Latest from South China Morning Post
South China Morning Post
17 minutes ago
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
Feature of the Week: Skyler and Thyler Ng's day at the Spartan Kids Race
Do you have something to share? Send us your poetry, stories, school events and other reports using this form . We recently completed our third Spartan Kids Race in Guangzhou, China. We tackled 26 progressively challenging obstacles over a distance of 5.1km, which pushed us to run, jump, climb, and even crawl on all fours. While the event was all about having fun, we also developed grit and mental toughness. The day we had been looking forward to finally arrived. We arrived at the venue about an hour before our scheduled race time to familiarise ourselves with the area. The muddy terrain greeted us after a heavy rainfall, which added to the challenge for everyone. Despite the unfavourable weather, we managed to finish the race in under an hour. We are looking forward to participating in the next race.
South China Morning Post
17 minutes ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Singapore dodges recession as economy grows 4.3% in second quarter amid tariff uncertainty
Singapore 's economy grew a faster-than-expected 4.3 per cent in the second quarter year-on-year, preliminary government data showed on Monday, despite a dimming outlook due to global economic uncertainty. The trade ministry's advance estimate for gross domestic product in the April to June period compared to an expected expansion of 3.5 per cent, according to economists polled by Reuters. On a quarter-on-quarter seasonally adjusted basis, GDP grew 1.4 per cent in the April to June period, the advance estimates showed, avoiding a technical recession after the first quarter's revised 0.5 per cent contraction. 'The economy is holding up despite tariff and geopolitical shocks. The de-escalation in the US-China tariff war and front-loading of exports during the 90-day reprieve has cushioned the tariff shocks,' Maybank economist Chua Hak Bin said. On Thursday, Trade Minister Gan Kim Yong said the economy likely held up well in the first half of 2025 as businesses took advantage of the pause in tariffs to front-load exports to the US , but warned that growth could slow in the next six to 12 months. The trade ministry in April downgraded the city state's GDP forecast for 2025 to a range of 0 per cent to 2 per cent from 1 per cent to 3 per cent. Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong said the economy likely held up well in the first half of 2025 as businesses took advantage of the pause in tariffs to front-load exports to the US. Photo: Reuters
South China Morning Post
29 minutes ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong trails Singapore, London as priciest city for rich lifestyle, Julius Baer says
Hong Kong has become relatively cheaper for wealthy individuals over the last year, dropping from second to third on a list of the costliest world cities for high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs), according to Julius Baer. Singapore retained the title of the most expensive city, while London and Hong Kong swapped places from a year earlier, according to the 2025 Julius Baer Global Wealth and Lifestyle Report on Monday. The sixth annual study by the Swiss lender compared a basket of goods and services in 25 cities from December to April to assess the 'cost of living well' for HNWIs: people with at least US$1 million to invest. The items ranged from cars to watches and handbags, and from property to medical expenses and private-school fees. Hong Kong's property prices, as well as men's suits, bicycles and technology items, all became cheaper last year, and the price of champagne in Hong Kong is the lowest among the 25 markets thanks to a lower taxes on alcohol. However, the city's legal fees topped the list. Prices for watches rose 11 per cent last year in Hong Kong, while car prices increased by 5 per cent, the study showed. 'The low-tax appeal and cosmopolitan culture of Hong Kong have long drawn wealthy individuals to relocate there,' the report said.
South China Morning Post
32 minutes ago
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Lawmakers against LGBTQ rights bill shouldn't stoop to fearmongering
On Wednesday, the Hong Kong government will introduce a bill to recognise same-sex partnerships, despite opposition from some powerful political groups. The move is the government's answer to a landmark court ruling by the Court of Final Appeal in 2023. Advertisement The court gave authorities two years to draw up laws to sort out the rights of same-sex couples by October 27, finding the government in violation of Hong Kong's Bill of Rights. The government has wisely decided that now is the right time to push it through, or at least try to. As we approach the Legislative Council elections in December, lawmakers will not be meeting after October 22. This is likely why lawmakers shortened their summer break this year. Out of practicality, the government must do it now to meet the court's deadline. As to why the government couldn't do it earlier, I think most Hongkongers know why. Mentioning anything concerning 'same sex' automatically triggers some lawmakers to go berserk, as we have witnessed for years. When the government gave Legco a heads-up about the bill earlier this month , the usual suspects raised hell as expected. With election season just around the corner, the government can bet on even more political theatrics from these lawmakers. Waiting to introduce the bill after the shortened summer recess would risk having their displays of disaffection steal the limelight from the chief executive's policy address in September. Our 'results-oriented' chief executive would likely prefer not to have to deal with such a distraction. Advertisement
South China Morning Post
32 minutes ago
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Japan's political turmoil sparks nostalgia for Shinzo Abe
Three years after the assassination of Shinzo Abe , Japan's longest-serving prime minister, his legacy continues to cast a long shadow over a struggling ruling party and an embattled successor, fuelling a wave of public nostalgia ahead of Sunday's crucial upper house election. Abe, remembered as a polarising yet dominant figure who shaped Japan's modern conservative identity, was gunned down on July 8, 2022, while campaigning in the city of Nara. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba quietly observed this year's anniversary by laying flowers at the site of Abe's murder, in what some saw as an effort to tap into his predecessor's enduring public appeal. In Abe's hometown of Nagato in Yamaguchi prefecture, his widow Akie placed flowers on his grave, telling reporters: 'He was able to work hard for the country, feeling at ease thanks to the support he received in elections.' Japanese Prime Minster Shigeru Ishiba lays flowers at a memorial for former prime minister Shinzo Abe in a cemetery in the western Japan city of Nara on Tuesday, the third anniversary of his assassination in the city. Photo: Kyodo She was joined by Sanae Takaichi, a former cabinet minister who was once widely seen as Abe's natural heir on the nationalist right. 'I feel frustrated when I hear people wondering how the world would have changed and how Japan would have been if Abe had been alive,' Takaichi said.
