南華早報

‘There will be no Hamas rule in Gaza,’ Netanyahu vows at Oc…

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday vowed there would be no Hamas rule in Gaza as he attended a memorial event marking three years since the militant group’s October 7, 2023 attack. Monday is a national day of remembrance for the deadliest day in Israel’s history, with flags lowered to half mast on public buildings from 6.29 am, the time the attack began. Speaking during a state ceremony at the Mount Herzl military cemetery in Jerusalem, Netanyahu said “we have achieved enormous...

• #Israel-Gaza war
• #Middle East
• #War and conflict
• #Israel
• #Hamas
• #Palestinian Territories

Bid to turn 14 subsidised sale flats into subdivided homes…

The owners of 14 subsidised sale flats have applied for a grace period to comply with Hong Kong’s new regulatory regime for subdivided homes, the housing minister has revealed, raising concerns that public resources were being abused. The cases were disclosed on Monday at a Legislative Council housing panel meeting when lawmaker Mark Chong Ho-fung asked Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho Wing-yin about the use of subsidised sale flats as subdivided units for renting. Chong said flats sold under the...

• #subsidised sale flat
• #Deed of Mutual Covenant
• #Home Ownership Scheme
• #Winnie Ho Wing-yin
• #Legislative Council
• #subdivided flat

US search for missing airmen in China gains new attention a…

For more than eight decades, the remains of US fighter pilot Morton Sher lay unrecovered in China. A photograph of a memorial to him in a Hunan village eventually helped investigators find where his plane crashed in 1943. Sher was buried in his hometown of Greenville, South Carolina, in December 2025, a homecoming that offers a rare example of what US-China cooperation can achieve for families of missing servicemen. That cooperation has now drawn fresh attention. After the recent summit between...

• #US-China relations
• #China
• #2026 Xi-Trump summits
• #Xi Jinping
• #Donald Trump
• #Diplomacy

How is China planning to build on its ‘engineer dividend’ i…

As China seeks to build on its “engineer dividend” – the advantage created by a vast pool of engineers built up over decades – it is directing more talent towards artificial intelligence and other hi-tech fields central to its competition with the US. The push comes as fresh graduates face mounting pressure to find jobs, underscoring the challenge of aligning China’s expanding higher education system with the needs of its changing economy. But Beijing has a narrow window to act, an education...

• #China jobs
• #US-China tech war
• #China
• #China technology
• #Artificial intelligence (AI)
• #Education

Authorities investigate viral drone footage of National Day…

Hong Kong aviation authorities are investigating suspected illegal drone flying over Victoria Harbour during last week’s National Day fireworks display, after privately shot footage of the show went viral online. The footage drew the attention of local internet users after a mainland visitor, who came to Hong Kong during the “golden week” holiday, posted clips of the 23-minute display on his social media account over the weekend. The man, who calls himself Su Fan on RedNote, a popular platform...

• #Hong Kong society
• #Golden week
• #Hong Kong tourism
• #Social media
• #Drones
• #Hong Kong

Hong Kong IVF clinic cleared to resume all services after e…

A Hong Kong fertility clinic that had most of its services suspended for mishandling embryo biopsy specimens from two patients has been cleared to fully resume all treatments after implementing improvement measures. The Council on Human Reproductive Technology said on Monday that Heal Fertility in Central could resume all 17 treatment services covered by its licence from Tuesday, after members reviewed the findings of a follow-up inspection and confirmed the clinic had properly implemented the...

• #Hong Kong

France, Germany seek new EU weapon to instantly cut off mar…

In the strongest sign yet of a shifting European Union policy on China, the leaders of France and Germany have demanded a new trade weapon that would cut off access to the EU market when third countries cause severe distortions. The tool would effectively act as a kill switch, allowing Brussels to respond rapidly to systemic distortions, potentially immediately. It would grant dramatic new powers to the European Commission, the EU’s executive branch, which manages trade policy for the 27-member...

• #China-EU relations
• #France
• #European Union
• #Germany
• #China
• #Maros Sefcovic

France school protests: teenager’s hand blown off after pic…

A 15-year-old student lost a hand on Monday picking up a police grenade as part of nationwide protests in France over classroom conditions that have disrupted lessons at hundreds of schools since last week. Some students returned to classrooms but others maintained actions outside their schools, ahead of a day of larger demonstrations expected on Tuesday. Authorities said the teenager was injured in the northern town of Lens. A police union source said he appeared to have picked up a sting-ball...

