Hong Kong BN(O) visa holders exempt from UK’s proposed 10-year settlement wait

South China Morning Post - Nov 3, 2026

Hongkongers moving to the United Kingdom under the British National (Overseas) visa scheme will be exempt from plans to double the qualifying period for settlement to 10 years, according to an official announcement. But they will still face stricter English-language requirements and tighter rules on criminal records, alongside existing conditions such as completing five years of continuous residence and passing the Life in the UK test. British Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood on Monday outlined...

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Journalists may need judicial review to access land records under new rules

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China’s HQ series intercepts 2 new missile types as PLA tests weapon platform

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A People’s Liberation Army air defence unit has for the first time intercepted two new types of missile simultaneously during a drill – including one that made a sudden change of direction, according to state television. The CCTV report on Monday said it was a rapid response operation by the ground-based Shenwei Missile Battalion – under the PLA Central Theatre Command Air Force – which is equipped with Hongqing surface-to-air missiles. It did not disclose the type of missiles intercepted or any...

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China’s historic first space docking in 2011 – SCMP archive

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