China

A proposed accountability framework will hold government department heads personally liable for systemic loopholes that they fail to flag to superiors, Hong Kong’s civil service chief has said. Secretary for the Civil Service Ingrid Yeung Ho Poi-yan also said that public perception could play a role in decisions on pay adjustments for government […]

Tents beneath Hong Kong bus terminuses that have drawn online complaints during mainland China’s Labour Day “golden week” holiday are being used by foreign domestic helpers, who say they have nowhere else to go on days off. Images of tents lining streets across the city, from Tai Po to Central and Tseung Kwan O, have circulated widely on social media […]

(260503) -- XI'AN, May 3, 2026 (Xinhua) -- Team Russia competes during the team acrobatic event at the World Aquatics Artistic Swimming World Cup 2026-Stop 3 in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, May 3, 2026. (Xinhua/Li Yibo)

BEIJING, May 3 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping has encouraged young Chinese to integrate their personal aspirations into the bigger picture of national development.Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks in a reply letter to the representatives of […]

DUBLIN, Ireland: The Supreme Court has ruled that TikTok can keep operating in Ireland while the country's data regulator continues its case against the company over how it handles user data. The Data Protection Commission (DPC) fined TikTok 530 million euros, saying the platform allowed engineers in China to access user data, potentially violating EU […]

(260503) -- HORSENS, May 3, 2026 (Xinhua) -- Wang Zhiyi of China hits a return in the singles match against An Se Young of South Korea during the final between China and South Korea at the BWF Uber Cup badminton women's team championship in Horsens, Denmark, on May 3, 2026. (Xinhua/Wu Huiwo)

TOKYO, May 3 (Xinhua) -- As Sunday ushers in the 80th anniversary of the opening of the International Military Tribunal for the Far East, or the Tokyo Trials, the landmark proceeding is far more than a chapter of history. It serves as a solemn warning to respect the verdict, uphold peace, and prevent historical tragedies from repeating themselves.For two […]

Ramban (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], May 3 (ANI): All gates of the Baglihar Dam on the Chenab River in Ramban district continue to remain closed even a year after the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, which was put on hold following the Pahalgam attack.The continued closure of the gates highlights the sustained impact of the treaty's suspension on water […]

Nearly 60 per cent of homeless Hongkongers plan to make fewer medical visits due to higher fees, an NGO has found, with advocates urging authorities to introduce automatic waivers and simplify subsidy applications. Kenny Ng Kwan-lim, deputy head of programmes at Impact HK, a charity supporting the homeless, said many street sleepers faced significant […]

Hailed by the local government as a "foundation for the future," the Phase I of the University of Kara project marks a qualitative leap in the university's infrastructure and serves as a microcosm of pragmatic cooperation between China and Togo in the field of infrastructure development.KARA, Togo, May 3 (Xinhua) -- In the northern Togolese city of Kara, […]

Hong Kong should not renew the HK$3 per litre diesel subsidy when it expires at the end of June. Instead, it should use the funds to launch a crash programme to accelerate electrification of public transport, starting with the minibus fleet. The crisis in the Middle East has had a serious impact on fuel prices. In response, a government task force has […]

Manila [Philippines], May 3 (ANI): The Philippine Coast Guard on Sunday announced it will deploy aircraft and vessels to challenge and drive away four Chinese research vessels detected operating in waters claimed by the Philippines, with the presence of the advanced drone mothership Zhuhaiyun emerging as a key concern.According to a statement shared by the […]

The rebuke came after Lai Ching-te made a secret visit to Eswatini, the only African state which still recognizes the island as sovereign China has compared Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te to a "rat crossing the street" after he secretly boarded an Eswatini government aircraft and flew to the small southern A

The rebuke came after Lai Ching-te made a secret visit to Eswatini, the only African state which still recognizes the island as sovereignChina has compared Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te to a "rat crossing the street" after he secretly boarded an Eswatini government aircraft and flew to the small southern African kingdom on an unannounced state visit.The […]

(260503) -- LONDON, May 3, 2026 (Xinhua) -- Wang Yidi of China serves in the singles match against Yeh Yi-Tian of Chinese Taipei during the women's group match between China and Chinese Taipei at the ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships Finals in London, Britain, on May 2, 2026. (Xinhua/Li Ying)

(260503) -- BEIJING, May 3, 2026 (Xinhua) -- Gold medalist Chen Jia (L) of China, silver medalist Chen Yiwen (C) of China and bronze medalist Maddison Keeney of Australia pose for selfies during the awarding ceremony for the women's 3m springboard final at World Aquatics Diving World Cup 2026 Super Final in Beijing, China, May 3, 2026. (Photo by Ma […]