• #France
• #Protests around the world
• #Sebastien Lecornu

Opinion | AI microdramas are a test case for China’s next b…

China’s US$1.2 trillion goods trade surplus last year has focused attention on electric vehicles, batteries, solar panels and industrial overcapacity. Tariffs, anti-subsidy investigations and localisation requirements have followed as trading partners respond to China’s manufacturing scale. Yet the less visible shift is happening in services. Services exports rose by 17.1 per cent year on year in the first seven months of 2026, while exports of personal cultural and entertainment services surged...

• #China exports
• #TV shows and streaming video
• #Artificial intelligence (AI)
• #AI: Industry Trends
• #China
• #China technology

Mainland Chinese arrivals to Hong Kong surged at start of ‘…

Mainland Chinese arrivals to Hong Kong surged at the start of the National Day “golden week” holiday before easing towards last year’s levels, with tourism sector representatives attributing the early rush partly to the city’s fireworks display and tourists making the most of a shorter break. Immigration Department figures showed that 277,304 mainland visitors arrived on October 1, up 19.1 per cent from 232,751 on the first day of last year’s holiday and 25.1 per cent from 221,644 in 2024. “The...

• #Hong Kong tourism
• #China
• #Hong Kong
• #Perry Yiu Pak-leung

Japan, Australia boost economic security ties with finance…

Japan ⁠and Australia ⁠have agreed to establish an ⁠annual finance ministers’ dialogue aimed at deepening cooperation in financial and economic policy, as well as strengthening bilateral collaboration on economic security. Under ‌a memorandum of understanding signed on Monday that is effective for five years, the two countries’ finance ministers will meet regularly to promote cooperation across a broad range of economic themes. “Recognising ⁠that Japan and Australia’s economic and security...

• #Japan
• #Australia
• #China
• #South Korea
• #Australian government

Yemeni government forces seize control of Bab el-Mandeb Str…

Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces have secured effective control of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, Yemen’s Information Minister Moammar al-Eryani has said, though fighting continues with Houthi forces in the area. The government forces advanced rapidly along the coast with heavy Saudi air support to seize key positions in the Dhubab area on the narrowest point of the strait, a vital oil route whose capture by the Iran-backed Houthis last month sent shock waves through energy markets. However,...

• #Middle East
• #Yemen
• #Saudi Arabia
• #War and conflict

State media highlights China’s economic potential following…

China’s Communist Party’s mouthpiece has published a 10-day series highlighting the prospects and resilience of the country’s economy under its 15th five-year plan, following President Xi Jinping’s closely watched meeting with US President Donald Trump. The series, published by People’s Daily from September 25 through the National Day holiday period, ran under the pen name “Jinxuan”, which is widely believed to be associated with the National Development and Reform Commission, the country’s top...

• #china
• #media

Zheng survives another 3-set test at China Open, Djokovic o…

Home hope Zheng Qinwen survived another three-set test to advance to the last 16 at the China Open on Monday, while former world No 1 Iga Swiatek staged a comeback in Beijing. China’s Zheng was tested by Marie Bouzkova, enduring her third three-setter of the tournament to beat the Czech player 7-6, 4-6, 7-5. Zheng, who reached the quarter-finals of the US Open last month on the back of a return to form, voiced frustration in each set at movement outside the court, including as she tried to...

• #Zheng Qinwen
• #Novak Djokovic
• #Alex de Minaur
• #Alexander Zverev
• #Coco Gauff
• #Iga Swiatek

Empty classrooms on remote Greek island signal crisis acros…

Chryssa Ntalaka’s classroom has become an object lesson in subtraction. The sole teacher in the last school on the idyllic Greek island of Kalamos has a shorter list of students every autumn. This year, just two. On September 23, the sixth graders sat at Ntalaka’s table beneath the whiteboard, in front of rows of unused desks and benches. When they head to middle school on Greece’s mainland next year, her school will be mothballed. Toys and picture books still sit on shelves in the nearby...

