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Trump’s Greenland deal aims to boost leverage at Xi summit, midterms: analysts

Non-Nato ban targeting China and Russia boosts bargaining chips before Xi summit and mirrors Trump’s Panama Canal ambitions, analyst warns However, they warned of a potential negative impact on the high-stakes talks, citing broader risks to major-power trust and peaceful Arctic development. In a social media post on Friday, Trump said: “I am pleased to announce that the United States of America has entered into an Agreement with The Kingdom of Denmark, and Greenland, that gives the United States permanent control over security, and all other needs, in Greenland, completely addressing ALL of our many U.S. concerns.”

September 19, 2026

Business

Cathay Pacific retains third-best airline title, wins cabin crew and lounge awards

Singapore Airlines reclaims top spot in British-based Skytrax World Airline Awards, swapping positions with Qatar Airways Hong Kong flag carrier Cathay Pacific Airways has been ranked the world’s third-best airline for the second consecutive year, while also taking top awards for best cabin crew and first-class lounge in new industry rankings. Singapore Airlines reclaimed the top spot in the British-based Skytrax World Airline Awards, moving up from second place last year and swapping positions with Qatar Airways, which dropped to second. “These recognitions are a testament to the incredible efforts of the entire Cathay team, who continue to deliver excellence in customer experience and service both in the air and on the ground,” Cathay Group chief executive Ronald Lam Siu-por said on Friday. “Importantly, they will serve to motivate us to keep improving as we strive to become our customers’ most loved service brand.”

September 19, 2026

Business

Hong Kong police arrest 3, seize HK$23 million of Ice in Fanling bust

Two men and a woman, aged 49 to 56, arrested, with drug factory believed to have operated for three to four days Police have arrested three people and broken up a large-scale drug production factory in northern Hong Kong, seizing HK$23 million (US$3 million) worth of suspected methamphetamine, or Ice. The force said on Saturday that two men and a woman, aged 49 to 56, were arrested on Thursday night. Police in Fanling first intercepted one of the men, who was holding a two-way permit, a document issued by mainland Chinese authorities allowing residents to travel to Hong Kong. Senior Inspector Chan Lik-ho of the force’s narcotics bureau said police then discovered a large-scale drug manufacturing factory in a Fanling unit.

September 19, 2026

Business

Ukraine war: US approves potential US$2.7 billion sale of air defence equipment

Kyiv wants to buy multiple types of missiles, launchers and counter-drone radars, the US government says The United States has approved a potential US$2.68 billion sale of air defence equipment to Ukraine, after Kyiv made repeated pleas for support to fend off Russian attacks. The State Department said in a congressional notification on Friday that it made “a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Ukraine” for buying air defence development upgrades and related equipment and services. Kyiv has requested to buy equipment including multiple types of missiles, launchers and counter-drone radars, according to the State Department. “If the proposed purchase is concluded, Ukraine would finance it using a combination of European contributions and US Foreign Military Financing appropriated during the prior Administration,” the State Department said.

September 19, 2026

Business

People in China earn between US$7 and US$15,000 by licensing faces to AI content producers

Some argue that for directors, only celebrities’ faces have recognition value, while everyday faces can simply be generated by AI In China, an increasing number of digital face-licensing platforms are connecting ordinary individuals with content creators, enabling them to authorise the use of their likenesses in AI-generated short dramas, advertisements, and games. Since April, private “face-selling” transactions that once circulated within film and television industry chat groups have progressively transitioned to public platforms. One bank employee reportedly earned nearly 2,500 yuan (US$370) after an advertising company acquired his portrait seven times within just three days, as reported by the National Business Daily. Among the leading platforms, Shenzhen-based Yuanxiang Xinsheng, launched in May, allows users to create “digital actor profiles” following registration and identity verification.

