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China counts down to Long March-10 test flights in...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2025/11/09

China will soon start flight tests of the Long March-10, the rocket designed to land astronauts on the moon by 2030, according to its developer.Rong Yi, a rocket expert with the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT), said in a social media post on Friday that the development of the new-generation crewed launch rocket was accelerating. “There have been breakthroughs in key technologies, and demonstration verification flights are about to be conducted to support the crewed lunar...

Hong Kong’s Medical Council under fire for closing...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2025/11/09

Hong Kong’s Medical Council is under mounting pressure to account for its disciplinary procedures after concerns were raised about its handling of a second alleged blunder, this time involving an endoscopy that left a patient in a vegetative state. The council is already under fire from authorities and the city’s ombudsman for its handling of an inquiry into another alleged blunder that left a child disabled for life. The latest allegations centred around the treatment of hospitalised patient...

Manila’s biggest challenge as next Asean chair?...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2025/11/09

With the Philippines set to succeed Malaysia next year as chair of Asean, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations faces challenges both within and beyond the region. It must remain united and continue to resist taking sides in the great power rivalry. The 47th Asean summit in Kuala Lumpur was a fitting finale to an exceptional year as the bloc’s profile continued to rise. Adding to this was the admission of East Timor – an important milestone that completes the Asean family and underscores...

China’s Fujian carrier on track for rapid combat...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2025/11/09

China’s third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, is expected to achieve combat readiness sooner than the first two, and the country has the potential to produce more carriers for regular deployment on the high seas, according to state media. The reports also said China had the technology to build nuclear-powered carriers. The Fujian, the nation’s most advanced carrier and the first with electromagnetic catapults, was officially commissioned in Sanya, Hainan province, on Wednesday. It will now

40 hikers rescued in New Zealand amid out-of-control...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2025/11/09

New Zealand authorities said on Sunday that extra aircraft were being sent to fight an out-of-control wildfire that has burnt through around 1,100 hectares (4.2 square miles) of national park in the country’s central North Island. Firefighters began battling the fire in Tongariro National Park, a popular hiking spot, on Saturday afternoon and around 40 hikers had to be airlifted to safety. However, firefighting efforts were suspended overnight for safety reasons. Fire and Emergency New

As Cop30 begins, what’s the latest in climate science?

News - South China Morning Post ·

2025/11/09

With the pace of climate change speeding up, extreme weather and other impacts are taking an increasing toll on populations and environments across the globe. Here are some of the developments this year in climate science. Warmer, faster Global temperatures are not just climbing, they are now climbing faster than before, with records logged for 2023 and 2024, and at points in 2025. That finding was part of a key study in June that updated baseline data used in the science reports done every

Xi declares Games open after Hong Kong’s Lee says...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2025/11/09

This live blog has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Get faster notifications on the latest updates by downloading our app. It feels as though we’ve been talking about this moment for months, but the opening ceremony for the National Games is finally here and Sunday promises to be a celebration to remember. Organisers have been teasing an event they say will blend cutting-edge technology and the rich...

From playgrounds to boardrooms, Hong Kong comes...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2025/11/09

What brings Hongkongers together to battle it out on the squash courts, run around the city’s landmarks dressed in red and green, and show off their culinary skills in a cook-off? It’s the annual Operation Santa Claus (OSC) fundraising drive. Dating back to the 1960s, when RTHK presenters began staging creative charity stunts – including winter dives into Victoria Harbour – to raise funds for underprivileged children, the initiative was resurrected in 1988 by RTHK and the South China Morning...

Germany must work with China to build trust after...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2025/11/09

Germany needs to think long term and come up with a strategic vision to revive mutual trust with China following a series of diplomatic “bumps” this year, according to international relations observers. The relationship faced a setback last month when German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul postponed his first trip to China. A German foreign ministry official said the visit was called off after Beijing confirmed only one of his requested meetings. Cui Hongjian, director of the European

China mum takes comatose daughter to dancing daily...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2025/11/09

A mother in central China who saw her comatose daughter come to life after taking her square dancing every day for 10 years has been hailed as a miracle worker. Thanks to her care and the daily dance rehabilitation, her daughter regained consciousness and can now walk, speak and care for herself. Xiao Xuefei, 59, from Hunan province, has been a full-time carer for her daughter, Yang Fang, while her husband juggles work and household duties. A decade ago, Yang fell critically ill while working

Hong Kong to answer Xi Jinping’s call for Greater Bay...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2025/11/09

Hong Kong will heed President Xi Jinping’s call to forge closer ties with the Greater Bay Area to pursue technological innovations, the finance chief has said, noting the number of start-ups in the city increased by 40 per cent between 2020 and 2024. Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po also vowed on Sunday to help bay area cities tap into international markets by leveraging Hong Kong’s dual roles for “going global and attracting foreign investment”. He cited Xi’s remarks during a recent...

