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Putin holds Ukraine peace talks with Trump’s envoy Witkoff, frees American Hubbard
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Putin holds Ukraine peace talks with Trump’s envoy Witkoff, frees American Hubbard

Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted US ⁠special envoy Steve Witkoff in a grand imperial palace on Wednesday to review ⁠new ideas on ending the war in Ukraine amid Washington’s latest push to stop Europe’s bloodiest conflict since second world war. The talks in St Petersburg, the ninth time that Witkoff has met Putin in person, began with a goodwill gesture from Russia – the release of a retire...

Hong Kong’s Election Committee race: should you care? Here’s what you need to know
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Hong Kong’s Election Committee race: should you care? Here’s what you need to know

Nominations have closed for Hong Kong’s Election Committee election, setting the stage for the November 22 poll. The poll, the second since Beijing overhauled the city’s electoral system to ensure patriots rule Hong Kong, will return 1,500 members who will nominate and vote in next year’s chief executive election. Here’s all you need to know about the 2026 Election Committee Subsector Ordinary Ele...

Hong Kong’s Election Committee race: more contests, familiar faces and what comes next
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Hong Kong’s Election Committee race: more contests, familiar faces and what comes next

Nominations have closed for Hong Kong’s Election Committee election, setting the stage for the November 22 poll. The poll, the second since Beijing overhauled the city’s electoral system to ensure patriots rule Hong Kong, will return 1,500 members who will nominate and vote in next year’s chief executive election. Here’s all you need to know about the 2026 Election Committee Subsector Ordinary Ele...

Hong Kong’s SHKP sells 128 Sierra Sea flats ahead of possible US rate increase
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Hong Kong’s SHKP sells 128 Sierra Sea flats ahead of possible US rate increase

Sun Hung Kai Properties (SHKP), one of Hong Kong’s largest developers, has sold out the latest batch of flats at its Sierra Sea project in the New Territories, where units were offered at discounted prices ahead of a possible US Federal Reserve interest-rate increase by year-end. By 5.40pm on Wednesday, SHKP had found buyers for all 128 flats offered at listed prices in Phase 2C(2) of the developm...

China’s Type 051C gets a refit as the PLA Navy’s legacy warships near retirement

China’s Type 051C gets a refit as the PLA Navy’s legacy warships near retirement

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China’s Type 051C destroyer Shenyang has been spotted undergoing sea trials after a reported refit, as the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) begins phasing out legacy warships following the commissioning of a massive wave of new vessels. Witness photographs circulating on social media appear to show the Shenyang, hull number 115 and lead ship of the Type 051C class, with its Russian-made hardware rep...

China AI researcher rises to Xiaomi’s top level in 10 months, talks work-life balance

China AI researcher rises to Xiaomi’s top level in 10 months, talks work-life balance

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Beijing-based smartphone and electric vehicle giant Xiaomi announced in mid-October that it would promote 31-year-old Luo Fuli to its highest-level position, once again putting the “AI prodigy” at the centre of heated discussion. The move came 10 months after Luo joined the company as head of its large language model (LLM) unit. Luo attracted significant public attention in late 2024, when Xiaomi ...

Attitudes shifting in Hong Kong’s favour as city reaps Apec benefits: Paul Chan

Attitudes shifting in Hong Kong’s favour as city reaps Apec benefits: Paul Chan

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Hong Kong has reaped the benefits of the Apec finance ministers’ meeting with foreign political leaders broadly supporting cross-border digital finance development and showing renewed appreciation for the city, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po has said. Following the conclusion of the two-day milestone meeting on Wednesday, Chan said senior officials and representatives had discussions in a sin...

‘Nepo baby’ uproar in Philippines after Gen Z jet-setter named urban poor commissioner

‘Nepo baby’ uproar in Philippines after Gen Z jet-setter named urban poor commissioner

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A Gen Z jet-setter in the Philippines has been named commissioner for the urban poor, raising eyebrows over her qualifications for a position dealing with issues such as food and housing insecurity. Zofia Canlas took her oath as commissioner for the Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor (PCUP) on Monday, but drew widespread attention for social media photos depicting a fashion-forward lifesty...

Apec meeting highlights Hong Kong’s ‘Going Global’ pathway

Apec meeting highlights Hong Kong’s ‘Going Global’ pathway

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Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) nations agreed to boost economic coordination amid mounting challenges after a meeting of finance ministers in Hong Kong. “We note that global imbalances have persisted, creating risks to growth and stability,” the finance ministers said in a joint statement following two days of talks. “We recognise that global rebalancing is in our common interest and agr...

