Man arrested after 23,000 bogus customer service scam calls in over a week

South China Morning Post - Oct 11, 2026

Hong Kong police have arrested a 24-year-old man over an alleged scam operation that made more than 23,000 fraudulent calls in over a week by impersonating e-commerce customer service representatives, with one victim losing more than HK$100,000 (US$12,741). The force said on Sunday that the man was suspected of operating a call centre for a syndicate that posed as online shopping platform staff and tricked victims into transferring money for a variety of reasons. Senior Inspector of the...

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Rights groups call for release of 3 detained activists in Hong Kong, Thailand

Rights groups call for release of 3 detained activists in Hong Kong, Thailand

Two human rights groups called Sunday for the immediate release of three detained Gwangju Prize laureates in Hong Kong and Thailand. The May 18 Memorial Foundation and the Network of Laureates of the Gwangju Prize for Human Rights said the detentions of Chow Hang-tung of Hong Kong and Thai activists Arnon Nampa and Jatupat Boonpattararaksa "reflect a crisis of democracy in Asia." Jatupat, a Thai activist and the 2017 recipient of the Gwangju Prize for Human Rights, and Arnon, a Thai human rights lawyer who won the prize in 2021, are detained in Thailand. Chow, a Hong Kong human rights lawyer and the 2023 laureate, is detained in Hong Kong. "We stand in solidarity with activists striving to defend democracy and human rights in Thailand, Hong Kong and Myanmar despite violence, imprisonment and restrictions on basic rights," the groups said in a joint statement. The prize was established in 2000 to promote the spirit of the May 18 pro-democracy uprising in the southwestern Korean city of Gwangju in 1980, during which a military crackdown on demonstrators left more than 200 civilians dead an

7 in 10 workers get no extra pay for covering parental leave: survey

7 in 10 workers get no extra pay for covering parental leave: survey

Most Korean workers who took on additional duties while colleagues were on parental leave or working reduced hours for childcare received no extra compensation, with 7 in 10 going unpaid for the added workload. According to a survey released by workplace advocacy group Gabjil 119 on Sunday, 47.8 percent of 1,000 workers said their workloads had increased due to colleagues taking maternity or parental leave. The survey was conducted nationwide from Sept. 1 to 7. The results suggest that employers are shifting the burden of staffing shortages caused by parental leave or reduced working hours onto existing employees rather than hiring replacements or adjusting workloads. Of the 478 respondents who reported taking on additional duties, just 29.5 percent said they had received extra compensation, such as allowances, while the remaining 70.5 percent received no additional pay. Awareness of government subsidies aimed at compensating workers who take on extra duties was also limited. Only 37 percent of respondents were aware of the government’s workload-sharing subsidy for parental leave, while

Korea's role in combined command set to grow after OPCON transfer

Korea's role in combined command set to grow after OPCON transfer

As Korea prepares to regain wartime operational control (OPCON) from the United States, questions remain over how the leadership and organization of their combined military command will change. The Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command (CFC) is expected to retain its integrated command structure, with Korean officers potentially taking more senior staff positions, military experts said. The outlook comes after Seoul and Washington disclosed that they have agreed on a provisional organizational plan for the post-transfer command. While the two countries have already agreed to put a Korean general in charge, the division of responsibilities beneath the commander has yet to be made public. Gen. Kim Seong-min, the CFC’s deputy commander, told a parliamentary audit Wednesday that the provisional arrangement would be finalized during the Full Mission Capability (FMC) assessment, the final stage of the three-phase evaluation process for OPCON transfer. He described the plan as a draft and dismissed suggestions that the combined command would be dissolved after the handover. Kim Jung-sup, directo

LE SSERAFIM tops Oricon chart with 'Made My Night'

LE SSERAFIM tops Oricon chart with 'Made My Night'

K-pop girl group LE SSERAFIM topped Japan's Oricon daily chart immediately upon the release of its new single, demonstrating its strong popularity in both Korea and Japan. According to the band’s agency, Source Music, on Sunday, the five-member group’s second Korean single, “Made My Night,” grabbed the top spot on the Daily Single Ranking as of Friday, the day of its Japanese release. This marks the group’s second consecutive Korean single to tope the Oricon chart, following its previous single "SPAGHETTI,” which was released in 2025. "Made My Night" is a pop dance track that captures the excitement of spending a night with a special person. The single album features two tracks — the title song of the same name and the B-side track "AEIOU." The single has enjoyed huge commercial success here as well. According to Hanteo Chart, a local album sales tracker, the album sold around 200,000 copies on its first day of release, topping the daily album chart on Sept. 11. The title track has also gained significant traction globally. The song landed at No. 14 on Billboard's Bubbling U

