US sanctions 5 Chinese entities over ex-Google engineer’s AI trade secrets theft

South China Morning Post - Oct 19, 2026

The US State Department announced on Monday that it was imposing sweeping sanctions under the Protecting American Intellectual Property Act (PAIPA) on five Chinese entities suspected of stealing trade secrets from American companies. The targets include Shanghai Zhisuan Technology, founded by former Google software engineer Ding Linwei, venture capital firm MiraclePlus and three related entities. Ding was convicted of seven counts of trade secret theft in January. A federal judge subsequently...

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Rubio pitches US business in Central Asia, says China ties need not suffer

Rubio pitches US business in Central Asia, says China ties need not suffer

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Monday that Washington wanted to compete for business in Central Asia without asking countries to stop working with China, as the United States and five regional governments outlined proposals to deepen cooperation on minerals, transport and technology. Speaking in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, Rubio was asked what Washington could offer as Beijing expanded its presence in the region. “I mean, look, it’s competition, right? We have products, we have companies;...

Elderly man dies after being pulled unconscious from flat during fire in Sai Ying Pun

Elderly man dies after being pulled unconscious from flat during fire in Sai Ying Pun

An elderly man died in hospital on Monday night after he was pulled unconscious from a flat during a fire in a residential building in Hong Kong’s Western district. Police received a report at 8.57pm that flames had erupted in a flat in Hang Fai Building on Pok Fu Lam Road in Sai Ying Pun. Firefighters deployed two water jet and breathing apparatus teams to tackle the fire, which was extinguished at 9.54pm. A man in his 70s was found unconscious and was rushed to Queen Mary Hospital in Pok Fu...

Is China building a fleet of drone motherships to extend its naval reach?

Is China building a fleet of drone motherships to extend its naval reach?

A second unusual Chinese vessel suspected of being designed to launch and recover large underwater drones has appeared in Guangzhou, raising questions over whether Beijing is developing a fleet of specialised motherships to extend its undersea operations beyond coastal waters. The smaller vessel, seen under tow on the Pearl River in images circulating online, resembles a ship about 200 metres (660 feet) long seen at a Shanghai shipyard last month that has since been launched. Both feature...

Hong Kong police arrest woman after dog allegedly thrown into sea

Hong Kong police arrest woman after dog allegedly thrown into sea

A woman has been arrested on suspicion of animal cruelty after allegedly throwing a dog into the sea in Hong Kong. The woman was reportedly seen throwing a dog from the waterfront near 29 Tai On Street in Sai Wan Ho into the water at around 1pm on Thursday. She then retrieved the animal and left the scene. A passer-by who witnessed the incident alerted police. Following an investigation, officers arrested a 59-year-old local woman on Saturday near the junction of Tai Hong Street and Lei King...

Ex-NCT member sees opportunity in K-pop music for kids

Ex-NCT member sees opportunity in K-pop music for kids

K-pop songs have long rung out across Korean kindergartens and elementary school classrooms, but few of them were ever written with children in mind. Former NCT member Mark Lee says he wants to fill that gap himself with what he calls "kids-pop." The idea has taken shape through "Mark Lee & Kids-POP," a YouTube series launched in September on the channel for Upper Room, the label he founded after leaving boy band NCT and SM Entertainment in April. In each episode, the Canadian singer meets children, listens to their stories and looks for musical ideas in them. The gap he points to is a familiar one. iKON’s 2018 breakup song “Love Scenario” became a singalong staple among kindergartners, in addition to topping Korea’s year-end digital chart. Even “Golden,” the Billboard Hot 100 chart-topper from Netflix’s animated film “KPop Demon Hunters” that won over young viewers worldwide last year, was written as a pop anthem for a fictional idol group rather than as a children's song. So far, the industry's answer has largely been collaborations with children's brands, with some i

President Lee's approval rating rebounds after 2-week decline: poll

President Lee's approval rating rebounds after 2-week decline: poll

President Lee Jae Myung's approval rating rebounded to 37.3 percent after two consecutive weeks of decline, a survey showed Monday. In the poll conducted on 2,520 adults nationwide from last Monday to Friday by Realmeter, positive assessments of Lee's job performance rose 2.1 percentage points from the previous week. Negative assessments fell 1 percentage point to 60.4 percent. As reasons for the rebound, Realmeter cited policies aimed at improving people's livelihoods in areas such as housing and jobs, as well as the government's measures to tackle violent crimes following a stabbing spree in Incheon, west of Seoul. The pollster added that a sharp stock market decline later in the week appeared to have weighed on Lee's approval rating. In a separate survey of 1,005 adults conducted between Thursday and Friday, support for the ruling Democratic Party of Korea rose 0.7 percentage point to 36.2 percent, while that of the main opposition People Power Party fell 0.4 percentage point to 40.9 percent. The survey on the president had a margin of error of 2 percentage points at a 95 percent confid