Hong Kong sees last-minute IPO cancellations amid increased regulatory checks, weak market

Hong Kong sees last-minute IPO cancellations amid increased regulatory checks, weak market

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Hong Kong’s tougher oversight and weak investor demand have put many mainland China issuers in a dilemma, forcing many small-cap non-technology firms to delay their fundraising plans or even cancel them at the last minute, according to industry players. On Tuesday Jiangsu Slender West Lake Culture and Tourism (SWL Tour) became the latest such case, when the state-owned aquatic tourism service prov...

For Filipinos, virtual assistant trumps doctor as ‘dream job’. But what’s the reality?

For Filipinos, virtual assistant trumps doctor as ‘dream job’. But what’s the reality?

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When Mark Ifurung left his 18-year career as an IT professional in May, he was happy to ditch his two-hour commutes from his home in Cavite province south of Manila to his office in Makati City. So for his fresh start, the 40-year-old father of four wanted something that would allow him to work from home. “After being unemployed for five months, I decided to explore freelancing,” he said. “With my...

Can China turn national power into world leadership?

Can China turn national power into world leadership?

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As turbulence grows in many countries, it is tempting to ask if there is a global hegemon that can sort everything out fairly. US President Donald Trump has threatened that his country would not defend Nato allies if they failed to spend enough on their defence. Together with new trade barriers, his words suggest that the US is scaling back its ambitions for global leadership and concentrating mor...

Apec finance ministers reach consensus on AI, digital financing in Hong Kong

Apec finance ministers reach consensus on AI, digital financing in Hong Kong

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Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) finance chiefs reached a consensus on economic policy coordination and cooperation on financing technology and artificial intelligence at a landmark two-day gathering in Hong Kong, according to China’s finance minister. Lan Foan said the outcomes achieved during the Apec Finance Ministers’ Meeting would help shape discussions at the leaders’ summit in Shenz...

Strongest storm of the year barrels towards Taiwan and mainland China

Strongest storm of the year barrels towards Taiwan and mainland China

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As Super Typhoon Champi – now the strongest storm of the year worldwide – barrels towards eastern China, authorities are planning evacuations and urging those in its path to prepare. Airports in major Chinese cities could be affected by the storm, including Wenzhou Longwan, Fuzhou Changle, Ningbo Lishe, Hangzhou Xiaoshan, Shanghai Hongqiao, Shanghai Pudong and Xiamen Gaoqi, according to aviation d...

Liberty, equality, tear gas: no nation does mass protests quite like France

Liberty, equality, tear gas: no nation does mass protests quite like France

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When the French fight high fuel taxes, they don yellow vests and march. When angry farmers want better pay, hundreds of them drive tractors down the Champs-Elysees. And when museum workers want better tourist management, they strike and shut down the Louvre. Passionate public protest is as French as “La Marseillaise”, the 1792 anthem that enshrines the collective duty to fight tyranny in the count...

Malaysia bars civil servants from using Waze, citing Israel’s control of app

Malaysia bars civil servants from using Waze, citing Israel’s control of app

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All civil servants in Malaysia have been banned from using Waze, following a warning by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim of security concerns over the Israeli government’s control of the mobile navigation app. The government announced the decision after a National Cyber Security Committee (NCSC) meeting chaired by Anwar on Tuesday, according to an official circular. “In this regard, all ministry secre...

‘Nothing is set in stone’: Peak lighting project suspended amid tree damage fears

‘Nothing is set in stone’: Peak lighting project suspended amid tree damage fears

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A controversial lighting project along a walking trail on The Peak “is not set in stone yet”, authorities have said, with the South China Morning Post learning that related works have been suspended amid mounting complaints that the installations are damaging the environment. The project’s future remains uncertain after residents accused the Tourism Board of removing trees and flowers to make way ...

Outcry after Peak walking trail ‘marred’ by controversial lighting project

Outcry after Peak walking trail ‘marred’ by controversial lighting project

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Work on a controversial lighting project along walking trails on The Peak has been suspended amid mounting complaints that the installations were damaging the environment, the South China Morning Post has learned. The project’s future remains uncertain after residents accused the Tourism Board of removing trees and flowers to make way for the installations, while a lawmaker said a district council...

Work on Hong Kong’s Peak trail light project suspended amid environmental outcry

Work on Hong Kong’s Peak trail light project suspended amid environmental outcry

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Work on a controversial lighting project along walking trails on The Peak has been suspended amid mounting complaints that the installations were damaging the environment, the South China Morning Post has learned. The project’s future remains uncertain after residents accused the Tourism Board of removing trees and flowers to make way for the installations, while a lawmaker said a district council...

‘Mourning run’ or clout chase? South Korea divided over runner’s death tributes

‘Mourning run’ or clout chase? South Korea divided over runner’s death tributes

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South Korean social media posts displaying users’ running records to honour a local woman who died at a Seoul marathon have raised debate over the appropriateness of the gesture for mourning. Yoo Ji-won, a 25-year-old graduate student at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science Technology, collapsed just 500 metres (1,600 feet) from the finish line of the 2026 Seoul Race half-marathon on October 11...

