven residential blocks. Some 2...

US President Donald Trump raged on Wednesday at a New York Times report that focused on his age and growing signs of fatigue, insisting that he is full of energy and calling the woman author of the article “ugly”. “I have never worked so hard i...

Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu and top officials expressed sorrow over the death of a firefighter killed while battling a blaze at a Tai Po estate, paying tribute to his “gallantry and selfless devotion to duty”. Ho Wai-ho, 37, died w...