https://www.scmp.com/rss/91/feed All the latest breaking news from Hong Kong, China and around the world en https://assets-v2.i-scmp.com/production/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Amnesty International called for the abolition of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which is tasked with leading Donald Trump’s anti-immigrant crackdown, in a report released on Thursday. The report, titled “We Had Whistles, They Had Guns”, documents widespread human rights violations during ICE’s large-scale operations, the rights watchdog said. The release comes less than a week after a Venezuelan migrant, Wilber Garces Perez, was shot and wounded by an ICE agent in Austin, Texas,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3368727/amnesty-international-calls-abolition-ice-report-documenting-rights-violations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3368727/amnesty-international-calls-abolition-ice-report-documenting-rights-violations?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 23:19:18 +0000 dpa dpa UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband has told Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi in a face-to-face meeting that Britain will “not tolerate intimidation, threats or hostile activity on UK soil” from groups linked to his country. Miliband met his Iranian counterpart in the margins of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Thursday. The Foreign Office said the pair discussed the war in the Middle East, the importance of reopening the Strait of Hormuz and the UK’s “unwavering resolve to... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3368726/uk-will-not-tolerate-intimidation-foreign-secretary-tells-iran?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3368726/uk-will-not-tolerate-intimidation-foreign-secretary-tells-iran?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 23:05:08 +0000 SCMP SCMP 1. B-2 Spirit, AI cooperation, no US-China conflict: key Xi-Trump takeaways so far Chinese President Xi Jinping and his American counterpart Donald Trump delivered remarks at the White House on Thursday morning at the start of the second day of Xi’s closely watched state visit. 2. Beyond the Rose Garden and the military review, Trump and Xi get down to business After weeks of frustration, delays and posturing, Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump met Thursday, holding... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368723/china-us-new-joint-arrangement-ceo-arrivals-what-you-missed-overnight-xi-trump-summit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368723/china-us-new-joint-arrangement-ceo-arrivals-what-you-missed-overnight-xi-trump-summit?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 22:49:18 +0000 Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin Arm touches, laughs, and firm handshakes were on display as Chinese President Xi Jinping and his American counterpart Donald Trump began their high-stakes summit in Washington, which has so far featured a rare airport welcome, military pageantry and closed-door bilateral talks. While the outcomes of the pair’s discussions are being closely watched, so are the exchanges between the leaders of the world’s two largest economies. A body language expert who reviewed the interactions said Trump’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3368725/pat-back-xi-and-trumps-body-language-speaks-volumes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3368725/pat-back-xi-and-trumps-body-language-speaks-volumes?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 22:47:50 +0000 Han Li Han Li Melania Trump and China’s first lady Peng Liyuan toured Chinese artworks and a room shaped by Asian design at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art in Washington on Thursday, as their husbands held talks at the White House. The museum’s director, Chase Robinson, said the two women spent about 45 minutes there and were “full of questions”. Much of the visit centred on the Peacock Room, whose displays of Chinese porcelain made it a fitting setting for the occasion, he said. “What better... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368724/inside-melania-trump-and-peng-liyuans-visit-smithsonians-peacock-room?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368724/inside-melania-trump-and-peng-liyuans-visit-smithsonians-peacock-room?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 22:46:33 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan When the presidents of the United States and China meet in Washington, the world will be watching to see whether their two countries can make good on their agreement to work towards “constructive strategic stability”. In the sixth part of a series, Khushboo Razdan looks at how a presidential appeal to America’s heartland is playing out. Of the countless preparations being made for Chinese President Xi Jinping’s highly anticipated American trip, arguably the first came in the form of a personal... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368643/what-xi-jinpings-letter-old-friends-iowa-means-struggling-altered-america?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368643/what-xi-jinpings-letter-old-friends-iowa-means-struggling-altered-america?