Hong Kong vows safe Apec meeting with plans for terror and cyberattack threats

South China Morning Post - Sep 24, 2026

Hong Kong will introduce security arrangements, including contingency plans for potential terrorist attacks, for the coming Apec meeting to ensure it is held safely and smoothly while minimising disruption to residents’ daily lives, the security chief has said. The Apec Finance Ministers’ Meeting will be held in the city for the first time on October 20 and 21, at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai. About 500 guests, including finance ministers and senior officials from...

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Don't outsource your thinking to AI, NUS president warns

SINGAPORE — National University of Singapore (NUS) has built its global competitiveness not only on research excellence, but also on a strong focus on teaching and preparing students to succeed beyond the classroom. For NUS, the quality of a university should ultimately be measured by how well it equips students with the knowledge and skills they need after graduation — an emphasis that has placed teaching and employability at the heart of the university’s strategy. “We take teaching very seriously, and many of these things that we do actually do not count toward the rankings — but yet it’s the mission of our university,” NUS President Tan Eng Chye said in a recent interview with The Korea Times. He emphasized that research remains an essential mission of a leading university, but global rankings — which tend to place heavy weight on research performance — do not always capture what universities accomplish in the classroom. For NUS, graduate employability is one of the key measures of whether the university is delivering on its educational mission. “The employability o

Don't outsource your thinking to AI, NUS president warns

Hwaseong-based Migration Stories Project gives migrant workers a space to create and connect

HWASEONG, Gyeonggi Province — Hwaseong, a rapidly developing city southwest of Seoul, has become one of Korea’s major destinations for foreign residents, particularly migrant workers. In an area shaped by manufacturing industries and immigration, the everyday lives of migrant workers often remain largely ignored. The Migration Stories Project, located near Balan Manse Market in Hyangnam, was launched in 2020 to change that reality by creating a space where migrants can share their experiences, memories, cultures and creativity in their own voices. The project brings together music, storytelling, photography, sound, video and community-based cultural activities to explore the lives of foreign migrants. Korean artist Kim Yang-woo founded the project under the slogan “World is Our Home,” as an art initiative that brings together migrant communities and local residents through interviews, art, music and community activities. She began the project during the COVID-19 pandemic, when restrictions on movement forced her to stay close to her hometown and made her think more deeply about

Hwaseong-based Migration Stories Project gives migrant workers a space to create and connect

Lee arrives in Mexico for summit with President Sheinbaum

MEXICO CITY — President Lee Jae Myung arrived in Mexico City on Wednesday for a state visit, which will include summit talks with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum. Lee and Sheinbaum are scheduled to hold summit talks, a luncheon and a joint press announcement on Thursday with the two countries seeking to strengthen cooperation in trade, investment and supply chains. During the summit, the leaders will discuss ways to expand bilateral trade and investment, and bolster institutional support for Korean companies' business operations in Mexico, while seeking cooperation in energy and critical mineral supply chains. Lee also plans to meet with Korean residents in Mexico and attend a business forum during his three-day visit. His trip here marks the first state visit to Mexico by a Korean president in 16 years.

Lee arrives in Mexico for summit with President Sheinbaum

Korean quadruped robot's marathon triumph featured in Nature

In the world of legged robotics, endurance has long been the ultimate hurdle. While four-legged machines can backflip, negotiate rubble and scale staircases with uncanny agility, their high-performance motors typically drain battery reserves in less than an hour. But along the rural stretches of North Gyeongsang Province, a dog-like machine spent over four hours trotting past orchards and cheering spectators to rewrite the limits of mechanical stamina. Engineers at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) developed RAIBO2, a quadrupedal robot that completed a full 42-kilometer marathon on a single battery charge. The landmark feat, detailed this week in the flagship scientific journal Nature, marks the first time robotics research from Korea has graced the main pages of the prestigious publication, signaling a major leap forward for long-distance autonomous field machines. The milestone unfolded during the annual Sangju Dried Persimmon Marathon — a local race named after the agricultural region’s famous fruit — where RAIBO2 lined up alongside human runners as

