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News - South China Morning Post

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‘Stamp boy’: sealing passion of China emperor...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/05/01

As one of the most frequently portrayed Chinese emperors in modern costume dramas, Qing dynasty Emperor Qianlong is also renowned for his obsessive habit of impressing seals onto his art collections. The Qianlong Emperor (reigned 1735–1796, died 1799) was exceptionally long-lived even among rulers, and he is celebrated for ushering in a prosperous era alongside his father, Yongzheng, and grandfather, Kangxi. Additionally, he is famous for his enthusiasm for art and literature. Not only did he...

Man arrested in Hong Kong after police seize...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/05/01

Hong Kong police have arrested a 44-year-old man for allegedly trafficking in more than HK$800,000 (US$102,110) of suspected heroin. The force said on Friday that officers from the Tuen Mun district anti-triad unit were conducting an operation at around 9.50am the day before, when they found a man acting suspiciously outside a flat on Yan Po Road. After stopping the man for questioning, officers found about 300 grams (10.6oz) of suspected heroin in a reusable bag he was carrying. They also

Online sales of e-cigarettes persist in Hong Kong...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/05/01

Sales of vaping products persist on some online platforms delivering to Hong Kong despite a ban on the import, sale and public use of alternative tobacco products, prompting authorities to step up monitoring and enforcement. The South China Morning Post on Friday found several online platforms selling e-cigarette products, with some websites displaying contact details using country codes from Malaysia and the United Kingdom. One platform advertised delivery and after-sales service in Hong

Lights, camera, traction: film-projecting headlights...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/05/01

China’s latest electric vehicle (EV) innovations – from ultra-fast battery charging to headlights capable of projecting films – have drawn strong attention at Beijing’s Auto China show, underscoring how the country’s automotive technology is pulling ahead of global rivals. As domestic carmakers and key suppliers recast vehicles as “mobile living spaces” powered by artificial intelligence and digital systems, they are increasingly looking beyond the mainland to drive export growth. “We are...

Hong Kong’s East Dam draws thousands for ‘golden...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/05/01

Thousands of visitors have flocked to Hong Kong’s East Dam to view its rare volcanic rock columns at the start of the five-day Labour Day “golden week” holiday, prompting a lawmaker to suggest charging an entrance fee to maintain the Unesco global geopark. Drawn by the city’s natural scenery and well-established hiking trails, which are being heavily promoted on mainland Chinese social media, many tourists are increasingly trading traditional shopping sprees for ecotourism at the East Dam of

Could a prolonged conflict between the US and Iran...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/05/01

The world’s eyes have been fixed on the oil tankers clogging the Strait of Hormuz. But the US-Israel war on Iran has exposed a quieter vulnerability: the undersea cables that form the digital backbone of the Middle East. Last week, a media outlet affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps highlighted that the strait functioned not only as a crucial chokepoint for oil and gas shipments but also as an essential corridor for internet communications. The outlet warned that damage

China’s manufacturing rise is here to stay. The West...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/05/01

If the “China shock” of the early 2000s was about China catching up, then “China shock 2.0” is about the country redefining the boundaries of what is economically possible across manufacturing sectors, according to Columbia University professor Adam Tooze. Amid complaints about the trade and industrial policies accelerating China’s rise in many sectors – including aviation, space, artificial intelligence (AI), telecoms, microprocessors, robotics, nuclear and fusion power, quantum computing,...

Trumpet call: Malaysians demand Japan return...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/05/01

A viral video of three elephants sent from Malaysia to a zoo in Japan has sparked public anger after online users said the animals appeared distressed when visitors called their names in Malay – which many viewers interpreted as a sign of homesickness.The footage showed the three pachyderms – Dara, Amoi and Kelat – responding to the Malaysian visitors, while another widely shared clip led social media users to claim one of the elephants appeared to be “weeping”. Other clips and images...

Riot erupts over Australian indigenous girl’s...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/05/01

Hundreds of protesters clashed with Australian emergency services workers in a remote town following the arrest of a man suspected of murdering a five-year-old indigenous girl, police said on Friday. Australia’s prime minister, the Northern Territory’s police commissioner and a spokesperson for the victim’s family all appealed for calm after an angry crowd of roughly 400 indigenous people gathered on Thursday night at the hospital where ‌the suspect was taken after being beaten unconscious by...

Facing 60-day deadline, Trump administration claims...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/05/01

The Trump administration is arguing that the war in Iran has already ended because of the ceasefire that began in early April, an interpretation that would allow the White House to avoid the need to seek congressional approval. The statement furthers an argument laid out by Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth during testimony in the Senate earlier Thursday, when he said the ceasefire effectively paused the war. Under that rationale, the administration has not yet met the requirement mandated by a...

