Anwar, Anutin hit diplomatic high notes to mask Malaysia-Thailand tensions

This Week in Asia Politics

Despite the leaders’ personal chemistry, the seafood row shows the ‘frictions’ embedded within the countries’ relationship, analysts say

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Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim (second from left) sings while his Thai counterpart Anutin Charnvirakul plays saxophone at the Federal Government office in Putrajaya on Thursday. Photo: The Thai government spokesman office via AP

Aidan Jones and Ushar Daniele

After a rendition of My Way and a saxophone accompaniment that felt closer to crooning uncles at a wedding party than high-stakes diplomacy, Malaysian Prime Minister

The next frontier of AI: how ‘world models’ are simulating reality and virtual spaces

GigaAI specialises in embodied intelligent models. Photo: Handout

Minxiao Chang in Shenzhen

Artificial intelligence has spent years learning to generate words, images and videos. Now, the industry’s attention is shifting towards “world models” – AI systems designed to simulate how the physical or digital world changes over time.

While the term was originally associated with physics simulations and robotics, a growing number of Chinese companies are applying the concept more broadly. The technology remains in its infancy, with little consensus on what


People’s Daily joins Beijing blitz against Philippines over 2016 South China Sea ruling

Official Communist Party paper slams verdict as ‘destabilising force’ as it runs twin commentaries in run-up to 10th anniversary of ruling

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A China Coast Guard crew member observes Philippine vessels in the disputed South China Sea. Photo: Handout via Xinhua

China’s flagship Communist Party newspaper has joined a sweeping rhetorical offensive against rival maritime claimant the Philippines, days ahead of the 10th anniversary of a South China Sea arbitration ruling rejected

Friend sues ex-plastic surgeon for HK$12m over loans tied to manslaughter case

A former Hong Kong plastic surgeon has been sued for more than HK$12 million he allegedly owes to a friend who lent him the money to help him contest a manslaughter charge arising from a botched botox injection eight years ago.

Retiree Diana King Yuen-fung initiated the lawsuit in the High Court on Thursday demanding that Franklin Li Wang-pong immediately return the money he borrowed through 14 bank transfers between May 2023 and August 2024.

Li, 94, was implicated in a


Hong Kong keeps tight grip on housing land supply despite property rebound

Development Secretary Bernadette Linn Hon-ho meets the media on the land sale programme for July to September 2026 at Central Government Offices in Tamar. Photo: SCMP/May Tse

Hong Kong’s government will release just one residential site for sale in the July to September quarter, maintaining a cautious approach even as the housing market rebounds , while officials argue that supply from other channels will keep the city on track to meet its housing targets.

A 5,170-square-metre (55,649 sq ft) site on Fat Kwong Street in Ho Man Tin, Kowloon, will be


Hong Kong watchdog orders removal of viral video allegedly involving singer David Lui

A viral dashcam video clip showing a heated argument inside a ride-hailing vehicle between a driver and a passenger, identified in the footage as singer David Lui Fong, has prompted Hong Kong’s privacy watchdog to order its removal, the South China Morning Post has learned.

In response to the SCMP’s queries, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data said on Friday that it had ordered a social media platform to remove the footage, adding that the office had not yet received any complaints about the video


Tanker transit through Strait of Hormuz plunges as US-Iran ceasefire fractures

Vessels at the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, on July 8. Photo: Reuters

The Strait of Hormuz faces a renewed plunge in maritime traffic after the United States ended its ceasefire with Iran, casting a shadow over a tentative commercial recovery, as analysts warn unaddressed differences in the framework agreement risk fuelling further escalation.

Traffic volumes dropped again on Thursday, with only 14 vessels transiting the strait, down from 35 a day earlier, according to Veson Nautical, a maritime software and data provider. Real-time data from


Why India is turning to retired jets to sustain its depleted air force

This Week in Asia Politics

Analysts say a large defence budget will not ‘automatically’ resolve combat aircraft gaps that are affecting India’s overall air power

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The Indian Air Force’s Tejas fighter jet prepares to take off during the “Aero India 2025” air show in Bengaluru on February 2025. Photo: AFP

India ’s struggle to replenish its depleted fighter fleet has led one of the world’s largest defence spenders to seek spare parts from decommissioned aircraft.

New Delhi recently secured nine

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Man nearly sucked out of ‘detached’ window on Ryanair flight

A man was nearly sucked out of the window of a Ryanair flight when it “detached” mid-air en route to Germany, with other passengers pulling him back inside, witnesses and officials said.

The passenger, described as a tourist from Serbia on a flight from Thessaloniki in Greece to Memmingen in Germany, has been hospitalised with friction burns but was otherwise in good condition, authorities said.

“Most of us had fallen asleep, we had closed our eyes. There was a noise, like a tyre bursting,


Why Payward chose Hong Kong to be its Asian stablecoin gateway

Daren Guo (L), co-founder at Reap, and Arjun Sethi, Co-CEO of Payward and Kraken. Photo: Handout

With its multi-currency advantages and regulatory clarity, Hong Kong has become a critical gateway connecting stablecoins – cryptocurrencies pegged to a stable asset like the US dollar – with traditional finance. Executives said this would help businesses cut costs, lower risks and support expansion into emerging markets.

The city’s unique positioning stemmed from its century-long role as a gateway for