News - South China Morning Post

Hong Kong actor and model Jacky Heung is being sued by a Macau casino operator for allegedly racking up at least HK$1.4 million (US$178,000) in gambling debts following a visit to the gaming hub last December. In a writ filed with the Hong Kong District Court, MGM Grand Paradise said Heung had borrowed HK$2 million on December 1, 2024, from the operator of the MGM Macau and MGM Cotai casino hotels and converted the money into betting chips. Under the terms of the loan, Heung was required to...

Hong Kong is set to welcome a new top US diplomat as early as the end of this summer, according to the country’s acting consul general in the city, who also indicated Washington’s keen interest in increasing engagement with the local administration. David Schlaefer also confirmed on Tuesday that there was only one candidate for the position, previously held by Gregory May, and said that mainland China had not yet expressed any objections to the nominee. The Post previously reported that Julie...

Based on his recent statements, it appears that US President Donald Trump’s position on Ukraine has evolved to match that of his predecessor. He now says shipments of weapons will continue and that Ukraine must be able to defend itself. He has expressed unhappiness with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and on Monday threatened 100 per cent tariffs on Russia and countries doing business with it if a Russia-Ukraine deal isn’t reached in 50 days. This may surprise some observers, especially...

A teacher and a student’s parent have been arrested in South Korea after allegedly breaking into a high school in the wee hours to steal final exam papers in a case that has renewed concerns over a decline in academic integrity and illegal tutoring. The incident took place at around 1.20am on July 4, when the teacher and the father of a reportedly high-performing student allegedly entered a high school in the city of Andong, North Gyeongsang province, according to police. They were helped by a...

The company behind the general-purpose artificial intelligence (AI) agent Manus laid off most of its staff in Beijing last week, according to local media reports, amid a reorganisation in line with relocating its headquarters to Singapore. Manus AI has also scrubbed all of its content on Chinese social media platforms Weibo and RedNote. Logging in returns this message: “Manus is not available in your region.” That marked a change from the earlier message that said its “Chinese version is under...

At a surprising meeting of China’s political elite, it was declared that a sea change is needed in the nation’s urban development – shifting from a phase of large-scale, incremental expansion to one focused on optimising and enhancing existing resources. The message, coming amid a persistent real estate slump and slowing urbanisation, was delivered at the two-day Central Urban Work Conference that ended on Tuesday. In 2015, Beijing held its first such conference in decades, and it kicked off a...

When the United States’ twin GRACE satellites spotted an anomaly southeast of India while mapping the oceans, Chinese researchers spotted an opportunity. Over a relatively flat seabed thousands of metres deep, Nasa detected a spike in gravity readings and then put that data online, free for all to use. Chinese oceanographers who saw the data decided to find out more. In 2022, they loaded the Shiyan 6 vessel, one of the world’s most advanced research ships, with cutting-edge equipment and sailed...

The founder of a prominent Chinese robotics start-up sees great value in working with American peers to advance the global development of humanoid robots – and his call for stronger collaboration between the fractious trade partners comes as China’s private sector is playing an increasingly larger role in innovation. “China has a deep foundation in manufacturing and hardware, while the United States possesses a rich AI software ecosystem,” said Wang Xingxing, founder and CEO of Hangzhou-based...

A new tax on international remittances introduced under US President Donald Trump’s sweeping economic reform bill is drawing criticism from Filipino-American communities, who say the measure will hit working-class migrants hardest and threaten the livelihoods of their families in the Philippines. Under the new law, green card holders and migrant workers will be charged a 3.5 per cent levy on overseas money transfers starting on January 1 – a move that analysts warn will carry far-reaching...

China’s foreign ministry arm in Hong Kong has slammed foreign media outlets for “smearing” the Beijing-imposed national security law with their coverage of the fifth anniversary of its implementation. The Commissioner’s Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Hong Kong issued a statement of strong condemnation on Tuesday, slamming BBC News Chinese and the Japanese newspaper the Nikkei for “distorted reports, comments or editorials”. “[These pieces] were rooted in ideological bias … [and]...

