China

More than 20,000 Hongkongers – mostly civil servants – have signed up to cast their ballots at new designated polling stations set up to facilitate voting in the Legislative Council election, while fewer than 20 individuals from ethnic minority communities have made use of the new arrangement. Justice David Lok Kai-hong, Electoral Affairs Commission […]

Some Hongkongers have said they took part in the Legislative Council election out of a sense of civic duty, while others took advantage of company benefits, retail discounts and souvenirs offered to holders of voting thank-you cards arranged by the government to boost turnout. According to the Post’s observation at more than 10 polling stations across the […]

An Indonesian domestic helper has recalled how she and her employer’s elderly parents huddled together in a smoke-filled bedroom for an agonising three hours, covering their noses with wet towels as they lay trapped while a deadly inferno engulfed a Hong Kong estate last month. The helper, who gave her name as Olive, recalled to the Post the ordeal the […]

Members of 13 households at the Hong Kong estate destroyed in an inferno remain uncontactable more than 10 days after the blaze, with the city’s labour and welfare chief not ruling out that all may have died. Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han said the blaze at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po had prompted the government to consider expediting […]

(251206) -- BEIJING, Dec. 6, 2025 (Xinhua) -- Su Yiming of China poses during the awarding ceremony after the men's big air final at the FIS Snowboard World Cup in Beijing, China, Dec. 6, 2025. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong)

New Delhi [India], December 7 (ANI): Delhi Police Crime Branch Cyber Cell has busted a major cyber syndicate operating through multi-layered shell companies and cross-border financial channels linked to Chinese handlers, following the investigation into an online investment fraud case involving a 61-year-old senior citizen who lost Rs 33.1 lakh.According to […]

The fire that tore through the Wang Fuk Court housing estate in Tai Po and killed at least 159 may have started on scaffolding between the first and second floors of one of the blocks, according to preliminary investigations by Hong Kong fire services. The city’s fire services director also said a life-size replica of the floors in question might be built […]

ROME, Italy: Italian authorities have widened their scrutiny of labor practices in the luxury fashion supply chain, asking 13 major brands to hand over detailed records as part of a probe into alleged exploitation of Chinese workers by subcontractors, newly released judicial documents show. According to documents obtained by The Associated Press, […]

A scaffolding net sample from a large Hong Kong housing estate produced flaming droplets and ignited a fire in a lab experiment despite passing the authorities’ safety standards, a test commissioned by the Post has found. The findings have prompted calls from experts to review the standards set for the nets and improve the existing safety regulations […]

BEIJING, Dec. 3 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese mainland spokesperson on Wednesday condemned Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities for wantonly depriving legitimate rights of people from the mainland who are married to Taiwan residents.Zhang Han, spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, made the remarks in response to Taiwan leader […]

BEIJING, Dec. 1 (Xinhua) -- In the course of almost two years after China's astronomical satellite named Einstein Probe (EP) was launched, it has managed to capture many extraordinary transient events in the universe that flicker like fireworks, thereby helping expand human understanding of extreme physical phenomena in the cosmos."Since its launch in […]

(251205) -- NAIROBI, Dec. 5, 2025 (Xinhua) -- Hassan Khannenje (L), director of the HORN International Institute for Strategic Studies, speaks during the Hong Ting Forum in Nairobi, Kenya, Dec. 4, 2025. The Hong Ting Forum was held Thursday in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, bringing together government officials, scholars, and media practitioners to discuss […]

A project offering counselling to teenagers with depression and anxiety in Hong Kong will be expanded next year to reach more students, after about half of those it has helped showed no further signs of mental health issues, according to a local charity. Mind HK, the charity running the three-year initiative, also offers psychological support to people […]

CHENGDU, Dec. 3 (Xinhua) -- Eight decades have passed since the end of World War II, yet in a remote city by the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, the memory of a native-born female martyr remains deeply cherished in the hearts of local people.This year marks the 120th anniversary of the birth of Zhao Yiman, a Chinese national hero who sacrificed her life […]

HONG KONG, Dec. 6 (Xinhua) -- The Office for Safeguarding National Security of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on Saturday urged foreign media outlets to refrain from concocting or spreading false information in their reporting of Hong Kong matters. Certain foreign media outlets have made slanderous […]

