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Malaysian lawmaker Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman has fired back at Tunku Ismail Ibrahim after the Johor crown prince took a swipe at the former sports minister, describing him as the “most Hollywood” among populist politicians. Tunku Ismail told a podcast show over the weekend that he “liked people who carry out their duties and show full care and concern for the people”. “Before making any decisi...
On Monday morning, Keir Starmer emerged into the sunshine in Downing Street flanked by his staff and wife, his voice thick with emotion as he said he was no longer the right person to lead Britain. Starmer, who won one of the biggest landslides in British political history, is out after less than two years. The sixth leader to quit in 10 years. The highest rate of political turnover in almost tw...
Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi’s pushback against China signals a calculated bid to fend off accusations of Tokyo’s “new militarism” by Beijing to ensure that the label does not stick and slow Japan’s security reforms. His comments in recent weeks on separate instances are aimed at shaping the perceptions of Tokyo’s state partners, according to analysts. Speaking in his first published...
Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi’s pushback against China signals a calculated bid to fend off accusations of Tokyo’s “new militarism” by Beijing to ensure that the label does not stick and slow Japan’s security reforms. His comments in recent weeks on separate instances are aimed at shaping the perceptions of Tokyo’s state partners, according to analysts. Speaking in his first published...
As China’s relationship with African countries has deepened, the country’s influence is spreading into more areas. In the latest of a series of articles, Dulue Mbachu investigates the extent of Chinese investments in the continent and Beijing’s growing wariness about their security. Chinese regulators balked at Zijin Mining’s planned US$4 billion acquisition of Canadian company Allied Gold, placin...
A dog-rental platform has sparked both curiosity and concern as China’s urban pet economy takes an unexpected turn. Launched on social media in March, the mini-programme known as “Wangbu,” which loosely translates to “dog walk,” enables residents in first-tier cities like Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen to rent dogs by the hour for walks. After owners create profiles for their pets, renters coordi...
Luxury electric vehicle (EV) brands from China are poised to enter the same elite tier as established European marques by leveraging their disruptive technologies, according to Chinese EV maker Zeekr. “There is a gap between the demand for electric luxury cars and the supply, where Chinese carmakers have an edge,” said Zeekr vice-president Mars Chen. “I believe there will be one to two Chinese bra...
Chinese scientists have developed a tiny, ceramic-based lithium-ion battery that can withstand extreme heat, offering a safer power source for smart sensors, aerospace gadgets and military applications. Unlike flammable traditional lithium-ion batteries, this rechargeable solid-state battery operates stably up to 150 degrees Celsius (302 degrees Fahrenheit) and can withstand brief thermal shocks o...
Hong Kong must step up efforts to export its food culture and promote its culinary heritage, industry leaders have said after a recent study found that Cantonese restaurants have borne the brunt of the sector’s slump. Data released this month by the Legislative Council Secretariat’s research office showed earnings for Chinese restaurants in the first quarter suffered the sector’s steepest contract...
The breaking point for former Singaporean lawyer Dominic Low was when he had just got home past midnight and his boss asked him to respond to an international client. This meant he had to return to the office and work till 2am. He was into his second year of a corporate law career and decided that very night that the job was not for him. “Everyone was under so much pressure and just expected to de...
The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on Washington’s National Mall is set to be drained again for repairs after algae and peeling paint appeared just weeks after a US$14.7 million renovation, while President Donald Trump threatened prison time for anyone caught damaging the pool. The DC Water authority issued a permit to drain the 609-metre rectangular pool, it said on Monday, while the repair co...
Senior officials from the European Union and Hong Kong are in talks to launch a financial services dialogue, with companies from the bloc keen to explore opportunities in the Northern Metropolis, its top representative in the city has said. Ambassador Harvey Rouse, head of the EU Office in Hong Kong, made the remarks at the Greenway 2026 forum on Tuesday, where he highlighted opportunities for coo...
We have selected seven stories from the SCMP’s coverage of Asia over the past week that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Malaysian tourists in China scorned for calling locals ‘smelly’ A group of Malaysian tourists is facing intense backlash for filming strangers and mocking locals in China ...
A luxury superyacht seized from fugitive financier Benjamin Mauerberger is due for auction at a starting price of US$18 million on Tuesday, as authorities seek to claw back money from powerful money laundering networks across Thailand. Mauerberger and his wife, Cattaliya Beevor, are wanted by Thai police on fraud and money laundering charges, linked to what prosecutors allege was a bogus investmen...
Victims of violent acts and threats by loan sharks have been urged to come forward under a nationwide initiative led by the Malaysian Chinese Association’s Public Services and Complaints Department. MCA chief Michael Chong said the party’s youth and women’s wings have also been roped in to collect data and provide aid to loan shark victims. “Throwing paint at homes is now considered lenient, as we...