More than 1,000 daily inquiries for Hong Kong’s new...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2025/11/09

Hong Kong’s public hospitals have received more than 1,000 inquiries daily since applications for new medical fee waivers opened last Monday, authorities have revealed. Hospital Authority chief executive Dr Libby Lee Ha-yun said in a television interview on Sunday that more than 100 applications had already been submitted. An additional 1.1 million people will be eligible for fee waivers under a revamp of the public healthcare subsidy scheme that takes effect on January 1 next year. The

To become a developed nation, China must still...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2025/11/09

Following the Communist Party of China’s fourth plenum, debate has intensified over the direction of the country’s economy, with manufacturing remaining a central pillar of Beijing’s ambitions for the coming decade. The Communist Party’s Central Committee’s recommendations for the 15th five-year plan, released on October 28, reaffirm China’s goal of achieving socialist modernisation by 2035, measured by gross domestic product (GDP) per capita – a vision outlined in the 14th five-year plan and...

China quietly curbs abuse of detention procedure...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2025/11/09

China has been quietly restricting the widespread abuse of a form of detention legal critics believe is a key source of illegal interrogation that has led to multiple deaths and blocked suspects’ access to lawyers. There has been no official announcement of the changes. But last month, a leaked file of new guidelines circulated online, adding supervision and restricting the way the measure, known as residential surveillance at a designated location (RSDL), is approved and executed. RSDL was...

China boss fires worker for sick leave after...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2025/11/09

The sacking of Chinese man who was found to have walked 16,000 steps after applying for sick leave because of foot pain has ignited a heated discussion about employees’ rights. An official social media account of the Ministry of Justice published details of the 2019 case on October 29. The man, surnamed Chen, who worked at a company in eastern China’s Jiangsu province, applied twice for sick leave for a back strain he suffered at work in February and March, providing a hospital diagnosis as...

Hundreds missing after migrant boat sinks off...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2025/11/09

Hundreds of people were missing on Sunday after a boat sank near the Thailand-Malaysia border, as 10 survivors and one body were recovered, the Malaysian maritime authority said. More victims might still be found at sea some three days after the sinking of the vessel, which left Buthidaung, Myanmar, with about 300 people on board, said First Admiral Romli Mustafa, the maritime authority director of the northern Malaysian states of Kedah and Perlis. Among the survivors found in the waters off...

3 teens arrested over attack on 17-year-old in Hong...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2025/11/09

Hong Kong police have arrested three teenagers in connection with an attack on a 17-year-old girl in a shopping centre toilet last month that was allegedly motivated by money and relationship disputes, with a video clip of the assault later posted on social media. The force said on Sunday that the three girls, aged 13 to 16, were arrested in Sau Mau Ping, Ta Kwu Ling and Tsuen Wan, on suspicion of assault occasioning actual bodily harm following an investigation by police’s Mong Kok district...

Elephant tramples Indonesian girl to death as...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2025/11/09

The death of an eight-year-old girl in Riau province after being trampled by a wild elephant has reignited concern over Indonesia’s worsening human-wildlife conflict, with conservationists warning that shrinking habitats are pushing animals into increasingly dangerous contact with people. The girl, identified only as Citra, died last Saturday following three days in a coma after suffering severe head injuries in the October 30 incident. She had been fleeing with her family from their wooden

Hong Kong to tap new markets amid easing tariff war,...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2025/11/09

Hong Kong is seeking to expand its trade networks by tapping into new markets in Latin America, Africa and Central Asia amid the easing of the US tariff war, the minister has said, expressing confidence that export growth will continue due to stronger ties with Southeast Asia. Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Algernon Yau Ying-wah said Hong Kong needed to diversify its exports following last month’s breakthrough in Sino-US trade talks when Chinese President Xi Jinping and his

Outrage in China over release of 1,000 cats into...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2025/11/09

A “life release” event saw 1,100 cats dumped near a protected water reservoir in China, causing many of the animals to panic, jump into the water and drown. On November 1, videos surfaced online showing a group of people wearing masks releasing large numbers of cats near the Yingzui Reservoir in Qingyuan, Guangdong province, southern China. “Life release” is a traditional Buddhist practice where animals such as fish, turtles or birds are released into the wild as a form of compassion and...

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