Hong Kong customs seizes 278 million cigarettes in tobacco smuggling crackdown
Hong Kong customs seized 278 million illicit cigarettes with an estimated market value of HK$1.25 billion (US$160.3 million) in more than 80 cases in the first half of the year as part of a cross-regional tobacco smuggling crackdown.
The Customs and Excise Department said on Thursday that it had strengthened cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region to curb the inflow of illicit cigarettes since November last year.
The 278 million contraband cigarettes seized in 84 large-scale cases during the...
Killings of 2 Japanese men in Manila linked to overseas hit order: police
The shooting deaths of two Japanese men in central Manila last week were part of a 9 million Philippine pesos (US$157,000) contract killing allegedly ordered by a “boss” based in Japan, according to the capital’s police.
Two suspects arrested over the attack claimed the order had come from overseas, Police Lieutenant Colonel Alfonso Saligumba III told reporters during a press conference late Wednesday at Manila City Hall.
Brothers Abel and Albert Manabat, who remain in custody, are accused of...
Kuaishou to pay first dividend since Hong Kong IPO as AI tools lift results
Kuaishou Technology on Thursday declared a special dividend totalling HK$2 billion (US$256 million), marking the first time China’s No 2 short video app operator will make such payment since its US$5.4 billion Hong Kong listing in 2021.
The Beijing-based company said it would pay a special dividend of HK$0.46 per share after reporting better-than-expected financial results in the second quarter, driven by gains made from its artificial intelligence tools, according to its filing. Dividend...
Will China be Ukraine’s security guarantor? Unlikely, despite Russia’s wishes
Resource constraints and precedent mean China is unlikely to become one of Ukraine’s security guarantors – despite Russia’s suggestion that it could, according to analysts.
With rising expectations for a face-to-face meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky, security guarantees for Kyiv have taken centre stage in discussions about a peace deal with Moscow to end Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War II.
During a press conference on...
Hong Kong police seek public’s help to find missing father and son
Hong Kong police have appealed for the public’s help to find a father and his 12-year-old son, who went missing in Hung Hom 10 days ago.
The force said on Thursday that Tong Kin, 49, and Theo Tong Mang-shun were last seen on Po Loi Street on Monday last week. Their family filed a report this Tuesday.
According to a police description, the father is 1.73 metres (5.67 feet) tall, weighs about 65kg (143lbs) and has a thin build. He is described as having a long face and short black hair.
Theo Tong...
China-Canada canola fallout, Beijing’s rocket launcher: SCMP daily highlights
Catch up on some of SCMP’s biggest China stories of the day. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing.
1. Planting trees could lead to droughts in parts of US and Asia: Chinese-led study
Planting trees in some parts of the world could cause droughts, according to a Chinese-led study that suggested greening efforts should take regional conditions into account to be effective.
2. China is turning away from Canadian canola. Will Australia fill the gap?
Canada’s...
Tech war: DeepSeek hints China close to unveiling ‘next generation’ AI chips
Chinese artificial intelligence start-up DeepSeek said that China will soon have home-grown “next generation” chips for AI stacking, fanning speculation over breakthroughs China may have achieved.
In a one-line note on its official WeChat account explaining the “UE8M0 FP8 scale” of its newly released model V3.1, the Hangzhou-based firm said that the model was particularly designed “for the home-grown chips to be released soon”. It did not specify the vendor of these chips or whether their use...
Overseas AI data centre demand powers up China’s diesel generator exports
China’s exports of diesel generator sets are on the rise as the global boom in artificial intelligence (AI) drives investment in data centres, which in turn is fuelling demand for reliable backup power systems – an area where diesel units remain critical.
Analysts said diesel generator sets sell for higher prices overseas, opening up vast opportunities for overseas market growth.
In the first seven months of this year, China exported 502,463 diesel generator sets, up more than 20 per cent year...
