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Kai Tak Hospital starts first phase of operations, treats 350 patients on day 1
SCMP •

Kai Tak Hospital starts first phase of operations, treats 350 patients on day 1

Hong Kong’s Kai Tak Hospital launched its first phase of operations, treating nearly 350 patients at its family medicine centre on Monday, with the daily number projected to reach 1,800 by the end of the year. While patients welcomed the service, lawmakers called for more frequent feeder transport and better publicity surrounding transit options. Positioned to become Hong Kong’s largest public hos...

Kai Tak Hospital starts first phase of operations, treats 300 patients on day 1
SCMP •

Kai Tak Hospital starts first phase of operations, treats 300 patients on day 1

Hong Kong’s Kai Tak Hospital launched its first phase of operations, treating nearly 300 patients at its family medicine centre on Monday morning, with the daily number projected to reach 1,800 by the end of the year. While some patients expressed satisfaction about the service, lawmakers called for more frequent connecting transport services and better publicity on transit options. Positioned to ...

If BTS has to serve, why are South Korean sportsmen, artists exempt: ex-lawmaker
SCMP •

If BTS has to serve, why are South Korean sportsmen, artists exempt: ex-lawmaker

A former South Korean lawmaker has called for the abolition of the military exemption system granted to outstanding national athletes, arguing that military service should not be used as an incentive for achievements in sports or the arts. Yoo Seong-min’s remarks came amid controversy over comments made by members of South Korea’s men’s football team, who recently won its fourth consecutive Asian ...

Chinese travellers go premium, Malaysia appeals to investors: 5 weekend reads you missed
SCMP •

Chinese travellers go premium, Malaysia appeals to investors: 5 weekend reads you missed

We have put together stories from our coverage last weekend to help you stay informed about news across Asia and beyond. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. ‘No brainer’: growing trend of Chinese tourists booking business-class flights 2. US to deploy NMESIS anti-ship system on Japanese island closest to Taiwan 3. Chinese art takes long march home from...

Wellcome operator DFI Retail seeks buyer for fully leased shopping centre on The Peak

Wellcome operator DFI Retail seeks buyer for fully leased shopping centre on The Peak

SCMP •

DFI Retail, the food and beverage unit of Hong Kong-headquartered conglomerate Jardine Matheson, is looking to sell its mall at The Peak, one of the city’s wealthiest neighbourhoods. The entire commercial portion of the Dairy Farm Guildford Road Shopping Centre will be sold via a public tender closing at noon on November 19, according to sole agent CBRE. The property is near The Peak campus of the...

Hong Kong outlines 4-step AI talent plan to help graduates navigate job market

Hong Kong outlines 4-step AI talent plan to help graduates navigate job market

SCMP •

Hong Kong has unveiled a four-step artificial intelligence (AI) “talent ladder” strategy to counter entry-level job shock and foster industry leaders, viewing the technology as a “catalyst, not a threat”. Permanent Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry Kevin Choi Kit-ming warned on Monday that the “entry-level shock” was real because AI performed well in many routine tasks that once ma...

Hong Kong outlines 4-step AI ‘talent ladder’ to offset entry-level job shock

Hong Kong outlines 4-step AI ‘talent ladder’ to offset entry-level job shock

SCMP •

Hong Kong has unveiled a four-step artificial intelligence (AI) “talent ladder” strategy to counter entry-level job shock and foster industry leaders, viewing the technology as a “catalyst, not a threat”. Permanent Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry Kevin Choi Kit-ming warned on Monday that the “entry-level shock” was real because AI performed well in many routine tasks that once ma...

Hong Kong outlines four-step AI ‘talent ladder’ to offset entry-level job shock

Hong Kong outlines four-step AI ‘talent ladder’ to offset entry-level job shock

SCMP •

Hong Kong has unveiled a four-step artificial intelligence (AI) “talent ladder” strategy to counter entry-level job shock and foster industry leaders, viewing the technology as a “catalyst, not a threat”. Permanent Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry Kevin Choi Kit-ming warned on Monday that the “entry-level shock” was real because AI performed well in many routine tasks that once ma...

China develops plant to extract hydrogen, fresh water and uranium from the sea

China develops plant to extract hydrogen, fresh water and uranium from the sea

SCMP •

Chinese scientists have built a small, stable co-production plant that uses one system to extract hydrogen and fresh water from seawater, while also recovering uranium and bromine and improving electricity use efficiency by about 15 per cent. The team, led by Deng Dehui and Liu Yanting from the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, improved on an existing technology th...

India seeks to be ‘a little bit more involved’ in ending Ukraine war: minister

India seeks to be ‘a little bit more involved’ in ending Ukraine war: minister

SCMP •

India is taking a more direct role in efforts to end the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, engaging both sides on issues including shipping and reducing hostilities, Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishankar has said. Speaking at a security conference over the weekend, Jaishankar said India in recent months has become “a little bit more involved beyond advocacy”. The comments point to a more a...