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 22:00:20 +0000 Wang Huiyao Wang Huiyao The European Commission is pressing China for progress by next month to address the widening EU-China trade imbalance, and raising the possibility of new protectionist trade policy. The deadline raises a question: how should China and its trading partners address perceived economic imbalances while sharing the benefits of Chinese industrial competitiveness? China’s merchandise trade surplus approached US$1.2 trillion last year even as other exporting economies press for controls. “Overcapacity”... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3368293/chinas-industrial-strengths-must-also-benefit-its-trading-partners?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3368293/chinas-industrial-strengths-must-also-benefit-its-trading-partners?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 21:30:12 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Costa Rica’s President Laura Fernandez on Thursday fired her foreign minister for attending a meeting on Latin America’s security led by US President Donald Trump without telling her. Fernandez said she should have been the one to attend the meeting of Trump’s anti-cartel “Shield of the Americas” alliance in New York, and that Foreign Minister Manuel Tovar’s failure to consult her caused “great strategic damage”. The meeting took place on Tuesday on the sidelines of the UN General... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3368722/costa-ricas-foreign-minister-fired-attending-trump-meeting-without-telling-president?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3368722/costa-ricas-foreign-minister-fired-attending-trump-meeting-without-telling-president?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 21:18:06 +0000 Reuters Reuters The two US senators backing a permanent legislative ban on Chinese cars in the United States agreed on Thursday to delay their plan to use a fast track procedure to win Senate approval until next week, to seek the support of a lone holdout. Republican Senator Bernie Moreno and Democratic Senator Elissa Slotkin had planned to seek ‌approval for the procedure – which requires unanimous Senate backing – on Thursday, the same day that US President Donald Trump met China’s President Xi Jinping in... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/economy-trade-business/article/3368721/us-senators-delay-effort-permanently-ban-chinese-cars?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/economy-trade-business/article/3368721/us-senators-delay-effort-permanently-ban-chinese-cars?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 20:30:27 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse US mortgage rates have exceeded 7.0 per cent, data showed Thursday, reaching their highest level since Donald Trump returned to the presidency as voters grapple with high costs of living ahead of midterm elections. The popular 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 7.03 per cent as of Thursday, a stark uptick from 6.30 per cent the same period a year ago. This is the highest average level since January 16 last year, just days before Trump returned to the White House, according to data from... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3368720/us-30-year-mortgage-rates-top-7-highest-trump-presidency?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3368720/us-30-year-mortgage-rates-top-7-highest-trump-presidency?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 19:52:08 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The US’ cybersecurity agency on Thursday released an election infrastructure security plan, some 40 days before November’s midterms, laying out potential threats to election systems and listing services it would offer to election officials to protect the vote. The plan, which Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin had originally promised to release by mid-August, comes as the Trump administration has been trying to kickstart efforts to help states protect voting systems. Election officials... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3368719/us-cybersecurity-agency-releases-election-infrastructure-plan-40-days-midterms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3368719/us-cybersecurity-agency-releases-election-infrastructure-plan-40-days-midterms?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 18:39:04 +0000 Reuters Reuters A man armed with a knife killed a priest and injured four other people during an attack on clergy and worshippers at a Benedictine abbey in southern Poland on Thursday, authorities ‌said. The man used a knife he took from a kitchen there to attack one woman and four men, including one priest who was in a confessional, a prosecutor said. The attack took place at a Benedictine Sisters monastery on the grounds of the abbey in Jaroslaw, local media reported. A 31-year-old Ukrainian man was arrested,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3368718/knifeman-kills-priest-injures-4-attack-polish-abbey?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3368718/knifeman-kills-priest-injures-4-attack-polish-abbey?