Hong Kong judges, Jimmy Lai’s lawyers lock horns over ‘armchair punditry’
Lawyers for former Hong Kong media boss Jimmy Lai Chee-ying have argued that his “armchair punditry” did not support prosecutors’ contention that he masterminded a conspiracy to instigate Western sanctions, prompting a judge to note that his comments could be interpreted as “disguised requests”.
Lai’s lawyers and the three presiding judges hearing his national security trial found themselves entangled in a recurring debate on the interpretation of allegedly incriminating remarks made by the...
Hong Kong police arrest 10 in crackdown on HK$4 million upskirt photo operation
Hong Kong police have arrested 10 people for allegedly operating a social media group selling upskirt photos of women, with suspected criminal proceeds reaching about HK$4 million (US$512,100).
Senior Superintendent Frances Lee King-hei of the force’s cybersecurity and technology crime bureau said on Wednesday that the force had found more than 15,000 upskirt images in a social media chat group operated by the syndicate.
She added that 2,000 of the images were of uniformed female students, with...
Trump’s talks with Putin, Zelensky signal end of multilateral security
The recent back-to-back meetings in Alaska and Washington offer a troubling portrait of today’s security order. Rather than demonstrating a collective search for peace, these spectacles highlight a drift towards unilateralism, great-power deals and a hollowing out of multilateral security frameworks.
The meeting in Anchorage, Alaska, between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin revealed how easily Europe’s security can be reshaped behind closed doors, while the hastily...
India to ban ‘harmful’ online money games, threatening US$3.6 billion industry
India’s parliament on Thursday passed a bill to ban online games played with money in a move that threatens the survival of the popular fantasy gaming sector, after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government flagged the high risk of financial harm.
The sudden ban has shocked an industry backed by venture capital firms like Tiger Global and Peak XV Partners and which was set to be worth US$3.6 billion in India by 2029.
Executives fear imminent job losses and a complete shutdown of many app-based...
Huawei opens Douyin account to promote HiSilicon as it expands chip design work
Huawei Technologies has opened an account on Douyin, China’s version of TikTok, to promote the custom design services of its HiSilicon chip unit, even as the company continues to maintain a cloak of secrecy around its Kirin smartphone and Ascend AI chips.
The Douyin account, set up by HiSilicon (Shanghai), said the company aimed to “enable smart devices for a fully connected world.”
As of Thursday, it had three posts and nearly 50,000 followers. The first post, published on Wednesday, was a...
China calls for joint patrols on Afghan border and counterterror cooperation
China has called for greater counterterrorism cooperation with Afghanistan, including joint patrols along the narrow strip of land that forms their only shared border.
“China supports the prompt resumption of bilateral patrols in the Wakhan Corridor to maintain peace and stability in the border region,” Foreign Minister Wang Yi said during a meeting with the Afghan acting minister of interior affairs, Sirajuddin Haqqani.
The Wakhan Corridor is a narrow strip of mountainous Afghan territory that...
First security guarantees, then Putin summit, Ukraine’s Zelensky says
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he could meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, but only after his allies agreed on security guarantees for Ukraine that would deter future Russian attacks once the fighting stops.
In comments released on Thursday, he also warned both sides were preparing for further fighting, with Russia building up troops on the southern front line and Ukraine test-launching a new long-range cruise missile.
US President Donald Trump is seeking to end Russia’s...
Hong Kong, mainland Chinese authorities arrest 42, foil people-smuggling ring
Hong Kong and mainland Chinese law enforcement agencies have arrested 42 people in a crackdown on a cross-border people-smuggling syndicate that allegedly sold workers forged identity cards, housed them in subdivided flats and placed them in low-paid jobs.
Chief Inspector Lau Ho-Tak of the organised crime and triad bureau said on Thursday that the cross-border operation took place the previous day, with 30 suspects arrested in the city and 12 others apprehended across the border.
According to...
