Hongkongers pay tribute to late leader Tung Chee-hwa at community halls
SCMP •

Hongkongers pay tribute to late leader Tung Chee-hwa at community halls

Some residents have started paying tribute to Hong Kong’s first chief executive Tung Chee-hwa on Friday morning, bringing flowers and writing heartfelt messages in condolence books placed at three community halls across the city. The condolence signing is arranged for the public a day ahead of Tung’s vigil on Saturday, followed by a state funeral on Sunday. “Chief Executive Tung, you devoted yours...

US to allow Iranian leaders to attend UN meeting in New York amid wartime stand-off

US to allow Iranian leaders to attend UN meeting in New York amid wartime stand-off

SCMP •

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. The State Department said Thursday that it had approved visas for Iran’s “core delegation”, along with essential staffers to participate in the UN meeti...

Paul Keating says Aukus locking Australia into a US war against China, which it would ‘certainly lose’

Paul Keating says Aukus locking Australia into a US war against China, which it would ‘certainly lose’

The Guardian •

Former prime minister says US would ‘scuttle itself back to San Diego’, leaving Australia to deal with retribution from ChinaFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our new political email, free app or daily news podcastAukus critic Paul Keating has said the submarine deal is locking Australia in to any future US conflict with China – “a war America would certainly lose” – and ma...

Indonesia gets its first aircraft carrier amid debate over cost and military ambitions

Indonesia gets its first aircraft carrier amid debate over cost and military ambitions

The Guardian •

The gift from Italy has sparked fierce debate among defence analysts and opposition politicians who question its true cost and purposeIndonesia has received its first aircraft carrier, a former Italian warship that the government says will strengthen the archipelagic nation’s maritime security and disaster response capabilities.The 41-year-old former ITS Giuseppe Garibaldi, with capacity for short...

Is Trump’s AI obsession walking the world into disaster? – podcast

Is Trump’s AI obsession walking the world into disaster? – podcast

The Guardian •

Tech bosses have called for a slowdown in artificial intelligence and the creation of formal guardrails from the US government. But why is President Trump unmoved by the doomsday predictions, dismissing them as a ‘hoax’? What lies behind his embrace of the AI industry? Jonathan Freedland speaks to the Guardian US tech editor, Blake MontgomeryWatch Jonathan Freedland on our new Politics Weekly YouT...

Bail out or downsize? Malaysia’s stark choice as AirAsia losses mount

Bail out or downsize? Malaysia’s stark choice as AirAsia losses mount

SCMP •

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 could leave the government facing a stark choice: allow domestic flight services to shrink or step in with subsidies for essential routes, rather than...

Australia news live: Home affairs warns AI enables foreign interference and hackers; BoM updates website to look like ‘old radar view’

Australia news live: Home affairs warns AI enables foreign interference and hackers; BoM updates website to look like ‘old radar view’

The Guardian •

Follow the day’s news liveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAustralia needs to slow down its artificial intelligence use and create better security laws, the companies creating the technology have told the federal government.In a submission to an ongoing inquiry, OpenAI said national leaders had a responsibility to work with other countries to stop global security threats:...

Live: Russia strikes four Ukrainian vessels in Black Sea

Live: Russia strikes four Ukrainian vessels in Black Sea

France 24 •

Moscow on Friday struck four Ukrainian cargo vessels in the Black ‌Sea, according to Russian state media. The attacks came as polling stations in Russia opened for the country's first parliamentary election since the start of the war in Ukraine. Follow our liveblog for all the latest updates.

Live: At least five injured in Russian drone strikes in Kyiv region

Live: At least five injured in Russian drone strikes in Kyiv region

France 24 •

At least five people were injured on Friday after Russian drone strikes struck the Kyiv region, including three children, local officials said. The attack came as polling stations in Russia opened for the country's first parliamentary election since the start of the war in Ukraine. Follow our liveblog for all the latest updates.

Live: Voting begins in Russia's parliamentary elections

Live: Voting begins in Russia's parliamentary elections

France 24 •

Polling stations opened early 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. Follow our liveblog for the latest updates.

Ngong Ping 360 cable car opens in Hong Kong after typhoon delay - SCMP archive

Ngong Ping 360 cable car opens in Hong Kong after typhoon delay - SCMP archive

SCMP •

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 gusts reaching 90km/h occur on 5.5 days for a total of 52 hours in September on average, according to measurements taken at Ngong Ping between 2002 an...

ByteDance spin-off Anew Labs raises US$290m as AI drug developers enjoy fundraising boom

ByteDance spin-off Anew Labs raises US$290m as AI drug developers enjoy fundraising boom

SCMP •

China is seeing a fresh fundraising boom for AI 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 and Isomorphic Labs. Anew Labs, a Shanghai-based AI drug discovery firm that was formerly a unit of Chinese tech giant ByteDance, has raised US$290 million at a valuation of US$1....

Can the new Pinglu Canal become China’s Yangtze of the southwest?

Can the new Pinglu Canal become China’s Yangtze of the southwest?

SCMP •

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 Shanghai’s rise, according to its operator. The 134.2km (83.4 mile) Pinglu Canal, which opened on Wednesday, links a major tributary of the Pearl River in the sou...

Can the new Pinglu Canal become China’s ‘Yangtze of the southwest’?

Can the new Pinglu Canal become China’s ‘Yangtze of the southwest’?

SCMP •

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 Shanghai’s rise, according to its operator. The 134.2km (83.4 mile) Pinglu Canal, which opened on Wednesday, links a major tributary of the Pearl River in the sou...

Australia news live: Home affairs warns AI enables foreign interference and hackers; Qantas ground staff prepare to strike

Australia news live: Home affairs warns AI enables foreign interference and hackers; Qantas ground staff prepare to strike

The Guardian •

Follow the day’s news liveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAustralia needs to slow down its artificial intelligence use and create better security laws, the companies creating the technology have told the federal government.In a submission to an ongoing inquiry, OpenAI said national leaders had a responsibility to work with other countries to stop global security threats:...

China’s ‘future Elon Musk’ solves daily problems with AI; vocabulary method draws 20 million views

China’s ‘future Elon Musk’ solves daily problems with AI; vocabulary method draws 20 million views

SCMP •

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 province, stands at an impressive 1.9 metres tall and has amassed a following of over 500,000 on mainland social media platforms. Growing up in a city ce...