Beijing [China], May 3 (ANI): The Chinese government has issued a formal injunction to block US sanctions directed at five domestic refiners, including the Hengli Petrochemical Refinery, accused by Washington of purchasing Iranian oil.China Daily, a state-affiliated English-language outlet, defended Beijing's decision by describing the move as a 'defensive […]

New Delhi [India], May 3 (ANI): Global equity markets may find support from resilient corporate earnings even as concerns around stagflation continue to weigh on investor sentiment, according to a recent report by JP Morgan.The report pushes back against the widely held bearish narrative, noting that fears of a stagflationary environment are marked by […]

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. The Hong Kong Observatory has warned that hail may affect the city shortly, after issuing the amber rainstorm signal on Sunday afternoon. The amber signal was raised at 2.20pm, indicating heavy rain exceeding 30mm (1.2 […]

(260503) -- TIANJIN, May 3, 2026 (Xinhua) -- This photo taken on April 29, 2026 shows Chu Qiguizi holding the sanxian in Tianjin, north China. Chu Qiguizi is a post-90s musician from Tianjin. She started learning sanxian, a three-stringed traditional Chinese instrument, at the age of 13, and continued to focus on it during college years under the […]

Hong Kong is set for its strongest quarterly growth in nearly five years, the finance chief has said, citing a 17 per cent rise in visitor numbers and a 5.2 per cent increase in retail and catering spending. Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po said in his Sunday blog that 602,000 visitors entered Hong Kong in the first two days of mainland China’s Labour […]

New Delhi [India], May 3 (ANI): Central banks globally are reassessing their policy trajectories after the Iran war pushed energy prices higher, with Investment management firm, Robeco, warning that the 'crude disruption' is forcing some to postpone easing while others weigh hikes they had not previously anticipated. Looking ahead, the firm expects the Fed […]

Singapore wealth-tech firms are increasingly using Hong Kong as their first major overseas expansion market, betting that the city’s large pool of idle savings, deep wealth base and role as a regional financial hub will support the scaling of their retail investment platforms. The latest entrant, Chocolate Finance, launched in Hong Kong last month with a […]

The US has previously warned banks against dealing with firms allegedly involved in Irans oil tradeChina's Ministry of Commerce has instructed domestic companies not to comply with US sanctions targeting refiners allegedly linked to the Iranian oil trade.Late last month, the US Treasury warned banks against dealing with so-called "teapot" privately owned […]

Perched above the streets of Tai Hang, the 91-year-old Haw Par Mansion has stood as a watchman to Hong Kong’s evolving history. The mansion and its front garden are the only remaining sections of what was once a sprawling estate and theme park built in the 1930s by the Aw family of Tiger Balm ointment fame. They are striking examples of the period’s […]

Industry leaders from Hong Kong’s property management sector have said companies are struggling with a security staff shortfall of up to 25 per cent, as they defended a major housing estate’s hiring of a third of its guards from across the border. The owners’ corporation of Richland Gardens in Kowloon Bay announced on social media last week that 31 […]

(260503) -- GABORONE, May 3, 2026 (Xinhua) -- Aidan Murphy (R) of team Australia reacts after the men's 4x400m relay qualifying round 1 at the 2026 World Athletics Relays at the National Stadium in Gaborone, capital of Botswana, May 2, 2026. (Xinhua/Chen Wei)

(260503) -- HORSENS, May 3, 2026 (Xinhua) -- Magnus Johannesen of Denmark hits a return in the singles match against Li Shifeng of China during the semifinal match between China and Denmark at the BWF Thomas Cup Finals in Horsens, Denmark, on May 2, 2026. (Xinhua/Wu Huiwo)

For decades, Hong Kong’s tourism success rested on a clear formula: shopping, dining and urban experiences. That model is losing momentum. Overnight visitor spending has fallen from around HK$193 billion (US$24.6 billion) in 2015 to HK$128 billion last year. Shopping has declined sharply as spending shifts to sightseeing and experiences. Travellers are no […]

Members of unlicensed hiking tours were among the hundreds of visitors who packed into Hong Kong’s Ham Tin Wan campsite on the second day of mainland China’s Labour Day “golden week” break. The sink at the scenic Sai Kung hotspot’s only public bathroom was left clogged by food scraps after some visitors opted for hotpot, among other options. On […]

