Chinese police are investigating at least five cases of teenagers who have gone missing recently and are suspected of being caught up in scam centres, including some who have lost contact with their families after travelling to Myanmar....
The US-China deal under negotiation is likely to bear similarities to the phase one trade agreement from Donald Trump’s first term, according to a former senior official in that administration – offering clues to what the highly...
[Politics] : Anchor: North Korean defector Choi Min-kyung has filed civil and criminal charges against North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Choi alleges that she was subjected to physical torture and sexual violence when she was detained in...
A Hong Kong appellate court is expected to rule in nine months’ time on appeals arising from the city’s largest national security trial, as lawyers wrapped up their verbal submissions on Thursday after 3½ days of hearings. Legal counsel...
Japan saw a record 21.5 million foreign visitors in the first half of 2025, government data showed Wednesday, with travel demand remaining strong even outside peak seasons. Visitor…
A South Korean man was believed to have drowned in his submerged car on Thursday, after he told his wife on the phone that their vehicle was being swept away by treacherous floods caused by record rainfall. Rescue personnel discovered...
Two people died and more than 1,000 have been evacuated in South Korea after the country was lashed by torrential rain on Thursday, the safety ministry said. As…
[Domestic] : Anchor: Torrential rains have pelted the central region, with South Chungcheong Province seeing more than 110 millimeters of rainfall per hour, resulting in three deaths. The government has raised its emergency posture to...
[Economy] : The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index(KOSPI) gained five-point-91 points, or zero-point-19 percent, Thursday to close at three-thousand-192-point-29. The tech-heavy KOSDAQ rose six-point-04 points, or...
Malaysian police have confirmed there was public nudity during a controversial marriage motivational programme that has raised an uproar in the Muslim-majority country. “There were confirmed instances of undress involving at least four...
[Economy] : The increase in apartment unit prices in Seoul has slowed for the third consecutive week, after the government implemented loan restrictions last month with the aim of cooling down the heated housing market. According to data...
China’s top anti-corruption watchdog has pledged to focus on funding for scientific research in its latest crackdown to help ensure that hi-tech development and innovation remain a driving force for the country’s economy. Li Xi, party...
As Hong Kong students receive their results in the city’s two major university entrance exams – Diploma of Secondary Education (DSE) and International Baccalaureate (IB) programme – this summer, they face many pressing choices that could...
Kelly Zong Fuli, chairwoman and CEO of mainland China’s largest soft-drinks producer Hangzhou Wahaha Group, is embroiled in a wealth-inheritance dispute that has prompted questions about the sustainability of the country’s family...
[International] : Starting Saturday, a revamped child adoption system will take effect in which the central and local governments will take responsibility for the entire process. According to the health ministry and the National Center...
The government discarded COVID-19 oral medicines believed to be worth around 240 billion yen in the fiscal year through March as they had passed their expiry dates, health…
[Politics] : Foreign Minister nominee Cho Hyun has pledged to bolster the alliance with the United States and advance relations with Japan and China, while pushing to resume dialogue with North Korea. At a confirmation hearing at the...
This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. New users who download our updated app get a seven-day free trial. The Hong Kong Observatory will...
Most Hongkongers prefer living a fulfilling life up to age 75 rather than an ordinary one until 80, reflecting shifting perceptions of longevity and the growing demand for silver economy-related financial products, according to...
[Politics] : A special counsel team investigating the December 3 martial law incident has raided the Seoul Metropolitan Fire and Disaster Headquarters on allegations that former Interior Minister Lee Sang-min ordered fire authorities to...
Hong Kong taxi drivers will be required to accept electronic payments starting in April next year and complete the installation of journey recorders by early 2027, transport authorities have said, in an effort to improve service quality....
Russia pounded four Ukrainian cities overnight into Wednesday, injuring at least 15 people in an attack that mostly targeted energy infrastructure, officials said. The latest bombardment in Russia’s…
President Donald Trump's public approval rating on immigration fell in recent weeks to 41%, the lowest since his return to the White House, as Americans took a dour…
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Wednesday that he was counting on his new incoming government to take measures to boost the proportion of weapons made at home…
Israel launched powerful airstrikes in Damascus on Wednesday, blowing up part of the defense ministry and hitting near the presidential palace as it vowed to destroy government forces…
China’s latest amphibious warship is designed to take sea-to-land assaults to the next level – a vessel capable of launching fighters and fixed-wing drones like never before. The new-generation Type 076 assault ship will feature an...
