33 y. ago The Sydney Morning Herald from Sydney, New South Wales, Australia • Page 12

The Sydney Morning Herald from Sydney, New South Wales, Australia • Page 12  Newspapers.com

Politics

2 h. ago How Hong Kong’s pilot disease scheme can help save HK$2.7 billion in expenses

An ongoing pilot scheme for chronic disease screening could help save HK$2.7 billion (US$344 million) in medical expenses if 200,000 people join, Hong Kong authorities have said, with hepatitis B set to be included later. The Health Bureau said on Tuesday that the project would turn into a co-care “platform” and cover more diseases after the end of the three-year pilot arrangement. The Chronic Disease Co-Care Pilot Scheme was launched in November 2023. According to a paper submitted by the...

Economics

2 h. ago How Indonesian fintech firm is bridging funding gaps for women entrepreneurs

Across Indonesia’s vast archipelago, millions of women running small businesses in rural areas remain locked out of traditional banking – a gap increasingly filled by fintech firms offering microloans as economic pressures mount. One of the most prominent players in this space is Amartha, a Jakarta-based lending platform that connects borrowers in remote communities with financial institutions. Founded in 2010, it now counts about 3 million active borrowers – 99 per cent of them women operating...

Economics

3 h. ago BYD and other mainland carmakers pledge to speed up payments to suppliers

BYD and other mainland carmakers pledge to speed up payments to suppliers  South China Morning Post

Politics

4 h. ago GoPro rival Insta360 eyes global expansion after strong Shanghai IPO

Insta360, the Chinese action camera maker challenging GoPro, surged 285 per cent in its trading debut on Shanghai’s Star Market after raising 1.9 billion yuan (US$264.5 million) in the city’s largest initial public offering (IPO) in 17 months. Max Richter, who co-founded the company with 34-year-old Chinese entrepreneur Liu Jingkang in 2015, said Insta360 is “committed to expanding [its] global presence and elevating brand influence to boost [its] market share worldwide”. He identified China,...

Politics

5 h. ago Top US envoy in Hong Kong may be headed for senior role in Beijing embassy

The top US diplomat in Hong Kong is likely to be heading north to take up a leading role in the United States’ Beijing embassy, the South China Morning Post has learned. Gregory May, who arrived to serve as the US consul general for Hong Kong and Macau in September 2022, is tipped to be a top candidate for a ministerial role in the US embassy in Beijing, according to sources. It is a critical time in the relationship as Beijing and Washington engage in a series of high-stakes talks to manage...

Politics

5 h. ago Exclusive | Top US envoy in Hong Kong may be headed for senior role in Beijing embassy

Exclusive | Top US envoy in Hong Kong may be headed for senior role in Beijing embassy  South China Morning Post

Politics

6 h. ago Haitian eyes US$1.22 billion Hong Kong IPO, one of the year’s largest

Foshan Haitian Flavouring and Food Company, the largest listed condiment producer in mainland China, is seeking to raise up to HK$9.56 billion (US$1.22 billion) in Hong Kong, marking one of the city’s largest initial public offerings (IPOs) this year and giving a boost to its status as a world-leading fundraising hub. The company is offering 263.2 million H shares at a maximum price of HK$36.30 each, with the final offer price to be determined on or before June 17, Haitian said in a statement to...

Economics

20 h. ago Tencent Music to buy Ximalaya, an audio app used by 300 million users

Tencent Music Entertainment Group, China’s largest online music platform by user count, announced on Tuesday its acquisition of audio content platform Ximalaya for about US$2.4 billion in cash and stock. The Tencent Holdings subsidiary will offer US$1.26 billion in cash and up to 5.2 per cent of its total outstanding class A ordinary shares. It will also issue up to 0.37 per cent of its shares to Ximalaya’s founding investors. As part of the deal, Ximalaya will restructure certain existing...

Economics

21 h. ago UK borrowing costs plunge as labor market cools and spending review looms

UK borrowing costs plunge as labor market cools and spending review looms  CNBC

Economics

21 h. ago As trade talks continue, China thinks it has leverage over U.S.

