Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi put forward four proposals on boosting cooperation among member states of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) on Thursday while attending the Seventh Summit of the CICA.

A raging river. An iron chain bridge. The enemy waiting on the far side. In May 1935, the Red Army faced a seemingly insurmountable challenge at the Dadu River in Sichuan Province. But there was no time to hesitate, and no certainty of survival.

This is the fourth in a series of factsheets about Hong Kong’s first five-year plan and 2026 policy address. Part I – Hong Kong’s new chapter Part II – The story begins... Part III – Sharpening the city’s edge Part IV – Tapping into tech and talent The series has been produced with support from the Hong Kong SAR government. To see the South China Morning Post’s coverage of the five-year plan, click here. This Factsheet will appear in the SCMP print edition on October 20. You can find it...

A 500-year-old Buddha statue that was found buried by a roadside in Australia has been returned to China, leaving an ongoing mystery about how it arrived in the country. The 15cm (six-inch) bronze figurine was formally handed over to Chinese consular representatives during a ceremony in the coastal town of Denham in Shark Bay on Tuesday, the public broadcaster ABC reported. It will be taken to China for further evaluation to establish its history before being displayed at a museum in...

This is the third in a series of Factsheets on Hong Kong’s first five-year plan and 2026 policy address. Part I – Hong Kong’s new chapter Part II – The story begins... Part III – Sharpening the city’s edge Part IV – Tapping into tech and talent The series has been produced with support from the Hong Kong SAR government. To see the South China Morning Post’s coverage of the five-year plan, click here. This Factsheet will appear in the SCMP print edition on October 20. You can find it at...

The resort introduces a prepaid stay program offering six- and 10-night packages, with breakfast and round-trip airport transfers.  Fresh off its recognition as the World’s Top Luxury Private Island Resort at the 2026 REVE Luxury Awards, Discovery Coron has launched the Stay Your Way Pass, a prepaid stay program for travelers seeking a private island getaway.  Located on a 19-hectare private island within a Unesco Biosphere Reserve, the Palawan resort offers the pass in six- and 10-night packages, allowing guests to plan their stays while enjoying the resort’s accommodations and amenities.  Each package covers two guests and includes daily breakfast at Firefish Restaurant, as well as round-trip land and boat transfers from Busuanga Airport.  Guests can choose from four accommodation options: Garden Suite, Oceanview Suite, Sunset Villa Standard and Sunset Villa Deluxe.  The Garden Suite costs P12,088 per night for a six-night package, totaling P72,528, or P11,888 per night for a 10-night package, totaling P118,880.  The Oceanview Suite is priced at P13,088 per night for six nights, with a stated package total of P77,328, or P12,888 per night for 10 nights, totaling P128,880.  For guests seeking sunset views, the Sunset Villa Standard costs P17,088 per night for six nights, with a stated total of P101,328, or P16,888 per night for 10 nights, totaling P168,880.  The Sunset Villa Deluxe is available for P19,088 per night for six nights, with a stated total of P113,328, or P18,888 per night for 10 nights, totaling P188,880.  The first booking period runs from Sept. 15 to Nov. 15, 2026, while the second runs from Jan. 1 to March 31, 2027.  Once purchased, the pass can be used during three designated stay periods: Sept. 15 to Nov. 30, 2026; June 1 to Oct. 31, 2027; and June 1 to Oct. 31, 2028.  Members of the My Discovery Elite loyalty program can continue to enjoy applicable membership benefits during their stays, including a Welcome Resort Voucher and food and beverage discounts. Loyalty points, however, cannot be earned or redeemed for these bookings, according to the release.  Authorized guests who are My Discovery Elite members but did not purchase the pass may also receive food and beverage and spa discounts during their stay.  The launch comes in a landmark year for Discovery Coron. Its general manager, Joegil Magtanggol Escobar, was named the No. 1 Best General Manager in the Philippines by the Travel + Leisure Luxury Awards Asia Pacific for the second consecutive year.  Travelers can visit www.discoverycoron.com for more information or contact the reservations team at [email protected] or +63 2 7719 6988 or +63 917 815 8678.

