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Tesla hits record sales; Chinese carmakers eye third...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/07

We have put together stories from our coverage on electric and new energy vehicles from the past two weeks to help you stay informed. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. China’s EV sector doubles down on discounts and cheap financing as growth cools Electric vehicle makers have kicked off a fresh round of price cuts in mainland China at the start of 2026, despite Beijing’s repeated calls to curb “involution”, as pressure on margins and survival...

The Maduro effect: regime change fears grip Asia’s...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/07

The United States’ dramatic capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro at the weekend has sent shock waves across Asia, where analysts say authoritarian rulers, now deeply wary of Washington’s motives, are likely to draw closer to Moscow and Beijing. US special forces stormed Maduro’s residence in Caracas early on Saturday morning, seizing the Venezuelan leader and his wife before flying them to the US, where both face federal charges of narcoterrorism and drug trafficking. Washington has

The Maduro effect: US raid accelerates Asia’s drift...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/07

The United States’ dramatic abduction of Venezuela’s former leader Nicolas Maduro at the weekend has sent shock waves across Asia, where analysts say authoritarian rulers, already deeply wary of Washington’s erratic behaviour, are likely to draw closer to Moscow and Beijing. US special forces stormed Maduro’s home in Caracas early on Saturday morning, seizing him and his wife before flying them to the US, where both face federal charges of narcoterrorism and drug trafficking. Washington has

Hong Kong police appeal for help in search for...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/07

Hong Kong police have launched a search for a father and his 11-month-old son, who have been missing for nearly two days. The force renewed its appeal for information on Wednesday, with the Sham Shui Po district crime squad taking over the case. “Police are urging residents to come forward with information about a man and his son reported missing in Sham Shui Po,” a spokesman said. The force shared photographs of the 37-year-old Indonesian father, Mukit Alam Pratama, and his son, Mukit

China’s stealth design software PADJ-X finds...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/07

A powerful aerospace simulation tool developed by Chinese researchers may have exposed potential vulnerabilities in the design of the United States’ most advanced stealth bomber, the B-21 Raider. The “all-in-one” PADJ-X software system, based on adjoint optimisation technology, was unveiled last month in a paper published by the peer-reviewed Acta Aeronautica et Astronautica Sinica. The system, which may be the first fully integrated, multidisciplinary platform for stealth aircraft design,

1,000 texts, groping: report lifts lid on ex-Japan...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/07

Tatsuji Sugimoto, who stepped down last month as governor of Fukui prefecture in central Japan over sexual harassment, had sent some 1,000 harassing texts to staff, an investigative report by lawyers said on Wednesday. Among the messages were those in which Sugimoto sought sexual relationships with multiple female staff and commented on their physical appearance. He also touched female staff members’ bodies several times, according to the report, which was based on a survey of around 6,000...

Cleaner hit by left-hand drive Geely car in Hong...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/07

An elderly cleaner has been injured after being struck by a left-hand drive private car operating with a trade licence plate at a Hong Kong public housing estate, the second such accident in just over a week. Police received a report at 6.18am on Wednesday that the vehicle, a Geely multipurpose vehicle (MPV), was making a right turn out of a car park at Lek Yuen Estate in Sha Tin when it struck the cleaner pushing a trolley outside Kwai Wo House. The accident left the 74-year-old victim,...

Indian exporters fear ‘washout’ of US orders as...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/07

Indian exporters of products ranging from home decor to leather shoes are worried about missing the US summer shopping season if they are unable to lock in orders in January as trade deal talks drag on between New Delhi and Washington. This will be the decisive month for sealing the trade pact so contracts can be secured for the first half of 2026, according to half a dozen local exporters. The punitive 50 per cent US tariffs since August already hurt the exporters’ order volumes in the...

Temperature in Hong Kong hits 10.9 degrees Celsius,...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/07

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Get faster notifications on the latest updates by downloading our app. Hong Kong’s weather forecaster reported a minimum temperature of 10.9 degrees Celsius (51.6 Fahrenheit) on Wednesday morning, the lowest so far this winter. Due to the ongoing influence of a winter monsoon, residents can expect cold mornings through Friday, according to the Hong Kong...

China’s powerful new microwave weapon system can...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/07

China’s new high-power microwave system to counter drones has a longer range than its US military equivalent, according to its developer. The truck-mounted Hurricane 3000 was showcased during China’s huge military parade in September. This week its developer – state-owned defence contractor Norinco – disclosed some details of the weapon system for the first time. “Its effective interception range exceeds 3km [1.86 miles] against light and small [unmanned aerial vehicles] and drone swarms,...

