Frugal China PhD student in Switzerland lives on cheap meals, eats cat food
An overseas PhD student who calls himself “the most frugal Chinese in Switzerland” has gone viral after revealing that he meets his protein needs by eating cat food.
The student survives on meagre rations so that he can fund his medical doctorate. He even donates blood to get a free meal.
Known online as “The Artful Cheapskate”, he has attracted more than 12,000 followers on social media.
After graduating from medical school in China and saving 300,000 yuan (US$42,000) while working in Shanghai,...
When Typhoon Wanda wreaked havoc on Hong Kong in 1962 – SCMP archive
As Hong Hong deals with the aftermath of Super Typhoon Ragasa, we take a look at SCMP’s coverage of some of the worst storms the city has experienced. Click here to read more.
Hong Kong’s day of terror
This article was first published on September 2, 1962
Typhoon Wanda, with winds of up to 162 miles an hour, smashed its way through Hong Kong yesterday and in eight hours of terror, killed or injured hundreds, rendered nearly 20,000 homeless, and left behind it a trial of destruction such as the...
Stablecoin giant Tether seeks funding at US$500 billion valuation
Tether Holdings, issuer of the world’s largest stablecoin, is in talks with investors to raise as much as US$20 billion, a deal that could propel the cryptocurrency firm into the highest ranks of the world’s most valuable private companies.
The El Salvador-based company is seeking between US$15 billion and US$20 billion in exchange for a roughly 3 per cent stake through a private placement, according to two people familiar with the matter.
Another person involved in the process cautioned that...
Russia dismisses Trump’s ‘paper tiger’ insult, vows continued Ukraine offensive
The Kremlin on Wednesday said it had no choice but to continue its military offensive on Ukraine, as Moscow rejected US President Donald Trump’s claim that Russia was a “paper tiger”.
The comments come a day after Trump said Ukraine could win back all of its territory from Russia, which he characterised as a “paper tiger” with a failing economy – a major pivot in his stance on the three-and-a-half-year conflict.
“We are continuing our special military operation to ensure our interests and...
Zijin Gold delays US$3.2 billion listing as super typhoon hits Hong Kong
Zijin Gold International has delayed the closing of its US$3.2 billion initial public offering (IPO) – the second-largest in Hong Kong this year – to Thursday noon, a day later than previously scheduled, because of the impact of Super Typhoon Ragasa.
“As there is a tropical cyclone warning signal No 8 or above in force, and due to extreme conditions caused by the bad weather … the expected timetable of the global offering as set out in the prospectus and the formal notice will be accordingly...
South Korea’s Lee unveils ‘realistic’ peace plan – will Kim reciprocate?
South Korea’s President Lee Jae-myung has unveiled what he calls a “realistic” path to peace on the Korean peninsula, proposing that exchanges and trust-building take precedence while shelving immediate demands for Pyongyang’s denuclearisation.
Analysts say the initiative departs from the long-standing stance shared by Seoul and Washington that North Korea must first embark on denuclearisation in return for exchanges and moves towards diplomatic ties with the United States.
Lee’s proposal came...
Taiwan’s top chemist Tiow-Gan Ong leaves Taipei for Shenzhen
Malaysian-born scientist Tiow-Gan Ong, known for his pioneering work on carbon molecules and a long-time advocate of Taiwan’s open academic environment and talent retention, is embarking on a new chapter in Shenzhen.
After nearly two decades of groundbreaking research and teaching in Taiwan, Ong this month joined the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen. He was previously a researcher at the Institute of Chemistry, Academia Sinica in Taiwan.
Ong also held joint appointments as a professor...
Alibaba to boost AI spending as China tech giant sees AGI as new start
Alibaba Group Holding plans to increase its capital expenditures on artificial intelligence infrastructure from the original 380 billion yuan (US$53 billion) over the next three years, the group’s CEO said on Wednesday.
Eddie Wu Yongming, also the chairman of Alibaba Cloud, said at the Apsara Conference in Hangzhou, in China’s eastern Zhejiang province, that Alibaba’s cloud unit aimed to become “the world’s leading full-stack AI service provider” from computing power to models. Wu did not,...
