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Americas

Brazil’s Lula vows to veto bill slashing Bolsonaro’s 27-year prison term

The proposed law could see the ex-president spend just over two years behind bars for an attempted coup.

Protesters rally against the sentence-reduction bill in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Sunday. Photo: EPA

United States & Canada

Deaths reported after business jet crashes at North Carolina airport

Footage shows first responders rushing to the runway as flames burned around the wreckage of the Cessna C550.

Firefighters respond to a plane crash at a regional airport in Statesville, North Carolina, on Thursday. Photo: WSOC via AP

United States & Canada

US man who googled how to dispose of body gets life sentence for wife’s murder

Ana Walshe – a mother of three – disappeared nearly three years ago, and her body has never been found.

Brian Walshe is led into a hearing in Dedham, Massachusetts, in October 2024. Photo: TNS

Celebrity Style

How to Style like the cast of Emily in Paris, from Lily Collins to Ashley Park

Channel Lily Collins with soft neutrals and metallic hues, or pair traditional workwear staples with vibrant accessories for Ashley Park’s look.

Lily Collins as Emily and Eugenio Franceschini as Marcello in Emily in Paris. Photo: Handout

East Asia

Is Japan’s nuclear stance set to change under PM Takaichi?

Source close to PM Takaichi urges Japan to acquire nuclear arms; policy shift from pacifism may spark backlash at home and abroad.

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Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks after an extraordinary parliamentary session on Wednesday. Photo: Kyodo
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Boxing

Paul v Joshua mismatch latest illustration of seismic shift in boxing landscape

YouTuber fancies his chances in Netflix-streamed bout against ex-heavyweight champion, who ominously says boxers have ‘licence to kill’.

Jake Paul (left) and Anthony Joshua clown around during their press conference in Miami on Wednesday. Photo: Reuters

Diplomacy

As Trump upends US foreign policy, analysts see fresh openings for China

After a turbulent year, experts expect continued disruption to reshape global influence, testing alliances and altering the balance of power.

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Illustration: Brian Wang

United States & Canada

US government admits liability in fatal Washington helicopter-plane crash

US government admits ‘breach of care’ as DOJ cites Army and FAA errors in January crash that killed 67 near Ronald Reagan airport in Washington.

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The wreckage of a commercial airplane that collided with a US Army Black Hawk helicopter in Washington in January. Photo: United States Coast Guard/EPA-EFE

Politics

Philippines to get up to US$3.5 billion defence aid to counter ‘serious threats’

A US senator says the support for Manila and other allies reflects the threats posed by China and its partners in the ‘axis of aggressors’.

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US and Filipino soldiers fire a howitzer during the annual joint “Balikatan” military exercises in Aparri, Cagayan province, Philippines in May. Photo: Reuters

Military

Beijing condemns Washington’s landmark US$11 billion arms sale to Taiwan

US State Department approves massive deal that includes billions in Himars and howitzer equipment, drones and software.

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Army Tactical Missile Systems are on the Taiwanese military’s shopping list. Photo: AP
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China Economy

China confirms issuing of first general licences for rare earth exports

Beijing says it is now granting longer permits giving foreign companies easier access to vital minerals, but many details remain unclear.

Workers transport soil containing rare earth elements for export at a port in China’s eastern Jiangsu province. Photo: Reuters

Society

Power outage briefly leaves 5,000 Hong Kong households in darkness

Outage also leaves some stuck in lifts at shopping centre and university campus, while police get report of traffic lights malfunctioning.

Footage from the Hong Kong Institute of Contemporary Culture Lee Shau Kee School of Creativity shows students continuing to learn in the dark. Photo: Handout

Tech Trends

SenseTime pushes open-source AI model to provide a ‘smart brain’ for every robot

The Chinese AI pioneer also releases first robot dog under new venture Ace Robotics.

SenseTime’s AI-powered interactive machine, SenseRobot, plays a round of chess at the Hong Kong Science Park. Photo: Edmond So

Global Economy

Discriminatory and egregious: China blasts EU’s subsidy crackdown

Commerce authorities vow to defend firms such as Nuctech and CRRC, while Beijing continues talks with Brussels over EV tariffs.

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The CRRC booth is seen in the advanced manufacturing section of the China International Supply Chain Expo in July. The train maker was probed by Brussels last month. Photo: Xinhua

China

China’s youth-unemployment rate, Laos joins durian war: SCMP daily highlights

From EU-China trade ties to Laos securing approval to export durians, here’s a round-up from today’s coverage.

China-Europe freight trains preparing to depart from the Manzhouli railway station in Manzhouli, north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region on December 10, 2025. Photo: Xinhua
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Property

Qube takes six floors at Two IFC as falling rents lure financial giants

Qube’s expansion mirrors a broader trend among financial firms taking advantage of softer rents to move into higher-grade offices.