Tokyo [Japan], December 7 (ANI): Chinese fighter aircraft locked fire-control radar on Japanese military jets over international waters on Saturday, according to Japan's Defence Ministry, Japanese state media reported on Sunday.The incident comes amidst simmering tensions between Tokyo and Beijing.At a press briefing in the early hours of Sunday in Tokyo, […]

SHANGHAI, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- Chinese scientists have identified key genes and molecular pathways that enable rice to sense and adapt to high temperatures, leading to the successful breeding of heat-tolerant rice lines.This scientific advancement presents a promising strategy to enhance food security amid global warming.The research, conducted […]

(251206) -- CHENGDU, Dec. 6, 2025 (Xinhua) -- Christina Kallberg/Kristian Karlsson (L) of Sweden compete in the mixed doubles match against Kuai Man/Lin Shidong of China during the stage 2 group match between Sweden and China at the ITTF Mixed Team World Cup 2025 in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Dec. 6, 2025. (Xinhua/Wang Ying)

Beijing [China], December 7 (ANI): China on Sunday sharply rebutted Japanese protest over what it called a 'regular carrier-based fighter jet flight training' in the east of Miyako Strait and alleged Japanese Self-Defense Force aircraft had 'seriously interfered' with Beijing's 'normal training activities' and 'posed a severe threat to flight […]

Taipei [Taiwan], December 7 (ANI): Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence (MND) recorded 2 sorties of PLA aircraft and 7 PLAN vessels operating around its territory on Sunday.Sharing the details on X, MND said that 1 PRC balloon was also detected during this timeframe.'2 sorties of PLA aircraft and 7 PLAN vessels operating around Taiwan were detected up […]

Washington [US], December 7 (ANI): US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on Saturday defended recent military strikes on boats linked to alleged drug cartels, saying President Donald Trump has the authority to take action 'as he sees fit' to safeguard the nation.Speaking at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, Hegseth rejected criticism of the strikes, which […]

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Get faster notifications on the latest updates by downloading our app. Hongkongers head to polling stations to elect their new representatives in the legislature on Sunday amid a sombre atmosphere, with the city […]

Western Europe is spiraling toward self-destruction, but Trumps new strategy offers a lifelineThe liberal world order is collapsing under the weight of its own arrogance, and at the very moment Europe drowns in a self-inflicted civilizational crisis, the White House has released anational security strategypowerful enough to redefine the future of the West. […]

HANGZHOU, China: Hikvision is pushing back against Washington's latest move to deepen restrictions on Chinese telecom equipment, filing a legal challenge to a new U.S. rule that broadens the government's power to halt sales of technology it considers a security threat. The Chinese manufacturer said that its U.S. unit had petitioned for judicial review of a […]

Hong Kong’s national security police have arrested a 71-year-old man on suspicion of disclosing details of one of their probes, invoking a provision that covers prejudicing such investigations for the first time. Police said the National Security Department conducted an enforcement operation on Saturday, and the suspect was arrested. He was accused of […]

The new US National Security Strategy signals a massive foreign policy shift; it remains to be seen if Washington is serious about it It is one thing to produce a written national security strategy, but the real test is whether or not US President Donald Trump is serious about implementing it. The key […]

Hong Kong has recorded one additional locally acquired case of chikungunya fever involving a woman who went hiking in Tsing Yi, bringing the total number of confirmed local cases of the mosquito-borne disease this year to 10. The Centre for Health Protection said on Saturday that it had recorded a new local case as of 5pm, involving a 67-year-old woman […]

New Delhi [India], December 6 (ANI): South Asia analyst Michael Kugelman said that despite discomfort in Western capitals over Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to India, the United States is expected to continue working closely with New Delhi, underscoring the resilience of the India-US partnership even amid geopolitical strain.Responding to ANI's […]

Washington, DC [US] December 6 (ANI): The World Uyghur Congress (WUC) has released its weekly brief, highlighting a series of events across Asia, Europe, and North America to expose China's ongoing atrocities against the Uyghur people and to demand stronger international accountability for the genocide unfolding in Xinjiang.On November 30, the Uyghur […]

Hong Kong authorities have made a last-ditch appeal for residents to refocus on the city’s reform and their future by voting in Sunday’s Legislative Council election, as political analysts said public sentiment after the deadly fire in Tai Po would play a decisive role in voter turnout rates. The appeal came as Beijing’s national security office in […]

Guwahati (Assam) [India], December 6 (ANI): Sanskar Saraswat and Mithun Manjunath registered straight-games semifinal victories at the Guwahati Masters on Saturday to set up an all-Indian title clash, guaranteeing a gold medal for the host nation. Rising star Tanvi Sharma, meanwhile, stunned third seed Hina Akechi to advance to the women's singles final, as […]

