11 h. ago Chinese, Japanese groups issue joint call for Japan to return Tang dynasty stele

Chinese researchers and Japanese activists have renewed calls for Japan to return a Tang dynasty relic looted over 120 years ago. The effort to recover the Tang Honglu Well Stele comes amid rising regional tensions and Beijing’s ongoing national campaign to reclaim cultural heritage. Shanghai University’s Research Centre for Chinese Relics Overseas and Japanese cultural groups issued a joint declaration on Friday urging Tokyo to “correct historical errors” and return the stone monument, Chinese...

Politics

11 h. ago Japan urged to ‘correct historical errors’, return Tang dynasty stele to China

Japan urged to ‘correct historical errors’, return Tang dynasty stele to China  South China Morning Post

Politics

12 h. ago Hong Kong public hospital pricing reform slashes less urgent A&E visits by 24%

Hong Kong’s health minister has revealed that the number of less urgent patients seeking treatment at public hospital accident and emergency (A&E) departments has dropped by 24 per cent in the first 10 days of a new pricing regime. Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau also said in a television interview on Saturday that authorities had so far approved 60,000 people for fee waivers, with about 80 per cent processed on the same day of application. Under a public hospital fee overhaul implemented on...

Politics

12 h. ago As Trump urges cap on credit card rates, could China follow suit for online loans?

US President Donald Trump’s call for American credit card interest rates to be capped at 10 per cent for a year has sparked a debate in China about whether Beijing should impose a similar limit on online loans. The discussion comes as many in China – especially younger people – are being enticed by credit offers amid a weak job market and a boom in online loan services. “Apps now keep luring young people into borrowing,” a finance blogger with nearly 500,000 followers wrote in a social media...

Politics

13 h. ago Japanese tattoo artists still face stigma despite landmark legal victory

Walk into any public bath in Japan, and you are liable to see a sign banning any visible tattoos. Even as Japan opens up to more international tourists and residents, body art remains taboo, not only at baths but gyms, swimming pools and other businesses. The strong stigma, which also extends to tattoo artists and can result in difficulties finding jobs, comes from its historical link with the yakuza and other criminal elements of Japanese society, dating back to the Edo period (1603-1868). The...

Politics

16 h. ago Thai ruling party courts voters by vowing to end Cambodia conflict, close scam hubs

Thailand’s ruling party, which is seeking to retain power in next month’s election, has vowed to resolve the country’s conflict with Cambodia and clean up its image as a transit hub for trafficked scam victims. The conservative Bhumjaithai Party, which took power in September, has cast itself as the most suitable defender of Thai sovereignty during the border dispute between the two Southeast Asian countries. Clashes erupted for five days last July and reignited in December before a...

Events

16 h. ago Scam and corruption cases spark debate in China over cryptocurrencies’ future

The seizure of enormous cryptocurrency caches in two high-profile criminal cases in China – a former head of the central bank’s digital currency research institute accused of corruption, and an alleged scam centre kingpin linked to about US$15 billion in bitcoin – have sparked questions in the country about the safety and future of virtual money. But analysts said the long-term trend for the assets, especially bitcoin, depended on institutional capital, interest rate expectations and the...

Politics

16 h. ago Scam, corruption cases spark Chinese debate about future of virtual money

Scam, corruption cases spark Chinese debate about future of virtual money  South China Morning Post

Politics

32 h. ago Hong Kong passport ranks 15th globally, rising 3 places in visa

Hongkongers hold the world’s 15th most powerful passport, up three places from last year, according to an index measuring visa-free access. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region passport offers visa-free access to 171 destinations, according to this year’s Henley Passport Index released last week. Singapore retained the top ranking for the third consecutive year, granting its citizens visa-free entry to 192 destinations. However, data from the Hong Kong Immigration Department shows that...

Politics

32 h. ago Hongkonger reported missing in Iran ‘for many days’ amid internet shutdown, protests

Immigration authorities have confirmed receiving a plea for help concerning a Hong Kong resident reported missing “for many days” in Iran, as the country faces a nationwide internet shutdown amid protests against the government. A spokesman for the Immigration Department told the Post on Friday that it had received “a relevant inquiry” and was in touch with the Chinese consulate in Bandar Abbas and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ local arm in the city. A source confirmed the inquiry came from...