Kai Tak Hospital opens this week: what you need to know before visiting

Kai Tak Hospital opens this week: what you need to know before visiting

SCMP •

Hong Kong’s largest public hospital, built on the former airport site in Kai Tak, will begin its first phase of operation on Monday after more than a decade of planning and preparation. The South China Morning Post looks at the new hospital’s key features and what its opening means for the city’s healthcare development. 1. What makes Kai Tak Hospital special? With a gross floor area of about 500,0...

Pro-Israel Samoa prime minister apologises for Nazi gesture in leaked video

Pro-Israel Samoa prime minister apologises for Nazi gesture in leaked video

SCMP •

Samoa’s prime minister apologised on Monday after video surfaced showing him saying “Heil Hitler” and making a Nazi gesture. Prime Minister La’auli Leuatea Schmidt said the footage was from a family gathering almost 20 years old and was never meant to see the light of day. “The footage shows me using the words ‘Heil Hitler’ and participating in a gesture associated with Nazi Germany in a private f...

Chinese man, 71, discovers hidden US$63,000 fortune after scavenging for 21 years

Chinese man, 71, discovers hidden US$63,000 fortune after scavenging for 21 years

SCMP •

An elderly man in central China, who has spent the past 21 years making ends meet as a scavenger, experienced a remarkable stroke of luck when he discovered that his pension fund contained over 420,000 yuan (US$63,000). In late September, the 71-year-old man, surnamed Ru, received a bank card linked to his pension account, which revealed a balance of 424,204 yuan, as reported by Changde Daily. Com...

Is Hong Kong’s drive to eliminate substandard housing doing more harm than good?

Is Hong Kong’s drive to eliminate substandard housing doing more harm than good?

SCMP •

Housewife May and her three children were overjoyed last September when they moved into a 200 sq ft subdivided flat in Kwai Tsing, a Hong Kong district with one of the city’s lowest average monthly household incomes. For years, the 50-year-old single parent had lived in a squatter hut with her son and two daughters, where they had to climb hundreds of stairs daily. They later moved into a 100 sq f...

Malaysians choose family over shopping or holidays, domestic travel data shows

Malaysians choose family over shopping or holidays, domestic travel data shows

SCMP •

Malaysians delight in visiting family and friends, so much so that these visits made up 44 per cent of domestic travel. They enjoy seeing their loved ones even more than shopping (21.6 per cent) and holidaying (13 per cent), as shown in the latest numbers from the Statistics Department on domestic tourism in the second quarter of this year. The 44 per cent recorded is even higher than last year’s ...

FBI chief Kash Patel and country singer Alexis Wilkins announce engagement

FBI chief Kash Patel and country singer Alexis Wilkins announce engagement

SCMP •

FBI Director Kash Patel is engaged to his country singer girlfriend, Alexis Wilkins, the pair announced in a post to X on Sunday evening. Wilkins, 27, posted a black-and-white photo of herself standing with Patel, 46, flashing her hand in front of them to show off her ring with the caption: “Went and got the law involved”. The two have been dating since before Patel took over as head of the FBI in...

HKU eyes Northern Metropolis expansion to boost research capacity, attract talent

HKU eyes Northern Metropolis expansion to boost research capacity, attract talent

SCMP •

The University of Hong Kong (HKU) is looking to secure more laboratory space in the Northern Metropolis university town to expand its research capacity and attract talent, its new vice-president for research has said. Professor Anderson Shum Ho-cheung, who took up the vice presidency in August, also called for more government funding, saying grant applications took time and returns on investment c...

Laotian man freed from eSwatini jail 14 months after US third-country deportation

Laotian man freed from eSwatini jail 14 months after US third-country deportation

SCMP •

A Laotian citizen deported by the United States to eSwatini under Donald Trump administration’s immigration crackdown was released from a maximum-security prison in the African nation on Sunday after being held there for more than a year, his lawyer said. Phone Chomsavanh was among five immigrants deported to eSwatini – where he has no ties – in July 2025, in the early days of the Trump administra...

Rigid goals not set in Hong Kong’s 5-year plan to allay fears of planned economy: Tse

Rigid goals not set in Hong Kong’s 5-year plan to allay fears of planned economy: Tse

SCMP •

Hong Kong refrained from setting overly rigid economic indicators in its first five-year plan to avoid fuelling concerns that it was moving towards a planned economy, according to the city’s constitutional affairs minister. The current priority should be hitting targets instead of dwelling on accountability mechanisms for potential shortcomings, Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Ja...

