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CONFLICTOct 2Why Sabah has Malaysia watching South China Sea tensions more closelyMalaysia’s long-standing strategy of non-alignment amid US-China rivalry in the South China Sea could soon be tested, with the eastern state of Sabah sitting near a potential flashpoint involving Philippine territory. Observers pointed to comments by Malaysian Defence Minister Khaled Nordin, who last week voiced concern that a conflict or “unexpected incident” in the maritime region could spill over into Malaysia. Khaled, who singled out Sabah, added that Malaysia was looking to strengthen its...South China Morning Post
WORLDOct 2Hong Kong model and influencer’s skull found ‘boiling in carrot soup’, court toldAbby Choi’s estranged in-laws became ‘extremely resentful’ over sale of multi-million dollar flat, high-profile murder trial hearsThe Independent World
POLITICSOct 2Hong Kong to raise helpers’ monthly minimum wage to HK$5,220Hong Kong authorities have raised the minimum wage for foreign domestic helpers by more than 2 per cent to HK$5,220 (US$665) per month, while their food allowance will be unchanged, citing “more favourable” socioeconomic factors. The government announced on Friday that the current minimum wage of HK$5,100 for foreign domestic helpers, or FDHs, would be increased by 2.35 per cent, and the adjusted salary would apply to all such contracts signed on or after Saturday. While most employers provided...South China Morning Post
POLITICSOct 2Trump announced a $54 billion energy investment from South Korea. South Korea said he jumped the gunA struggling project to export natural gas from Alaska has turned into another potential sticking point in the allies’ long-running negotiations over trade.headtopics · united states of america
BUSINESSOct 2Hong Kong IPOs falter, China aids homebuyers, EU trade talksHong Kong stock debuts are losing steam as a deluge of initial public offerings (IPOs) overwhelms investor appetite. Seven of September’s 12 IPOs fell on the first day of trading, raising the third-quarter total to 15 flops out of 31, based on Bloomberg data. By contrast, there were only 14 declines among 77 debuts in the first half of the year. Medcaptain Medical Technology led September’s first-day flops, plunging 43 per cent. Fast-fashion giant Shein tumbled as much as 10 per cent on its...South China Morning Post
SCI & TECHOct 2Crop outputs grew up to 100% in China’s big agricultural experiment: scientistsLarge-scale field trials across China show that irrigation water treated with natural minerals radiated by sunlight could dramatically increase the yields of several crops, according to Chinese scientists behind the experiments. The team said the trials, including on rice, wheat, soybeans, peanuts, sweet potatoes, sugar cane and vegetables, improved photosynthetic efficiency. Their study, conducted from Heilongjiang province in northeastern China to Hainan province in the south, recorded yield...South China Morning Post
SCI & TECHOct 2While the U.S. debates AI risks, China mandates universal training for studentsBeijing aims to provide artificial intelligence education in all of the country’s schools by 2030, while demand for AI-themed study tours surged this summer.Washington Post World
POLITICSOct 2South Korean president threatens action against Ukraine over statements on North Korean POWsSouth Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Friday threatened unspecified measures against Ukraine unless Kyiv acknowledged a confidentiality agreement that Seoul says covered the transfer of two captured North Korean soldiers and issued an apology.Ukrinform [en]
BUSINESSOct 2Consumer spending picks up in Hong Kong, with retail sales rising 5.6% in AugustHong Kong’s retail sales rose by 5.6 per cent year on year in August, with the latest figures showing consumer spending picking up after growth eased for two consecutive months. Retail sales value reached HK$32 billion (US$4.1 billion), according to provisional figures released by the Census and Statistics Department on Friday. Sales in the first eight months of the year rose by 8.5 per cent compared with the same period in 2025. “Growth was seen across many types of retail outlets, while online...South China Morning Post
WORLDOct 2Suspects bought meat mincer and saw before Hong Kong socialite Abby Choi’s murder, court hearsDays before Hong Kong socialite Abby Choi was killed, her father-in-law and brother-in-law allegedly went on an ominous shopping spree.headtopics · united states of america