Hong Kong police have arrested a man and a woman for alleged possession of dangerous drugs after seizing suspected etomidate and methamphetamine from them. Officers from the force’s Kowloon West region noticed a suspicious pair at about 1am on Saturday while conducting an anti-crime patrol on Un Chau Street in Cheung Sha Wan and stopped them for […]

Beijing’s national security office in Hong Kong has met representatives from foreign media outlets in the city and warned them against crossing “red lines”, following reports it said smeared the government’s fire relief efforts and attacked the Legislative Council election. According to sources, foreign media outlets that were requested to attend […]

More than a week after an inferno ravaged Wang Fuk Court in Hong Kong’s Tai Po, one mother is agonisingly waiting to learn whether her daughter is among the 159 victims. The woman, surnamed Ng, said on Saturday that she feared she had lost her daughter after two bodies were found in a rented flat in the estate. DNA tests are pending. “My daughter’s […]

Hong Kong police have arrested a 36-year-old man on suspicion of vandalising Legislative Council election campaign materials ahead of Sunday’s poll. Police said on Saturday they were alerted at 8.53am that five posters related to the election at No 30 Mei Tin Road in Tai Wai had allegedly been destroyed. After a preliminary investigation, the man was […]

New Delhi [India], December 6 (ANI): The recently concluded 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit serves as a clear reminder to Western capitals that Moscow 'cannot be isolated', said South Asia analyst Michael Kugelman, noting that New Delhi and Beijing--two of the world's most influential global players--continue to maintain close ties with Russia despite […]

Twelve people were injured after a collision involving a double-decker KMB bus, a rubbish truck and a taxi in Kwai Chung on Saturday. Police said the drivers of all three vehicles and seven bus passengers who sustained injuries were sent to hospital. Two people, a passenger and a pedestrian, refused to be sent to the hospital. According to the force, the […]

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia: Malaysia will restart the search for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 at the end of the month, reviving efforts to locate the jet more than a decade after it vanished during a flight to Beijing, the country's transport ministry said on December 3. The new operation is scheduled to begin on December 30 and will be carried out by […]

byGeorge BanezThe five-course lunch typical of Chinese restaurant fare in Manila foreshadowed the meals I scraped by the next ten days. My sister treated me to a send-off lunch before dropping me off at the airport that day. I had to catch the only flight to Puerto Princesa, the capital city of Palawan Island where I would study forests.Served family-style […]

BRUSSELS -- French President Emmanuel Macron wrapped up a trip to China where he sought Beijings help in pressuring Russia to agree to a cease-fire with Ukraine amid a recent burst of diplomacy over a US proposal to end the war.But analysts and European officials who spoke to RFE/RL doubt that Beijing will heed to Macrons calls for Chinese leader Xi Jinping […]

Contractors were racing to tear down scaffolding nets used for renovations at estates to meet Saturday’s government deadline imposed in the wake of the deadly Tai Po fire, but companies handling work at 55 blocks admitted they would need more time. An industry representative estimated that work at all sites across the city would only be completed by early […]

New Delhi [India], December 6 (ANI): External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar on Saturday described India-Russia ties as one of the 'steadiest big relationships' in the world over the last 78 years, noting that Russian President Vladimir Putin's recent two-day state visit to the county 'reimagined' the partnership by building new dimensions in areas […]

Fire safety risks persist at building sites across Hong Kong following the deadly blaze in Tai Po last week, the Construction Industry Council has warned, after a scaffolding worker at a major subsidised estate was sacked for smoking. Council chairman Thomas Ho On-sing on Saturday criticised companies for failing to have “learned a lesson” from the […]

From shoes and clothing to food, daily necessities, logistics services and even university sponsorships for orphans, donors from all walks of life have come together to support survivors of the Tai Po fire, Hong Kong’s deadliest in decades. Beyond the HK$3.3 billion (US$385 million) contributed by the private sector and the government as of Saturday, many […]

Taipei [Taiwan], December 6 (ANI): Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence on Saturday recorded an increase of Chinese military activities around its territory since Friday, with 29 sorties by PLA aircraft and six PLAN vessels operating around its territory as of 6 am today.Sharing the details in a post on X, the Taiwanese MND said that 19 out of 29 sorties […]