The “glory days” of the world’s longest-serving aircraft carrier are over, reflecting fatigue in the broader US fleet amid a decline in the country’s shipbuilding capacity, according to official Chinese military analysts. In a report on Wednesday, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV said the US Navy’s re
Chinese parents are sending their children to “hardship summer camps” to engage in farm work, often to the point of tears, in an effort to teach them the realities of life and foster appreciation for their families. This summer, a programme known as “hardship camp” is gaining popularity across China
North Korea has fired several short-range ballistic missiles, Seoul’s military said on Thursday, hours after US President Donald Trump said he would meet Pyongyang’s Kim Jong-un this year. The latest launches from the nuclear-armed North come as South Korea and the United States hold a shorter editi
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung told visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Thursday he would use the coming Apec leaders’ meeting in southern China to elevate bilateral ties, as Seoul and Beijing step up diplomatic rapprochement. “I look forward to travelling to Shenzhen in November to a
At least one top executive of the Hong Kong operator of UK-based beauty chain Opatra London has resigned, it emerged on Thursday, after customs officers arrested two of the company’s managers over alleged coercive and misleading sales practices. Meanwhile, the Lux Boutique outlet at Harbour City in
Hong Kong’s jobless rate has remained unchanged since the start of the year, new figures show, although the labour chief has warned of rising pressure on unemployment as fresh graduates enter the workforce. The Census and Statistics Department said on Thursday that the seasonally adjusted unemployme
Four workers died on Thursday after being hit by an express train at a station in Tochigi Prefecture, north of Tokyo, police said. The four men were on the tracks to remove weeds when the accident took place at around 10.45am local time at Shin-Kanuma Station on the Tobu Nikko Line, according to the
A domestic helper has been arrested in Hong Kong on suspicion of child neglect after a one-year-old girl in her care suffered second-degree burns to her hands, according to the child’s mother. A police source on Thursday confirmed that the Indonesian helper, 30, was arrested in Yuen Long the previou
Chinese commercial banks have begun pricing corporate loans against a short-term interbank repo rate rather than the benchmark loan prime rate (LPR), a shift drawing sharp scrutiny from investors worried about the sector’s already thin profitability. The industry’s average net interest margin – the
Hong Kong drivers will be able to renew their vehicle licences within one day by year-end, down from the current processing time of up to 10 working days, under new artificial intelligence (AI) initiatives aimed at streamlining transport services and traffic management. The “Easy Licence Application
China sentenced the founder of embattled property giant Evergrande to life in prison and fined the group more than US$2 billion on Thursday for offences including fraud, five years after a high-profile default. Evergrande Group was once the face of Chinese real estate, surfing a decades-long propert
Fewer than 30,000 babies were born over the past year, despite the government’s monetary incentives aimed at encouraging fertility. It marks the first time mid-year births have fallen beneath 30,000. According to figures released by the Census and Statistics Department on Tuesday, a total of 2
Hong Kong customs officers have arrested two staff members from local branches of the skincare chain Opatra London over alleged coercive sales tactics. The Customs and Excise Department said in a media briefing on Wednesday that they arrested a 25-year-old woman, Opatra London Hong Kong’s admi
Hong Kong conglomerate CK Hutchison said on Thursday it has filed international arbitration proceedings against Panama over its cancellation of a concession to operate two ports in the Panama Canal. The dispute stems from a Panama supreme court ruling in January that struck down the contract that le
An animal rights NGO is offering a HK$50,000 reward for anyone with information that could assist police in a case involving suspected hamster abuse. In a social media post on Wednesday, PETA Asia said the discovery of two hamsters next to a rubbish bin in Sham Shui Po with severe injuries to their
Hong Kong’s stock exchange reported record profits on Wednesday, thanks to a surge in demand for initial public offerings by tech and artificial intelligence companies, the bourse operator said on Wednesday. The results come as Hong Kong’s IPO market saw a surge in listings from the arti
A 48-year-old man has been sentenced to 22 years in jail after he repeatedly raped his daughter over a period of 10 years, starting when the victim was only 14. Recorder of the Court of First Instance of the High Court Eric Kwok jailed the man, identified as Y.S., on Tuesday, The Witness reported. K
A Hong Kong court has dismissed a father’s “inappropriate” application for a writ of habeas corpus for his infant son Danny, who was born unassisted at home and has been kept in government custody. When granted, a writ of habeas corpus – meaning “to have the body” – would for
The owner of a large dog suspected of mauling two smaller dogs to death in Yuen Long has been arrested. The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) said in a statement on Tuesday night that it had arrested the owner of the dog earlier that day and collected a statement regarding th
A Hong Kong court has ordered the now-defunct pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily to pay HK$1.5 million in damages to a couple that sued the outlet for defamation over articles published in 2019. The defamation suit was lodged by listed company China Innovation Investment Limited, its chairperson Xi