Secular News

Cooper Flagg's spectacular rookie NBA season ended in injury Sunday as he left the court with an ankle sprain during the Dallas Mavericks' win against the Chicago Bulls.

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. An independent committee examining the causes of Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in decades, which claimed 168 lives at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, held its 11th day of hearings on Monday. Four senior firefighters, who served as commanders during the Tai Po blaze, are set to testify before the judge-led panel. Previous hearing sessions centred on the deactivation of...

Malaysia’s Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) said ⁠it detained ⁠two tankers for allegedly conducting ⁠an illegal ship-to-ship transfer of about 700,000 litres (185,000 gallons) of diesel off the island of Penang over the weekend. Malaysia has been cracking down on fuel smuggling amid mounting shortages and ‌supply disruptions throughout the region caused by the war in the Middle East. Penang MMEA director Muhammad Suffi Mohd Ramli said authorities carried out checks following an intelligence...

President Donald Trump sharply rebuked Pope Leo XIV in remarks to reporters and on social media Sunday, calling the first American leader of the Catholic Church “WEAK on crime” and “terrible for Foreign Policy.”“I don’t think he’s doing a very good job.

China has launched a national action plan to embed AI across its education system, in a strategic push to future-proof its workforce amid intensifying global competition in advanced technologies. The “AI+ Education” action plan, unveiled by the Ministry of Education and four other ministerial-level bodies, mandates the integration of artificial intelligence at every stage of learning – from primary schools to lifelong education. The initiative builds on China’s long-term education plan to the...

Oil prices surged and stocks sank Monday after US-Iran peace talks fell apart and Donald Trump announced a blockade of the strategic Strait of Hormuz, adding to fears of energy supplies from the Middle East.

Hong Kong is betting on a 36-fold increase in supercomputing power to propel the city into the top tier of global artificial intelligence (AI) hubs, as it ramps up infrastructure to keep pace with rivals London and New York in the race for digital supremacy, the city leader has said. In his keynote address at the opening ceremony of the 2026 World Internet Conference (WIC) Asia-Pacific Summit at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai on Monday, Chief Executive John Lee...

Trump says he’s ‘not a big fan’ of Pope Leo

Doc Rivers is departing as head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks after the NBA team concluded its lackluster regular season Sunday, US media reported.

Rory McIlroy says "I don't want to stop here" after emerging victorious from a rollercoaster final round to retain the Masters and match European great Sir Nick Faldo's haul of six major titles.

Rory McIlroy says "I don't want to stop here" after emerging victorious from a rollercoaster final round to retain the Masters and match European great Sir Nick Faldo's haul of six major titles.

Rory McIlroy says "I don't want to stop here" after emerging victorious from a rollercoaster final round to retain the Masters and match European great Sir Nick Faldo's haul of six major titles.