‘Forced to hide just to sleep’: Indonesian helper rescued after years of abuse An Indonesian domestic worker forced into unpaid labour was rescued by Malaysia’s Immigration Department after a raid at a home in Batu Caves, Selangor state. In a statement on Wednesday, immigration director general Zakaria Shaaban said the victim was rescued during an operation on Monday. He said the operation followed information gathered by sources. “During the inspection, the woman was found hiding under a four-wheel drive vehicle at the premises,” he said. Zakaria said investigations...

South China Morning Post

‘Forced to hide just to sleep’: Indonesian helper rescued after years of abuse

The victim was told to hide under a vehicle to avoid detection during a raid at a home in Batu Caves.

China entrepreneur claims US$42 million from ex who says he has fathered 300 kids Chinese gaming businessman Xu Bo has hit the headlines after he tried to claim 300 million yuan (US$42 million) from his former partner, who then said that he had fathered more than 300 children. Born in 1977, Xu is a well-known figure in China’s gaming industry. Despite dropping out of secondary school, he went on to create the massive hit Fantasy Westward Journey and founded Duoyi Network in 2006. The company once achieved annual revenues of almost 2 billion yuan, with net profits exceeding a...

South China Morning Post

China entrepreneur claims US$42 million from ex who says he has fathered 300 kids

High-profile legal dispute between pair who met on matchmaking website sees allegations of “misogyny’ and ‘polygamy’ resurface.

Village in Hong Kong’s Sai Kung struggles without water for more than 10 days A Hong Kong village has been without water for more than 10 days, with the Water Supplies Department pledging to resolve the disruption by the end of the week. Eight village houses and some temporary structures in Kai Hang Tun village in Sai Kung lost stable water supply on November 14, and the problem remained unresolved as of Wednesday, the Post learned. The department attributed the shortage to weakened water pressure caused by a leak. It said it had already replaced 60 per cent of the...

South China Morning Post

Village in Hong Kong’s Sai Kung struggles without water for more than 10 days

Water Supplies Department says low pressure caused by pipe leak and normal supply to resume once repairs completed by end of week.

Lightning on Mars? Scientists believe they’ve captured its sound on tape Scientists have detected what they believe to be lightning on Mars by eavesdropping on the whirling wind recorded by Nasa’s Perseverance rover. The crackling of electrical discharges was captured by a microphone on the rover, a French-led team reported Wednesday. The researchers documented 55 instances of what they call “mini lightning” over two Martian years, primarily during dust storms and dust devils. Almost all occurred on the windiest Martian sols, or days, during dust storms and dust...

South China Morning Post

Lightning on Mars? Scientists believe they have captured its sound on tape

Nasa’s Perseverance rover has picked up the crackling of electrical discharges on its microphone.

Taiwanese leader Lai pledges US$40 billion rise in defence spending Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te has set out plans for an unprecedented rise in defence spending worth US$40 billion over the next eight years, describing it as a historic investment to safeguard the island’s democracy and deter an increasingly assertive Beijing. In an article for The Washington Post published on Wednesday, Lai said his government had committed to “significantly increase” military expenditure to 3.3 per cent of gross domestic product next year, then raise it further to 5...

South China Morning Post

Taiwanese leader Lai pledges US$40 billion rise in defence spending

William Lai says in newspaper article that the eight-year spending commitment is aimed to create ‘greater costs and uncertainties’ for Beijing.

Malaysian PM’s war on corruption hits snag as top political secretary quits Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s war on corruption has suffered a setback after a senior aide resigned over graft claims, sparking a fresh crisis for the country’s leader, who is already facing accusations of power abuse that threaten to split his ruling party. Anti-corruption authorities have previously launched a high-profile crackdown against two-time former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, his family and close associates – all once seen as untouchables – as part of Anwar’s pledge to...

South China Morning Post

Malaysian PM’s war on corruption hits snag as top political secretary quits

The senior aide allegedly demanded bribes in the form of home renovations, a massage chair and washing machines.

Momentum builds: ‘bigger’ Hong Kong property rebound forecast for 2026 Hong Kong’s lived-in home prices rose to a 14-month high in October, while rents set a new record, according to official data, raising the likelihood of a more significant increase in property prices in 2026, analysts said. Secondary home prices rose 0.4 per cent month on month, while rents breached the previous peak set more than six years ago, data from the Rating and Valuation Department released on Wednesday showed. The official home price index now stands at 294.3, the highest since the...

South China Morning Post

Momentum builds: ‘bigger’ Hong Kong property rebound forecast for 2026

Resurgent stock market helps steer secondary home prices to 14-month high as rent index maintains historical peak.

