26 m. ago Hong Kong girl, 17, rescued from fire likely caused by power bank

A 17-year-old Hong Kong girl was rescued on Wednesday after a fire, believed to have been caused by a power bank, broke out in a flat in Tsuen Wan. Fire Services received a report at 7.59am that smoke had been seen coming out from the flat at Hoi Kwai Mansion of Riviera Gardens. Firefighters then broke into the flat and saved the girl, who was sent to Yan Chai Hospital in Tsuen Wan for smoke inhalation. The Fire Services Department said the fire, suspected to have been triggered by a power bank,...

Events

2 h. ago Man in Japan arrested over suspected attempt to repeat 1987 attack on reporters

Police in Japan have arrested a man over a parcel containing threats sent to a news outlet in a suspected copycat attempt of the most serious attack on the media in the country’s modern history. Kazuhiro Muto, 38, was arrested at his home in the city of Fuji, Shizuoka prefecture, on June 3, a month after a parcel allegedly from him was delivered to an office of the Asahi Shimbun in Nishinomiya, the newspaper reported. The parcel arrived just after the anniversary of the May 3, 1987 attack in the...

Events

4 h. ago Japanese debate over US immigration raid protests and influx of foreigners

US President Donald Trump’s deployment of thousands of military personnel to Los Angeles in response to protesters rallying against his administration’s immigration raids has split public opinion in Japan, where debates have escalated in recent years over an influx of foreigners into the country. The protests in Los Angeles – now in their third day – have prompted Trump to order around 4,000 National Guard personnel and 700 Marines to the city. Clashes between both sides have led to rubber...

Events

4 h. ago In Japan, LA protests are dividing people as much as in the US. Here’s why

US President Donald Trump’s deployment of thousands of military personnel to Los Angeles in response to protesters rallying against his administration’s immigration raids has split public opinion in Japan, where debates have escalated in recent years over an influx of foreigners into the country. The protests in Los Angeles – now in their third day – have prompted Trump to order around 4,000 National Guard personnel and 700 Marines to the city. Clashes between both sides have led to rubber...

Events

14 h. ago Tencent Music to buy Ximalaya, an audio app used by 300 million users

Tencent Music Entertainment Group, China’s largest online music platform by user count, announced on Tuesday its acquisition of audio content platform Ximalaya for about US$2.4 billion in cash and stock. The Tencent Holdings subsidiary will offer US$1.26 billion in cash and up to 5.2 per cent of its total outstanding class A ordinary shares. It will also issue up to 0.37 per cent of its shares to Ximalaya’s founding investors. As part of the deal, Ximalaya will restructure certain existing...

Economics

15 h. ago Eye on the prize: bags of rice, daily essentials up for grabs at Japanese arcade

An amusement centre in Japan is drawing crowds by offering bags of rice as claw machine prizes – a quirky marketing move that has struck a chord with consumers grappling with rising food costs. Since late May, the arcade in Kawagoe city, Saitama prefecture, has stocked its machines with 900-gram bags of rice to entice players with a shot at winning an increasingly expensive daily staple. The rice bags are the latest additions to the prizes customers can win at the machines. Over the past six...

Politics

15 h. ago Tencent Music to buy Chinese audio platform Ximalaya for $2.4 billion

Tencent Music to buy Chinese audio platform Ximalaya for $2.4 billion  Reuters

Economics

19 h. ago Did China’s first emperor launch westwards mission to find ‘elixir of life’?

History records the Chinese emperor Qin Shi Huang as sending the alchemist Xu Fu eastwards towards Japan on a quest for the elixir of immortality. However, the ancient texts make no mention of any similar expedition heading west. But according to a state media report, findings by Chinese archaeologists suggest that a western expedition for the “elixir of life” may indeed have been launched during the reign of Qin Shi Huang. Qin Shi Huang, or the “first emperor of China”, was so named because he...

Events

19 h. ago ‘Unacceptable’: Japan group under fire for holding combat drills for students

An organisation in Japan’s Saitama prefecture is under fire for holding combat drills featuring toy guns for schoolchildren amid public anxiety about growing militarisation in the country. At the “junior survival school” run by a general incorporated association, primary and secondary schoolchildren took part in training similar to Japan Self-Defence Force (JSDF) drills and were taught how to handle toy guns, The Mainichi newspaper reported on Saturday, without naming the organisation. According...