• #European Union
• #Greece
• #Education
• #Japan
• #Italy
• #Croatia

Sincere to close Central department store after 126 years a…

Hong Kong’s first Chinese-owned department store, Sincere, will close its historic branch in the city’s central business district in December after 126 years of retail history. The company revealed, however, that it would seek a new location in Central or Sheung Wan. Sincere announced on Sunday that the flagship store would shut in early December after lease renewal talks with the landlord broke down ahead of the tenancy expiring on December 31. “As a result, the Central store will cease...

• #Hong Kong economy
• #Retailing
• #China
• #Hong Kong
• #Sincere Co

Man lost control of paraglider in strong winds, probe into…

A 74-year-old retired Hong Kong police officer lost control of his paraglider in strong air currents and was fatally injured after crashing on Lantau Island, a probe into the 2024 accident has found. A report published by the Air Accident Investigation Authority on Monday detailed the incident involving the pilot at Sunset Peak, Hong Kong’s third-highest mountain, on June 17, 2024. The authority urged paragliding groups to stress the importance of thorough risk assessments before...

How Vietnam’s twist on Hainan chicken rice tells a rich sto…

Hainan chicken rice, known for its tender, poached chicken and fragrant rice flavoured with chicken stock, is one of the many great Asian comfort foods. Paired with a trio of chilli, ginger and soy dipping sauces, every bite offers a customisable balance of rich, nostalgic flavours. The original dish hails from Hainan, a Chinese island province, where traditionally it is made with local Wenchang chicken. The dish evolved as Hainanese natives emigrated to Southeast Asia, with Vietnam’s com ga...

• #Food and Drinks
• #Vietnam
• #Chinese culture
• #Hainan
• #Asian diaspora
• #Chinese cuisine

Yuen’s rapid start could threaten a record few thought coul…

We are only 78 races and eight meetings into the 2026-27 season, but there are already signs that Nichola Yuen Hang-yiu could threaten a record that most thought would never be broken. Back in 2020-21, Jerry Chau Chun-lok posted the most wins by an apprentice in a single season, slamming home 58 winners at a strike rate of 12 per cent. Before that remarkable season, the record was held by Matthew Chadwick, who recorded 43 wins back in 2008-09, which shows just how imperious Chau was that...

Seoul probe reveals border mine blast caused by North Korea

South Korea ⁠said on Monday that a ⁠recent border blast that seriously wounded two ⁠of its soldiers was caused by mines planted by North Korea. North Korea, which has been fortifying its border with South Korea since April 2024, deployed up to 7,000 workers to install mines and fences this year, with some 50 incidents of ‌crossing the border, according to a briefing on Monday by the South’s military. The two Koreas are still technically at war after their 1950-53 war ended in an armistice rather...

• #South Korea
• #North Korea
• #Korean peninsula
• #Kim Yo-jong
• #Lee Jae Myung
• #Kim Jong-un

Why India’s missile deals in Central Asia matter to Russia…

India has sold its Akash air-defence missile system to Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, giving it a foothold in Central Asia as it seeks to become a major global arms exporter. Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh confirmed the latest sales on Thursday last week, hinting at interest from elsewhere as he called the Akash “one of our success stories”. Developed by India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation, the Akash is a home-grown, short-range surface-to-air missile system that can hit...

• #china
• #Russia
• #Central Asia

Former NWD scion Adrian Cheng expands K11 brand in mainland…

Adrian Cheng Chi-kong, former heir apparent to Hong Kong’s New World Development (NWD), is expanding his K11 cultural retail business in mainland China, launching a venture of his own as his family’s property group grapples with heavy debt. Xiamen K11 Select, developed by Cheng’s K11 by AC Group along with state-owned Xiamen Rail Transit Group in the city in the southeastern province of Fujian, has attracted more than 2 million visits since its opening on September 22, with sales rising 32 per...

• #Hong Kong property
• #Hong Kong
• #New World Development
• #China
• #Retailing
• #Henry Cheng

F1 to investigate software bug in Malaysia race; Verstappen…

Formula 1’s governing body has promised a full investigation into a ⁠software bug that caused chaos ⁠and forced the start of Sunday’s Bahrain ⁠Grand Prix in Malaysia to be aborted with drivers feeling like they were in battery-powered cars made of Lego. Ferrari’s seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton and Red Bull’s four-time champion and eventual race winner Max Verstappen were among several affected by the glitch on a formation lap after ‌torrential rain and a long delay at Malaysia’s steamy...

