Russia surpasses France in African youth appeal, still trails China: survey

South China Morning Post - Nov 1, 2026

Russia’s influence has surged among young people across Africa in recent years, leaping over former colonial power France while still trailing China, a survey of African youths has found. Many young Africans now perceive Russia to be an ally, observers said, warning its rivals to take the shift seriously as the continent becomes increasingly critical to both Moscow and Beijing. According to the African Youth Survey commissioned by the South Africa-based Ichikowitz Family Foundation, 54 per cent...

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Soft power on display as China’s first lady Peng Liyuan hosts German counterpart

Soft power on display as China’s first lady Peng Liyuan hosts German counterpart

Chinese first lady Peng Liyuan hosted her German counterpart, Elke Budenbender, in Beijing on Friday for a tea reception in a bid to showcase Beijing’s soft power and foster closer bilateral ties. Peng stressed the rich cooperation with Germany in areas including education and culture, according to official news agency Xinhua. She also expressed hope that people from the two countries would “visit each other more often, continuously deepen mutual understanding and foster closer people-to-people...

Wine and Dine Festival vendors report Halloween boost in sales and footfall

Wine and Dine Festival vendors report Halloween boost in sales and footfall

Vendors at Hong Kong’s Wine and Dine Festival reported a stronger turnout and signs of improving business on Saturday as the annual event entered the weekend, coinciding with Halloween celebrations and extended opening hours until 1am. Some exhibitors said visitor numbers had increased noticeably compared with the first two days of the four-day festival, while others expressed cautious optimism about sales amid a challenging retail environment. Henry Leung, a staff member at food and beverage...

Is Beijing’s 2027 military milestone now a US readiness deadline over Taiwan?

Is Beijing’s 2027 military milestone now a US readiness deadline over Taiwan?

America’s push for 2027 combat readiness in the Indo-Pacific is raising questions over whether a year that US military officials linked to a possible People’s Liberation Army attack on Taiwan has instead become a planning benchmark. The preparations come despite a US intelligence assessment published in March that mainland Chinese leaders “do not currently plan” to attack Taiwan in 2027, “nor do they have a fixed timeline for achieving unification”. General Ronald Clark, commander of US Army...

With ‘Kissinger moment’ over, US and China urged to foster new ‘bridge builders’

With ‘Kissinger moment’ over, US and China urged to foster new ‘bridge builders’

Beijing and Washington have been urged to foster a new generation of talent to bridge gaps between the countries and strengthen people-to-people exchanges amid growing frictions and concerns about a lack of China expertise in the US. Academics and experts from the two countries gathered in Shanghai on Friday at the China-US Intergenerational Dialogue 2026. They were seeking a new crop of “bridge builders” like Henry Kissinger, the former US secretary of state who helped to engineer the historic...

China places former Sinopec and CNOOC boss Fu Chengyu, 75, under corruption probe

China places former Sinopec and CNOOC boss Fu Chengyu, 75, under corruption probe

Fu Chengyu, the former chairman of leading oil giants Sinopec and China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC), is under investigation for corruption by the country’s top watchdogs. The Communist Party’s Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) was investigating Fu for alleged “serious violations of discipline and law”, a euphemism for corruption, state news agency Xinhua reported on Saturday, quoting a notice posted on the commission’s website. He is “currently undergoing...

Hong Kong’s first ‘Halloween Month’ surges to a finale as revellers pack streets

Hong Kong’s first ‘Halloween Month’ surges to a finale as revellers pack streets

Revellers packed Lan Kwai Fong dressed as golden Buddhas, Lipton tea drink cartons and bottles of ketchup and mustard, with bars expecting a business bump of more than 50 per cent as Hong Kong’s first “Halloween Month” roared to a close on Saturday. By 7.30pm police were urging revellers to celebrate elsewhere as the area in Central was packed. There was a 45-minute wait for visitors inside the departure hall at Huanggang, according to the Security Bureau. Party-goers travelling from mainland...

Hong Kong may raise GDP forecast as growth could hit 5-year high: Paul Chan

Hong Kong may raise GDP forecast as growth could hit 5-year high: Paul Chan

Hong Kong’s annual economic growth may hit a five-year high, the finance chief has said, raising the possibility of an upward revision to the current forecast of 3.5 to 4.5 per cent for 2026. Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po said on Saturday that coming third-quarter figures indicated sustained momentum, noting the economy grew by 5.1 per cent in the first half of 2026 over a year earlier. “Although the third-quarter figures have not yet been released, I can share that exports remained very...

Once shunned, prisons become sought-after facilities for local communities

Once shunned, prisons become sought-after facilities for local communities

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 expands benefits for retired working dogs to help them find forever homes

Korea expands benefits for retired working dogs to help them find forever homes

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

'Assume everything is being recorded': Korea's Gen Z rewrites the rules of office life

'Assume everything is being recorded': Korea's Gen Z rewrites the rules of office life

"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

Is it really just the autumn blues?

Is it really just the autumn blues?

"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

Korean webtoon finds new audience in India, creator eyes global reach

Korean webtoon finds new audience in India, creator eyes global reach

The Korean webtoon "Here We Go Again" by Go Eun has found a new audience in India, with a locally produced adaptation released Friday. Available on JioHotstar, one of India's major streaming platforms, "Love Always" was directed by Madhumita Sundararaman and stars Indian actors Gouri G Kishan, Ramzan Muhammed, Jayaprakash and Jayasudha. The series is the first adaptation of a Korean webtoon in India. The original work ran on Kakao's webtoon platform between 2015 and 2017, and garnered more than 200 million views. The Korea Times spoke with the webtoon artist about the adaptation and her hopes for the global reach of Korean comics. Go said she learned around 2020 or 2021 that her work was being adapted for Indian audiences. “My first reaction was like, ‘Wait, my work is getting adapted? Really?’ Then came, ‘In India?’ I was fascinated, but also dumbfounded,” Go recalled. “Here We Go Again” is a romantic fantasy about a married couple who, after spending 60 years together without love, are given the chance to turn back time and become young again. The experience allows them t

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