Events

20 h. ago Japan sights two Chinese aircraft carriers in Pacific for first time

Japan sights two Chinese aircraft carriers in Pacific for first time  Reuters

Transport

20 h. ago Jumbo ventures beyond chilli crab to bring famous Siji Minfu Peking duck chain to Singapore

Jumbo ventures beyond chilli crab to bring famous Siji Minfu Peking duck chain to Singapore  The Business Times

Politics

23 h. ago Megaquake scare in Japan, Philippines boosts air power: 7 Asia highlights

We have selected seven stories from the SCMP’s coverage of Asia over the past week that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Japan on alert as Hokkaido tremors reignite megaquake fears A string of moderate earthquakes off the coast of Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido has reignited concerns among experts and residents about the risk of a catastrophic seismic event – though scientists stress...

Politics

24 h. ago Concern in Japan as police investigation uncovers possible yakuza

A police investigation into alleged organised crime activity in Japan has uncovered what experts say could be signs of cooperation between a domestic yakuza faction and Hong Kong’s 14K triad, one of Asia’s most powerful criminal networks. The concern centres around a video found on a mobile phone seized during an arrest in September last year, which shows individuals sharing glasses of sake – a traditional ritual that experts say can symbolise an oath of loyalty or alliance. According to Jiji...

Events

25 h. ago Nara’s famed deer could face food crisis in winter as acorn trees cut down

A move to cut down acorn-bearing trees in Japan’s Nara Park has sparked concern among researchers about the survival of the attraction’s free-roaming deer during the harsh winter. Acorns serve as a vital food source for deer, while the trees also provide critical shelter, with the animals often gathering beneath dense canopies for warmth and protection in the colder months. “The base of these trees becomes a critical place that determines whether the deer can survive winter,” said Shiro...

Events

26 h. ago Japan spots Chinese navy’s show of force in west Pacific amid maritime row

China’s Liaoning aircraft carrier has for the first time ventured into the easternmost edge of Japan’s exclusive economic zone, in what is seen as a show of force aimed at Tokyo, Washington and the broader region. The Liaoning – Beijing’s first aircraft carrier – and at least three accompanying warships were spotted on Saturday around 300km southwest of Minamitori, a remote Japanese island in the western Pacific, which serves as a bulwark for Tokyo to assert its maritime claims. The group, which...

Politics

27 h. ago Chinese soldier, famed for striking resemblance to actress Dilraba, is elite sniper

A woman soldier from northwestern China who is known for her resemblance to a famous actress has developed into an outstanding sniper. Buzainafu Yasenjiang looks strikingly similar to Dilraba Dilmurat, one of China’s top entertainers, who has more than 81 million followers on social media. The 33-year-old actress and singer is a native of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region in the northwest of the country. She is celebrated for her unique beauty and talent, and has even been praised by the...

Events

40 h. ago Chinese teen’s suicide puts crushing academic pressure in the spotlight

A heart-wrenching suicide note left by an 18-year-old girl who killed herself in April has reignited discussion online about the heavy academic burden placed on children in China. In the letter, the girl – who was in her final year at a top high school in Bengbu, a city in the central province of Anhui – wrote about the pressure she felt to do well and said she had been broken by relentless exams, particularly maths and physics. “I cannot bear how you meticulously checked the scores of all the...

Events

45 h. ago Malaysian cartoonist vows to sue authorities over his ‘travel ban’

A controversial cartoonist who is known for his satirical artworks targeting Malaysia’s elite has vowed to take the government to court after he was stopped from leaving the country, in an incident that has prompted criticisms of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim for walking back on his commitment to protect individual freedoms. Fahmi Reza, who once lampooned scandal-hit former prime minister Najib Razak as a clown, was en route to Singapore for a concert on Saturday when he was denied boarding at...

Transport

46 h. ago ‘Landmark kid’: Japan dad spends US$700,000 on ads featuring cute son’s photos

A Japanese father who runs a real estate company has gone viral for spending 100 million yen (US$700,000) to plaster advertisements bearing his son’s photos on footbridges, buses and convenience stores. The boy, who is known as Yu-kun, is well known in the Adachi area of Tokyo and has been affectionately dubbed “The Landmark Kid” by local residents. His smiling image is everywhere, from massive footbridge banners and parking signs to city buses. His image even appears in convenience store...

Economics

47 h. ago John Lee exclusive interview, Chinese rethink UK degrees: 5 weekend reads

We have put together stories from our coverage last weekend to help you stay informed about news across Asia and beyond. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. ‘Don’t kill your successful DNA’: Hong Kong’s John Lee on tariffs, trade war 2. ‘It’s too much’: Chinese students reconsider UK degrees as policies harden 3. Loitering with intent: Beijing’s new silent South China Sea strategy? 4. Japan grows restless for next-gen fighter jets as progress with...

Politics