Horsens [Denmark], May 3 (ANI): France defeated India 3-0 to reach the finals of the Thomas Cup 2026, in Horsens, Denmark, on Saturday, according to ESPN. For India, the dream of reclaiming the title they won in 2022 ended in the semifinals, leaving them with a bronze medal for the 2026 edition.The tie was heavily impacted before it even began, as India's […]

Karachi [Pakistan], May 3 (ANI): A Chinese company operating in Pakistan's Gwadar Free Zone shut down its factory and terminated all employees, citing an unworkable business climate and mounting financial losses on Friday, according to The Express Tribune. Hangeng Trade Company announced the closure on International Labour Day, saying in an official […]

Beijing [China], May 2 (ANI): In a sharp escalation of trade hostilities, China's Ministry of Commerce (MOC) on Saturday issued a formal blocking measure prohibiting domestic entities from complying with US sanctions, Xinhua reported. The move specifically protects five major Chinese petrochemical firms recently targeted by Washington for their alleged […]

Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], May 2 (ANI): Indian athlete Kuldeep Kumar set a new national record to win the men's pole vault event at the Indian Indoor Open Combined Events and Pole Vault 2026 held at the Kalinga Stadium, in Bhubaneswar on Saturday.The 21-year-old cleared 5.41m, surpassing the previous national record of 5.40m, according to […]

Suzhou [China], May 2 (ANI): India began their AFC U17 Women's Asian Cup 2026 campaign with a 0-2 loss against Australia in Group B at the Suzhou Taihu Football Sports Centre Pitch 8 in China on Saturday, marking their return to the competition after a 21-year gap.Pamela Conti's Young Tigresses showed resilience and attacking intent throughout the contest, […]

Guenther reaffirmed his support for open trade and closer economic engagement with China, noting that regional cooperation serves as an important complement to federal-level relations.KIEL, Germany, May 2 (Xinhua) -- Significant potential exists to deepen cooperation between the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein and east China's Zhejiang Province, […]

Shanghai [China], May 2 (ANI): India's Ambassador to China-designate, Vikram Doraiswami, was warmly received by the Consulate General, Pratik Mathur, on his arrival in China at Pudong International Airport, Shanghai.The details of his arrival were shared in a post on X. The Consulate General of India in Shanghai in a post on X said, 'A warm welcome. India's […]

Beijing [China], May 2 (ANI): China Eastern Airlines on Saturday issued an apology after one of its domestic flights experienced a mechanical malfunction following landing, resulting in partial contact with a jet bridge while taxiing toward the gate.In a statement shared on its official account on the Chinese social media platform Sina Weibo, the airline […]

BEIJING, May 2 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered an important speech at a symposium on strengthening basic research in Shanghai on Thursday.Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, stressed that greater efforts and more concrete measures should be taken to […]

Hong Kong police have arrested two people on suspicion of burglary after one of them allegedly climbed maintenance work scaffolding at a residential building and prised open window grilles at two homes before stealing HK$6,000 (US$765) in cash. The force also warned on Saturday that it was becoming a trend for burglars to enter flats at buildings undergoing […]

BEIJING, May 2 (Xinhua) -- Zhao Hairui, a mountaineering lover with extensive experience climbing snow mountains, has just tried indoor ice climbing for the first time at a gym in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, travelling from his home in the country's northeast, roughly four hours away by air."I have travelled here especially for this […]

BEIJING, May 2 (Xinhua) -- The "king of the dinosaurs" has arrived in Beijing. Notably, it didn't come alone."A Special Exhibition for the King of Dinosaurs," a blockbuster event that pairs two authentic Tyrannosaurus rex (T-rex) skeletons from Germany with an unprecedented gathering of China's own ferocious tyrannosauroids, has opened at the Natural […]

BEIJING, May 2 (Xinhua) -- China's Ministry of Commerce on Saturday issued a blocking ban prohibiting any recognition, enforcement or compliance with U.S. sanctions imposed on five Chinese companies on the grounds of their alleged involvement in Iranian petroleum transactions.The five companies are Hengli Petrochemical (Dalian) Refining Co., Ltd., Shandong […]

Policies that lean toward unilateral restriction risk eroding the very foundations that have supported decades of growth and cooperation.by Xinhua writers Zhang Zhaoqing and Ding YinghuaBRUSSELS, May 2 (Xinhua) -- With global trade under growing strain, the direction taken by major economies to address the challenges will shape whether cooperation holds or […]

(260502) -- LONDON, May 2, 2026 (Xinhua) -- Liang Jingkun of China serves in the match against Connor Green of England during the men's group match between China and England at the ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships Finals in London, Britain, on May 2, 2026. (Photo by Stephen Chung/Xinhua)