14 h. 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

14 h. ago Severe flu cases among Hong Kong children prompt urgent vaccination calls

Twelve children have been hospitalised with severe 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 has started unusually late, in early September. He warned of a possible overlap between the summer...

Politics

14 h. ago Sixfold surge in flu outbreaks at Hong Kong schools as 13 severe cases reported

Hong Kong schools have reported a more than sixfold surge in influenza outbreaks since the start of the academic year compared with the winter flu season earlier this year, with 13 children hospitalised since September. The government renewed its calls on Wednesday for children to receive flu jabs after another three severe paediatric cases were reported on consecutive days. The Centre for Health Protection said the latest severe case involved an 11-year-old girl who had previously been in good...

Science

15 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

20 h. ago Hong Kong’s CUHK eyes wider use of ‘painless’ liver cancer care after 96% success

Hong Kong liver cancer patient Mr Chan* said his tumour disappeared following a painless ultrasound treatment that felt similar to “taking a nap”. The 68-year-old retiree, who had been battling liver cancer since 2013, was among 26 patients who had received a histotripsy treatment conducted by the Chinese University of Hong Kong since April this year. “There was no pain at all. It was just like taking a nap,” Chan said. “I could be discharged the next day and lead a normal life afterwards. The...

Politics

27 h. ago Europe, Ukraine prepare plan to end war, proposing peace board headed by Trump

European nations are working with Ukraine on a 12-point proposal to end Russia’s war along current battle lines, pushing back against Vladimir Putin’s renewed demands to the US for Kyiv to surrender territory in return for a peace deal. A peace board chaired by US President Donald Trump would oversee implementation of the proposed plan, according to people familiar with the matter. Once Russia follows Ukraine in agreeing to a ceasefire and both sides commit to halting territorial advances, the...

Politics

53 h. ago China’s rare earth magnet exports to US plunge 29% as tensions simmer

The decline in China’s exports of rare earth magnets to the United States accelerated in September – a period predating Beijing’s expansion of controls over the flow of the critical minerals – an indication the prized items remain a major battleground in the ongoing trade war between the world’s two largest economies. China’s total exports to the US of the permanent magnets – essential components in manufacturing for several hi-tech industries, including electric vehicles and defence – reached...

Events

55 h. ago Rare earths make gains in premarket trading amid battle to beat China’s dominance

Rare earths make gains in premarket trading amid battle to beat China’s dominance  CNBC

Economics

55 h. ago Rare earths make gains amid battle to beat China’s dominance

Rare earths make gains amid battle to beat China’s dominance  CNBC

Events

59 h. ago ISU Figure Skating Grand Prix Cup of China 2025: Preview, schedule, how to watch live figure skating action from Chongqing

ISU Figure Skating Grand Prix Cup of China 2025: Preview, schedule, how to watch live figure skating action from Chongqing  Olympics.com

Politics

61 h. ago China Box Office: ‘Row to Win’ Rises to No. 1 as ‘Tron: Ares’ and ‘One Battle After Another’ Open

China Box Office: ‘Row to Win’ Rises to No. 1 as ‘Tron: Ares’ and ‘One Battle After Another’ Open  Variety

Events

64 h. ago China’s naval ‘genius’; 2 million Filipinos’ jobs on the line: 5 weekend reads

We have put together stories from our coverage last weekend to help you stay informed about news across Asia and beyond. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. US call centre bill threatens Philippines’ US$30 billion outsourcing boom 2. Chinachem Tower blaze in Hong Kong’s Central put out after 4-hour battle, 4 hurt 3. The aircraft carrier champion and naval genius behind China’s blue sea strategy 4. Man accused of running Cambodian scam farm empire...

Politics

4 d. ago Firefighters battle blaze at Chinachem Tower in Hong Kong, 3 trapped in lift

Firefighters are battling a blaze that broke out at the Chinachem Tower in Hong Kong’s central business district after scaffolding on the building caught fire on Saturday afternoon, with three people trapped in a lift. Police said they received reports of a fire at No 34-37 Connaught Road Central, the address of the tower, at about 4.24pm. “Informants said a scaffolding facing a back alley of a building caught fire. There is no report of injury. Three men were said to have been trapped in a...

Events

4 d. ago Firefighters battle blaze at Chinachem Tower in Hong Kong, 3 hurt

Firefighters are battling a blaze that broke out at the Chinachem Tower in Hong Kong’s central business district after scaffolding on the building caught fire on Saturday afternoon, with at least three people injured. Police said they received reports of a fire at No 34-37 Connaught Road Central, the address of the tower, at about 4.24pm. The severity of the fire was upgraded after about 12 minutes. “Informants said scaffolding facing a back alley of a building caught fire,” a police spokesman...

Events

4 d. ago Firefighters battle blaze at Chinachem Tower in Hong Kong, 4 hurt

Firefighters are battling a blaze that broke out at the Chinachem Tower in Hong Kong’s central business district after scaffolding on the building caught fire on Saturday afternoon, with at least four people injured. Police said they received reports of a fire at No 34-37 Connaught Road Central, the address of the tower, at about 4.24pm. The severity of the fire was upgraded after about 12 minutes. “Informants said scaffolding facing a back alley of a building caught fire,” a force spokesman...

Events

4 d. ago Chinachem Tower blaze in Hong Kong’s Central put out after 4

Firefighters have extinguished a blaze at the Chinachem Tower in Hong Kong’s central business district after a battle that lasted for more than four hours, with at least four people injured. Huge flames erupted when the scaffolding along the building caught fire on Saturday afternoon, sending up thick plumes of smoke that were visible from Kowloon across Victoria Harbour. At least four people were rescued after being trapped inside the tower. According to authorities, 36 firefighting vehicles,...

Politics

5 d. ago Carmakers gear up for chip battle after China curbs Nexperia exports

Carmakers gear up for chip battle after China curbs Nexperia exports  Financial Times

Events

5 d. ago Outrage over celebrity revels at South Korean breast cancer event

A breast cancer awareness fundraiser by a South Korean high fashion magazine has come under fire for focusing too much on the celebrities and not on the cause itself. Photos and videos of celebrities such as BTS’ V and RM, Aespa’s Karina and Lovely Runner actor Byeon Woo-seok drinking and partying at W Korea’s “Love Your W 2025” breast cancer awareness campaign at the Four Seasons Hotel in Seoul’s Jongno district on Wednesday sparked criticism that the event looked more like a fashion party than...

Politics

5 d. ago China’s secret weapon in chip battle with US: intense city rivalry

China’s megacities are moving in tandem to draw capital to semiconductor research and development, as Beijing accelerates its chip self-sufficiency drive in the face of tightening US export controls. Major technology hubs including Shenzhen, Shanghai and Hangzhou – and even lesser-known players like Hubei province – have all launched major chip industry investment projects in the past few months, with regions competing to emerge as powerhouses in the strategically vital sector, according to...

Events

5 d. ago Hong Kong faces ‘relatively severe’ summer flu outbreak, health authorities warn

Hong Kong could face a “relatively severe” summer influenza outbreak this year, health authorities have warned, as the percentage of positive cases has already exceeded the peak of the previous season and flu activity continues to rise. The Centre for Health Protection said on Thursday evening that at least 451 outbreaks had been reported in schools so far since the start of the school year in September. Among them, 43 cases occurred in kindergartens or childcare centres, 244 were recorded in...

Events