10 h. ago Hong Kong public hospital pricing reform slashes less urgent A&E visits by 24%

Hong Kong’s health minister has revealed that the number of less urgent patients seeking treatment at public hospital accident and emergency (A&E) departments has dropped by 24 per cent in the first 10 days of a new pricing regime. Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau also said in a television interview on Saturday that authorities had so far approved 60,000 people for fee waivers, with about 80 per cent processed on the same day of application. Under a public hospital fee overhaul implemented on...

Politics

14 h. ago Thai ruling party courts voters by vowing to end Cambodia conflict, close scam hubs

Thailand’s ruling party, which is seeking to retain power in next month’s election, has vowed to resolve the country’s conflict with Cambodia and clean up its image as a transit hub for trafficked scam victims. The conservative Bhumjaithai Party, which took power in September, has cast itself as the most suitable defender of Thai sovereignty during the border dispute between the two Southeast Asian countries. Clashes erupted for five days last July and reignited in December before a...

Events

18 h. ago Several Hong Kong lawmakers omit unpaid directorships in Legco declarations

Several newly elected Hong Kong lawmakers have not fully disclosed their unpaid directorships and those held at subsidiaries, the Post has found, prompting calls from the legislature’s House Committee chairman for greater transparency. Andrew Yao Cho-fai and Lothair Lam Ming-fung were among the Legislative Council newcomers who did not register dozens of unpaid directorships, according to a Post check on their declarations of interest, which were cross-referenced with Companies Registry...

Politics

31 h. ago China’s charm offensive: Beijing bypasses Brussels in bid to soften EU trade push

Hua Chunying, China’s foreign vice-minister, beamed this week as she presented a leading Czech lawmaker with a decorative porcelain plate – a gift that signalled a possible thaw in ties between Prague and Beijing. The image sent tongues wagging in Europe: a symbol that a new Chinese charm offensive towards a Europe jilted by its erstwhile ally across the Atlantic had reached even its most hawkish capitals. China has spent the opening weeks of the year courting European governments, offering...

Politics

48 h. ago US lawmakers propose US$2.5 billion agency to boost production of rare earths

A bipartisan group of lawmakers has proposed creating a new agency with US$2.5 billion to spur production of rare earths and the other critical minerals, while the Trump administration has already taken aggressive actions to break China’s grip on the market for these materials that are crucial to hi-tech products, including mobile phones, electric vehicles, jet fighters and missiles. It is too early to tell how the bill, if passed, could align with the White House’s policy but whatever the...

Economics

52 h. ago UK Conservative lawmaker Robert Jenrick defects to Farage’s Reform UK

Former Conservative Party leadership candidate Robert Jenrick defected to Nigel Farage’s right-wing Reform UK on Thursday, hours after he was sacked from the Conservatives when his plans to switch allegiance were leaked. Jenrick joins at least a dozen prominent Conservatives who have joined Reform which, before an election expected in 2029, is ahead of both Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour Party and Kemi Badenoch’s Conservatives in opinion polls. “The two main parties are rotten,” Jenrick...

Politics

53 h. ago Memory Shortage to Hit Nvidia China Approvals, US Lawmaker Says

Memory Shortage to Hit Nvidia China Approvals, US Lawmaker Says  Bloomberg.com

Events

56 h. ago 3 new Hong Kong lawmakers fail to declare company shareholdings

At least three newcomers to Hong Kong’s legislature, including two from the city’s largest political party, have failed to declare company shareholdings, the Post has found, with the trio blaming the omissions on heavy workloads or misunderstandings. The three lawmakers are Jody Kwok Fu-yung and Hung Kam-in of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB), and Thomas So Shiu-tsung, a lawyer. “I am still a newcomer and have to handle many matters, such as [a new]...

Events

64 h. ago Tougher building checks may add costs, slow projects, Hong Kong lawmaker says

Extra costs and the use of public resources may be incurred under the Hong Kong government’s proposed moves to increase professional scrutiny of building maintenance projects following the deadly Tai Po inferno, a lawmaker has said, calling for further discussion. Election Committee lawmaker Andrew Lam Siu-lo, a town planner by training, said on Thursday that expanding the Urban Renewal Authority’s (URA) role in such projects might require extra time and money, urging the government and...

