SCMP News Digest
Daily News • Thursday, 29 January 2026
Venezuela opens up oil industry to private investment, in line with US demands
Venezuela’s legislature on Thursday adopted a bill that throws its oil industry open to private investors, in line with US demands following the toppling of leader Nicolas Maduro.
Lawmakers in the South American country adopted reforms to a hydrocarbons bill that roll back decades of tight state control over foreign investment in the sector.
To lure private capital into an industry reeling from years of US sanctions, the bill also makes the royalties regime more flexible.
Acting President Delcy…
How China’s tech prowess could help it overtake India as ‘office of the world’
As Shanghai resident Adam Liu drives his new Mercedes CLA – a German-manufactured car he has long revered – this edition of the luxury vehicle is carrying another point of pride: a smart system hailing from his home country.
The recently launched pure-electric vehicle was assembled in Rastatt, Germany, but engineers at Beijing-based ByteDance designed its interactive system, based on the popular chatbot Doubao.
“To me, it’s a fusion of German meticulous craftsmanship and China’s smart digital…
Canada’s Eby slams separatists seeking US help: the word for that is ‘treason’
British Columbia Premier David Eby said Alberta separatists who have sought help from Washington in their quest to gain independence from Canada are carrying out an act of immense disloyalty.
“To go to a foreign country and to ask for assistance in breaking up Canada, there’s an old-fashioned word for that – and that word is treason,” said Eby, the leader of Canada’s westernmost province, which is Alberta’s neighbour.
The Financial Times reported that officials in the Trump administration have…
Trump’s tariffs reveal the hidden fault lines of global trade
Today, double-digit tariffs imposed by the United States are the new baseline. Breaking decades of low single digits norms, the US rolled out a “reciprocal tariff” framework in April 2025, setting a 10 per cent baseline and layering on higher rates for specific countries.
Embedded in the US’ national security strategy, this reorientation leaves little scope for a full rollback and turns global trade into a test of power: of whether World Trade Organization (WTO) rules still bind or leverage now…
Man posing as FBI agent tries to free Luigi Mangione, alleged healthcare CEO killer
A man falsely claiming to be an FBI agent showed up to a federal jail in New York on Wednesday night and told officers he had a court order to release Luigi Mangione, authorities said.
Mark Anderson, 36, of Mankato, Minnesota, was arrested and charged with impersonating a Federal Bureau of Investigation agent in a foiled bid to free Mangione from the Metropolitan Detention Centre, the notorious Brooklyn lock-up where he is held while awaiting state and federal murder trials in the killing of…
Greenland mayor issues warning after US flag stunt
The mayor of Greenland’s capital on Thursday called on media professionals and content creators to act responsibly after a failed attempt by a German comedian to hoist the US flag.
Bavarian comedian Maxi Schafroth, 41, attempted to run up the Stars and Stripes on a flagpole near the cultural centre in Nuuk before he was confronted by angry passers-by.
When questioned, he claimed to be a US official before leaving to disapproving looks from locals, according to a journalist at the scene.
He was…
Trump says he’s reopening Venezuelan airspace and Americans can visit soon
US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he had informed Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodriguez, that he would open up all commercial airspace over Venezuela, and Americans would soon be able to visit
Trump said he instructed his transport secretary, Sean Duffy, and US military leaders to take steps to open Venezuelan airspace for travel by the end of the day.
“American citizens will be very shortly able to go to Venezuela, and they’ll be safe there,” the Republican president…
Trump says Putin agreed not to attack Ukraine’s freezing capital for a week
US President Donald Trump said Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin agreed to halt attacks on Kyiv and other cities for a week, as Moscow’s strikes leave Ukraine facing its toughest winter since the start of the war.
Russian strikes on Ukraine’s power infrastructure have left millions with disrupted light, heating and water supplies in freezing temperatures, pushing the war-battered country towards a humanitarian crisis.
“Because of the cold, extreme cold … I personally asked President Putin not…
US trade deficit widens sharply, reversing big pullback lauded by Trump
The US trade deficit sharply widened in November as imports picked up, according to government data released Thursday, reversing an unexpectedly big pullback in the prior month lauded by US President Donald Trump.
The trade gap surged by 94.6 per cent in November to US$56.8 billion, Commerce Department data showed, bringing it close to levels seen in June and August last year.
The shift reflected fluctuations in goods like gold and pharmaceuticals, in a year already marked by major swings in…
NWD says parent approached by investors after report links Blackstone to stake sale
New World Development (NWD), the embattled Hong Kong property developer, said late on Thursday that its parent, Chow Tai Fook Enterprises (CTFE), has been approached by potential investors after reports that CTFE may sell part of its stake to Blackstone.
Bloomberg reported early that Blackstone – the world’s biggest asset manager – was in discussion to become the single largest shareholder of NWD, citing people familiar with the matter.
