12 m. ago Alibaba releases biggest AI model yet to rival OpenAI and Google DeepMind

Alibaba Group Holding continues to scale up its artificial intelligence efforts with the release of its biggest AI model to date, joining the ranks of OpenAI, Google DeepMind and other major players with trillion-parameter models. Qwen-3-Max-Preview, the company’s first model to have more than 1 trillion parameters, was released on Alibaba’s official cloud-services platform and the large language model marketplace OpenRouter on Friday. The model is the latest in the Hangzhou-based company’s...

Politics

12 m. ago China sanctions Japanese lawmaker Seki Hei, accusing him of spreading falsehoods

Beijing has sanctioned a conservative, opposition Japanese lawmaker, saying that he spread falsehoods on issues involving Taiwan, Xinjiang and Hong Kong, undermining Chinese sovereignty. In a rare move, the Chinese foreign ministry announced the sanctions on Monday morning against Seki Hei – known in China as Shi Ping – a 63-year-old China-born political commentator who was elected to the House of Councillors this year on the Japan Innovation Party’s ticket. According to the ministry’s...

Politics

65 m. ago China’s export growth slows in August under shadow of trade war uncertainty

China’s exports continued to rise in August, though at a slower pace, as global markets watch to see whether the world’s two largest economies can reach a lasting and durable trade deal. Outbound shipments rose by 4.4 per cent year on year to US$321.8 billion last month, according to customs data released on Monday. The figure was lower than the 7.2 per cent recorded in July and fell short of the 5.4 per cent forecasted by Chinese financial data provider Wind. Imports in August, meanwhile, rose...

Events

3 h. ago Why America has always needed an enemy, even as a young republic

It’s rare to find an opinion piece that embodies nearly all the false premises and presuppositions that underpin the American empire, now in undeniable retreat. But Rahm Emanuel, former White House chief of staff to Barack Obama, mayor of Chicago and until recently US ambassador to Japan, has managed to do just that. Writing in The Wall Street Journal on August 31, Emanuel claims that the question today for Americans is: “Can China be the external threat that restores internal cohesion to our...

Politics

3 h. ago Standard Chartered banker urges diversification amid correction risks

Standard Chartered has advised more than 2.5 million of its affluent clients to diversify their portfolios and stick to core investment principles as fresh capital pours into bullish markets. A risk-on mentality over the summer benefited some wealthy clients, but market corrections could lie ahead, said Judy Hsu, the bank’s CEO of wealth and retail banking, in an interview last week. “In July and August, we [saw] more clients across the board deploying more cash into investment products and they...

Events

4 h. ago Shared threats push Japan, South Korea to temper Sado mine tensions

South Korea’s decision to not attend a memorial event at the Sado Island gold mines in Japan underscores how bilateral ties are still strained by historical grievances, but analysts say both sides are mindful not to escalate tensions in the face of shared regional threats. Seoul informed Tokyo on Thursday it would not send representatives to the September 13 ceremony honouring wartime workers at the disputed Unesco World Heritage site, citing a failure to agree on language acknowledging Korean...

Events

5 h. ago China's chip equipment makers close in: eroding Japan's share, eyeing US dominance

China's chip equipment makers close in: eroding Japan's share, eyeing US dominance  DIGITIMES Asia

Politics

7 h. ago China adds gold for 10th month as bullion surges past $3,500 an ounce

China adds gold for 10th month as bullion surges past $3,500 an ounce  investingLive

Politics

16 h. ago Hong Kong to issue T8 typhoon signal as storm Tapah closes in

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Hong Kong readers now get 50% off their first year of subscription until September 21, 2025. The Hong Kong Observatory is set to issue the No 8 typhoon signal at 9.20pm on Sunday as tropical cyclone Tapah is expected to make landfall over western Guangdong the following morning. With Tapah – the Malay word for a type of giant freshwater catfish – expected to...

Events

16 h. ago Storm Tapah: Hong Kong issues T8 typhoon signal; Airport Express extends service

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Hong Kong readers now get 50% off their first year of subscription until September 21, 2025. The Hong Kong Observatory issued the No 8 typhoon signal at 9.20pm on Sunday, with tropical cyclone Tapah expected to make landfall over western Guangdong the following morning. With Tapah – the Malay word for a type of giant freshwater catfish – expected to skirt...

