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News - South China Morning Post

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Taiwan’s T-Dome missile shield plan has ‘critical...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2025/12/20

Taiwan’s proposed missile shield known as T-Dome has “critical vulnerabilities and flaws” and would be unreliable against an attack by the People’s Liberation Army, according to a mainland Chinese military magazine. The air defence system – inspired by Israel’s Iron Dome and America’s proposed Golden Dome – was unveiled in October. Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te said T-Dome would guard against “hostile threats” and aimed to intercept aircraft, drones and missiles before they could

Hong Kong teaching hospital investigates staff over...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2025/12/20

A Hong Kong teaching hospital has launched an investigation after a viral video showed its medical staff using syringes as “water pistols” inside a ward. In a post on social media on Thursday, several staff were filmed squirting liquid at each other with syringes while their colleagues looked on. “Playing with water at the nurse station of [ward] K20N at Queen Mary Hospital,” an online user named hospital_secrets wrote when posting the video. “Using syringes as water pistols while they are on...

Is China’s Fujian gearing up for a dual aircraft...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2025/12/20

Two of China’s aircraft carriers, including its biggest and best, have docked at the same naval base near the Yellow Sea, raising suggestions that another dual-carrier exercise is on the horizon. Satellite images circulating on Chinese social media this week show the Fujian, which was officially commissioned last month, docked at a naval base in Qingdao in eastern China’s Shandong province. In one of the images purportedly taken on Thursday, the Liaoning, China’s first aircraft carrier,

The rise of 50-year mortgages in Japan: new era for...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2025/12/20

The use of housing loans with terms of up to 50 years, far longer than the standard 35-year term, is spreading among younger generations in Japan amid a rise in housing prices. Young Japanese are buying the properties of their choice by reducing monthly payments, but a longer loan term raises the total repayment amount and keeps company employees paying even after they retire. The risk of interest rate fluctuations, caused by the Bank of Japan’s monetary policy shift, is another thing to

Hong Kong’s MTR Corp gets green light to plan 7.5km...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2025/12/20

Hong Kong’s rail giant has been asked to plan an extension to the South Island line, with construction expected to be completed by 2034, after the city’s key decision-making body gave the green light to proceed with an updated design on Saturday. The Transport and Logistics Bureau said the Executive Council had given the government approval to invite the MTR Corporation to proceed with the line’s western extension project, which was first proposed more than a decade ago. The 7.5km (4.7-mile)...

China warns India over poet monk: ‘don’t even think...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2025/12/20

China has objected to India’s efforts to celebrate a 17th-century Dalai Lama well known for his love of poetry, seeing it as an attempt to challenge Beijing’s territorial claims in the region and its control over Tibetan Buddhism, according to experts. India hosted an international symposium on the 6th Dalai Lama in Tawang, his birthplace, from December 3 to 6. Pema Khandu, the chief minister of Arunachal Pradesh, inaugurated the event, which was attended by local officials and scholars of...

Malaysia seizes US$375 million in drugs after Kuala...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2025/12/20

Malaysian police busted a crime syndicate and seized US$375 million-worth of cocaine, ketamine and other drugs, calling it one of the country’s largest hauls to date. Four sting operations around Kuala Lumpur netted more than four tonnes of cocaine and 14 tonnes of ketamine, as well as the synthetic drug MDMA and drug-making equipment, police said in a statement released on Saturday. During Tuesday’s raids, police arrested six suspects: three local men and three foreign women. Cars, forklifts...

Starmer pressured to intercept Andrew Tate in Dubai...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2025/12/20

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has been urged to bring influencer Andrew Tate back to the United Kingdom to face rape charges, as he is due to appear at a celebrity boxing match in Dubai. The 39-year-old self-described misogynist is due to fight in the Misfits Mania bout against American Chase DeMoor in Dubai on Saturday night. He and his brother Tristan are facing a series of 21 charges in the UK, including rape, assault, human trafficking, and controlling prostitution. Bedfordshire Police

Targeted jamming incident blinds GPS and BeiDou in...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2025/12/20

Powerful, targeted jamming caused a temporary blackout of satellite navigation systems, including GPS and BeiDou, in a major Chinese city, an industry association said on Friday. The disruption affected users in Nanjing, a city of nearly 10 million people and capital of the eastern province of Jiangsu, between 4pm and 10pm on Wednesday. Car navigation, food delivery, ride-hailing, and drone control apps relying on satellite positioning experienced a “systemic anomaly” during the period. Users...

Hong Kong minister urges landlords to avoid cashing...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2025/12/20

Hong Kong’s home affairs minister has urged landlords against “fishing in troubled waters” by raising rents to pocket government subsidies meant to help displaced residents of the Tai Po fire. The appeal came days after the government announced it would provide affected homeowners of the Wang Fuk Court fire with an annual rental subsidy of HK$150,000 (US$19,280) for the next two years. “I hate to use the term, but it seems there are some landlords in the district who, as some people also say,...