Massive sinkhole swallows cars, pedestrian crossing near Bangkok hospital
A 50 metre-deep sinkhole opened in front of a Bangkok hospital early on Wednesday, sucking in cars, electricity poles and swallowing a pedestrian crossing in front of stunned commuters.
Bangkok city authorities closed roads around the Vajira Hospital on Samsen Road in the city’s historic old town at around 7am (local time) as the crater emerged, ripping apart pipes that spewed out torrents of water while toppled electricity cables sent out dangerous sparks.
Patients and residents in nearby flats...
For Hong Kong and Macau, Beijing parade was more than sheer spectacle
The military parade in Beijing to mark the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese people’s war of resistance against Japanese aggression drew global attention. In Hong Kong and Macau, where the ceremony was broadcast live, the emotions and reflections inspired were unique – admiration and pride mingling with questions and contemplation.
Some ask, as decennial parades have become routine, does this “muscle flexing” carry practical significance, given that China’s rise is now an...
Super Typhoon Ragasa: Southern China braces for full force
This live blog has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing.
Residents and officials in southern China are bracing for the full force of Super Typhoon Ragasa, the most powerful typhoon to hit the region in recent years.
By Tuesday, Guangdong province had upgraded its typhoon alert to Level 1, the highest in a four-tier warning system, as officials declared a “combat-ready” status.
China’s National Meteorological...
Mongol parents in China bind babies in sand-filled cradles to mimic mother’s embrace
Families in northern China bind babies in wooden cradles to mimic a mother’s embrace, with the cot sometimes being padded with nappies or even sand and soil.
The centuries-old practice is celebrated as parenting wisdom but has also been questioned for the discomfort it may cause.
Among nomadic families, the cradle symbolises care for a new life and hope for the future.
Long before they learn to crawl, infants in Inner Mongolia spend much of their early days nestled in a traditional cradle known...
Iran faces ‘no-win situation’ as sanctions, threat of Israeli strikes loom
With UN sanctions set to be reactivated against Iran on Sunday, Tehran finds itself facing a tough choice between capitulation to US President Donald Trump’s demands for “unconditional surrender” over its nuclear programme and further Israeli attacks.
With an equally unpalatable option of mediation by distrustful Gulf Arab neighbours that it has intimidated for decades, Tehran is playing for time in the hope that Washington can be persuaded to resume bilateral negotiations that were scuttled by...
Hong Kong’s office market picks up amid IPO boom, demand from Chinese law firms
Hong Kong’s office segment is picking up due to leasing demand from mainland Chinese law firms and financial groups, supported by a buoyant stock market that has seen an increasing number of companies launch initial public offerings (IPOs) in the city.
Office-leasing activity in August grew for a fifth straight month, with tenants absorbing 313,800 sq ft of net space, according to data compiled by JLL. The overall vacancy rate in the city increased 0.1 per cent to 13.5 per cent month on month in...
How have China’s 5-year plans shaped its economic trajectory?
Though China moved away from a command economy decades ago, its successive five-year plans have remained a pillar of macroeconomic policymaking.
Despite that seeming contradiction, under the 14 plans implemented since 1953, Beijing has turned what was a limited industrial capacity into a scale of mass production that has earned China a reputation as the “world’s factory.”
Beijing is now endeavouring to move higher in the value chain and become a global hub for innovation in cutting-edge sectors...
How you can prepare for a super typhoon as Ragasa approaches Hong Kong
Hong Kong and its neighbouring areas are on high alert as Super Typhoon Ragasa makes its way to the city, poised to bring strong winds, heavy rain and severe storm surges.
The cyclone is forecast to be closest to the city on Wednesday morning, with the Hong Kong Observatory warning that winds may reach hurricane force offshore and on high ground by then.
Hurricane-force winds refer to those that maintain a speed of at least 118km/h (73.3mph). The Observatory will raise its highest No 10 typhoon...
