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Hong Kong to attract top stars like Taylor Swift, Chinese scientists create ‘dream bullet’: SCMP’s 7 highlights of the week
- From China and Singapore agreeing to a visa-free travel deal from Lunar New Year to a pet lion cub in a luxury car, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent reporting
1. Chinese scientists create ‘dream bullet’ years after US abandons project
![Scientists claim to have created a “dream shell” that can travel at high-speed and hit with high-precision. Photo: Xinhua](https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2024/01/26/de894c30-47b1-4485-a6cc-cfd67a6d1bd4_eee40472.jpg)
After the US abandoned development of its ‘dream shell’, Chinese scientists now claim they have managed to create the smart shell for kinetic energy weapons that could reshape the military landscape.
2. Hong Kong to attract more top acts such as Taylor Swift, Beyoncé: tourism chief
Hong Kong’s tourism minister has pledged to take steps to attract more international stars to boost the local economy after lawmakers questioned why the city had missed out on performances by global artists such as Taylor Swift and Beyoncé.
3. ‘Dare not spend’: China seeks fix as slowing economy may shrink middle class
![China’s middle class continues to face economic pitfalls that threaten to wipe out wealth. Illustration: Davies Christian Surya](https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2024/01/26/e22d8bde-c8ce-4353-a1ad-f1dbefcd5b74_fcfbd21b.jpg)
For China’s middle class, things have never looked harder. No signs have yet emerged to upend their frustration as the property market meltdown and free-falling stock market have continued to wipe out their wealth.
4. China, Singapore agree visa-free deal for travel stays of up to 30 days
China and Singapore will introduce a 30-day mutual visa exemption agreement from February 9 – Lunar New Year’s Eve – allowing citizens of the two countries to travel, visit families and go on business trips.
5. Thai woman faces jail after friend takes her pet lion cub out for a drive in a Bentley
![A pet lion cub sits in the back of a convertible Bentley in Pattaya, Thailand. Photo: Facebook/Madamannudon](https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2024/01/26/cf715687-7756-4729-8382-d14295cc05c4_0328f1fd.jpg)
A Thai owner of a pet lion cub could face jail after a viral video of her friend driving around Pattaya in a convertible Bentley, with the big cat wearing a chained collar sitting in the back seat, sparked accusations of animal cruelty and endangering public safety.
6. Why are rivals of Malaysia’s PM Anwar ensnared in a corruption investigation?
Investigators are looking into the wealth of high-profile politicians and businesspeople named in the Pandora and Panama Papers. But political rivals to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim call it selective persecution.
7. Seeds and nuts are superfoods – 5 of the best for heart health and more
![Nuts and seeds are very good for us, and can contribute to weight loss. Photo: Shutterstock](https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2024/01/26/b7b7b57f-0d30-4341-ac21-9785883a7e27_812028c5.jpg)
Are you nutty about nuts? Do you know the difference between a nut and a seed? Are all nuts equal? Increasingly we hear how good nuts and seeds are for us, and are urged to add them to salads, smoothies and breakfast cereals. But why?
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