China’s embassy issues fresh Thailand travel alert over kidnappings, job scams

South China Morning Post - Oct 17, 2026

China’s embassy in Thailand has warned citizens to carefully plan their trips and pay extra attention to transport security following a string of high-profile kidnappings targeting Chinese nationals. Online influencers and artists were also advised to remain vigilant against high-paying job scams operating in Thailand in the latest such warning issued on Friday. There have been a number of high-profile incidents in recent months in which online celebrities and travellers were kidnapped in...

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Korea expresses regret over Japan PM's offering to controversial war shrine

Korea expresses regret over Japan PM's offering to controversial war shrine

The Korean government expressed regret Saturday after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi sent a ritual offering to a war shrine seen as a symbol of Japan's imperialistic past. Takaichi sent the offering earlier Saturday in her capacity as prime minister to mark the start of the Yasukuni Shrine's three-day autumn festival. But she plans to refrain from visiting the shrine in person during the festival, Japan's Kyodo News reported, citing sources close to the prime minister. The Yasukuni Shrine honors some 2.46 million Japanese war dead, including 14 Class A criminals convicted by international tribunals for their roles in World War II. In a statement, Seoul's foreign ministry said it "once again expresses deep disappointment and regret" that responsible Japanese leaders have "repeatedly sent offerings to or visited Yasukuni Shrine, which glorifies Japan's past war of aggression and enshrines war criminals." It urged Japan's leaders to "face history squarely and demonstrate humble reflection on and sincere remorse for the past through action." "We once again stress that such steps are a

Coming up roses? How Trump planted a new seed for Chinese gift diplomacy

Coming up roses? How Trump planted a new seed for Chinese gift diplomacy

Donald Trump was apparently captivated by the “beautiful” roses in the garden of the Communist Party’s leadership compound when he visited Beijing in May. It was a relaxed moment between the US and Chinese leaders – otherwise locked in disputes ranging from trade to technology and Taiwan – that led to a new opportunity for gift diplomacy between the rival powers. Strolling around the former imperial garden at Zhongnanhai with Xi Jinping, Trump was so taken with a China rose variety in bloom that...

AI used for first time to analyse lawmakers’ 5-year plan, policy address debate

AI used for first time to analyse lawmakers’ 5-year plan, policy address debate

Hong Kong’s legislature has for the first time used artificial intelligence (AI) to analyse lawmakers’ remarks during a three-day debate on the city’s first five-year plan and the latest annual policy address, with talent and the Northern Metropolis emerging as the most-discussed topics. Legislative Council president Starry Lee Wai-king said on Saturday that an overview of the six-session debate had been produced using AI. The session on improving livelihood protections drew the largest number...

Corrupt officials have nowhere to hide, China’s anti-graft watchdog warns

Corrupt officials have nowhere to hide, China’s anti-graft watchdog warns

There is “no way out” for corrupt officials no matter how senior they are, China’s top anti-corruption watchdog has warned following the downfall of a former big-city mayor who survived numerous previous scandals. This week, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) announced both the probe into Huang Qifan, the former mayor of Chongqing, and the expulsion of a senior figure in Sichuan province. On Saturday, the commission said these developments showed the party’s “unwavering...

Is China’s Shenzhen ready to host Xi, Trump and Putin during Apec summit?

Is China’s Shenzhen ready to host Xi, Trump and Putin during Apec summit?

In Shenzhen, drones are banned, shiny new hotels have opened their doors and taxi drivers are carrying devices that can translate nearly 150 languages. Since President Xi Jinping announced last year that China’s southern tech hub would host Apec meetings in November, the city has done all it can to get ready under the watchful eyes of the local, provincial and national authorities. While every Apec summit draws the world’s attention, this year’s edition is considered to be especially high-stakes...