Queen Elizabeth visits Hong Kong for the last time in 1986 – from the SCMP archive

Queen Elizabeth visits Hong Kong for the last time in 1986 – from the SCMP archive

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This article was first published on October 22, 1986. ‘Our thoughts will always be with you’: Queen confident on HK future Hongkong gave Queen Elizabeth a warm and enthusiastic reception yesterday (October 21, 1986) when she arrived for her long-awaited visit. And in return she gave the people a message of confidence in the future. Fresh from her triumphant tour of the mainland, the Queen told a w...

Singapore hits back over claims it rigged Indonesia’s stock market crash

Singapore hits back over claims it rigged Indonesia’s stock market crash

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Singapore’s state investor Temasek has denied involvement in Indonesia’s looming MSCI reclassification, following accusations that the city state’s sovereign wealth funds were pulling strings behind the scenes for their own gain. On Wednesday, Fock Wai Hoong, head of Asia-Pacific at Temasek Global Investments, said the claims had “no basis” and were “patently untrue”. Former Indonesian trade minis...

China-US team’s ‘gold factory’ relic; next-gen diabetes care: 7 science highlights

China-US team’s ‘gold factory’ relic; next-gen diabetes care: 7 science highlights

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We have put together stories from our coverage on science from the past two weeks to help you stay informed. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. China breakthrough unlocks low-cost, high-margin sustainable aviation fuel Chinese researchers have developed a catalyst that converts synthesis gas into sustainable jet fuel – an advance that could boost produc...

Does Singapore’s tougher stance on haze mark an inflection point?

Does Singapore’s tougher stance on haze mark an inflection point?

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Singapore has warned it will go after companies responsible for the forest fires in Indonesia causing the regional haze, but cross-border challenges remain stumbling blocks to solving a problem that has plagued the city state for decades. Analysts point to long-standing obstacles hampering the country’s decade-old haze legislation, such as complex corporate ownership and opaque transboundary suppl...

Abby Choi’s ex-father-in-law pocketed HK$7 million rebate on flat purchase: court

Abby Choi’s ex-father-in-law pocketed HK$7 million rebate on flat purchase: court

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The former father-in-law of slain Hong Kong socialite Abby Choi Tin-fung received a cash rebate of nearly HK$7 million (US$891,900) after buying a HK$72 million flat using the model’s money, a court has heard. Property agent Marco Wong Tak-sing told the High Court on Wednesday that Kwong Kau had requested a share of the agency’s profit from the 2019 sale of the luxury flat at the Kadooria developm...

‘How much longer?’ Chau Tin-yu’s father hits out at last-minute delay to doctor’s hearing

‘How much longer?’ Chau Tin-yu’s father hits out at last-minute delay to doctor’s hearing

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A high-profile disciplinary hearing for a doctor accused of leaving a girl in a vegetative state six years ago has been adjourned pending a coroner’s inquest, a decision the girl’s father learned of just a week before proceedings were due to begin. The Medical Council informed Eddie Chau, father of Chau Tin-yu, on Tuesday night that the hearing, originally scheduled to start on October 27, would b...

‘How much longer?’Chau Tin-yu’s father hits out at last-minute delay to doctor’s hearing

‘How much longer?’Chau Tin-yu’s father hits out at last-minute delay to doctor’s hearing

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A high-profile disciplinary hearing for a doctor accused of leaving a girl in a vegetative state six years ago has been adjourned pending a coroner’s inquest, a decision the girl’s father learned of just a week before proceedings were due to begin. The Medical Council informed Eddie Chau, father of Chau Tin-yu, on Tuesday night that the hearing, originally scheduled to start on October 27, would b...

‘How much longer?’: Chau Tin-yu’s father hits out at last-minute delay to doctor’s hearing

‘How much longer?’: Chau Tin-yu’s father hits out at last-minute delay to doctor’s hearing

SCMP •

A high-profile disciplinary hearing into a doctor accused of leaving a girl in a vegetative state six years ago has been adjourned pending a coroner’s inquest, a decision the girl’s father learned of just a week before proceedings were due to begin. The Medical Council informed Eddie Chau, father of Chau Tin-yu, on Tuesday night that the hearing, originally scheduled to start on October 27, would ...

South Korean bulk buying hits record US$1.1 billion as shoppers trim food bills

South Korean bulk buying hits record US$1.1 billion as shoppers trim food bills

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A monthly trip to Costco has become routine this year for Kim Eun-young. The 42-year-old mother of two living in Seoul’s Gwangjin district used to pick up what she needed at a nearby supermarket, but rising prices prompted her to change her shopping habits. She said buying groceries and household essentials in bulk seemed more economical, at least for her family of four. “The bill is bigger each t...