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South China Morning Post

All the latest breaking news from Hong Kong, China and around the world

Hong Kong dollar bonds to continue surge after record US$42 billion year

Hong Kong dollar bond issuance is poised to expand, following a record run of offerings, as easing local interest rates attract more issuers while a global diversification trend persists, according to analysts. Total issuance in the city’s currency reached a record HK$331 billion (US$42.6 billion) so far this year, nearly 37 per cent higher than 2024’s full-year total of HK$242 billion. “The...
Hong Kong’s Tai Po fire tragedy: what you need to know

We have put together seven stories on everything you need to know about Hong Kong’s worst fire in decades. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Hong Kong families endure unimaginable loss as fire death toll rises Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in decades has torn apart families as the death toll increased early Friday morning, with many heavy-hearted...
Bird flu could risk pandemic ‘worse than Covid’ if it mutates

The bird flu virus that has been spreading among wild birds, poultry and mammals could lead to a pandemic worse than Covid-19 if it mutates to transmit between humans, the head of France’s Institut Pasteur respiratory infections centre has said. The highly pathogenic avian influenza, commonly called bird flu, has led to the culling of hundreds of millions of birds in the past few years,...
A new test for consent: reforming Hong Kong’s approach to sexual crimes

Hong Kong has seen a number of amendments to its criminal law in recent years aimed at strengthening the response to sexual crimes. Notable examples are the new offences in the Crimes Ordinance regarding voyeurism, upskirting and the publication of intimate images without consent. There has also been discussion, including in this column, regarding how the law can adapt to the new phenomenon of...
Beijing freezes Japan youth exchange programmes over Takaichi’s Taiwan remarks

Beijing has frozen youth exchange programmes with Tokyo amid continuing fallout over Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s remarks on Taiwan, a diplomatic source said, raising concern that the bilateral rift could affect generations to come. The Japanese side was told about the cancelled programmes in recent weeks after China launched retaliatory measures against Japan over Takaichi’s...
Indonesia blindsided by ruling against Nusantara’s 190-year land right law

Indonesia’s plan to build a new capital in East Kalimantan is facing renewed scrutiny after the Constitutional Court scrapped a regulation granting investors land rights of up to 190 years – a move welcomed by indigenous groups but seen by developers as a potential deterrent to investment. The decision underscores the mounting challenges facing the 466 trillion rupiah (US$28 billion) Nusantara...
MAMA Awards in Hong Kong to be downsized, Mirror withdraws, in wake of fire

Asia’s largest K-pop award show, scheduled for Friday evening and Saturday at Hong Kong’s Kai Tak Stadium, will be downsized in light of the Tai Po fire, with boy band Mirror pulling out of the event. The group announced on Friday that they would not appear at the two-day 2025 MAMA Awards, following earlier rumours over the withdrawals of film stars Michelle Yeoh and Chow Yun-fat. Makerville,...
Marcos’ sister says Philippines has leadership ‘vacuum’ in new jab at president

Senator Imee Marcos, the estranged sister of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr, said there is a void in the nation’s leadership as politicians grapple with a growing corruption scandal and instead is backing his deputy as a potential replacement. “There is a vacuum at the top,” Imee Marcos said during an interview in her Manila office on Thursday. “And that’s a problem because all sorts...
Building the future: China eyes smarter, more efficient transport infrastructure

With the world’s biggest high-speed rail network already established, China now plans a more balanced, integrated and intelligent transport system over the next five years, prioritising efficiency and smart technology over sheer scale. Beijing will move away from large-scale expansion to optimising new projects and upgrading existing assets, Minister of Transport Liu Wei said at a recent...
Peru ex-president Castillo sentenced to over 11 years in prison

Peru’s Supreme Court on Thursday sentenced leftist ex-president Pedro Castillo to more than 11 years in jail for trying to dissolve Congress and rule by decree to avoid impeachment. Dubbed Peru’s first poor president, the former rural teacher, who had never held elected office before winning the presidency, was impeached by Congress and jailed following his attempted power grab in December...