China moves to cement ties with Uzbekistan amid tussle with US for Central Asian influence

South China Morning Post - Oct 18, 2026

Chinese Premier Li Qiang has called for deeper cooperation with Uzbekistan in areas such as minerals and artificial intelligence as the Beijing vies with Washington for influence in Central Asia. Li told President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on Saturday that Beijing was ready to strengthen strategic communication and expand mutually beneficial cooperation with Uzbekistan. He urged the two countries to step up cooperation in energy, minerals, finance and connectivity, and deepen collaboration in fields...

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[COVER STORY] Korea focuses on AI majors while global universities rewrite rules of education

[COVER STORY] Korea focuses on AI majors while global universities rewrite rules of education

SINGAPORE, LONDON, SEOUL — Artificial intelligence (AI) is rewriting the rules across industries and higher education is no exception. While Korean universities are racing to establish AI departments and expand enrollment in advanced technology fields, some of the world’s leading institutions are taking different approach in adapting to the rapidly evolving technology. Rather than focusing solely on expanding AI-related education, these universities are rethinking the fundamentals of higher education, from what students should learn and how their abilities should be assessed to which academic strengths will remain valuable as AI takes on tasks once performed exclusively by humans. At Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore, AI education is no longer limited to engineering and computer science majors. The university is working to make AI part of learning across every discipline, including the arts and humanities. The university aims to integrate AI into 40 percent of courses across all 52 undergraduate degree programs by 2030, up from just 5 percent today. Under the initiat

PM vows continued efforts to resume inter-Korean dialogue

PM vows continued efforts to resume inter-Korean dialogue

Prime Minister Han Seong-sook said Sunday that the government will strive to lay the groundwork for the resumption of dialogue between Seoul and Pyongyang and seek peaceful co-existence. "Efforts will be made to open the door for dialogue between South Korea and North Korea and to hold talks on peace and joint prosperity," Han said, as she attended a presidential sporting competition for displaced North Korean residents held in Seoul. She called inter-Korean division a "reality," also highlighting that the pains of displaced residents and separated families are "ongoing." "Our efforts to open the road to peaceful coexistence of South Korea and North Korea cannot stop," said the prime minister, asking for the participants' support in establishing peace and thanking them for contributing to South Korea's economic development and democratization.

Cherish peace and stability, John Lee urges Hongkongers during Chung Yeung Festival

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Hong Kong’s leader has urged residents to cherish peace and stability as senior officials marked Chung Yeung Festival with tributes to the city’s wartime defenders and public servants who died in the line of duty. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu attended the annual ceremony at the Hong Kong City Hall Memorial Garden in Central on Sunday, laying a wreath to honour those who died defending the city between 1941 and 1945. “As we remember the heroes who sacrificed their lives in war and our...

Banking on bricks: entrepreneur builds a business case for recycling plastic waste

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Former investment banker Shervin Sharghy takes a practical approach to plastic recycling, first asking whether it makes financial sense before tackling the technical challenges. The founder of Hong Kong-based EcoBricks said the main obstacle to recycling plastic was often economic rather than scientific. Collecting, sorting, cleaning and processing waste plastic typically costs more than producing new materials from oil and gas, particularly at the small scale at which most recyclers...

China’s youth draw upon Long March spirit to navigate modern uncertainties

China’s youth draw upon Long March spirit to navigate modern uncertainties

As China marks the 90th anniversary of the Red Army’s victory in the Long March, some young Chinese are looking to the historic journey for guidance as they face uncertainty in their lives and future. For Lyu Leiyiyi, a 22-year-old student at the Communication University of China, the spirit of the Long March offers a sense of stability at a time when people and the environment around her are changing at a dizzying pace. “People in their 20s are going through a period of uncertainty,” Lyu said....

Harvard and Cambridge to attend Hong Kong forum on role of humanities in AI age

Harvard and Cambridge to attend Hong Kong forum on role of humanities in AI age

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Spirit of Hong Kong Awards finalist bridges the gap in accessible dental care

Spirit of Hong Kong Awards finalist bridges the gap in accessible dental care

Hong Kong social worker Mark Cheung Kai-yuen is working to make dental care more accessible for cancer survivors, people with disabilities and children with special needs who often struggle to find suitable clinics. Through Smile Again, the social enterprise he co-founded with dentist Dr Ho Kwun-yin, Cheung has adapted both the facility and the way care is delivered, with wheelchair-friendly facilities, longer consultations and tailored communication approaches. Cheung is a finalist for the...

Taiwan residents' trips to mainland rise nearly 20% in first 8 months

Taiwan residents' trips to mainland rise nearly 20% in first 8 months

Taiwan residents made more than 2.49 million trips to the Chinese mainland in the first eight months of 2026, up 19.63% year on year, according to the island's tourism department.

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China’s ‘golden week’ holidays come at a cost

China’s ‘golden week’ holidays come at a cost

For iPhone users in China, the calendar has long presented a small but recurring problem. On a Sunday designated as a make-up workday, an alarm might remain silent. On a regular Friday converted into a day off, it might ring anyway. Nearly 17 years after entering the Chinese market, Apple quietly updated its operating system in September to automatically recognise China’s official schedule of adjusted holidays and workdays. The fix is modest, but it points to a larger question: what happens when...

Chinese premier backs high-quality China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway

Chinese premier backs high-quality China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway

Chinese Premier Li Qiang said on Saturday that China stands ready to ensure the high-quality implementation of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway project.

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