Events

16 h. ago Hong Kong T8 signal to remain in force on Monday morning; classes suspended

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Hong Kong readers now get 50% off their first year of subscription until September 21, 2025. The Hong Kong Observatory issued the No 8 typhoon signal at 9.20pm on Sunday, with tropical cyclone Tapah expected to make landfall over western Guangdong the following morning. Tapah – the Malay word for a type of giant freshwater catfish – is expected to skirt...

Politics

16 h. ago Storm Tapah: Hong Kong axes 100 flights, suspends classes as T8 remains in force

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Hong Kong readers now get 50% off their first year of subscription until September 21, 2025. The Hong Kong Observatory issued the No 8 typhoon signal at 9.20pm on Sunday, with tropical cyclone Tapah expected to make landfall over western Guangdong the following morning. Tapah – the Malay word for a type of giant freshwater catfish – is expected to skirt...

Events

16 h. ago Hong Kong to issue T3 warning signal at 1.10pm as storm Tapah moves away

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Hong Kong readers now get 50% off their first year of subscription until September 21, 2025. The Hong Kong Observatory issued the No 8 typhoon signal at 9.20pm on Sunday, with tropical cyclone Tapah expected to make landfall over western Guangdong the following morning. Tapah – the Malay word for a type of giant freshwater catfish – is expected to skirt...

Events

20 h. ago Japan ‘scary person rental service’ deals with mistresses, debt collection, bullies

A Japanese company has become an online hit for offering a “scary person rental service” to help clients sort out a range of “troubles”. An online user, known in Japan by the handle @yukitichqn, posted screenshots of the service’s web page on social media on August 28. The post has received 300,000 likes and 36,000 reposts. Called a “scary person rental service”, the service rents out menacing-looking members of staff with tattoos, hinting at their potential for violence. The firm promises that...

Economics

20 h. ago ‘Even if I was shot, I was fine with that’: a North Korean’s journey to freedom

A man whose early life in North Korea was so bleak that he was prepared to be shot in the back while making a break for freedom across the Chinese border has told his story after defecting to Japan in 2017. The man is one of many to have become involved with an Osaka-based charity that addresses North Korean human rights issues. The organisation provides speaking opportunities for North Korean defectors on podcasts and other platforms, allowing them to share information about the realities of...

Politics

21 h. ago Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba resigns after election defeat

Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba announced on Sunday that he will resign, following growing calls from his party to take responsibility for a historic defeat in July’s parliamentary election. Ishiba, who took office in October, said he was stepping down as prime minister and as the head of his conservative Liberal Democratic Party. The 68-year-old centrist had resisted demands from opponents further to the right within his own party to resign. Ishiba argued that he wanted to avoid a...

Politics

25 h. ago T3 typhoon signal to remain in force in Hong Kong for the rest of Sunday

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Hong Kong readers now get 50% off their first year of subscription until September 21, 2025. The Hong Kong Observatory has said the No 3 typhoon signal will remain in force for the rest of Sunday, with a tropical cyclone expected to skirt about 200km (124 miles) southwest of the city on Monday morning. The forecaster issued the No 3 signal at 2.40am on...

Politics

25 h. ago Ferry services suspended as T3 remains in force in Hong Kong for rest of Sunday

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Hong Kong readers now get 50% off their first year of subscription until September 21, 2025. Some after-school classes and ferry services have been suspended in Hong Kong after the Observatory issued the No 3 typhoon signal, which it said would remain in force for the rest of Sunday. The forecaster issued the No 3 signal at 2.40am on Sunday, as Tropical Storm...

Politics

25 h. ago Hong Kong to issue T8 signal on Sunday night as Tropical Cyclone Tapah approaches

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Hong Kong readers now get 50% off their first year of subscription until September 21, 2025. Hong Kong will issue a No 8 typhoon warning signal between 9pm and midnight on Sunday, as Tropical Cyclone Tapah approaches closest to the city the next morning, the Observatory said. The storm is expected to pass within 200km (124 miles) southwest of the city on...

Politics

25 h. ago T8 signal to be issued at 9.20pm as Hong Kong cancels all school classes on Monday

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Hong Kong readers now get 50% off their first year of subscription until September 21, 2025. Hong Kong will issue a No 8 typhoon signal at 9.20pm on Sunday, as Tropical Cyclone Tapah is expected to make landfall over western Guangdong the following morning, the Observatory said, with all schools suspending classes on Monday. “Tapah is expected to skirt within...

Politics