Iran tempts Trump with ‘trillion-dollar’ nuclear deal pitch After US and Iranian negotiators agreed on Tuesday to a set of “guiding principles” at their nuclear talks in Geneva mediated by Oman, Tehran went further – framing any eventual deal as a commercial proposition, not just a security arrangement. Iran is pitching access to its vast energy and mineral reserves as what it has called a “trillion dollar opportunity” for American firms. In doing so, analysts say Tehran is speaking the language of a US president known for his deal-making...

South China Morning Post

Speaking Trump’s language: Iran frames nuclear deal as ‘trillion-dollar’ US win

Tehran is dangling access to its vast oil, gas and mineral reserves, but analysts warn that even this may fail to ‘move the needle’ in talks.

Hundreds evacuated after cooking mishap sparks false fire alarm at Hong Kong estate Hundreds of residents at a Hong Kong public housing estate were evacuated in the early hours of the second day of Lunar New Year over a suspected fire, only to discover that white smoke billowing from a flat had come from a cooking mishap. The Fire Services Department received a fire alarm report at about 2.30am on Wednesday at Kin Wah House, Kin Ming Estate in Tiu Keng Leng. Some residents took to social media to report the incident. “Where is the fire? I’m ready to grab my two cats and...

South China Morning Post

Hundreds evacuated after cooking mishap sparks false fire alarm in Hong Kong

Firefighters find cooking pot that had boiled dry in flat where white smoke originated.

Philippines’ Sara Duterte throws hat in the ring for 2028 presidential run Philippine Vice-President Sara Duterte announced on Wednesday she will run for president of the archipelago nation of 116 million in 2028. Duterte, who is embroiled in a bitter feud with President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr, was impeached last year only to see the country’s Supreme Court throw the case out over procedural issues. “I offer my life, my strength and my future in the service of our nation,” she said in announcing her candidacy. “I am Sara Duterte. I will run for president of the...

South China Morning Post

Philippines’ Sara Duterte throws hat in the ring for 2028 presidential run

‘I offer my life, my strength and my future in the service of our nation,’ the vice-president says.

US offers more details on claim China conducted secret nuclear weapons test A senior state department official said that the US would resume nuclear tests to match “opaque” Chinese activity, flagging new details about a 2020 test the US recently accused China of secretly conducting, as US President Donald Trump seeks a new trilateral nuclear control deal with China and Russia. “As the president has said, the United States will return to testing on an ‘equal basis’,” Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Arms Control and Nonproliferation Christopher Yeaw said on...

South China Morning Post

US offers more details on claim China conducted secret nuclear weapons test

State Department official says China’s alleged 2020 test was ‘a singular explosion’, confirms US will return to nuclear testing.

India’s huge new megaport off Southeast Asia gets green go-ahead India’s environmental court has given the go-ahead to the strategically significant Great Nicobar infrastructure project despite widespread concerns of ecological damage to the island in the Andaman Sea. The National Green Tribunal on Monday dismissed a batch of petitions objecting to the megaproject on ecologically sensitive Great Nicobar island – around 160km (100 miles) northwest of Indonesia’s Aceh province – saying “adequate safeguards” had been taken into account. The infrastructure plan...

South China Morning Post

India’s huge new megaport off Southeast Asia gets green go-ahead

The new port, airport, power plant and township on Great Nicobar island, northwest of Indonesia, will cover an estimated 166 sq km.

Festive buzz in Hong Kong as visitors pour in for Lunar New Year Crowds filled Hong Kong’s airport and a major cross-border rail terminal on the first day of the Lunar New Year, with many visitors saying they chose to spend the holiday in the city to enjoy its festive spirit, food and mild weather. According to the latest Immigration Department data, more than 1.7 million Hongkongers made outbound trips from February 13 to 16, up from 1.47 million in the January 25–28 period last year. They include about 320,000 residents who left the city on Monday. Over the...

South China Morning Post

Festive buzz in Hong Kong as visitors pour in for Lunar New Year

More than 1.7 million Hongkongers made outbound trips from February 13 to 16, up from 1.47 million between January 25 and 28 last year.

Singapore aims to woo US singles with ‘aunties, not algorithms’ matchmaking push Can a dose of old-fashioned matchmaking sell a destination? Singapore’s tourism board is betting it might, inviting US-based singles to be paired by “aunties” for a chance to win a four-night trip in a campaign marketers see as an attempt to soften the city state’s reputation for efficiency and order with a touch of warmth and human connection. Comedian Atsuko Okatsuka, Singaporean actress Tan Kheng Hua and astrologer-matchmaker Aliza Kelly have been chosen to front the “Aunties, Not Algorithms”...

