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With 1MDB verdict due, will Malaysia’s Najib have to...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2025/12/25

Malaysia’s High Court is poised on Friday to deliver its verdict in the final criminal trial of jailed former prime minister Najib Razak, bringing to a close one of Southeast Asia’s most far-reaching corruption sagas. The case centres on allegations that the disgraced 72-year-old misappropriated 2.3 billion ringgit (US$490 million) from the scandal-ridden Malaysian sovereign wealth fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB). Najib is currently in Kajang Prison, over halfway through a sentence...

China sharpens sales pitch for overseas investment...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2025/12/25

China is taking steps to reshape the direction of its foreign investment, unveiling a revised catalogue of encouraged industries that steers overseas capital towards the advanced and technologically complex sectors Beijing’s policymakers view as future growth drivers. The revised catalogue, which takes effect in February 2026, covers 1,679 industries – 205 more than the current version, which was released in 2022. In a statement on Wednesday, the Ministry of Commerce said the changes are

‘I have more to give’: Hong Kong Christmas lighting...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2025/12/25

On a weekday night last week, passengers on an open-top double-decker bus jostled for a position to take selfies below a suspended lighting display at Mody Lane in Tsim Sha Tsui East, where Hong Kong residents have viewed the city’s dazzling Christmas lights for decades. With 175 illuminated stars spread across 25 rows of dangling lights, the fixture is the work of veteran lighting designer Terence Wong Kim-shan, who has designed and installed Christmas lights for many of the city’s

China sharpens criticism of Japan’s ‘neo-militarism’,...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2025/12/25

Chinese state media outlets have ramped up criticism of what they characterise as Japan’s growing “neo-militarism”, warning that Beijing has sufficient policy tools in reserve to respond should Tokyo endanger China’s core interests. People’s Daily, a mouthpiece for China’s ruling Communist Party, said that “neo-militarism” – the resurgence of Japanese militarism after the end of the second world war – had dealt a serious blow to bilateral relations and undermined regional peace and...

Japan still popular with Hong Kong travellers over...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2025/12/25

More Hongkongers are travelling over the Christmas holiday period compared with last year, with traditional destinations in Japan remaining popular despite geopolitical tensions, and mainland Chinese cities such as Harbin and Yunnan gaining appeal. Some industry insiders said Japan remained popular among Hong Kong travellers despite recent news of earthquakes and a geopolitical row between Beijing and Tokyo, which earlier saw mainland visitors cancelling their trips in droves. Relations

How China Dai women use chickens as matchmaking tool...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2025/12/25

China’s Dai ethnic minority have an unusual way of making romantic connections. Women make matches by taking chickens to the market during Dai New Year in the hope of attracting suitors, using the birds as matchmaking tools. “Chicken as a Matchmaker” is the Chinese translation of a courtship custom practised by the Dai ethnic group in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan province, southwestern China. The Dai, whose estimated population is 1.3 million, primarily live in the Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous...

Aspiring Bangladesh PM Tarique Rahman welcomed home...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2025/12/25

Aspiring prime minister and political heavyweight Tarique Rahman was welcomed back to Bangladesh on Thursday by huge crowds of joyous supporters after 17 years in self-imposed exile. Rahman, the son of former prime minister Khaleda Zia and heir apparent of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), shook hands with party leaders after touching down at the Dhaka airport. Accompanied by his wife and daughter, a visibly emotional Rahman took off his shoes, stood on the grass outside the airport and...

Duopoly of Air India, IndiGo to face competition from...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2025/12/25

India’s aviation sector is poised to become more competitive after authorities granted initial approval to two new airlines to start operations in the country, in a move that will further challenge the duopoly of IndiGo and Air India. The expansion comes as the sector was rattled by a series of setbacks this year, including IndiGo’s massive flight cancellations earlier this month and the crash of an Air India plane in Ahmedabad in June. On Tuesday, Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan...

Indonesians in flood-struck Sumatra hold Christmas mass

News - South China Morning Post ·

2025/12/25

At a church in Sumatra, dozens of worshippers sang hymns at a Christmas mass, gathered together for their first service since deadly floods swept the Indonesian island. The Angkola Protestant Church, in the hard-hit South Tapanuli district, was festooned on Wednesday with balloons and simple Christmas decorations. Outside, the street leading to the building was buried under mounds of debris and foliage. Many in the congregation are still sheltering at evacuation sites after the disaster

From Shein to Labubu, French shoppers are buying...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2025/12/25