China’s relations with Australia have “turned around” after overcoming “setbacks”, President Xi Jinping told visiting Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Beijing on Tuesday. “The most important thing we can learn from this is a commitment to equal treatment, to seeking common ground while sharing differences, pursuing mutually beneficial cooperation, serving the fundamental interests of our two countries and two peoples,” he told Albanese. “No matter how the international landscape may...

Tensions over Taiwan may heighten, Japan’s defence minister said on Tuesday as he presented an annual defence white paper that again singled out Beijing as Tokyo’s “greatest strategic challenge”. Japanese Defence Minister Gen Nakatani named China in the opening paragraphs of the report, declaring Beijing’s military activities to be an “unprecedented” challenge that Japan must counter through national strength and alliances with partner countries. It was the third consecutive year that the report...

Around half of Hongkongers with pre-hypertension who joined a personalised healthy lifestyle coaching programme have seen their blood pressure return to normal after six months, a local university has found. The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) on Tuesday released the findings of a study focused on its Jockey Club We WATCH Healthy Lifestyle Project, which targets middle-aged people to help them prevent chronic diseases. The study, conducted from 2022 to 2025, covered 4,399 participants...

China has officially introduced a controversial national cyber ID system, despite concerns from some experts and netizens over privacy and censorship. The system aims to “protect the security of citizens’ identity information”, according to regulations that went into effect on Tuesday, backed by the Ministry of Public Security, the Cyberspace Administration of China, and four other authorities. The app, whose beta version was launched last year, issues an encrypted virtual ID composed of random...

Authorities in the central Chinese province of Hubei have announced they would extend the duration of the region’s paid marriage leave to 15 days, the latest move from a local government to provide incentives for marriage and slow the country’s decline in birth rates. The extension, which includes the national minimum of three days, is meant to foster a more “family-friendly society”, according to a document issued by the provincial government on Monday. “To fully implement national regulations...

Hong Kong developer Grand Ming Group has avoided risking default by obtaining waivers from its lenders for outstanding loans totalling HK$4.8 billion (US$611.5 million). “The group has successfully obtained waivers from all lenders in respect of the breach,” the company said on Monday. “Accordingly, the lenders will not demand immediate repayment of the respective bank borrowings under the loan facilities from the group as a consequence of the breach. The group will repay the loan principal and...

US President Donald Trump’s threat to impose steep secondary tariffs on countries trading with Russia has raised alarm in India over the future of its discounted oil purchases from Moscow, with analysts warning the issue could complicate negotiations on a bilateral trade deal with Washington. Trump vowed on Monday to impose “very severe tariffs” if Russia did not end its war in Ukraine within 50 days. Washington would target Moscow’s remaining trade partners with measures aimed at choking off...

A 54-year-old man in Japan closed his company and sold his luxury sports car to help fund a shelter for “problematic dogs” after his own pet saved him when he tried to commit suicide. The Wansfree canine rescue centre in Yaizu, Shizuoka Prefecture, central Japan, offers its services for free. It cares for difficult dogs that animal-lovers find impossible to deal with, The Asahi newspaper reported. The animals it shelters usually bite indiscriminately and bark and snarl at everyone. Their fierce...

More than 55,000 Hong Kong pupils will receive their Diploma of Secondary Education (DSE) exam results on Wednesday, a pivotal milestone that may trigger anxiety and also bring opportunity. Here are some useful tips to mentally prepare for the big day, along with a handy checklist of what to bring. 1. Want to apply to a local university? Students who have applied through the Joint University Programmes Admissions System (Jupas) or Electronic Advance Application System (EAPP) and received a...

