Nepal probes illegal matchmaking as China cautions citizens over ‘bride buying’ Nepal is stepping up scrutiny of illegal cross-border matchmaking after authorities uncovered cases in which brokers and online intermediaries were marketing Nepali women as prospective brides for Chinese nationals, prompting increased enforcement and official warnings. The Chinese Embassy in Nepal issued a New Year’s travel advisory cautioning its citizens against what it described as “bride buying” in the country, urging them not to trust matchmaking agencies and brokers blindly and stressing...

South China Morning Post

Nepal probes illegal matchmaking as China cautions citizens over ‘bride buying’

Officials say online brokers are promoting Nepali women to Chinese men, prompting detentions and official warnings.

Operation Santa Claus: Hong Kong table tennis lovers serve it up for charity Cheers and joy filled the air at a fundraising table tennis tournament in Hong Kong, as more than 250 adults and students picked up their paddles to play with heart for a good cause. Now in its second year, the tournament, organised by the Hong Kong Table Tennis Forum (HKTTF), was held at Luen Wo Hui Sports Centre in Fanling on December 7. The enrolment fees, including 20 per cent of proceeds from singles and doubles and 50 per cent from corporate teams, have been donated to Operation Santa...

South China Morning Post

Operation Santa Claus: Hong Kong table tennis lovers serve it up for charity

More than 250 adults and students took part in the second year of Charity Table Tennis Tournament at Luen Wo Hui Sports Centre.

Chinese cities face subway delays as Beijing targets wasteful spending, high debt levels China is tapping the brakes on some subway expansions, including in certain affluent cities, a decision analysts said reflects a shift from the debt-fuelled infrastructure boom of the past to a new era of fiscal discipline and investment efficiency. Rich eastern hubs such as Ningbo and Suzhou are among those facing regulatory roadblocks in securing Beijing’s approval for new lines as policymakers scrutinise loss-making projects. In an online response to public inquiries, the Ningbo Municipal...

South China Morning Post

No more empty trains: China tightens rules on subway expansions to curb debt

Rich hubs, including Ningbo and Suzhou, are hitting regulatory roadblocks as the central government prioritises fiscal discipline over infrastructu...

Hong Kong’s lack of direction goes beyond road signs The Yau Ma Tei section of the Central Kowloon Bypass has finally opened. That is no doubt welcome news to commuters heading west to east across Kowloon, with travel time cut from 30 minutes to just five. That is definitely something to celebrate. We still need to wait for the Kowloon Bay section to open in 2026 to complete the bypass, but Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan hailed the project as a testament to the “Hong Kong spirit”, given the complex construction process. While the...

South China Morning Post

Opinion | Hong Kong’s lack of direction goes beyond road signs

The absence of clearly visible signage on a newly opened section of the Central Kowloon Bypass is emblematic of wider issues in officials’ vision...

North Korea tests long-range cruise missiles after showcasing nuclear submarine progress North Korea said on Monday it fired long-range strategic cruise missiles into the sea to test the country’s nuclear deterrence, days after it showed apparent progress in the construction of its first nuclear-powered submarine. The official Korean Central News Agency reported that the missile launches occurred off the country’s west coast on Sunday in the presence of leader Kim Jong-un. State media shared photos of the missiles being fired and hitting a target. It said Kim expressed “great...

South China Morning Post

North Korea tests long-range cruise missiles after nuclear submarine progress

Days after unveiling a near-complete hull of a nuclear-powered submarine, North Korea shares photos of missiles being fired and hitting a target.

Hong Kong authorities distribute 30% of HK$4.1 billion Tai Po fire relief fund Hong Kong authorities have distributed about 30 per cent of a HK$4.1 billion (US$528 million) fund set up for residents affected by last month’s deadly fire, along with more than 45,000 donated items. A spokeswoman for the Home and Youth Bureau said: “The total financial commitment of the various support measures in place so far is around HK$1.2 billion, accounting for about 30 per cent of the support fund.” She was referring to the Support Fund for Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, which comprises...

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Hong Kong authorities distribute 30% of HK$4.1 billion Tai Po fire relief fund

Nearly HK$1.2 billion of fund has been handed out to those affected by deadly blaze, along with more than 45,000 donated items.

Hong Kong bond markets, yuan issuance to expand in 2026 under HKMA, SFC road map Hong Kong is expected to see a rise in bond issuance across multiple currencies in 2026, driven by rising demand for non-US dollar assets amid geopolitical tensions and government initiatives to strengthen the city’s capital markets, according to industry players. As part of efforts to promote the local bond market, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) and the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) launched a blueprint in September to expand yuan-linked products and widen the investor base...

