2 h. ago Viral video of skateboarders on Hong Kong highway sparks debate over road safety

A video of two young people skateboarding on a highway in Shek Tong Tsui has gone viral online, raising safety concerns and prompting an expert to warn that they may have violated Hong Kong laws. On the popular social media platform Threads, a video showing two young people skateboarding on the Hill Road flyover has gained 312,000 views. The pair wore helmets and gloves while travelling at high speed on the flyover. In the video, the pair are seen sometimes spreading their arms and leaning down...

Transport

7 h. ago Son of British POW urges Japan to be less ‘touchy’ about WWII criticisms

The son of a British soldier who endured three years as a prisoner of war has expressed deep disappointment that senior Japanese politicians ignored invitations to a commemorative event on Tuesday to mark 80 years since Tokyo’s formal surrender in the second world war and the liberation of thousands of Allied prisoners of war. Terry Smyth, a fellow in the history department at the University of Essex, said it would have been particularly appropriate if Yoshimasa Hayashi, the chief cabinet...

Events

10 h. ago Fear travels: Cambodians in Japan silenced through threats to loved ones

It begins with a knock at the door in Phnom Penh: police officers asking about a son, sister or cousin living thousands of miles away – and warning the family to make them stop. Cambodian dissidents who thought they had found safety in Japan are still facing threats delivered not to their own doors, but to the homes of loved ones left behind, according to a new Human Rights Watch report. The NGO’s Tokyo office said on Tuesday that nearly all of the 23 Cambodian nationals it interviewed in Japan...

Events

10 h. ago ‘Make them stop’: Cambodian exiles in Japan face intimidation tactics back home

It begins with a knock at the door in Phnom Penh: police officers asking about a son, sister or cousin living thousands of miles away – and warning the family to make them stop. Cambodian dissidents who thought they had found safety in Japan are still facing threats delivered not to their own doors, but to the homes of loved ones left behind, according to a new Human Rights Watch report. The NGO’s Tokyo office said on Tuesday that nearly all of the 23 Cambodian nationals it interviewed in Japan...

Politics

15 h. ago Washington should lower temperature on Taiwan invasion threat, US report says

As the US Congress works to finish its annual defence authorisation bill, with new measures aimed at countering China’s influence, a report released Wednesday argues that Washington would be better served by toning down rhetoric about Taiwan and reducing defence investments premised on a looming Chinese invasion there. Beijing is “highly unlikely” to invade Taiwan, with its chances of success increasingly improbable, authors of the Stimson Centre report, “Rethinking the Threat: Why China is...

Events

15 h. ago Washington should lower temperature on Taiwan attack threat, US report says

As the US Congress works to finish its annual defence authorisation bill, with new measures aimed at countering China’s influence, a report released Wednesday argues that Washington would be better served by toning down rhetoric about Taiwan and reducing defence investments premised on a looming mainland Chinese attack there. Beijing is “highly unlikely” to attack Taiwan, with its chances of success increasingly improbable, authors of the Stimson Centre report, “Rethinking the Threat: Why China...

Events

21 h. ago Beijing’s Victory Day parade, China’s film industry: SCMP daily highlights

Catch up on some of SCMP’s biggest China stories of the day. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. China’s military parade, as it happened: new weapons debut in show of deterrence China held a massive military parade along Changan Avenue in central Beijing, showcasing the country’s latest and most advanced weapons to commemorate the 80th anniversary of China’s victory over Japan in World War II. 2. The 5 key takeaways from China’s Victory Day military...

Politics

22 h. ago Nepal to track all foreign visitors using mandatory mobile app from September 17

Nepal will soon require all foreign visitors to digitally register their movements using a government-developed mobile app in a sweeping new policy aimed at balancing safety, immigration control and tourism growth. The Department of Immigration launched the NepaliPort Traveller and Foreign National Tracking Module on Tuesday, saying the move would allow authorities to better monitor visa compliance, streamline emergency responses and coordinate with tourism stakeholders. The mobile app – which...

Politics

24 h. ago Nuclear missiles and ‘loyal wingmen’: 8 surprises from China’s military parade

China’s military parade on Wednesday celebrating the 80th anniversary of Japan’s defeat in World War II showcased various new weapons systems, including some surprises from key areas like nuclear missiles and advanced drones. Below are the surprises and takeaways from China’s display of its newest weapons systems, ranging from its new intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) to unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) playing a role as loyal wingmen for a next generation of fighter jets. New nuclear...