Under the proposed arrangement, the US alternative asset…
EU designates Iran’s Revolutionary Guard as terrorist group amid bloody crackdown
The European Union has listed Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organisation over Tehran’s bloody crackdown on nationwide protests, the bloc’s top diplomat said in a post on social media on Thursday.
Kaja Kallas, the EU’s foreign policy chief, said that foreign ministers unanimously agreed on the designation. “Any regime that kills thousands of its own people is working towards its own demise,” she said.
“This will put them on the same footing with al-Qaeda, Hamas, Daesh,”…
Discovery of badly decomposed whale carcass on Sai Kung beach triggers probe
Hong Kong authorities are investigating the discovery of a severely decomposed whale carcass discovered on a beach in Sai Kung.
Authorities were alerted to the decomposed carcass, measuring 11 metres (36.1 feet) in length, on Thursday after villagers found it on the beach at Ham Tin Wan, in Sai Kung East Country Park.
The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) deployed officers to the scene, with preliminary findings suggesting that the animal was a baleen whale.
Based on the…
Trump border tsar suggests Minnesota ICE drawdown if local officials ‘cooperate’
The number of immigration enforcement officers in Minnesota could be reduced, but only if state and local officials cooperate, US President Donald Trump’s border tsar said on Thursday, noting he had “zero tolerance” for protesters who assault federal officers or impede the ongoing operation in the Twin Cities.
Tom Homan addressed reporters for the first time since the president sent him to Minneapolis following last weekend’s fatal shooting of protester Alex Pretti.
The news conference comes…
China’s leaders pay tribute to Liao Xilong, late general described as ‘Communist warrior’
China’s leadership has paid tribute to Liao Xilong, praising the late general for his loyalty to the Communist Party and military service.
Liao, 85, who was in charge of overhauling military logistics, died on January 23, state news agency Xinhua reported on Thursday, the day of his funeral.
“[Liao was] a time-tested and loyal communist warrior, an outstanding military commander, and an exemplary leader in advancing the comprehensive modernisation of military logistics,” the report said.
The…
US ambassador warns against China’s manufacturing dominance: ‘not healthy’
The top US envoy to China called on Thursday for fair and reciprocal trade between the world’s two largest economies and expressed concern about projections that China’s dominance of global manufacturing will grow even further in the years to come.
US Ambassador David Perdue told business and government leaders in Beijing that China should be congratulated on becoming a manufacturing powerhouse, but echoed fears in Europe and elsewhere that China’s exports pose a threat to factories and jobs in…
With China’s Xi, Britain’s Starmer hopes gift of Manchester United match ball scores points
Chinese President Xi Jinping received a unique gift from British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Beijing on Thursday: the official match ball from Sunday’s fixture between Manchester United and Arsenal, according to media reports.
Starmer is on an official visit to China, the first by a British leader since 2018.
While Starmer is an ardent Arsenal fan, Xi is reportedly a supporter of Manchester United.
Manchester United secured a 3-2 victory in a tightly contested match. By offering the gift…
Do Americans think China will overtake the US? The results of a survey are in
Nearly three-quarters of Americans expect China to overtake the US in power and global influence at some point – if it has not done so already, according to a survey by a US foreign policy institute.
Releasing the results of a national poll earlier this month, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace said 47 per cent of the 1,500 adults surveyed agreed that China had already surpassed the United States or would do so within the next five years.
A further 27 per cent said the shift would…
Morgan Stanley expects China’s humanoid robot sales to double in revised forecast
Morgan Stanley expects China’s humanoid robot sales to grow 133 per cent to 28,000 units this year, while noting that falling production costs will gradually make owning robots more accessible.
The US investment bank revised its forecast from the 14,000 units previously on the back of the rapid growth of the industry in the world’s second largest economy.
The cost of materials to produce robots in China, home to most of the industry’s supply chain, was set to drop 16 per cent this year, the bank…
Hong Kong travellers continue to favour Japan despite geopolitical tensions
Hong Kong travellers continue to favour Japan as a holiday destination despite ongoing geopolitical tensions between Beijing and Tokyo, thanks to unaffected flight routes and a weaker yen, local industry operators have said.
Travel agencies also identified mainland China as the top destination for Hong Kong travel groups, as they gathered at an exhibition on Thursday to promote packages for the coming spring season.
Beijing recently issued a warning to its citizens, cautioning them against…
Trump critic Klobuchar enters Minnesota governor race amid ICE crackdown, fraud scandals
US Senator Amy Klobuchar said on Thursday she is running for governor of Minnesota, promising to take on US President Donald Trump while unifying a state that has endured a series of challenges even before the federal government’s immigration crackdown.
Klobuchar’s decision gives Democrats a high-profile candidate and proven statewide winner as their party tries to hold onto the office occupied by Governor Tim Walz. The 2024 Democratic vice-presidential nominee, Walz abandoned his campaign for a…