DeepSeek’s upgraded AI model absorbs reasoning feature in agentic shift
Chinese artificial intelligence start-up DeepSeek said on Thursday that its newly released V3.1 model supported both “think” and “non-think” modes, marking the firm’s “first step towards the agent era” – a shift that suggests a change in its research focus and and the possibility it would forgo the highly anticipated R2 reasoning model.
The “think” mode on DeepSeek’s namesake chatbot was previously powered by its R1 reasoning model that garnered global attention after its release in January,...
Hong Kong set for hot weather of up to 33 degrees before thunderstorm from Sunday
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Hong Kong is bracing for scorching heat before showers and thunderstorms return from Sunday amid a developing area of low pressure, according to the city’s weather forecaster.
The mercury may reach 33 degrees Celsius (91.4 degrees Fahrenheit) or higher on Friday and Saturday due to an...
‘Textbook misinformation’: China rejects New Zealand security accusations
China has rejected claims that it is a growing espionage threat to New Zealand, calling the suggestions in Wellington’s latest intelligence report “groundless” and “riddled with ideological bias”.
In the annual report released on Thursday, New Zealand said it was facing its toughest national security challenges, with increasing threats of foreign interference and espionage.
It said Beijing was the “most active” player in this interference, an escalation from last year when it labelled China a...
2 children rescued after hanging from balcony in China
Two children were seen dangling from a 12th-storey balcony in southwestern China’s Guizhou province. Someone in a nearby building immediately reported it to management, resulting in the kids’ rescue.
In major escalation, Israel begins new Gaza City offensive, amid ceasefire calls
Israel hammered Gaza City and its outskirts overnight, residents said on Thursday, after the defence ministry approved an expanded offensive to target the remaining Hamas strongholds in the strip.
The newly approved plan authorises the call-up of roughly 60,000 reservists, deepening fears the campaign will worsen the already catastrophic humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian territory.
“We are not waiting. We have begun the preliminary actions, and already now, IDF (army) troops are holding the...
Planting trees could lead to droughts in parts of US and Asia: Chinese-led study
Planting trees in some parts of the world could cause droughts, according to a Chinese-led study that suggested greening efforts should take regional conditions into account to be effective.
Through a complex multi-decade study of vegetation and soil moisture patterns combining several databases and models, the researchers found that nearly half of the world had experienced a pattern of “greening-drying.”
This included parts of the United States, Central Asia, Central Africa, inland Europe,...
Idea of sending German troops to post-war Ukraine slammed as ‘dangerous’
Allied talk of sending European peacekeeping forces to protect Ukraine as part of a possible peace deal with Russia has sparked a backlash in Germany, a country still scarred by its militaristic Nazi past, even if the prospect remains remote.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz has signalled openness to German participation in a possible peacekeeping mission in Ukraine while emphasising that such a decision would require coordination with European partners and his own coalition.
He also noted that any...
China and India are rebuilding relations, but will it be ‘a cold peace’?
From a new border agreement to resuming direct flights and deepening economic cooperation, China and India appear to be entering a new diplomatic chapter following Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s first visit to New Delhi in three years.
There could be a further thaw in ties when Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi travels to Tianjin at the end of the month – his first trip to China in seven years – for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit, when he could also meet Chinese leader Xi...
‘Thank you for your attention to this matter’: Newsom cranks up Trump meme war
All-caps hyperbole, wild accusations and idiosyncratic spelling: not just an average Wednesday on Donald Trump’s Truth Social feed, but a new digital media strategy for California Governor Gavin Newsom that is delighting Democrats – and riling Republicans.
Newsom – hotly tipped for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination – has been parodying Trump with a series of posts written in the Republican leader’s distinct style that he hopes will show his party how to beat the social media master at...
China’s shipments of major fertiliser surge 600%, signalling softer export curbs
Chinese shipments of urea – a major fertiliser and chemical used to reduce emissions – have surged after Beijing reportedly eased an export ban imposed last year to curb domestic prices and maintain food security.
Analysts said exports of the chemical – a type of nitrogen used in agriculture as well as to curb diesel and industrial emissions – may continue rising in August and September, as a large portion of the quota remained unused and shipments to India might resume.
