Warning: graphic content follows. Slain Hong Kong socialite Abby Choi Tin-fung could have been struck on the head seven times with a hammer when she was allegedly murdered three years ago, a court has heard. Forensic pathologist Dr Kwok Ka-ki said on Thursday that Choi was fatally struck on the head with a blunt object, leaving a large hole on the right side of her head and causing extensive bleeding in her brain and skull. Testifying in the High Court as the murder trial entered its sixth week,...

Following disastrous midterm elections that cost Republicans congressional control, President Donald Trump faces serving the rest of his term as a “lame duck” and battling constant resistance to his agenda. The loss is expected to steer the White House towards a more aggressive foreign policy and even greater reliance on executive orders. Trump has already suggested he could brandish his veto pen for “a month or two” before negotiating agreements with Democratic leaders. Here, we explain how...

Robots developed by Chinese humanoid maker Unitree Robotics can now paint pictures and play chess without any prior training, relying on frontier AI models to navigate complex physical tasks, according to founder and CEO Wang Xingxing. Speaking on Thursday at the China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai, Wang said Unitree’s machines, powered by OpenAI’s GPT-6, were capable of executing intricate robotic sequences, such as dynamically replacing brush water and blending pigments, guided...

Vietnam’s growing nuclear partnership with Russia could help Hanoi gain the expertise needed to fuel its ambitious nuclear programme amid doubts over Western sanctions against Moscow and financing challenges complicating the plans. The Vietnam Atomic Energy Institute (Vinatom) and a subsidiary of Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom, which is leading the development of the MBIR International Research Centre, announced on Tuesday that they had signed a memorandum of understanding to...

Burnt out by the relentless grind, some young people in China have rallied around an unlikely patron saint: a famously indolent Ming dynasty (1368–1644) emperor. This autumn, across office towers, universities, and streets in China’s tier-one cities, young people have begun sporting black Taoist robes modelled on the garment worn by the Jiajing Emperor in the classic historical drama Ming Dynasty in 1566. In the drama, actor Chen Baoguo portrays the Jiajing Emperor as an unkempt, robe-clad...

A young Malaysian Muslim who took part in Hindu rituals to pray for his ailing mother publicly repented on Thursday in a ceremony live-streamed by state religious authorities, a day after a sharia court ordered him to undergo three months of faith rehabilitation. The spectacle has raised questions about the enforcement of Islamic orthodoxy in Muslim-majority Malaysia, where state religious departments wield significant influence to police the personal conduct and religious beliefs of...

Technology-driven disruptions, superpower rivalry and global partnerships were among the topics that dominated a closed-door summit in Hong Kong, as countries and tech giants seek to boost growth and lead the race in artificial intelligence. About 100 business owners, executives and academics from the United States, mainland China, Hong Kong, Southeast Asia and the Middle East attended the fourth edition of the Family Business Summit, co-hosted by the South China Morning Post and Blue Pool...