SCMP News Digest
Wednesday, 28 January 2026
Sarah Mullally confirmed as Archbishop of Canterbury, first woman to lead Church of England
Sarah Mullally was confirmed as Archbishop of Canterbury on Wednesday, becoming the first woman to lead the Church of England.
The worldwide Anglican Communion, which includes the Episcopal Church in the US, has no formal head, but the archbishop traditionally has been seen as its spiritual leader.
Mullally, 63, a cancer nurse turned cleric, officially took up the responsibilities of her new job as judges presided over a legal ceremony confirming her appointment, which was announced almost four…
With China visit, Starmer makes clear he’s putting Britain first
“I’m often invited to simply choose between countries. I don’t do that,” UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Monday ahead of his China trip. The visit – after Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Beijing trip drew US tariff threats – is an attempt to drag British foreign policy into alignment with 21st century realities: a world of strategic rivalry but deep economic interdependence.
Starmer’s remarks are not diplomatic wordplay, but a declaration the United Kingdom will no longer be a…
Hong Kong logs US$37 million Admiralty office deal amid tentative market recovery
A Hong Kong office unit at Admiralty Centre has changed hands for HK$292.17 million (US$37.46 million), making it the most expensive commercial property transaction registered on Tuesday, according to official records, in a deal that adds to tentative signs of stabilisation in the city’s battered real estate market.
The office space, located in Tower 1 of the Admiralty Centre within the city’s core business district, was acquired by Luck Ring Development, Land Registry records showed.
The unit…
China will step in if Australia moves to regain control of Darwin Port, envoy says
Beijing has pledged to step in if Canberra commits to regaining control of a strategic port in northern Australia that is leased to a Chinese firm.
Chinese ambassador to Australia Xiao Qian said on Wednesday that Beijing “has the obligation to take measures” to protect the legitimate rights of Chinese companies overseas if the port of Darwin were taken back through a forced sale, according to Australian media reports.
During last year’s successful re-election campaign, Australian Prime Minister…
Beijing clears Nvidia’s H200 imports, ending chip uncertainty for China tech giants
Beijing has begun approving imports of Nvidia’s H200 graphics processing units (GPUs), according to two sources familiar with the matter, ending regulatory uncertainty over the US tech giant’s second most powerful artificial intelligence chip.
The first batch was expected to go to Big Tech companies, which were in urgent need of the GPU, a source said. However, access for state-backed companies, such as telecommunication network operators, was expected to remain under tight control, the source…
As World Cup boosts merch demand, China’s small-goods capital Yiwu stays wary
With less than five months to go before the opening match of the 2026 Fifa World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico, a wave of World Cup-driven orders is already rippling through China’s manufacturing heartlands.
In Yiwu, the eastern Chinese city long known as the world’s largest hub for small commodities, exporters of fan merchandise and sporting accessories are reporting an early surge in overseas orders.
World Cup fan merchandise maker and exporter Miji, who declined to give his full…
Who are ‘we’? Why some Singaporeans bristle at ‘we first’ inclusive society call
Recent comments by Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong about an inclusive “we first” society potentially involving foreigners have drawn the ire of some locals, with experts noting that a cultural shift and greater cooperation are necessary to attain the goal.
The “we first” society call was first raised by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong in his National Day Rally last year, when he stressed that Singaporeans had to band together to write the next chapter of their story.
On Monday, Gan…
Hong Kong police arrest 7 over bogus HK$10 million bankruptcy loan scheme
Hong Kong police have arrested seven members of a fraud syndicate accused of swindling nearly 100 victims out of HK$10 million (US$1.3 million) by luring them into taking out loans under a bogus bankruptcy scheme and then charging hefty handling fees that left them even further out of pocket.
The case first surfaced last year after four victims reported receiving cold calls offering help in securing low-interest loans. They were later invited to an office in Kwai Fong, which falsely claimed to…
Bank Indonesia’s autonomy under scrutiny as Prabowo’s nephew joins leadership
The appointment of President Prabowo Subianto’s nephew to the leadership of Bank Indonesia (BI) has reignited debate over whether Southeast Asia’s largest economy can preserve the central bank’s independence – a question closely watched by foreign investors and currency markets.
While some analysts warned that any perception the central bank could become more responsive to government financing needs risks capital outflows and pressure on the rupiah, others said Bank Indonesia’s collective…
Communist Party and KMT revive forum stalled by decade of cross-strait tensions
The Communist Party and the Kuomintang (KMT), Taiwan’s main opposition party, will revive a long-stalled dialogue channel next week to navigate cross-strait tensions and discuss plans to promote industrial cooperation.
Beijing confirmed on Wednesday that the think tank forum would be held in the Chinese capital on February 3, according to an announcement by Zhang Han, a spokeswoman for the mainland’s Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO).