China exported 567,184...
Death or deflection? South Korea’s Kim Keon-hee plays victim card in jail
South Korea’s jailed former first lady Kim Keon-hee is casting herself as a victim of political persecution to rally sympathy and blunt the impact of mounting corruption charges, analysts say.
Since August 12, the 52-year-old has been held at the Seoul Nambu Detention Centre, awaiting trial on charges including bribery, stock manipulation and accepting illicit political funds.
Her husband, the impeached former president Yoon Suk-yeol, is already behind bars over his botched December 3 martial...
Can China’s hugely popular mini dramas find success in the US?
The massive success of China’s mini dramas at home has prompted the industry to set its sights more squarely on the global market, with ever more studios exploring potential in North America, Southeast Asia and beyond.
The productions going overseas include translated Chinese dramas and original ones made with local teams.
The push comes as Beijing urges more mainland productions to improve the quality of on-air content. A document released on Monday said more support would be given for...
Chinese woman seeks refuge from rain in shop, buys lottery ticket, wins US$140,000
A Chinese woman who sought shelter from the rain in a lottery shop and casually bought a scratch card has won a million yuan (US$140,000), astonishing and delighting many people online.
On August 8 in Yuxi, Yunnan province, southwestern China, an unidentified woman was caught in a sudden downpour and stepped into a lottery shop in the Hongta District to take cover.
According to the store owner, the woman asked: “Do you have scratch cards here? Since I am stuck in the rain, I might as well play a...
Jailed French researcher faces new Russian espionage charge, court says
French researcher Laurent Vinatier, already jailed in Russia on charges of violating the country’s “foreign agent” laws, now faces a new espionage charge, according to court documents cited by Russian news agencies.
Vinatier was jailed for three years last October for failing to comply with laws requiring individuals deemed “foreign agents” to register and meet a number of stipulations. His appeal against the sentence was thrown out in February.
The FSB security service had accused Vinatier of...
Hong Kong’s rally has room to run on ‘reasonable’ valuations: Templeton
Hong Kong stocks remain favourable, as attractive valuations and easing tariff uncertainty have enhanced the predictability of corporate earnings on the city’s stock market, according to US fund manager Franklin Templeton.
The firm, which manages US$1.5 trillion of assets worldwide, was “constructive” on Hong Kong and mainland China’s stock markets, as the valuations remained reasonable and Beijing had introduced supportive policies, said Ferdinand Cheuk, portfolio manager at Templeton Global...
US, Nato planners start to craft Ukraine security guarantee options
US and European military planners have begun exploring post-conflict security guarantees for Ukraine, US officials and sources said on Tuesday, following US President Donald Trump’s pledge to help protect the country under any deal to end Russia’s war.
Ukraine and its European allies have been buoyed by Trump’s promise during a summit on Monday of security guarantees for Kyiv, but many questions remain unanswered.
Officials told Reuters that the Pentagon is carrying out planning exercises on the...
‘Treat drones like bullets’: Taiwan seeks around 50,000 UAVs over two years
Taiwan is moving to buy nearly 50,000 drones over the next two years as it seeks to bolster its asymmetric combat capabilities against mounting military pressure from Beijing.
The move comes as the island’s military prepares to classify unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) as consumables to accelerate procurement – a policy that mirrors a recent shift by the United States.
According to a recent tender notice published on the Taiwanese government’s procurement website, the defence ministry’s Armaments...
80 years on: marking the end of World War II
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‘I love it’: Trump falls for Zelensky’s dapper look, months after scolding him
The fates of nations have rarely, if ever, been decided by sartorial choices.
But Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was certainly hoping that a spot of fashion diplomacy on Monday could get US counterpart Donald Trump to help his country reach a peace deal with Russia.
Despite the life-and-death matters unfolding in Ukraine, much of the speculation among the White House press corps was about whether Zelensky would wear a suit.
