PODCAST

News - South China Morning Post

All the latest breaking news from Hong Kong, China and around the world

All Episodes

Russia academy breaks up with China naval institute...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2025/11/24

Guo Wei, the chief scientist of China’s top naval institute, has been suspended as a foreign academician to the Russian Academy of Engineering after he became the subject of a police probe over alleged academic misconduct. The Chinese headquarters of the Russian academy announced on its social media page on Friday that it had taken note of the case against Guo and was verifying information regarding his election as a foreign academician earlier this year. The Beijing News reported on Sunday

Alibaba’s Cainiao expands service in Africa as demand...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2025/11/24

Alibaba Group Holding’s logistics arm, Cainiao, has expanded its parcel delivery service to eight African countries – including Morocco, Ghana and Nigeria – as it races to give Chinese e-commerce merchants a cheaper, more reliable way to reach the fast-growing continent. The company planned to extend the service to South Africa and Egypt by the end of December, Cainiao said in a statement over the weekend. Alibaba owns the South China Morning Post. Cainiao said underdeveloped logistics...

Hong Kong waste paper scavenger, 79, killed in coach...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2025/11/24

An elderly waste paper scavenger has died after being knocked down by a coach and dragged under the vehicle at a busy road junction in Hong Kong. The coach was turning left from Sai Yee Street into Argyle Street in Mong Kok at about 3.40pm on Monday when it hit the 79-year-old woman. Paramedics arrived but confirmed she was dead. The woman was reportedly collecting waste paper in the area. She attempted to cross in front of the coach when she was struck and pulled underneath. A pile of waste...

Standard Chartered faces US$2.7 billion 1MDB suit in...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2025/11/24

A Singapore court has cleared the way for a US$2.7 billion lawsuit against Standard Chartered Bank over its alleged role in 1MDB fraud, liquidators seeking to recover the funds said on Monday. Singapore High Court dismissed an application by the bank to strike out a suit filed against it by liquidators, the liquidators said in a press release, calling it “a significant legal victory” allowing the case to continue. Liquidators trying to recover money from Malaysia’s sovereign wealth fund 1MDB...

‘Flood after flood’ hits Thailand and Vietnam, with...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2025/11/24

Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced by deadly floods sweeping across Thailand and Vietnam, a crisis that has killed scores and stranded entire communities as meteorologists and climate analysts warn of heavier rains driven by La Nina and long-term warming. The scale of the inundation has highlighted how a late-season monsoon surge, layered onto fragile flood-management systems, is overwhelming towns and cities from southern Thailand to Vietnam’s central coast, with Malaysia...

Beijing blasts Japan’s ‘extremely dangerous’ missile...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2025/11/24

Beijing has blasted Japan’s missile deployment on an island only 110km (68 miles) away from Taiwan as “extremely dangerous”, saying it stokes regional tensions and military confrontation amid deteriorating ties between the two Asian powers. But Shinjiro Koizumi, Tokyo’s defence minister, believed the deployment on Yonaguni Island would “reduce the likelihood of any armed attack on Japan itself”, a Japanese defence ministry readout stated on Sunday. During an inspection visit to Yonaguni on...

China businesswoman sells lotus roots to repay...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2025/11/24

A businesswoman from central China who once lived a life of luxury is rebuilding her future by digging up and selling lotus roots to repay five million yuan (US$700,000) of debt. According to the mainland media outlet, Changjiang Daily, 44-year-old Hu Qin from Hunan province and her husband launched a fruit business in 2012 that grew to have more than 30 shops nationwide. At its peak, Hu’s assets reportedly topped 10 million yuan (US$1.4 million). The couple lived in a villa by the Xiang

Ex-UK PM Cameron urges prostate cancer screening...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2025/11/24

Former British prime minister David Cameron has revealed he was successfully treated for prostate cancer as he backed a targeted screening programme for the United Kingdom’s most common cancer in males. Cameron was urged to get tested by his wife, Samantha, after the pair heard the founder of Soho House, Nick Jones, speaking about his experience with cancer during a radio interview a year ago, The Times reported. The politician had a prostate specific antigen (PSA) test, an MRI scan and then

Hong Kong to sharpen competitive edge by applying...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2025/11/24

Hong Kong leader John Lee Ka-chiu has pledged to sharpen the city’s competitive edge to better serve the country’s development by applying the guiding principles of the fourth plenum in everyday governance. Lee made the pledge after attending a seminar at government headquarters that featured the head of the country’s top scientific think tank on Monday. Hou Jianguo, president of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said in his address that the latest five-year plan endorsed during last month’s...