South China Morning Post

A match made in Singapore? ‘Aunties, not algorithms’ aims to woo US singles

Burnt-out US-based singles could win a free luxury trip if they ditch the dating apps and opt to let outspoken older women play Cupid.

Unique Pokemon card sells for US$16.5 million, smashing world record An extremely rare Pokemon card owned by American YouTuber Logan Paul has sold for US$16,492,000, smashing the record for the most expensive trading card sold at an auction. The supposedly unique PSA 10-graded Pikachu Illustrator was originally bought by Paul in another record-breaking sale in 2021 for US$5.28 million. This time it was bought by AJ Scaramucci, son of former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci, according to Guinness World Records, whose representatives verified...

South China Morning Post

Unique Pokemon card smashes world record with US$16.5 million sale

Previously bought by US YouTuber Logan Paul for US$5.28 million in 2021, the card sold for three times that amount at an auction on Monday.

Walmart’s Sam’s Club cracks China market formula even as foreign retailers shut shop US warehouse retailer Sam’s Club has gained traction among Chinese shoppers by strengthening localisation and launching more China-tailored products, continuing to expand even as many foreign retailers have scaled back their mainland operations or exited the market. Instead of replicating its US model, Walmart-owned Sam’s Club has introduced products catering to local tastes, including copper gourd ornaments, ginseng and some traditional food items in the days leading up to the Lunar New Year...

South China Morning Post

Sam’s Club cracks China market formula even as foreign retailers shut shop

The warehouse retailer opened 10 new stores in 2025, accelerating expansion in smaller cities like Zhangjiagang and Yangzhou.

Indonesia’s capital is drowning in waste: ‘the smell is awful’ Garbage-choked streets, overloaded landfills and the fear of trash avalanches haunt Indonesia’s capital region, as the world’s most populous metropolis grapples with a waste crisis. Jakarta and its satellite cities, known collectively as Jabodetabek, are home to 42 million people and produce up to an estimated 14,000 tonnes of waste daily. That has placed increasing strain on the eight or so landfill sites that serve the region, which are now all close to or entirely full, according to local...

South China Morning Post

‘The smell is awful’: Indonesia’s capital is drowning in waste

With 42 million people churning out 14,000 tonnes of rubbish every day, Jakarta and its satellite cities are running out of room for trash.

Hong Kong airport’s second terminal to fully open, serve 15 airlines from May 27 Hong Kong airport’s second terminal will fully open on May 27, authorities have announced, with the redeveloped facility set to serve as the base for 15 airlines. The terminal, which will mostly handle regional flights, is part of the airport’s HK$141.5 billion expansion project launched in 2016 that also included a third runway. Its coach hall opened in September. Fred Lam Tin-fuk, chairman of the Airport Authority, said on Tuesday that the first terminal, which is mainly used for long-haul...

South China Morning Post

Hong Kong airport’s second terminal to fully open, serve 15 airlines from May 27

Transport and logistics minister Mable Chan says the two terminals will complement each other and ‘greatly enhance’ the airport’s capacity.

Hillary Clinton accuses Trump of Epstein cover-up, insists ‘nothing to hide’ Former US secretary of state Hillary Clinton has accused President Donald Trump of orchestrating a “cover-up” over files related to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, according to an interview with the BBC. “Get the files out. They are slow-walking it,” Clinton, who is due to testify before a Congressional committee on the issue, told the British broadcaster in an interview in Berlin published on Monday. The US Department of Justice last month released the latest cache of so-called Epstein files –...

South China Morning Post

‘Nothing to hide’: Hillary Clinton accuses Trump of Epstein cover-up

While her husband Bill features regularly in the Epstein files, the former US secretary of state says they are being used as a distraction.

China’s companies cut back on year-end bonuses as profit margins narrow As China’s workforce heads into another year-end bonus season ahead of the Lunar New Year, the mood is colder than in previous cycles. Unlike a few years ago, when social media was flooded with posts flaunting outsized payouts, public talk of bonuses has largely faded from view. Long viewed by Chinese employees as a barometer of corporate prospects, industry momentum and even the broader economy, the year-end bonus packages for 2025 have become smaller, rarer and far more unevenly distributed,...

South China Morning Post

Year-end bonuses shrink in China amid slowing growth, report finds

As China heads into the Year of the Horse, its firms’ bonuses have slowed to a trot, with many employees missing out completely.

