8 h. ago Chinese AI scientists, Beijing’s message to Brics: SCMP daily highlights

Catch up on some of SCMP’s biggest China stories of the day. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Trump vows tariff boost for ‘anti-American’ policies as China urges Brics action US President Donald Trump has threatened to slam an additional 10 per cent tariffs on countries supporting what he calls “anti-American policies” after the leaders of Brics nations condemned unilateral tariffs. 2. Australia’s Albanese to address Darwin Port sale on China...

Politics

12 h. ago Star IB students from Hong Kong’s ESF school group share tips for success

Fifteen students from Hong Kong’s largest international school group who achieved high scores in the International Baccalaureate (IB) programme have shared their aspirations and preparation insights, with 11 planning to study medicine in the city. Another five students from the German Swiss International School on The Peak achieved top marks in the IB programme, on a par with Victoria Shanghai Academy, bringing the number of top scorers in the city to 37. The English Schools Foundation (ESF),...

Politics

12 h. ago Hong Kong’s equity market revival helps lift property sector sentiment

Is the tide turning for Hong Kong’s ailing property market? When second-hand home prices are down almost 30 per cent from their peak in August 2021 and rents for grade A offices are more than 40 per cent lower than in the second quarter of 2019, talk of a recovery seems wildly premature. But expectations, sentiment and the prism through which the performance and outlook for the sector are viewed are important. Since the beginning of this year, the mood in Hong Kong has improved markedly. Much of...

Politics

12 h. ago Hong Kong property market’s sources of resilience finally getting noticed

Is the tide turning for Hong Kong’s ailing property market? When second-hand home prices are down almost 30 per cent from their peak in August 2021 and rents for grade A offices are more than 40 per cent lower than in the second quarter of 2019, talk of a recovery seems wildly premature. But expectations, sentiment and the prism through which the performance and outlook for the sector are viewed are important. Since the beginning of this year, the mood in Hong Kong has improved markedly. Much of...

Politics

15 h. ago Retail rents in Hong Kong under pressure after vacancy rate hits 4½

Retail rents in Hong Kong are expected to remain under pressure, as the trend of residents travelling to the mainland for leisure has led many businesses to opt for short-term leases, experts have said after the vacancy rate in the city’s busiest districts hit a 4½-year high. Analysts on Monday also attributed the mounting vacancies to shifting consumer preferences and the difficulty landlords faced in securing high-value tenants once luxury goods shops, such as watch and jewellery stores, had...

Events

17 h. ago Australia’s Albanese to address Darwin Port sale on China visit

When Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese arrives in China next week for his second official visit, he will have more than the typical diplomatic niceties to discuss with President Xi Jinping. A major task on Albanese’s agenda, besides routine topics like trade, will be to explain his country’s stance on Chinese investment – in particular, addressing the controversy over the ownership and potential government-influenced sale of the Darwin the Post has learned from sources with knowledge of...

Politics

17 h. ago Exclusive | Australia’s Albanese to address Darwin Port sale on China visit

Exclusive | Australia’s Albanese to address Darwin Port sale on China visit  South China Morning Post

Politics

19 h. ago China’s Travel Boom Reaches Africa in 2025 with Soaring Demand for Wildlife Safaris in Kenya, Cultural Luxury in Morocco, and Scenic Escapes in South Africa

China’s Travel Boom Reaches Africa in 2025 with Soaring Demand for Wildlife Safaris in Kenya, Cultural Luxury in Morocco, and Scenic Escapes in South Africa  Travel And Tour World

Politics

26 h. ago Trump: US 'Pretty Much' Has Deal for TikTok Sale Ahead of China Talks

Trump: US 'Pretty Much' Has Deal for TikTok Sale Ahead of China Talks  PCMag

Politics

33 h. ago French intelligence claims China trying to foil global sale of Rafale jets

French intelligence claims China trying to foil global sale of Rafale jets  Al Jazeera

Politics

36 h. ago Prada’s new US$1,200 sandal is an Indian classic. Is it cultural appropriation?