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Hong Kong bond markets, yuan issuance to expand in 2026 under HKMA, SFC road map

HKMA and SFC blueprint to drive multicurrency issuance, with green finance and Bond Connect widening investor base.

PLA holds drill near Taiwan in warning to ‘independence forces’ The Chinese People’s Liberation Army said it had kicked off a drill near Taiwan on Monday. Shi Yi, a spokesman for the PLA’s Eastern Theatre Command, said the exercise was a warning to “independence forces” and against external interference. More to follow...

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PLA deploys fighters in live-fire drill around Taiwan in wake of US arms deal

Military says it is conducting exercise across five areas near the self-governed island.

Trump and Netanyahu to discuss next phase of Gaza ceasefire plan at US talks US President Donald Trump is expected to ‌push for progress in the stalled ceasefire in Gaza when he meets Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday for talks ‍that will include Israel’s concerns over Hezbollah in Lebanon and Iran. Netanyahu said this month that Trump had invited him for talks, as Washington pushes to establish transitional governance and an international security force for the Palestinian enclave. Trump has said he could meet the Israeli leader soon but the White...

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Trump and Netanyahu to discuss next phase of Gaza plan during US visit

Israel’s prime minister is making his fifth visit to see Trump in the United States this year.

Kosovo’s left-leaning ruling party wins snap election, exit poll shows Kosovo voted on Sunday in its second parliamentary election in 11 months, with Prime Minister Albin Kurti’s left-leaning Vetevendosje, or Self-Determination Movement party, emerging as the clear winner, according to exit polls. The ruling Vetevendosje secured around 43.5 per cent of the vote, a survey by broadcaster T7 based on interviews with 4,600 voters showed. The Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) followed with 23.6 per cent, while the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) won 15.9 per cent and...

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Kosovo’s ruling party wins vote after year-long political impasse

Kosovo’s premier promises the swift formation of a new government after election win.

1 dead, another injured in mid-air helicopter crash in New Jersey, officials say Two helicopters crashed in New Jersey in what federal authorities say was a mid-air collision that killed one person and critically injured another. Hammonton Police Chief Kevin Friel said rescuers responded to a report of an aviation crash at about 11:25am local time on Sunday, and police and fire crews subsequently extinguished flames that engulfed one of the helicopters. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) described the crash as a mid-air collision between an Enstrom F-28A helicopter...

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Mid-air helicopter crash in US leaves 1 dead, another critically injured

Federal investigators probe crash of two helicopters over Hammonton Municipal Airport in New Jersey.

650 Hongkongers on Taiwan group tours confirmed safe after 6.7-magnitude quake More than 650 Hongkongers on group tours to Taiwan have been confirmed safe following a 6.7-magnitude earthquake late on Saturday, while other travellers from the city have recalled feeling frightened as buildings swayed “from side to side”. The Hong Kong Observatory said the earthquake occurred at 11.05pm in Taiwan, with the epicentre located about 70km (43.5 miles) southeast of Taipei and at a focal depth of 60km. The forecaster also received more than 100 local reports of tremors lasting...

South China Morning Post

650 Hongkongers on Taiwan group tours confirmed safe after ‘terrifying’ quake

Earthquake occurred at 11.05pm in Taiwan, with epicentre located about 70km southeast of Taipei and at focal depth of 60km, Observatory says.

Hong Kong to launch ‘special channel’ for cross-border sensitive biological data Hong Kong authorities are preparing to launch a special channel next year to allow sensitive mainland Chinese biological samples and data to cross an “innovation cooperation zone” between the city and Shenzhen, a minister has said. Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry Sun Dong said in a television programme on Sunday that authorities had already clearly defined the scope of specific genetic resources and sensitive information permitted. “I believe we will roll out these detailed...

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Hong Kong to launch ‘special channel’ for cross-border sensitive biological data

A ‘green channel’ and ‘white list’ system will allow samples and data to cross between innovation hubs in Lok Ma Chau and Shenzhen.

How Algeria could help China plug iron ore gaps and gain pricing power In the heart of Algeria’s Sahara Desert, Chinese state-owned giant China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC) has completed laying track on the PK330 Bridge, a final and critical link in a new railway designed to unlock the nation’s mineral wealth. The 6km (3.7-mile) bridge is part of the 950km railway linking the Gara Djebilet iron ore deposit in southwestern Tindouf province to the industrial hub of Bechar in the northeast. It was the “most technically demanding railway engineering feat...