• #Singapore Grand Prix
• #Max Verstappen
• #Lewis Hamilton
• #Formula One (F1)
• #Red Bull GmbH

Meet Mabel Lowe, the eldest daughter of Chad Lowe and Kim P…

Chad Lowe’s family confirmed the tragic news of his 13-year-old daughter Fiona’s passing in a statement shared with People on September 29. “We are deeply heartbroken by the loss of our beloved Fiona,” the Emmy-winning actor’s family said. “Her passing is devastating for our entire family and we ask for prayers and privacy at this time,” the statement continued. It also included contact information for a Suicide & Crisis Lifeline in the US. While Lowe’s family did not provide a cause of death,...

• #Fame and celebrity
• #Get to Know
• #Celebrity Families
• #Celebrity children
• #Hollywood
• #TV shows and streaming video

HKMA licenses Bakai Bank, city’s first from Central Asia

Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) has granted a banking licence to Bakai Bank, marking the first Central Asian bank to set up in Hong Kong amid closer ties in the economy and trade flows between China and the region, according to a statement on Monday. Bakai Bank, one of the largest lenders in Kyrgyzstan, will operate as a restricted licence bank in Hong Kong. It will be the 17th restricted licence bank in Hong Kong. Under the licence, it can take deposits of at least HK$500,000 (US$63,776)...

• #Asia Pacific
• #Ministry of Commerce
• #Andreas Meletiou
• #Kyrgyzstan
• #Hong Kong
• #Bakai Bank

Breaking | Nobel Medicine Prize awarded to US-German trio f…

The 2026 Nobel Prize season opened on Monday with the Medicine Prize being awarded to three scientists working on the mechanisms the brain uses to switch on, or off, the activity of individual nerve cells. Karl Deisseroth, 54, Peter Hegemann, 71, and Georg Nagel, 73, have carried out research into light-gated ion channels and optogenetics. They are based at universities in Germany and the United States. The Nobel committee lauded their work, writing on social media that the method “is now being...

• #Nobel Prize
• #Alfred Nobel
• #Norwegian Nobel Committee

Chinese ‘Coffee Grandma’ saves son’s cafe, inspires female…

An 86-year-old grandmother in China has become a social media sensation for operating a coffee shop for over a decade – a business she took over from her son in 2015, despite having no experience with coffee at the time. Zhao Qiying, affectionately known as the “Coffee Grandma,” revealed that the shop, located in downtown Qingdao in eastern China’s Shandong province, was nearly bankrupt due to her son’s lack of business acumen, according to the Peninsular Metropolis News. At that time, Zhao was...

• #Trending in China
• #China's ageing population

Why the PLA’s Z-10 attack helicopter is taking a bigger rol…

Built to hunt tanks and support ground troops, the People’s Liberation Army’s main attack helicopter is increasingly being prepared for operations at sea. Crews of the Z-10 are training to fly from ships – a shift that could give Beijing extra firepower in an amphibious assault on Taiwan. Manufactured by AVIC subsidiary the Changhe Aircraft Industries Corporation, the Z-10 entered service with the PLA Army in late 2010. It began documented shipboard trials in 2014, when Chinese navy imagery...

• #Kamov
• #China
• #Singapore Airshow
• #Eastern Theatre Command
• #BeiDou
• #Pratt & Whitney Canada

Why Josie Ho is diving back into the macabre for her new fi…

During a whirlwind September press tour in Thailand, Josie Ho Chiu-yee cuts a glamorous figure at the centre of the Bangkok International Film Festival, where she even receives a royal souvenir from Thailand’s Princess Ubolratana Rajakanya Sirivadhana Barnavadi, a prominent patron of Thai cinema. But what Ho, a daughter of the late Macau casino magnate Stanley Ho Hung-sun, has come to promote is much darker and grittier: her latest feature, The Mage. As both lead actress of the...

• #The
• #IS
• #for

8 more firms from Belt and Road Initiative countries apply…

Eight more companies from countries belonging to Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative have applied to list in Hong Kong, the city’s trade promotion chief has revealed. Frederick Ma Si-hang, chairman of the Trade Development Council, also said on Monday the city’s economy would benefit from improving China-US ties. Speaking on the sidelines of the Global Youth Powerhouse Summit, Ma said interest in Hong Kong’s capital markets from Central Asia had surged after a high-level delegation led by Chief...