Korean quadruped robot's marathon triumph featured in Nature

Traffic clogged on highways as people travel for Chuseok

Sections of expressways across Korea were congested Thursday as people headed to their hometowns for family reunions on the first day of the Chuseok holiday period. This year's holiday period marking the fall harvest runs from Thursday to Sunday. Traditionally, Koreans return to their hometowns during Chuseok to reunite with family members and pay respects at their ancestors' graves. As of 2 p.m., travel time from Seoul to Busan was estimated at six hours and 40 minutes, five hours and 40 minutes to Daegu, five hours and 30 minutes to Gwangju, and three hours and 10 minutes to Daejeon, the Korea Expressway Corp. (KEC) said. Travel time to Seoul was estimated to take five hours from Busan, four hours from Daegu, three hours and 20 minutes from Gwangju, and two hours and 10 minutes from Daejeon, according to the KEC. An estimated 6.16 million vehicles were expected to be on the road nationwide Thursday, including about 510,000 cars departing the greater Seoul area and 380,000 vehicles heading toward the capital from other regions.

Traffic clogged on highways as people travel for Chuseok

Global students choose Seoul for dynamic opportunities, safety despite high costs, competition

Seoul is increasingly becoming a top destination for international students, driven by its high level of safety, efficient public services and rich culture, according to a recent survey conducted by The Korea Times among its Global Supporters. In the survey, international students shared their firsthand experiences of studying and living in the Korean capital. They said the city has various appealing points, but at the same time, pointed out challenges like expensive housing costs, intense competition and limited institutional support. The survey findings show a broader shift in global education trends. British newspaper Financial Times recently reported that Seoul is surging in popularity among international students as the capital city offers a unique lifestyle and relatively manageable living costs compared to major Western cities such as New York, London and Paris. Why students pick Seoul Safety, administrative efficiency and a dynamic academic environment emerged as primary reasons for choosing Seoul over other global study destinations. To capture the insights and lived realities o

Global students choose Seoul for dynamic opportunities, safety despite high costs, competition

How sport inspires inclusion, shared purpose and global solidarity

The synergy between sports and philanthropy took centre stage earlier this month at the two-day PBC (Philanthropy for Better Cities) Forum 2026, convened by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, in association with the Institute of Philanthropy (IoP), at Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Cultural District. IoP was established by the Club and its Charities Trust in 2023, and is dedicated to promoting philanthropic thought leadership and enhancing sector capabilities at local, regional and global...

How sport inspires inclusion, shared purpose and global solidarity

Hong Kong reports more than 40% drop in cancer-related death rate over 30 years

Hong Kong has cut its rate of cancer-related deaths by more than 40 per cent over the past three decades, the health minister said, as the city’s leader renewed his pledge to make it a hub for medical innovation. Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau outlined the city’s progress in cancer control at the World Cancer Congress, which is being held in Hong Kong for the first time. Citing figures from 1993 to 2023, Lo said Hong Kong’s age-standardised cancer mortality rate had fallen by more than 40 per...

Hong Kong reports more than 40% drop in cancer-related death rate over 30 years

China's Green Code EP2 is out now: Growing Green

China's Green Code: Rewriting the Rules of Growth returns with a new episode: Growing Green: Finding Balance in China's Fields.

China's Green Code EP2 is out now: Growing Green

Market Days With Movies light up grassland tourism in Ordos

The cultural tourism event Market Days With Movies has kicked off on the grasslands of Ordos in Inner Mongolia.

Market Days With Movies light up grassland tourism in Ordos

Authorities may appeal engineer’s non-custodial sentence in Queen Mary Hospital lift case

Hong Kong’s Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD) is considering an appeal against the non-custodial sentence of an engineer held liable for faulty lift installation work at Queen Mary Hospital’s new clinical block. The department said on Thursday it was seeking legal advice on whether to apply for a review of lift engineer Law Wing-chai’s sentence after he was deemed responsible for issuing false safety certifications and failing to spot problems that led to malfunctions. Its...

Authorities may appeal engineer’s non-custodial sentence in Queen Mary Hospital lift case

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