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7 in 10 Gen Z Hongkongers retouch photos of themselves before posting: survey
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7 in 10 Gen Z Hongkongers retouch photos of themselves before posting: survey

Nearly 70 per cent of Gen Z in Hong Kong have retouched photos of themselves before posting on social media, while about half rate their well-being below the international standard, according to a survey exploring self-criticism among the city’s youth. The survey, released on Monday, polled 983 residents aged 11 to 30 to examine the relationship between young people’s photo-editing habits, self-co...

AgiBot overtakes Unitree as top global humanoid robot vendor in first half amid IPO push
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AgiBot overtakes Unitree as top global humanoid robot vendor in first half amid IPO push

China’s AgiBot has surpassed its domestic rival Unitree Robotics to become the world’s largest humanoid robot vendor in the first half of 2026, according to new research, as both industry heavyweights prepare for public listings amid a physical AI boom. Shanghai-based Agibot captured 44 per cent of the global market after shipping roughly 8,400 humanoid robots from January to June, San Francisco-b...

Beijing official hails China and Cuba as ‘good brothers’ in show of solidarity
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Beijing official hails China and Cuba as ‘good brothers’ in show of solidarity

The head of the Chinese Communist Party’s International Department, Liu Haixing, hailed China and Cuba as “good brothers” during a meeting with Cuban officials in Havana, in a show of solidarity as Washington ramps up pressure on the island. According to an official Chinese readout, Liu on Sunday held talks with Emilio Lozada Garcia, the Communist Party of Cuba’s international relations chief, des...

Why Taiwan is conducting its first-ever mobile network throttling exercise
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Why Taiwan is conducting its first-ever mobile network throttling exercise

Taiwan is conducting its first-ever mobile network throttling exercise this week to test how the public responds to wartime communications disruptions, a new civil defence measure that has sparked criticism over the government’s preparedness. The exercise, held in central Taiwan on Monday and planned for northern Taiwan on Thursday, will simulate severe mobile network congestion by reducing 4G and...

Why Taiwan is conducting its first-ever mobile network-throttling exercise

Why Taiwan is conducting its first-ever mobile network-throttling exercise

SCMP •

Taiwan is conducting its first-ever mobile network throttling exercise this week to test how the public responds to wartime communications disruptions, a new civil defence measure that has sparked criticism over the government’s preparedness. The exercise, held in central Taiwan on Monday and planned for northern Taiwan on Thursday, will simulate severe mobile network congestion by reducing 4G and...

As US marks 75 years of defence pact with Philippines, can it stay the course?

As US marks 75 years of defence pact with Philippines, can it stay the course?

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The Philippines and the United States are marking the 75th anniversary of their defence alliance with a renewed pledge to step up joint drills as geopolitical tensions in the region continue to simmer. While the allies are moving towards more frequent planning for maritime security cooperation and deterrence, there are still questions about Washington’s long-term commitment towards the security of...

Malaysia’s RX-Z faithful fight stigma of illegal street racing after deadly biker festival

Malaysia’s RX-Z faithful fight stigma of illegal street racing after deadly biker festival

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A string of deadly motorcycle accidents around Malaysia’s biggest Yamaha RX-Z gathering has intensified calls for the annual event to be scrapped, but enthusiasts say the backlash unfairly conflates a vast owners’ community with illegal street racers. More than 200,000 devotees of the discontinued motorcycle converged on Terengganu, on Malaysia’s east coast, earlier this month for RXZ Members 8.0,...

Hong Kong trophy-home demand runs deep, as Stanley luxury sale tops US$19m

Hong Kong trophy-home demand runs deep, as Stanley luxury sale tops US$19m

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A buyer with the same name as the founding chairwoman of a global immigration consultancy has bought a detached house in a luxury residential development in southern Hong Kong for over US$19 million, adding to a string of big-ticket deals as demand for trophy homes remains resilient despite a broader slowdown. Yi Bing signed an agreement for the purchase of House 11 at One Stanley on Wong Ma Kok R...

Man jailed for accidentally killing girlfriend during abusive ‘weight-loss’ regime

Man jailed for accidentally killing girlfriend during abusive ‘weight-loss’ regime

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A Hong Kong man has been sentenced to three years and nine months in jail for unwittingly suffocating his girlfriend to death while trying to dispose of her body after she passed out during a supposed weight-loss programme that required her to avoid sleeping. The High Court on Monday accepted that former abattoir worker Ng Ka-sing was genuinely remorseful and had little likelihood of reoffending, ...

