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India’s military upgrade to counter regional threats...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/03

India’s defence modernisation is on track even as it faces the challenges of ensuring that weapon systems are deployed quickly and boosting its military’s capabilities to counter external threats, according to analysts. Last year, the Indian government approved three major defence packages totalling US$30 billion out of the country’s total defence budget of US$78.7 billion for the current financial year, which was ratified by parliament in February. The three packages were cleared in the

Workers’ Party in Singapore rules on Pritam Singh,...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/03

The top decision-making body of the Workers’ Party (WP) in Singapore has directed that a disciplinary panel be formed to determine if party chief Pritam Singh has contravened the WP’s constitution, following his recent court conviction for lying to a parliamentary committee. In a media statement on Saturday, the WP said its central executive committee (CEC) met on Friday to discuss matters arising from Singh’s conviction after the High Court dismissed his appeal against it on December

US court rules California ban on openly carrying guns...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/03

A US appeals court ruled on Friday that California’s ‍ban on openly carrying firearms in most parts of the state was unconstitutional. A panel of the San Francisco-based 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals sided 2-1 with a gun owner in ruling that the state’s prohibition against open carry in counties with more than 200,000 people ⁠violated the US Constitution’s Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms. About 95 per cent of the population in California, which has had some of the nation’s...

Occupancy rate at Hong Kong tech park set to hit 90%...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/03

The occupancy rate at the Hong Kong side of a new innovation and technology (I&T) hub co-developed by the city and Shenzhen is expected to hit 90 per cent in the first quarter of this year, a target previously set for the end of 2025. Kevin Choi Kit-ming, permanent secretary for innovation, technology and industry, said on Saturday that lease renewals would be based on certain key performance indicators (KPIs) set for firms, but authorities would avoid overly stringent standards and make...

Exempt Hong Kong substitute teachers from practising...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/03

School principals in Hong Kong have urged the government to exempt substitute teachers from needing to obtain newly proposed practising certificates to avoid placing unnecessary obstacles in the way of hiring such in-demand educators. Their calls came as the Education Bureau said last month that it was consulting the Department of Justice on the proposal to ensure it would maintain professional standards and meet the needs of schools. The new measure, raised in the policy address, would mean...

Ageing Asia needs domestic helpers, but can it keep...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/03

In March last year, Erica Cheong and her husband, Harris Zainol, welcomed their firstborn son, Isaac. Like many new Malaysian parents living and working in Kuala Lumpur, the couple found the transition to parenthood overwhelming. “We needed someone to help care for the baby, given that my parents are elderly and my in-laws work full time,” Cheong told This Week in Asia. After speaking to friends who have employed domestic helpers, the couple, both 35, decided that doing the same was their

Myanmar military-backed party leads in election’s...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/03

Myanmar’s military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party is leading after the first phase of a contentious general ‍election, early results cited by state media showed, in the first vote since a 2021 coup. Having sparked a nationwide rebellion after crushing pro-democracy protests in the wake of its coup, the ruling junta has said the three-phase vote would bring political stability to the impoverished Southeast Asian ⁠nation. Partial results from Myanmar’s first election since 2020,...

Fire caused by short circuit of phone charger in Hong...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/03

A fire triggered by a mobile phone charger that short-circuited in a Hong Kong flat has killed a cat, injured four residents and led to the evacuation of about 150 others. Police received a report at 11.15pm on Friday that a fire had broken out at a flat in Lai Yiu Estate’s Fu Yiu House in Kwai Chung. Firefighters arrived at the scene and put out the fire at 11.30pm. Two men and two women, aged between 42 and 75, were injured. They were taken to Princess Margaret Hospital in Kwai Chung for...

Singapore’s animal shelters struggle with costs,...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/03

At the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) in Singapore, it was yet another busy Monday as volunteers cleaned cages and leashed dogs for walks around the shelter. Squinty, a seven-year-old male crossbreed, stretched his hind legs – which were covered in partially healed burn wounds – in anticipation. The canine’s energetic jaunt belied his kidney disease, which required him to take daily fluids and supplements. The docile pooch is among many animals housed by the SPCA,...