It began with a silhouette: supple leather, intricate stitching, the unmistakable toe ring of a Kolhapuri chappal. In Milan, it was hailed as luxury. In India, it was recognised as something far more profound – and its omission of origin as an affront. When Prada’s latest design walked the catwalk at Milan Fashion Week last month, it carried with it a legacy. And soon after, a controversy that reignited questions of cultural respect. The Italian fashion house’s latest collection, which included...

Politics

39 h. ago Chinese dad hides daughter, saying, ‘If your mum finds you, she will sell you’

A father in China spent seven years moving across the country to hide his daughter from his ex-wife, deceiving her into believing that she would be sold if discovered by her mother. According to mainland media outlet Kankan News, 22-year-old Chen Jiayuan’s parents divorced when she was just six years old. Although custody was awarded to her mother along with their flat, her father took Chen, falsely claiming she had been abandoned. In reality, he sought control over the property. Chen’s father...

Politics

54 h. ago Trump says he thinks talks with China on TikTok sale to begin this week

Trump says he thinks talks with China on TikTok sale to begin this week  The Times of Israel

Politics

63 h. ago Trump to start TikTok sale talks with China, he says, with deal ‘pretty much’ reached

Trump to start TikTok sale talks with China, he says, with deal ‘pretty much’ reached  The Guardian

Politics

69 h. ago Malaysia’s new ‘luxury’ taxes hit the middle class where it hurts

In the calm of his kitchen, Christy Yoong once raised a glass to retirement – good wine, imported cheese and the spoils of a life’s work. But as Malaysia’s new tax regime lands with a thud, even these modest pleasures are slipping out of reach. When Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim unveiled his unexpected tax on imported luxuries in June, he promised the pain would be felt only by the affluent. The intent was clear: shore up government coffers by targeting the better-off. Yet the reality, for many...

Events

3 d. ago Indonesian can leave Hong Kong pending decision to drop fallen tumbler case

A Hong Kong court has allowed an Indonesian tourist to return home while awaiting authorities’ decision on whether to continue with his prosecution over a fallen tumbler that hit another visitor at The Peak. Merchant Satnauli Bangun, 44, was not required to enter a plea on a count of allowing an object to fall from a height when he first appeared at Eastern Court on Friday. Court prosecutor Jennifer Cheung Toi-ling said the Department of Justice needed time to decide whether to press on with...

Politics

3 d. ago Hong Kong police arrest woman, 21, in connection with 8 fake official scams

A 21-year-old woman has been arrested in Hong Kong over her suspected involvement in eight phone scams impersonating officials, which resulted in losses of HK$3.7 million (US$471,343). The force said on Friday that the woman was apprehended in Ngau Tau Kok two days ago on suspicion of obtaining property by deception after a fake police warrant card was found in her possession. She is currently being held for questioning. According to police, the suspect was believed to have been involved in...

Events

3 d. ago Woman arrested in Hong Kong over impersonating officials in scams netting HK$3.7 million

A 21-year-old woman has been arrested in Hong Kong on suspicion of impersonating officials in eight phone scams that resulted in losses of HK$3.7 million (US$471,340). The force said on Friday that the woman was apprehended in Ngau Tau Kok two days ago on suspicion of obtaining property by deception after a fake police warrant card was found in her possession. She is currently being held for questioning. According to police, the suspect was believed to have posing as officials in eight scam...

Politics

3 d. ago Malaysia’s latest gangland shooting linked to international crime syndicate

Malaysian police believe a man gunned down in his Ipoh home last week was the victim of an international organised crime syndicate, marking the latest in a string of unresolved gang-related assassinations in public places that left five people dead and shocked the country last month. Gun violence is rare in Malaysia, where unlicensed gun ownership and even brandishing a firearm as intimidation are capital crimes. But a series of shootings over 12 days in June has sparked public fear - as three...

Events

3 d. ago Bull market in stocks fills Hong Kong’s coffers, plugs holes from property woes

Hong Kong’s stock market stamp duty income is filling the city’s financial coffers at the fastest pace since 2021, amid a bull run on the local bourse that has attracted scores of initial public offerings (IPOs) and fuelled frenzied trading. Duties from transactions and transfers rose to HK$29.69 billion (US$3.78 billion) in the first five months of 2025, according to calculations by the Post based on government data. Contributions from the stock market jumped 42.5 per cent to HK$52.17 billion...

Politics