In February, Ukraine’s wartime leader was ridiculed by a...
Hong Kong 47: Tiffany Yuen freed after over 4 years in prison
Tiffany Yuen Ka-wai, one of 47 Hong Kong opposition figures charged in the city’s largest national security case so far, has been released from prison after serving a sentence of four years and three months.
Yuen, a former member of the Southern District Council, left Lo Wu Correctional Institution at around 5.40am on Tuesday. According to local media, two black seven-seaters with their curtains drawn were seen leaving the compound, believed to be transporting Yuen.
A source said the 31-year-old...
HKU virologist says next pandemic inevitable and world may not be ready
In the fourth instalment of a series to mark the 10th anniversary of the Future Science Prize, Victoria Bela and Holly Chik look at Professor Malik Peiris’s contributions to public health and virology, which earned him the 2021 award in life science. Click here for parts one, two and three.
The next pandemic is inevitable, yet the world may not be any better prepared than it was before Covid-19, a top virologist has warned, and to prevent it, a more resilient world integrating human, animal and...
Xtep’s interim profit rises as China’s running craze lifts Saucony sales
Xtep International Holdings’ interim earnings surged to a record, as the sportswear maker and distributor of the Saucony brand of running shoes benefited from the new-found popularity of marathons and trail running in China.
Net profit rose to a record 913.6 million yuan (US$127.3 million) in the first half, 6.4 per cent more than the revised interim earnings last year, Xtep said in a statement on Monday. Sales increased 7.1 per cent to 6.84 billion yuan, from the restated revenue of 6.38...
Japan man offers ‘sex or insemination’ sperm donation service, helps 7 get pregnant
A sperm donor in Japan who helps women get pregnant by actually sleeping with them has sparked lively online discussion.
The 38-year-old, known by the alias Hajime, also offers a no-sex insemination option using his sperm.
An office worker based in the port city of Osaka on the island of Honshu, Hajime began his sperm donating journey after he received a desperate plea from an infertile friend five years ago.
“My university friend told me he lacked sperm and could not have children with his...
Could Hong Kong, mainland China benefit from more cross-border clinical trials?
Hong Kong patients could benefit from taking part in more clinical trials in mainland China, and vice versa for those on the other side of the border, according to the CEO of a government-owned institute that is exploring the projects and looking to boost biomedical innovation in the Greater Bay Area.
Professor Bernard Cheung Man-yung, CEO of the Greater Bay Area International Clinical Trial Institute, said his organisation would explore initiatives that benefited patients.
“Can a patient from...
Hong Kong banks face AI and green finance talent shortage by 2030, study shows
Hong Kong lenders were expected to face a talent shortage in AI, green finance and expertise related to the Middle East and Asean markets over the next five years, according to a study led by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA).
“We want to see local banks provide more training for their staff to upgrade their knowledge and skills to plug the talent shortage gap, instead of using higher pay to fight for talent from other banks,” Arthur Yuen Kwok-hang, deputy chief executive of the HKMA, said...
Singapore’s Lawrence Wong vows to keep city state ‘exceptional’
Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong mapped out his vision for the city state on Sunday in his first National Day Rally since his ruling party won the general election in May, promising to expand on a cross-border economic initiative and inject new life to northern towns.
Noting that the country was at a critical juncture after marking its 60th year of independence on August 9, Wong outlined long-term policy plans to “take charge of our own destiny” in an era of global uncertainty with...
Films from Egypt, Hungary, Kazakhstan and Turkey debut at Hong Kong festival
Films from four countries involved in China’s Belt and Road Initiative – Egypt, Hungary, Kazakhstan and Turkey – have been included in a Hong Kong film festival for the first time.
The third edition of the Asean Film Festival, taking place in Hong Kong between August 7 and 31, features 24 films from 14 countries.
In a reply to the Post, the Turkish consulate said the inclusion of films from the country significantly enhanced cultural exchange in Hong Kong by showcasing Turkey’s rich cinematic...
