Seventy-something Hong Kong retiree Leung Ching says a meal for four in Shenzhen, the megacity in mainland China roughly an hour’s train ride away, that cost just over 300 yuan (US$45) a few years ago now runs to 500 to 600 yuan. It would cost around HK$1,000 (US$127.50) in Hong Kong, but only 300 yuan in Guangzhou and just 200 yuan in Zhongshan, two cities within two hours of Hong Kong. “Shenzhen is becoming less and less affordable,” said Leung, a retired vendor. Last year, consumer prices in...

Prominent biologist Rao Yi is refusing to back down after Cell Press said it had found no evidence that top journal editor Steve Mao sought bribes from Chinese scientists. In a statement published on Thursday evening, Cell Press – one of the world’s leading scientific publishers, owned by Elsevier – said its investigation had “largely concluded” and “found no evidence to support the aforementioned allegations”. Nevertheless, Rao, a tenured chair professor at Peking University who stepped down as...

The 41-year-old will face court on Saturday after she is alleged to have deliberately lit multiple fires in Forrestfield on Thursday.

This story was first published on October 31, 1971. Aberdeen was yesterday (October 30, 1971) rocked by a tremendous explosion followed by fire which swept through the $14 million Jumbo Restaurant, killing 13 and injuring at least 42 others on board. It happened so quickly that within five minutes, fire engulfed the four-decked floating restaurant, reducing it to a charred hulk. Hundreds of people leapt for life from the decks and from the pagoda-shaped towers of the palatial restaurant. It was...

After alleging that noncitizens are registered to vote in L.A. County, the U.S. Department of Justice recently sent subpoenas to local elections officials, calling them to testify before a grand jury. The move may signal that criminal charges are in the works — but the county has ways to fight back.

Even as Hong Kong remains the world’s least affordable housing market, many buyers still shun heavily discounted homes linked to an “unnatural death”, such as murder or suicide, according to property agents. Prices for such properties could fall by as much as 50 per cent, while rents were typically about 20 per cent below market rates, they added. The aversion stands in stark contrast to parts of Europe, particularly in France, where buyers are often willing to purchase homes under a “vente en...

Hainan's digital reporting system streamlines grassroots governance

China's first shipborne stealth reconnaissance-strike integrated drone GJ-21 has recently completed its first takeoff and landing operation aboard the Sichuan, China's first Type 076 amphibious assault ship, a navy source said.

Police have urged the public to avoid the area while an investigation is under way.

Footage of the little girl being carried out of Terrence Kelly’s home went viral in what crime analysts have called a rare happy ending.

There’s no metro for another year at least. But other public transport is functional, and in some cases, free.

Australia will need to pull of their highest fourth-innings run chase in 15 years on the final day of the third Test against South Africa.

Having a presence in Hong Kong and the rest of China is “very important” for Bordeaux, an official from the world-renowned French wine-producing region has said, even as consumption declines on the mainland. The comments by deputy mayor Fabien Robert came as Vinexpo, a premier international wine and spirits trade exhibition that began in Bordeaux, signed a deal for its Asian edition to be hosted solely by Hong Kong from 2027 to 2031. “To be in Hong Kong every year, I think it’s a message ......

Beijing promoted 10 officials to full membership of the Communist Party’s Central Committee at a major political gathering this week, where the normally routine process of filling vacancies took on new significance. The names of the officials who have filled the vacant slots were included in a communique released at the end of the fifth plenum of the party’s 20th Central Committee on Thursday. The event, which focused on party discipline and the fight against corruption, confirmed that 24 full...

A former South Lake Tahoe mayor whose church fraud case shocked residents in the scenic Sierra Nevada city pleaded guilty to wire fraud this week in federal court.

The week in photos from our award-winning staff photographers and regular contributors at The Age.

A 75-year-old Anaheim woman faces federal charges and could face up to seven years in prison after allegedly running over and killing a puppy in Santa Ana.

The film Everest: The Other Side, a collaborative US-China project that opened on Friday in 515 US cinemas and that will premiere at 700 IMAX theatres in China on November 6, starts with a majestic shot of the world’s tallest mountain. Then the music builds and more challenging weather rolls in, foreshadowing what is at stake. The film invokes a well-trod narrative for fans of the mountaineering genre: a mix of the grit and sacrifice driving world-class climbers, along with no small amount of...

TrendForce projects that Apple could ship 5 million iPhone Duo units this year. That puts it on course to challenge Samsung’s dominance in the foldable market.

UK Indo-Pacific minister Rosie Winterton has visited Hong Kong’s flagship tech hub to discuss plans to expand technological collaboration in the Greater Bay Area, while aiming to strengthen business, education and people-to-people partnerships with the city. During her visit, Winterton also raised concerns about the jailing of former media boss Jimmy Lai Chee-ying in talks with Cui Jianchun, Beijing’s top diplomat in the city, and local officials. “What we want to do is to strengthen those ties...

The men were found unconscious on the road in the early hours of the morning.

An unusually expensive Costco breakfast order led Seaside police to arrest two staff members at Monterey International School, accused of embezzling nearly $300,000. The school's chief financial officer is accused of spending public funds on massages, luxury travel and Pilates classes.

