News - South China Morning Post

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Oslo on Tuesday for talks with top US envoys in a bid to get strained relations with Washington “on a more constructive path”, the Norwegian government said.

Malaysia’s main opposition coalition lost its registration on Tuesday, just 11 days before nominations for a state election, drawing accusations that Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s government is using state powers to cripple its rivals.

Two days have passed since the scenes of chaos and looting on Saturday, but walking down Rue Beaurepaire in Paris on Monday, one can still smell smoke in the air, likely coming from the heaps of burned rubbish and charred bicycles left among the smashed s…

Hong Kong authorities will focus on incorporating infrastructure monitoring into the first phase of their AI-powered urban management system, while exploring its expansion into public services in later stages.

Suzhou Dongshan Precision Manufacturing raised less than expected in its Hong Kong initial public offering (IPO), as investors weighed potential US trade restrictions on its optical modules business amid the city’s cautious appetite for mega listings, ana…

Two Singaporean men lost their positions in the armed forces after they were convicted of having sex with a 15-year-old boy.

A country need not run out of money to find itself in a debt crisis.

Chinese carmakers, facing a European Union import quota targeting their hybrid electric vehicles (EVs), are gearing up for more local production to reinforce their go-global drive.

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.

Slain Hong Kong socialite Abby Choi Tin-fung did not have enough cash to cover her expenses in the year before her death, her former driver has told her murder trial.

A Chinese student who draped himself in the Japanese rising sun flag in a Russian university classroom has been expelled and asked to leave the country, according to state-run newspaper Global Times.

Calls to boycott a Malaysian Chinese-owned coffee-shop chain over its omission of Malay text from its menu have reignited arguments over race and national identity, as political parties jostle to court the country’s majority ethnic group ahead of the next…

Universiti Malaya student Ummi Umairah Bakhit, who went viral recently for questioning the donation of money to former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak, has spoken out against what she described as cyberbullying, political obsession and emotional loya…

The owner of a luxury house in Hong Kong has been fined HK$255,800 (US$32,600) for persistently failing to comply with a statutory removal order even after previously being prosecuted seven times for illegal site works and unauthorised structures found at…

Malaysia’s government will publicly release the findings of a special task force on corporate malfeasance in three months, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said on Tuesday, as his administration seeks to appease public anger over its perceived failure to clamp

China has lodged a formal representation with the UK after British border authorities subjected Chinese citizens to extended questioning and seizures of personal electronic devices, including mobile phones.

Geopolitical tensions and uncertainty over trade policies pose downside risks to the global economy, Hong Kong’s finance chief has warned, calling for regional efforts to safeguard stability and keep trade and investment channels open rather than creating…

Rising fuel costs, discontent with the state of schools, declining public services and a housing crisis have created perfectly stormy weather for an autumn of protests in Europe.

Filipino seafarer Jay was on lookout duty aboard a vessel passing through the Strait of Hormuz one evening in August when drones swarmed overhead, darting past his ship and two others it was following.

While Hong Kong is betting on its established banking network to bring stablecoins into mainstream finance, Singapore is seeking to make regulated digital currencies easier to use.

China is ready to commercialise a 200-kilovolt transmission electron microscope with an information resolution down to 0.1 nanometres that could introduce a new challenger into a market long dominated by the US and Japan.

Australian police said they charged a man on Tuesday for what they allege was a “targeted” attack on lawmaker and former midwife Helen Haines, who suffered critical injuries.

Thailand and Cambodia have agreed to dial down the rhetoric and use a hotline between their navy commanders to avoid flashpoints over a vast contested patch of energy-rich seas in the Gulf of Thailand, according to a UN-backed mediation panel at The Hague…

A Chinese AI girl group has sparked intense online backlash after announcing that one of its virtual members was “pregnant” to explain her departure.

