Hong Kong wakes up to coolest morning so far this autumn at 23.2 degrees

South China Morning Post - Nov 9, 2026

Hong Kong recorded its coolest morning so far this autumn on Monday, with temperatures falling to 23.2 degrees Celsius (73.76 Fahrenheit) and forecast to reach as low as 16 degrees the next day. The Hong Kong Observatory said a cold front and a strong northeast monsoon kept Guangdong’s coastal areas cool, adding that temperatures across the city were about two degrees lower than the day before. As of 7.40am, the Observatory had recorded a minimum temperature of 23.2 degrees. The mercury was...

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Hong Kong must retain the talent its world-class universities nurture

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We can count on this administration to be quick to take credit. It took just one day for Chief Secretary Eric Chan Kwok-ki to claim credit on behalf of the Hong Kong government for the impressive results of the city’s universities in the latest Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) Asia University Rankings. All 11 of Hong Kong’s ranked institutions made it into Asia’s top 500 for the first time. Five of the 11 are ranked among Asia’s top 10. The University of Hong Kong took the crown as Asia’s top...

Will China’s slow and steady moon landing plan be a safer bet than the US’?

Will China’s slow and steady moon landing plan be a safer bet than the US’?

China’s full dress rehearsal for its crewed moon landing would be tougher on schedule but safer than Nasa’s cheaper bet on commercial landers, a US space policy analyst said after the rival powers updated their lunar plans within a week of each other. Wang Xiang, deputy chief designer of China’s crewed space programme, said in Beijing on October 31 that, before sending any astronauts, China would dock the Lanyue lander and Mengzhou spacecraft in lunar orbit, and Lanyue would touch down, lift off...

The US must stop blaming China for problems at home: former envoy Cui Tiankai

The US must stop blaming China for problems at home: former envoy Cui Tiankai

The United States should not blame China’s rise for its own problems and should not expect that these can be solved by changing presidents, China’s longest-serving former ambassador to Washington has said. “China’s development has never aimed to replace or challenge the US – it never has. Naturally, I also hope the US can resolve its own issues and that its future development will not come at the expense of China’s interests,” Cui Tiankai, who served as ambassador to the US from 2013 to 2021,...

Korea Drag Pageant to select Miss Femme Supreme 2026

Korea Drag Pageant to select Miss Femme Supreme 2026

Eight drag queens actively performing in Seoul are gearing up to compete for the inaugural title of Miss Femme Supreme 2026 at the first-ever Korea Drag Pageant. The event was created to celebrate artistic excellence in drag performance, connect Korean performers with the international drag community and contribute to the growth and visibility of drag culture in Korea. "At the heart of it, I want someone who has dreamed of becoming a pageant queen to have a real opportunity to pursue that dream here in Korea," said Leah Taylor, the founder of Korea Drag Pageant, an independent organization dedicated to developing professional drag pageantry in Korea through competitions, educational initiatives and international collaboration. "I want the contestants to feel that their work has been taken seriously and that they have a stage worthy of their preparation and ambition. For audiences, I hope the event offers a fuller understanding of the performance, fashion, craftsmanship and dedication involved in drag." Her ambitions with the pageant are also looking further into the future. "I also hope t

US calls for coordinated action against N. Korean cyber threats following Binance hack

US calls for coordinated action against N. Korean cyber threats following Binance hack

The United States on Saturday called for international cooperation to combat North Korea's illicit cyber activities following a massive cryptocurrency theft involving Binance. "Particularly in light of the recent hack of Binance, it is critical for governments to work together and do their own part to mitigate the DPRK cyber threat and curb illicit DPRK revenue generation," a State Department spokesperson told Yonhap News Agency in a written response. DPRK stands for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, North Korea's official name. The remarks were made in response to an inquiry about potential coordination between Washington and Seoul on additional sanctions following the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation's attribution of the cryptocurrency theft to North Korean actors. The spokesperson also emphasized the importance of enforcing existing international sanctions and taking measures to prevent Pyongyang from financing its weapons programs. "We expect all U.N. member states to enforce existing sanctions and take proactive measures to prevent the DPRK from funding its unlawful WMD

University of Seoul professor emeritus explores Korean architecture at Harvard symposium

University of Seoul professor emeritus explores Korean architecture at Harvard symposium

Kim Sung-hong, a professor emeritus of architecture at the University of Seoul, delivered a keynote address at the 2026 Korea Architecture Symposium at Harvard University last month. The University of Seoul said KoreaGSD, a Korean student organization at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design, hosted the symposium under the theme “+82+82: From Independence to Acceleration” on Oct. 17. The event was organized to examine how Korean society has adopted, tested and transformed architectural and urban institutions and forms over the past eight decades, using speed as a framework for exploration. The symposium brought together theorists, architects and researchers working in Korea and abroad to reassess contemporary Korean architecture and explore its potential for transformation. In his address, titled “Contextualizing Korean Architecture,” Kim examined contemporary Korean architecture in its historical and social context, focusing on how rapid social change has shaped the country’s urban and architectural landscape. The lecture drew on his book, “Seoul Urban Architecture

New elementary school enrollment to drop below 300,000 for 1st time amid low birth rate

New elementary school enrollment to drop below 300,000 for 1st time amid low birth rate