China has broken up a major transnational drug trafficking network in cooperation with Indonesia and Malaysia, seizing around 1.2 tonnes of liquid methamphetamine, China’s Ministry of Public Security said on Friday. The operation was carried out on October 21 by Indonesia’s National Narcotics Agency (BNN), which raided and shut down a large-scale drug processing and purification facility in Aceh, Indonesia, and arrested 11 people, with help from China’s National Narcotics Control Commission...

Mario Alberto Morales was driving an unmarked SUV when he struck and ran over Miguel Parra Hernandez who was running away during a pursuit, the District Attorney’s Office said.

Prisons, once widely regarded as undesirable facilities, are now drawing competition from local governments seeking to revive shrinking communities and struggling economies. Seven municipal governments are competing to host four new correctional facilities as part of the Ministry of Justice’s first nationwide competitive bidding process for prison sites. The ministry launched a nationwide call for applications on Aug. 28, marking the first time it has used a competitive bidding process to select sites for new correctional facilities. Previously, sites were chosen through consultations between the ministry and local governments. Under the new system, municipalities must seek residents' input and obtain approval from their local councils before submitting bids. The four planned facilities will each have a capacity of 1,000 inmates and employ around 250 staff members. Seven local governments have joined the race, including the counties of Yeongyang, Cheongsong, Yeongdeok and Uiseong in North Gyeongsang Province, the city of Jecheon and Boeun County in North Chungcheong Province and Jeongse

Korea is stepping up its efforts to help retired working dogs find forever homes by building a comprehensive, state-funded safety net designed to ease the steep financial burden on adoptive families. Under an expanded initiative led by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, the government is introducing direct medical subsidies, discounted veterinary care, and dedicated hospice facilities to ensure these canine public servants are cared for after their service ends. Roughly 1,100 working dogs currently serve across six government bodies, including the military, police, fire services, customs and quarantine inspection. Among them, the Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency alone operates approximately 70 specialized detector dogs at key international travel hubs. For years, private adoption for retired working dogs faced steep hurdles. Specialized breeds like beagles, Labradors, and Malinois typically retire around age 8 after six to eight years of active duty. Upon retirement, adoptive owners are left with high medical costs for joint issues, dental problems and chronic ailment

"Whenever you talk to an employee in their 20s, it's probably best to assume the entire conversation is being recorded." It is a warning increasingly shared among Korean managers in their 40s and 50s as they try to make sense of a generation of young employees whose workplace habits can seem baffling — and sometimes unsettling — to their bosses. Some older managers see low loyalty to the company and a lack of respect for senior colleagues. Gen Z workers, however, see something very different: a desire for clear communication, boundaries between work and private life and relationships based less on hierarchy. From recording conversations with bosses and avoiding unnecessary apologies to skipping team lunches and continuing to use honorific speech even with close colleagues, young Koreans are quietly rewriting some of the unwritten rules that have long governed the country's offices. Why record a conversation with your boss? For some middle managers, discovering that a young employee is recording a conversation without saying anything can be uncomfortable. Some even wonder whether the em

"I think the fall is getting to me." That's what a friend told me on the phone recently. "You're middle-aged now, and suddenly you're getting the autumn blues?" I said jokingly. He laughed awkwardly, then began telling me about his life lately. Seeing the darkening sky on his way home from work drains his energy. Once home, he lies on the couch and does nothing. Even after sleeping in on weekends, he doesn't feel refreshed. And after dinner, he finds himself reaching for bread and snacks. As I listened, I began to wonder whether it was really something that could simply be blamed on the season. In Korea, the expression "gaeul tada," literally "to be affected by autumn," carries a certain romanticism. It describes that wistful feeling that arrives with falling leaves, when even a familiar song can unexpectedly stir the emotions. But persistent sadness and lethargy, along with losing interest in hobbies once enjoyed, are a long way from romantic autumn melancholy. According to the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health, seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a "type of depression characterize

It is generally considered less risky for companies to first establish a robust consumer base in the country where they are based, giving them a comfort zone for operations like marketing, administration and customer service. Expanding into overseas markets would be a logical next step. Major Korean firms almost always follow this approach, building operational know-how and a strong domestic following before venturing into uncharted territories. Global expansion has become increasingly encouraging for Korean beauty and food firms thanks to their growing presence on the global stage. According to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, Korean beauty exports hit a record $11.4 billion in 2025, up 24.5 percent from 2021. Korean food exports also reached a record in 2025 at $10.4 billion, up 21.9 percent over the same period, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. The booming global trade in these industries has encouraged some small and medium-sized Korean companies to aim high from the outset, targeting international consumers rather than the domestic market. These

In May, Donald Trump touring Beijing’s Temple of Heaven – bathed in golden light as traditional Chinese music played in the background – was an unlikely image of US-China relations. For Julian Gewirtz, a former China official on president Joe Biden’s National Security Council, it also had a familiar Gen Z twist. “Trump, strange as it is to say, is Chinamaxxing,” he wrote in a Substack post at the time. The social media trend celebrates the features of Chinese life, from high-speed trains and...