Super Typhoon Ragasa to be closest to Hong Kong in next hour: forecaster
This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing now for 50 per cent off during our two-day flash sale.
Hong Kong has woken up to a downpour triggered by the highest-level No 10 warning, which shut down the city, as Super Typhoon Ragasa edges as close as 100km (62 miles) south of the city.
The weather forecaster, which upgraded the No 9 signal issued at 1.40am to the hurricane warning an hour later, has said...
Legendary China scholar, Jerome Cohen, dies at 95
Jerome Cohen, a pioneering scholar of Chinese law who shaped global debates on the country’s legal system, trade, and human rights for over six decades, has died at 95.
Cohen, who died on Monday, was professor emeritus at New York University’s School of Law and the founder of its US-Asia Law Institute, as well as a senior fellow for Asia studies at the Council on Foreign Relations think tank.
The author and editor of over a dozen books and dozens of journal articles, Cohen began his career in...
Italian screen siren Claudia Cardinale dies aged 87
Sixties screen siren Claudia Cardinale, who died on Tuesday aged 87, entranced audiences across the globe with the sultry gaze that made her the muse of Luchino Visconti and Federico Fellini.
With her fierce beauty and husky voice, Cardinale not only captivated Italy’s greatest filmmakers, she played opposite most of the leading men of the time, from Burt Lancaster to Alain Delon and Henry Fonda.
She died at Nemours near Paris, in the presence of her children, her agent said, adding that the...
Trump says Ukraine can win back all land lost to ‘paper tiger’ Russia
President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that Ukraine can win back all territory lost to Russia, a dramatic shift from the US leader’s call on Kyiv to make concessions to end the war.
Trump offered his position in a social media posting soon after meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly gathering of world leaders.
Trump in part wrote: “I think Ukraine, with the support of the European Union, is in a position to fight and WIN all...
Drones disrupt Copenhagen Airport in Denmark’s worst infrastructure attack
Large drones that flew over Copenhagen Airport for hours and caused it to shut down were the “most serious attack on Danish critical infrastructure” to date, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said on Tuesday.
Airports in Copenhagen and Oslo reopened early on Tuesday, hours after unidentified drones in their airspace caused dozens of flights to be diverted or cancelled, disrupting thousands of passengers.
“This is part of the development we have recently observed with other drone attacks, airspace...
Japan’s ship-mounted rail gun hits long-range target in key test
Japan said its ship-mounted electromagnetic rail gun has successfully hit a target vessel during a recent test, a key step towards the future deployment of the next-generation weapon capable of shooting projectiles at an extremely high speed.
The Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency posted on social media earlier this month that a rail gun installed on the Maritime Self-Defence Force test ship Asuka “succeeded in long-range shooting” at a target ship. The post also included four photos...
China expands ‘circle of friends’ as overseas investors boost domestic assets
China’s top financial officials said the country’s assets have become much more attractive to overseas capital in the past year at a high-profile press conference, adding Beijing would continue to prioritise domestic economic objectives even as interest rate cuts from the US Federal Reserve have created room for looser monetary policy.
Adjustments to China’s monetary policy are “self-determined” and “data-based”, said Pan Gongsheng, governor of the People’s Bank of China, at the conference on...
US TikTok deal gives Americans 6 of 7 board seats: White House
The US operations of TikTok will be majority-owned and controlled by Americans under a deal reached this week to spin off the platform from its Chinese ownership, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said.
Speaking on Fox News, Leavitt said on Saturday that Americans would hold six of the seven board seats for TikTok and that the video app’s algorithm would be US-controlled. She added the final deal would be signed in the coming days.
Talks earlier this week between US Treasury Secretary...
Chinese exec gets 25 years in jail in US for trafficking fentanyl ingredients
A Chinese company executive has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for trafficking in chemicals used to manufacture fentanyl, the US Justice Department said on Friday.
Wang Qingzhou, 37, principal executive of Amarvel Biotech, a company based in Wuhan, and Chen Yiyi, 33, the firm’s marketing manager, were convicted in New York in February of fentanyl precusor importation and money laundering.