Tech war: China takes confident strides to develop...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/03

On the last day of 2025, DeepSeek published a new technical paper, with founder and CEO Liang Wenfeng among the 19 co-authors, about “manifold-constrained hyper-connections” – a general framework for training artificial intelligence systems at scale, which suggested “promising directions for the evolution of foundational models”. That release was a fitting reminder to the world, especially during the peak of the Christmas holiday season, about Chinese AI companies’ sharpened focus on

Yemen’s separatists announce constitution, UAE...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/03

Yemen’s separatist movement on Friday announced a constitution for an independent nation in the south and demanded other factions in the war-torn country accept the move in an escalation of a confrontation that has pitted Gulf powerhouses Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates against each other. The UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC) depicted the announcement as a declaration of independence for the south. But it was not immediately clear if the move could be implemented or

Temperature in Hong Kong falls to 11.4 degrees...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/03

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. The temperature in Hong Kong fell to 11.4 degrees Celsius (52.5 Fahrenheit) on Saturday morning, the lowest so far this winter, according to the city’s weather forecaster. The Hong Kong Observatory also warned that sea levels at local coastal areas during high tide on Saturday night

China vows to ramp up west-to-east power output as...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/03

China aims to expand its west-to-east power transmission network to more than 420 gigawatts (GW) by 2030, increasing the share of renewables to about 30 per cent of total electricity output as it pursues a greener transition and a more reliable power supply. The targets were outlined in guidelines issued by the National Development and Reform Commission, the country’s top economic planner, together with the National Energy Administration. In addition to strengthening long-distance

Lawrence Wong thanks Trump for G20 invitation,...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/03

Singapore and the United States have started the new year by reaffirming their partnership, with 2026 marking the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the nations. Prime Minister Lawrence Wong had a telephone call with US President Donald Trump on Friday, the Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said. “PM Wong and President Trump noted that 2026 marks the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Singapore and the United States,” the ministry said in a press statement. “They...

Why talk of a Japanese nuclear option is resurfacing...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/03

An editorial in the Sankei Shimbun has reopened a long-taboo debate in Japan over whether the country should even discuss acquiring nuclear weapons, after off-the-record remarks by a senior security official arguing the country should have them sparked domestic and regional backlash. The conservative daily argued that growing threats from Japan’s neighbours meant no option for protecting the public should be beyond discussion, a stance that has drawn praise from some on the right and alarm

We can now watch our own genes dance

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/03

In the early 2000s, the news media were full of stories about the near completion of the human genome project, which promised scientific and medical wonders to come. Back then, I even wrote a story or two about the mainland Chinese contributions to the groundbreaking international project. The memory came back to me more than a week ago when a press release landed in my inbox, announcing the human genome imaged in 4D. The latest project shows how genes interact, fold and reposition

Argentina targets US dollars hoarded under...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/03

Argentine President Javier Milei on Friday signed into law a so-called “tax innocence” bill, which aims to encourage people to bank dollars stashed under mattresses or in offshore accounts by forgiving a degree of tax evasion. Over years of high inflation and currency controls, Argentines traded their battered pesos for dollars, which they often hoarded at home, in cash. The government estimates Argentines are sitting on some US$251 billion in what are commonly called “mattress dollars” – six...

Video of Chinese uncle joining dancers on walkway...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/03

A middle-aged man in eastern China stole the spotlight on a moving airport walkway by joining a group of dancers and striking a funny pose that left netizens in stitches. Recently, several dancers from Yunnan province in southwestern China filmed a video at Shanghai Pudong International Airport. Positioned on the automated walkway, they sequentially struck classic poses from Dunhuang dance, one of China’s traditional dance styles. Known for its intricate hand gestures, flowing movements and...

New Hong Kong lawmaker Julia Lau vows to strengthen...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/03

Strengthening risk oversight in major maintenance projects in the wake of the deadly Tai Po fire is a top priority for Hong Kong lawmaker Julia Lau Man-kwan, who represents the architectural, surveying, planning and landscape sector. In an interview with the Post, Lau, who is also president of the Hong Kong Institute of Architects, pledged to ensure proper use of public funds in government works amid a deficit, and to remove development barriers to boost tourism in rural areas under the

Fair or foul? Malaysia struggles to stomach its US...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/03

Janice, a Kuala Lumpur-based food entrepreneur and chef, is in a foul mood as she laments the inferior quality and taste of US-produced chicken and eggs. Yet she concedes that she may have to stomach this unwelcome change in the local poultry market, at least for now.Malaysia is bracing itself for a surge in American poultry shipments under an “agreement on reciprocal trade” signed with Washington in October. The deal opens the Southeast Asian nation to more US exports of food, cars and...

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