Follow the SCMP’s live coverage here. In the wake of Democrats’ sweeping victory in congressional elections, Asian countries are weighing how their ties with the US will shift under a lame-duck Trump administration. The “blue wave” may only heighten pressure on Washington’s Asian allies to invest in the US and take on a greater share of the financial burden for their security alliances, observers have argued. In South Korea, analysts have predicted that managing relations with Washington will...

Hong Kong’s education minister has shot down a suggestion to turn the final stretch of undergraduate degree programmes into an internship period to boost employability, amid a fall in entry-level jobs due to the rise of artificial intelligence (AI). Secretary for Education Christine Choi Yuk-lin said on Wednesday that university courses should not be changed solely to meet manpower needs or be based on single indicators such as labour market supply and demand data. She was responding to lawmaker...

Lawyers for Malaysia’s jailed former prime minister Najib Razak on Wednesday dismissed speculation about his imminent transfer to house arrest, as his former ruling party struggles to raise the 50 million ringgit (US$12.3 million) fine needed to bring him home. The rumours came as Najib’s United Malays National Organisation (Umno) seeks to build on recent electoral victories, with analysts saying his return to house arrest could give the party a boost among supporters ahead of the next general...

The installation of anti-ram bollards costing HK$5 million (US$637,230) has begun at a busy crossing in Hong Kong’s Causeway Bay to prevent vehicles from mounting crowded pavements, sparking debate over whether the safety barriers justify the price tag. By Wednesday afternoon, workers had installed four fixed bollards along the pavement outside the landmark Sogo department store, while construction continued on the ground behind temporary barriers. Officials said the bollards and crash barriers...

Hongkongers will be able to create advance medical directives electronically, setting out which life-sustaining treatments they do not wish to receive when terminally ill on the city’s eHealth record platform as early as next year, authorities have said. In a written reply to lawmakers on Wednesday, Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han said the electronic service for advance medical directives, which currently exists only in paper form, would be rolled out “in phases”. After...

The opening of an international legal body’s first overseas office in Hong Kong reflects the city’s importance as a hub for legal exchange, underpinned by its broad legal framework and strong ties to mainland China, a former justice minister has said. Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah, secretary general for the International Organisation for Mediation (IOMed) and the city’s former secretary for justice, said on Wednesday that the opening of the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law...

Hong Kong’s first luxury expo is more than a showcase, offering international brands opportunities to find partners and develop business, the city’s financial chief has said, while exhibitors said bringing different sectors under one roof could help them reach new customers. The inaugural Festival of Connoisseurs, organised by Informa Markets, is the first exhibition supported by the government’s HK$100 million (US$12.7 million) initiative to attract high-quality, large-scale international...