Events

25 h. ago Tipping point: foreign gratuities upend Japan’s tradition of gracious service

On a bustling evening in Tokyo’s Shinjuku district, a handful of coins left behind by an American tourist creates confusion at a popular izakaya. In a nation where omotenashi – selfless hospitality – is a point of pride, the growing custom of tipping as millions of foreign visitors pour into the country is catching Japan off guard. “It’s not common to tip for services such as those provided in bars, cafés, restaurants, taxis and hotels,” the Japanese National Tourism Organisation reminds...

Politics

26 h. ago Australian tourist’s Japan cemetery stunt sparks travel warning, outrage

The Australian embassy in Japan issued a warning to travellers to behave themselves after an Instagrammer drank offerings from a Japanese burial site, provoking widespread anger online. In the most recent example of fame-seeking foreigners riling locals, Lochie Jones – reportedly an Australian tourist – posted a clip of himself swigging from a can placed on a headstone as an offering. Moments earlier, he is seen flipping a coin to decide whether to open the drink, likely left as a gift for...

Events

28 h. ago ‘Let us make an even greater Hong Kong contribution’: John Lee at Beijing parade

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu has led 360 representatives from Hong Kong – the city’s largest-ever delegation – in attending a military parade in Beijing to mark China’s victory over Japan in World War II, while other senior officials, students and residents observed commemorative events held locally. The parade also saw former city leader Leung Chun-ying seated at the main podium of Tiananmen Square’s gate tower. Leung, a state leader, now serves as a vice-chairman of the Chinese People’s...

Politics

30 h. ago Beijing stages military parade to commemorate WWII victory over Japan

Beijing stages military parade to commemorate WWII victory over Japan  yahoo.com

Events

31 h. ago One of Earth’s biggest icebergs is breaking up, could disappear in weeks

Nearly 40 years after breaking off Antarctica, a colossal iceberg ranked among the oldest and largest ever recorded is finally crumbling apart in warmer waters, and could disappear within weeks. Earlier this year, the “megaberg” known as A23a weighed a little under a trillion tonnes and was more than twice the size of Greater London, a behemoth unrivalled at the time. The gigantic slab of frozen freshwater was so large it even briefly threatened penguin feeding grounds on a remote island in the...

Events

34 h. ago Putin, Kim accompany Xi to Tiananmen Gate for Victory Day military parade

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing with a special discount during our summer sale, available for a limited time and to new subscribers only. Today, China will host a massive military parade along Changan Avenue in central Beijing, showcasing the country’s latest and most advanced weapons to commemorate the 80th anniversary of China’s victory over Japan in World War II. President Xi Jinping...

Events

34 h. ago New ICBM, ‘loyal wingman’ drone, China’s Himars, latest tanks on show at parade

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing with a special discount during our summer sale, available for a limited time and to new subscribers only. Today, China will host a massive military parade along Changan Avenue in central Beijing, showcasing the country’s latest and most advanced weapons to commemorate the 80th anniversary of China’s victory over Japan in World War II. President Xi Jinping...

Events

34 h. ago China’s advanced weapons roll through Beijing in ‘credible’ show of deterrence

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing with a special discount during our summer sale, available for a limited time and to new subscribers only. China has hosted a massive military parade along Changan Avenue in central Beijing, showcasing the country’s latest and most advanced weapons to commemorate the 80th anniversary of China’s victory over Japan in World War II. President Xi Jinping delivered...

Events

34 h. ago China parades new weapons in show of ‘strategic ace’ deterrence – as it happened

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing with a special discount during our summer sale, available for a limited time and to new subscribers only. China has hosted a massive military parade along Changan Avenue in central Beijing, showcasing the country’s latest and most advanced weapons to commemorate the 80th anniversary of China’s victory over Japan in World War II. President Xi Jinping delivered...

Events

34 h. ago China’s military parade, as it happened: new weapons debut in show of deterrence

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing with a special discount during our summer sale, available for a limited time and to new subscribers only. China has hosted a massive military parade along Changan Avenue in central Beijing, showcasing the country’s latest and most advanced weapons to commemorate the 80th anniversary of China’s victory over Japan in World War II. President Xi Jinping...

Events

36 h. ago Indian textile industry must dig deep to survive US tariff shock

The Indian textile industry is staring down its worst crisis yet, as an additional 25 per cent tariff imposed by US President Donald Trump on India for buying Russian oil came into effect on August 27, taking the total levy on India’s exports to the United States to a staggering 50 per cent. Trump’s astounding tariffs not only threaten the successful 25-year-old trade partnership between the two countries but are also becoming a defining moment for India’s textiles, posing an existential threat...

Events