District Judge Paul Gardephe sentenced Wang to 25 years in prison on Friday. Chen was sentenced to 15...
China reveals more of its drone power at air show, 2 weeks after victory parade
Previously unknown drones are making their debut at the five-day Changchun air show, which opened on Friday in the provincial capital of Jilin in northeast China, just two weeks after the Victory Day military parade showcased several new models.
Among those attracting attention during pre-opening preparations was a twin-engined flying-wing tailless drone developed by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), the country’s leading scientific institution.
The show – which highlights the PLA Air Force...
Cash-strapped Hong Kong urban renewal body set to reveal proposed payout changes
Hong Kong’s cash-strapped Urban Renewal Authority (URA) will consult the public next year about its preliminary proposal to revamp a financially unsustainable compensation scheme for redevelopment-affected flat owners, a minister has said.
Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn Hon-ho on Friday gave a timeline for reviewing the statutory body’s compensation mechanism, which provides payouts equivalent to the market price of a comparable seven-year-old home in the same district.
Two days...
Hong Kong police arrest 18 over laundering HK$66 million in crime proceeds
Hong Kong police have arrested 18 people for allegedly laundering HK$66 million (US$8.5 million) in crime proceeds as part of a crackdown on a syndicate suspected of operating from hotel rooms across the city to process the money using stooge bank accounts.
The force said on Friday that the arrestees included four people suspected of acting as leading or core members, as well as 14 alleged stooge bank account holders. The group was arrested over the past two days.
“Our investigation shows that...
More Hongkongers feel anxious about using up their savings in retirement: survey
More than 70 per cent of Hongkongers fear running out of savings when they retire, while 50 per cent say they do not have a clear retirement plan, according to a recent McKinsey survey in the city, where 22 per cent of residents are over 65.
The survey found only 16 per cent of those aged from 55 to 65 and 23 per cent of those over 65 had set aside assets of more than HK$10 million (US$1.3 million) for retirement, despite financial institutions’ suggestions to have a portfolio worth HK$20...
After Fed cut, moderate easing expected by China’s central bank, supporting yuan
After the US Federal Reserve delivered its first interest rate cut of the year, analysts said China’s central bank was likely to proceed with only moderate easing this year, despite more room being available after the Fed’s move.
On Thursday morning, the People’s Bank of China (PBOC) set the yuan’s midpoint rate – also known as the daily fixing rate – at 7.1085, down from 7.1013 on Wednesday.
The move followed the Fed’s announcement on Wednesday of a widely expected 25 basis point cut to its...
How Israeli ballistic missiles bypassed Gulf airspace and hit Qatar
Israeli fighter jets over the Red Sea launched ballistic missiles to target Hamas leaders in Qatar last week, a US defence official said, in what was a novel method likely designed to overcome the energy-rich country’s air defences and avoid entering any Mideast nation’s airspace.
The September 9 attack, which killed six people in Qatar’s capital, Doha, upended months of diplomacy mediated by the Arabian Peninsula nation to reach a ceasefire in the Israel-Gaza war that has devastated the enclave...
Hong Kong to roll out AI use in 200 public service procedures by end of 2027
Hong Kong authorities are set to reshape how they deliver public services, rolling out a sweeping plan to embed AI in at least 200 administrative procedures by the end of 2027 in a bid to boost efficiency and create a more responsive, tech-driven bureaucracy.
The timeline, listed in Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s policy address on Wednesday, will result in AI tools being deployed across 100 different procedures within 2026 alone, tackling areas from data analysis and customer service to...
China warns terrorists could use AI to create and fire their own weapons
China has warned that artificial intelligence will allow people to learn how to make their own world-destroying weapons, such as nuclear missiles and biological and chemical weapons.
The real-world risk – “loss of control over knowledge and capabilities of nuclear, biological, chemical and missile weapons” – was put forward in an AI safety governance document China unveiled on Monday.