The first physical store of Chinese-owned fast-fashion giant Shein – which opened in central Paris in November amid heated protests – has become a new retail destination for many denizens of the French capital as they rush to finish their Christmas shopping. Hundreds of customers wandered among the racks of clothing, rifling through items carrying tags with rock-bottom prices, including a €66.99 (US$79) leather jacket and a €78.99 puffer coat. Those wishing to use the fitting rooms at the

Hong Kong taxi driver hospitalised after crashing...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2025/12/25

A 61-year-old taxi driver has been hospitalised in Hong Kong after her vehicle crashed through the back door of a school building in Kwun Tong, requiring fire services to extract her from the car. Police said they were alerted at 10.33am on Thursday that a cabby was injured and trapped inside her vehicle after crashing into the building of Delia Memorial School (Hip Wo) in Kwun Tong. “The driver did not show signs of having consumed alcohol during her breath test,” a force spokesman

Charity vows to give every Hong Kong fire-affected...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2025/12/25

The deadly inferno that raged through a housing estate in Hong Kong last month has prompted youngsters at charity Kids4Kids to spring into action to help children affected by the blaze. Last month’s fire swept through seven of Wang Fuk Court’s eight blocks, raging for about 43 hours and claiming 161 lives. While the group was already planning a Christmas toy collection, it has stepped up the drive and aims to give a new toy to every child affected by the tragedy. Founded in 2008, the

China axes 8 from top advisory body CPPCC, including...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2025/12/25

Four former defence company bosses have been sacked by China’s top political advisory body amid an ongoing anti-corruption campaign in the military and related sectors.They are among eight members removed from the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) under a decision passed by the body’s National Committee in Beijing on Wednesday, according to state news agency Xinhua. Revocation of CPPCC membership – rather than resignation – typically signals suspicions of serious...

Hundreds flock to opening of Hong Kong Food Festival...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2025/12/25

While many Hongkongers have left the city over the Christmas holiday, hundreds of others have flocked to the annual Hong Kong Food Festival in Wan Chai for the first of a five-day fair featuring gourmet seafood, snacks and other delicacies. “I’m going to buy whatever catches my eye today, I don’t have a particular budget,” Angel Wong, a 40-year-old customer service worker, said. “I don’t think I can get away from spending at least HK$600 [US$77] to HK$700.” Wong, who has attended the event at...

CATL poised to bring Yichun lithium output back...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2025/12/25

Contemporary Amperex Technology Ltd (CATL), the world’s biggest maker of electric-vehicle batteries, is set to restart a major lithium mine in eastern China, in a move that could ease raw material costs for the EV supply chain. Jiemian News, a Shanghai-based financial outlet, reported that the Yichun mine in Jiangxi province was expected to receive regulatory approval to resume operations shortly before or after the nine-day Lunar New Year break, which begins on February 15. CATL declined to...

US politicians back Coupang, seethe over South...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2025/12/25

Coupang’s significant spending on lobbying politicians in the United States has apparently paid off, with Republicans criticising the South Korean government’s ongoing investigation into the Seattle-headquartered e-commerce firm. They have denounced South Korea’s investigation into Coupang as an attempt to favour China while remaining silent on the company’s massive data breach of the personal information of 33.7 million users, allegedly by a former employee who is a Chinese national. Amid...

Thousands stuck for hours at Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2025/12/25

Tens of thousands of Hongkongers were stuck for hours at the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge on Christmas Day, as residents streamed out of the city’s border checkpoints for the holiday. Police and rail giant the MTR Corporation also warned on Thursday morning that Shenzhen Bay, Lo Wu and Lok Ma Chau spur line control points were crowded and that travellers should expect a longer time to cross the border. The wave of outbound travel started on Christmas Eve on Wednesday, when the net outflow of...

Chinese SUV maker Jetour bets on localised product...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2025/12/25

Chinese sports utility vehicle maker Jetour, with an eye on becoming a global SUV powerhouse, plans to accelerate its overseas expansion in the Middle East with products tailored to local motorists. Already present in more than 100 countries and regions after seven years in operation, Jetour said at a recent fan gathering in Abu Dhabi that it was banking on local research and development (R&D) efforts to design and build world-class SUVs for countries in the Middle East. “We are listening...

Fujian enters service, J-10C’s combat action: 10...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2025/12/25

Catch up on some of SCMP’s biggest China military stories of the year. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. China’s most advanced aircraft carrier, the Fujian, enters service China’s third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, entered into service on Wednesday at a grand ceremony in Sanya, Hainan province, according to state media reports on Friday. 2. How did China’s J-10C match up to French Rafale in India-Pakistan aerial clash? Reports that France’s

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