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AdvertisementIsrael-Gaza warWorldMiddle EastIsrael confirms identities of latest Gaza hostage bodies returned by HamasSahar Baruch was taken from kibbutz Beeri, and Amiram Kuper was kidnapped with his wife from their home in kibbutz Nir Oz
Reading Time:2 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPAgence France-PressePublished: 6:57am, 31 Oct 2025Israel said Thursday that it had identified the remains of hostages Amiram Kuper and Sahar Baruch, whose bodies were returned by Hamas earlier in the day.
AdvertisementA statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the families of the deceased men had been informed after “completion of the identification process by the National Institute of Forensic Medicine”.
Militants took 251 people hostage during Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which triggered the war in Gaza.
Sahar Baruch was taken from kibbutz Beeri to Gaza and killed during a failed army rescue operation two months later. He was 25 when he died.
Amiram Kuper, 84 at the t..

Representative AI image Dubai’s Halloween scene has blossomed into a high-fashion spectacle where fantasy and luxury merge under desert skies. From rooftop catwalks and masquerade dinners to influencer-hosted beach parties, the emirate’s Halloween nights are now curated experiences driven by style, brand activations and social-media moments. These lavish events reflect Dubai’s rising status as a global influencer hub and show how Halloween has been reinvented beyond costumes or candy.The high-fashion Halloween evolution in DubaiOver recent years Dubai has transformed Halloween into more than a celebration of scares. Luxury venues are adopting theatrical themes ranging from “cursed circus” soirées to futuristic masquerade balls. Immersive indoor festivals and private yacht parties present Halloween as a glamour-led celebration designed for nightlife, fashion and photography. The emphasis is on exclusive access and Instagram-ready aesthetics.Influencers and content creators sit at the ce..

Image: Getty Images Archaeologists in Turkey have unearthed a remarkably preserved 1,600-year-old Roman wine production site beneath the ruins of an ancient mountain castle. The discovery, made near the village of Oymakli in southeastern Turkey’s Kahta district, sheds light on the scale and sophistication of winemaking in the late Roman period. The site includes grape-crushing installations, cisterns, and grinding stones, all remarkably intact after more than a millennium. Experts believe the complex once operated as a large-scale industrial winery, serving both local residents and the nearby Kahta Castle, an important stronghold during the Kingdom of Commagene.Unearthing the ancient vineyardThe excavation, led by the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism, began after archaeologists discovered fragments of stone and pottery believed to be of historical value. The site spans nearly 37 acres and lies in a mountainous region overlooking the Euphrates River valley.Researchers found sever..

AdvertisementInterest ratesBusinessBanking & FinanceBreaking | Hong Kong follows US in quarter-point interest rate cut to reduce loans cost for borrowersHalf-point cut in six weeks further eases the funding costs for businesses and mortgage borrowers
Reading Time:3 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPEnoch YiuPublished: 7:00am, 30 Oct 2025Hong Kong’s de facto central bank cut the base interest rate for the second time in six weeks, further reducing the cost of funding to help reboot the city’s businesses and reduce the burden on mortgage borrowers.
AdvertisementThe Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) cut the base rate by a quarter point to 4.25 per cent on Thursday, hours after the US Federal Reserve pared its target rate by the same margin to a range of 3.75 per cent to 4 per cent during the seventh meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) this year. The new base rate is the lowest for Hong Kong since November 2022.Together with a quarter-point rate cut in September, central banks..

AdvertisementHong Kong healthcare and hospitalsHong KongHealth & EnvironmentApplications for Hong Kong’s expanded medical fee waiver to open on MondayPatients with appointments scheduled for January or February at public hospitals can submit required income and asset proofs from Monday
Reading Time:3 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPFiona SunPublished: 7:00am, 30 Oct 2025An expanded medical fee waiver mechanism under public healthcare reforms in Hong Kong will open for applications from patients on Monday, months before the new policy takes effect next year.
AdvertisementThe Hospital Authority said that patients with appointments scheduled for January or February at public hospitals could submit the required proof of income and assets to apply for the fee reduction starting from Monday.
Those eligible for the waiver would be issued a certificate before their appointment, it said.
Applications can be submitted to the medical social services units at public hospitals and clinics, and the int..