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One-armed Malaysian man works hard as food delivery...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/03

A one-armed man in Malaysia has captivated social media across Asia with his perseverance working as a food delivery rider despite his disability. Ahmad Nabil Rosli, 26, from Terengganu, eastern Malaysia, had his left arm amputated after a road accident in May 2017, according to a report by the local news outlet Sinar Harian. Nosli attracted attention online because of a video clip released in November, which showed him being stopped by a traffic police officer at a checkpoint while he was...

Crowds throng ‘lucky’ store for Hong Kong’s HK$100...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/03

A long queue has formed outside a “lucky” Hong Kong Jockey Club betting branch in Central ahead of a much-anticipated HK$100 million (US$12.8 million) Mark Six jackpot on Saturday night. More than 100 residents were seen outside the betting shop on Stanley Street, widely known for selling first-prize-winning Mark Six tickets, with the queue stretching beyond one end of the street on Saturday afternoon. According to the Hong Kong Jockey Club, the Mark Six New Year Snowball draw on Saturday

Cambodia accuses Thailand of ‘annexing’ Chouk Chey...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/03

Cambodia said on Friday that Thai forces had taken control of a disputed border village, accusing Thailand of “annexing” the area after a truce halted deadly fighting along their contested frontier a week ago. The decades-old border dispute between the Southeast Asian neighbours erupted into military clashes several times last year, with fighting in December killing dozens of people and displacing more than one million on both sides. The two countries agreed a truce on December 27, pledging

Woman arrested for brandishing cleaver at Hong Kong...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/03

A woman has been arrested for brandishing a cleaver at restaurant staff and police officers after a dispute over a payment issue at a beef noodle shop in northern Hong Kong. Police said they received a report at around 12.15am on Saturday that a female customer at a Sheung Shui restaurant was in an emotional state, brandishing a knife and using it to threaten staff members. When officers arrived, the 32-year-old woman refused to cooperate and continued to wave the 30cm-long (12-inch) cleaver...

Hong Kong remains a top countdown city as 200,000...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/03

Visitor numbers on New Year’s Eve have shown that Hong Kong remains an attractive destination for countdowns, according to the tourism minister, with sector representatives underscoring the need to direct travellers to different parts of the city. Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Rosanna Law Shuk-pui said on Saturday that close to 200,000 visitors arrived in Hong Kong on December 31 alone, contributing to a 12 per cent year-on-year increase in tourist figures between Christmas and

Japan snowstorm traps 3,000 vehicles in 23km traffic...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/03

Heavy snowfall caused a traffic jam to form on Friday on a highway in western Japan that stretched for up to 23km (14 miles) overnight, likely involving about 3,000 vehicles, according to the highway operator and local firefighters. An emergency call was received at around 7.20pm Friday, saying that a car with normal tyres got stuck in snow on a section of the Sanyo Expressway in Hiroshima Prefecture, according to local police. People from at least four vehicles made similar calls after

Why China children wear ‘canine-head hats’ and have...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/03

In a bizarre example of ancient superstition, Chinese parents dress their children in “dog-head hats” and give them strange names, like pig or worm. They did so in the belief that a cheap name could protect the child and ensure a long, safe life. The “dog-head hat,” which first appeared during the Qing dynasty (1644–1912), is so-called because it features fur-lined ear flaps resembling those of a canine. Typically made from brightly coloured silk or woollen fabric, the hats are often adorned...

What are China’s hottest jobs as AI reshapes the...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/03

China’s job market is entering a decisive phase of structural transformation as the country retools its growth model after years of rapid expansion. As jobseekers struggle to reconcile shrinking traditional opportunities with a labour market in flux, Beijing has laid out a road map in the next five-year plan for reshaping its employment landscape amid demographic shifts through innovation-led industries, upgraded services and regionally balanced development. In this explainer, the Post

Trump confirms US captured Maduro, bombed Caracas,...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/03

US military strikes hit Venezuela’s capital before dawn on Saturday, with explosions shaking Caracas as US President Donald Trump claimed that Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and his wife had been captured and flown out of the country in a US operation. The escalation followed months of sabre rattling by Washington and warnings from Beijing over growing US military and economic pressure on the oil-producing nation. It also came just hours after Maduro met the special representative of the...