Why coastguards, not warships, are shaping future of...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/07

When ships from China and the Philippines encounter each other near the Second Thomas Shoal, most incidents are resolved without diplomatic intervention. No shots fired, no ministerial calls, no carrier deployments. Within days, encounters are logged, reviewed and absorbed into routine reporting channels. That administrative resolution reveals how stability is maintained in the South China Sea. Debate over these waters still defaults to navies, deterrence and great power rivalry. However,

China police officer praised for mediating dispute...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/07

An adorable scene of a Chinese police officer mediating a quarrel among seven primary school children captured hearts on social media. The group visited a police station in eastern China’s Zhejiang province on the evening of December 19. They sought assistance from the police after disputing a minor issue while playing nearby. The specifics of their argument were not disclosed in the report. Upon entering the station, one child referred to the officer as “Uncle Police” and requested: “Can you...

Hong Kong shelter saves 351 animals in 6 months as...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/07

Illegal dog trapping and cat smuggling have become alarmingly common, with an animal rescue group reporting that it saved 351 animals in Hong Kong over the past six months – an average of two per day. As Paws Guardian Rescue Shelter, now in its 10th year, released a report on Tuesday detailing the condition of the animals it had saved over the past six months, its founder – who led most of the operations – told the Post how brutal recent cases had become. Founder Kent Luk Ka-chit said that in...

Meow or never: China’s pudgy pets spark race for...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/07

Irina Zhou’s five-year-old cat has gained about a kilogram every year for the past three years. She knows the extra weight puts her pet at risk of obesity-related diseases and could even shorten his life. “My parents just can’t bear to see the cat go hungry,” the 29-year-old Zhou said. “If the weight starts to affect his health, I might consider trying weight-loss medicines for him.” The idea of using obesity drugs for pets drew public attention after Fosun Pharma’s unit Yao Pharma signed a...

India’s home-grown stealth fighter dream: can...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/07

British aerospace engine maker Rolls-Royce wants India to be more than just a buyer of its engines, proposing to treat the country as a “home market” by building, designing and developing aircraft engines locally rather than simply selling them from abroad. Analysts said such a shift could provide a significant lift to New Delhi’s effort to build a fifth-generation stealth fighter under the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) programme, while forcing rival engine makers to offer deeper...

Shanghai unveils US$10 billion investment spree as...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/07

Shanghai has announced a slew of new investments in hi-tech industries ranging from chips to artificial intelligence (AI) and aviation, becoming the latest Chinese city to unveil ambitious plans to boost local innovation amid an intensifying US-China tech race. The city’s Pudong district unveiled 50 big-ticket projects worth more than 70 billion yuan (US$10 billion) combined on Monday, with most of the investment earmarked to flow into key industries including microchips, AI,

Singapore, Beijing land in top 10 of Savills’...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/06

Singapore and Beijing have emerged among the world’s most liveable cities for tech workers, according to Savills’ inaugural Matcha Index, which ranks locations by buzz and by the spaces where these employees can work, connect and spark ideas over a hot – or cold – matcha drink. The index, released on Tuesday, pointed out how cafe culture has become a vital part of the social infrastructure that supports the tech ecosystem, and that matcha lattes have taken over as the “go-to” drink for young...

Brown University shooter left video confession, says...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/06

The man identified by law enforcement as the shooter who killed two Brown University students and an MIT professor had been planning the attack for at least six semesters, according to information released on Tuesday by the US Department of Justice. Claudio Neves Valente, 48, a former Brown student and Portuguese national, was found dead in a New Hampshire storage facility after he killed two students and wounded nine others in an engineering building on December 13. He also killed MIT

Trump says Venezuela to send US up to 50 million...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/06

US President Donald Trump said Venezuela would relinquish as much as 50 million barrels of oil to the United States, worth roughly US$2.8 billion at the current market price, announcing the cargoes would be sold with proceeds benefiting both countries. The announcement on Tuesday marked a significant step up for the US government as it seeks to extend its economic influence in Venezuela and beyond after the US capture of President Nicolas Maduro on Saturday. After the operation, Trump said

Monroe Doctrine 2.0 portends the end of the US empire

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/06

Washington warns that enemy groups south of the border are terrorising nearby areas and causing trouble. Military actions would be taken to deal with the problem, including sending the US military into the territories of another sovereign country, which is being blamed for failing to control drug cartels. That does sound like Donald Trump, who has been accusing Mexico of failing to contain its drug cartels and threatening to send in US troops to take care of them. The US president repeated

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