Man jailed for accidentally killing girlfriend during faux weight-loss regime

Man jailed for accidentally killing girlfriend during faux weight-loss regime

SCMP •

A Hong Kong man has been sentenced to three years and nine months in jail for unwittingly suffocating his girlfriend to death while trying to dispose of her body after she passed out during a supposed weight-loss programme that required her to avoid sleeping. The High Court on Monday accepted that former abattoir worker Ng Ka-sing was genuinely remorseful and had little likelihood of reoffending, ...

Man who beat girlfriend under faux weight-loss regime jailed for nearly 4 years

Man who beat girlfriend under faux weight-loss regime jailed for nearly 4 years

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A Hong Kong man has been sentenced to three years and nine months in jail for unwittingly suffocating his girlfriend to death while trying to dispose of her body after she passed out during a supposed weight-loss programme that required her to avoid sleeping. The High Court on Monday accepted that former abattoir worker Ng Ka-sing was genuinely remorseful and had little likelihood of reoffending, ...

US ‘digging in’ to Asia but wants ‘partners not dependency’: Pentagon

US ‘digging in’ to Asia but wants ‘partners not dependency’: Pentagon

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The ⁠United States is ⁠not disengaging from Asia and ⁠is instead “digging in” to maintain a favourable balance of power in the Indo-Pacific, but wants its partners to shoulder more responsibility for their defence, a senior Pentagon official said on ‌Monday. Seeking to counter concerns about Washington’s reliability, Elbridge Colby, Undersecretary of Defence for Policy, reiterated the US interest ...

Why India’s new Himalayan border map threatens a fragile thaw in China ties

Why India’s new Himalayan border map threatens a fragile thaw in China ties

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New Delhi has issued names for 27 locations in Arunachal Pradesh on its official maps, including sensitive sites near the disputed border with China, in a move that an analyst warned could complicate efforts to repair bilateral ties. The Indian government announced the move on Friday, just a day after officials from the two countries held a working-level consultation in New Delhi to discuss border...

‘Happiest person’: Chinese husband dedicates 25 years to caring for severely paraplegic wife

‘Happiest person’: Chinese husband dedicates 25 years to caring for severely paraplegic wife

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The story of a devoted couple from central China, where the husband has lovingly cared for his severely paraplegic wife for 25 years, has touched the hearts of millions on social media throughout mainland China. The couple live in Pingdingshan, Henan province. In 2001, 36-year-old Jia Fang suffered a horrific fall from a cliff while riding a pedicab, resulting in paralysis from the chest down, as ...

Can CATL’s battery breakthrough push flying cars closer to a commercial reality in China?

Can CATL’s battery breakthrough push flying cars closer to a commercial reality in China?

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Contemporary Amperex Technology Ltd (CATL), the world’s largest electric vehicle (EV) battery maker, has thrown its weight behind flying cars after its aviation battery system cleared a major safety test. A successful roll-out of passenger-carrying drone batteries, backed by CATL’s innovation drive and manufacturing heft, would bolster China’s leading position in the renewable energy sector and th...

Lightning hits China Southern Airbus A321 while taxiing, 20 strike marks found

Lightning hits China Southern Airbus A321 while taxiing, 20 strike marks found

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A China Southern Airlines flight was forced to abandon its departure and return to the gate at Shenzhen airport over the weekend after the Airbus A321 aircraft was struck by lightning while taxiing. Flight CZ3209, bound for the city of Wuxi in China’s eastern Jiangsu province, was waiting on the ground during a heavy thunderstorm on Saturday afternoon when the incident occurred, according to a rep...

China halts drone shows across the country as airspace controls tighten

China halts drone shows across the country as airspace controls tighten

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Scheduled drone performances at tourist attractions and events across China have been grounded as the country steps up scrutiny of low-altitude aviation, although in many cases no clear reason was given for the cancellation. Tourist attractions and event organisers in 11 provinces and regions, including Inner Mongolia, Gansu, Shandong, Guangdong and Hainan, took the unusual step last week of annou...

Philippines floods, landslides, kill at least 12, 8 missing

Philippines floods, landslides, kill at least 12, 8 missing

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Landslides and floods caused by non-stop monsoon rains have killed at least 12 people in the Philippines, while eight more were missing and thirteen injured, authorities said. More than half a million people in 33 provinces have been affected by the southwest monsoon that has been enhanced by two tropical cyclones, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council. The agenc...

Hong Kong eyes licensing for livestock in New Territories amid urban push

Hong Kong eyes licensing for livestock in New Territories amid urban push

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Hong Kong residents raising goats, sheep and cattle in the New Territories must get a licence under a proposed regulation which aims to reduce nuisance and hygiene problems affecting neighbours amid the acceleration of urban development projects such as the Northern Metropolis. The plan was revealed in an Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) document, scheduled to be discussed...