As trade talks continue, China thinks it has leverage over U.S.  The Washington PostLutnick says US-China trade talks going well on second day  ReutersUS and China Talk Trade as Fight Over Rare Earths Escalates  The New York Times

Politics

23 h. ago Extravagant Chinese TV host Li Xiang mingles with royalty, spends US$10,000 on food

A popular Chinese television host has sparked fresh online controversy after it was revealed that the sticky rice dumplings she ate during the Dragon Boat Festival cost 1,000 yuan (US$140) each. Li Xiang, 49, who was born in Hunan province, central China, first rose to fame in 1997 as the host of the hit variety show Happy Camp. In the 2000s, she won the Most Popular Host award three times and received the Golden Mic Award, the highest honour for television anchors and hosts in China. As her...

Economics

23 h. ago China backs South Africa against ‘hegemony and bullying’ amid US tensions

Beijing is ready to work with South Africa to oppose global “hegemony and bullying”, Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun said on Tuesday, amid growing tensions between Pretoria and Washington over South Africa’s ties to Russia and controversial US asylum policies. The remarks came during a meeting in Beijing with General Rudzani Maphwanya, chief of the South African National Defence Force, according to a statement released by China’s Ministry of National Defence. It was Dong’s first public...

Events

24 h. ago Living in China’s shadow has become ‘very dangerous’ for Filipino islanders

Living in China’s shadow has become ‘very dangerous’ for Filipino islanders  South China Morning Post

Politics

27 h. ago Former residence of South Korea’s Yoon under scrutiny over ‘pet pool’

A shallow pool inside South Korea’s presidential residence has sparked a debate among lawmakers over whether it was used by former president Yoon Suk-yeol and his wife for their pets. There has been increasing speculation that the pool was used for pets and not humans, said Representative Kim Byoung-joo at a meeting held on Monday by the Democratic Party, which became the country’s ruling party following President Lee Jae-myung’s election win last week. “I’ve looked around the space inside the...

Politics

28 h. ago Malaysia’s new luxury tax a hard sell for Anwar as popularity wanes

Many Malaysians may find life’s little indulgences suddenly beyond their reach from next month, when fresh taxes bite on premium goods and services like salmon and silk – and even haircuts – after the cash-strapped government said it would raise revenue from so-called luxury spending. Taxes of between 5 and 10 per cent will be imposed on “discretionary and non-essential goods” as well as financial and beauty services and private education from July 1, the Finance Ministry said in a statement...

Events

29 h. ago China's Xi urges respect, 'right track' in call with South Korean counterpart

China's Xi urges respect, 'right track' in call with South Korean counterpart  Reuters

Politics

32 h. ago Hong Kong Observatory may raise No 1 typhoon signal on Wednesday morning

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. New users who download our updated app get a seven-day free trial. The Hong Kong Observatory is expected to issue the No 1 typhoon warning signal on Wednesday morning at the earliest and assess the need to raise the alert to a higher level the following day. The forecaster said a broad area of low pressure over the central part of the South China Sea was...

Politics

32 h. ago Hong Kong Observatory could issue No 1 typhoon signal on Wednesday morning

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. New users who download our updated app get a seven-day free trial. The Hong Kong Observatory is expected to issue the No 1 typhoon warning signal on Wednesday morning at the earliest and assess the need to raise the alert to a higher level the following day. The forecaster said a broad area of low pressure over the central part of the South China Sea was...

Politics

32 h. ago Chinese soldier, famed for striking resemblance to actress Dilraba, is elite sniper

A woman soldier from northwestern China who is known for her resemblance to a famous actress has developed into an outstanding sniper. Buzainafu Yasenjiang looks strikingly similar to Dilraba Dilmurat, one of China’s top entertainers, who has more than 81 million followers on social media. The 33-year-old actress and singer is a native of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region in the northwest of the country. She is celebrated for her unique beauty and talent, and has even been praised by the...

Events