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 18:11:28 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Allegations of Israeli genocide in Gaza are not only false but “the biggest lie of the century”, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told world leaders on Thursday in a defiant speech that asserted his nation’s right to wage war against Iran – a speech that was not heard by scores of delegates who trooped out before he started speaking. Netanyahu, his voice rising in emphasis, said attacking Iran “was one of the easiest decisions I’ve ever had to make” and denounced as “moral cowards” a mass of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3368717/abbas-accuses-israel-waging-genocidal-war-gaza-pre-recorded-un-speech?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3368717/abbas-accuses-israel-waging-genocidal-war-gaza-pre-recorded-un-speech?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 17:40:03 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A Croatian court has approved the extradition of a Ukrainian man who is wanted in Germany in connection with the 2022 undersea explosions that damaged the Nord Stream gas pipelines, state media said on Thursday. The report from HRT Television quoted the suspect’s lawyer Ljubo Pavaskovic as saying that he will appeal the September 18 ruling. It was not immediately clear when the man could be handed over to Germany. He was arrested on a European warrant in the northern Croatian town of Pula in... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3368715/croatian-court-approves-extradition-nord-stream-blast-suspect-germany?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3368715/croatian-court-approves-extradition-nord-stream-blast-suspect-germany?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 16:46:52 +0000 Dewey Sim,Ji Siqi,Vincent Chow Dewey Sim,Ji Siqi,Vincent Chow Chinese President Xi Jinping and his American counterpart Donald Trump delivered remarks at the White House on Thursday morning at the start of the second day of Xi’s closely watched state visit. Both leaders spoke warmly of their countries’ ties and pledged deeper cooperation in comments that sought to project an image of stability between the two sides. Trump said he and Xi would work together to build a “better future for both our countries” while Xi called for the two powers to “coexist in... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368716/b-2-spirit-ai-cooperation-no-us-china-conflict-key-xi-trump-takeaways-so-far?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368716/b-2-spirit-ai-cooperation-no-us-china-conflict-key-xi-trump-takeaways-so-far?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 16:44:16 +0000 Jess Ma Jess Ma An intergovernmental mediation body headquartered in Hong Kong is poised to play an important role in resolving cross-border disputes within the Greater Bay Area, as well as multinational disagreements tied to countries in the Belt and Road Initiative, former and incumbent justice ministers have said. The secretary general of the International Organisation for Mediation (IOMed), Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah, highlighted the organisation’s role in handling disputes within the bay area at a forum... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3368714/hong-kongs-iomed-poised-play-key-role-resolving-greater-bay-area-disputes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3368714/hong-kongs-iomed-poised-play-key-role-resolving-greater-bay-area-disputes?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 15:44:27 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The eviction of an 87-year-old from her Madrid home has highlighted a political paralysis that has thwarted efforts to resolve Spain’s chronic housing crisis, fuelling debate before next year’s election. Maricarmen Abascal’s 70-year stay at her home in upmarket central Madrid ended on Wednesday when she left escorted on a stretcher, flanked by protesters on one side and police on the other – a traumatic event broadcast live on TV. Unable to afford a 275-per cent increase to the monthly rent... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3368712/spains-housing-crisis-spotlight-eviction-pensioner-87?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3368712/spains-housing-crisis-spotlight-eviction-pensioner-87?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 14:56:09 +0000 Mark Magnier Mark Magnier After weeks of frustration, delays and posturing, Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump met Thursday, holding talks on several irritants and announcing an ill-defined “new joint arrangement” as they kicked off the most consequential day of their high-stakes summit. The arrangement was “good news for businesses, ordinary people and the global economy”, Xi said, according to state news agency Xinhua, without elaborating. “We must turn this vision into action,” he... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3368709/beyond-rose-garden-and-military-review-trump-and-xi-get-down-business?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3368709/beyond-rose-garden-and-military-review-trump-and-xi-get-down-business?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 14:32:56 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Singapore’s major financial institutions have pledged to train more than 80,000 local employees in AI skills as the country moves to cushion white-collar workers from potential job disruption. A pioneer batch of 23 banks, insurers and asset managers has committed to train all their Singapore staff by 2028, and more than half of them have already gone through programmes recognised by an industry association, according to Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong. The firms would also study how jobs were... