PODCAST

News - South China Morning Post

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

All Episodes

China targets middlemen in renewed crackdown on...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/11

China’s top judicial bodies have detailed ways that the country’s criminal law can be applied to corrupt middlemen, refining the criteria for tackling “new and hidden forms of corruption”. The guidance was part of a judicial interpretation released jointly by the Supreme People’s Court and the Supreme People’s Procuratorate on Friday. In it, the bodies highlight the need to enforce the law against all participants in the corruption chain, for the direct bribe-givers and recipients to...

Does this Kenyan rail project provide a model for...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/11

Western governments and financiers increasingly avoid infrastructure projects that involve a Chinese presence as their geopolitical and economic rivalries intensify. Yet the Nairobi Railway City project stands as a rare exception. It combines British financing with Chinese construction and labour to build a major new public transport hub in the Kenyan capital. At the heart of the project is the proposed new Central station and a 172-hectare (425-acre) district that includes new businesses,

Unearthing peace: ancient China gravesite reveals...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/11

“War is hell,” as the saying goes, and it is often those most intimately acquainted with conflict who are the most eager to leave it behind. This yearning for peace was underscored by a newly uncovered archaeological site from the Western Zhou dynasty (1046–771 BC) in Shaanxi province, northwest China, revealed in 2022. Researchers announced their discoveries in mid-March. Among the findings was a gravesite featuring the remains of individuals interred with broken weapons, a custom rooted in

Turtle found dead after apparent fall in Hong Kong’s...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/11

A 10cm-long (4-inch) turtle has died after apparently falling in Hong Kong’s Wong Tai Sin. Police said on Saturday that they were alerted at 2.09pm by a security guard about a turtle suspected of having fallen from a height at No 185 Hammer Hill Road. Online footage and images showed the turtle lying motionless on a playground mat. In Hong Kong, animal cruelty is punishable by up to three years in jail and a fine of HK$200,000 (US$25,530) upon conviction.

Landlords of 5,557 subdivided homes seek 3-year grace...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/11

Landlords of more than 5,500 subdivided homes in Hong Kong have applied for a three-year grace period to meet size, safety and hygiene requirements following a new law on basic housing standards taking effect six weeks ago. Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho Wing-yin said on Saturday that the government had received applications for 5,557 subdivided units in 1,370 flats. That accounted for around 5 per cent of all subdivided units in Hong Kong, mostly located in Yau Tsim Mong district, followed

Trump critique pauses UK handover of Chagos Islands...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/11

Britain’s government said on Saturday it had ⁠put on hold ⁠its deal to cede sovereignty ⁠of the Chagos Islands – home to the US-British Diego Garcia airbase – which has been criticised by US President Donald Trump. British media reported that planned legislation underpinning the deal to cede the ‌islands to Mauritius, which needs the backing of Washington, would not be included in the government’s next parliamentary agenda. Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s office said London would try to

Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific and HK Express cut some...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/11

Hong Kong flag carrier Cathay Pacific Airways will cancel a small proportion of passenger flights between mid-May and the end of June, as surging jet fuel prices driven by the war in the Middle East continue to weigh on airlines globally. The airline said on Saturday that about 2 per cent of its total flight frequencies would be cut between May 16 and June 30, mainly on regional routes, as well as a small number of services to Australia, South Asia and South Africa. Cathay Pacific’s budget

Hong Kong regulator urged to expand stablecoin rules...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/11

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) is being urged to go further in loosening restrictions on stablecoins, after granting the city’s first two licences to banks to issue the digital currency. Bankers, venture capitalists and analysts said the long-awaited approvals – awarded to HSBC and a joint venture led by Standard Chartered – fell short of market expectations, underscoring the regulator’s cautious stance amid lingering risk concerns. “It came as a surprise that only two licences were...

Hins Cheung to lead arrested 2019 Hong Kong...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/11

Cantopop singer Hins Cheung, who previously expressed support for social movements in Hong Kong, will lead young people arrested during the 2019 anti-government protests on visits to mainland China to witness the country’s prosperity and serve as a mentor for a “special rehabilitation project” under the Security Bureau. Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung also revealed on Saturday that the project, which had been running over the past two years, was aimed at helping about 7,000

Can World Bank and IMF leaders rescue a global...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/11

Can the collective wisdom or clout of the almost 200 countries that make up the membership of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) prevail against the United States and Israel, whose rash actions of declaring war on Iran have effectively declared economic war on the whole world? We may get the answers to this critical question when the two so-called Bretton Woods institutions begin their annual meetings in Washington on April 13. The week-long gatherings provide an opportunity...