POLITICSOct 2Can Indonesia’s new police chief repair the force’s image, commit to reforms?Indonesia’s new police chief faces a difficult task to balance growing public demands for accountability and independence as the force seeks to repair its image following a series of scandals in recent years. Even as Suyudi Ario Seto, 53, replaced Listyo Sigit Prabowo on Thursday, the government is weighing recommendations to reform the powerful institution, including changes to its work culture and limits on police officers holding public positions outside the force. In addition to appointing...South China Morning Post
POLITICSOct 2How the US went from ‘a position of strength’ to ‘gung-ho’ on ChinaNot so long ago, Washington’s approach to relations with Beijing was anchored by a single assertive phrase: dealing “from a position of strength”. It was rooted in a unipolar mindset: a belief that the United States could dictate terms, manage competition unilaterally and demand compliance from a distance. Yet, at their recent summit, Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump formally established a new strategic framework: a “constructive strategic stability relationship based...South China Morning Post
MILITARYOct 2US delivers F-16V fighter jets to Taiwan as island eyes threat from ChinaAmid threats from China, Taipai is growing concerned about the Trump administration's commitment to arming the island.Al Jazeera [en]
WORLDOct 2‘They are crying’: Refugees in Malaysia in fear amid Myanmar deportationShrinking resources for refugee support groups in Malaysia collide with increasing hostility towards the Rohingya.Al Jazeera [en]
SCI & TECHOct 2David vs Goliaths: Singapore builds most accurate clock ever, leaves US and China in dustA small Singaporean research team has beaten scientists in China and the United States to build the world’s most accurate atomic clock. The clock, built with a single ion of a rare earth metal element known as lutetium, is so precise that it would lose one second every 260 billion years – nearly 20 times the age of our universe. It is about four times as accurate as the previous record holder, a calcium-ion clock developed by a Chinese Academy of Sciences team in Wuhan, and also surpasses an...South China Morning Post
POLITICSOct 2"Society wanted to kill me": Yuho Asaka, 70 years of struggle against Japanese eugenicsPORTRAIT - Née avec la maladie des os de verre dans un Japon qui stérilisait encore les « déficients », Yuho Asaka a consacré sa vie à l’émancipation des personnes handicapées. Un documentaire rend hommage à cette militante infatigable, qui a contribué à faire abolir la législation eugéniste de son pays.Le Figaro International
DISASTEROct 2Violent 'sudestada' floods Bangkok airport: more than 10,000 suitcases stranded and a request for help from military personnelClarín
POLITICSOct 2Strong criticism of Starbucks for opening two stores in China's Xinjiang regionStarbucks enfrenta críticas por abrir locales en Xinjiang, donde se denuncian abusos contra minorías musulmanas. La decisión es vista como "moralmente indignante".Organizaciones de derechos humanos acusan a la marca de ignorar la situación en la región. China niega las acusaciones, alegando progreso económico y seguridad.Clarín
BUSINESSOct 2iQIYI AIGC Series "The Ferry Man" Exceeds RMB 8 Million in Revenue-Sharing as Third Instalment Debuts on October 1BEIJING , Oct. 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- iQIYI, China's leading online entertainment platform, announced that the cumulative revenue-sharing, a model where production partners share earnings with iQIYI based on viewership, box office for its AIGC film series "The Ferry Man" has surpassed RMB 8 million (US$1.2 million) as of September 23, marking a new milestone for the series. This comes as the third instalment, "The Ferry Man: The Dream of the Princess", debuts on October 1 on iQIYI and iQIYI International. iQIYI Produced by iQIYI and GHY Culture & Media, the series' first two titles, "The Ferry Man: Butterfly Dream" and "The Ferry Man: The Dream of the Celestial Maiden", were released simultaneously on August 22 on iQIYI and iQIYI International, and quickly gained commercial traction, reflecting growing market confidence in iQIYI's AI-driven premium content. Rooted in traditional Chinese culture, "The Ferry Man" is an established IP spanning long-form drama, online films, musicals, and short-form series, blending mythology, folklore, and contemporary themes. The new films use AI production to render classical Chinese philosophical imagery as cinematic worlds. Redefining Production Efficiency The success of "The Ferry Man" series