SCMP News Digest
Daily News • Tuesday, 3 February 2026
What does the fall of PLA top brass Zhang Youxia say about Beijing’s Taiwan plans?
Beijing’s bold move to remove top generals accused of corruption reflects its strategic assessment that overhauling the armed forces is more urgent, and that the issue of Taiwan can wait, according to military analysts.
The investigation into China’s top commanders, Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli, has left the Central Military Commission (CMC), the country’s highest military command body, with just two members at present – President Xi Jinping, who is chairman of the CMC, and vice-chairman Zhang…
Trump makes up with Colombia’s Petro in fireworks-free meeting: ‘he’s been very nice’
US President Donald Trump appeared to bury the hatchet with his Colombian counterpart on Tuesday after months of tensions, praising the leftist leader as he hosted him behind closed doors at the White House.
“You are great,” Trump wrote to Gustavo Petro as he signed a copy of his 1987 book Art of the Deal, according to a picture posted by the Colombian president after their first ever face-to-face meeting.
The two leaders had duelled online for months over drugs and immigration, while Trump even…
Epstein files reveal the underbelly of Western elites
Now we know why they didn’t want to release the Epstein files. It’s not just about implicating US President Donald Trump, who was a long-time close friend of the infamous paedophile and sex trafficker, Jeffrey Epstein. Rather, they basically implicate the ruling and business elites of the Anglo-American world.
In the 1980s and 1990s, there was a wave of mass hysteria sweeping across the United States based on fear of satanic cults, child abuse and sacrifices.
Well, it turns out maybe it wasn’t…
Trump signs spending bill to end US shutdown, setting stage for ICE fight
US President Donald Trump signed a roughly US$1.2 trillion government funding bill Tuesday that ends the partial federal shutdown that began over the weekend and sets the stage for an intense debate in Congress over Homeland Security funding.
The president moved quickly to sign the bill after the House approved it with a 217-214 vote.
“This bill is a great victory for the American people,” Trump said.
The vote on Tuesday wrapped up congressional work on 11 annual appropriations bills that fund…
Jill Biden’s first husband charged with killing wife in domestic dispute
The first husband of former first lady Jill Biden has been charged with killing his wife at their Delaware home in late December, authorities announced in a news release on Tuesday.
William Stevenson, 77, of Wilmington was married to Jill Biden from 1970 to 1975. Caroline Harrison, the Delaware Attorney General’s spokeswoman, confirmed in a phone call that Stevenson is the former husband of Jill Biden.
Stevenson remains in jail after failing to post US$500,000 bail after his arrest on Monday on…
US shoots down Iranian drone ‘aggressively’ approaching aircraft carrier
The US military on Tuesday shot down an Iranian drone that “aggressively” approached the Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea, a US official said.
The incident came as diplomats sought to arrange nuclear talks between Iran and the United States, and US President Donald Trump warned that with American warships heading towards Iran, “bad things” would probably happen if a deal could not be reached.
The Iranian Shahed-139 drone was flying towards the carrier “with unclear intent”…
Nato starts planning for Arctic military mission amid Greenland row with Trump
Nato said on Tuesday that military planning has started for a new mission to bolster security in the Arctic, after US President Donald Trump made protecting the region central to his demands for Greenland.
“Planning is under way for a Nato enhanced vigilance activity, named Arctic Sentry,” said Martin O’Donnell, a spokesman for Nato’s Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe.
“The activity will even further strengthen Nato’s posture in the Arctic and High North,” he added, without providing…
Disney theme parks chief Josh D’Amaro to succeed Bob Iger as CEO
The Walt Disney Company announced on Tuesday that Josh D’Amaro, head of its theme parks division, will replace Bob Iger as chief executive when the entertainment titan steps down in March.
D’Amaro, 54, will take the helm on March 18 following a unanimous board vote, the company said. He will succeed Iger, who has led Disney for nearly two decades across two separate stints.
“Josh D’Amaro possesses that rare combination of inspiring leadership and innovation, a keen eye for strategic growth…
Pupil stabs, critically wounds teacher in France
A secondary school pupil stabbed an art teacher in southern France on Tuesday, leaving the 60-year-old in critical condition, a prosecutor said.
The pupil, in a class of early teenagers, stabbed the teacher at least three times. He was later arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, said Raphael Balland, the public prosecutor in the southern city of Toulon.
There were no known “religious or political connotations” at this stage, said Balland.
“All we know is that there had been tensions with…
Panama could pay heavy price over CK Hutchison ports ruling, Beijing warns
Beijing has slammed a Panamanian Supreme Court ruling that nullified Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison Holdings’ right to operate two major ports at the country’s canal as “legally unfounded”, warning the Central American nation that it could pay a heavy political and economic price.
The Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office said in a commentary on Tuesday that the ruling was “self-sabotaging” to Panama’s creditworthiness and would inflict profound damage on its business environment while severely…
Hong Kong to consider HK$3,000 fixed penalty for smoking on construction sites
Hong Kong authorities are considering changing the proposed fine for smoking on a construction site to a fixed penalty of HK$3,000 (US$385) rather than a maximum of HK$150,000.
Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han said on Tuesday that the initial plan was to amend the Factories and Industrial Undertakings Ordinance, which only stipulates the maximum fine to be determined by the courts rather than a fixed amount.
The proposed smoking ban is in response to the deadly Tai Po blaze in…
UK politician Mandelson to quit House of Lords amid Epstein ties, police probe
British politician Peter Mandelson is quitting the House of Lords as he faces new questions, and a potential police investigation, over his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.
The Speaker of the House of Lords, Michael Forsyth, said on Tuesday that Mandelson had announced he would retire from Parliament’s upper chamber on Wednesday.
The announcement came as the British government prepared legislation to eject Mandelson from the Lords and remove the noble title, Lord Mandelson, that came with his…
Hong Kong developer SHKP’s executive director Maureen Fung resigns on health grounds
Sun Hung Kai Properties (SHKP), Hong Kong’s largest developer by market capitalisation, said executive director Maureen Fung Sau-yim resigned with immediate effect on Tuesday due to health issues, according to a stock exchange filing.
“Ms Fung has confirmed that she has no disagreement with the board of the company and that she is not aware of any matters in relation to her resignation that need to be brought to the attention of the holders of the securities of the company,” the filing said.
Her…
Why the collapse of the last US-Russia nuclear treaty matters for China and the world
China on Tuesday urged the United States to “respond positively” to Russia’s offer to maintain nuclear warhead limits ahead of Thursday’s expected collapse of a major US-Russia agreement to control nuclear build-up.
Beijing also reiterated its refusal to join trilateral nuclear disarmament negotiations with Washington and Moscow, despite repeated calls for such talks by US President Donald Trump. China cited the disparity in nuclear stockpile sizes as the reason for its refusal.
Absent a…
1 month after Maduro abduction, Venezuela moves to reassure China its investments are safe
Venezuela will ensure that Chinese energy, trade and investment interests in the South American country are secure, its envoy to Beijing has said.
The reassurance from Remigio Ceballos comes amid growing concern in Beijing that last month’s unprecedented US assault on Venezuela might complicate China’s ties with the resource-rich country and the wider region.
“China and Venezuela are trusted partners who share mutual trust. Both nations are sovereign states, and their bilateral relationship…
Mainland memory firms eye Hong Kong for funds to fuel ‘global ambitions’
A number of mainland-based suppliers of memory chips and storage solutions are pursuing share listings in Hong Kong, signalling a strategic change in how the sector aims to fuel its global ambitions, according to analysts.
The most watched firm is Shanghai-based Montage Technology, a designer of high-speed interconnect chips for data centres, which is taking orders from institutional investors and is set to debut on the Hong Kong stock exchange on Monday.
Montage, which listed in Shanghai in…
Operation Santa Claus raises HK$19 million for Hong Kong fire victims, other causes
Hong Kong’s annual fundraiser, Operation Santa Claus (OSC), has wrapped up its campaign this year, raising more than HK$19 million (US$2.4 million) for charitable projects and victims of the Tai Po fire – nearly double its target.
The campaign, launched on November 4, had aimed to raise at least HK$11 million for 13 charitable projects. However, fundraising intensified less than three weeks later, after the Tai Po fire broke out on November 26.
An emergency appeal was launched to raise funds to…
South Korea’s inheritance tax sparks millionaire exodus
South Korea has emerged as one of the countries experiencing the world’s largest outflow of wealthy individuals, in part due to its rigid inheritance tax system.
A recent analysis by British consultancy Henley & Partners showed on Tuesday that the net outflow of Korean millionaires last year was estimated at 2,400, double the 1,200 recorded in 2024. The figure was the fourth largest globally, following the United Kingdom, China and India.
“Korea’s inheritance tax rate of up to 60 per cent may…
HKMA launches quantum readiness and cybersecurity projects for banks in AI era
Hong Kong’s banking regulator has unveiled four flagship projects, including a quantum computing readiness index, to help the city’s lenders stay competitive and secure in the artificial intelligence era.
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) said the initiatives formed part of its new Fintech Promotion Blueprint, aimed at guiding responsible innovation and preparing the city’s banking sector for rapid technological change. The blueprint was announced on Tuesday in response to industry…
American allies are finally hedging against American risk
At this turbulent crossroads of 2026, the global order is undergoing a major paradigm shift. This is signalled most vividly by a wave of Western leaders visiting Beijing.
From British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s historic mission last week – the first visit by a UK prime minister in eight years – to the high-profile arrivals of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo last month, a clear pattern of strategic recalibration has emerged. These moves represent a…