Events

33 h. ago UK teen who praised Southport murderer jailed for possessing al

A British teenager who praised the killer of three young girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance event and said he planned to bomb British rock band Oasis’ reunion concert was sentenced to detention on Friday for possession of an al-Qaeda manual. McKenzie Morgan, 18, was arrested at his home in Wales after sending messages on the social media platform Snapchat in which he praised Axel Rudakubana, who murdered three girls and stabbed 10 others in July 2024, prosecutor Corinne Bramwell...

Events

37 h. ago Philippines, France near defence pact to boost ‘operational intimacy’ in contested waters

A visiting forces military deal to be signed between the Philippines and France has put the focus on “operational intimacy”, with observers noting that Paris has a presence in the Indo-Pacific and would serve Manila’s interests well in the contested waters of the South China Sea. The term was coined by Associated Press correspondent Jim Gomez and confirmed by French Ambassador to Manila Marie Fontanel during a freewheeling discussion on Tuesday at her residence. In a bid to balance the...

Culture

37 h. ago Malaysia’s Umno chief denies he ‘sidelined’ Najib to secure his own legal freedom

The president of Malaysia’s Umno has denied abandoning disgraced ex-prime minister Najib Razak to save himself, as fissures emerge in the former ruling party over the mixed legal fortunes of two of its top leaders. Umno grass-roots members have urged President Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to quit Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s government in protest after the High Court blocked Najib’s bid to serve the remainder of his jail term under house arrest last month. It also handed the one-time party figurehead a...

Politics

38 h. ago Alibaba’s upgraded Qwen chatbot app receives warm consumer reception

Alibaba’s ambition to turn its chatbot app into a powerful AI assistant that dramatically changes the way people interact with smart devices appears to be paying off, according to users and analysts. Instead of repeatedly swiping a screen to complete a task, a user can tell the Qwen app to conduct a range of tasks from ordering drinks to paying electricity bills after the Hangzhou-based technology giant links it to the group’s existing apps like shopping platform Taobao and payment interface...

Events

40 h. ago China warns of ‘honey trap’ risks in defence sector after official jailed for espionage

Chinese state security authorities recently warned of “honey trap” risks in the defence and technology sectors, citing a case in which a public official was blackmailed into surrendering state secrets following a trip abroad. A social media account affiliated with the National Administration of State Secrets Protection published an article on Wednesday stating that personnel in the military industry were becoming targets of honey traps by foreign intelligence agencies and provided details of a...

Events

40 h. ago China warns of ‘honey trap’ risks after defence official jailed for espionage

China warns of ‘honey trap’ risks after defence official jailed for espionage  South China Morning Post

Events

44 h. ago Japan, US vow ‘unshaken’ defence alliance despite Trump’s pivot from Asia

The defence chiefs of Japan and the United States on Thursday agreed that the bilateral alliance is “unshaken” and pledged to reinforce its deterrence capabilities amid concerns in Asia that Washington’s focus is shifting from the region. Following his meeting with US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth at the Pentagon near Washington, Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said he was reassured that the administration of President Donald Trump remains committed to peace and stability in the...

Politics

48 h. ago China Offers Leniency if Cronies of Accused Scam Boss Surrender

China Offers Leniency if Cronies of Accused Scam Boss Surrender  The China-Global South Project

Politics

49 h. ago B.C. and feds sign lumber understanding with China, as province looks beyond U.S.

B.C. and feds sign lumber understanding with China, as province looks beyond U.S.  CBC

Politics

56 h. ago Hong Kong lawyers urged to specialise, not just compete, in Greater Bay Area

Hong Kong lawyers should not think of competing head-on with mainland counterparts in the Greater Bay Area, but instead position themselves as common law specialists and collaborators in cross-border legal teams, Hong Kong Bar Association chairman Jose-Antonio Maurellet has said. His comments came during a fireside chat on the sidelines of the China Conference: Greater Bay Area event hosted by the South China Morning Post in Shenzhen on Thursday. Recent policy measures allow Hong Kong lawyers to...

Politics