Man arrested for alleged HK$450,000 theft of wife’s Chanel and Hermes bags, Rolex

Man arrested for alleged HK$450,000 theft of wife’s Chanel and Hermes bags, Rolex

Hong Kong police have arrested the husband of a 34-year-old woman for allegedly stealing luxury goods worth HK$450,000 (US$57,700) from her at home. The woman, surnamed Chan, reported the case to police at around 8.30am on Saturday morning at their home in the Ocean One residential development in Yau Tong. According to police, Chan suspected that her 40-year-old husband, surnamed Lam, had stolen goods worth HK$450,000 in total. The items involved were Chanel and Hermes bags worth HK$300,000 and...

Shisha smoking will cause 1 million new lung cancer cases globally by 2050: WHO study

Shisha smoking will cause 1 million new lung cancer cases globally by 2050: WHO study

Water pipe smoking will contribute to about 1 million new lung cancer cases globally by 2050, with the Western Pacific region bearing the brunt, according to a study led by a World Health Organization (WHO) research agency that was recently presented in Hong Kong. The study, which is yet to be published, was headed by Dr Mahdi Sheikh, a scientist of the early detection, prevention and infections branch at the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). It estimated that there would be 82...

Language matters in Hong Kong’s birth rate debate, not just money

Language matters in Hong Kong’s birth rate debate, not just money

When Hong Kong debates how to raise its birth rate, the conversation usually revolves around money: bigger baby bonuses, tax concessions, housing support, cheaper childcare and so on. These economic measures are necessary. Lowering the cost of raising a child removes some real and immediate barriers. However, there is another, lesser-known factor that works more subtly and implicitly. It comes not from economics but from the structure of the language or languages we speak each day. Consider a...

Landmark China trial gets 84% efficacy in treating cancer with cue from waste water tech

Landmark China trial gets 84% efficacy in treating cancer with cue from waste water tech

For patients with advanced, metastatic cancer that has progressed despite systemic therapy, options remain critically limited. Now, Chinese scientists are pointing to an unconventional therapeutic agent – the element iron. This idea originated in industrial waste water treatment: iron can react with hydrogen peroxide to generate hydroxyl radicals, which degrade various organic and toxic molecules in waste water. Chinese scientists wanted to treat malignant tumours the way they treat waste water...

Police receive over 100 reports about credit card charges for iPhone Duo pre-orders

Police receive over 100 reports about credit card charges for iPhone Duo pre-orders

Hong Kong police have received more than 100 reports of unauthorised credit card transactions related to pre-orders of Apple’s latest iPhone model, the South China Morning Post has learned. Apple began its online pre-orders for its foldable iPhone Duo on Friday at 8pm, and complaints about suspicious transactions began to appear on social media overnight. Some credit card users claimed duplicate or unauthorised purchases of the new model. A source said the transactions involved a few million...

Abby Choi’s partner tells murder trial she hid ex-in-laws’ financial reliance on her

Abby Choi’s partner tells murder trial she hid ex-in-laws’ financial reliance on her

Slain Hong Kong socialite Abby Choi Tin-fung’s partner told a court this week she initially misled him about her former in-laws’ wealth before describing them as horrible and ungrateful after a bitter family dispute. Chris Tam Fong-chun’s testimony also shed light on his complex relationship with Choi and his former classmate Alex Kwong Kong-chi. The three remained connected through their four children, as Choi had two with each man. During the third week of the murder trial, Tam told the High...

Hong Kong’s new Huanggang Port quiet ahead of expected holiday rush

Hong Kong’s new Huanggang Port quiet ahead of expected holiday rush

Hong Kong’s newly revamped Huanggang Port is expected to handle more than 100,000 passenger trips a day over the three-day Chung Yeung Festival holiday, although the departure hall was quiet on Saturday morning. Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung said the port had operated smoothly since opening on Monday, handling about 80,000 passenger trips a day, with the figure exceeding 92,000 on Friday. That represented a 1.5-fold to an almost twofold increase from the 30,000 to 40,000 trips...

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