There's a science to screaming together. Studies in psychology and behavioral research have long suggested that sharing a controlled scare — the kind where you know, deep down, that you're actually safe — triggers a rush of adrenaline and endorphins that can heighten bonding, deepen trust, and leave people feeling closer to one another than before. Couples, in particular, have been known to find the experience, shall we say, invigorating.  That's the delightfully wicked premise behind Haunted Hotel Halloween – A Month-Long Halloween Nightmare, returning to Plantation Bay, a Real Resort with a Real Spa, from Oct. 16 to Nov. 15. For one entire month, the resort invites guests to trade the ordinary getaway for something with a little more bite — a Halloween escape built around the simple, primal pleasure of getting scared together.  Instead of a single night of frights, Plantation Bay is stretching the Halloween spirit across four full weeks, giving guests far more than a costume party or a haunted house. The Month-Long Halloween Nightmare weaves Halloween-themed adventures, spooky encounters, and horrifying treats into the entire length of a guest's stay — transforming the resort's lagoons, pathways, and hidden corners into a playground for the imagination, and for the easily startled.    A getaway designed for screaming — together  At the heart of the experience is the idea that fear, when it's shared, is actually fun. The controlled scare — the jump, the gasp, the nervous laughter that follows — is one of the few experiences that reliably brings people together, whether they're a family with young thrill-seekers, a group of friends looking for something out of the ordinary, or a couple on an early date searching for a story worth retelling.  Plantation Bay is throwing the doors wide open to all of them. The resort's Month-Long Halloween Nightmare is designed for families, couples, friends, and just about anyone willing to get scared together.    What's included in the halloween escape  At P9,000 nett per room per night, with a minimum stay of two consecutive nights, guests can sink into a full Halloween escape. The package includes:  · Breakfast for all registered occupants, so every scare starts with a proper meal.  · Haunted Hotel Adventure, where guests explore Plantation Bay and discover the eerie stories lurking around the resort. Available every other day.  · House of Horrors Experience, a fright-filled attraction for those who dare to enter. Available every other day, alternating with the Haunted Hotel Adventure.  · Scary Sweets, a platter of horrifying Halloween desserts served at the guest's preferred time.  · 20 gaming machine tokens, for when the adrenaline needs somewhere else to go.  The package is offered on a Run-of-the-House room type, with a maximum occupancy of two adults and two children — ideal for a family Halloween outing. All bookings are non-refundable, so guests are encouraged to lock in their dates and commit to the scare.    A month of halloween, not just a night  By running from mid-October through mid-November, the Month-Long Halloween Nightmare gives guests the freedom to choose when they want their frights — a long weekend in October, a Halloween escape that sidesteps the crowds, or even a post-Halloween retreat for those who aren't quite ready to let the season go. The alternating schedule of the Haunted Hotel Adventure and the House of Horrors Experience ensures that a two-night stay delivers both signature attractions, while longer stays offer the chance to revisit the terrors at a more leisurely pace.    Who are you bringing?  For all the attractions, desserts, and tokens, the resort is posing what may be the most important question of the season: Who are you bringing?  Bring your spouse. Bring your children. Bring your rich uncle — he's probably been meaning to treat the family anyway. Bring someone you're on First Base with, and see where the night takes you. Perhaps straight to Third Base. Perhaps all the way Home.  Whether it's an excuse for family bonding, an unusual date, or simply a chance to find out, once and for all, who screams first, Plantation Bay's Month-Long Halloween Nightmare offers one more compelling reason to get scared together.  Plantation Bay is a Real Resort with a Real Spa, set on 11.4 hectares of landscaped grounds in Mactan, Cebu. Known for its expansive lagoon-style pools, private beach, and distinctive amenities, the resort has long been a destination for travelers seeking a getaway that's anything but ordinary. This Halloween season, it becomes something slightly more sinister — in the best possible way.  For full details and bookings, visit https://plantationbay.com/halloween/

The world's 1.4 billion Catholics are again unexpectedly facing the reality of a sick pope

Chinese FM meets Russian counterpart in Azerbaijan