China sets strongest yuan fix in over a year as Fed-cut bets rise China’s central bank has set the yuan’s daily reference rate against the US dollar at the strongest level in more than a year, with analysts expecting room for appreciation should a December rate cut by the US Federal Reserve weaken the dollar. The People’s Bank of China set the yuan’s midpoint rate, also known as the daily fixing rate, at 7.0796 to the US dollar on Wednesday – the strongest showing since October 2024. The decision followed a 0.34 per cent rally in the offshore yuan on Tuesday,...

South China Morning Post

China sets strongest yuan fix in over a year as Fed-cut bets rise

China’s currency is outperforming the euro and yen despite economic headwinds, with analysts pointing to Beijing’s geopolitical leverage as the...

Revolut plans set-up in Hong Kong as Paul Chan touts city’s strengths in UK One of Europe’s most prominent fintech companies, UK-based digital bank Revolut, plans to set up operations in Hong Kong, the Post has learned, after executives met with the city’s financial chief in London. The news emerged on Tuesday as Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po commenced his visit to the British capital, where also met representatives from family offices across Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Chan on Tuesday also attended a dinner hosted by Hong Kong’s Trade Development Council,...

South China Morning Post

Revolut plans set-up in Hong Kong as Paul Chan touts city’s strengths in UK

Financial secretary calls on UK enterprises and professionals to seize opportunities in Hong Kong’s burgeoning finance and I&T sectors.

China’s private defence companies see opportunities amid growing conflicts Escalating global conflicts could create opportunities for China’s private defence companies as customers, both at home and abroad, seek affordable and reliable military equipment, according to industry insiders. “The international landscape is highly favourable for our private enterprises’ participation in the defence industry,” said Li Yi, a researcher with Beihang University’s Shenzhen Research Institute. Li made the comments on Monday at a military exhibition in the southern city of...

South China Morning Post

China’s private defence companies see opportunities amid growing conflicts

Ukraine war and Kashmir conflict highlight ‘broad stage’ for firms to meet demand for affordable and reliable equipment, insiders say.

‘Doing a great job’: Trump denies considering ouster of FBI Director Patel US President Donald Trump has denied a report that he was considering removing FBI Director Kash Patel amid a string of controversies. “No, he’s doing a great job, I think,” Trump told reporters Tuesday aboard Air Force One. MS NOW reported earlier Tuesday that Trump was considering replacing Patel with FBI co-Deputy Director Andrew Bailey, as concerns swirled over the director’s social media posts during high-profile investigations and the use of a government jet to visit his girlfriend. “This...

South China Morning Post

‘Doing a great job’: Trump denies considering ouster of FBI Director Patel

Trump responds after a report said the White House was concerned by unflattering headlines Patel has generated.

New Hong Kong bypass to open on December 21, cut commute to Kai Tak to 5 minutes Hong Kong’s leader has announced that the Yau Ma Tei section of the 4.7km Central Kowloon Bypass will open on December 21, cutting commute time between West Kowloon and Kai Tak from 30 minutes to just five. The 3.9km tunnel section is part of a larger route that connects Kowloon East in Tseung Kwan O with Kowloon West in Yau Ma Tei, significantly reducing travelling time from 65 minutes to 12 during peak hours. “On December 21, the Yau Ma Tei section of our new Central Kowloon Bypass will open....

South China Morning Post

New Hong Kong bypass to open on December 21, cut Kai Tak commute to 5 minutes

‘The Yau Ma Tei section … designed to bypass congested transport corridors and reduce peak hour journey time,’ John Lee says.

‘Godfather of siu mei’ Chan Wing-on, founder of Hong Kong chain Tai Hing, dies Chan Wing-on, who founded Hong Kong cafe chain Tai Hing and became known as the “godfather” of siu mei or Cantonese-style roast meats among his peers in the city, has died in his sixties. Tai Hing Group Holdings made the announcement on the Hong Kong stock exchange website on Monday night regarding the founder’s death earlier in the day. “Chan Wing-on has made valuable and significant contributions to the development and success of the Group with his outstanding vision and distinguished...

South China Morning Post

Chan Wing-on, founder of Hong Kong cafe chain Tai Hing, dead at 67

Company announces group chairman’s death on Hong Kong stock exchange website on Monday; he will be succeeded by his son, Chan Ka-keung.