Hong Kong proposes mandatory renovation briefings to...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/11

Hong Kong authorities have proposed a legal amendment requiring property owners to attend a mandatory briefing on major renovation projects before voting on procurement resolutions, in a move aimed at curbing bid-rigging following the deadly blaze in Tai Po. Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs Alice Mak Mei-kuen said on Saturday that the proposed amendment to the Building Management Ordinance, which covers five areas, sought to enhance homeowners’ participation and fill existing legal...

The winners from China’s growing intercity football...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/11

“I can’t wait to watch the game – it’s Lion’s Head Meatballs versus Hairy Crab!” Liu Jieling, a 42-year-old company executive from Suzhou, joked about a derby clash pitting a side inspired by her city’s signature crustacean cuisine against one by Yangzhou’s steamed meatballs. The 2026 season of the Jiangsu City Football League – popularly known as the Su Super League – kicks off on Saturday, and the amateur tournament in Jiangsu, a province in eastern China, is already generating huge buzz...

China warns university students to beware of...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/11

China’s top intelligence agency has warned university students to be wary of lucrative job postings that may serve as covers for foreign espionage, as they begin searching for work ahead of a record graduation season. Offers such as earning 800 yuan (US$117) a day for remote data processing or research projects promising easy money could be “traps” to recruit students to illegally collect sensitive information for foreign intelligence agencies, the Ministry of State Security said. “Be wary of...

Tighter civil service disciplinary rules risk...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/11

The head of a civil service union federation in Hong Kong has warned that tighter disciplinary action risks becoming excessive as the government seeks to revise the penalty system to handle underperforming employees this year. Leung Chau-ting, chairman of the Federation of Civil Service Unions, was responding to the Civil Service Bureau’s plan to revise the regulations to further improve the disciplinary mechanism, including tightening rules on withholding salaries during suspensions and...

China café sets ‘entry rules’ that ban littering,...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/11

A coffee shop in eastern China has gone viral for its entry rules banning a range of bizarre misbehaviour, from discarding black stockings to stealing tiny turtles from its pond. The café, Yi Nan Ping, is in Qingzhou Ancient City, a popular tourist site in Weifang, Shandong province, and is known for its signature pineapple Americano and picturesque courtyard. Visitors recently spotted an oversized notice at the café entrance, almost as tall as an adult, opening with a blunt admission: it had...

Global wealth gap grows as aid to world’s poorest...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/11

The gap between rich and poor nations is growing even wider as actions agreed to by many countries last year, including overhauling the major global financial institutions, remain unfulfilled promises, a UN report has concluded. The report assessing the blueprint adopted in Seville, Spain, last June to narrow the gap and achieve UN development goals for 2030 was issued ahead of next week’s spring meetings in Washington of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, the main global...

‘Cancelling orders’ in China: how Hormuz oil crisis...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/11

As the Strait of Hormuz reopened and closed again this week, manufacturers across China are navigating a roller coaster of concerns rooted in supply and pricing volatilities. Soaring oil prices have already filtered through to processed fuel and petroleum-based raw materials that help power China’s manufacturing sector – the world’s largest – and a fragile two-week ceasefire between Iran and the United States is unlikely to restore pre-conflict stability in the near term, according to

Discovery Bay developer submits proposal for full...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/11

The developer of Hong Kong’s Discovery Bay is pushing ahead with a plan for unrestricted taxi access and four new ranks in the resort-style seaside community on Lantau Island, despite a backlash from residents. In a paper submitted to Islands District Council, Hong Kong Resort Company said the lack of point-to-point public transport “severely impacts residents’ daily lives” and that it had received hundreds of messages of support for the proposal. The company said existing restrictions

US Navy crosses Strait of Hormuz amid Mideast peace...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/11

Several US Navy ships crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, US news outlet Axios reported, as delegations from Iran and the United States reportedly met in Pakistan to reinforce a fragile ceasefire. The crossing by the US Navy, the first since the start of the US-Israeli war on Iran, was not coordinated with Tehran, the report said, citing American officials. “We’re now starting the process of clearing out the Strait of Hormuz as a favor to Countries all over the World, including China,...

Hong Kong’s listing reform 2.0: can it outshine...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/11

Fang Liu, a partner at global law firm Clifford Chance, counts among his clients many technology companies that are keen to list in Hong Kong, but find the current requirements cumbersome. Clifford Chance has helped more than a dozen innovative companies raise funds under the new listing regime since 2018, when Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX) introduced reforms for pre-revenue biotech firms and companies with weighted voting rights (WVR), where one class of shareholders carries more...

23,390 results