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Poverty

Poverty
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Poverty. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
China jobs

China’s gig economy is an employment reservoir – but is the well drying up?

More than 200 million people in China are flexibly employed, but AI adoption, unstable income and poor social security make positions precarious.

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Hong Kong housing

Fatal subdivided flat fire highlights need to tackle substandard homes: minister

Africa

Vigilantes in Nigeria kill herders amid jihadist tensions, kidnapping gangs

Indonesia

Indonesia domestic worker law faces uphill battle against cultural attitudes

While the new law is a start, real changes will not happen instantly because of ingrained beliefs, women activists say.

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Domestic workers undergo skills training in Indonesia. Photo: International Labour Organization
Trending in China

Plight of parentless China boy cared for by grandpa attracts 46 million views, prompts government aid

‘Sensible’ 9-year-old handles all the household chores, often cries in his sleep while dreaming about his dead father.

Trending in China

China single mum works in construction, lifts cement bags for 16 years to support child

40-year-old divorcee with two kids builds leg muscles ‘like rock’ through physical labour; boss says she outworks men on the job.

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US, Israel war on Iran

UN warns 8 million in Asia-Pacific risk poverty if Iran war drags on

A new UNDP report has forecast job losses, crippling inflation and food insecurity, with the poorest nations brutally exposed to the oil shock.

A farmer sprinkles fertiliser on crops in a field on the outskirts of Amritsar, India, on April 9. Experts have warned that the fertiliser crunch across Asia-Pacific may have lasting effects. Photo: AFP
Hong Kong society

Opinion | On education equality, Hong Kong policymakers must do their homework

Authorities should think through how to promote students’ and families’ well-being in a system geared towards academic achievement.

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Africa

Benin election favours continuity amid al-Qaeda attacks, poverty

Finance Minister Romuald Wadagni has overseen a decade of growth in the West African nation despite jihadist attacks and extreme poverty.

Hong Kong housing

Landlords of 5,557 subdivided homes seek 3-year grace period to fix flats

Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho says 780 subdivided homes have been granted a grace period.

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For subdivided flats to remain on the market, they will have to meet certain standards. Photo: Dickson Lee
Hong Kong housing

Are new Hong Kong subdivided flat standards triggering a wave of evictions?

Basic Housing Units Ordinance takes effect on Sunday, with landlords required to make renovations to ensure properties meet new standards.

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Chan Sai-chiu has made efforts to make his home more comfortable, but he is set to be evicted to make way for renovations. Photo: Eugene Lee
Hong Kong housing

Some Hong Kong landlords spend millions fixing subdivided flats ahead of new law

As some rush to revamp subdivided flats before the new law takes effect, others hesitate, wary of exact requirements, hidden costs and uncertain returns.

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Hong Kong

Video | Will Hong Kong’s new subdivided flat rules help or hurt?

Basic Housing Units policy will require subdivided units to meet new minimum standards, but current residents fear they could be priced out.

Hong Kong society

Editorial | Minimum wage rises must not leave behind city’s most vulnerable

As the economic pie grows, money-making companies can afford to do more so employees who are struggling get their fair share of return.

Cleaning workers on the job in Mong Kok on May 1, 2025. Photo: Jelly Tse
Indonesia

‘Wake-up call’: child deaths in Indonesia spotlight gaps in social aid

Experts warn many other such cases may not be recorded, and urge educators to be more vigilant to signs of emotional distress among students.

Nationwide health screening in Indonesia has revealed that 10 million children are at risk of mental illness, according to the country’s health minister. Photo: Shutterstock
Britain

‘Very deep poverty’ in Britain hits worst level in 30 years, report says

Report reveals that nearly 7 million people are living on well below the UK median income as the nation’s poorest get even poorer.

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Climate change

Opinion | Why we should aspire to raising living standards for all

Our history of progress shows we can care for a growing population, but only if we tackle inequality and protect the environment.

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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.

Public hospital fee increases come into effect on January 1. Photo: Sun Yeung
Nepal

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

China’s bachelor crisis meets Nepal’s poverty in a trade that blurs the lines between arranged marriage and coercion.

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Diplomacy

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

As the US prepares to chair the G20, it faces a strategic choice: engage or revert to a narrower agenda.

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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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A woman casts her ballot at a polling station during a previous election in Malaysia. Photo: AFP
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.

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.

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.

A man carries away food boxes being distributed in Los Angles, California, on Tuesday in response to the Snap benefit delays. Photo: AFP
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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Indonesian President Suharto, in full military uniform, salutes an armed forces’ parade on October 5, 1997. Photo: AFP
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.

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.

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