What might an anthropologist make of artificial intelligence if he approached it as an unfamiliar tribe? That question framed an SCMP Plus fireside chat with Professor Alan Macfarlane at The Center in Central, Hong Kong, on October 26. Speaking with SCMP senior AI technology reporter Vincent Chow, Macfarlane explored how AI changes knowledge creation and sharing, and what distinguishes its capabilities from human experience. An emeritus professor of anthropological science at the University of...

We have selected seven stories from this week’s news across Hong Kong, mainland China, the wider Asia region and beyond that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Win for Lula boosts China’s foothold and gives Brazil rare earths leverage Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s re-election preserves Beijing’s most critical foothold in Latin America, while positioning Brasilia to leverage...

A matter of identity By Christopher Wood This article was first published on October 31, 1981 The passage of the British Nationality Bill through Parliament has proved an emotional issue for Hongkong, sparking off fears that the Colony is sliding into political limbo. As Hongkong-born British subjects lost their right of residence in the United Kingdom back in 1962, the strength of feeling against the legislation has surprised many, including probably the British Government. But such a view...

In 1933, Jeanne Toussaint was appointed creative director of Cartier, and the wildly influential designer set about cementing the noble panther’s role as the indelible emblem of the storied Parisian jeweller that it remains to this day. Two years later, in Hong Kong, legendary entrepreneur Aw Boon Haw finished the construction of Haw Par Mansion, now known as Villa Haw Par, the magnificent East-meets-West edifice in Tai Hang that is also a showcase for the allure of big cats, complete with the...

Hong Kong is still healing from the trauma of the Wang Fuk Court fire that claimed 168 lives nearly a year ago. The difficult process has been taken a step further with the release of the final report of an independent committee of inquiry led by a High Court judge, and the response of the government, revealed on Thursday by the city’s leader and his administration. The concept of accountability has hung heavily over proceedings. It is only natural after such a catastrophe for people to expect...

Smoke from this year’s Indonesian forest and peatland fires has inflicted an estimated 8 billion ringgit (US$1.97 billion) in welfare losses on Malaysia, contributing to an estimated 1,700 deaths and severely disrupting manufacturing, according to a report commissioned by the country’s leading industrial group. The study, “The 2026 Fire Season and Transboundary Haze in Malaysia”, was conducted for the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM), as reported by the Malay Mail. Drawing on...

Indonesia’s communications minister has urged calm after a former Singaporean nominated member of parliament (NMP) suggested the city state could disrupt its neighbour’s internet access, arguing that any outage would cripple connectivity on both sides. Communication and Digital Affairs Minister Meutya Hafid said the government and public “need not be irritated” by comments from ex-NMP Calvin Cheng. In Singapore, NMPs are appointed to bring non-partisan perspectives to the legislature; they do...

This live article is freely available to our registered users. Please log in or create an account. The Hong Kong government has released a deeply scathing report by an independent committee probing the city’s deadliest blaze in decades, with Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu holding a press conference alongside top officials to outline the administration’s consequent actions and systemic reforms. Sources earlier said that at least one senior official would take the rap for the tragedy as part of...

Brazil has given Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva a fourth, non-consecutive term, a feat without precedent in its democratic history. Lula came back from a first-round defeat to win 51.8 per cent of the run-off vote against Flavio Bolsonaro, son of the jailed former president. Yet the victory leaves Lula little room to manoeuvre. Opposition parties may yet control both chambers of Congress. Nearly half of Brazilians say the economy has worsened over the past year. Last year Washington threatened...

We have put together stories from our coverage on electric and new energy vehicles from the past two weeks to help you stay informed. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. BYD to build new factories in Europe to beat trade barriers aimed at Chinese EVs China’s BYD will build new factories in Europe for a bigger market share, as the world’s largest electric vehicle (EV) maker faces fiscal support pullback at home and rising trade barriers overseas,...

ICBC share prices diverge after first parallel listing By Carol Chan This article was first published on October 28, 2006 Shares of Industrial and Commercial Bank of China jumped a relatively modest 14.7 per cent on their Hong Kong debut and a lacklustre 5.1 per cent in Shanghai as the world’s largest-ever initial public offering finally came to market. The debut immediately catapulted China’s largest lender into the top ranks of global banks as measured by market capitalisation. It seized the...

Hong Kong might have grown accustomed to treating seasonal influenza as a temporary inconvenience rather than a public health menace as the virus comes and goes every year. But with a lower vaccination uptake and a raging and longer-than-expected summer outbreak this year, the same business-as-usual response is hardly the right defence. Members of the public, especially high-risk groups, should waste no time coming forward for the jabs as local health authorities put the city on alert. Officials...