• #Hong Kong economy
• #United States
• #Hong Kong
• #Central Asia
• #China
• #Frederick Ma Si-hang

Hong Kong lawmakers say 5-year tax break too short to lure…

Hong Kong lawmakers have backed the government’s proposed tax incentives for large innovative companies, but many said on Monday that the planned five-year concession period is too short to attract major firms to establish headquarters or expand operations in the city. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu in his policy address last month said the government planned to submit a bill introducing preferential profits tax rates of either 5 per cent or 8.25 per cent, which was half of the city’s standard...

• #Policy Address
• #Financial Secretary
• #Nasdaq
• #Nick Chan Hiu-fung
• #Paul Chan Mo-po
• #tax incentives

Spain’s PM calls early election as housing becomes a nation…

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced early elections Monday after his government suffered a bruising legislative defeat last week on emergency measures related to the country’s housing crisis. The vote will be held on November 29. In recent weeks, Spaniards have demanded solutions from the government over housing affordability, holding protests in cities across the country after public outrage grew over the televised eviction of an 87-year-old woman in Madrid last month. Right-wing...

• #Spain
• #Protests around the world
• #United States
• #Israel
• #Iran

‘At what cost?’ Southeast Asia starts to rethink its AI dat…

Southeast Asian governments are learning some hard truths about the data centre boom they spent years working to attract, analysts say – it promises jobs, digital infrastructure and a foothold in the AI economy, but the rapid buildout is also straining power grids, land and regulatory systems. “There is this enthusiasm to attract investments, but now it raises the question: at what cost and at what speed?” said policy researcher Mark Manantan, a research fellow for the Centre for Global Security...

• #Asean
• #Malaysia
• #Indonesia
• #Thailand
• #Infrastructure
• #Singapore

Opinion | Why protecting home values is Beijing’s new prior…

For decades, China’s property sector was defined by spectacular scale: farmland transformed into suburbs, skylines rising across regional hubs and, more recently, the prominent unravelling of heavily indebted developers. Yet beneath those dramatic changes, a far quieter and more consequential transformation is taking shape. Official figures published by the National Bureau of Statistics in September reveal that secondary market home transactions have surpassed new residential builds in volume....

• #China property
• #China economy
• #China society
• #China

US defence experts to work inside Taiwan military HQ under…

A reported plan to station US defence personnel inside Taiwan’s military headquarters would take cooperation from external help into the heart of defence planning, potentially angering Beijing while raising questions over Taipei’s policymaking autonomy and military secrecy. According to Taiwanese media reports at the weekend, the Pentagon plans to send one official from the Office of the Under Secretary of Defence for Policy and one expert from the Institute for Defence Analyses (IDA) to work on...

• #Taiwan
• #United States
• #Defence
• #Diplomacy
• #China
• #James Yifan Chen

Britain’s ex-prince Andrew files legal action to ‘quash’ se…

Britain’s disgraced former prince, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, has launched a High Court challenge “to quash search warrants” obtained by police ahead of his arrest earlier this year, the judiciary has confirmed. The London court was set to hold a private hearing on Thursday, the judiciary said in a statement on Monday, as King Charles’ brother challenged Thames Valley Police over searches of his former and current homes on royal estates. The force arrested the 66-year-old on his birthday on...

• #Britain
• #Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor
• #Royalty
• #Jeffrey Epstein
• #Sexual harassment and assault
• #United States

HKTDC’s Belt and Road Summit drives momentum

[The content of this article has been produced by our advertising partner.] The 11th Belt and Road Summit, which took place in Wan Chai on 9-10 September, brought together more than 6,200 top officials, business leaders and senior professionals from 70-plus B&R countries and regions to explore opportunities for further cooperation and partnerships.       Co-organised by the HKSAR Government and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), the signature event gave attendees the chance to...

• #South China Morning Post
• #News
• #Opinion
• #China
• #Hong Kong
• #World

Chinese doctors remove lung tumour for baby still in mother…

Chinese doctors have performed an unprecedented surgery to save an unborn child who developed a fast-growing tumour. A medical team from Shenzhen and Hong Kong recently completed a challenging, precise removal of a foetal chest tumour while the baby was still in the womb, offering new hope to families facing similarly dire prognoses. Jointly performed by doctors from Shenzhen Baoan Women’s and Children’s Hospital and the Chinese University of Hong Kong, the procedure was detailed and published...

