Shisha smoking will cause 1 million new lung cancer cases globally by 2050: WHO study

South China Morning Post - Oct 17, 2026

Water pipe smoking will contribute to about 1 million new lung cancer cases globally by 2050, with the Western Pacific region bearing the brunt, according to a study led by a World Health Organization (WHO) research agency that was recently presented in Hong Kong. The study, which is yet to be published, was headed by Dr Mahdi Sheikh, a scientist of the early detection, prevention and infections branch at the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). It estimated that there would be 82...

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Chinese kindergarten owner given life sentence over lead paint poisoning scandal

Chinese kindergarten owner given life sentence over lead paint poisoning scandal

The owner of a Chinese kindergarten has been jailed for life after more than 200 children were poisoned by lead in the country’s worst food safety scandal for almost two decades. A total of six people were jailed on Friday for making or selling harmful foodstuffs by Lanzhou Intermediate People’s Court in Gansu province. Li Huifang, owner of the Peixin Kindergarten in Tianshui, was handed a life sentence and fined 500,000 yuan (US$75,000), while Zhu Jinglin, the principal, was jailed for 15 years...

Hong Kong touts distinct features to set it apart from London in global gold hub push

Hong Kong touts distinct features to set it apart from London in global gold hub push

Distinctive features will set Hong Kong apart from London, a major bullion hub, as the city accelerates efforts to develop an international gold and precious metals trading ecosystem covering the entire value chain, a minister has told the South China Morning Post. In an exclusive interview on Thursday, Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury Christopher Hui Ching-yu said the city would officially launch a central gold clearing platform in the first quarter of next year. It would...

Chinese FM meets Israeli president

Chinese FM meets Israeli president

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Israeli President Isaac Herzog at the latter's request on the sidelines of the Seventh Summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia on Thursday.

Croatian president meets Chinese FM, pledges to strengthen cooperation

Croatian president meets Chinese FM, pledges to strengthen cooperation

Croatian President Zoran Milanovic met with visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Zagreb on Friday, expressing Croatia's willingness to strengthen exchanges at all levels and advance mutually beneficial cooperation with China.

A companion between appointments: Hong Kong student’s AI tool for cancer patients

A companion between appointments: Hong Kong student’s AI tool for cancer patients

For cancer patients in Hong Kong, emotional distress can persist beyond the clinic, with a large combined analysis of multiple studies linking depression and anxiety to lower chances of survival. Claudia Chan Shu-ying, a medical student at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), is developing CancerCompanion, a digital companion designed to offer emotional support between appointments, including late at night when professional help may not be immediately available. The system uses AI-powered...

N. Korea conducts underwater test of new precision-guided torpedo using AI : KCNA

N. Korea conducts underwater test of new precision-guided torpedo using AI : KCNA

North Korea said Saturday it has conducted an underwater test of a new precision-guided torpedo weapon system, noting that the test heralds a "significant" change in the North's naval capabilities. North Korea test-fired the Zam-2.0 super-speed precision-guided torpedo weapon system Thursday to confirm the successful technical upgrade of the weapon, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). It did not disclose further details of the weapon. Key national defense officials who oversaw the weapon test assessed that it "served as a great success foreseeing a significant change in the actual development of the Navy," the KCNA said. North Korea said artificial intelligence (AI) technology was applied to the target detection and the guidance function of the torpedo. "The test proved the core technology for raising the efficiency of propulsion and the performance of rocket propulsion devices," the KCNA said, adding more than 180 rounds of related tests have been conducted over the past five years. North Korea has been pushing to strengthen its naval capabilities with weapon tests. Pyongy

China to expand hydrogen use through pilots in five city clusters

China to expand hydrogen use through pilots in five city clusters

China to expand hydrogen use through pilots in five city clusters

Philippines’ ‘China-free’ manufacturing strategy is a high-risk bet

Philippines’ ‘China-free’ manufacturing strategy is a high-risk bet

China and the Philippines recently traded accusations over the medical evacuation of a Philippine serviceman from a grounded naval vessel in the hotly disputed Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea. The incident has sparked renewed worries about potential armed skirmishes in a global artery of trade. But Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr was also quick to emphasise the economic dimensions of a major conflict. After a decade of rapid economic growth, the Philippines is facing...

China calls for stronger int'l vocational education cooperation

China calls for stronger int'l vocational education cooperation

Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang on Friday called for efforts to strengthen international vocational education cooperation and development, urging efforts to enhance policy communication and the alignment of rules, and promote the cross-border flow and efficient allocation of skills.

Growing number of ex-officials enter race for Hong Kong Election Committee seats

Growing number of ex-officials enter race for Hong Kong Election Committee seats

A growing number of former senior government officials have joined the race for seats on Hong Kong’s Election Committee, a trend observers say will enhance the prestige and legitimacy of the body tasked with choosing the city’s next leader. As the two-week nomination period draws to a close next Tuesday, the Registration and Electoral Office had received 1,115 nominations for 982 elected seats on the Election Committee as of Friday. The poll will be held on November 22 and the elected members...

‘Hot economics, cold politics’: why China gave nod for expanded Japanese trade trip

‘Hot economics, cold politics’: why China gave nod for expanded Japanese trade trip

Beijing’s decision to allow a bigger Japanese business delegation to go to China next month may be cause for some optimism but “hot economics and cold politics” will continue to dominate the strained relationship between the two countries, observers say. Kyodo news agency reported this week that Beijing had agreed to allow the Japanese Business Federation – the country’s most influential business lobby, also known as Keidanren – to expand its delegation coming to China next month. The group will...

Global South Directors Co-Production Program 2026

Global South Directors Co-Production Program 2026

Telling stories of poverty reduction and shared development from a local perspective

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