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3368707/singapores-finance-firms-pledge-train-80000-local-staff-ai-skills?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3368707/singapores-finance-firms-pledge-train-80000-local-staff-ai-skills?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 14:01:44 +0000 SCMP Reporters SCMP Reporters This live article is freely available to our registered users. Please log in or create an account. Unrivalled Xi-Trump summit analysis: get real-time updates and exclusive boots-on-the-ground reporting from our US and China bureaus. Subscribe now with great savings to stay ahead. President Xi Jinping and China’s first lady Peng Liyuan arrived at the White House on Thursday, on Xi’s first trip to the US in nearly a decade, following US President Donald Trump’s trip to Beijing in May. Trump... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368706/xi-begins-first-full-day-us-visit-meet-trump-white-house-ceremony?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368706/xi-begins-first-full-day-us-visit-meet-trump-white-house-ceremony?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 13:53:20 +0000 Matthew Cheng Matthew Cheng Updated declarations of interest by members of Hong Kong’s top decision-making body have revealed new business ventures and corporate board appointments for several former veteran lawmakers, while constitutional affairs chief Janice Tse Siu-wa remains the biggest landlord among ministers. The Executive Council’s annually updated declarations of interest were published on Thursday in accordance with regulations requiring all members, including senior politically appointed officials, to declare... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3368705/exco-declarations-reveal-new-roles-ex-lawmakers-minister-retains-22-flats?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3368705/exco-declarations-reveal-new-roles-ex-lawmakers-minister-retains-22-flats?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 13:50:44 +0000 Brian Wong Brian Wong Slain Hong Kong socialite Abby Choi Tin-fung’s former husband and brother-in-law have pleaded guilty to illegally disposing of her dismembered body, but will still stand trial alongside their father on murder charges as prosecutors prepare to open their case on Monday. The pleas on the two charges were revealed on Thursday after the High Court empanelled a nine-member jury for the high-profile trial, which is expected to last about eight weeks. The seven men and two women will hear evidence and... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3368703/hong-kong-model-abby-chois-former-relatives-admit-body-disposal-deny-murder?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3368703/hong-kong-model-abby-chois-former-relatives-admit-body-disposal-deny-murder?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 13:15:26 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A British far-right activist who has led protests against migrants crossing the English Channel in small boats was charged on Thursday after allegedly slashing a dinghy in the water. The incident comes as agitators against immigration adopt a confrontational new tactic of trying to stop the boats landing on England’s shores, clashing with police and rescuers in the process. A video posted on Tuesday on social media appears to show Daniel Thomas, 37, taking a knife to an inflatable boat, which... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3368701/uk-far-right-activist-arrested-after-migrant-boat-slashed-english-channel?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3368701/uk-far-right-activist-arrested-after-migrant-boat-slashed-english-channel?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 13:11:35 +0000 Gabriel Dominguez Gabriel Dominguez China’s next aircraft carrier could be longer than the US Navy’s largest warship, according to new satellite images that offer fresh clues about how far from home Beijing intends to operate its fleet – and the logistics it will need to do so. Captured on September 4, the images show that work has begun on the bulbous bow of the carrier under construction at Dalian Shipyard in northeastern China, defence intelligence company Janes reported last week. Measurements from the stern to the projected... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3368690/chinas-next-carrier-could-be-its-longest-what-are-beijings-plans?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3368690/chinas-next-carrier-could-be-its-longest-what-are-beijings-plans?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 13:00:19 +0000 Khushboo Razdan,William Zheng,Nayan Seth Khushboo Razdan,William Zheng,Nayan Seth A small group of Chinese CEOs holding US visas has arrived in Washington after travelling separately from President Xi Jinping’s official entourage, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter. But with the clock ticking and the business optics of the Chinese leader’s White House visit hanging on the final twists of diplomatic negotiations, the executives are still waiting to find out whether they will secure a seat at Thursday’s state dinner for Xi. “Beijing’s security protocol is... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368683/chinese-ceos-fly-us-own-await-invites-trumps-state-dinner-xi-jinping?