China’s ‘smart’ diabetes probiotics; life sentence for Hui Ka-yan: SCMP’s 7 highlights

1. Chinese scientists have developed a "smart" probiotic that may revolutionize diabetes treatment in the United States within the next two years.

2. In a shocking turn of events, the founder and former chairman of China Evergrande Group, Hui Ka-yan, has been sentenced to life imprisonment for multiple crimes. All of Hui's personal belongings have been seized by the court.

3. There are mounting concerns over the potential future of US-China defense ties as Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth faces increasing speculation about his imminent departure from his position.

4. A heated debate has erupted in Singapore following a disturbing incident where an elderly man was shoved to the ground by a girl's father for patting her head inappropriately.

5. China has made history by becoming the first nation to successfully recover orbital launch rockets using two distinct methods. This significant achievement marks a major step forward in the country's efforts to develop affordable, reusable rockets.

6. The owner of a large dog that attacked and killed two smaller pets in Hong Kong has been charged with failing to properly control the animal. The canine is currently under government custody awaiting further action.

7. A Chinese neurosurgeon named Jin Shanmu has stunned the global mathematics community by cracking a decades-old problem using the artificial intelligence platform ChatGPT. The breakthrough was achieved during a simple attempt to resolve a brain ultrasound-related issue.