September 19, 2026

Business

Foreign carer scheme may drive up wages, leave poor without help, employers warn

Hong Kong will admit foreign carers with more advanced training and experience in elderly care under pilot scheme unveiled in policy address Authorities revealed on Friday that the minimum wage for carers under the pilot scheme would be 10 to 20 per cent higher than that for existing helpers. The current minimum allowable wage for helpers is HK$5,100 (US$654) a month. Betty Yung Ma Shan-yee, chairwoman of the Hong Kong Employers of Domestic Helpers Association, said 30 per cent of the city’s more than 378,000 foreign domestic helpers were already caring for elderly people, questioning the need for a separate category of workers.

September 19, 2026

Business

Chinese scientists find first evidence of ancient nose-chopping punishment for cattle thieves

Under the rule of the King of Qin (247 BC–221 BC), severed noses accumulated like mountain peaks, and carts overflowed with amputated feet Stealing someone’s cattle is a serious crime, and in many places, the thief would end up in jail. However, ancient Chinese justice could result in a truly horrific form of mutilation: the amputation of the nose. This harsh consequence has been well-documented by historians as one of the infamous “five punishments” from the penal system of the Xia dynasty (2070 BC–1600 BC). Until now, no physical evidence of this punishment had been discovered. A team of researchers from China and the US recently announced the finding of a female skeleton dated between 1298 and 1404 (from either the Yuan or Ming dynasties) that showed clear evidence of nose removal as part of a criminal sentence.

September 19, 2026

Business

A man who built bridges over walls: SCMP’s Tammy Tam on Tung Chee-hwa

SCMP publisher recalls Tung as ‘humble and unpretentious personality’ who helped foster ties between China and the United States South China Morning Post publisher Tammy Tam reflects on her encounters with Hong Kong’s first chief executive, the late Tung Chee-hwa, looking back on memories from her days as a frontline reporter, his regular exchanges with media representatives and Tung’s rare appearance at an SCMP conference in 2020 to advocate US-China dialogue. Her recollections are part of a special SCMP commemorative supplement that features heavyweights from various sectors paying tribute to Tung.

September 19, 2026

Business

Australia’s backpacker visa cuts threaten working holiday dream

Briton Johnny Gibbs has been in Australia for six months, surfing and working part-time – like countless other young people drawn to the country’s pristine beaches and laid-back way of life. He is one of thousands that venture Down Under on so-called “working holiday visas” – a chance to work, and play, in Australia for as long as three years. But the future for some backpackers is now in doubt, following the government’s announcement of plans to cut the number of visas issued – and detain...

September 19, 2026

Business

Crouching dragons: the suicide divers Japan never sent to war

Japan’s wartime kamikaze pilots remain among the most recognisable symbols of the Pacific war: young men flying aircraft into Allied ships on missions from which they were not expected to return. Far less well-remembered are the fukuryu – suicide frogmen trained in the closing months of World War II to walk into the sea with mines on bamboo poles, then wait beneath the waves for an Allied invasion fleet. Kanade Hamamoto was one of many Japanese people who had never heard of them, despite...

September 19, 2026

Business

Now Hong Kong must turn its international edge into national impact

The city can bridge China and the world, adding value to every connection, but to deliver on this promise, it needs everyone on board That capability has been built over generations. Hong Kong combines deep connections with the mainland with an international financial system, common law tradition, professional expertise and extensive global business networks. These attributes are particularly valuable as geopolitical tensions, technological change and shifting supply chains make cross-border business more complex.

September 19, 2026

Business

How much has Iran war cost US? Pentagon estimates US$43.6 billion so far

The Iran war has cost US$43.6 billion as of this month, the highest official estimate to date, the Pentagon told Congress’ defence oversight panels this week. The cost estimate comes as polls show Americans increasingly oppose the war, partly over its impact on the economy, and the issue is looming large as the November midterm elections approach. The Pentagon’s latest figure comprises US$11.2 billion already obliged for operating expenses – for fuel, combat pay, aircraft, medical care, parts...

September 19, 2026