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368683/chinese-ceos-fly-us-own-await-invites-trumps-state-dinner-xi-jinping?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 12:41:59 +0000 Cannix Yau Cannix Yau From restaurants and hotels to cafes and market stalls, Hong Kong’s catering industry has banded together to offer discounts of up to 30 per cent at more than 3,800 outlets to celebrate National Day on October 1. Food and catering businesses said on Thursday they would provide an array of tasty deals across the city to mark the 77th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. Offers include meal sets at 30 per cent off, fresh food items such as vegetable packs for HK$7 (89 US... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3368699/3800-hong-kong-food-outlets-offering-30-celebrate-national-day?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3368699/3800-hong-kong-food-outlets-offering-30-celebrate-national-day?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 12:37:21 +0000 Alice Li Alice Li China’s outbound direct investment reached a record high of US$214 billion last year, even as investment in the United States plunged to its lowest level in more than a decade amid growing geopolitical and regulatory uncertainty, latest official data showed. Outbound direct investment was up 11.1 per cent in 2025 compared to the previous year, making China the world’s second-largest source of global capital, behind only the US and ranking ahead of Japan, according to an annual report jointly... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3368642/chinas-overseas-investment-hits-record-us214-billion-why-are-us-bound-flows-plunging?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3368642/chinas-overseas-investment-hits-record-us214-billion-why-are-us-bound-flows-plunging?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 12:30:19 +0000 Quentin Parker Quentin Parker More than three years ago, I articulated concerns regarding the existential threat of artificial intelligence in a piece entitled “How Hong Kong can play a role in preventing AI Armageddon”. There is an increasing number of articles about exactly this. Here I concentrate on a more insidious encroachment on our humanity – how AI is capturing our creative expression and replacing us in a way that is making it harder to discern what is creatively human. As a scientist, my inclination is to filter... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3368408/dont-let-ai-take-over-our-human-creative-expression?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3368408/dont-let-ai-take-over-our-human-creative-expression?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 12:30:14 +0000 Fan Chen Fan Chen Starkly contrasting receptions for the Japanese leader and the Chinese president in the United States have sparked debate over Washington’s treatment of Tokyo as an ally. Sanae Takaichi arrived in New York at the start of the working week, beginning a trip where she addressed the United Nations General Assembly for the first time as the country’s prime minister. A photo taken on her arrival shows her waving across a relatively empty tarmac at John F. Kennedy International Airport. Footage... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368696/red-carpet-vs-empty-tarmac-xis-us-welcome-fuels-debate-over-takaichis-no-show-reception?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368696/red-carpet-vs-empty-tarmac-xis-us-welcome-fuels-debate-over-takaichis-no-show-reception?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 12:20:23 +0000 Fiona Sun Fiona Sun Hong Kong will admit “only a few hundred” skilled foreign domestic carers for the elderly annually under a new pilot scheme, the welfare minister has said, promising a “rigorous” approach in response to concerns about possible disruptions to the existing helper market. Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han also said on Thursday that those recruited under the scheme would need skills equivalent to those of health workers at Hong Kong’s care homes for the elderly. He added that... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3368695/hong-kong-only-admit-few-hundred-foreign-carers-year-under-pilot-scheme?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3368695/hong-kong-only-admit-few-hundred-foreign-carers-year-under-pilot-scheme?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 12:12:39 +0000 Danny Mok Danny Mok A mechanical fault on a private jet triggered a precautionary “local standby” at Hong Kong’s airport on Thursday, with the aircraft later landing safely. The Gulfstream G650 reported a flap problem at around 5.21pm and estimated an arrival time of 5.53pm, prompting the Fire Services Department and other airport rescue units to deploy personnel to strategic positions along the runway in readiness to offer immediate assistance. An ambulance was also dispatched as part of the initial emergency... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3368692/private-jet-flap-scare-triggers-local-standby-hong-kong-airport?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3368692/private-jet-flap-scare-triggers-local-standby-hong-kong-airport?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 11:52:24 +0000 SCMP SCMP We have put together stories from our coverage of Xi and Trump’s meeting in the US so far. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Big picture or big deals? What the Xi-Trump summit holds for China and the US With the balance of power shifting between the US and China, the success of this week’s summit hinges not on headline-grabbing deals, but on practical, cautious consensus under a new strategic stability framework, according to Chinese researchers. 2.... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368686/xi-trump-summit-day-1-highlights-red-carpet-chinas-leader-rubio-defends-visit-and-more?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368686/xi-trump-summit-day-1-highlights-red-carpet-chinas-leader-rubio-defends-visit-and-more?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 11:50:07 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press When Iran shut down the Strait of Hormuz at the start of the war, choking off sea passage for some 15 million barrels of oil a day, many feared that prices would skyrocket, cratering the world economy. Instead, nearly seven months on, oil is expensive but not exorbitant, and analysts say there is enough oil available to meet current global needs, even as the higher prices cause political problems for US President Donald Trump and others. That’s because Saudi Arabia and other Gulf producers... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3368688/gulf-nations-keep-oil-flowing-amid-iran-war-its-getting-costly?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3368688/gulf-nations-keep-oil-flowing-amid-iran-war-its-getting-costly?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 11:40:36 +0000 Howard Liu Howard Liu China’s technology sector is facing fresh pressure in the United States as lawmakers seek to broaden the range of products that can be placed on a trade blacklist, while Lenovo Group has been drawn into a patent dispute involving memory devices. The Communications and Technology Transparency Act, unveiled by the US House Energy and Commerce Committee on Wednesday, would expand the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Covered List from “communications equipment or service” to the much... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3368633/china-tech-faces-fresh-scrutiny-us-blacklist-bill-introduced-lenovo-case-emerges?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3368633/china-tech-faces-fresh-scrutiny-us-blacklist-bill-introduced-lenovo-case-emerges?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 11:30:25 +0000 Fran Lu Fran Lu Retail tycoon Yu Donglai, widely known as China’s “most conscientious” boss, recently triggered public controversy with a proposal to sign only a four-year “training initiative” contract with future new hires, without renewing it. Yu has been nationally acclaimed for the many unconventionally humanistic rules he set up for Pangdonglai, a supermarket chain he founded in central China’s Henan province in 1995. Yu, for example, once said his 8,000 employees’ after-tax monthly salaries average 9,000... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3368684/chinese-retail-chain-faces-rare-backlash-limiting-new-hires-4-year-contracts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3368684/chinese-retail-chain-faces-rare-backlash-limiting-new-hires-4-year-contracts?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 11:19:21 +0000 Caroline Lin Caroline Lin American tenor Christopher Macchio will perform at the White House banquet for Chinese President Xi Jinping during his first state visit to the United States in more than a decade. “An honour to return to Washington DC to perform for the State Dinner with Donald Trump (originally @realDonaldTrump) and President Xi,” Macchio said on social media, tagging the official accounts of Trump, the White House, and the Trump campaign. Often referred to as “America’s Tenor”, Macchio is a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368682/us-tenor-christopher-macchio-booked-xi-trump-state-dinner-performance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368682/us-tenor-christopher-macchio-booked-xi-trump-state-dinner-performance?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 11:18:20 +0000 Reuters Reuters Sri Lanka’s main opposition took to the streets on Thursday to protest against judicial reforms, including raising the retirement age for judges, that the government says are needed to reduce legal delays. Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa told thousands of supporters outside parliament that the legislation proposed by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s left-wing administration would “annihilate” judicial independence. The government unveiled two bills last month to increase the number of... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3368676/sri-lankas-opposition-protests-against-contentious-judicial-reforms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3368676/sri-lankas-opposition-protests-against-contentious-judicial-reforms?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 11:15:06 +0000 Cao Jiaxuan Cao Jiaxuan China’s first lady Peng Liyuan has sparked online buzz over her English-language exchanges with the US first lady without an interpreter during her visit to Washington with President Xi Jinping this week. On Wednesday, US President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump greeted Xi and Peng at Joint Base Andrews in a rare diplomatic move. After Xi and Peng stepped off the plane, the two couples spoke with the help of interpreters. But as they walked along the red carpet, Peng and Melania... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368672/first-lady-peng-liyuans-english-takes-spotlight-exchange-melania-trump?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368672/first-lady-peng-liyuans-english-takes-spotlight-exchange-melania-trump?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 10:43:41 +0000 Sylvia Ma,Frank Chen Sylvia Ma,Frank Chen An extension of the US-China trade truce, agreed upon at an unscheduled meeting between the two countries’ top economic officials, underscores a willingness to contain trade tensions, according to analysts who deemed it a positive signal for this week’s presidential summit. While the rollover extends the truce by only two months, the analysts said it provided businesses with a measure of short-term certainty while raising the stakes for the next round of talks to determine whether the truce can... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3368663/what-2-month-trade-truce-extension-between-china-and-us-reveals-rifts-persist?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3368663/what-2-month-trade-truce-extension-between-china-and-us-reveals-rifts-persist?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 10:30:15 +0000 Vivian Au Vivian Au Plans to build 12,000 public flats on part of Hong Kong’s oldest golf course have been thrown into serious doubt after the government chose not to appeal a court’s decision to uphold a ruling revoking the project’s environmental approval. Authorities said on Thursday that they had decided against appealing after “holistically” considering legal advice following the Court of Appeal’s decision to uphold the overturning of conditional approval for the construction of 12,000 flats on part of the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3368668/hong-kong-authorities-wont-appeal-court-halt-12000-flat-project-golf-course?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3368668/hong-kong-authorities-wont-appeal-court-halt-12000-flat-project-golf-course?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 10:16:19 +0000 Reuters Reuters Russian drone and missile strikes on Ukraine’s capital Kyiv and its northeast killed eight people on Thursday in attacks that included a maternity hospital and a farm, officials said. Moscow has stepped up its air ‌war in recent months, deploying more of its faster and harder-to-stop drones while Ukraine is short of interceptors to down ballistic missiles. Two people died in the latest assault on Kyiv, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky, who was in New York for the UN General... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3368667/8-killed-russian-strikes-ukraine-maternity-clinic-damaged?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3368667/8-killed-russian-strikes-ukraine-maternity-clinic-damaged?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 10:08:42 +0000 Xinmei Shen Xinmei Shen Efforts to detect multiple cancers through a single blood draw are gathering momentum after US regulators endorsed the technology for the first time, although experts say wider adoption in Hong Kong still faces challenges as doctors remain cautious about its clinical value. In a landmark decision for the emerging field of multi-cancer early detection (MCED) blood tests, a US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) panel on Thursday voted in favour of US company Grail’s “Galleri test”, recommending it... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3368665/us-regulators-back-multi-cancer-blood-test-hong-kong-doctors-remain-cautious?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3368665/us-regulators-back-multi-cancer-blood-test-hong-kong-doctors-remain-cautious?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 10:05:00 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji For millions of Indians, buying a cup of chai or groceries from roadside vendors has come to mean reaching for their phones rather than wallets – a habit made possible by a system that has so far charged consumers nothing for such everyday transactions. Now, a decade after the government launched the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), India is asking some merchants to pay for the hugely popular system – raising questions over whether it can preserve the low-cost model that drove its mass adoption... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3368661/what-can-asia-global-south-learn-indias-new-digital-payment-fee?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3368661/what-can-asia-global-south-learn-indias-new-digital-payment-fee?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 10:02:05 +0000 Carol Yang Carol Yang Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to the US is his first to the country since 2023 and his eighth face-to-face meeting with Donald Trump. From informal walk-and-talks to a state dinner, Xi’s meetings across four American administrations show how personal rapport and official diplomacy reflect the growing complexity of US-China relations. Xi’s first US visit as president: a shirtsleeves summit In June 2013, just months after assuming the presidency, Xi travelled to the United States following... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368664/summits-all-diplomatic-seasons-how-us-has-set-stage-xi-jinping?