91 m. ago Europe leaders call Trump after Ukraine security guarantees summit in Paris

European leaders on Thursday spoke to US President Donald Trump after holding a summit with President Volodymyr Zelensky on security guarantees for Kyiv in the event of a peace accord to end Russia’s three-and-a-half-year war against Ukraine. The guarantees by the so-called coalition of the willing, which remain under wraps but are expected to include ramped-up training for the Ukrainian army and deployment of troops by some European states, have angered Russia. They form part of a push led by...

Politics

3 h. ago While the PLA was on parade in Beijing, its navy patrolled the South China Sea

China’s navy conducted a “routine patrol” in the contested waters of the South China Sea as “deterrence” on the same day the PLA mounted a massive military parade to mark the 80th anniversary of China’s victory over Japan in World War II. The patrol on Wednesday took place in the wake of Exercise Alon, the biggest-ever joint drill between Australia and the Philippines, which ran from August 15 to 29. A Canadian frigate also took part in the exercise, while several countries, including the United...

Politics

4 h. ago A rising stock tide lifts sales of all financial products in Hong Kong

Sales of non-listed investment products soared to a record last year in Hong Kong, as capital poured into mutual funds, debt and equity-lined financial products amid improving market sentiments, underscoring the city’s growth as a financial hub. Sales increased by 40 per cent from 2023 to a record HK$6.07 trillion (US$778.3 billion), according to a survey released on Thursday by the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA). As many as 1.2 million...

Economics

4 h. ago Cambricon shares slump 14%, the most in 7 months, as investors lock in gains

Cambricon Technologies, the artificial intelligence chipmaker dubbed “China’s Nvidia”, tumbled on Thursday as investors took profit from one of the mainland’s most frenzied stock rallies this year. Shares of the Shanghai-listed company sank as much as 16 per cent before closing 14.4 per cent lower at 1,202 yuan, the steepest single-day decline since January 16. The stock lost 84 billion yuan (US$11.8 billion) in market capitalisation. The sharp sell-off also erased 6.9 per cent from the...

Economics

5 h. ago Chinese leader Xi holds talks with North Korea’s Kim in Beijing

President Xi Jinping is holding talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Beijing, state media reported, in their first sit-down in six years. Thursday’s meeting came a day after Kim appeared with Xi, alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin, in Tiananmen Square for a Victory Day military parade marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. It was the first time that the three leaders had gathered in the same place, in what was viewed as a rare show of unity against the West and...

Politics

10 h. ago ‘A million people’ expected to flee as Israel prepares to seize Gaza City

Israel estimates that its imminent offensive on Gaza City would displace one million Palestinians, a senior military official said on Wednesday, as Gaza’s civil defence reported dozens killed across the territory. In Jerusalem, meanwhile, hundreds of Israeli protesters took to the streets to call for a truce and hostage release deal after nearly two years of war. Israel’s military has been building up its forces for the planned operation to seize Gaza City, the Palestinian territory’s largest...

Politics

11 h. ago China's BYD cuts 2025 sales target by 16%, sources say, a sign its white

China's BYD cuts 2025 sales target by 16%, sources say, a sign its white-hot growth is cooling  CNBC

Events

12 h. ago Son of British POW urges Japan to be less ‘touchy’ about WWII criticisms

The son of a British soldier who endured three years as a prisoner of war has expressed deep disappointment that senior Japanese politicians ignored invitations to a commemorative event on Tuesday to mark 80 years since Tokyo’s formal surrender in the second world war and the liberation of thousands of Allied prisoners of war. Terry Smyth, a fellow in the history department at the University of Essex, said it would have been particularly appropriate if Yoshimasa Hayashi, the chief cabinet...