Strong turnout, star power propel 31st BIFF into global spotlight

Strong turnout, star power propel 31st BIFF into global spotlight

The 31st Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) has drawn record crowds and major global star power at its midpoint, cementing its position as Asia's premier film event. On Sunday, the festival organizer said attendance at BIFF’s official program events, such as outdoor stage greetings, Master Classes Actors House sessions and Open Talks, surpassed 50,000 visitors within its first five days through Saturday. This figure already exceeds the total attendance recorded across all program events during last year’s full festival run, they added. This highlights a sharp increase in public engagement outside movie theaters. The surging interest comes as BIFF celebrates its first edition since being elevated to the International Federation of Film Producers Associations A-List status, solidifying its standing alongside premier global film festivals. By shifting its opening day to Tuesday and adding extra weekend screenings, the festival made it much easier for both movie fans and industry officials to attend. At Tuesday's opening ceremony, the festival brought together world-renowned filmmak

How Taiwan’s military manpower shortage is undermining its ability to fight

How Taiwan’s military manpower shortage is undermining its ability to fight

Taiwan’s military is grappling with a worsening manpower shortage, with its volunteer staffing rate remaining below the 80 per cent target for a third consecutive year and concerns mounting over the impact on combat readiness, according to the island’s legislature. The shortages extend deep into frontline formations – including infantry, artillery, missile and air defence units – raising questions over whether Taiwan will have enough trained personnel to operate and maintain the vast quantities...

From Abby Choi to the ‘Hello Kitty’ killing: Hong Kong’s most shocking crimes

From Abby Choi to the ‘Hello Kitty’ killing: Hong Kong’s most shocking crimes

The alleged murder and dismemberment of Abby Choi Tin-fung in 2023, which prosecutors say was linked to a dispute over a luxury flat, has once again gripped Hong Kong as the trial over the 28-year-old socialite’s death entered its second week. Choi’s ex-husband, Alex Kwong Kong-chi, 31, and his elder brother, Anthony Kwong Kong-kit, 35, have pleaded guilty to preventing the lawful burial of her body. Their father, Kwong Kau, 68, has pleaded not guilty to the same charge. All three men deny...

Why are mainland China’s tax officials suddenly so interested in my Hong Kong MPF?

Why are mainland China’s tax officials suddenly so interested in my Hong Kong MPF?

For the past few months, this newspaper has extensively covered China’s ongoing clampdown on tax avoidance, especially its push to tax the income of super-rich families held in offshore trusts. We never expected to become targets of the campaign ourselves. But there have been signs in recent weeks that officials are starting to take an interest even in the incomes of South China Morning Post journalists, with several of us being contacted by the tax man. First, a colleague with our Beijing...

If Hongkongers’ support for Legco is waning, it isn’t just lawmakers’ fault

If Hongkongers’ support for Legco is waning, it isn’t just lawmakers’ fault

Rita Fan Hsu Lai-tai, Hong Kong’s first post-handover Legislative Council president, recently dropped a political bomb. She revealed that one of her friends had been telling her that a legislature with 90 seats costs a lot more than one with 60 and that “I kind of agree with that”. The basic maths behind the statement cannot be refuted: 60 is two-thirds of 90. Even though Fan didn’t bring up the topic herself – she was asked the question by the host during a radio show – it was shocking that a...

China’s rich coastal cities to see sea-level rise up to 20% higher than global average

China’s rich coastal cities to see sea-level rise up to 20% higher than global average

International scientists warn that rising sea levels driven by melting Antarctic ice will be 15 to 20 per cent higher in cities such as Hong Kong and Shanghai compared with the global average. They said gravitational shifts caused by shrinking Antarctic ice would redistribute water across the globe, causing higher ocean levels along China’s densely populated coastlines. “Even if we limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius [2.7 degrees Fahrenheit], the Paris Agreement’s most ambitious goal,...

Spirit of Hong Kong Awards: Gaza nurse’s obstacle-laden road to becoming a professor

Spirit of Hong Kong Awards: Gaza nurse’s obstacle-laden road to becoming a professor

On six occasions, Hammoda Abu-Odah, a Gaza nurse-turned Hong Kong scholar was offered an opportunity to study overseas. But each time, border closures and travel restrictions prevented him from taking them up. Abu-Odah had obtained a nursing degree in his native Gaza but set his sights on an academic career abroad. He kept working, teaching and conducting research, despite the many challenges that prevented him from leaving. Finally, on the seventh attempt, he made it to Hong Kong, where he...

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