A top theoretical journal of the Communist Party has acknowledged that a stark economic divide exists between Chinas booming AI sector and its struggling traditional industries. And while arguing that this divergence was not unique to China, the Qiushi Journal stressed that rapid technological advances must not leave ordinary citizens behind. In a ...

Malaysias attempt to recast Forest City from a China-backed ghost city into a hub for global wealth and mobile talent is facing an early governance test after police last week uncovered two alleged online scam syndicates operating across 32 luxury homes. The raids have sharpened questions over whether oversight is keeping pace with Putrajayas drive to ...

On August 3, five-year Chinese treasury bond futures began trading on the Hong Kong stock exchange. Market attention has focused on the new product, but its real significance emerges when set against the deep shifts under way in the international monetary system. History offers a clear lesson: no currency has graduated from a trade settlement currency to a ...

Artificial intelligence (AI) has transformed healthcare for hundreds of millions of people in China. AI-powered apps help them manage their health and seek care, while others help doctors better diagnose and treat their patients. AI analysis of routine scans detects cancers and other conditions physicians might have missed. Personalised cancer vaccines ...

Four former Hong Kong warehouse workers have been jailed for up to seven years for conspiring to steal more than 800 unsold Chanel handbags and wallets worth at least HK$8.7 million (US$1.1 million). The High Court on Monday sentenced the four defendants over two foiled plots to steal from the French fashion houses storage spaces at the Goodman Interlink ...

Chinese scientists have turned a dandelion-like weed into natural rubber, a step that could help cut Chinas heavy reliance on imported rubber. Growing on the salty, alkaline shores at the foot of the Tianshan Mountains in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, the plant looks much like an ordinary weed, with small yellow flowers and fluffy seeds. But when ...

Most Indians are unhappy with Prime Minister Narendra Modis government over its handling of exam scandals that touched off student protests across the country, according to a nationwide survey by one of the countrys largest pollsters. Just over half of Indian adults polled by CVoter last week said they were not happy with the governments handling of recent ...

Chinas first high-altitude variant of the C919 narrowbody jet has completed its maiden test flight at Shanghai Pudong International Airport, marking a step forward in the home-grown aircrafts challenge to Boeing and Airbus. Derived from the standard C919 platform, the specialised variant features a shortened fuselage and enhanced systems engineered for ...

Recent arrests in Singapore of young people who succumbed to extremist ideologies and planned attacks, including school stabbings, have sent a chill across the city state, with authorities noting that the speed of radicalisation has doubled. Over three months this year, three teenagers have been detained, sparking public discussion on school security and ...

Forty years ago, John Woos A Better Tomorrow was released. The action film is considered to be a turning point in Hong Kong cinema with directors like Quentin Tarantino citing it as an inspiration. In this On This Day article, we look at SCMPs archive coverage of this modern-day classic. A Better Tomorrow was released on August 2, 1986. Due to its ...

A former Hong Kong prison officer has been sentenced to three years in jail for severely wounding an inmate by repeatedly thrusting a stick into the victims rectum after the defendant was sprinkled with baby powder during a game of bingo. District Court Judge Frankie Yiu Fun-che on Monday handed down the punishment to Tam Lik-chung, an ex-assistant officer ...

Myanmars detained democratic leader Aung San Suu Kyi met the nations Red Cross representative on Monday, the presidents office said, the first publicised meeting between her and a foreign official since she was ousted in a 2021 coup. The military deposed Suu Kyi in February 2021, jailing the Nobel Peace Prize laureate and triggering an ongoing civil war ...

Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com has launched an smart helmet for food couriers with features enabled by artificial intelligence technology, following similar roll-outs by rivals Alibaba Group Holding and Meituan as they seek to improve rider safety and boost delivery efficiency. The helmet integrates an AI-driven voice assistant with a camera that can see ...

In Thailand, the murders of five people two young Russians and a Thai family of three allegedly masterminded by a repeat offender just weeks after his release from jail, have stirred criticism of the justice system and raised questions over public protection from violent criminals. The bodies of Russian nationals Diana and Roman Nazimov were found in a ...

A policeman from eastern China and his wife saved a family of five from a crashed car dangling over a steep slope during their honeymoon, earning widespread praise for their bravery. The 28-year-old civil policeman from Jiangsu province, Fan Kaiyue, and his wife, social worker Gu Jianing, were enjoying their honeymoon on the southern Chinese island province ...

Scientists in Antarctica have to deal with extreme cold, wind and months of total darkness while they carry out their research. Inland, the temperature can plummet below minus 80 degrees Celsius (minus 112 degrees Fahrenheit) during winter, while wind speeds of over 100km/h (62mph) and even over 200km/h can be experienced for days at a time. While diesel ...

Hong Kong sporting event organisers should use technology to better track and monitor athletes, lawmakers have urged after a triathlon swimmer went missing at sea in Tai Po and was later found dead. The death, involving a participant in the citys Summer Triathlon Challenge on Sunday, has raised concerns over whether safety measures for such races are ...

Cubas power grid failed on Sunday, causing another nationwide blackout, a state utility said in a social media post. As the lights suddenly turned off across Havana, residents who were sat outside to get some respite from the summer heat audibly groaned en masse. Cuba has been suffering rolling power cuts due to ageing equipment and a US energy embargo that ...

We have put together stories from our coverage last weekend to help you stay informed about news across Asia and beyond. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. From property to portfolios: why Chinese families are walking away from homes While Chinese families grow cautious, South Korean retail investors use record ...

Two women who died in an explosion at an Aeon shopping centre following a powerful earthquake in Japans Kumamoto prefecture last week were instructed by their employer to return inside to put sales proceeds in a safe, according to the company. Two executives of Habita, which operates the variety store where the women died, said on Sunday they apologised to ...

In Chinas arid northwest, local state media in the Ningxia Hui autonomous region are celebrating a surge of rainfall in an area that usually averages 300mm (about 12 inches) per year. The rain belt moving northwards would bring climate dividends, the Ningxia Broadcasting News Centre said last month, promising that loess soil will turn green and farming area ...

Ho Chi Minh Citys bustling jewellery quarter has fallen unusually quiet. Customers are not browsing for engagement rings or necklaces any more instead they are clutching old receipts and certificates, hoping to sell diamonds they no longer trust. The discovery of what appears to be Vietnams biggest-ever diamond smuggling network has rippled through the ...

A potential US ban on Chinese open-weight artificial intelligence (AI) models could cost American businesses up to US$12 billion per year, according to calculations by a US-based academic, as technology firms increasingly turn to cost-efficient Chinese solutions. While the exact economic toll of a ban remains difficult to quantify, usage data from New ...

A surgical procedure for Alzheimers disease being tested in Hong Kong has the potential to improve patients ability to take care of their basic needs such as getting dressed and remaining socially engaged. The ongoing clinical trial, launched by researchers at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), involves an operation that drains an abnormal build-up ...

When Japanese entrepreneur Moe Kasugai was a student at Seouls Yonsei University, she was struck by how some of the prestigious South Korean colleges brightest graduates struggled to land a job. So in 2019 she launched a service to connect South Korean jobseekers with Japanese employers. I was surprised that they couldnt find a job because they were so ...