3 h. ago Europe’s summer from hell, China’s stablecoin dilemma: 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. Europe’s summer from hell bleeds into autumn as Trump and Xi turn the screws If Brussels’ bureaucrats returning from their long summer breaks this week were wondering what they missed, the local press had them covered. Unbecoming scenes at June’s Nato summit, the “hopelessly one-sided” trade deal with the United States in July, as well as Chinese President...

Politics

3 h. ago Europe’s summer from hell, the future of air combat: 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. Europe’s summer from hell bleeds into autumn as Trump and Xi turn the screws If Brussels’ bureaucrats returning from their long summer breaks this week were wondering what they missed, the local press had them covered. Unbecoming scenes at June’s Nato summit, the “hopelessly one-sided” trade deal with the United States in July, as well as Chinese President...

Politics

4 h. ago 1 person killed, 3 hurt in Xinjiang traffic accident involving Hong Kong tour group

One person has died and three others have been injured in a traffic accident involving a Hong Kong tour group in Xinjiang. The Travel Industry Authority said on Friday that it was notified by Travel Circle International on Wednesday that the tour group was involved in a traffic accident that day in the autonomous mainland Chinese region. The group, which included 20 tourists, departed on August 27 on an 18-day visit to Xinjiang. Four tourists from two families were injured, including one who...

Events

5 h. ago Taiwan holds back on penalties for Victory Day parade supporters

Taipei authorities have taken a softer line on Taiwanese individuals attending Beijing’s Victory Day military parade this week, despite repeated warnings in the weeks leading up to the event. Former Kuomintang (KMT) chairwoman Hung Hsiu-chu defied the warnings and appeared on the rostrum overlooking Tiananmen Square on Wednesday, watching the parade marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. The next day, Liang Wen-chieh, deputy minister of Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council, said...

Politics

7 h. ago Belt and Road Summit marks a decade of deals as Hong Kong eyes new chapter of collaboration

[The content of this article has been produced by our advertising partner.] Co-organised by the HKSAR Government and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), the 10th Belt and Road Summit will return to the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre on September 10-11.  Bringing together over 90 speakers from 18 Belt and Road economies, this year’s two-day programme continues a ten-year run of policy dialogue, business exchange and investment matchmaking under the theme “Collaborate for...

Politics

8 h. ago Chinese man detained for ‘inappropriate comments’ about Victory Day parade

A man in the central province of Hubei was detained for allegedly making “inappropriate comments” about China’s Victory Day military parade and spreading rumours. According to cyber police in the city of Xiangyang, the 47-year-old man, surnamed Meng, made slanderous and derogatory remarks on Wednesday while commenting on a social media post about the parade held in Beijing to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. When others expressed patriotic sentiment, Meng “insulted them and...

Politics

8 h. ago ‘Legitimate targets’: Putin warns West about deploying troops in Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin warned on Friday that any Western forces deployed to Ukraine would be a “legitimate” target for Moscow’s army, a day after Kyiv’s allies said they had committed to a troop presence in the event of a peace deal. Two dozen countries, led by France and Britain, pledged Thursday to join a “reassurance” force on land, at sea and in the air to patrol any agreement to end the conflict, unleashed by Russia in February 2022. Tens of thousands have been killed in...

Events

11 h. ago Europe’s summer from hell bleeds into autumn as Trump and Xi turn the screws

If Brussels bureaucrats returning from their long summer breaks this week were wondering what they missed, the local press had them covered. Unbecoming scenes at June’s Nato summit, the “hopelessly one-sided” trade deal with the United States in July, as well as President Xi Jinping’s refusal to travel to Belgium for that month’s summit with EU leaders, were all cited by the Brussels media outlet Euractiv. “Now talk of a European moment has given way to fears of a European ‘century of...

Politics

11 h. ago Hong Kong Observatory could issue T1 warning on Friday night

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. New users who download our updated app get a seven-day free trial. The Hong Kong Observatory has said it may issue the typhoon standby signal No 1 on Friday night at the earliest, as the forecaster warned of unstable weather from Sunday onwards. An area of low pressure near Luzon, which is currently about 800km (497 miles) away from Hong Kong, is expected to...

Events

13 h. ago Thaksin leaves Thailand ahead of court ruling that could see him jailed

Thailand’s former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra made a sudden and surprising departure from the country on Thursday, just five days before a court ruling that could open him up to a new prison sentence. His exit came a week after the Constitutional Court removed his daughter, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, from her position as prime minister. The court found her guilty of an ethics violation for a politically compromising phone call with Cambodian Senate president Hun Sen. Parliament was set to...