CMB International Securities (CMBI), the brokerage arm of China Merchants Bank, said it received a virtual asset licence from Hong Kong’s Securities and Futures Commission, making it the first mainland broker to conduct cryptocurrency trading services and other activities in the city. The licence, issued on Monday, allowed CMBI to engage in a variety of virtual asset services, including trading, custody and advisory services. In addition, it can provide guidance on risk management, regulatory...

Hong Kong’s Lingnan University has acquired commercial assets in a residential building in New Territories, joining a number of schools and universities that have snapped up real estate assets amid a slump in values. The university bought the shopping arcade, ground floor shops and a car park in the T-Plus residential tower for about HK$120 million (US$15.3 million), a 40 per cent discount to the asking price of HK$200 million, according to agents. The asset has a total gross area of 39,228 sq...

Four out of 14 children’s reusable raincoats tested by Hong Kong’s consumer watchdog have failed physical and chemical safety tests due to having excessively long cords and drawstrings or posing a high risk of exposure to harmful substances. The Consumer Council said on Tuesday that one of the tested products, a B.Duck raincoat, contained levels of plasticiser that were nearly 11 times the limit outlined in the European Union’s safety standards. “The council has referred the test findings to the...

A driver in northern China’s Liaoning province put a transparent coating over the bonnet of his car, then filled the gap with water, turning it into a fish tank. He was criticised online after sharing clips of it on social media.

The airflow rate among rechargeable portable fans can vary by more than 1.5 times, a study by Hong Kong’s consumer watchdog has found. The Consumer Council, which tested 16 handheld and two neck-mounted products, found that among the lighter handheld models it examined, there was a variance of more than 1.5 times. The discrepancy among the heavier models could be more than 1.3 times. “It is worth noting that among models with similar fan head size, the air flow can still vary considerably,” the...

Subway trains across the southern Chinese megacity of Shenzhen welcomed an unusual new set of passengers on Monday, as the city deployed a fleet of delivery robots to restock convenience stores scattered around its subway system. Dozens of squat delivery robots have now begun riding subway trains across the network during off-peak hours, exiting at each station where a 7-Eleven is located to make deliveries, according to a report by local news outlet SZNews. The project is the first of its kind...

Malaysia’s government on Tuesday invited the Bar Council to take part in a review of the country’s judicial appointment process, in a bid to quell public discontent over alleged executive interference that has thrown the judiciary into crisis. The move comes just a day after nearly 1,000 lawyers marched to the Prime Minister’s Office demanding urgent reforms and greater transparency in the selection of judges amid a shortage at the top of the courts and warnings of further institutional...

The Hong Kong shares of dual-listed Chinese companies are trading at the smallest discount to their onshore peers in nearly five years, as a weaker US dollar spurs inflows and mainland investors snap up these stocks. The H shares of 160 firms, including Industrial and Commercial Bank of China and BYD, are trading 22 per cent below their mainland-listed A shares, according to a Hang Seng gauge tracking the disparity between the two markets. That marked the smallest gap since June 2020, as trading...

“Golden brick countries” – that’s how Brics is translated in Chinese, a name that speaks volumes about its founding aspirations. But as the expanded bloc emerged from its Rio de Janeiro summit, it projected something more potent than aspiration. The message was loud and clear: the era of unipolar global dominance is drawing to an end. Brics leaders spoke with growing confidence, condemning “coercive” economic tactics, effectively calling for de-dollarisation and rejecting US...

China’s ruling Communist Party has told the country’s top judicial bodies to better research and understand international and foreign laws to fortify the nation’s legal arsenal against foreign sanctions, interference and “long-arm” jurisdiction. The opinion paper written by the Central Committee, the party’s top decision-making body, was made available to the public on Monday. It is aimed at refining China’s judicial toolkit so that Beijing can better learn from and challenge the trade and...