It updates the country’s first AI safety governance document that was made public last year. Both documents are...
Philippines urged to act as China cements control over Scarborough Shoal
The Philippines must move decisively beyond routine diplomatic protests in the face of China’s latest assertion of control over Scarborough Shoal, a retired Supreme Court justice has warned, as Beijing’s declaration of a vast marine nature reserve in contested waters deepens fears over regional stability and Philippine sovereignty.
“China’s declaration raises the issue of what state has sovereignty over Bajo de Masinloc – the Philippines or China,” Antonio Carpio, an ex-Supreme Court senior...
British Queen Camilla falls ill before Trump’s UK state visit
British Queen Camilla’s planned meeting with US President Donald Trump and the first lady could be hampered by illness, which she reported just hours before the Americans touched down in England.
The queen, who was scheduled to appear on Tuesday at the funeral for the Duchess of Kent, withdrew at the last minute due to “acute sinusitis” – right around the same time Air Force One was preparing to cross the Atlantic Ocean.
Buckingham Palace officials were not certain her virus would impact the...
‘A force for good’: Filipino creators mobilise against corruption
A new coalition of Filipino content creators has pledged to expose corruption and demand accountability, extending the digital crusade that has seen so-called nepo babies of the country’s elite publicly shamed for flaunting allegedly ill-gotten wealth.
The group – dubbed Creators Against Corruption (CAC) – formally launched in Pasig City on Thursday. Its members, who range from tech reviewers to horror storytellers, say their goal is to transform social media into a force for civic action amid...
Why Hong Kong should seek to co-host China’s global AI centre
Hong Kong is emerging as a possible contender to host China’s proposed World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organisation, potentially challenging Beijing’s early preference for Shanghai. We believe the choice of Hong Kong, with its evolving role in the international technological arena, could reflect a nuanced strategy on Beijing’s part to navigate escalating US-China tech tensions.
The initiative was first proposed by Chinese Premier Li Qiang in July. Hosting such a centre carries both...
UK PM condemns Musk’s ‘fight or die’ comments during anti-immigration rally
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has condemned “dangerous” comments by Elon Musk after the X and Tesla owner told an anti-immigration rally that violence is coming to Britain and they must fight or die. But the UK government resisted opposition calls to sanction Musk for the remarks.
Starmer on Monday denounced the violence that took place on the fringes of Saturday’s 100,000 or more strong “Unite the Kingdom” demonstration in London organised by far-right campaigner Tommy Robinson.
Police said 26...
13 dead, including 7 children, in Sabah as storms trigger more landslides
At least 13 people – including seven children – have died in an unprecedented spate of landslides across Malaysia’s Sabah as heavy rain batters its western coast in the deadliest storms to hit the state in nearly 30 years.
Nearly 90 incidents of landslides, flash flooding and road collapses have been reported over the past week, according to state authorities, as residents brace for worse to come after the Malaysian Meteorological Department issued a fresh storm warning on Tuesday.
The death...
Why Singapore tycoon believes wellness is next economic frontier
Chavalit Frederick Tsao’s family fortune dates back to the 1800s in China, but like the tributaries of the winding Yangtze River, along which his great-grandfather built a shipping and logistics empire, another branch of the business has caught the eye of the fourth-generation leader of the Tsao Pao Chee (TPC) group – wellness.
Tsao is one of the biggest proponents of the well-being economy, which prioritises human and environmental health over traditional economic growth by shifting business...
Former federal prosecutor Maurene Comey sues Trump administration over firing
Maurene Comey, a former federal prosecutor who brought criminal cases against Jeffrey Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell and music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs, has sued US President Donald Trump’s administration over her abrupt July firing, court records showed on Monday.
Comey, the eldest daughter of former FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) director and long-time Trump adversary James Comey, said in a lawsuit filed in Manhattan federal court against the Justice Department and the Executive...
Chloé Zhao’s Shakespeare family tragedy Hamnet wins top Toronto film prize
Hamnet, a devastating period drama about the life of William Shakespeare and his family, won the top prize on Sunday at the Toronto International Film Festival.
