{
  "id": 2300950,
  "title": "China’s ‘smart’ diabetes probiotics; life sentence for Hui Ka-yan: SCMP’s 7 highlights",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/21/chinas-smart-diabetes-probiotics-life-sentence-for-hui-ka-yan-scmps-7-2300950",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-08-21T04:15:08.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Reuters Business via SCMP",
    "slug": "reuters-business-via-scmp",
    "url": "https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3364744/chinas-smart-diabetes-probiotics-life-sentence-hui-ka-yan-scmps-7-highlights"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Chinese researchers have developed a \"smart\" diabetes probiotic, engineered to potentially simplify diabetes management through simple consumption methods such as drinking yoghurt or swallowing a capsule. This innovation aims to bring the treatment for diabetes closer to everyday life.\n\nIn Shenzhen, China, a court has sentenced the founder and former chairman of China Evergrande Group, Hui Ka-yan, to life imprisonment for multiple combined crimes. The ruling resulted in the confiscation of all of Hui's personal property. This marks a significant moment in the ongoing legal proceedings against the prominent businessman.\n\nSpeculation is mounting over the future of US-China defense ties following reports that Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth may be close to losing his position. Multiple sources familiar with the matter have indicated that the potential end of Hegseth's tenure could have implications for the relationship between the two nations.\n\nA recent incident in Singapore has sparked heated debate, following an elderly man being shoved to the ground by a girl's father for patting the child on the head. The act has ignited a discussion about appropriate behavior and boundaries in public spaces.\n\nChina has made history as the first country to successfully recover orbital launch rockets using two distinct approaches. LandSpace, a leading commercial rocket company, has accomplished this feat, marking a significant step forward in the development of more affordable and reusable rockets for the country.\n\nIn a tragic incident, the owner of a large dog responsible for attacking two smaller pets has been charged in Hong Kong. The owner is accused of failing to properly control the animal, which is currently under government custody. This case highlights the importance of responsible pet ownership and the consequences of negligence.\n\nFinally, a Chinese doctor has stunned the world of mathematics by cracking a decades-old problem using artificial intelligence. Beijing-based neurosurgeon Jin Shanmu utilized ChatGPT, an AI-powered language model, to tackle a complex mathematical challenge related to brain ultrasounds. This achievement demonstrates the potential of AI in solving intricate mathematical problems.",
  "summary": "We have selected seven stories from this week’s news across Hong Kong, mainland China, the wider Asia region and beyond 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. Chinese team aims to put ‘smart’ diabetes probiotic on US shelves within 2 years Chinese researchers have engineered a probiotic that…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "South China Morning Post",
        "title": "China’s ‘smart’ diabetes probiotics; life sentence for Hui Ka-yan: SCMP’s 7 highlights",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/21/chinas-smart-diabetes-probiotics-life-sentence-for-hui-ka-yan-scmps-7",
        "published": "2026-08-21T04:15:08.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}