Sixteen students have achieved perfect scores in Hong Kong’s university entrance exams, the highest number in the programme’s history and up from last year’s 11, according to authorities. One top Diploma of Secondary Education (DSE) scorer secured the highest grade across seven subjects, including three core ones and four electives and the extended maths module, as well as securing an “attained” grade in citizenship and social development. About 38.5 per cent of all DSE candidates, or 16,393...

More Chinese people dropped out of the voluntary health insurance scheme for urban and rural residents last year, the latest available data shows – piling pressure on the system amid economic challenges and declining public trust. The downward trend in participation – in a scheme designed for farmers and the unemployed – continued in 2024, with 15.8 million fewer people enrolled compared with 2023, according to figures released by the National Healthcare Security Administration (NHSA) on...

An 88-year-old man who was ill was found dead and his wife hospitalised after their two daughters discovered the couple passed out at their home in Hong Kong’s North Point and called police. Police said on Tuesday that officers were alerted at 1.55am by a woman who found her parents unconscious in the bedroom of their flat in Lai Tak Tsuen in North Point. According to police, the woman had tried calling her parents but had failed to reach them. It prompted her to visit their home, but no one...

This article was first published on July 16, 2005. By Freda Wan Her­it­age list­ing hailed as key to widen­ing Macau’s appeal Macau’s aim to pos­i­tion itself as something more than a gambling hub received a boost on Tuesday night (July 15, 2005) when many of its land­marks were added to Unesco’s World Herit­age list. The 29 sites, which played a key role in the earli­est encoun­ters between east and west, now rank along­side such famed sites as China’s Great Wall and the Angkor temples in...

An 80-year-old man was locked into a 67-month mobile phone plan costing six times his usual bill for unneeded services, according to Hong Kong’s consumer watchdog, as it warned that elderly residents were among the vulnerable targets of those using predatory telecoms sales tactics. The case was one of thousands of related complaints received by the Consumer Council over the past two years, with issues ranging from elderly customers being oversold services to unfair auto-renewal clauses and long...

Innovent Biologics, the first Chinese company to win regulatory approval to sell a GLP-1 drug for weight loss and diabetes, will leverage JD Health’s online distribution network as it seeks to grab a slice of a market that could be worth 40 billion yuan (US$5.6 billion) in a decade. The companies will collaborate on supply chain and sales channel development ahead of Innovent’s launch of mazdutide, as well as engage in a consumer education campaign. “Innovent and JD Health will join hands to...

Hong Kong’s leader has pledged to “take all things into consideration” for future extreme weather preparations after parents criticised last week’s decision to suspend day schools over concerns about a rainstorm that subsided quicker than expected. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu on Tuesday defended the decision by Eric Chan Kwok-ki, the city’s No 2 official and chair of the steering committee on handling extreme weather, and said such preparatory actions were “absolutely correct”. Last...

A British-Indian man aged 114 and widely considered the oldest marathon runner ever has died after being hit by a car while crossing a road in India. Fauja Singh died in Punjab, according to local reports, which stated that he suffered fatal injuries in the accident at his birth village of Beas Pind. His death was confirmed by Khushwant Singh, Punjab’s former state information commissioner, who wrote the runner’s biography, The Turbaned Tornado. “My Turbaned Tornado is no more,” he posted on...

The European Union’s top official for Asia is to leave his role after a summit with China next week to take up a post in Sweden, the Post has learned. Niclas Kvarnström, managing director for Asia and the Pacific in the European External Action Service, the bloc’s diplomatic corps, is returning to his homeland for a senior position in the government there, according to nine people familiar with the situation. A summit in Beijing on July 24 will be his last official engagement in the role, a...

A woman from central China who started doing chores at the age of five and left school at 15 to support her disabled parents has gone viral for selling vegetables in her village. Li Yayun, 27, from Henan province, is known online as Li Fugui. Her videos of rural life and heartfelt interactions with elderly villagers have earned her over 7 million followers on mainland social media. Admired for her beauty and warm personality, fans have nicknamed her the “Vegetable Xi Shi” in reference to one of...