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EU agrees to ‘world’s largest’ free-trade zone with...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/09

A majority of European Union countries gave the go-ahead on Friday for the bloc to sign the Mercosur free trade deal with Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay after decades of negotiations. At a meeting of representatives from the 27 EU countries in Brussels, a sufficient number of participants agreed to the planned signing of the deal, diplomatic sources said. The new free-trade zone, with more than 700 million inhabitants, will be the largest of its kind in the world, according to the...

Hong Kong students lauded for using AI to help...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/09

A group of Hong Kong students has created an award-winning initiative that uses artificial intelligence to help elderly couples fulfil their travel dreams, with the city leader’s wife highlighting the technology’s role in volunteer services. Janet Lee Lam Lai-sim, the spouse of Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu, lauded the achievement at the Hong Kong Volunteer Award’s presentation ceremony on Friday, saying innovation and technology would drive progress in volunteer development. “I hope

US seizes fifth tanker as Washington escalates bid to...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/09

The US took control of its fifth oil vessel in recent weeks on Friday in the latest move tied to the Donald Trump administration’s effort to control Venezuelan oil exports. Friday’s operation came ahead of a meeting between Trump and American oil executives where the US president sought to convince them to commit to an investment pledge in Venezuela. “At least 100 Billion Dollars will be invested by BIG OIL, all of whom I will be meeting with today at The White House,” he said on social media...

How far is China willing to go to help Cuba in face...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/09

China is expected to be cautious about confronting the United States over Cuba as Washington ramps up its threats following the abduction of former Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro. Since the raid on Caracas, the White House has increasingly turned its attention towards the western hemisphere’s only Communist state, along with Colombia and Greenland, with President Donald Trump saying “Cuba looks like it’s ready to fall”. Havana is also heavily reliant on subsidised Venezuelan oil and is...

China says it is still ‘deeply committed’ to...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/09

China said on Friday it would continue to offer its firm support to Venezuela after its ambassador met the country’s interim president Delcy Rodriguez. She described her meeting with Chinese ambassador Lan Hu as “cordial” and thanked Beijing for its condemnation of the abduction of former leader Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores. “We value China’s firm and consistent stance in strongly condemning the serious violation of international law and Venezuelan sovereignty,” Rodriguez...

China cautions against ‘compound errors’ from...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/09

A mouthpiece for China’s ruling Communist Party has warned against conflicting economic measures, urging officials to better guide market expectations in a front-page commentary highlighting Beijing’s growing focus on policy coordination. “The more policies there are, the greater the risk they will be working at odds,” the People’s Daily editorial said on Friday, pointing to China’s increasingly complex economic environment, “with more and more policy dilemmas emerging and greater demands on...

US raid in Venezuela lays bare its law-of-the-jungle...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/09

US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth was in a belligerently high mood after the Pentagon’s successful operation to abduct Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife in the dead of night. After all, the guy managed not to leak the US war plan in unsecure chat groups before the raid in Caracas, as he did with the US bombing of Houthi militias in Yemen in March. Remember that one? Maybe I have a warped sense of humour, but I still find this passage from the chief editor of the Atlantic,...

Greenland. Greenland. Greenland. Why is Trump so...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/09

US President Donald Trump has revived his ambition to take control of Greenland, whether by buying it or through military action, arguing that it would be in the interests of his nation’s security.Greenland is a semi-autonomous territory of US Nato ally Denmark and the idea of buying it was widely dismissed as absurd when Trump first suggested it in 2019. This time, in the aftermath of the weekend abduction of Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro, the proposition sent shock waves across Europe and...

Philippines ramps up protection of undersea cables...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/09

The Philippines is stepping up efforts to protect undersea cables – the unseen backbone of digital communications – as a string of regional and global incidents has sharpened concerns that seabed infrastructure could be targeted for sabotage or espionage. Officials and analysts say the moves signal that so-called grey-zone activities – coercive actions that fall short of open conflict – beneath the sea are no longer going unnoticed. The concern is not only physical damage to submarine cables

MiniMax and Zhipu’s stellar Hong Kong IPOs...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/09

The red-hot Hong Kong initial public offerings (IPOs) of Zhipu AI and MiniMax Group, two of China’s hopefuls to take on US giants like OpenAI and Anthropic, have given a boost to Beijing’s ambitions in the artificial intelligence sector, according to executives and industry watchers. While Zhipu’s valuation of about US$9 billion and MiniMax’s market cap of US$14 billion remain tiny compared with the US giants – OpenAI is worth about US$500 billion and Anthropic’s valuation is estimated at

Russia says fired new Oreshnik hypersonic missile in...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/09

The Russian military said it had fired its hypersonic Oreshnik missile at a target in Ukraine in response to what it described as an attempted Ukrainian drone strike on one of President Vladimir Putin’s residences, something Kyiv has called a lie. It was the second time that Russia has ⁠used the intermediate-range Oreshnik, a missile which President Vladimir Putin has boasted is impossible to intercept because of its reported velocity of more than 10 times the speed of sound. The missile is...

