China's outdoor sports industry reaches 3.17 trillion yuan
Even as Hong Kong remains the world’s least affordable housing market, many buyers still shun heavily discounted homes linked to an “unnatural death”, such as murder or suicide, according to property agents. Prices for such properties could fall by as much as 50 per cent, while rents were typically about 20 per cent below market rates, they added. The aversion stands in stark contrast to parts of Europe, particularly in France, where buyers are often willing to purchase homes under a “vente en...
Hainan's digital reporting system streamlines grassroots governance
China's first shipborne stealth reconnaissance-strike integrated drone GJ-21 has recently completed its first takeoff and landing operation aboard the Sichuan, China's first Type 076 amphibious assault ship, a navy source said.
Having a presence in Hong Kong and the rest of China is “very important” for Bordeaux, an official from the world-renowned French wine-producing region has said, even as consumption declines on the mainland. The comments by deputy mayor Fabien Robert came as Vinexpo, a premier international wine and spirits trade exhibition that began in Bordeaux, signed a deal for its Asian edition to be hosted solely by Hong Kong from 2027 to 2031. “To be in Hong Kong every year, I think it’s a message ......
Beijing promoted 10 officials to full membership of the Communist Party’s Central Committee at a major political gathering this week, where the normally routine process of filling vacancies took on new significance. The names of the officials who have filled the vacant slots were included in a communique released at the end of the fifth plenum of the party’s 20th Central Committee on Thursday. The event, which focused on party discipline and the fight against corruption, confirmed that 24 full...
The film Everest: The Other Side, a collaborative US-China project that opened on Friday in 515 US cinemas and that will premiere at 700 IMAX theatres in China on November 6, starts with a majestic shot of the world’s tallest mountain. Then the music builds and more challenging weather rolls in, foreshadowing what is at stake. The film invokes a well-trod narrative for fans of the mountaineering genre: a mix of the grit and sacrifice driving world-class climbers, along with no small amount of...
UK Indo-Pacific minister Rosie Winterton has visited Hong Kong’s flagship tech hub to discuss plans to expand technological collaboration in the Greater Bay Area, while aiming to strengthen business, education and people-to-people partnerships with the city. During her visit, Winterton also raised concerns about the jailing of former media boss Jimmy Lai Chee-ying in talks with Cui Jianchun, Beijing’s top diplomat in the city, and local officials. “What we want to do is to strengthen those ties...
China has broken up a major transnational drug trafficking network in cooperation with Indonesia and Malaysia, seizing around 1.2 tonnes of liquid methamphetamine, China’s Ministry of Public Security said on Friday. The operation was carried out on October 21 by Indonesia’s National Narcotics Agency (BNN), which raided and shut down a large-scale drug processing and purification facility in Aceh, Indonesia, and arrested 11 people, with help from China’s National Narcotics Control Commission...
Prisons, once widely regarded as undesirable facilities, are now drawing competition from local governments seeking to revive shrinking communities and struggling economies. Seven municipal governments are competing to host four new correctional facilities as part of the Ministry of Justice’s first nationwide competitive bidding process for prison sites. The ministry launched a nationwide call for applications on Aug. 28, marking the first time it has used a competitive bidding process to select sites for new correctional facilities. Previously, sites were chosen through consultations between the ministry and local governments. Under the new system, municipalities must seek residents' input and obtain approval from their local councils before submitting bids. The four planned facilities will each have a capacity of 1,000 inmates and employ around 250 staff members. Seven local governments have joined the race, including the counties of Yeongyang, Cheongsong, Yeongdeok and Uiseong in North Gyeongsang Province, the city of Jecheon and Boeun County in North Chungcheong Province and Jeongse
Korea is stepping up its efforts to help retired working dogs find forever homes by building a comprehensive, state-funded safety net designed to ease the steep financial burden on adoptive families. Under an expanded initiative led by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, the government is introducing direct medical subsidies, discounted veterinary care, and dedicated hospice facilities to ensure these canine public servants are cared for after their service ends. Roughly 1,100 working dogs currently serve across six government bodies, including the military, police, fire services, customs and quarantine inspection. Among them, the Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency alone operates approximately 70 specialized detector dogs at key international travel hubs. For years, private adoption for retired working dogs faced steep hurdles. Specialized breeds like beagles, Labradors, and Malinois typically retire around age 8 after six to eight years of active duty. Upon retirement, adoptive owners are left with high medical costs for joint issues, dental problems and chronic ailment
"Whenever you talk to an employee in their 20s, it's probably best to assume the entire conversation is being recorded." It is a warning increasingly shared among Korean managers in their 40s and 50s as they try to make sense of a generation of young employees whose workplace habits can seem baffling — and sometimes unsettling — to their bosses. Some older managers see low loyalty to the company and a lack of respect for senior colleagues. Gen Z workers, however, see something very different: a desire for clear communication, boundaries between work and private life and relationships based less on hierarchy. From recording conversations with bosses and avoiding unnecessary apologies to skipping team lunches and continuing to use honorific speech even with close colleagues, young Koreans are quietly rewriting some of the unwritten rules that have long governed the country's offices. Why record a conversation with your boss? For some middle managers, discovering that a young employee is recording a conversation without saying anything can be uncomfortable. Some even wonder whether the em
"I think the fall is getting to me." That's what a friend told me on the phone recently. "You're middle-aged now, and suddenly you're getting the autumn blues?" I said jokingly. He laughed awkwardly, then began telling me about his life lately. Seeing the darkening sky on his way home from work drains his energy. Once home, he lies on the couch and does nothing. Even after sleeping in on weekends, he doesn't feel refreshed. And after dinner, he finds himself reaching for bread and snacks. As I listened, I began to wonder whether it was really something that could simply be blamed on the season. In Korea, the expression "gaeul tada," literally "to be affected by autumn," carries a certain romanticism. It describes that wistful feeling that arrives with falling leaves, when even a familiar song can unexpectedly stir the emotions. But persistent sadness and lethargy, along with losing interest in hobbies once enjoyed, are a long way from romantic autumn melancholy. According to the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health, seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a "type of depression characterize