Chungnam National University offers hands-on agricultural programs

Chungnam National University offers hands-on agricultural programs

Chungnam National University is nurturing future agricultural workers through programs that give university and high school students practical experience in crop cultivation and harvesting. The university said its Department of Crop Science and GreenBio Convergence and Open Sharing System (COSS) project group held the “2026 Morakmorak Nongshim” green bio career exploration program at the university's affiliated farm on Friday. The program brought together about 60 participants, including students from the university and Yuseong Bio Science Technology High School in Daejeon. Under the guidance of professor Shim Kyu-chan, participants harvested wild rice, while professor Lee Sung-woo led a session on soybean harvesting. They learned about the ecological value of wild rice as a genetic resource and the importance of conserving native seeds. Explanations of crop growth characteristics and cultivation and harvesting methods also helped participants better understand the diversity of food crops and the need to preserve genetic resources. The program builds on the “Green Bio Mo-ment Program

1 KATUSA killed, 3 USFK soldiers injured in rollover crash in Daegu

1 KATUSA killed, 3 USFK soldiers injured in rollover crash in Daegu

DAEGU — One Korean soldier attached to the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) was killed and three others, including two U.S. servicemembers, were injured Monday after their vehicle crashed in the southeastern city of Daegu, local police said. Their military sport utility vehicle (SUV) crashed into a median strip and flipped onto its right side on a highway in the city about 240 kilometers southeast of Seoul, at 5:07 a.m., the police said. One Korean soldier in his 20s, who was serving as a Korean Augmentation to the U.S. Army (KATUSA), died in the crash, while another KATUSA soldier, also in his 20s, sustained serious but non-life-threatening injuries, according to the police. Two USFK servicemembers suffered minor injuries. The four soldiers were returning to their base after completing their shift in Daegu's Chilgok County. The police said they notified the USFK of the accident and are investigating the details.

Yongsan to deploy 2,550 personnel in Itaewon to prevent repeat of Halloween tragedy

Yongsan to deploy 2,550 personnel in Itaewon to prevent repeat of Halloween tragedy

With the approach of Oct. 31, a Saturday that promises packed streets and spirited celebrations, local authorities in the heart of the capital are taking no chances. The Yongsan District Office announced a comprehensive safety mobilization Monday for the upcoming Halloween season, deploying thousands of personnel and leveraging real-time data technology to safeguard visitors in the bustling Itaewon neighborhood. The heightened security measures reflect a deep, ongoing commitment to preventing any repetition of the tragic 2022 Halloween crowd crush, which claimed 159 lives in a narrow alleyway in Itaewon. In the years since, local authorities and disaster response agencies have completely overhauled urban safety protocols, turning the nightlife district into a testing ground for real-time crowd management. Running Oct. 23 to Nov. 1, a special 10-day safety enforcement period aims to manage an anticipated crowd of 165,000 visitors across popular nightlife corridors such as the World Food Street. The comprehensive plan blends boots-on-the-ground vigilance with advanced digital monitoring. A

Inaugural SCIA chief reaffirms pledge to end 'politicization' of investigations

Inaugural SCIA chief reaffirms pledge to end 'politicization' of investigations

The inaugural chief of the Serious Crime Investigation Agency (SCIA) on Monday reiterated his pledge to end the "politicization" of investigations. Kim Ji-yong was appointed to lead the newly launched agency Thursday following a major overhaul to the criminal justice system earlier this month that stripped prosecutors of their investigative powers. "The previous prosecution caused various harms, such as abusing investigative powers, and I think the root cause of that lies with the politicization of investigations," he told reporters. "The SCIA will establish itself as an investigative agency that the public will not have to worry about by strictly upholding fairness, neutrality and procedural justice." Kim, as nominee, had vowed to prioritize ending the "politicization" of investigations. The SCIA was launched on Oct. 2 as part of reforms to the prosecution amid criticism that prosecutors pursued politically motivated investigations.

Korea to send delegation to Kazakhstan for water industry cooperation

Korea to send delegation to Kazakhstan for water industry cooperation

Korea will send a delegation to Kazakhstan to expand bilateral cooperation in the water industry and support Korean companies seeking to enter the Kazakh market, the foreign ministry said Monday. The public-private delegation will include officials from the foreign and energy ministries, nine Korean water companies and representatives from relevant state-run entities, according to the ministry. During their three-day visit through Wednesday, the delegation will meet with major Kazakh water management agencies to discuss technological cooperation, visit water and wastewater treatment facilities and review ongoing pilot projects to identify new business opportunities. The two nations have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on smart water management technologies and pursued pilot projects involving Korean water industry products and technologies. "We will continue expanding water industry cooperation with Kazakhstan by matching its water management needs with advanced technologies from Korean companies," the ministry said in a release.

N. Korea touts 'invincible' comradeship with Russia at diplomatic event

N. Korea touts 'invincible' comradeship with Russia at diplomatic event

North Korea has reaffirmed its commitment to deepening relations with Russia at a diplomatic event, calling its ties with Moscow an "invincible" comradeship, Pyongyang's state media reported Monday. The North Korean Embassy in Russia hosted a reception marking the 78th anniversary of forming diplomatic relations between the two nations last Tuesday, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. The event was attended by Alexander Kozlov, Russia's minister of natural resources and chair of the North Korea-Russia Intergovernmental Committee for Cooperation in Trade, Economy and Science, along with other Russian government and party officials. North Korean Ambassador to Russia Sin Hong-chol said the bilateral ties have developed at an unprecedented level through the "most truthful" relations forged between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Shin said the meeting between their leaders in 2024 has upgraded bilateral ties into a comprehensive strategic partnership and leaped toward "invincible comradely-in-arms relations," according to the KCNA. In response, Koz

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