What next for Okinawa’s anti-base alliance after Japan election loss? The broad anti-base alliance that has shaped Okinawa’s politics for nearly a decade is reeling after a bruising election defeat, raising questions about the future of organised resistance to the US military presence on Japan’s southernmost islands. All Okinawa – a coalition of opposition parties and civic groups that backs Governor Denny Tamaki and campaigns to curb the US military footprint in the prefecture – failed to win a single one of Okinawa’s four single-seat constituencies in the...

South China Morning Post

Okinawa voters shift away from concerns over US military presence

Analysts point to a shift in priorities among younger Okinawans as a possible factor in the alliance’s bruising defeat in the election.

Trump predicts Iran nuclear deal, warns of ‘consequences’ ahead of talks US ⁠President Donald Trump has said he will be “indirectly” involved in talks between Iran and the US over Tehran’s nuclear programme set to begin on Tuesday in Geneva. “I’ll be involved in those talks, indirectly. And they’ll be very important,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Monday, adding he believed ‌Tehran wanted to make a deal. Tensions are soaring ahead of the talks, with the US deploying a second aircraft carrier to the ⁠Middle East. The US military is preparing for the...

South China Morning Post

Trump predicts Iran nuclear deal, warns of ‘consequences’ ahead of talks

After a summer of military strikes and stalled diplomacy, indirect negotiations between Washington and Tehran are set to resume on Tuesday.

Beware excessive ‘fire energy’ in Year of the Horse: Hong Kong feng shui masters Hongkongers and world leaders should take a step back and be careful to avoid conflicts during the Year of the Horse, feng shui masters have warned, saying the zodiac sign contains excessive “fire energy” that could trigger aggressive action. Soothsayers interviewed by the South China Morning Post said the coming year, which fell under the category of the “fire horse” in the lunar calendar, would remain volatile for China and crisis-prone for the US. They also predicted that Hong Kong would...

South China Morning Post

Beware excessive ‘fire energy’ in Year of the Horse: Hong Kong feng shui masters

Soothsayers warn of potential volatility in coming lunar year, with city having to navigate geopolitical tensions even as its economy improves.

How the BNP’s Bangladesh election victory will shape policy trends On February 12, Bangladesh held its first official general election since the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government. Compared with previous elections marred by violence and turmoil, this one was relatively calm. Although there were scattered allegations of irregularities, international observers generally praised it as one of the most transparent elections in Bangladesh’s history. With voter turnout at nearly 60 per cent, the Bangladeshi people showed strong enthusiasm for change through...

South China Morning Post

Opinion | Bangladesh’s BNP could struggle to enact reforms despite election win

While the BNP’s margin of victory should help ensure stability, its roots in the old order could limit the speed and reach of reforms.

Pentagon ‘close to cutting ties’ with AI firm Anthropic amid frustration over restrictions The Pentagon is close to cutting ties with Anthropic and may label the artificial intelligence company a supply chain risk after becoming frustrated with restrictions on how it can use the technology, Axios news website reported. Anthropic’s talks about extending a contract with the Pentagon are being held up over additional protections the artificial intelligence company wants to put on its Claude tool, a person familiar with the matter said. Anthropic wants to put safeguards in place to stop...

South China Morning Post

Pentagon ‘close to cutting ties’ with AI firm Anthropic over restrictions

Anthropic wants to safeguard its Claude AI tool from being used for mass surveillance or advanced weapons development, Axios news reported.

China’s green energy leader Inner Mongolia starts work on new ‘flexible’ power plants The Chinese region of Inner Mongolia expects to start work this year on two new “flexible” power plants mixing coal and green energy. The plants, which will provide power to the eastern economic hubs of Shanghai and Jiangsu province, mark a major strategic shift in the use of coal because it will now be used to plug gaps in the power generated by wind and solar energy rather than being the primary source of energy. Inner Mongolia is home to around a quarter of China’s coal reserves but has also...

South China Morning Post

China’s green energy leader Inner Mongolia is working on ‘flexible’ power plants

The two plants will use coal as a backup to renewable sources such as wind and solar power in a major strategic shift.

Hong Kong court to announce verdict on appeals of 12 jailed activists on February 23 A Hong Kong appellate court will announce its verdict next Monday on the appeals of 12 activists convicted of conspiring to subvert state power in an unofficial election, and also rule on an acquitted defendant in the city’s largest national security trial. Eleven of the 12 found guilty over a scheme during the 2020 Legislative Council election to undermine, destroy or overthrow the administration earlier lodged appeals against their convictions and sentences. They have been serving jail...

South China Morning Post

Hong Kong court to rule on appeals of 12 jailed activists on February 23

Court will also rule on one acquitted defendant in city’s largest national security trial of 47 opposition figures over illegal ‘primary’ ele...