5 h. ago Japan monk adopts ‘noisy’ abandoned dog, later saved by canine from fierce bear

A Japanese Buddhist monk who adopted an abandoned dog was saved by the canine during a fierce bear attack. Tougen Yoshihara, the abbot of Youkoku Temple, a historic temple in Niigata in central Japan, was taking his one-year-old Beagle, Chico, for a walk in the woods near the temple on May 29 when an unexpected encounter occurred. Suddenly, a 1.6-metre-tall bear appeared before them, leaving Yoshihara in shock, as he had never before faced such a beast. In a panic, he stumbled and fell while...

Politics

6 h. ago In Hong Kong and globally, AI is not a job and wage killer, PwC says

Jobs requiring artificial intelligence (AI) skills are on the rise in Hong Kong as more businesses find practical use for the technology, but rather than replacing human ingenuity, AI is being combined with it to deliver productivity gains, according to PwC. The proportion of job postings in Hong Kong seeking AI skills rose to 1.9 per cent in 2024 from 1.6 per cent in 2021, according to the consultancy’s “Global AI Jobs Barometer” report published on Friday. In the information and communications...

Events

15 h. ago Japan warns of collision risks after Chinese fighter jet manoeuvres

Japan has expressed serious concerns to Beijing through diplomatic and defence channels after a Chinese fighter jet from the aircraft carrier Shandong made “abnormal approaches” to a Japanese patrol aircraft over the Pacific Ocean. In a statement, Tokyo’s defence ministry said a J-15 fighter shadowed its P-3C patrol aircraft operating over the Pacific for about 40 minutes from 10.30am on Saturday and again for around 80 minutes from 2pm on Sunday. The ministry said the Chinese fighter approached...

Events

19 h. ago China, Japan: Close Encounter in the Air as Beijing Shows Off Naval Capabilities

China, Japan: Close Encounter in the Air as Beijing Shows Off Naval Capabilities  Stratfor: The World's Leading Geopolitical Intelligence Platform

Politics

25 h. ago Nvidia CEO says Huawei has everyone ‘covered’ if US chip ban on China stays

Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang said his company’s technology remained a generation ahead of those developed by China, but warned that Huawei Technologies was in a position to expand its semiconductor business should US chip export curbs stay in place. In an interview with US broadcaster CNBC on Thursday, Huang appeared to echo recent published remarks made by Huawei founder and CEO Ren Zhengfei, who said the Chinese company’s Ascend artificial intelligence (AI) processors lagged behind...

Politics

26 h. ago WeChat Pay records fourfold rise in mainland tourist taxi payments in Hong Kong

WeChat Pay Hong Kong has recorded a fourfold increase in mainland Chinese tourist payments for taxi services in the city from last year and growing usage among locals and visitors alike, according to parent company Tencent. Vice-President of Tencent Financial Technology Daniel Hong Danyi said on Thursday that the number of transactions from mainland tourists paying for taxi fares through WeChat Pay had seen a fourfold increase year on year. “We saw that previously, many mainland tourists coming...

Economics

27 h. ago Japan conveys strong concern over China jet flying close to SDF plane

Japan conveys strong concern over China jet flying close to SDF plane  Kyodo News+ | Japan's leading news agency.

Politics

28 h. ago Japan Says Chinese Fighter Jet Flew Too Close to Its Military Plane

Japan Says Chinese Fighter Jet Flew Too Close to Its Military Plane  The New York Times

Events

29 h. ago Japan ‘selfie grandma’, Kimiko Nishimoto, dies at 97, famous for quirky photos

A woman known as Japan’s selfie grandma who redefined ageing with her quirky self-portraits, has died, aged 97. Despite taking up photography late in life, nonagenarian Kimiko Nishimoto started learning the skill at the age of 72. She showed an uncanny ability to entertain and delight with her images. She held her first solo exhibition in 2011 and published her first book of photos in 2016. After joining social media in 2018, she quickly gained more than 400,000 followers. Nishimoto was born in...

Events

29 h. ago ‘Overflowing with faeces, urine’: 150 dead cats found in Japanese woman’s home

A volunteer at an animal welfare group in Japan has been arrested after about 150 dead cats were discovered at her home in Kumamoto city. Police and animal rescue volunteers found the bodies, some in an advanced stage of decomposition, on Tuesday after they entered the woman’s home to investigate a pet owner’s complaint to the animal welfare group on May 27. The complainant said she had handed over four of her late mother’s pet cats to the suspect, who had promised her regular updates and...

