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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...

Australian senator slammed as ‘racist’ for wearing...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2025/11/24

Australian far-right senator Pauline Hanson wore a burka to parliament on Monday as a political prop in her push to ban the Muslim garment in public, sparking accusations of racism from Muslim senators over the stunt. Hanson wore the burka shortly after she was denied permission to introduce a bill that would outlaw burkas and other full-face coverings in public places in Australia. It was the second time Hanson had used the head garment, worn by some Muslim women, in parliament in an effort

Bali hostel poisoning mystery deepens after Chinese...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2025/11/24

More than two months after a mass poisoning at a Bali hostel left a young Chinese traveller dead and scores of guests violently ill, the incident remains mired in conflicting accounts and uncertainty. Many of the lingering questions are due to the possibility of overlapping causes behind the tragedy, with medical experts pointing to an unusual mix of symptoms that could reflect severe food poisoning, mismanaged fumigation or both. Amid the scrutiny, the hostel at the centre of the incident

Wingtech says Nexperia’s headquarters remains silent...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2025/11/24

Wingtech Technology, the Chinese owner of Nexperia, said it had received no meaningful reply after reaching out to the Dutch chipmaker’s headquarters for talks. “It is deeply regrettable and puzzling that, despite our utmost sincerity, the Dutch side of Nexperia has not made any substantive response to our proposal for communication,” Wingtech said on Sunday. The Shanghai-listed company did not disclose the details of its outreach efforts, but urged Nexperia’s headquarters to present “a...

Night at Hong Kong museum? Evening hours eyed as...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2025/11/24

An evening encounter with Egyptian mummies is in sight as the Hong Kong Palace Museum weighs extending its opening hours after its special exhibition attracted more than 16,000 visitors in the first four days but also complaints of poor crowd control. Museum director Louis Ng Chi-wa apologised on Monday for the inconvenience caused to patrons after large crowds queued for hours on Saturday for the “Ancient Egypt Unveiled: Treasures from Egyptian Museums” exhibition. Ng said visitors had to

Overheated power bank catches fire on Scoot flight...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2025/11/24

A small fire triggered by an overheated power bank broke out on a Singapore-bound Scoot flight from Hong Kong over the weekend, but it was quickly extinguished by the cabin crew, with no injuries reported. Singapore Airlines’ budget arm Scoot on Sunday confirmed the incident took place on flight TR939, which departed from Hong Kong International Airport for the city state at 5.49pm the day before. A spokesman said an overheated power bank had caused a small flame in the cabin, which was...

Premier Li Qiang urges Germany to be ‘rational and...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2025/11/24

Chinese Premier Li Qiang urged Germany to stand by a rational and pragmatic China policy and focus on common interests as he met on Sunday with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. “We hope the German side will adhere to a rational and pragmatic China policy, rule out interference and pressure, focus on shared interests and consolidate the foundation for cooperation,” Li told Merz on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit in Johannesburg, South Africa. The meeting with the chancellor, who is...

Backlash grows as Malaysia plans ID checks to ban...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2025/11/24

Malaysia’s plan to bar children aged 16 and under from having social media accounts from next year has sparked a public backlash, as experts warn that enforcement gaps, privacy risks and vague guidelines could blunt the policy’s impact. Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil said on Sunday that social media platforms would be required to implement electronic know-your-customer (eKYC) identity checks in 2026 under the Online Safety Act, which comes into force on January 1. Users will have to

Chinese woman brutally attacked 3 years ago fights...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2025/11/24

A Chinese woman who recently recovered from injuries she suffered in an assault by a stranger in a public toilet has been diagnosed with leukaemia, attracting widespread sympathy on social media. The 22-year-old, known as Xu, first came to public attention when she was savagely beaten by a man of the same age in Yongkang, Zhejiang province, eastern China on October 30, 2022. The assault, which lasted more than 20 minutes, left Xu with serious injuries to her head and eyes. She also lost teeth

Exchanges between Hong Kong, Japan must align with...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2025/11/24

All official exchanges between Hong Kong and Japan should respect the dignity of the Chinese nation and align with the interests of Hongkongers, the city leader has said as he questioned the effectiveness of such interactions amid a diplomatic dispute between Beijing and Tokyo. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu made the remarks on Monday after it was reported that the administration had called off several exchanges with the Japanese consulate general in Hong Kong and postponed discussions. It...

UK digital ID plan fuels conspiracies, but government...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2025/11/24

Plans for a new nationwide UK digital ID are sparking widespread public concern, but some critics including far-right politicians are fuelling fears with unproven claims that it will be used to boost government control over people’s lives. They have warned that a digital ID would be used to store data on vaccinations and carbon footprint and limit access to flying and food, which the government has vehemently denied. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in September said the ID card would be...

Bangladesh’s Sheikh Hasina found guilty of crimes...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2025/11/17

A Bangladesh court convicted ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina of crimes against humanity on Monday, concluding a months-long trial that found her guilty of ordering a deadly crackdown on a student-led uprising last year.The prosecution had sought the death penalty for Hasina and former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan. It did not recommend any penalty for a third suspect – a former police chief who became a state witness and pleaded guilty. Hasina and Asaduzzaman were tried in absentia for...

PhD for landfill supervisor raises a stink over...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2025/11/17

A county-level sanitation office in southern China has invited ridicule and stoked a public debate after posting a job that requires a PhD to supervise garbage trucks and landfills – an unusual demand that critics say epitomises China’s runaway degree inflation. The posting in Guangdong province, by the office that manages urban environmental sanitation for Shixing county, appeared online last week under a notice for “urgently needed high-level talent for public institutions” issued by the...

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