A Hong Kong mother accused of neglecting her 12-year-old daughter who had been chronically underweight has been spared trial as the prosecution agreed to place her on a good behaviour bond, with the justice department saying public interest is generally a…

Saudi Arabia has decided to postpone its flagship investment conference until next year, organisers confirmed in a statement on Monday, following deadly attacks which rocked ‌the kingdom in recent weeks as the Middle East conflict widens, disrupting busin…

As South Korea seeks to attract more visitors to tap into the global popularity of K-pop, a lawmaker has warned that taxi overcharging of foreign tourists could tarnish the country’s image, with official figures pointing to a perceived lack of punishment…

Cell Press, one of the world’s leading scientific publishers, has launched an investigation after prominent Chinese biologist Rao Yi accused the editor-in-chief of a top medical journal of soliciting bribes from mainland authors.

The British Army’s miraculous escape from Nazi Germany’s encirclement at Dunkirk is considered by some to be the greatest military retreat in modern history and a prime example of snatching victory from the jaws of defeat.

When Severe Typhoon Dolphin approached eastern China in August, more than 110,000 delivery riders across Hangzhou received automatic alerts and personalised safety guidance on their mobile phones every minute.

The arrest of a Japanese journalist in Russia has finally woken Tokyo up to the fact that Moscow is playing hardball in their diplomatic relationship, and the country’s apparent unwillingness to push back with commensurate force could encourage the Kremlin

Hong Kong is opening its arms to more sovereign debt issuers, as this week’s Apec Finance Ministerial Meeting (FMM) provides a good opportunity to demonstrate the depth and advantages of the city’s financial markets.

Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi received a package from Britain’s King Charles on Monday, authorities said, releasing the first pictures of the detained Nobel laureate in two months and describing her as a “special female prisoner”.

Voters in Canada’s oil-rich Alberta province overwhelmingly backed remaining in Canada, with early referendum results Tuesday delivering a boost to Prime Minister Mark Carney’s push for national unity amid US President Donald Trump’s trade war and annexat…

US-based money manager Principal Asset Management says it is poised to become more active in Asia-Pacific property markets, believing investors have been “underweight” in the region’s office property segment.

The developer of One Stanley has offered flat owners a six-year structural warranty and free independent property inspections amid an investigation into suspected steel reinforcement deficiencies at the seaside luxury residential development in southern H…

Hong Kong travel agencies are offering tours featuring “five-minute clearance” at the revamped Huanggang Port when it opens on Monday, but the security chief has urged those who do not need to use the crossing immediately to delay their visits.

Did Chinese AI companies secretly tap US models to close the technology gap?

China’s cooperation with the Pacific islands is not part of a geopolitical competition, top diplomat Wang Yi told a delegation of politicians from the region on Friday.

China should avoid taking a “confrontational posture” over a new security pact between the United States, Denmark and Greenland as it might end up being excluded from engagement on the emerging Arctic order.

Two US lawmakers are pushing for a bill that would allow Hongkongers in the country to apply for permanent residency, but authorities and observers have dismissed it as a political move unlikely to succeed.

The world’s wealthiest man has just been appointed to a Pentagon commission that will help decide what the future of warfare looks like.

Elon Musk’s accusation that powerful Indian business interests are blocking Starlink’s entry into India has sparked a political row, but analysts say the dispute also highlights security concerns, regulatory hurdles and strategic calculations shaping the…

A video of a ride-hailing driver in southwestern China reassuring a blind passenger about his appearance has gone viral, touching hearts across mainland social media.

Polar researchers have used a would-be Chinese rival to Elon Musk’s Starlink to make a satellite video call between the Arctic and Antarctic – the first publicly reported test of the Guowang constellation.

The European Union and China “reached an understanding” on trade in hybrid electric vehicles during marathon negotiations in Beijing on Friday, China’s commerce ministry said in a statement.

Malaysia plans to spend 460 billion ringgit (US$112.6 billion) under its 2027 budget, expanding welfare assistance and tax relief while retaining fuel subsidies as households contend with higher living costs.

A 10-year-old Hong Kong girl filmed carrying heavy bags of beer will be placed in temporary care with her two siblings after welfare assessments found it would “not be suitable” for them to return home following the arrest of their parents on suspicion of…

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the younger brother ⁠of Britain’s King ⁠Charles, has benefited from £302,000 (US$399,000) in ⁠compensation after he was forced to end his mansion lease early over revelations about his ties to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epst…

A Hong Kong news commentator accused of violating the national security law has denied exposing police intelligence operations, telling a court that details of his meeting with officers were already public knowledge before he posted them online.