New Chinese see-through brain technique offers clearest look inside its workings
Chinese scientists have developed a technology that can make organs such as the brain or the heart transparent, allowing an exceptionally clear view of their inner workings.
The new method produced “highly accurate and vivid” 3D images of organs by preserving the integrity of their biological structures and enhancing the brightness of the fluorescent dyes scientists use to highlight cells and molecules.
The Tsinghua University-led team wrote in the journal Cell that this method was capable of...
Ride-hailing account used by driver working ‘without Hong Kong ID card’ blocked
A ride-hailing service provider has permanently blocked a driver’s account after it was found to have been illegally used by another man in a case investigated by police.
The case came to light on Monday when a passenger filmed his ride-hailing experience, with his driver admitting that he did not hold a Hong Kong identity card, suggesting he was not permitted to work in the city.
The trip was arranged by a service provider, Universe Call, for the Amap ride-hailing platform.
Universe Call said...
Taiwan unveils ‘carrier killer’ plans in bid to deter mainland Chinese forces
Taiwan is developing a next-generation anti-ship missile in a move that defence analysts have described as potentially a major boost to the island’s ability to deter mainland China’s expanding naval power.
In a list issued under the Defence Industry Development Act, Taiwan’s defence ministry announced a new weapon described as a “long-range subsonic anti-ship cruise missile”.
The list said the island’s military would spend NT$40 million (US$1.4 million) next year and the year after that to buy...
Thailand-Cambodia ‘deep mistrust’ tests Asean’s peacekeeping role
The deployment of Asean observers along the Cambodia-Thailand border can help ensure peace, but deep mistrust between both sides may limit the regional bloc’s role as gatekeeper amid a shaky truce.
Cambodia and Thailand have agreed to allow observers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) to be stationed on either side of the divide and help monitor a tenuous ceasefire after a deadly five-day border conflict last month.
The August 7 agreement was forged under a General Border...
Taiwan’s chipmakers fear costly choice: Trump’s tariffs or US factories
Taiwan’s export-reliant economy is under mounting pressure following US President Donald Trump’s declaration that Washington would impose a 100 per cent tariff on imported semiconductors – unless companies establish operations in the United States.
The latest blow came as a 20 per cent US tariff on Taiwanese goods took effect on Thursday, affecting a wide range of industries including machine tools, plastic goods, and agricultural exports such as orchids and seafood.
The dual tariff threats have...
Ant Digital promotes blockchain platform as Hong Kong implements stablecoin law
Ant Digital, an affiliate of Chinese fintech giant Ant Group, is promoting its blockchain platform for asset tokenisation in Hong Kong, a week after the city’s stablecoin law came into effect.
Ant is positioning itself as a “portal” that connects Web2 and Web3, “providing more credible assets to Web3 and more compliant capital to Web2”, Bian Zhuoqun, vice-president of Ant Group and president of blockchain business at Ant Digital, said at an event in Hong Kong on Thursday.
The company aimed to...
‘No kill switches and back doors’: Nvidia reasserts security of its AI chips
Semiconductor giant Nvidia reasserted the security of its AI processors in a blog post on Tuesday, pointing out that inserting weaknesses into chips would “undermine global digital infrastructure and fracture trust in US technology”.
“There are no back doors in Nvidia chips. No kill switches. No spyware,” the post said. “That’s not how trustworthy systems are built – and never will be.”
According to the post written by Nvidia chief security officer David Reber Jnr, graphics processing units...
China’s property slump may be bottoming, as analysts point to signs
China’s slumping property market may finally be reaching a bottom, as credit has resumed flowing to developers while the nationwide inventory of unsold homes has shrunk, analysts said.
The decline in China’s new home sales this year may slow to 7 per cent, Fitch Ratings said on Tuesday after revising its forecast from a previous decline of 15 per cent, due to the better-than-expected performance of the property market in the first half. The credit-rating agency also lowered its forecast of the...