• #for

Abby Choi’s mother tells court former in-laws lived off soc…

The mother of slain Hong Kong socialite Abby Choi Tin-fung has accused her former in-laws of living off her family’s wealth without contributing anything to her grandchildren. Cheung Yin-fa testified in the High Court on Monday about the relationship between her daughter, ex-son-in-law Alex Kwong Kong-chi, and his family in the years leading up to the influencer’s slaying in February 2023. Kwong, 31, his father Kwong Kau, 68, and elder brother Anthony Kwong Kong-kit, 35, are standing trial after...

• #Abby Choi - murder of a model
• #Hong Kong courts
• #Crime in Hong Kong
• #Hong Kong
• #Infamous Hong Kong Murders
• #Abby Choi Tin-fung

Malaysia eyes permanent F1 comeback despite Bahrain GP trav…

Malaysia was aflush with Formula One fever this weekend, rekindling talk of permanently bringing the race back to the Southeast Asian nation after a long hiatus – despite days of traffic chaos that left thousands of fans stranded for hours. More than 260,000 people flocked to Sepang International Circuit in Selangor state for the Bahrain Grand Prix, which was originally meant to be held in April but had to be postponed and relocated away from the Persian Gulf island nation due to security...

• #Malaysia
• #Formula One (F1)
• #Anwar Ibrahim
• #Bahrain
• #Max Verstappen

Days after Xi-Trump summit, top Taiwan diplomat opens de fa…

Taipei’s top diplomat is in Arizona this week to open a de facto consulate and tour the state’s semiconductor corridor, even as US President Donald Trump has just wrapped up the pageantry of a state visit for President Xi Jinping. Lin Chia-lung, Taiwan’s foreign minister, arrived in Phoenix late on Saturday for a three-day visit that highlights the deepening economic ties between Washington and Taipei. His visit will not include stops in Washington or meetings with anyone at the State...

• #China
• #Lin Chia-lung
• #Phoenix
• #AMD
• #Taiwan
• #TSMC

Ng aims to maintain top spot in championship with eight-str…

Pierre Ng Pang-chi is keen to maintain his spot at the top of the trainers’ championship when he unleashes an eight-strong team at Happy Valley on Wednesday night, headlined by hat-trick seeker Prestige Always. A noted fast beginner in his campaigns, including in 2023-24 when he finished runner-up in the championship, Ng has struck early with nine wins from the first eight meetings to sit one ahead of Cody Mo Wai-kit and Manfred Man Ka-leung. The 43-year-old has high hopes for his Valley squad...

• #TOP
• #Team

Huawei, Qualcomm strike multi-year patent agreement across…

US chip giant Qualcomm has agreed to pay to licence and acquire patents from China’s Huawei Technologies for the first time as part of a “multi-year, broad patent licence agreement” covering 5G, computing and artificial intelligence. The deal involved cross-licensing between both firms’ patent portfolios, the Shenzhen-based firm said in a statement on Monday, adding that it included Qualcomm’s purchase of specific Huawei US patents across compute, AI, networking and other technologies. The...

• #Huawei Technologies
• #5G
• #Artificial intelligence (AI)
• #Qualcomm
• #China technology
• #China

Asian Games: China start introspection despite dominance ah…

Midway through the Asian Games, China’s sports minister felt the need to issue a rallying cry despite the country again overwhelmingly dominating proceedings. A week into competition, the delegation had already racked up 125 gold medals, won more swimming titles than ever before and were so far clear of the rest that one American press outlet half-jokingly suggested changing the name to the China Games. In the final reckoning on Sunday, China’s tally was as follows: 169 gold, 89 silver and 83...

• #Asian Games 2026
• #Lin Shidong
• #Wang Chuqin
• #Cheng Yujie
• #Wang Manyu
• #Yu Zidi

Hong Kong set for first listed property debt fund as banks…

Private equity firms are moving to plug a commercial real estate funding gap as traditional banks pull back, with one fund filing to launch Hong Kong’s first listed property debt vehicle. Gaw Capital, a Hong Kong-based real estate private equity fund which managed US$35.6 billion in assets as of late 2025, filed to list its Gaw Capital Real Estate Private Debt OFC on Friday, seeking to become the first property-focused private debt fund on the Hong Kong stock exchange’s main board. The fund has...

