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Poverty

Poverty
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Poverty. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
Public hospital fee increases come into effect on January 1. Photo: Sun Yeung
Hong Kong healthcare and hospitals

Low-income patients call for more help as steeper Hong Kong hospital fees loom

From January 1, patients will need to pay more for certain services, and while safety net will also be widened, some people have fallen through the cracks.

Nepal

‘Like a market’: Chinese marriage brokers hunt for brides in Nepal

Diplomacy

Opinion | Why next year’s G20 could be make or break for global development

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Africa

315 kidnapped in Nigeria school attacks as security crisis deepens

Gunmen attacked a school in Niger state on Friday after abducting 25 girls from a Kebbi state secondary school on Monday.

Empty bunk beds and scattered belongings are seen inside a student dormitory at St Mary’s Catholic School on Saturday. Photo: Bulus Dauwa Yohanna/Christian Association of Nigeria/AFP
Malaysia

Malaysia’s poorest state prepares a poll shock for the prime minister

Decades of neglect and withheld resource revenue have left short-changed Sabah seething and primed for a political fight.

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Africa

1 girl escapes Nigeria mass abduction of 25 students from a high school

The student fled through a forest after gunmen attacked a high school dormitory.

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Climate change

Climate collapse: Southeast Asia’s new normal?

With a 30th year of Cop climate talks under way in Brazil, for many of Asia’s most vulnerable populations, the crisis is already here.

Illustration: Huy Truong
United States

US Supreme Court lets Trump continue food aid cuts, even as shutdown nears end

Reopening the government would restart the programme that helps 42 million Americans, but it’s not clear how soon full payments can resume.

Indonesia

Why Indonesia’s hero status for ‘successful autocrat’ Suharto splits opinion

Supporters laud his three-decade rule for drastically cutting poverty, saving Indonesia’s economy and delivering national pride.

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United States

US court orders Trump to fund food aid amid shutdown chaos

On Saturday, the US Department of Agriculture directed states to ‘undo’ any steps taken to issue full SNAP benefits during the shutdown.

People carry bags of groceries during a free food distribution in Daytona Beach, Florida, on Sunday. Photo: AFP
Hong Kong housing

Life in Hong Kong’s cramped subdivided flats – SCMP’s award-winning photo essay

Photographer Eugene Lee’s work has won a prestigious industry prize.

Chan relaxes outside his rooftop home in Sham Shui Po, in a photo that is part of an award-winning series. Photo: Eugene Lee
United States

Trump blames ‘kamikaze’ Democrats for longest ever government shutdown

The Republican president told a breakfast meeting at the White House that the Democrats would ‘take down the country if they have to’.

Donald Trump

Trump threatens to withhold Snap food aid until US shutdown ends

Critics warn that the US president may be planning to defy a court order requiring that the programme continue to be funded.

Mainland China

Letters | Rising inequality will erode Asia’s gains in poverty reduction

Readers discuss rousing political will to ensure the fruits of wealth are shared, protecting Hong Kong’s rule of law, and satisfying the longing to touch corals in marine parks.

A woman strikes a police officer with a bamboo stick as police push back students during a protest outside the parliament building against lawmakers’ demands for higher allowances, in Jakarta on August 28. Stark inequality fuels mass protests, erodes trust in institutions and tears at the social fabric that holds communities together. Photo: AFP
United States

‘Won’t be extorted’: Trump vows no negotiation as US shutdown nears record

US president blames Democrats, pushes Republicans to change Senate rules as the US government shutdown drags on.

A security checkpoint at the US Capitol building in Washington DC. Photo: AFP
United States

Snap benefits cut off during US shutdown, driving long lines at food pantries

US judges have ordered the Trump administration to keep funding the programme, but it is not clear how and when payments will be made.

Hong Kong economy

Opinion | Hong Kong must balance superyacht hub ambition with tackling poverty

Hong Kong can’t become China’s Monaco. As it builds marinas to attract the super rich, it must devote equal resources to tackling poverty.

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United States

Trump says ready to continue Snap aid, doesn’t want Americans to go hungry

The US president’s comments come after two judges ordered his administration to keep paying for the programme despite the shutdown.

A worker sorts fresh fruit and vegetables at La Colaborativa’s food pantry in Chelsea, Massachusetts, on Wednesday. Photo: Reuters
United States

US shutdown nears 1-month mark, threatening flights and food aid

US transport secretary predicts growing cancellations, saying air traffic controllers will receive a ‘big fat zero’ pay cheque.

Hong Kong healthcare and hospitals

30% of Hong Kong family medicine clinics’ quota spots to go to poor, elderly

Family medicine priority pilot scheme to start on November 4, seeks to improve access to affordable primary healthcare among underprivileged.

Hong Kong housing

Editorial | First step in difficult journey to end substandard housing for good

A new law targeting Hong Kong’s shameful subdivided flats is welcome, but its effectiveness will depend on robust enforcement.

A housing unit subdivided into bunk bed spaces of less than 20 sq ft in Sham Shui Po, Hong Kong. Photo: Elson Li
Hong Kong housing

Hong Kong passes legislation to regulate notorious subdivided flats

Legislation aims for safer and better-quality living, but lawmakers urge government to prevent landlords from passing conversion costs onto tenants.

The Basic Housing Units Bill will require all subdivided flats to meet new standards for “basic housing units”. Photo: Eugene Lee
Myanmar

Myanmar refugees on the brink as funding cuts bite: ‘I feel so anxious’

Refugees in camps along the Thailand-Myanmar border face hunger and healthcare issues as aid workers scramble for solutions.

Tourism

Opinion | Are we globalising ourselves out of community?

Globalisation is here to stay, but it doesn’t have to come at the expense of local identities, people's livelihoods and the environment.

Trending in China

China woman, left school at 15 to help family, gets 7 million fans selling online

Young woman who has endured hard life caring for mentally disabled parents keeps things ‘simple and sincere’, wins plaudits on social media.

A Chinese woman who left school at the age of 15 to support her family has attracted millions of fans by selling produce online. Photo: SCMP composite/Douyin
Hong Kong society

Opinion | Hong Kong must stop loan sharks from preying on the vulnerable

Consultation must result in reforms that better protect the public and ensure city’s notorious loan sharks are not able to prosper.

Gloves, paint and humiliating posters were among the accoutrements of suspected debt collectors recently arrested by Hong Kong police on suspicion of criminal damage and intimidation. Photo: Handout
Hong Kong housing

4,200 temporary homes earmarked for displaced Hong Kong subdivided flat tenants

Government confident of meeting the temporary accommodation needs of tenants affected by coming subdivided flat regulations.

War and conflict

Editorial | More than ever, we need a UN that can tackle global challenges

Restoring UN credibility and effectiveness is only possible if nations work together instead of allowing differences to derail progress.

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