An Emirates flight from Dubai to Hong Kong was unexpectedly rerouted to Taiwan on Monday after multiple unsuccessful attempts to land, reportedly because of bad weather. Flight EK382, operated by Dubai’s flagship carrier, was diverted to...
A Myanmar student who had been missing since last week has been found dead, his university confirmed late Wednesday, the latest in a string of tragic incidents involving students at Malaysian private colleges. Sithu Hpone Maw, a...
The Justice Department has fired Maurene Comey, the daughter of former FBI director James Comey and a federal prosecutor in Manhattan who worked on the cases against Sean “Diddy”…
U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday attacked fellow Republicans critical of his administration's handling of the case of dead sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. On social media and in…
[Economy] : The Supreme Court has acquitted Samsung Electronics Chairman Jee Jae-yong of charges related to a controversial merger in 2015 between Samsung affiliates that tightened his grip over the company. The top court issued the...
Out of the 55,000 candidates who took Hong Kong’s university entrance exams this year, about 1,000 were non-local students. While authorities have recently updated the relevant regulations, they have long boasted about the Diploma of...
[Politics] : Former President Yoon Suk Yeol has again failed to appear in court for his criminal insurrection trial. The Seoul Central District Court held a hearing in the trial at 10:15 a.m. in the ousted president’s absence. ...
[Politics] : President Lee Jae Myung has emphasized the need for constitutional change on the occasion of the 77th Constitution Day. In a social media post Thursday, Lee said that just as people change clothes when the seasons change, it...
Beijing has set aside major disputes with Canberra and instead filled Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s six-day visit to China this week with a slew of trade and investment deals, a move analysts said was an effort to find...
[Politics] : The National Assembly will hold confirmation hearings on Thursday for the nominees to lead the ministries of finance, industry and foreign affairs. Relevant parliamentary committees will convene confirmation hearings for...
Students in Hong Kong have received their results for the Diploma of Secondary Education Examination (DSE), the local university entrance exams that pupils take after six years of secondary schooling. This year’s exams produced 16...
The full title of “barrister at law” apparently traces back to 16th century England, providing pleading and advocacy services. Since then, little has changed. Around that time, in the mid-16th century, something else happened in Europe:...
[Politics] : The special counsel team investigating the December 3 martial law case has raided the residence of former Interior Minister Lee Sang-min. According to sources in the legal community on Thursday, the team, led by special...
For Ma Bo, a resident of Hohhot, the capital of Inner Mongolia, late July marks the beginning of another round of suffering. He has suffered from hay fever – an allergic condition triggered by inhaling pollen – for many years. His...
[International] : Russian President Vladimir Putin has reportedly said Russia will consider building access roads to its borders with China, North Korea, Kazakhstan and Mongolia. According to Russia’s state TASS news agency on...
Some nine out of 10 office tenants in Hong Kong are expecting longer rent-free periods from their landlords as more than a quarter of the city’s companies intend to shrink their real-estate footprint over the next 12 months, according to...
An increasing number of mainland Chinese pupils are taking Hong Kong’s university entrance exams as a step towards more diverse opportunities in higher education, with at least two achieving flying colours as private candidates this...
[Domestic] : With heavy rain soaking the nation’s central region, the state forestry agency has strengthened its landslide advisories. The Korea Forest Service said Thursday that as of 6:30 a.m., it has upgraded its landslide advisory by...
[Domestic] : Heavy rain in the country’s central region has disrupted train operations on several routes. The Korea Railroad Corporation(KORAIL) said Thursday that service has been suspended for non-KTX bullet trains along the...
The Philippines has publicly accused a Chinese vessel of causing more than 11 million pesos (US$194,000) in damage to protected coral reefs near Thitu Island in the South China Sea. On Monday, Manila released the results of an...
[Domestic] : Heavy rain and rising water levels in the Sapgyo Stream area in South Chungcheong Province have prompted a flood warning for a nearby bridge. The Geum River Flood Control Office announced on Thursday that as of 7 a.m., the...
Sales of villas, bungalows and luxury homes in Hong Kong soared to a three-year high in the first six months of this year, as an influx of wealthy immigrants fuelled the hunt for bargains on the top end of one of Asia’s priciest...
[Domestic] : The government has elevated its emergency posture to Level Two, with heavy rain warnings in place for the Chungcheong region and parts of southern Gyeonggi Province. According to the interior ministry, the emergency posture...
As climate change accelerates, it’s turning one of our most essential resources, water, into a precious and increasingly scarce commodity. Across the globe, extreme weather is putting unprecedented pressure on freshwater supplies;...