Ningxia is a perfect example of how the East meets the West. Located in the northwest inland region of China, it is the intersection of the Eurasian steppe and Chinese farmlands. Fudan University, in collaboration with the Ningxia Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology and Northwest University, has recently conducted the largest ancient genomics research project in Ningxia. The researchers f...
A Malaysian donor whose organs and tissues went to five patients has drawn tributes online after a local hospital corridor send-off was shared widely on social media. Normah Sabar, remembered by Malaysia’s national mapping agency as the country’s first female surveyor, died at Hospital Sungai Buloh in Selangor on Saturday. She was 72. The next day, hospital staff and medical teams held a walk of h...
A Malaysian donor whose organs and tissues went to five patients has drawn tributes online after a local hospital corridor send-off was shared widely on social media. Normah Sabar, remembered by Malaysia’s national mapping agency as the country’s first female surveyor, died at Hospital Sungai Buloh in Selangor on Saturday. She was 72. The next day, hospital staff and medical teams held a “walk of ...
As Hong Kong marks the 29th anniversary of its return to Chinese rule on July 1, the South China Morning Post talks to the city’s senior officials about the administration’s achievements so far and what may lie ahead. Hong Kong’s next Kai Tak Cruise Terminal operator must be “very visionary” and do far more than simply manage cruise berthing operations, the city’s tourism minister has said, reveal...
As Hong Kong marks the 29th anniversary of its return to Chinese rule on July 1, the South China Morning Post talks to the city’s senior officials about the administration’s achievements so far and what may lie ahead. Hong Kong will build on the popularity of the old Yau Ma Tei police station exhibition by developing more heritage attractions that combine historic buildings with cultural experienc...
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un criticised Japan as turning into a “war state”, in a speech during a three-day meeting held through Monday, official news media said on Tuesday. “Japan, a defeated country in Asia, has openly turned itself into a war state by taking the present disturbing circumstances as an opportunity to get rid of all shackles restricting its moves to become a military power,” he...
A recruitment advertisement from a zoo in central China seeking individuals to pose as black bears, offering an annual salary of 100,000 yuan (US$15,000), has gone viral on social media, generating a wave of humorous responses among internet users. Luohe Wildlife Zoo, located in Luohe city in Henan province, posted the job ad on June 13, looking to hire people to wear black bear costumes, roam the...
Chinese tourists are expected to be among the hardest hit by Japan’s fivefold visa fee increase, a move analysts warned could further strain already tense relations between Beijing and Tokyo. For the first time since 1978, the Japanese government has decided to raise visa fees. The cost of a single-entry visa will increase from 3,000 yen (US$18.54) to 15,000 yen, while multiple-entry visas will ju...
The advent of artificial intelligence (AI) appears sudden and revolutionary, yet its origins stretch deep into history, revealing a profound and forgotten intellectual exchange between China and the West. Long before Alan Turing, Claude Shannon, or even Charles Babbage and Ada Lovelace, there was Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz – the German polymath born exactly 380 years ago next week. Among his monume...
As Hong Kong marks the 29th anniversary of its return to Chinese rule on July 1, the South China Morning Post talks to the city’s senior officials about the administration’s achievements so far and what may lie ahead. Hong Kong should focus on becoming “bigger and better”, rather than expecting neighbouring cities such as Shenzhen to “stand still”, the city’s tourism chief has said, as the governm...
A passenger on a Singapore Airlines flight molested an air stewardess, with his friends laughing in response. When the woman went to report the incident to her supervisor, the culprit followed her into the galley, stood extremely close to her and cornered her. The flight captain reported the incident and a police report was lodged, leading to the man’s arrest when he arrived at Changi Airport. Aka...
South Korea’s AI-driven semiconductor boom has sent exports, corporate profits and stock prices to record highs, but a senior policymaker has warned that the windfall could fuel property speculation and deepen inequality if its gains remain narrowly concentrated. “Looking solely at the numbers, it is something to cheer about. However, strangely, a corner of my heart feels heavy,” Kim Yong-beom, ch...
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer conceded on Monday that he had lost the support of his rank-and-file Labour Party members in Parliament and that he will step down once his successor as party leader is chosen, possibly as soon as the middle of July. Andy Burnham, the former mayor of Greater Manchester whose resounding victory in a special UK election last week set in motion Starmer’s resignatio...
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer conceded on Monday that he had lost the support of his rank-and-file Labour Party members in Parliament and that he will step down once his successor as party leader is chosen, possibly as soon as the middle of July. Andy Burnham, the former mayor of Greater Manchester whose resounding victory in a special UK election last week set in motion Starmer’s resignatio...