Events

13 h. ago Thaksin flies to Dubai after missing Singapore airport landing deadline

Thailand’s former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra made a sudden and surprising departure from the country on Thursday, just five days before a court ruling that could open him up to a new prison sentence. Thaksin told Thai immigration authorities at Bangkok’s Don Mueang Airport that his private jet was headed for Singapore. A police statement confirmed his plane was allowed to take off shortly after 7pm because he had no arrest warrant or court order preventing him from leaving the...

Events

13 h. ago Thailand’s Thaksin flies to Dubai after missing Singapore landing deadline

Thailand’s former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra made a sudden and surprising departure from the country on Thursday, just five days before a court ruling that could open him up to a new prison sentence. Thaksin told Thai immigration authorities at Bangkok’s Don Mueang Airport that his private jet was headed for Singapore. A police statement confirmed his plane was allowed to take off shortly after 7pm because he had no arrest warrant or court order preventing him from leaving the...

Events

14 h. ago Hong Kong consumer watchdog receives 9 complaints after balloon festival fiasco

Hong Kong’s hot-air balloon festival has been forced to deflate all its balloons on display due to the scorching weather, a day after failing to secure a licence for a tethered ride and suspending the attraction, which led to at least nine complaints to the city’s consumer watchdog. The Consumer Council said it had received nine complaints totalling HK$16,933 (US$2,171) regarding the AIA International Hot Air Balloon Fest Hong Kong as of noon on Friday, with one case involving HK$4,956. The...

Politics

15 h. ago China’s drone display at Victory Day parade signals new era of air power

Among the many pieces of advanced military hardware showcased during Wednesday’s Victory Day parade in Beijing were at least four unnamed drones, at least one of which was a “loyal wingman”, a stealth attack drone supposedly capable of coordinated aerial warfare alongside crewed jets, according to state broadcaster CCTV. The appearance left military observers to speculate about what they had seen, and raised many new questions. Some experts believe the advanced aircraft are capable of hypersonic...

Events

15 h. ago Beyond the parade, what China’s new stealth drones mean for future air combat

Among the many pieces of advanced military hardware showcased during Wednesday’s Victory Day parade in Beijing were at least four unnamed drones, at least one of which was a “loyal wingman”, a stealth attack drone supposedly capable of coordinated aerial warfare alongside crewed jets, according to state broadcaster CCTV. The appearance left military observers to speculate about what they had seen, and raised many new questions. Some experts believe the advanced aircraft are capable of hypersonic...

Events

17 h. ago Japan’s ‘house of cards’: Ishiba clings to power as hawks demand LDP election

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is presiding over a political “house of cards” that analysts say is looking more shaky every day, as he continues to resist growing calls from within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) to step down. This week, the chorus demanding Ishiba’s resignation grew louder after the LDP released an internal report examining its dismal performance in July’s Upper House election. The party lost 18 seats, leaving it short of a parliamentary majority even with its...

Politics

20 h. ago China shows missiles, Trump shows muscle: Xi's strategy can't match US

China shows missiles, Trump shows muscle: Xi's strategy can't match US  Fox News

Events

24 h. ago Alarm as ‘dangerous’ Madeleine McCann suspect set to be freed in Germany

German law enforcement authorities have voiced alarm that the “dangerous” chief suspect in the 2007 disappearance of British three-year-old Madeleine McCann will soon leave prison and could flee the country. Prosecutors believe Christian Brueckner, 48, killed the girl in a Portuguese resort in a missing persons case that has captivated the world and remains unsolved. But lacking sufficient evidence to lay charges, they are helpless as Brueckner – who has a history of violent sex crimes – is due...

Events

25 h. ago Chinese Military Parade Highlights Naval Drones And Missiles

Chinese Military Parade Highlights Naval Drones And Missiles  navalnews.com

Events

27 h. ago How Chinese view US rivalry, Beijing’s deterrence muscle: 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. What do ordinary Chinese think of US rivalry and Russian, North Korean allies? Americans tend to believe that China wants to create a new world order to knock the United States off its perch, but the results of a survey released this week suggest Chinese people are far more nuanced and flexible in this view, providing avenues to reduce US-China tension,...

Politics