The number of children entering elementary schools in Korea is expected to fall below 300,000 for the first time next year amid the country's low birth rate, data showed Sunday. The number of first graders, born in 2020, entering elementary school for the 2027 academic year, is expected to fall short of 300,000, just three years after dropping below the 400,000 mark, according to data compiled by the Korean Statistical Information Service (KOSIS) and the Korean Educational Development Institute (KEDI). The decline comes as only 272,337 babies were born in 2020, down 10 percent from a year earlier, according to the Ministry of Data and Statistics. A total of 301,442 students enrolled as elementary school freshmen this year, barely surpassing the 300,000 mark and marking the lowest level since 1964, when the ministry began compiling related data. The figure is expected to fall further next year to roughly one-fourth of the 1.05 million recorded in 1968. The shrinking school-age population has raised concerns over school closures, particularly in rural areas, and a widening education gap bet

Korea reviewing plan to expand label-free mandate to foreign-produced bottled water

Korea reviewing plan to expand label-free mandate to foreign-produced bottled water

The government is reportedly reviewing plans to expand the label-free mandate for domestically produced drinking water to include bottled water brands imported from overseas, officials said Sunday. The plan was discussed in a recent meeting with importers of foreign-produced bottled water, according to the officials from the environment ministry. The meeting was a routine consultation with industry officials, and the ministry is still undecided on whether to apply the mandate to offshore brands, they added. Korea has required all bottled water produced and sold domestically to be label-free starting early this year, replacing physical labels with QR codes on bottle caps and external packaging. The mandate is expected to reduce the country's annual plastic usage by 2,270 metric tons, according to the ministry of climate, energy and environment. Bottled water produced overseas, however, is excluded from the mandate and is sold with traditional labels. Domestic producers have raised equity concerns, arguing that competing products in the same market should be subject to the same standards. As

[PHOTO] Belgium celebrates King's Day, 125th anniversary of diplomatic ties with Korea

[PHOTO] Belgium celebrates King's Day, 125th anniversary of diplomatic ties with Korea

Belgian Ambassador to Korea Bruno Jans, left, raises a toast with Theodora Gentzis, center, secretary-general of Belgium's foreign affairs ministry, and Lim Sang-woo, Korea's deputy minister for public diplomacy, during a reception marking Belgium's King's Day and the 125th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Belgium and Korea in Seoul, Thursday. Also commemorating the 75th anniversary of the arrival of Belgian troops during the 1950-53 Korean War, Jans highlighted the shared history, friendship and solidarity that continue to unite the two countries. Expressing gratitude for the service and sacrifice of Belgian troops, Lim said the Korean government would work closely with Belgium to translate the outcomes of the June summit into tangible benefits for the people and businesses of both countries. Korea Times photo by Kim Bo-kyoung

Jeonbuk National University tops regional peers in environmental engineering rankings

Jeonbuk National University tops regional peers in environmental engineering rankings

Jeonbuk National University’s Department of Environmental Engineering ranked No. 1 among regional flagship national universities in Korea in both the U.S. News and QS global university rankings released this year. The university said Friday that the rankings reflect the department's international research competitiveness. The department ranked 137th globally (tied) and fifth nationally in environmental engineering in the 2026-2027 U.S. News Best Global Universities Rankings, climbing 29 places from the previous year. It also maintained its fifth-place national ranking and No. 1 position among regional flagship national universities for the third consecutive year. In the 2026 QS World University Rankings by Subject for environmental sciences, the department placed in the 251-300 band globally and tied for eighth nationally, earning the highest ranking among Korea’s regional flagship national universities. U.S. News places emphasis on research indicators, including publication volume, citation impact, the proportion of highly cited papers and international research collaboration. QS, me

Kookmin University research team develops AI model to predict properties of mixtures

Kookmin University research team develops AI model to predict properties of mixtures

A Kookmin University research team has developed an artificial intelligence (AI) model that predicts the properties of mixtures based on the proportions of their chemical components. The university said Thursday that the team was led by Joung Joon-young, a professor in the Department of Chemistry at the university’s Graduate School. The team included Kim Ji-hwan, a student in the university’s integrated master’s and doctoral program, and Kim Chan-joong, an undergraduate student. The findings were published in the Chemical Engineering Journal under the title “Encoding composition-dependent intermolecular interactions into learned molecular representations.” Most chemical products people encounter in everyday life are mixtures of multiple substances rather than single compounds. Common examples include industrial solvents, electrolytes in batteries, automotive fuels, and cosmetic and pharmaceutical formulations. The properties of a mixture depend not only on which substances it contains but also on the proportions in which they are combined. These changes, however, do not necessar

1st snow arrives early in Seoul, but warmer, wetter winter expected

1st snow arrives early in Seoul, but warmer, wetter winter expected

Seoul recorded its first snowfall of the season Sunday, nearly a month earlier than last year, with light flurries observed in the capital. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA), the first snow was observed at the Seoul Meteorological Observatory in Jongno District. The snowfall came 26 days earlier than last year and 12 days ahead of the seasonal average. It marked the sixth-earliest first snowfall since nationwide weather records began in 1973. Seoul's earliest first snowfall on record occurred on Oct. 23, 1981. In Seoul, the official first snowfall is determined when an observer at the central Seoul weather station visually confirms that snow is falling. The designation does not necessarily mean snow fell across the entire city or accumulated on the ground. Despite the early snowfall, KMA expects a warmer, wetter winter than usual, with more frequent rain and snow, as a strengthening El Niño is forecast to continue through the season. El Niño occurs when ocean temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific near the equator rise above normal. It is officially dec

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