Cloud seeding operations will be carried out in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya following worsening haze conditions in Malaysia, according to the National Disaster Management Agency. The agency said the operations would be scheduled for Saturday and Sunday. However, the operations are subject to weather conditions and the availability of suitable ...

Hong Kong is mourning the loss of its first chief executive, Tung Chee-hwa, in a weekend vigil, with tributes pouring in from political and business heavyweights as well as members of the public. Tung, who died at the age of 89 on September 8, led Hong Kong through ups and downs the Asian financial crisis in 1997, the Sars outbreak in 2003 and a V-shaped ...

The long-time chief executive of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) announced he was stepping down, days after he was filmed physically restraining two protesters during an altercation at a New York runway show. I am enormously proud of what we have built together and believe this is the right moment for both me and the organisation to begin ...

Hong Kongs leader defended measures in his policy address to boost the economy and improve livelihoods, stressing that businesses must also do their part to remain competitive and survive, even with government aid. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said on Saturday that the livelihood section was the longest and broadest in scope in his policy address when ...

This weekend, Hong Kong mourns the loss of former chief executive and elder statesman Tung Chee-hwa. The shipping tycoon who became the citys first leader after its transfer of sovereignty to China in 1997 died on September 8 at the age of 89, leaving a legacy of determined stewardship and dedicated public service. This weekend, a state funeral will be held ...

Alina B.K. should have been preparing for her end-of-year university exams, but news of devastating floods along the NepalTibet border kept pulling her back to a troubling question: what kind of future awaits her? The 21-year-old forestry student, who coordinates the Pokhara network of Nepalese Youth for Climate Action, said she struggled to concentrate as ...

The death toll from an explosion and gun attack at a police headquarters in northern Pakistan rose to at least 31, including 16 police personnel, a senior police official said on Saturday. At least 31 people, including 16 police personnel, have been killed and more than 100 injured so far in the militant attack and suicide bombing, the official said, adding ...

Googles consumer AI model Gemini hacked multiple systems through guessing login credentials, the company said, the latest case of rogue AI cybersecurity transgressions, which have generated safety concerns. The hacks, first reported by the Wall Street Journal, took place in May and were discovered by Google in July. In a standard evaluation, the model found ...

Fears that advanced artificial intelligence could wipe out humanity have dominated global headlines, but in Japan the technology is being used for a sweeter purpose developing never-before-seen convenience store desserts. For customers tired of the usual egg sandwiches and rice balls, major chains are turning to AI to develop products, including some ...

In a rare development, Taiwanese Labour Minister Hung Sun-han is expected to travel to Nanjing on Sunday, becoming the first cabinet-level official under William Lai Ching-tes administration to visit mainland China. Hung will attend an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) ministerial meeting on Monday to discuss employment, vocational training, social ...

This weekend, Hong Kong mourns the loss of former chief executive and elder statesman Tung Chee-hwa. The shipping tycoon who became the citys first leader after its transfer of sovereignty to China in 1997 died on September 8 at the age of 89, leaving a legacy of determined stewardship and dedicated public service. He is remembered for steering Hong Kong ...

South Koreas Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won withdrew his nomination on Saturday following allegations concerning his involvement in a Covid-19 treatment and approval of its clinical trials. After much deliberation, I decided to step down as the nominee for minister of the justice ministry. I apologise for failing to live up to your expectations, Kim ...

Alibaba Group co-founder Jack Ma reflects on his ties to Hong Kongs first chief executive, Tung Chee-hwa. Those connections spanned both business and philanthropy, encompassing Tungs eight years on Alibabas board of directors and his inspirational role in Mas youth entrepreneurship foundation for local youths. Mas reflections are part of the South China ...

A new pilot scheme to bring in foreign domestic carers for the elderly to deal with an ageing population could disrupt Hong Kongs existing helper market, driving up wages and putting care beyond the reach of low-income older residents, some employers and agencies have warned. They said the measure, announced by Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu in his policy ...

South China Morning Post publisher Tammy Tam reflects on her encounters with Hong Kongs first chief executive, the late Tung Chee-hwa, looking back on memories from her days as a frontline reporter, his regular exchanges with media representatives and Tungs rare appearance at an SCMP conference in 2020 to advocate US-China dialogue. Her recollections are ...

Stealing someones cattle is a serious crime, and in many places, the thief would end up in jail. However, ancient Chinese justice could result in a truly horrific form of mutilation: the amputation of the nose. This harsh consequence has been well-documented by historians as one of the infamous five punishments from the penal system of the Xia dynasty (2070 ...

Briton Johnny Gibbs has been in Australia for six months, surfing and working part-time like countless other young people drawn to the countrys pristine beaches and laid-back way of life. He is one of thousands that venture Down Under on so-called working holiday visas a chance to work, and play, in Australia for as long as three years. But the future for ...

Hong Kongs first five-year plan marks a new chapter for the city and will prompt discussion about individual priorities and initiatives. But there is another question worth asking: what can Hong Kong bring to the national journey over the next five years? As China begins its 15th five-year plan, Hong Kong has an opportunity to think more deliberately about ...

Japans wartime kamikaze pilots remain among the most recognisable symbols of the Pacific war: young men flying aircraft into Allied ships on missions from which they were not expected to return. Far less well-remembered are the fukuryu suicide frogmen trained in the closing months of World War II to walk into the sea with mines on bamboo poles, then wait ...

The Iran war has cost US$43.6 billion as of this month, the highest official estimate to date, the Pentagon told Congress defence oversight panels this week. The cost estimate comes as polls show Americans increasingly oppose the war, partly over its impact on the economy, and the issue is looming large as the November midterm elections approach. The ...

Hong Kong civil servants could receive flexible hourly family care leave next year as part of the governments wider drive to boost birth rates, the South China Morning Post has learned, though business leaders warn the private sector has little incentive to follow suit, citing manpower and financial constraints, especially for smaller firms. Under the ...

The United States is considering postponing the announcement of major arms sales to Taiwan until after Novembers Apec summit in Shenzhen, multiple sources told the South China Morning Post. The potential delay comes as Chinese President Xi Jinping prepares to travel to Washington next week for a state visit. The sources said there was a strong possibility ...

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is caught in an energy policy bind with no easy exit. Cutting Russian oil imports to avoid potential new US tariffs could increase fuel prices ahead of key regional elections, or stress government finances. Maintaining such purchases could cripple Indian exports to its largest market. India, the worlds third-largest oil ...

In Silicon Valley and beyond, the architects of artificial intelligence are increasingly warning about the risks it poses to humanity. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei wants the industry to slow down. A former engineer at his company, who also worked at its rival OpenAI, told reporters after quitting earlier this month that he was genuinely frightened unchecked ...

Chinese researchers have made early strides in pushing semiconductor processing nodes below 3-nm using older lithography technology, as more advanced extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUV) tools from ASML remain blocked under US sanctions. The breakthrough marks the latest progress in Chinas drive to chart an alternative path to advanced chipmaking amid US ...