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368664/summits-all-diplomatic-seasons-how-us-has-set-stage-xi-jinping?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 09:52:15 +0000 Wency Chen Wency Chen The artificial intelligence road map presented at its flagship Apsara Conference this week showcased a pragmatic pivot by Chinese tech giant Alibaba Group Holding, offering a clearer path to monetisation despite a sharp escalation in capital expenditure, analysts said. The conference, which ran from Tuesday to Thursday under the theme “Intelligence goes beyond”, highlighted “Alibaba’s disciplined execution across its full-stack AI ecosystem”, said Cathy Chan, an analyst at CCB International. She... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3368650/alibaba-unveils-pragmatic-ai-road-map-drive-monetisation-infrastructure-efficiency?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3368650/alibaba-unveils-pragmatic-ai-road-map-drive-monetisation-infrastructure-efficiency?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 09:30:22 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma China and the United States agreed to extend a trade-war truce by two months to January 10, as President Xi Jinping arrived in Washington for a summit with US President Donald Trump. The short extension will let the US assess whether China is meeting trade commitments, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox News on Wednesday following “unscheduled” extra talks with Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng. China had sought to stretch the “Busan Agreement” pause until January 2029, when Trump’s term in... https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368652/us-china-agree-two-month-trade-truce-extension-ahead-summit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368652/us-china-agree-two-month-trade-truce-extension-ahead-summit?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 09:17:46 +0000 SCMP’s Asia desk SCMP’s Asia desk Singapore police have launched an investigation after a video of a man allegedly filming female students using smart glasses went viral, sparking concerns about privacy and safety. In the social media video, a man wearing black-rimmed glasses and a face mask is seen walking behind two female students wearing what appear to be uniforms from Raffles Institution, a premier school in the city state. The girls seem unaware of his presence. The man clutches his phone to his chest and presses what... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3368651/were-smart-glasses-used-singapore-film-2-female-students?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3368651/were-smart-glasses-used-singapore-film-2-female-students?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 09:17:36 +0000 SCMP’s Asia desk SCMP’s Asia desk Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr is weighing an absolute pardon for Mary Jane Veloso, a former death row inmate detained since her 2010 conviction for drug trafficking in Indonesia. “The Office of the President is seriously considering granting an absolute pardon to Mary Jane Veloso on humanitarian grounds in support of the government’s commitment to protecting Filipino migrant workers,” lawmaker Albert Garcia said on Wednesday, as quoted by the Philippine Daily Inquirer. “There will be... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3368646/philippines-weighs-pardon-death-row-inmate-repatriated-indonesia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3368646/philippines-weighs-pardon-death-row-inmate-repatriated-indonesia?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 09:06:44 +0000 Eric Jiang Eric Jiang The recent strength in Hong Kong’s exports extended into August, with the value jumping by 53 per cent to HK$667.9 billion (US$85.6 billion) – the second-highest level on record after July’s peak – on strong demand for artificial intelligence-related products. Provisional figures released by the Census and Statistics Department on Thursday showed that the total value of exports rose to HK$667.9 billion last month, following a 50.7 per cent surge in July. Imports, meanwhile, rose by 60 per cent... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3368645/hong-kong-exports-surge-53-hk6679-billion-second-highest-record?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3368645/hong-kong-exports-surge-53-hk6679-billion-second-highest-record?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 09:01:51 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran The Philippine Senate has made it mathematically easier to convict Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio, but observers say the ruling could intensify a battle over an impeachment trial already viewed by the public as deeply divisive. The Senate, sitting as an impeachment court, ruled on Wednesday that only senator-judges who are able to take part in the trial should be counted in determining the threshold for conviction. Under the Philippine constitution, a two-thirds vote of the Senate is... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3368631/philippines-impeachment-path-now-clear-convict-sara-duterte?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3368631/philippines-impeachment-path-now-clear-convict-sara-duterte?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 09:00:07 +0000