4 h. ago Thai parliament elects Anutin as new PM, ending political stalemate

Anutin Charnvirakul, a prominent construction tycoon and political conservative, has been chosen as Thailand’s next prime minister, capping a week of extraordinary political upheaval that saw the removal of his predecessor and the sudden flight of divisive billionaire Thaksin Shinawatra. Anutin, 58, secured a clear majority in Friday’s parliamentary vote, surpassing the 247-vote threshold required for victory in the lower house. His triumph was bolstered by the unexpected support of the...

Politics

4 h. ago I grew up in my family’s Chinese restaurant in Charlotte. Here’s where I actually eat.

I grew up in my family’s Chinese restaurant in Charlotte. Here’s where I actually eat.  Charlotte Observer

Society

5 h. ago Trump Urges Europe to Cut Russian Oil, Press China in Bid to End Kremlin War

Trump Urges Europe to Cut Russian Oil, Press China in Bid to End Kremlin War  UNITED24 Media

Politics

5 h. ago Hong Kong activist wins appeal against riot conviction after trial judge’s error

A former Hong Kong political activist has won an appeal against his riot conviction due to the trial judge’s error in allowing prosecutors to substantially alter their allegations midway through proceedings. The Court of Appeal on Friday ordered the dismissal of Alvin Cheng Kam-mun’s conviction over his alleged role in the violence at Polytechnic University at the height of the 2019 anti-government protests. Cheng, who now runs a logistics company, was an assistant to former opposition lawmaker...

Events

6 h. ago Hong Kong IPO pipeline swells as Chinese tech listings lure global investors

More than 200 companies are awaiting approval for initial public offerings (IPOs) in Hong Kong, with about half coming from the technology sector, according to Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX) CEO Bonnie Chan Yiting. “Recently, many international long-term investors have actively participated in the IPO subscriptions of technology and innovation companies, reflecting strong global interest in China’s tech sector,” she said at HKEX’s Future Tech Summit on Friday. In the first eight months...

Economics

6 h. ago ByteDance moves chip staff to Singapore unit in internal rejig

ByteDance has transferred its semiconductor team, comprising about 1,000 employees, to an existing Singapore-incorporated subsidiary, Picoheart (SG) – a change that was reflected in the internal directory – according to the company and staff. The Beijing-based company notified affected employees last week about the transition and moved their internal messaging accounts on the enterprise collaboration tool Feishu – known internationally as Lark – to a separate entity this week, said a source who...

Politics

7 h. ago Ukraine’s drone pilots are ‘killing for points’ as war becomes gamified

Rubik, a Ukrainian military drone pilot, had tracked the every move of one particular Russian soldier for weeks, with the promise of earning at least six points for killing him. In a war increasingly dominated by drones, Ukraine’s military has launched a new score-based purchasing system for units to replenish their stocks, and Rubik - his military nickname - was looking to help his brigade cash in. On the “Brave1” platform launched by Ukraine’s digital transformation ministry, new drones for...

Events

9 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

9 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

9 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

11 h. ago Trump renaming Department of Defence the ‘Department of War’

US President Donald Trump is changing the name of the Department of Defence to the Department of War, the White House announced on Thursday, after the US leader repeatedly insisted the rebrand would project a more powerful image. Trump will sign an executive order permitting the use of the Department of War as a “secondary title” for the sprawling department, a White House document said, apparently due to its official name being set in law. That signing was expected to take place on Friday,...

Politics

12 h. ago Chinese province floats new use for digital yuan: paying long

China is mulling the application of its digital yuan – the central bank-backed currency also known as the e-CNY – to tackle persistent payment defaults, a move that would broaden the asset’s scope beyond the set of use cases explored by Beijing since the currency’s launch in 2019. Authorities in the central province of Hunan touched upon the subject when detailing plans to expand the digital currency’s application scenarios and scale, according to a document published last month. Hunan will...

Politics

15 h. ago China’s stablecoin bind: why US dollar tokens matter – and how Beijing may respond

Once a niche corner of the cryptocurrency world, stablecoins have surged into the global spotlight this year, prompting analysts and industry insiders to declare that the digital asset’s time has come. In July, US President Donald Trump signed the GENIUS Act into law, establishing the first federal regulatory regime for stablecoins – a move many believe could pave the way for mass-market adoption. Shortly after, Hong Kong introduced its own ordinance, which took effect on August 1, requiring...

Politics

15 h. ago ‘Summer of stablecoins’: how will China respond to US dollar’s crypto surge?

Once a niche corner of the cryptocurrency world, stablecoins have surged into the global spotlight this year, prompting analysts and industry insiders to declare that the digital asset’s time has come. In July, US President Donald Trump signed the GENIUS Act into law, establishing the first federal regulatory regime for stablecoins – a move many believe could pave the way for mass-market adoption. Shortly after, Hong Kong introduced its own ordinance, which took effect on August 1, requiring...

Politics

15 h. ago US restricts visas of some Central American nationals over China ties

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Thursday that Washington was restricting visas for some Central American nationals who it alleged to be “intentionally acting on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party” and undermining the rule of law. “As a result, these individuals and their immediate family members will be generally ineligible for entry into the United States,” Rubio said in his statement. The statement did not name any individuals or cite specific examples of actions over which they...

Politics

16 h. ago U.S. House passes Uyghur Policy Act supporting victims of persecution by China

U.S. House passes Uyghur Policy Act supporting victims of persecution by China  Radio Free Asia

Events

21 h. ago Hong Kong legal sector eyes film business role using smart contracts, blockchain

Hong Kong’s legal sector is taking an unprecedented leap into the world of Web3 and digital assets to revolutionise the city’s film and television industry in a bid to better track investments, with some massive losses incurred as a result of a lack of transparency. The bold new strategy, unveiled at a seminar on Thursday, enables the use of blockchain and smart contracts to fundamentally transform the industry and offer a new channel for financing creative content, according to lawmaker Johnny...

Politics

24 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

27 h. ago North Korean leader Kim Jong Un meets with Chinese leader Xi Jinping

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un meets with Chinese leader Xi Jinping  ABC News

Politics

27 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