NIH Funds Research to Investigate Psilocybin’s Effectiveness in Helping Smokers Quit

Even as geopolitical frictions and market swings unsettle venture investors, Hong Kong-founded Hermitage Capital is sticking to a global strategy of backing frontier technology companies wherever they emerge. With a US$1.5 billion war chest that is 80 per cent in US dollars, with the remainder in renminbi, the private equity firm is ramping up investments across artificial intelligence, semiconductors and robotics, mainly in the US and China, capitalising on a market turnaround triggered by the...

The president said there were signs that such models were used in recent attacks on several banks involving customer data. Police are investigating.

US F-35 stealth fighters have joined Indian warplanes for military exercises near the Pakistan border in recent days, marking the first time America’s most advanced multirole combat aircraft has taken part in joint drills in India. The US jets’ participation in the drills “signals a degree of military confidence and interoperability that is difficult to manufacture through communiques”, Sushant Singh, a South Asian studies lecturer at Yale University and former Indian Army officer, told This...

We have selected seven stories from the SCMP’s coverage of Asia over the past week that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. AirAsia chief mocks Singapore Airlines’ food – and social media hits back AirAsia co-founder Tony Fernandes has caused a stir online after taking aim at Singapore Airlines’ (SIA) in-flight meals, claiming the food served by the carrier lagged behind his own airline’s...

The police are investigating how about 3,000 nonexistent residents were added to official data for Toyama.

Huge tax breaks and a weak currency sustain exports, widen the government budget deficit and complicate the country’s efforts to rebalance its economy.

The father of 16-year-old Irene Sofiya said he drew comfort from Malaysia’s Queen Raja Zarith Sofiah and her assurance that she would do what she can to help seek justice for his daughter. Mohd Khairool Faisal Khyar, 42, said he deeply appreciated the queen’s concern and words of encouragement during her visit to the family home in Kampung Selamat, Johor, on Monday. “Raja Zarith Sofiah was very considerate and we greatly appreciate what she said to our family during this difficult period for us....

Bangkok is preparing for possible flooding as more than 15,000 delegates are due to arrive for the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank Group. The Thai capital could receive about 50mm (two inches) of rain a day from October 11-13, coinciding with the start of the week-long gathering of finance ministers, central bankers, executives and other delegates from the institutions’ 191 member countries, according to Surapong Sarapa, the Meteorological Department’s head of...

The alleged murder of an Okinawan woman by a US marine has put newly elected Governor Genta Koja under intense pressure, raising questions about whether the incident could deepen opposition against the American military presence just as Okinawa assumes greater importance in Japan’s regional security strategy. Koja only took office on September 30 after campaigning on economic issues rather than the dispute over American troops based in the prefecture, which has dominated local politics for...

According to the FBI, American nationals lost around $50 million to one network of online scammers based in India.

The International Criminal Court on Monday unsealed arrest warrants against four senior Taliban leaders, accusing them of the crime against humanity of gender persecution against women, girls and members of the LGBTQ community in Afghanistan since the Taliban seized power in 2021. The court said in a statement that warrants were issued in July and September last year for the Taliban’s supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, and the head of Afghanistan’s Supreme Court, Abdul Hakim Haqqani. Also...

An alleged killing days after Koja Genta took office threatens Tokyo’s hopes for closer cooperation with Okinawa on its expanding southwestern defense posture.