Most patients at Hong Kong A&E departments unaware of...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/03

Most patients visiting Hong Kong emergency departments at public hospitals at night for minor ailments were not aware they could go to evening clinics instead, although securing a booking was difficult and multiple calls were needed before a successful slot could be confirmed. With a new fees regime in public hospitals beginning on Thursday, authorities aimed to divert less urgent cases away from accident and emergency (A&E) departments, encouraging patients to visit public clinics for minor

Operation Santa Claus: victory for rising Hong Kong...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/03

Up-and-coming Hong Kong tennis player Yandy Shek Cheuk-ying clinched her first title as a professional in her home city’s annual tournament as she and other top competitors helped raise money for charity. Shek was one of more than 1,700 entrants in the 77th edition of the CRC Open, which ended last month after five weeks of competition at the Chinese Recreation Club, Hong Kong (CRCHK) in Tai Hang, near Causeway Bay. Players once again helped raise money for the community by hitting aces

China conflict won’t benefit South Korea, Lee...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/03

Ahead of his state visit to China, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung said that while security cooperation with the US was an “unavoidable reality” for Seoul, its relations with Beijing should not move towards confrontation. In an interview with Chinese state broadcaster CCTV on Friday, Lee called for more frequent leader-level dialogues – at least annually – to explore mutually beneficial opportunities amid an increasingly complex global environment. His four-day trip to China, set to

China to lead joint naval drills with Brics nations...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/03

China will lead a joint naval exercise with Brics nations in South African waters next week – the bloc’s first such defence cooperation that is likely to raise alarm bells in Washington. The South African National Defence Force on Wednesday said the exercise – dubbed Will for Peace 2026 – would bring together “navies from Brics Plus countries for an intensive programme of joint maritime safety operations, interoperability drills and maritime protection serials” from January 9 to 16. It said...

Chinese ex-policewoman ‘Hotpot’ addresses workplace...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/03

A former policewoman in China is shining on stage as a stand-up comedian, sharing stories that address stereotypes about women in law enforcement. The comic is also using the limelight to teach women how to protect themselves. The 36-year-old uses the nickname “Hotpot” because of her love for the dish and her previous work habit of remaining anonymous. From the age of 22 to 34, Hotpot was a border policewoman in southwestern China’s Yunnan province. She was born in a village in the

India’s military upgrade to counter regional threats...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/03

India’s defence modernisation is on track even as it faces the challenges of ensuring that weapon systems are deployed quickly and boosting its military’s capabilities to counter external threats, according to analysts. Last year, the Indian government approved three major defence packages totalling US$30 billion out of the country’s total defence budget of US$78.7 billion for the current financial year, which was ratified by parliament in February. The three packages were cleared in the

Workers’ Party in Singapore rules on Pritam Singh,...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/03

The top decision-making body of the Workers’ Party (WP) in Singapore has directed that a disciplinary panel be formed to determine if party chief Pritam Singh has contravened the WP’s constitution, following his recent court conviction for lying to a parliamentary committee. In a media statement on Saturday, the WP said its central executive committee (CEC) met on Friday to discuss matters arising from Singh’s conviction after the High Court dismissed his appeal against it on December

US court rules California ban on openly carrying guns...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/03

A US appeals court ruled on Friday that California’s ‍ban on openly carrying firearms in most parts of the state was unconstitutional. A panel of the San Francisco-based 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals sided 2-1 with a gun owner in ruling that the state’s prohibition against open carry in counties with more than 200,000 people ⁠violated the US Constitution’s Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms. About 95 per cent of the population in California, which has had some of the nation’s...

Occupancy rate at Hong Kong tech park set to hit 90%...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/03

The occupancy rate at the Hong Kong side of a new innovation and technology (I&T) hub co-developed by the city and Shenzhen is expected to hit 90 per cent in the first quarter of this year, a target previously set for the end of 2025. Kevin Choi Kit-ming, permanent secretary for innovation, technology and industry, said on Saturday that lease renewals would be based on certain key performance indicators (KPIs) set for firms, but authorities would avoid overly stringent standards and make...

Exempt Hong Kong substitute teachers from practising...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/03

School principals in Hong Kong have urged the government to exempt substitute teachers from needing to obtain newly proposed practising certificates to avoid placing unnecessary obstacles in the way of hiring such in-demand educators. Their calls came as the Education Bureau said last month that it was consulting the Department of Justice on the proposal to ensure it would maintain professional standards and meet the needs of schools. The new measure, raised in the policy address, would mean...

Ageing Asia needs domestic helpers, but can it keep...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/03

In March last year, Erica Cheong and her husband, Harris Zainol, welcomed their firstborn son, Isaac. Like many new Malaysian parents living and working in Kuala Lumpur, the couple found the transition to parenthood overwhelming. “We needed someone to help care for the baby, given that my parents are elderly and my in-laws work full time,” Cheong told This Week in Asia. After speaking to friends who have employed domestic helpers, the couple, both 35, decided that doing the same was their

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