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AdvertisementArtificial intelligenceTechTech TrendsAI models from China’s DeepSeek, Alibaba and the US flatter users too much, study findsResearch judges models from Alibaba and DeepSeek among the most sycophantic, an issue which could impact relationships and mental health
Reading Time:2 minutesWhy you can trust SCMP1Vincent ChowPublished: 7:00am, 31 Oct 2025Leading artificial intelligence models from the United States and China are “highly sycophantic”, and their excessive flattery may make users less likely to repair interpersonal conflicts, a new study has found.AdvertisementThe study by researchers at Stanford University and Carnegie Mellon University published earlier this month tested how 11 large language models (LLMs) responded to user queries seeking advice on personal matters, including cases involving manipulation and deception.
In AI circles, sycophancy is the phenomenon of chatbots excessively agreeing with users. DeepSeek’s V3, released in December 2024, was found to be ..

AdvertisementIsrael-Gaza warWorldMiddle EastIsrael confirms identities of latest Gaza hostage bodies returned by HamasSahar Baruch was taken from kibbutz Beeri, and Amiram Kuper was kidnapped with his wife from their home in kibbutz Nir Oz
Reading Time:2 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPAgence France-PressePublished: 6:57am, 31 Oct 2025Israel said Thursday that it had identified the remains of hostages Amiram Kuper and Sahar Baruch, whose bodies were returned by Hamas earlier in the day.
AdvertisementA statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the families of the deceased men had been informed after “completion of the identification process by the National Institute of Forensic Medicine”.
Militants took 251 people hostage during Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which triggered the war in Gaza.
Sahar Baruch was taken from kibbutz Beeri to Gaza and killed during a failed army rescue operation two months later. He was 25 when he died.
Amiram Kuper, 84 at the t..

Representative AI image Dubai’s Halloween scene has blossomed into a high-fashion spectacle where fantasy and luxury merge under desert skies. From rooftop catwalks and masquerade dinners to influencer-hosted beach parties, the emirate’s Halloween nights are now curated experiences driven by style, brand activations and social-media moments. These lavish events reflect Dubai’s rising status as a global influencer hub and show how Halloween has been reinvented beyond costumes or candy.The high-fashion Halloween evolution in DubaiOver recent years Dubai has transformed Halloween into more than a celebration of scares. Luxury venues are adopting theatrical themes ranging from “cursed circus” soirées to futuristic masquerade balls. Immersive indoor festivals and private yacht parties present Halloween as a glamour-led celebration designed for nightlife, fashion and photography. The emphasis is on exclusive access and Instagram-ready aesthetics.Influencers and content creators sit at the ce..

Image: Getty Images Archaeologists in Turkey have unearthed a remarkably preserved 1,600-year-old Roman wine production site beneath the ruins of an ancient mountain castle. The discovery, made near the village of Oymakli in southeastern Turkey’s Kahta district, sheds light on the scale and sophistication of winemaking in the late Roman period. The site includes grape-crushing installations, cisterns, and grinding stones, all remarkably intact after more than a millennium. Experts believe the complex once operated as a large-scale industrial winery, serving both local residents and the nearby Kahta Castle, an important stronghold during the Kingdom of Commagene.Unearthing the ancient vineyardThe excavation, led by the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism, began after archaeologists discovered fragments of stone and pottery believed to be of historical value. The site spans nearly 37 acres and lies in a mountainous region overlooking the Euphrates River valley.Researchers found sever..

AdvertisementInterest ratesBusinessBanking & FinanceBreaking | Hong Kong follows US in quarter-point interest rate cut to reduce loans cost for borrowersHalf-point cut in six weeks further eases the funding costs for businesses and mortgage borrowers
Reading Time:3 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPEnoch YiuPublished: 7:00am, 30 Oct 2025Hong Kong’s de facto central bank cut the base interest rate for the second time in six weeks, further reducing the cost of funding to help reboot the city’s businesses and reduce the burden on mortgage borrowers.
AdvertisementThe Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) cut the base rate by a quarter point to 4.25 per cent on Thursday, hours after the US Federal Reserve pared its target rate by the same margin to a range of 3.75 per cent to 4 per cent during the seventh meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) this year. The new base rate is the lowest for Hong Kong since November 2022.Together with a quarter-point rate cut in September, central banks..