• #IPO
• #Banking & finance
• #Hong Kong
• #Property investment
• #Hong Kong property
• #Hong Kong stock exchange

Kai Tak Hospital starts first phase of operations, treats 3…

Hong Kong’s Kai Tak Hospital launched its first phase of operations, treating nearly 300 patients at its family medicine centre on Monday morning, with the daily number projected to reach 1,800 by the end of the year. While some patients expressed satisfaction about the service, lawmakers called for more frequent connecting transport services and better publicity on transit options. Positioned to become Hong Kong’s largest public hospital once fully operational, Kai Tak Hospital opened its...

• #On

Chinese travellers go premium, Malaysia appeals to investor…

We have put together stories from our coverage last weekend to help you stay informed about news across Asia and beyond. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. ‘No brainer’: growing trend of Chinese tourists booking business-class flights 2. US to deploy NMESIS anti-ship system on Japanese island closest to Taiwan 3. Chinese art takes long march home from US museums 4. Malaysia offers Chinese buyers Singapore’s comfort at prices lower than Thailand 5....

• #SCMP Highlights
• #Japan
• #Thailand
• #Taiwan
• #China
• #Singapore

If BTS has to serve, why are South Korean sportsmen, artist…

A former South Korean lawmaker has called for the abolition of the military exemption system granted to outstanding national athletes, arguing that military service should not be used as an incentive for achievements in sports or the arts. Yoo Seong-min’s remarks came amid controversy over comments made by members of South Korea’s men’s football team, who recently won its fourth consecutive Asian Games title, regarding the military benefits they received. South Korea defeated host Japan 1-0 on...

• #South Korea
• #South Korean celebrities
• #BTS
• #K-pop idols

How a Los Angeles church was reborn as a hotel – and why mo…

There is a cross on the roof, stained glass windows and a choir loft upstairs, but this whitewashed three-level building near Sunset Boulevard in Silver Lake, Los Angeles, is no longer a house of worship. It is the Hotel Lucile, a 25-room boutique lodging that opened in September 2026 with a restaurant and bar in the high-ceilinged sanctuary where church-goers once gathered. This opening follows more than a decade of controversy and transformation, including a community debate, bankruptcy and...

• #Travel
• #US travel
• #Los Angeles
• #Luxury Hotels
• #Travel Destinations

Hong Kong outlines 4-step AI ‘talent ladder’ to offset entr…

Hong Kong has unveiled a four-step artificial intelligence (AI) “talent ladder” strategy to counter entry-level job shock and foster industry leaders, viewing the technology as a “catalyst, not a threat”. Permanent Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry Kevin Choi Kit-ming warned on Monday that the “entry-level shock” was real because AI performed well in many routine tasks that once made up a graduate’s first job, such as basic coding and first-line customer service. Speaking at the...

• #AI
• #Hong Kong

Wellcome operator DFI Retail launches public tender for ups…

DFI Retail, the food and beverage unit of Hong Kong-headquartered conglomerate Jardine Matheson, is looking to sell its mall at The Peak, one of the city’s wealthiest neighbourhoods. The entire commercial portion of the Dairy Farm Guildford Road Shopping Centre will be sold via a public tender closing at noon on November 19, according to sole agent CBRE. The property is near The Peak campus of the German Swiss International School. The mall consists of a two-storey retail podium with a gross...

• #Hong Kong property
• #Property financing
• #Property investment
• #DFI Retail Group
• #Retail properties
• #Retailing

Asset manager Schroders to expand in Hong Kong after Nuveen…

UK fund house Schroders will increase investment and headcount in Hong Kong after being acquired by US asset manager Nuveen, according to Schroders’ global CEO. “Hong Kong is a critical interface for mainland China through schemes like Wealth Management Connect,” Richard Oldfield said in an online interview with the South China Morning Post on Friday. The scheme, launched in 2021, allows investors in the Greater Bay Area to buy wealth-management products across borders. Underpinning Schroders’...