The heart-wrenching film stars Paul Mescal as Shakespeare, who tries to forge a career as a playwright while his wife Agnes – played by Jessie Buckley – contends with the perils of plague and childbirth in Elizabethan England.
It comes from Beijing-born director Chloé Zhao, who directed 2020’s Oscar-winning Nomadland. Securing the...
Netanyahu says US alliance ‘has never been stronger’ as Rubio visits Israel
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that a visit to Israel by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio underscored the strength of ties between the allies, days after an unprecedented Israeli strike targeting Hamas leaders in Qatar drew broad criticism.
The attack on the US ally and key mediator in Gaza truce talks has prompted Arab and Muslim leaders to gather for a show of solidarity in Doha, where Qatar’s prime minister urged the world to reject “double standards” and hold Israel to...
Hong Kong’s procurement scandals a reminder constant vigilance is needed
Counterfeit bricks in MTR’s Tung Chung East station project, improperly sourced bottled water for government departments, substandard trainers for lifeguards – recent scandals in Hong Kong have aroused controversies rooted in the government’s public procurement process.
Few Hongkongers have the vaguest idea of the scale of government procurement, even though it is everywhere around us. The Government Transparency Institute, which tries to monitor government procurement worldwide, estimates it...
Israel attacks Yemen’s Houthi rebels a day after it targeted Hamas in Qatar
Israel struck the Yemeni capital Sanaa on Wednesday, Houthi-run Al Masirah TV said, in an attack that witnesses said targeted the Houthi defence ministry.
Israeli media said Israel was carrying out strikes on Yemen but there was no immediate comment from the military.
Wednesday’s attack hit a fuel station and a government facility, according to officials in Yemen.
Anees al-Asbahi, a spokesman for the Houthi-run Health Ministry, and military spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Saree, confirmed...
France’s Macron names loyalist Lecornu as new prime minister
French President Emmanuel Macron named loyalist Sebastien Lecornu, a one-time conservative protégé who rallied behind his 2017 presidential run, as prime minister on Tuesday, defying expectations he might tack towards the left.
The choice of Lecornu, 39, indicates Macron’s determination to press on with a minority government that stands firmly behind his pro-business economic reform agenda, under which taxes on business and the wealthy have been cut and the retirement age raised.
Macron was...
Anthropic’s Claude restrictions put overseas AI tools backed by China in limbo
An abrupt decision by American artificial intelligence firm Anthropic to restrict service to Chinese-owned entities anywhere in the world has cast uncertainty over some Claude-dependent overseas tools backed by China’s tech giants.
After Anthropic’s notice on Friday that it would upgrade access restrictions to entities “more than 50 per cent owned … by companies headquartered in unsupported regions” such as China, regardless of where they are, Chinese users have fretted over whether they could...
Ex-Indonesian minister detained over corruption probe linked to laptop sales
Indonesia’s former education minister and ex-Gojek CEO Nadiem Makarim has been detained as a suspect in a high-profile corruption probe linked to a procurement programme involving Google’s Chromebook laptops, with state losses estimated to be US$120 million.
Centred on the country’s digital education push from 2019 to 2022, the case took a dramatic turn on Thursday when Nadiem was taken into custody by the Attorney General’s Office after a third round of questioning.
He will be held for 20 days...
Japan Airlines pilot’s drinking delays flights 18 hours
Three recent Japan Airlines (JAL) flights from Hawaii to Japan were delayed, two by around 18 hours, after a pilot in command was found to have drunk alcohol, the carrier said on Wednesday, the latest in a series of similar scandals to plague the airline.
The captain was scheduled to fly from Honolulu to Chubu Centrair International Airport in central Japan on Thursday, but called in sick on the day of the flight and admitted to drinking alcohol the day before at a hotel, according to the...
Hong Kong court orders arrest of talent scheme applicant who lied about degree
A Hong Kong court has ordered the arrest of a mainland Chinese talent scheme applicant who jumped bail while facing prosecution for allegedly lying about his qualifications.