AdvertisementHong Kong healthcare and hospitalsHong KongHealth & EnvironmentApplications for Hong Kong’s expanded medical fee waiver to open on MondayPatients with appointments scheduled for January or February at public hospitals can submit required income and asset proofs from Monday
Reading Time:3 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPFiona SunPublished: 7:00am, 30 Oct 2025An expanded medical fee waiver mechanism under public healthcare reforms in Hong Kong will open for applications from patients on Monday, months before the new policy takes effect next year.
AdvertisementThe Hospital Authority said that patients with appointments scheduled for January or February at public hospitals could submit the required proof of income and assets to apply for the fee reduction starting from Monday.
Those eligible for the waiver would be issued a certificate before their appointment, it said.
Applications can be submitted to the medical social services units at public hospitals and clinics, and the int..

President Donald Trump claimed during a press briefing aboard Air Force One on October 27, 2025 that he had taken an “IQ test” at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and achieved a perfect score, challenging Democratic Representatives Jasmine Crockett and Alexandria Ocasio‑Cortez to take the same exam.In reality, the question test appears to have been the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA)—a brief screening tool for early cognitive decline, not an intelligence (IQ) test, according to People. The discrepancy between what was claimed and what experts say the test measures raises questions about transparency, health communication, and political messaging. What Trump said and how he framed itTrump described the test as “very hard” and suggested it was akin to an aptitude or cognitive exam:“They have Jasmine Crockett, a low IQ person. AOC is low IQ… You give her an IQ test, have her pass, like, the exams that I decided to take when I was at Walter Reed… I took- Those are very har..

Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, affirmed the company’s commitment to staying in California after resolving a regulatory dispute with California Attorney General Rob Bonta. In a post on X, Altman said the company had spoken with the Attorney General two weeks earlier and made clear it would not follow other tech firms that threaten to relocate when facing scrutiny. The agreement clears the path for OpenAI’s restructuring into a public-benefit corporation and enables Microsoft to move ahead with a 27% ownership stake, marking a major step in the company’s governance evolution.OpenAI’s deal with CaliforniaOpenAI’s transformation from a non-profit organisation into a public-benefit corporation has required careful scrutiny from regulators. The company was originally founded to ensure that artificial intelligence would be developed safely and for the benefit of humanity, without commercial motives dominating its mission. As OpenAI expanded into building powerful AI systems like ChatGPT, the scal..

AdvertisementUS-China trade warUSDiplomacySurvey reveals more than half of Americans want more friendly engagement with ChinaA study by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs also found that a majority of Americans are against higher tariffs on Chinese imports
Reading Time:3 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPMark Magnierin New YorkPublished: 7:03am, 29 Oct 2025More than half of Americans say the United States should cooperate and engage with China, according to a survey released on Tuesday, a sharp increase from the 40 per cent recorded in 2024.
AdvertisementThe results released by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs also found that a majority of Americans are against higher tariffs on Chinese imports.“Americans’ views of China are beginning to improve after several years of sharp declines,” said Craig Kafura, the council’s director of public opinion and US foreign policy and author of the study. “The big swings on how the US should approach China, in a very broad sense, were really intere..

AdvertisementCrime in Hong KongHong KongLaw and CrimeHongkongers put on investigator’s hat in new ICAC anti-corruption simulationParticipants to experience different stages of ICAC probe during three-hour activity, including evidence gathering, arrest, facial recognition and interviews
Reading Time:2 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPLeopold ChenPublished: 7:00am, 29 Oct 2025Hong Kong’s anti-corruption watchdog has launched an immersive programme that lets residents and tourists experience first-hand how graft-busters work.
AdvertisementThe Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) said its public engagement project, dubbed “Operation 303”, would open for public registration on Wednesday.During the three-hour activity, participants will be guided by ICAC officers to investigate a simulated corruption case involving a construction project.
Participants will experience different stages of an ICAC investigation, including evidence gathering, arrest, facial recognition and interviews.
“T..