EU ministers court Trump on joint China policy, even as public scepticism grows As they look to keep the United States engaged in Ukraine and push for lower trade tariffs, EU ministers lobbied their US counterparts for joint policies on China on Monday – even as new public opinion polling shows a waning appetite for such a partnership. The China carrot was dangled by successive ministers ahead of and after a meeting of the bloc’s trade council in Brussels, which was attended by US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer. This is despite...

South China Morning Post

EU ministers court Trump on joint China policy, even as public scepticism grows

European officials lobby American counterparts to ‘push back’ on Beijing together, while German poll shows wariness towards Washington.

‘Real investments’ reflect global community’s ‘confidence’ in Hong Kong: Zhou Ji The international community has cast “a vote of confidence” on Hong Kong’s prospects with their investments, with achievements attained through the proper implementation of the “one country, two systems” principle, Beijing’s top representative in the city has said. Zhou Ji, director of Beijing’s liaison office in Hong Kong, also said that, having “filled the gaps” in national security, now was the “best time” for the city to focus on the economy, push for development and construction – including...

South China Morning Post

Hong Kong urged to develop cutting-edge tech to meet country’s needs

Hou Jianguo, president of Chinese Academy of Sciences, also calls on city to attract talent and partner with world-class institutions to be I&T hub.

Loved in Malaysia, loathed elsewhere: bedbugs become crime solvers Under glaring laboratory lights, a research assistant extends his forearm and carefully inverts a mesh-topped container onto his skin to allow a wriggling mass of bedbugs to feed on his blood, all in the name of science. Long-loathed as itchy household pests, the bloodsucking insects have revealed a darker, more intriguing potential as Malaysian scientists have discovered they can be turned into unlikely crime-busting allies. A team from the Science University of Malaysia (USM) in northern...

South China Morning Post

Loved in Malaysia, loathed elsewhere: bedbugs become crime solvers

From a speck of blood, police may one day be able to piece together the full profile of a suspect if the pests are present at a crime scene.

China sends emergency return vehicle to space station to replace damaged craft China has launched a replacement ship that will travel to its space station as a substitute return vessel. The uncrewed Shenzhou-22 spacecraft carrying 600kg (1,320 pounds) of goods, including food and equipment, was launched at 12.11pm on Tuesday and was expected to dock with the Tiangong space station autonomously. The vessel will replace the Shenzhou-21 spacecraft used to return three astronauts to Earth on November 14. They had to take the new spacecraft because tiny cracks were found in the...

South China Morning Post

China’s first emergency space launch: vessel with repair kit reaches Tiangong

Shenzhou-22’s arrival at the Tiangong station will come as a relief for the crew after another return ship was damaged by space debris.

Alice Guo gets life in jail; Bali hostel poisoning mystery: 7 Asia highlights We have selected seven stories from the SCMP’s coverage of Asia over the past week that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Alice Guo gets life term for human trafficking linked to Philippine scam hub A Philippine court has found a former mayor guilty of human trafficking and sentenced her to life imprisonment over her role in setting up a scam centre, as Manila and other Southeast Asian...

South China Morning Post

Alice Guo gets life in jail; Bali hostel poisoning mystery: 7 Asia highlights

From a Singapore minister’s Hong Kong remarks to South Korea’s medical shortage, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent Asia reporting.

Hong Kong kindergarten moves Japan study tour to mainland China as row deepens A Hong Kong private kindergarten operator has changed the destination of a study tour from Tokyo to Chengdu, citing a government warning issued amid escalating tensions between China and Japan. A notice from Victoria Educational Organisation, which runs eight campuses of kindergartens and nurseries in the city, and its parent-teacher association was circulated online, revealing the announcement that was later confirmed by the Post on Tuesday. “In light of the recent advisory from the [Hong Kong...

South China Morning Post

Hong Kong kindergarten moves Japan tour to mainland China as row deepens

‘We have decided to relocate the tour to Chengdu, Sichuan, to ensure the safety of parents and children,’ Victoria Educational Organisation says.

Former editor Hu Xijin urges restraint in official media’s criticism of Japan A former editor-in-chief of a Chinese nationalist tabloid has called upon official media to manage public expectations properly and refrain from using “harsh language that does not reflect the actual situation” when criticising Japan. Hu Xijin, the former editor-in-chief of the Global Times, affiliated with Communist Party mouthpiece People’s Daily, said some social media accounts run by official media had used “harsh language that does not reflect the actual situation” when criticising Japanese...

South China Morning Post

Former editor Hu Xijin urges restraint in official media’s criticism of Japan

Ex-Global Times chief warns against ‘exaggerated’ commentary on Sanae Takaichi, though he has called the Japanese leader an ‘evil witch’.