Acting Principal Magistrate Cheang Kei-hong on Wednesday signed a warrant for the arrest of Che Yuyi after the 30-year-old twice failed to appear in Sha Tin Court to answer a charge of making a false statement to the Immigration Department in October 2023.
The magistrate also ordered the confiscation of the defendant’s...
Will Singapore’s PAP rule forever?
Few political parties in the world know dominance the way Singapore’s People’s Action Party (PAP) does, as it looks set to become the longest-running administration in modern history.
Following a resounding victory in May’s general election, the city state will on Friday open its 15th parliament that will largely resemble previous party alignments.
The ruling party will continue to occupy a supermajority of seats, now at 87 of the 97 elected seats while its main rival, the Workers’ Party (WP),...
University of Hong Kong business school looks at taking bitcoin for payments
The business school of Hong Kong’s oldest university is exploring the use of digital currencies for tuition payments and donations.
The move by the business school of the University of Hong Kong (HKU) comes as the city seeks to balance its aspirations as a virtual asset hub with the need to minimise financial risks, with the Stablecoins Ordinance having come into effect on August 1.
Professor Cai Hongbin, dean of the business and economics faculty at HKU, called for support for the initiative at...
How Asian consumers are driving a revolution in healthier food choices
Asia’s rising middle classes are not just fuelling economic growth – they’re reshaping consumption itself. Nowhere is this transformation more visible than in the region’s embrace of healthier eating. From Hong Kong to Jakarta, a new generation of consumers is driving a quiet revolution in food choices. But is this a more lasting realignment of preferences or merely a pandemic-fuelled detour?
Market research suggests consumer attention on health will grow. China’s healthcare-related consumer...
US appeal court denies Trump’s tariff actions based on emergency powers
A federal appeal court in Washington has ruled that US President Donald Trump’s “reciprocal” tariffs are illegal, upholding a lower court’s decision to block them.
The decision deals a major blow to Trump’s “America First” trade strategy.
The US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit found that the president lacks the authority to unilaterally impose tariffs under emergency powers without congressional approval.
“The statute bestows significant authority on the President to undertake a number...
How China streamlines national labs into tech war machines: a case study of HK
Hong Kong’s once sprawling and diffuse network of state-backed research labs has undergone a surgical transformation – streamlined, repurposed and laser-focused on Beijing’s strategic technology ambitions.
In a move emblematic of China’s broader overhaul of its national scientific apparatus, the city has dismantled underperforming labs, rebranded legacy institutions and launched three cutting-edge facilities dedicated to quantum materials and climate resilience – all under tightened alignment...
China’s military parade provides reminder of rising stars who fell to earth
China’s military parade next month will offer a rare opportunity for outsiders to observe which generals are valued by the People’s Liberation Army top brass.
The PLA does not publish regular updates on its personnel changes, so the identity of those given prominent roles will provide clues about who might be in line for more senior positions.
But the absence of certain figures may also offer clues about who has fallen foul of the ongoing anti-corruption campaign within the military, which has...
US ambassador to China expected to skip Beijing military parade: sources
America’s envoy to Beijing is expected to skip China’s military parade next week, joining what appears to be a concerted effort by Western missions to opt out of the grand event despite Chinese pressure.
The South China Morning Post has learned from multiple sources that US ambassador David Perdue is unlikely to attend the parade that China is holding in Tiananmen Square in Beijing on Wednesday to commemorate the end of World War II.
It is unclear if the US embassy would instead dispatch another...
Hong Kong must hone ‘geopolitical instincts’ amid China-US rivalry: Kishore
Hong Kong needs to develop its “geopolitical instincts” to navigate the US-China rivalry amid the broader global shift in power from the West to the East, a former top diplomat from Singapore has said.
Kishore Mahbubani, who previously served as Singapore’s permanent representative to the United Nations and president of the UN Security Council, also called for the West to cede ground to emerging powers in international organisations amid the rise of a multipolar world.
Mahbubani was speaking in...
