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AdvertisementVietnamAsiaSoutheast AsiaVietnam’s To Lam may secure dual role as party and state head in rare moveThe proposal is likely to be endorsed at a party congress scheduled to take place in Hanoi next month
Reading Time:3 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPBloombergPublished: 11:46am, 24 Dec 2025Vietnam’s Communist Party will nominate current General Secretary To Lam to stay in the top job, according to people familiar with the matter, paving the way for him to push on with a reform programme that is reshaping the nation.In a rare and politically significant move, Lam will also be put forward to hold the dual role of the nation’s presidency, the people said, asking not to be identified because they are not authorised to speak publicly. This could face a challenge when it gets to the party congress, where all leaders are up for election, and would still need parliamentary approval, the people added.
The decision was made at the 15th plenum of the Party Central Committee, the people sai..

NEW DELHI: The Chinese embassy in India has launched the China online visa application system, allowing Indian passport holders to apply for Chinese visas digitally. The move streamlines the application process that earlier required multiple in-person visits and extensive paperwork.According to a report cited by PTI, Shenzhen-based online portal Greater Bay Area (GBA), eligible applicants can now fill out forms, upload documents and schedule biometrics online for tourist (L), business (M), student (X) and work (Z) visas. The system reduces consulate visits from two to one – limited to biometrics – and offers real-time application tracking. The Chinese embassy in India had earlier announced on its official WeChat account that the online visa service would be launched from December 22. Applicants can access the relevant portal for details and submissions. The digital process also integrates methods to enable fee payments in INR, which helps applicants avoid foreign exchange mark-ups, the..

(Photo credit: Agencies) Donald Trump-led US administration is suing the Washington, DC, government over its gun laws, arguing that restrictions on certain semiautomatic firearms violate the Second Amendment rights. The US Department of Justice filed the lawsuit on Monday in the District Court for the District of Columbia, naming the Metropolitan Police Department and outgoing police chief Pamela Smith as defendants. The case sets up a major legal battle over how far governments can go in regulating individual gun ownership.”The United States of America brings this lawsuit to protect the rights that have been guaranteed for 234 years and which the Supreme Court has explicitly reaffirmed several times over the last two decades,”the Justice Department said in its filing.This is the second gun-rights lawsuit filed by the administration this month. Earlier, the Justice Department sued the US Virgin Islands, alleging the territory was “obstructing and systematically denying” citizens the ri..

AdvertisementGlobal changemakers in educationPeople & CultureHow this year’s Yidan Prize laureates reshape modern literacy and skills worldwideMamadou Amadou Ly and Uri Wilensky help transform teaching and learning through multilingual education and computational thinking
In partnership with:Yidan Prize FoundationReading Time:2 minutesWhy you can trust SCMP
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How this year’s Yidan Prize laureates are reshaping modern literacy
How this year’s Yidan Prize laureates are reshaping modern literacyMorning Studio editorsPublished: 12:05pm, 23 Dec 2025Education has long been considered one of the strongest forces for social progress, shaping safer, healthier and more equitable societies. But as the world changes, learning must evolve with it – a belief that is at the heart of the Yidan Prize, which recognises innovations with the power to transform education and bring lasting change for all.
Established in 2016, the annual award honours and supports changemakers whose action-driven researc..

AdvertisementAntarcticaChinaDiplomacyChina drafts law on activities and environment protection in AntarcticaLegislation proposes expanding administrative permission system beyond scientific expeditions to include tourism, shipping and fishing
Reading Time:2 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPLiu ZhenPublished: 12:00pm, 23 Dec 2025China has drafted a law on Antarctic affairs, as Beijing looks to protect its interests and strengthen its role in the governance of the southernmost continent.The draft “Antarctic Activities and Environmental Protection Law” was submitted to the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, the country’s top legislature, on Monday for the first review, state media reported.“The legislation on Antarctic activities and environmental protection will help better coordinate, manage and regulate Antarctic-related activities … and will also provide strong legal support for China’s participation in global Antarctic governance,” according to official news agency Xin..