Politics

68 h. ago Without pension reform, China is leaving its rural elderly out in the cold

“Rural heating problems in Hebei cannot wait any longer” declared a recent report in Farmers’ Daily. It described a disturbing reality in parts of northern China: elderly villagers who would rather shiver through freezing temperatures than turn on their heaters, because they simply cannot afford the cost. For many urban readers, this may sound implausible. For millions of rural elderly, it is routine. On the surface, the problem appears to be a side effect of China’s well-intentioned...

Politics

68 h. ago Opinion | Without pension reform, China is leaving its rural elderly out in the cold

Opinion | Without pension reform, China is leaving its rural elderly out in the cold  South China Morning Post

Politics

68 h. ago Trump prevails in US Senate showdown over Venezuela war powers

US President Donald Trump’s pressure campaign to unify his party behind his takeover of Venezuela succeeded Wednesday when all but three Senate Republicans voted to block a resolution opposing further military action in the country. US Vice-President J.D. Vance broke a tie vote in order to stop the resolution. The 51-50 vote followed fiery phone calls from Trump to Republican defectors who last week voted to advance the resolution. Trump’s success in flipping votes effectively ends one of the...

Politics

69 h. ago Hong Kong lawmaker Duncan Chiu leads Legco affluence list with 54 properties

Hong Kong lawmaker Duncan Chiu owns 54 properties at home and overseas, more than any of the other 89 lawmakers, a review of their declaration of interests shows. But Chiu indicated that he is considering selling his properties in the West, citing geopolitical risks and his limited time for managing them. Chiu, the son of the late entrepreneur Deacon Chiu, represents the technology and innovation sector. He is among the five lawmakers who have declared ownership of more than 10 properties, and...

Society

2 d. ago Trump administration faces backlash over Nvidia H200 AI chip sales to China

Witnesses and lawmakers at a foreign affairs hearing blasted the Trump administration’s approval for the sale of Nvidia’s H200 AI chips to China and called for it to reverse the decision, as the White House’s top technology adviser defended the move in the administration’s first public testimony discussing the latest export control measures. Allowing China to buy Nvidia’s second most powerful AI chip is a “wrong path” that would “supercharge” Beijing’s military modernisation and damage the US’...

Politics

3 d. ago High Seas Treaty a chance for China to lead on marine conservation

On January 17, a quiet revolution will take place across around two-thirds of the world’s oceans. A landmark United Nations agreement known as the High Seas Treaty will formally enter into force, creating the first legally binding global framework to protect marine biodiversity in international waters. For the first time, activities beyond national jurisdictions – from industrial fishing to deep-sea mining and bio-prospecting – will be subject to environmental impact assessments, marine...

Politics

3 d. ago Opinion | High Seas Treaty a chance for China to lead on marine conservation

Opinion | High Seas Treaty a chance for China to lead on marine conservation  South China Morning Post

Politics

3 d. ago Trump's greenlight for Nvidia AI chips to China draws fire from lawmakers, former officials

Trump's greenlight for Nvidia AI chips to China draws fire from lawmakers, former officials  Reuters

Politics

3 d. ago Gaps laid bare by deadly Hong Kong fire focus of first Legco meeting of new term

Hong Kong’s newly elected lawmakers, many of them fresh faces on the political scene, held their first meeting on Wednesday, with officials pledging to address policy gaps exposed by the deadly Tai Po inferno, from tightening oversight of maintenance project tenders and raising homeowner voting thresholds to imposing a smoking ban at construction sites. Wednesday also marked the first time since Hong Kong’s return to Chinese sovereignty 28 years ago that a city leader addressed the first session...

Events

3 d. ago Animal welfare groups slam Hong Kong pet shop for offering cat rental service

Animal welfare groups have criticised a Hong Kong pet shop for offering a cat rental service, calling the move unethical and harmful to the felines’ well-being. The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) said on Wednesday that it had sent staff to inspect the shop in North Point and reminded its operator to comply with the law. In a social media post – which appears to have been since removed – the Petbook pet shop advertised a “cat friend rental” service. It offered people...

Economics

3 d. ago Hong Kong’s John Lee to open new Legco’s first meeting with Tai Po fire on agenda

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Get faster notifications on the latest updates by downloading our app. Hong Kong’s new Legislative Council will hold its first meeting on Wednesday, with lawmakers set to focus on follow-up actions after last year’s Tai Po fire that claimed at least 161 lives. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu will address the new batch of 90 lawmakers, followed by a...

Events