South China Morning Post

How Algeria could help China plug iron ore gaps and gain pricing power

The Gara Djebilet deposit in the Sahara Desert was discovered decades ago but is only now coming into production.

Vietnam’s pickleball craze brings fun and frustration: ‘it drives me nuts’ The piercing pop-pop of pickleball paddles starts before sunrise and ends after midnight at dozens of newly built courts across Hanoi, as residents relish one of Vietnam’s fastest-growing sports – or rage at the noise it makes. The initial craze saw more people in Vietnam pick up a paddle per capita than anywhere else in Asia, according to one survey. Now unwitting spectators are yelling fault, filing noise complaints and petitions to curb playing hours that have left authorities in a pickle. In...

South China Morning Post

‘It drives me nuts’: why Vietnam’s newest craze is keeping neighbours awake

‘The noise makes it impossible for me to sleep. It just keeps going pop-pop-pop,’ a Hanoi resident says.

China hosts trilateral talks in bid to cement Thailand-Cambodia truce China’s top diplomat Wang Yi is set to host the foreign ministers of Cambodia and Thailand to “consolidate” the new ceasefire deal between the Southeast Asian countries. The trilateral gathering, to be held Sunday and Monday, marks Beijing’s latest effort to cement its role as an international mediator and secure a lasting peace deal in the deadly border clash between the two neighbours. At Wang’s invitation, his Cambodian counterpart Prak Sokhonn and Thai Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow...

South China Morning Post

China says it’s ready to help Asean monitor Thailand-Cambodia truce

Top diplomat Wang Yi hosts two days of talks with Cambodian and Thai counterparts to consolidate a border ceasefire.

Russia’s Putin warns of escalation if Ukraine rejects peace talks Russian ‌President Vladimir Putin said Ukraine was in no hurry for peace ‍and if it did not want to resolve their conflict peacefully, Moscow would accomplish all its goals by force. Putin’s remarks on Saturday, carried by state news agency Tass, followed a vast ⁠Russian drone and missile attack that prompted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to say Russia was showing its wish to continue the war while Kyiv wanted peace. Zelensky is to meet US President Donald Trump in Florida on Sunday to...

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Russia’s Putin warns of escalation if Ukraine rejects peace talks

The Russian ‌leader said Moscow was ready to achieve its war goals by force amid contested claims of territorial gains.

China owner of poisoned ‘smiling Shiba Inu’ berated for exploiting canine’s death The newlywed owners of a Shiba Inu dog famous online for its adorable smile, which was poisoned to death in a village in eastern China, have been accused of cashing in on its death. The six-year-old canine, Peppa, had been raised by the couple since it was three months old. It died recently after its owners took it to their hometown in rural Shandong province for a honeymoon, where it ate poison-tainted food on the road. The dog has a combined half a million followers on several mainland social...

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China owner of poisoned ‘smiling Shiba Inu’ berated for exploiting canine’s death

Tearful custodian of ‘cute and obedient’ animal with 500,000 online followers posts video of dead pet; is slammed and praised.

Singapore’s Pritam Singh faces leadership test as Workers’ Party seeks special meeting Singapore’s Workers’ Party (WP) on Sunday said that its party cadres have requested a special conference to be held and that the party’s top decision-making body – the Central Executive Committee (CEC) – will be “following up on the request”. WP’s statement comes after party secretary general Pritam Singh’s conviction for lying to a parliamentary committee, with the matter set to be discussed in parliament on January 12 next year. More than 20 cadres have signed a letter calling for the special...

South China Morning Post

Singapore’s Pritam Singh faces leadership test as party seeks special meeting

The request comes after the opposition chief and party secretary general’s conviction for lying to a parliamentary panel.

Thailand’s 2025 of turmoil: border war, scam crackdowns and PM musical chairs It was a year defined by war with Cambodia, but also the unravelling of cyber scams around Thailand’s borders, the rise and demise of political dynasties and another period of musical chairs in the prime minister’s office. There was also national mourning with the death of Queen Mother Sirikit, a towering figure over recent Thai history, and the omnipresence of Lalisa Manobal – or Lisa of South Korean girl group Blackpink – who rapped, acted, gyrated and produced content that seized the...

South China Morning Post

From PM purge to border bombs: Thailand’s year of upheaval

As the country mourns the loss of Queen Mother Sirikit amid political chaos and a sluggish economy, Lisa’s global reign lights up Thai public.