Events

12 h. ago China's BYD cuts sales target, sources say, as white hot growth cools

China's BYD cuts sales target, sources say, as white hot growth cools  Reuters

Events

13 h. ago China Future Tech webinar | How US tactics could boost China’s chip self

Date and time: Friday, September 19, 2025 10.30am-11.30am (HKT) The webinar will be live streamed on this page on Friday, September 19. Bookmark this page or add it to your calendar to stay informed. Submit your questions to the panel and get them answered during the webinar. Questions from SCMP Plus readers will be prioritised. Upgrade your standard SCMP subscription or start your free trial to enjoy the priority. The US-China chip war is escalating, with Washington’s goal of limiting Beijing’s...

Politics

14 h. ago China advances in AI agentic tools as Tencent, ByteDance weigh in

China is making progress in artificial intelligence “agentic frameworks”, the tools required to make AI agents, as the country’s tech giants begin to take on US players such as AutoGen and OpenAI Swarm. Tencent Holdings was the latest to join the fray after the Shenzhen-based company open-sourced its new Youtu-Agent agentic framework on Tuesday. Developed by Youtu Labs, Tencent’s AI research department, the framework was released on Microsoft’s open-source code-hosting platform GitHub last...

Politics

14 h. ago Xi, Putin, Kim gather at Beijing parade amid new Cold War fears

Xi, Putin, Kim gather at Beijing parade amid new Cold War fears  조선일보

Politics

14 h. ago Beijing military parade marks the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II

Beijing military parade marks the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II  Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Events

17 h. ago China Unveils Large Unmanned Stealth Fighter Design During Military Parade

China Unveils Large Unmanned Stealth Fighter Design During Military Parade  The War Zone

Events

18 h. ago Western leaders parse China military parade displaying authoritarian strength

US and European leaders reacted with veneration, concern and stiffened resolve on Wednesday to China’s epic military parade marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. Over 25 foreign leaders – including Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un – joined Chinese President Xi Jinping at the showcase event marked by intimidating weaponry and choreographed troop manoeuvres. “I thought it was very, very impressive, but I understood the reason they were doing...

Events

18 h. ago Western leaders parse China military parade displaying national pride

US and European leaders reacted with veneration, concern and stiffened resolve on Wednesday to China’s epic military parade marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. Over 25 foreign leaders – including Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un – joined Chinese President Xi Jinping at the showcase event marked by intimidating weaponry and choreographed troop manoeuvres. “I thought it was very, very impressive, but I understood the reason they were doing...

Events

20 h. ago Trump offers more US troops to Poland’s nationalist president

US President Donald Trump hosted new Polish President Karol Nawrocki on Wednesday at the White House with a military flyover and an offer to send more US troops to the eastern European ally. Talks were expected to focus on efforts to end the war in Ukraine, where Trump’s peacemaking efforts have been struggling to get traction. Trump called it a “stupid war” and said he thought ending it would have been “much easier” for him. “It’s going to get done,” he vowed to reporters in the Oval Office,...

Politics

20 h. ago Trump offers more US troops to Poland’s new nationalist president

US President Donald Trump offered Wednesday to send more troops to Poland as he welcomed the country’s new nationalist president Karol Nawrocki to the White House with a military flyover. Trump also hinted at taking stronger action against Russia if it fails to end its war with Ukraine, which has put Nato ally Poland on edge since Moscow’s invasion in 2022. Nawrocki, a conservative historian and fervent Trump supporter, visited the White House during Poland’s election campaign and is now making...

Politics

22 h. ago Xi greets veterans at Victory Day gala stressing Chinese narrative of WWII

After holding a massive military parade in the morning to mark 80 years since the end of World War II and showcase its growing military might and rising diplomatic stature, China held a gala at the Great Hall of the People, reinforcing its narrative about the second world war. The hour-and-a-half commemorative gala began at 8pm Wednesday, with President Xi Jinping and members of the Politburo greeting several surviving Chinese veterans of World War II. Their handshakes drew warm applause,...

Events

23 h. ago Military parade in Beijing marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II

Military parade in Beijing marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II  Президент России

Events