Hongkongers flock to Shenzhen for ‘better’ Labour Day...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/05/01

Hong Kong residents flocked to Shenzhen on Friday, drawn by ‘better service’ at restaurants and family-friendly attractions as the Labour Day “golden week” holiday began. Affordability has also lured droves of Hongkongers across the border, with families budgeting about HK$1,000 (US$128) for a full day in the tech hub, covering restaurants, dental clinics, indoor amusement parks and ice-skating rinks. Labour Day is a statutory public holiday in Hong Kong and marks the start of mainland

Pakistan commissions first Chinese attack submarine...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/05/01

The Pakistan Navy has received the first of its Chinese-built Hangor-class attack submarine fleet, as Beijing and Islamabad step up defence cooperation. A commissioning ceremony was held for the advanced submarine – named the PNS/M Hangor – in the Chinese city of Sanya on Hainan Island on Thursday, according to a statement from Pakistan’s military. Asif Ali Zardari, the country’s president, and naval chief Admiral Naveed Ashraf attended the event along with senior officials from both the...

Man arrested in Japan for burning wife’s body in zoo...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/05/01

Japanese police arrested a man for allegedly incinerating his dead wife at the zoo where he worked, officials and local media said on Friday, following the discovery of human remains. Police arrested Tatsuya Suzuki on Thursday evening on suspicion that he “transported the victim’s body to a tourist facility” in the northern island of Hokkaido and “destroyed it through incineration there”, a local police official said. The victim, 33-year-old Yui Suzuki, was identified by local media as his

How China is using AI – and state funding – to...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/05/01

Vigloo, a South Korean micro drama production company, has gone all-in on artificial intelligence this year, betting that automation can fundamentally reshape how content is made. The company has begun spending roughly 30 per cent of its budget on AI-driven workflows, and the change is already having a dramatic impact. It can now produce a show in just one month rather than three, and at one-fifth of the cost. That is not only allowing Vigloo to release far more shows, but also to experiment...

Famous Chinese short drama actor faces lay-off due to...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/05/01

A Chinese actor who is well-known for playing dominant bosses in miniseries and has taken part in 200 such productions has become unemployed due to the impact of AI technology. In March, to make ends meet, Zhang Xiaolei, 28, began doing farm work in the northwestern province of Qinghai, Red Star News reported. Starting with some basic dancing skills, Zhang was introduced by his friend to a miniseries filming crew at the end of 2023. Since then, he has become a familiar face to viewers of...

‘Never knew there were corals,’ visitors say after...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/05/01

Mainland Chinese tourists may have come for the tombolo on Sharp Island in Sai Kung but left with a deeper understanding of Hong Kong’s coral reefs and marine life after the government stepped up promotion and protection efforts. That was the view of visitors touring the island on Friday morning, Labour Day – a Hong Kong public holiday and the start of the mainland’s five-day “golden week” break. As of noon, around 300 tourists had arrived on the island, but only a few had entered the

‘Golden week’ opens with 76,056 mainland visitors...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/05/01

Hong Kong recorded more than 76,000 mainland Chinese visitor arrivals on the first morning of the five-day Labour Day “golden week”, with many heading to the countryside for scenic views and others opting for “city walks” to explore picturesque corners of the city. Some early arrivals headed straight to the countryside after getting off at West Kowloon rail terminus on Friday morning. University student Chen Hongjie, 18, was all geared up to hike the MacLehose Trail on his first day in the

Singapore’s Lawrence Wong reassures workers over AI...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/05/01

Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has sought to reassure workers amid concerns about the AI revolution, vowing that the city state will carve out fresh opportunities even as the new technology renders some jobs obsolete. In the annual May Day rally on Friday, Wong acknowledged the anxieties but urged workers and firms to build artificial intelligence capabilities and harness its benefits. Demand would rise for AI-savvy workers, and new doors would open as global companies expanded their...

Gold, cruises and Dior: how Hong Kong lenders are...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/05/01

Gold bars, cruises, Dior beauty services and Rosewood Hong Kong vouchers are just some of the incentives Hong Kong’s major lenders are offering in hopes of capturing wealthy clients, as visitors from mainland China descend on the city during the golden week holiday starting on Friday. HSBC, Standard Chartered and Bank of China (Hong Kong) – the city’s three biggest banks – Citigroup, DBS Hong Kong, ICBC Asia, Bank of East Asia and Hang Seng Bank have all extended the hours of certain branches

Malaysia’s angry culture war brigade tries to dampen...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/05/01

A government-backed water rave in Kuala Lumpur has earned the wrath of Malaysia’s culture war brigade, pitting religious objections against tourism goals, as critics decry the vulgar import amid growing conservatism. The uproar over the three-day Rain Rave Water Music Festival in Bukit Bintang comes as Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s government tries to promote the country as a youthful, experience-led travel destination, even as it manages a traditionalist pushback against concerts, pop

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