‘Islamic Nato’ may create China opening in Middle East

‘Islamic Nato’ may create China opening in Middle East

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Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey signed a Nato-like defence agreement in Mecca as the United States’ war on Iran prompts countries in the region to rethink security arrangements. The Mecca Joint Defence Agreement stipulates that “any armed attack against any one of the three states shall be regarded as an attack against them all”, the three countries said in a joint statement. Saudi Crown Prince ...

How the guest list for Beijing’s summer retreat reveals its tech priorities

How the guest list for Beijing’s summer retreat reveals its tech priorities

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China’s central government has invited dozens of scientific, technological and academic experts to its annual summer retreat, highlighting how the country is focusing on innovation and breaking through “chokepoints” amid fierce competition with the US. According to state news agency Xinhua, the Communist Party’s Central Committee and the State Council, China’s cabinet, invited 60 experts to the se...

Hong Kong hotel sector recovery elusive for unprepared investors

Hong Kong hotel sector recovery elusive for unprepared investors

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Signs of recovery in Hong Kong’s real estate industry are becoming more apparent, so much so that key indicators in parts of the sector are experiencing some of the fastest growth rates in the Asia-Pacific. In the hotel market, average daily rates, which were declining in annualised terms for most of 2025, grew 9.5 per cent in the first half of this year. This was the third-fastest growth rate amo...

Diamond buyer admits stealing HK$11m worth of gems to fund gambling addiction

Diamond buyer admits stealing HK$11m worth of gems to fund gambling addiction

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A former procurement manager at Tse Sui Luen Jewellery in Hong Kong has pleaded guilty to stealing diamonds worth more than HK$11 million (US$1.4 million) from suppliers over six years by manipulating consignment records to fund his gambling habit. The High Court heard on Monday that Mui Ka-fai, 63, obtained small diamonds from the jeweller’s regular suppliers and resold them once or twice a month...

72% of Hong Kong professionals regularly use AI, double global average: survey

72% of Hong Kong professionals regularly use AI, double global average: survey

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More than 70 per cent of Hong Kong working professionals use artificial intelligence (AI) tools on a daily or weekly basis, more than double the global average, but junior staff also harbour deeper anxiety over job security amid its growing adoption, a survey has found. The study conducted by the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) surveyed 3,722 working professionals in the cit...

72% of Hong Kong professionals use AI weekly, double the global average: survey

72% of Hong Kong professionals use AI weekly, double the global average: survey

SCMP •

More than 70 per cent of Hong Kong working professionals use artificial intelligence (AI) tools on a weekly basis, more than double the global average, but junior staff also harbour deeper anxiety over job security amid its growing adoption, a survey has found. The study conducted by the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) surveyed 3,722 working professionals in the city between...

Malaysian MP offers US$1,200 bounty for arsonist after unprovoked attack on elderly woman

Malaysian MP offers US$1,200 bounty for arsonist after unprovoked attack on elderly woman

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A Malaysian lawmaker is offering a 5,000 ringgit (US$1,200) bounty for the person responsible for an arson attack which left an elderly woman in critical condition in Malaysia’s capital Kuala Lumpur. The 62-year-old counter staff suffered 50 per cent burns to her body after an unidentified individual doused her in what police believe was petrol and set her on fire at a lottery shop in Kepong, a su...

Malaysian MP offers US$1,200 reward for arsonist after unprovoked attack on elderly woman

Malaysian MP offers US$1,200 reward for arsonist after unprovoked attack on elderly woman

SCMP •

A Malaysian lawmaker is offering a 5,000 ringgit (US$1,200) reward to catch the person responsible for an arson attack which left an elderly woman in critical condition in Malaysia’s capital Kuala Lumpur. The 62-year-old counter staff suffered 50 per cent burns to her body after an unidentified individual doused her in what police believe was petrol and set her on fire at a lottery shop in Kepong,...

Indonesian Islamic body warns against cross-dressing in Independence Day games

Indonesian Islamic body warns against cross-dressing in Independence Day games

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Indonesia’s top Islamic clerical body has warned men not to wear “women’s clothing” for Independence Day festivities despite a long-standing tradition of men in dresses playing football as part of the annual fun. Amid a rising tide of anti-LGBTQ sentiment in the Muslim-majority Southeast Asian nation, the influential Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) said in a statement such behaviour was “haram” or ...

Bar Association challenges decision to clear ex-lawmaker Margaret Ng of misconduct

Bar Association challenges decision to clear ex-lawmaker Margaret Ng of misconduct

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The Hong Kong Bar Association has filed a judicial challenge against a disciplinary panel’s decision to clear barrister and former opposition lawmaker Margaret Ng Ngoi-yee of professional misconduct over her participation in a 2019 anti-government protest. The association’s council on Friday applied for a judicial review of the disciplinary tribunal’s decision that Ng’s conviction for taking part ...