Britains justice minister on Friday said he was appalled after an Ethiopian asylum seeker and convicted sex offender whose crimes sparked protests was released from jail in error. The high-profile case earlier this year ignited demonstrations which swiftly spread to other towns where asylum seekers were believed to be housed, as well as counter-protests. ...

Two people have fallen victim to scammers who impersonated courier workers and sent fake text messages to steal bank account information in Hong Kong, with one person losing more than HK$1 million. Police revealed the cases on their CyberDefender social media account on Friday, warning that the force had recorded more than 60 phishing scams over the past ...

India trialled cloud seeding over its smog-filled capital for the first time, spraying a chemical from an aeroplane to encourage rain and wash deadly particles out of the air. Cloud seeding is the practice of using aeroplanes to fire salt or other chemicals into clouds to induce rain. New Delhi city authorities, working with the governments Indian Institute ...

Hong Kong police will issue summons to 31 minibus passengers after undercover officers discovered that commuters were not wearing their seat belts. The force said that the operation took place on Friday and involved undercover officers from its Kowloon East traffic enforcement and control division checking for anyone not wearing seat belts on minibuses. ...

A diamond brooch owned and abandoned by Napoleon Bonaparte after the Battle of Waterloo will go up for auction for the first time. The brooch, made of nearly 100 diamonds, was left behind after the emperor fled Waterloos battlefield to return to Paris, and was given to the king of Prussia three days later as part of the trophies his armies took back. The ...

Beijing has formally designated October 25 as the day to commemorate Taiwans restoration, as it again asserts its sovereignty over the self-ruled island. The National Peoples Congress Standing Committee, the countrys top legislative body, ratified the decision on Friday. State news agency Xinhua reported that commemorative events would be held on Saturday, ...

Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on Friday that the US military conducted its 10th strike on a vessel suspected of carrying drugs overnight, killing six people and bringing the death toll of the campaign against drug cartels to at least 46 people. In a post on social media, he said that the vessel was operated by the Tren de Aragua gang and the ...

In the face of an increasingly turbulent world, China will employ strategic proactiveness as it addresses growing risks and challenges, senior officials said at a Friday press conference detailing the countrys priorities under its next five-year plan. The worlds second-largest economy will shift more attention to the development of its domestic market amid ...

Hong Kong authorities have launched a pilot scheme to install a new smart fire alarm system that can detect and report a blaze in minutes, with a target to install it in 3,600 old buildings that have yet to be fitted with adequate fire fighting facilities. The Fire Services Department said on Friday it started installing a fire detection system that ...

Hopes for peace and reconstruction in Gaza have suffered a deadly blow after US envoys unveiled a plan that analysts say will split the territory in two and set the stage for the prolonged, if not permanent, Israeli occupation of more than half the Strip. With Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu making any further military withdrawal conditional upon ...

One of Chinas largest producers of rare earth elements has pledged to strictly enforce government guidance on export controls, a show of support from a major industry player as US officials harshly criticise Beijings recent expansion of licensing requirements for the crucial minerals. The statement from China Rare Earth Group a conglomerate of state metals ...

If Elon Musks 2018 battle for a US$56 billion payday seemed surreal to most average people, then the Tesla boards proposal to offer him US$1 trillion over the coming decade is nothing short of eye-popping. But Musks temerity sits at the heart of an unresolved corporate conundrum amplified by the extraordinary stock market bubble inflating in the United ...

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was in Britain on Friday for talks with two dozen European leaders who have pledged military help to protect his country from future Russian aggression if a ceasefire stops the more than three-year war. Before heading to Londons Downing Street to meet Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the host of the London talks, the ...

Hong Kongs health authorities will set aside 30 per cent of public family medicine clinics quota spots for low-income and elderly patients under a pilot scheme starting next month, with the policy expected to benefit more than 200,000 people. The Health Bureau said on Friday that the Hospital Authoritys Family Medicine Outpatient Services Priority Groups ...

Following a reshuffle at a Communist Party conclave that endorsed continuing Chinas military anti-corruption drive, the mouthpiece of the Peoples Liberation Army said on Friday that political loyalty and fighting corruption were crucial for winning wars. At the fourth plenum of the partys Central Committee, which concluded on Thursday, the militarys ...

A Hong Kong man found dead in his flat with a towel around his neck has prompted a police investigation, with sources saying he was believed to have been engaging in autoerotic asphyxiation. Police said they received a call at around 6.24pm on Thursday evening from the mans father, who reported finding his son dead inside their flat at Kwai Chun Court in ...

Bird flu is spreading rapidly in Europe, with the highest number of countries in at least a decade reporting early outbreaks, raising concerns about a repeat of past crises that led to the culling of tens of millions of birds and higher food prices. Meanwhile, Australian scientists have found hundreds of dead seal pups on Heard Island in the sub-Antarctic ...

Scientists have confirmed that a large crater in Chinas southern Guangdong province formed as a result of an asteroid impact around 10,000 years ago, at a time when human civilisation was undergoing rapid development. The Jinlin crater, located near the city of Zhaoqing, is just the fifth confirmed impact crater in China and the first one to be identified ...

During the preparatory period for Chinas next five-year plan, President Xi Jinping stressed the country needed to stick to its strategy of focusing on doing its own work and seizing the initiative amid an uncertain external environment, according to a report by the state-run news agency Xinhua. The comments, which Xi originally made during a symposium in ...

Hong Kong remains one of the worlds least affordable housing rental markets as constrained median household incomes are unable to keep up with limited availability and high demand in the city, according to German asset manager DWS. Three of the five least affordable housing rental markets were in Asia, with Bangkok and Mumbai taking up the top two spots and ...

Mainland Chinas planning and construction methods for major new areas in Beijing and Hebei province offer valuable reference points for Hong Kongs development and financing of the Northern Metropolis megaproject, the finance chief has said. Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po, who led a 40-strong government delegation to the two locations, shared his ...

China can learn from the United States when it comes to applying civilian innovations to the military, a Chinese geopolitical expert has said. In an article last week, Gu Jianyi, a researcher at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, said China could consider developing a new industrial ecosystem inspired by successful US firms such as SpaceX, Palantir and Anduril. ...

Public voting has begun for the Spirit of Hong Kong Awards 2025, with 27 finalists nominated for their achievements that enshrine compassion, creativity and perseverance. Co-organised by the South China Morning Post and Sino Group, the annual awards recognise individuals and teams whose quiet actions and innovations help build a more caring, inclusive and ...

The Philippine military has launched an unusually aggressive pushback against what it describes as a growing campaign to destabilise its personnel and ultimately unseat President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr. Army and navy officials have warned that disinformation campaigns, rogue recruitment drives and seditious messaging often amplified on social media pose a ...

A terminally ill father in eastern China has inspired millions online by teaching his daughter to face death with courage and peace. A Shanghai woman known online as Dong Sanbai has shared the story of her 67-year-old father, Dong, who loves music, books and fishing. Born into poverty, Dong worked in a factory as a young man but spent his nights teaching ...