The party-to-party channel, known unofficially as the Communist…
‘Teach our children well’: Jack Ma urges changes to China’s rural education in AI era
Education in China’s countryside should shift away from rote-based learning to focus on nurturing curiosity and creativity in the artificial intelligence era, Alibaba Group Holding founder Jack Ma said in a meeting with rural teachers on Monday.
In remarks published by the Jack Ma Foundation on Tuesday, former English teacher Ma said the dawn of the AI era posed a challenge for rural education, but also presented an opportunity to “return to the fundamentals of education”. Alibaba owns the South…
Vanuatu seeks Hong Kong’s regulatory expertise, woos investors and tourists
Vanuatu’s leader hopes to strengthen his country’s presence in Hong Kong as the Pacific island nation looks to tap the city’s regulatory expertise, financial markets and investment opportunities.
Prime Minister Jotham Napat said on Wednesday that his country had established a “communication mechanism” during his trip to Hong Kong, to improve coordination and deepen ties with the financial hub.
He called the visit a “pivotal moment” for bilateral relations, with his delegation holding high-level…
Would you intervene? Singapore train-spitting case puts bystander culture in spotlight
A Singaporean woman has been charged with public nuisance after a video showing her spitting water towards fellow commuters on a train went viral, igniting a debate over what is seen as bystander culture in the city state.
The footage prompted criticism not only of the woman’s actions but also of other passengers who appeared to avoid intervening, reviving questions about how Singaporeans respond when disorderly behaviour unfolds in public.
Sabrina Han, 37, was charged with one count of public…
Why US defence strategy may push South Korea, Japan towards ‘radical’ security realignment
Washington’s latest defence strategy of providing “more limited US support” to its allies is expected to damage domestic backing for leaders in Japan and South Korea and spur greater momentum among regional countries towards military self-reliance.
Analysts also warn that such a realignment could lead to a “radical swing” in regional security calculations, and in the case of South Korea, weaken its deterrence against the North.
In the National Defence Strategy (NDS) released by the US Defence…
Alex Pretti shot at by 2 different federal agents in Minnesota: report
Two federal officers fired their weapons during the fatal weekend shooting of nurse Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, according to a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) report to Congress published on Tuesday by US media.
The shooting sparked bipartisan condemnation and fresh protests in Minneapolis, and US President Donald Trump on Tuesday called for an “honourable and honest investigation” into the matter.
He also suggested he would “de-escalate a little bit” the administration’s immigration…
Price rises on the horizon for Chinese cloud firms after Google and AWS set new rates
Several Chinese cloud service providers are “evaluating price increases”, according to analysts, following recent moves by Google and Amazon Web Services (AWS), as the explosive growth of artificial intelligence drives demand.
Google on Tuesday announced price rises of up to 100 per cent for certain services, effective May 1. For example, North American users of the CDN Interconnect, Direct Peering, and Carrier Peering services will pay US$0.08 per gigabyte, double the current rate. In Asia, the…
China couple, 102, born on same day, gain online attention, credit longevity to respecting privacy
A centenarian Chinese couple have gone viral for being born on the exact same day, month and year and revealing their simple secret to longevity.
Numerous netizens have been captivated by the 102-year-old couple’s remedy for a long life, which is minding your own business.
The couple went viral after a family portrait surfaced showing Yuan Guanjin and his wife Yin Hezhen wearing white shirts and red jumpers, sitting with their children and grandchildren.
The heartwarming photograph, taken on…
Is South Korea’s ‘metropolitan visa’ for shipbuilding worth the cost of foreign labour?
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has sparked intense debate with his comments on the “metropolitan visa” policy, aimed at supplying foreign labour to the country’s industrial regions.
The controversy escalated after President Lee openly criticised the shipbuilding industry’s reliance on low-wage foreign workers during a visit to Ulsan, a hub for the nation’s maritime sector.
His remarks have divided stakeholders. Local governments and businesses view the visa as a desperate measure to solve…
The US is working on cheaper munitions. Should China follow its lead?
China should consider following the US’ lead by investing in low-cost guided munitions to counter future mass drone warfare, according to a Chinese military magazine.
The suggestion surfaced in an article in Ordnance Science and Technology this month, which said the United States was finding it too expensive and unsustainable to use advanced munitions against Houthi drone harassment in the Red Sea and to support Ukraine against large-scale low-cost Russian air strikes.
The article said that in…
Death of Filipino in Russia-Ukraine war sparks fears of forced recruitment
The first documented case of a Filipino man who died fighting alongside Russian forces in the Ukraine war has raised concerns in the Philippines over coerced recruitment and sparked calls for compensation from Moscow.
In a report released on Monday, Ukraine’s intelligence operations identified the body of John Patrick, a Filipino national, among Russian troops killed near the village of Novoselivka in the Donetsk region, marking the first such report of its kind.
Kyiv officials said Patrick’s…