34 m. ago Singapore hospital counters woman’s illegal restraint, forced injection claims

Tan Tock Seng Hospital in Singapore on Tuesday defended the actions of a clinical team that attended to one of its patients after the woman claimed that she was mistreated at the hospital. “We are aware of recent online posts by a patient alleging that her treatment at our hospital was insensitive and inappropriate. We take the allegations seriously,” the hospital said in a social media post. “Our clinical team’s actions were guided by our foremost duty to ensure the safety and well-being of the...

Events

59 m. ago 12 Hong Kong children hospitalised with flu prompt urgent vaccination calls

Twelve children have been admitted to intensive care with influenza since September, Hong Kong’s health minister has said, urging parents to arrange vaccinations as soon as possible. Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau renewed calls for flu vaccination on Wednesday after two more severe paediatric cases were reported on consecutive days, both involving two-year-old children. Lo said the summer flu season begun unusually late, in early September, and warned of a possible overlap between the summer...

Science

2 h. ago Outspoken Hong Kong lawmaker Doreen Kong, 55, will not seek second term in Legco

Hong Kong lawmaker Doreen Kong Yuk-foon, known for her outspoken views, has announced that she will not seek a second term in the coming Legislative Council election, saying she wants to shift her focus back to her legal practice. Her decision, revealed on Wednesday, brings the number of incumbent legislators who are stepping down to 22 – nearly a quarter of the current 89 members. Kong, 55, also said she was preparing an online platform which would allow her to analyse public affairs and...

Politics

2 h. ago China’s youth jobless rate falls but remains high after record graduation season

China’s urban youth unemployment rate edged lower last month but remained at a concerning level amid ongoing struggles for many young people to find work in a challenging and crowded job market. The jobless rate for the 16 to 24 age group, excluding students, dipped to 17.7 per cent in September from 18.9 per cent in August. Financial news outlet Cailian reported the figure on Wednesday, citing data from the National Bureau of Statistics. The August figure had hit the highest level since the...

Politics

3 h. ago KPop Demon Hunters headed to toy stores as Netflix taps Mattel, Hasbro

Netflix is teaming up with Mattel and Hasbro to turn its blockbuster animated film KPop Demon Hunters into toys, deepening a consumer-goods push that could help diversify its revenue. The partnerships, announced on Tuesday, will produce toys, collectibles, games and role-play products based on the film, which follows a successful female K-pop trio that plays massive concerts while trying to save the world from sinister forces. The first products from the tie-up will be released next year. Since...

Politics

5 h. ago Japan Post stops forcing delivery staff to ride bicycles as punishment

Japan Post has scrapped a controversial practice of forcing delivery workers involved in minor accidents to complete their rounds by bicycle – even in extreme heat – after admitting the measure “could be perceived” as workplace harassment. The decision followed an internal investigation into an incident involving a delivery worker who was instructed to continue his rounds by bicycle for two weeks during a summer heatwave, despite daytime temperatures exceeding 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees...

Politics

12 h. ago China Eyes Russian Planes To Fuel Air Force Fighter Jets: Reports

China Eyes Russian Planes To Fuel Air Force Fighter Jets: Reports  Newsweek

Politics

17 h. ago Beijing's Software Pivot Puts Kingsoft In Focus, But Can It Deliver?

Beijing's Software Pivot Puts Kingsoft In Focus, But Can It Deliver?  Benzinga

Events

17 h. ago China’s economic growth hit by higher tariffs and property slump

China’s economic growth hit by higher tariffs and property slump  Los Angeles Times

Economics

18 h. ago Hong Kong drones hunt illegal filling stations, diesel worth HK$6 million seized

Hong Kong has started deploying drones to detect illegal refuelling stations in the city, with the Fire Services Department having seized diesel worth more than HK$6 million (US$772,362) in the past month during a crackdown on 23 locations. Bradan Kwok Chi-kwan, divisional officer for dangerous goods enforcement, said the department introduced drones to help uncover illicit operations last month and conducted 41 flights. “When our drone squad detects suspicious activity, it alerts task force...