Rigid goals in Hong Kong’s 5-year plan not set to allay fears of planned economy: Tse

Rigid goals in Hong Kong’s 5-year plan not set to allay fears of planned economy: Tse

SCMP •

Hong Kong refrained from setting overly rigid economic indicators in its first five-year plan to avoid fuelling concerns that it was moving towards a planned economy, according to the city’s constitutional affairs minister. The current priority should be hitting targets instead of dwelling on accountability mechanisms for potential shortcomings, Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Ja...

Hong Kong resisted rigid 5-year plan goals to allay planned economy fears: minister

Hong Kong resisted rigid 5-year plan goals to allay planned economy fears: minister

SCMP •

Hong Kong refrained from setting overly rigid economic indicators in its first five-year plan to avoid fuelling concerns that it was moving towards a planned economy, according to the city’s constitutional affairs minister. The current priority should be hitting targets instead of dwelling on accountability mechanisms for potential shortcomings, Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Ja...

Malaysia’s Anwar set to unveil crowd-pleasing budget as political pressure rises

Malaysia’s Anwar set to unveil crowd-pleasing budget as political pressure rises

SCMP •

Malaysia’s Anwar Ibrahim is expected to roll out a populist budget on Friday aimed at placating voter concerns over the cost of living and access to essential services, experts say, as the prime minister seeks to shore up support ahead of a general election that could be called as soon as next year. Anwar’s coalition government is under mounting pressure amid a deepening feud with Umno. The Malay ...

US Coast Guard suspends search for 6 aboard crashed medical aircraft

US Coast Guard suspends search for 6 aboard crashed medical aircraft

SCMP •

US Authorities on Sunday suspended the search off the Massachusetts coast for six people on an air ambulance that disappeared during a flight from Bermuda to Boston. The US Coast Guard said authorities searched more than 7,081km (4,400 miles) over a span of 66 hours for the four Canadians and two people from Bermuda who were on board. “Suspending a search is not an easy decision,” Rear Admiral Mat...

Search continues for missing Bermuda to Boston flight as crews plan to comb seabed

Search continues for missing Bermuda to Boston flight as crews plan to comb seabed

SCMP •

A search continued on Sunday off the Massachusetts coast for an air ambulance carrying six people that disappeared during a flight from Bermuda to Boston as authorities planned to comb the seabed, the US Coast Guard said. The Federal Aviation Administration contacted the coastguard at 2am on Saturday saying it had lost contact with the Gulfstream G100 carrying four Canadians and two Bermudian nati...

Zheng Yongnian on China-US realism and battling for the upper hand before the next summit

Zheng Yongnian on China-US realism and battling for the upper hand before the next summit

SCMP •

Zheng Yongnian is a political scientist in China and a government adviser. His academic work is mainly about contemporary China, particularly politics, the country’s transformation and its external relations. This interview first appeared in SCMP Plus. For other interviews in the Open Questions series, click here. Many have offered a lukewarm assessment of the Xi-Trump summit in Washington, citing...

US removes bombers from UK base after security incident

US removes bombers from UK base after security incident

SCMP •

The US Air Force has removed its bombers stationed at a US-run military airbase in England used to strike Iran following an investigation into a planned terror attack at the RAF Fairford base. The bombers were redeployed back to their home bases in the United States, according to a Pentagon official who was not authorised to discuss sensitive military movements and spoke on Sunday on condition of ...

US Air Force removes all bombers from UK airbase targeted by suspected terror attack

US Air Force removes all bombers from UK airbase targeted by suspected terror attack

SCMP •

The US Air Force has brought home its bombers stationed at a US-run military airbase in England used to strike Iran following an investigation into a planned terror attack at the RAF Fairford base. The bombers were redeployed back to their home bases in the United States, according to a Pentagon official who was not authorised to discuss sensitive military movements and spoke on Sunday on conditio...

Serb separatist Dodik declares victory for his party in Bosnia election

Serb separatist Dodik declares victory for his party in Bosnia election

SCMP •

Bosnian Serb nationalist politician Milorad Dodik has declared victory for his party in an election in Bosnia and Herzegovina on Sunday that was shaped by economic pressures, the prospect of the Balkan nation joining the European Union and ethnic tensions that have divided the country since its brutal 1992–95 war. Dodik is a staunchly pro-Russia politician who, despite not appearing on the ballot,...

Serb separatist Dodik declares victory in Bosnia vote as ethnic tensions, EU hopes collide

Serb separatist Dodik declares victory in Bosnia vote as ethnic tensions, EU hopes collide

SCMP •

Bosnian Serb nationalist politician Milorad Dodik has declared victory for his party in an election in Bosnia and Herzegovina on Sunday that was shaped by economic pressures, the prospect of the Balkan nation joining the European Union and ethnic tensions that have divided the country since its brutal 1992–95 war. Dodik is a staunchly pro-Russia politician who, despite not appearing on the ballot,...