A rainbow is seen behind the International Finance Centre (IFC) in Central, with the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in the foreground, July 1, 2025. Photo: Nora Tam

Big Tech

CATL marks trailblazing deployment of humanoid robots at scale in China plant

The initiative underscores the growing use of intelligent Chinese-made robots in the country’s manufacturing industry.

Built by start-up Spirit AI, the Xiaomo humanoid robot works on the assembly line of electric vehicle battery giant Contemporary Amperex Technology. Photo: CATL

Other Sport

World Anti-Doping Agency names India worst drugs cheats for third straight year

France are next on the list in 2024, with Italy third, followed by Russia and the United States, and then Germany and China.

Reetika Hooda, Indian under-23 wrestling champion and Paris Olympics quarter-finalist, tested positive In July and was provisionally suspended. Photo: Getty Images

Science

Why US lawmakers killed a proposal targeting science efforts with China

US researchers and industry experts warn that even the revised version may have unintended consequences.

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A US defence bill, now awaiting President Donald Trump’s signature, includes new restrictions aimed at the medical industry and supply chains, blocking federal funds from going to biotechnology companies linked to so-called adversaries. Photo: Reuters

Business

Alibaba deepens ecosystem with Qwen-Amap tie-up for routes, restaurants and more

The integration marks Alibaba’s first full tie-in for Qwen, as the company pushes for more synergy across its sprawling consumer platforms.

Amap has become the first Alibaba ecosystem service to be fully integrated with its Qwen app. Photo: Handout
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World Opinion

Opinion | Why AI chatbots are unlikely to bring about human extinction

Stories of chatbots behaving in surprising ways are fuelling the rise of ‘AI doomers’ who warn of the risk of human extinction. This extreme view is misguided.

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Photo: Reuters

Hong Kong Economy

Hong Kong Palace Museum says Egyptian exhibition will be most profitable show yet

About 700,000 people expected to visit display over nine-month run, director Louis Ng says.

A coffin displayed as part of the “Ancient Egypt Unveiled: Treasures from Egyptian Museums” at the Hong Kong Palace Museum. Photo: Sam Tsang

Transport

Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific investigates wrong taxiway use at Manila airport

Carrier says it is cooperating with local authorities in probe into incident, which led to delays for two incoming planes.

Cathay Pacific says it is cooperating with local authorities regarding the incident involving flight CX918. Photo: Jonathan Wong

China Economy

China jails antimony smugglers in tough stance on critical minerals

Dozens convicted of illegally shipping 166 tonnes of the strategic material, marking a major enforcement of Beijing’s export controls.

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The Shenzhen Intermediate People’s Court in Guangdong province has found several people guilty of illegally shipping antimony without obtaining export licences. Photo: SCMPOST

Science

China’s mind-control robot tech breakthrough brings ‘telepathy’ to life

Huge advancement allows paralysed man to work, order takeaway delivery via robotic dogs and control smart wheelchairs with his thoughts.

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Chinese scientists have had a huge breakthrough in brain-computer interfacing technology, allowing a paralysed man to control smart wheelchairs and robotic dogs with his mind. Photo: Handout
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Politics

Beijing, Hong Kong slam G7 over criticism of Jimmy Lai trial verdict

Chinese ministry’s arm in Hong Kong says attempts to pressure nation akin to ‘mantis trying to stop a chariot or ant trying to shake a tree’.

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A national flag flies outside the Commissioner’s Office of China’s Foreign Ministry in Hong Kong. Photo: Warton Li

Asia

Video | Japan to be without pandas for first time in 50 years

While the twin pandas were born in Japan, they belong to China under a loan agreement and are set to return by February 2026.

Giant panda Lei Lei eats bamboo at Ueno Zoo in Tokyo, Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025, a day after Japan announced the pandas will be returned to China in January 2026. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

Banking & Finance

HKEX proposes slashing board lot variations to boost liquidity

The moves will remove the entry barrier for retail investors and prepare the city’s exchange for a single board lot unit structure.

A view of the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX) office in Central, April 2, 2024. Photo: Jelly Tse

Health & Wellness

New dating app is helping disabled and chronically ill people find love

Disabled and chronically ill people are often ghosted or rejected on mainstream dating apps. Dateability is evening the playing field.

Dateability now covers the US, Canada, Mexico and the UK, with about 40,000 registered users. It was recently updated to improve the look and functionality. Photo: info.dateabilityapp.com

Law and Crime

Hong Kong Bar Association backs making bid-rigging a crime after deadly fire

Chairman Jose-Antonio Maurellet also says association will propose that key construction safety guidelines become legally binding.

Hong Kong Bar Association chairman Jose-Antonio Maurellet (fourth from left), with the delegation in Beijing. Photo: Handout