Events

30 h. ago Hong Kong Airlines cuts Japan routes over sluggish tourism and tremor concerns

Hong Kong Airlines is set to cancel flights to Kagoshima and Kumamoto in Japan in July and August, citing sluggish demand for tourism in the country, while flight schedules between the city and Nagoya will also be adjusted. The carrier announced the flight adjustments on Thursday amid growing concerns about a long-feared megaquake predicted to hit Japan. The airline said affected passengers could rebook to other destinations, including other cities in Japan and mainland China, as well as Taipei,...

Society

30 h. ago Hong Kong flights to 2 Japanese cities cut over sluggish tourism and quake fears

Hong Kong Airlines is set to cancel flights to Kagoshima and Kumamoto in Japan in July and August, citing sluggish demand for tourism in the country, while flight schedules between the city and Nagoya will also be adjusted. The carrier announced the flight adjustments on Thursday amid growing concerns about a long-feared megaquake predicted to hit Japan. The airline said affected passengers could rebook for other destinations, including other cities in Japan and mainland China, as well as...

Politics

37 h. ago Japan weighs tightening rules on visa popular among Chinese nationals

Japan is considering increasing the minimum investment threshold for its business manager visa in a bid to make it harder for foreigners to obtain residence status and launch commercial operations in the country, as the scheme becomes increasingly popular with Chinese nationals. The visa, which offers relatively accessible entry for foreign entrepreneurs, permits stays of up to five years for those who either invest 5 million yen (US$34,711) or hire two full-time employees while maintaining an...

Politics

38 h. ago Tropical Storm Wutip: Hong Kong’s T1 alert to stay in effect most of day

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. New users who download our updated app get a seven-day free trial. Hong Kong’s weather forecaster has said that the No 1 typhoon warning signal will stay in force for most of Thursday, as squally showers associated with a tropical storm near the coast of Guangdong continue to affect the city. The Hong Kong Observatory issued the signal at 12.40am on Wednesday...

Events

38 h. ago Tropical Storm Wutip: Hong Kong’s T1 alert to stay in effect for most of the day

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. New users who download our updated app get a seven-day free trial. Hong Kong’s weather forecaster has said that the No 1 typhoon warning signal will stay in force for most of Thursday, as squally showers associated with a tropical storm near the coast of Guangdong continue to affect the city. The Hong Kong Observatory issued the signal at 12.40am on Wednesday...

Events

38 h. ago Tropical Storm Wutip: Hong Kong’s T1 alert to stay in effect throughout the day

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. New users who download our updated app get a seven-day free trial. Hong Kong’s weather forecaster has said that the No 1 typhoon warning signal will remain in force throughout Thursday, as squally showers associated with a tropical storm near the coast of Guangdong continue to affect the city. The Observatory said that Tropical Storm Wutip, which is named...

Events

38 h. ago Tropical Storm Wutip: Hong Kong’s T1 alert to stay in effect until at least Friday

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. New users who download our updated app get a seven-day free trial. Hong Kong’s weather forecaster has said the No 1 typhoon warning signal will remain in force until Friday afternoon or possibly Saturday, as squally showers associated with a tropical storm near the coast of Guangdong province continue to affect the city. The Observatory said Tropical Storm...

Events

48 h. ago Stocks rise as inflation stays cool, Trump offers China trade 'framework'

Stocks rise as inflation stays cool, Trump offers China trade 'framework'  USA Today

Politics

48 h. ago Stocks little changed Wednesday as inflation stays cool, rate

Stocks little changed Wednesday as inflation stays cool, rate-cut bets rise  USA Today

Politics

52 h. ago Hong Kong Red Cross tightens blood donor rules for recent inmates

The Hong Kong Red Cross has banned anyone who has been locked up for 72 hours or more in the past 12 months from donating blood for a year, citing the risk of infections such as hepatitis C and HIV. The Hong Kong Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service said on Wednesday the guidelines had been revised based on suggestions made by the internationally recognised certification bodies that conducted a review of the centre last year. A spokeswoman for the service, which is operated by the Hospital...

Events