Events

20 h. ago Trump isn’t serious about deterring Beijing from attacking Taiwan: poll

Most people in Taiwan do not see US President Donald Trump as serious about deterring Beijing from a possible attack on the self-ruled island, according to a recent poll released on Tuesday. Asked whether Trump was willing to prevent mainland China from “invading Taiwan by force”, 44.8 per cent of the 1,070 respondents said no, while 34.3 per cent said yes in the poll conducted by the Taiwanese Public Opinion Foundation between October 13 and 15. And on a question as to whether the US leader was...

Politics

22 h. ago Apple’s iPhone and beauty products lead the charge in record

Alibaba Group Holding kicked off direct sales for its annual Singles’ Day shopping festival on Monday, with initial figures surpassing last year’s performance – a sign of strengthening domestic consumption during China’s biggest online retail event. Since direct sales began on Taobao and Tmall at 8pm on Monday, 80 brands had exceeded 100 million yuan (US$13.8 million) in sales within the first hour, while more than 30,000 brands doubled their takings from a year earlier, according to data...

Politics

24 h. ago Palace and UK government under pressure to strip Prince Andrew of titles and home

He won’t call himself a duke any more, but that is not enough for many of Prince Andrew’s critics. Buckingham Palace and the British government were under pressure Monday to formally strip Prince Andrew of his princely title and sumptuous home after new revelations about his relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. After discussions with his elder brother King Charles, Andrew agreed on Friday to stop using titles including Duke of York. It was the latest effort to insulate the...

Politics

27 h. ago 'Seriously infringe upon China's sovereignty': Beijing hits out at Australia after 'unsafe' air force encounter

'Seriously infringe upon China's sovereignty': Beijing hits out at Australia after 'unsafe' air force encounter  9News

Events

29 h. ago Severe Tropical Storm Fengshen gradually moves away after skirting Hong Kong

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Severe Tropical Storm Fengshen has skirted Hong Kong and will gradually move away from the city on Tuesday, according to the weather forecaster. The Hong Kong Observatory also said that the No 3 typhoon signal currently in effect would remain in force at least until 6pm, with the chance of issuing a higher signal being “relatively low” unless Fengshen, which...

Events

29 h. ago Fengshen: hot weather back by weekend as Hong Kong lowers all typhoon signals

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Daytime temperatures are expected to rise later this week, the Hong Kong Observatory has said, as it cancelled all typhoon signals. The weather forecaster lowered the No 3 signal at 6.20pm on Tuesday as Tropical Cyclone Fengshen, which means “the god of wind” in Chinese, departed. The strong monsoon signal was in force. The Observatory warned that local winds...

Politics

30 h. ago How Hong Kong pair landed in Myanmar scam farm ‘living a life worse than death’

Having lived in safe Hong Kong all her life, Nancy never imagined that an overseas job would lead to forced labour in a scam farm, a harrowing experience that lasted for half a year before she could be reunited with her family. “I was living a life worse than death, surviving purely by willpower,” said Nancy, who is in her twenties. Like thousands of others lured to Southeast Asian scam farms, Nancy was hoping to make some quick money when a “friend” referred her for a job making cross-border...

Events

31 h. ago US appeal court lets Trump send National Guard troops to Portland

A divided US appeal court ruled on Monday that US President Donald Trump can send National Guard troops into Portland, Oregon, despite objections by the leaders of the city and state, giving the Republican president an important legal victory as he dispatches military forces to a growing number of Democratic-led locales. A three-judge panel of the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals granted the Justice Department’s request to put on hold a judge’s order that had blocked the deployment while a legal...

Politics

31 h. ago US appeals court says Trump can deploy National Guard troops in Portland

A divided US appeals court ruled on Monday that Donald Trump can send National Guard troops into Portland, Oregon, despite objections by the leaders of the city and state, giving the Republican president an important legal victory as he dispatches military forces to a growing number of Democratic-led locales. A three-judge panel of the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals granted the Justice Department’s request to put on hold a judge’s order that had blocked the deployment while a legal challenge to...

Politics

35 h. ago Phoenix Suns return from China with focus on chemistry, defense

Phoenix Suns return from China with focus on chemistry, defense  Cronkite News

Events