Bondi shooter Sajid Akram visited Philippine gun shop...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2025/12/20

One of the two alleged Bondi Beach shooters visited a gun store during their stay in the Philippines, police said on Saturday as they attempted to retrace the pair’s movements. An Australian counterterrorism team is investigating whether Sajid Akram and his son Naveed met with Islamist extremists during a nearly month-long visit to the southern island of Mindanao before the mass shooting that killed 15 people in Sydney six days ago. The staff of Davao City’s GV Hotel said this week that the

China’s ‘black flying’ drone dilemma: when tech...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2025/12/20

After drones were flown in China at heights above 8,000 metres (26,247 feet) – approaching that of Mount Everest – the authorities are moving to crack down on illegal flights that threaten the safety of commercial aviation. The controversy highlights the regulatory dilemma China faces as it pushes to develop a low-altitude economy while ensuring aviation safety. Industry insiders say that with technological progress and upgraded oversight, China may eventually allow drones to fly as high as...

Japan social worker opens ‘It is OK to be useless’...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2025/12/20

A Japanese social worker opened an unconventional daytime bar nicknamed “It is OK to be useless” to offer comfort to those experiencing significant social pressure. Operating about five days a month from 2pm to 6pm, the snack bar Hirusuna Nakasu, located in Fukuoka City, Western Japan, has attracted a diverse clientele. Visitors gather at the bar to share their troubles and support one another. The bartender expertly facilitates conversations with each customer. A snack bar is a unique type

7 injured as car collides with oncoming bus in Hong Kong

News - South China Morning Post ·

2025/12/20

Seven people have been injured and sent to hospital after a driver lost control of his car and crashed into an oncoming bus in Hong Kong’s Stanley. Police said on Saturday that officers were alerted at 12.44pm to the accident at No 32 Stanley Village Road. The male bus driver reported neck pain, while four passengers – three women and a man – sustained facial injuries, police said, adding that all were conscious and taken to Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital in Chai Wan. The driver and

How Hongkongers can make the best use of new section...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2025/12/20

Hong Kong motorists and commuters will enjoy shorter travel times when the Yau Ma Tei section of the Central Kowloon Bypass opens on Sunday. The dual three-lane bypass, which connects Yau Ma Tei and Kowloon Bay, is designed to alleviate traffic congestion on major trunk roads in Kowloon by providing a shorter route that allows motorists to save fuel and time. The Post looks at how users can best use the new carriageway to get to different parts of Hong Kong Island and Kowloon. 1. What is the

ByteDance raises pay, boosts bonuses to retain staff...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2025/12/20

Beijing-based ByteDance has raised pay and sweetened incentives as the TikTok owner steps up efforts to retain and attract talent globally, as it makes progress on settling the future of its US business. In an internal letter released to all staff on Friday and seen by the Post, the social media giant said it would lift both the upper and lower limits of compensation packages for staff across all ranks. For its full-year 2025 performance cycle – with reviews starting on January 15, 2026 –...

Japan’s economic security push heralds rising...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2025/12/20

An obsession with “security” can create increasing insecurity. This paradox is being amply demonstrated as advanced nations, including the United States and Japan, take or contemplate joint action aimed at bolstering economic security but which could erode global economic growth and prosperity – or even result in physical conflict. How might such threats crystallise? Strengthening security, whether economic or military, suggests increased defence spending to, for example, secure sea lanes and...

China Santa Claus: how Qing dynasty military figure...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2025/12/20

The once-feared Qing dynasty military commander, Oboi, is being transformed into a charming figure by young people in China, becoming a local version of Father Christmas. A recent video circulating on mainland social media showcased Oboi, portrayed by an actor, as Santa Claus at a tourist resort in Zhanjiang, in southern China’s Guangdong province. The resort was adorned with traditional Christmas decorations including artificial snowflakes, Santa hats, and festive gift boxes, which

Chinese or Western medicine? Hong Kong to help...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2025/12/20

Hong Kong health authorities will guide residents on when to seek Chinese medicine treatment, identifying conditions where it is considered more effective than Western practice under a new blueprint for the sector’s development. Commissioner for Chinese Medicine Development Vincent Chung Chi-ho said on Saturday that only 9 per cent of the city’s about 10,000 Chinese medicine practitioners were using eHealth, the government’s electronic medical record platform. He added that authorities would...

Gaza’s fragile ceasefire brings Christmas joy to...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2025/12/20

At midnight on Christmas Eve, the words of the traditional hymn “The Night of Christmas” will ring out in the tiny grotto in Bethlehem’s Church of the Nativity, built on the site where Christians believe Jesus Christ was born. “On the night of Christmas, war is buried, On the night of Christmas, love is born,” a local choir sings each year during the midnight service. As they rehearsed ahead of this year’s service, many choir members said the words echoed with deeper meaning following the...

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