At least 15 people were killed after a passenger bus crashed on Indonesia’s main island of Java early Monday, officials said.The inter province bus, carrying 34 passengers, lost control on a toll road just after midnight, struck a concrete barrier and rolled onto its side, said Budiono, a search and rescue agency chief who goes by a single name.According to officials, the bus was travelling from the capital Jakarta to the ancient royal city of Yogyakarta when the accident occurred. Further details about the cause of the crash and the condition of the injured are awaited.

Videograb from the second interception of Venezuela vessel on Dec 20 (@Sec_Noem) US officials on Sunday confirmed the pursuit of a third oil tanker from Venezuela following the sanctions imposed by Washington on Caracas. This comes after US homeland security secretary Kristi Noem confirmed the interception of such a vessel over the weekend.According to a Reuters report, the officials confirmed that this could be the third such interception within two weeks of the sanction's imposition, if successful.The “active pursuit” of the vessel, as AFP reports, was confirmed by a US official who said, “The United States Coast Guard is in active pursuit of a sanctioned dark fleet vessel that is part of Venezuela's illegal sanctions evasion. It is flying a false flag and under a judicial seizure order.”On December 16, US President Donald Trump, in a post on Truth Social, announced a “blockade” of all sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving the South American nation for the theft of al..

AdvertisementHong Kong housingHong KongVideo | Redevelopment breaks up decades-old close community at Hong Kong’s Choi Hung EstateThe beginning of the end for the close-knit Choi Hung Estate as redevelopment project at the public housing community begins

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The beginning of the end for Choi Hung Estate
The beginning of the end for Choi Hung EstateKayla ChanPublished: 11:40am, 22 Dec 2025For decades, the rainbow-coloured exterior and massive basketball court of Choi Hung Estate in Hong Kong have been popular tourist attractions. Completed in 1964, the public housing complex has been a silent witness to Hong Kong’s history.
As the city developed, so did the close-knit community at Choi Hung Estate. But in 2024, the government announced the massive estate would be completely demolished and redeveloped by 2049. Now, as the project gets under way, residents and business owners are preparing to say goodbye to a place that has been home for most of their lives.
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AdvertisementCrime in Hong KongHong KongLaw and CrimeHong Kong police arrest 15 over ‘meticulously planned’ 1 billion yen robberyPolice still trying to recover cash, with chief inspector calling robbery ‘meticulously planned and violent operation’ marked by a high level of professional execution
Reading Time:2 minutesWhy you can trust SCMP2Oscar LiuPublished: 11:35am, 22 Dec 2025Updated: 11:47am, 22 Dec 2025Hong Kong police have arrested 15 suspects in connection with a robbery outside a currency exchange, during which four suitcases containing 1 billion yen (US$6.4 million) were snatched within 30 seconds as part of a “meticulously planned” plot.
The force on Monday said it was still trying to recover the cash, adding that the robbery targeted two employees of a Japanese company specialising in cryptocurrency and luxury goods, who had planned to exchange 1 billion yen, or about HK$50 million, at the shop on Wing Lok Street in Sheung Wan.
The pair were ambushed when they arrived at the..

Google and Apple advised US-based employees on work visas not to travel internationally after their outside counsel warned of delays of up to 12 months at US embassies and consulates worldwide amid the immigration crackdown, documents reviewed by Business Insider show. On Thursday, BAL Immigration Law, which represents Google, sent a memo stating, “Please be aware that some US Embassies and Consulates are experiencing significant visa stamping appointment delays, currently reported as up to 12 months.” It added that employees would “risk an extended stay outside the US” if they travelled without a valid stamp. Last week Fragomen, acting for Apple, issued a similar warning. “Given the recent updates and the possibility of unpredictable, extended delays when returning to the US, we strongly recommend that employees without a valid H-1B visa stamp avoid international travel for now,” the memo said. “If travel cannot be postponed, employees should connect with Apple Immigration and Fragome..