South China Morning Post - December 19, 2025

Cleared for take-off

BLUEPRINT FOR CHINESE MEDICINE UNVEILED

Bar Association urges targeted law on bid-rigging

Arrest after currency exchange robbed of 1b yen

Markets optimism contends with economic risks

POSTS FROM THE PAST

General licences issued for export of rare earths

Flat owners hit by fire get help renting new homes

BEIJING SLAMS ARMS SALE TO TAIWAN

Youth jobless rate eases with graduates settling for less

Life in Labubu land

Lee vows to turn city into aviation recycle hub

HK$1.2b

Riding the Trump storm

26%

Legislators call for earlier consultation with policymakers

OVER 700 MAINLANDERS APPLY TO DRIVE INTO HK

Housing, funding concerns test school admissions

Brotherly shove

Top CUHK post goes to veteran academic

Egyptian show ‘to be most profitable yet’ for museum

4

LAUNCH OF SEPARATE CUSTOMS REGIME FOR LEVY-FREE IMPORTS

Tourist growth to Japan slows amid rising tensions

Team builds optical chip that is 100 times faster than pride of Nvidia

Dozens convicted of smuggling critical mineral

We believe the international community understands and supports Venezuela’s position in defending its legitimate rights and interests

Unity critical amid crunch talks after a year of shocks

LIMITED OPTIONS FOR E.U. AS TRADE DEFICIT GROWS

Harvesting a staple

Mind-control breakthrough allows man to work

Anger over ‘egregious’ subsidy probes

Cambodia and Thailand ‘willing to de-escalate’

WANG BACKS VENEZUELA WITH HIT AT ‘UNILATERAL BULLYING’

Solstice dumplings

US lawmakers drop curbs on joint scientific research

Beijing urged to improve messaging on its vision of emerging new world order

Japan accused of starting ‘space arms race’

Online curbs for safety or censorship?

THREAT DEEPENS NEW DELHI AND DHAKA TENSIONS

‘Japan back’ in strategy game with Central Asian summit

Hanoi shows spirit

Australia vows tough hate speech laws after Bondi attack

While 10 years ago government regulation towards tech platforms was unpopular, today citizens and even digital democracy advocates and NGOs are in favour of more regulation

PUTIN VOWS VICTORY IN WAR AGAINST UKRAINE

Sky dance

Brazil’s Senate passes bill to cut Bolsonaro jail term

Year of straight As for Trump in his address to nation

WHITE HOUSE HISTORY REWRITTEN WITH NEW PLAQUES MOCKING PREDECESSORS

Oscars to stream on YouTube, ditching TV

Misplaced fears

Chatbots are unlikely to bring about human extinction

Hong Kong right to strike a balance on new year events

Unity and safety vital after Bondi massacre

US dominance is over

Home ownership is the key to city rebuilding civic trust

Changes needed in Asia to withstand extreme weather

Criticism of government policies should be constructive

Newly elected lawmakers must now prove themselves

BYD plans giant factory in Brazil for electric buses

CITY’S IPO MARKET PREPARES FOR RUSH OF HOLIDAY LISTINGS

Powering trade

Hedge fund Qube leases six floors at Two IFC

HKEX proposes slashing board lot sizes to boost liquidity and efficiency

Logistics group CEO buys HK$132m flat

18%

Lithium cost leaps raise prospect of price war easing

CHINA A‘ PHARMA INNOVATION HUB’

CICC unveils details of merger with smaller rivals

China ‘to remain top buyer’ of chipmaking equipment

THE INFORMER

¥930b

MANUS REACHES US$100m REVENUE MILESTONE

Fuelling up

CATL begins large-scale deployment of robots on battery plant assembly line

ByteDance reports tenfold increase in use of AI models

BYD begins testing level 3 autonomous vehicles

SenseTime unveils new ‘real world’ AI model

Alibaba links Qwen app with mapping platform Amap

150,000

Winners reflect innovative spirit in rapidly changing times

McDonald’s HK extends reach beyond fast food

THE WINNERS

Chinese carmakers reach for the sky

Corn protein start-up leads the field with plastics substitute

Ends and means

DOMENICO GIAMMARELLA OF MIMMO BAKERY IN QUARRY BAY > FOOD & DRINK B14

When it’s great to be spoiled for choice

List of the world’s best cuisines smacks of trend-chasing

Dumplings, tapas, Indian – a taste for every occasion

Tolkien illustrator John Howe opens up to visitors

MORE SOUTH KOREAN ACTORS MAKE IMPACT

New dating app is helping disabled people find love

Universal Crossword

Daily Crossword

Bridge

Kokonotsu Supersudoku

Sudoku

Target

Yesterday’s solution:

Purple Patch

‘NOWHERE TO HIDE’ FOR IBIS IN CLASH OF TOP FOUR-YEAR-OLDS

More history awaits Bubble in Triple Crown repeat bid

TRACK STARS

BULLS A STEP CLOSER TO TOP-FLIGHT BASKETBALL

England’s Ashes dreams tottering on life support

Queen of the seas

Wang Li ‘afraid to return home’ after viral bullying clip

‘Aunt Ni’ revives hopes of shot at seventh Olympic Games in table tennis

India tops drug cheats for third straight year

HONG KONG BULLS GENERAL MANAGER LEO SUN XINWEI, ON THE BATTLE TO HAVE A HOME BASE FOR THEIR CAMPAIGNS AMID A SHORTAGE OF SUITABLE COURTS FOR ELITE-LEVEL BASKETBALL