• #Banking & finance
• #Wealth management
• #China
• #Hong Kong
• #Britain
• #Greater Bay Area

Miu Miu’s retro sportswear and Valentino’s library-inspired…

Two Italian brands – Miu Miu, Prada’s sister label, and Valentino, the Rome-based haute couture house – were the headliners of day seven of Paris Fashion Week. Here’s the lowdown on the two shows. Miuccia Prada is giving her Miu Miu customers what they want for spring/summer 2027. Everything that has made Miu Miu such a success story – from preppy staples like pleated tartan skirts to athleisure essentials like track pants – was in the show. Most looks paired wardrobe classics, such as V-neck...

• #Paris Fashion Week
• #Fashion
• #Luxury brands
• #European travel
• #Travel Destinations
• #Paris

Letters | Tanzania could offer test of Hong Kong’s belt and…

Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at [email protected] or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words. Last month, Hong Kong had been promoting its role as a financing and professional services hub for Belt and Road Initiative expansion. Tanzania offers a useful reminder that signing deals is only the beginning. More than 6,000 participants attended Hong Kong’s Belt and Road...

• #Belt and Road Initiative
• #Hong Kong economy
• #Belt and Road 2026
• #China-Africa relations
• #Tanzania
• #China

Pro-Israel Samoa prime minister apologises for Nazi gesture…

Samoa’s prime minister apologised on Monday after video surfaced showing him saying “Heil Hitler” and making a Nazi gesture. Prime Minister La’auli Leuatea Schmidt said the footage was from a family gathering almost 20 years old and was never meant to see the light of day. “The footage shows me using the words ‘Heil Hitler’ and participating in a gesture associated with Nazi Germany in a private family gathering – not intended for the public,” he said in a statement. “Whatever the context or...

• #Pacific nations
• #Samoa
• #Israel

Kai Tak Hospital opens this week: what you need to know bef…

Hong Kong’s largest public hospital, built on the former airport site in Kai Tak, will begin its first phase of operation on Monday after more than a decade of planning and preparation. The South China Morning Post looks at the new hospital’s key features and what its opening means for the city’s healthcare development. 1. What makes Kai Tak Hospital special? With a gross floor area of about 500,000 square metres and 2,400 beds, Kai Tak Hospital will be Hong Kong’s largest public hospital. It...

India seeks to be ‘a little bit more involved’ in ending Uk…

India is taking a more direct role in efforts to end the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, engaging both sides on issues including shipping and reducing hostilities, Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishankar has said. Speaking at a security conference over the weekend, Jaishankar said India in recent months has become “a little bit more involved beyond advocacy”. The comments point to a more active role for New Delhi after years of taking a cautious approach to the war, in part because of...

• #India
• #Ukraine
• #Ukraine war
• #Russia
• #Diplomacy
• #India-Pakistan tensions

China develops plant to extract hydrogen, fresh water and u…

Chinese scientists have built a small, stable co-production plant that uses one system to extract hydrogen and fresh water from seawater, while also recovering uranium and bromine and improving electricity use efficiency by about 15 per cent. The team, led by Deng Dehui and Liu Yanting from the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, improved on an existing technology that is both costly and power hungry, according to a paper in the peer-reviewed journal Nature...

• #The
• #china

Style Edit: Chaumet expands the empress-inspired Joséphine…

Joséphine de Beauharnais, Empress of France from 1804 to 1810 during her marriage to Emperor Napoleon I, remains one of the most iconic figures in French history. A byword for style, she became known for her patronage of the arts and her exquisite taste, surrounding herself with creative people and helping to shape their work. An innovator who redefined the artistic preferences of her era, she established the wildly influential empire style of architecture and decorative arts, using her own...

• #Style Edit
• #Chaumet
• #Luxury brands
• #High Jewellery
• #France
• #Luxury Spend It

Style Edit: Boucheron’s ivy motif blooms with new Lierre de…

Ivy has a way of making itself at home. It climbs, curls and spreads with little regard for where it is supposed to stop, taking over walls and trees with its fast-growing natural architecture. For Frédéric Boucheron, that freedom was precisely the attraction. Of all the plants that appeared in his jewellery, ivy became one of the most persistent – a fitting symbol for a jeweller who was drawn to nature in its less orderly forms. The motif entered the Boucheron archives in 1870 and, by the end...

• #Style Edit
• #High Jewellery
• #Jewellery
• #Boucheron
• #Paris
• #Luxury brands