Protests sweep Iran amid internet blackout and state...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/09

Iranian protesters shouted and marched through the streets into Friday morning after a call by the country’s exiled crown prince for demonstrations, despite Iran’s theocracy cutting off the nation from the internet and international telephone calls. Short online videos shared by activists purported to show protesters chanting against Iran’s government around bonfires as debris littered the streets in the capital, Tehran, and other areas. Iranian state media broke its silence on Friday over

Parents ‘should be allowed access’ to minors’ devices...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/09

Parents and other supervising adults should be allowed access to children’s electronic devices to protect their interests and ensure safety, according to recommendations from Hong Kong’s Law Reform Commission for proposed anti-cybercrime legislation. But the wide-ranging recommendations, published by the commission on Friday and set to be submitted to the government for consideration, stopped short of including a public interest defence to exempt whistle-blowers. The report also suggested

Hong Kong rugby player charged with indecent assault...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/09

A Hong Kong professional rugby player has been accused of molesting a patron at a bar and damaging a door bolt inside a police station while he was held in custody. Faizal Solomona Penesa, 33, on Friday appeared at Eastern Court for the first time over a count of indecent assault and another of criminal damage. Prosecutors accused the Samoan national of indecently assaulting an individual at Bobby’s Rabble bar in Central on September 28 last year. On the same day, he was taken to the Central...

Domestic helper gets 5 months’ jail in Hong Kong for...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/09

A domestic helper has been sentenced to five months in jail for abusing an 11‑month‑old baby in her employer’s home in Hong Kong. Eastern Court on Friday heard the guilty plea of the 41-year-old helper, who admitted to ill-treating the baby at a flat in Happy Valley on November 11 last year. The defendant’s full name was concealed, and she was identified only as “AJB” in court proceedings. In mitigation, her lawyer said she was a first-time helper from the Philippines who had struggled to

China FM Wang Yi opens Africa tour with united call...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/09

China and the African Union issued a joint call to uphold an international law-based order, with particular respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, in a display of unity against Washington’s raid on Venezuela. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and African Union chief Mahmoud Ali Youssouf expressed concerns over the events in Venezuela in a statement released after their meeting in Ethiopia on Thursday. The United States raided Venezuela on Saturday and abducted its leader Nicolas...

Authorities launch survey on long-term rehousing...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/09

Hong Kong authorities have launched a survey to gauge the long-term rehousing preferences of flat owners displaced by the devastating Tai Po fire, offering options for new subsidised homes outside the district as early as September this year. The survey, obtained by the Post, revealed that redeveloping the original Wang Fuk Court into new residential housing would be another option, though the earliest move-in date would be 2035. “If residents wish to redevelop the Wang Fuk Court site in Tai

Syria declares ceasefire in Aleppo after deadly...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/09

Syria’s defence ministry declared a ceasefire in three neighbourhoods of the northern city of ‌Aleppo early on Friday, a move that could halt fresh fighting between government troops and Kurdish fighters. A fierce exchange of fire extended into the night, with rescuers ‍scrambling to extinguish fires ignited by shelling, before the defence ministry said it would give armed groups a six-hour window to leave the contested areas. The deadly stand-off between Damascus and Kurdish authorities who...

China ‘instant reply providers’ offer solace by...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/09

A new profession known as “instant reply providers”, or miao hui shi in Chinese, has trended on mainland social media. For a price, people who do the job offer quick and soothing replies for those who are angry, upset or in need of an emotional outlet. Not only do they respond very quickly, so-called instant reply providers are good listeners and offer emotional support. They can earn as much as 10,000 yuan (US$1,400) a month, according to a report by Guangming Daily. The charges for their...

Passenger injured in fire sparked by power bank on...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/09

A small fire triggered by a power bank broke out aboard an Asiana Airlines flight from Incheon to Hong Kong on Thursday night, injuring a passenger. Cabin crew put out the fire with an extinguisher within two minutes, while the passenger carrying the power bank suffered burns to their hand, according to a report by South Korea’s national broadcaster KBS. Flight OZ745, carrying 284 passengers, departed Incheon International Airport and arrived at Hong Kong International Airport at

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