The China factor behind Trump’s decision to upgrade...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2025/11/24

The US is poised to supply Saudi Arabia with its most advanced F-35 stealth fighter jets, a move that analysts say reflects a new era of Middle East policy in which countering Chinese influence is fast becoming as important for Washington as maintaining Israeli military superiority. It would make Saudi Arabia only the second country in the region, after Israel, to operate the fifth-generation jet. US President Donald Trump announced the decision following a meeting with Saudi Arabia’s

China strengthens global drone dominance with record...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2025/11/24

A Chinese drone maker has secured 1,600 orders for industrial models at the recently concluded Dubai Airshow – marking the largest ever single-order deal for the country’s manufacturers at the biennial event, as its companies target emerging markets. The deal, secured by Shenzhen-based United Aircraft, covered industrial drones used for low-altitude logistics, medical deliveries and agricultural applications in the United Arab Emirates and other markets, local outlet SZnews.com reported. The...

Alibaba’s Qwen chatbot sets record by topping 10...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2025/11/24

Alibaba Group Holding’s new multipurpose artificial intelligence app, Qwen, recorded more than 10 million downloads in the first week of its public beta launch, faster than OpenAI’s ChatGPT or DeepSeek, the company said on Monday. The strong debut of Qwen, launched last week, augured well for the Chinese tech conglomerate’s efforts to establish a major AI assistant that would rival the performance of Google’s Gemini chatbot and ChatGPT, both of which are not available in mainland China. The

Australian’s ‘Wicked’ stunt with Ariana Grande in...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2025/11/24

An Australian man who rushed at Wicked star Ariana Grande during a premiere in Singapore has been deported and barred from re-entering the country. “Johnson Wen was deported to Australia on November 23, 2025 and has been barred from re-entering Singapore,” the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority said on Sunday. The 26-year-old was on November 17 sentenced to nine days’ jail for public nuisance. In sentencing, District Judge Christopher Goh told Wen that he was “attention-seeking” and that

‘Important steps’: what Cop30 deal means for climate...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2025/11/24

A joint declaration at the Cop30 summit in Brazil – reached without United States participation after Washington again pulled out of the Paris climate pact – has kept fragile climate cooperation alive for the Global South, even as the talks fell short of a fossil fuel phase-out. Observers said the outcome revealed both the limits of a strained multilateral system and the room that still existed for developing nations to influence the global energy transition, with several pointing to the UN...

UBS’ China property optimist retreats from bullish...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2025/11/24

John Lam, UBS’ head of China property research and a long-time contrarian, is retreating from his earlier bullish calls and joining his Wall Street peers in predicting that the country’s four-year real estate downturn is far from over. Lam said he expected home prices to fall for at least another two years before a recovery in mainland China’s beleaguered residential property market could take hold. One reason was that potential buyers were increasingly opting to rent properties while prices...

Russia’s rare earth gamble is about killing 3 birds...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2025/11/24

By December 1, Russia is likely to approve and present its long-term road map for developing its rare earth sector, following President Vladimir Putin’s directive to the cabinet on November 4. On the surface, this is a domestic industrial policy story about catching up in the hi-tech arena. However, this view misses the woods for the trees. This road map is a sophisticated geostrategic manoeuvre, a single stone aimed at three strategic birds: reclaiming autonomy over strategic resources,...

How latest China-Japan row highlights lack of...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2025/11/24

The escalating tensions between China and Japan have highlighted what some observers see as a deeper problem – the lack of stable communication channels. The row started earlier this month when Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said a conflict in the Taiwan Strait might be a “survival-threatening situation” for Japan that would justify a military deployment. Beijing’s retaliation came swiftly, including warnings against travel to Japan and blocks on seafood imports and film releases. Tokyo has...

Hong Kong should draw foreign filmmakers to shoot in...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2025/11/24

Hong Kong authorities should offer more incentives to attract foreign filmmakers to shoot in the city and create fresh job opportunities for the local industry, the incumbent lawmaker of the sector has said as he seeks another term. Kenneth Fok Kai-kong, who represents the sports, performing arts, culture and publication sector in the legislature, on Monday also called on the government task force that helps mainland Chinese enterprises go abroad to extend its support to local performing arts...

European EDM festival Tomorrowland makes China debut...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2025/11/24

The renowned European electronic music festival, Tomorrowland, made its China debut in Shanghai on Saturday. Held for the first time indoors, the electronic dance music (EDM) festival drew thousands of ravers to the Hero Dome. Many say the EDM genre has become mainstream in China’s music scene.

Visiting Watsons executive saves woman from Hong Kong...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2025/11/24

Viral social media footage shows a woman being rescued from Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour in Hung Hom on November 19, 2025. The rescuer was later reported to be a senior AS Watson executive from Europe, Ed van de Weerd. Internet users have expressed support for the visiting businessman and the company in response to his actions. “Demonstrating true leadership and initiative, he did not hesitate to act,” one internet user wrote. Some even vowed to show support for his company by buying Watsons...

15,605 results