demonstrates a robust end-to-end AIGC value chain, one that successfully integrates production efficiency, market validation, and strong financial returns. By incorporating AI into its core workflow, iQIYI has fundamentally optimized the filmmaking process. According to Zhichao LI, producer of the series, the first two films moved from project initiation to launch in less than four months. "AI significantly improved efficiency during the preparation and production stages," Li said, noting that the script development and post-production processes remained largely consistent with traditional film and television workflows. During production, AIGC was used to generate visual assets for concept design, sets, props, and other art elements, which could then be directly turned into video based on the director's creative requirements. This simplified parts of the traditional production process, including physical shoots and scene transitions, while giving creators greater flexibility. For a key scene in "The Ferry Man: The Dream of the Celestial Maiden", AI generation also streamlined a process that would traditionally involve months of visual effects and green-screen production, significantly improving production efficiency and making complex scenes more feasible to produce. Leveraging Digital Assets for Long-Term Value Unlike traditional productions, "The Ferry Man" series builds lasting digital asset value through AIGC. The three lead actors licensed their likenesses and provided their own voiceovers, with digital character assets, scenes, and props developed as standardized, reusable assets. These assets enable the upcoming third film to maintain visual consistency while significantly reducing production costs, establishing a scalable model for serialized content development. Market Validation through Data-Driven Models The commercial performance of "The Ferry Man" series further validates the viability of AIGC content as a financially sustainable production model. Through iQIYI's revenue-sharing model, the series recovered its full production costs within the first week and surpassed RMB8 million in cumulative box office within the first month, with figures continuing to grow. This rapid market feedback also enables producers to adjust subsequent creative decisions in a timely manner, reducing the time and cost of iteration. The series also builds on iQIYI's continued exploration of long-form AIGC filmmaking, following "Mystic Tales - The Spider Lady's Vendetta" — China's first AIGC internet feature film released under an Internet Drama and Film Distribution License. iQIYI Press press@qiyi.comen_prnasisa · uzbekistan
POLITICSOct 2Spain and China are cosying up – to the anger of many in the EUOn the streets of Barcelona, fiery red and gold Chinese dragons (presumably with very sweaty people inside the costumes) danced among delighted crowds, while Chinese acrobats elicited gasps of amazement as they rolled, tossed and threw spherical lanterns in the air, keeping – as if by magic – the candle inside them upright at all times. Shanghai… The post Spain and China are cosying up – to the anger of many in the EU appeared first on Read Selective .readselective · india
WORLDOct 2Abby Choi struck with hammer during fake car trip to fetch daughter, court hearsHong Kong socialite Abby Choi Tin-fung died of head injuries after being hit with a hammer during a car journey she believed was to pick up her daughter from school, a court has heard. Prosecutors on Friday detailed how three of Choi’s former relatives rented a remote village house and went on a shopping spree to acquire items they needed before allegedly killing the 28-year-old and disposing of her body on February 21, 2023. Choi’s ex-husband Alex Kwong Kong-chi, 31, his father Kwong Kau, 68,...South China Morning Post
MILITARYOct 2Ukraine seeks Japan's cooperation on drone interception technologyUkraine wants to cooperate with Japan on developing drone interception technology and other areas as Russia's attacks continue, a former Japanese defense minister said after talks with President…Japan Today
WORLDOct 2Man slashed in neck in Chiba; neighbor arrested for attempted murderPolice in Chiba City have arrested a 49-year-old man on suspicion of attempted murder after he allegedly slashed his 55-year-old neighbor with a knife. According to police, Mikio…Japan Today
WORLDOct 2Chinese judoka accused of biting Japanese opponent at Asian GamesJapanese judo officials said they had never seen anything like it after eventual champion Rin Maeda appeared to be bitten by her Chinese opponent at the Asian Games.…Japan Today