14 h. ago Chinese aircraft carriers’ Pacific presence sparks warnings for Philippines

The crossing of a US-designated island chain in the Western Pacific by a Chinese carrier group marks an increase in Beijing’s “operational tempo” that the Philippines should pay heed to, observers say. They warn, however, that a “delicate balance” should still be maintained to avoid any escalation amid calls for vigilance. Regional governments such as Japan and Taiwan have advised increased caution, and a former official in the Joe Biden administration has suggested formalising the so-called...

Events

15 h. ago Hong Kong’s mediation centre open to developed nations, Western countries

Western and developed countries are welcome to use services offered by Hong Kong’s newly established global mediation centre, a senior official has said, dismissing concerns over the institute’s founding members being primarily developing nations. Deputy Secretary for Justice Horace Cheung Kwok-kwan on Saturday also addressed the possible direct competition with other dispute resolution hubs, including Singapore, outlining Hong Kong’s distinct advantages such as its “one country, two systems”...

Politics

20 h. ago Severe Tropical Storm Wutip: Hong Kong to issue T3 signal between 12pm and 2pm

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 will issue the No 3 typhoon warning signal between 12pm and 2pm on Saturday, as strong winds from a severe tropical storm are expected to intensify later. Severe Tropical Storm Wutip, the Cantonese word for “butterfly”, has entered within 800km (497 miles) of...

Events

20 h. ago Severe Tropical Storm Wutip: Hong Kong to issue T3 signal at 12.20pm

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 will issue the No 3 typhoon warning signal at 12.20pm on Saturday, as strong winds from a severe tropical storm are expected to intensify later. Severe Tropical Storm Wutip, the Cantonese word for “butterfly”, has entered within 800km (497 miles) of Hong Kong,...

Events

20 h. ago Severe Tropical Storm Wutip: Hong Kong issues T3 signal as winds intensify

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 issued the No 3 typhoon warning signal, as strong winds from a severe tropical storm are intensifying. The Hong Kong Observatory raised the alert at 12.20pm on Saturday as Severe Tropical Storm Wutip entered within 800km (497 miles) of the city. It is...

Events

21 h. ago Beijing blames Japan over close encounters with Chinese jets

Beijing blames Japan over close encounters with Chinese jets  nhk.or.jp

Politics

24 h. ago Japan Calls Out China Over Unusual Maneuvers, Warns It Could Lead to Accidental Collision

Japan Calls Out China Over Unusual Maneuvers, Warns It Could Lead to Accidental Collision  USNI News

Events

33 h. ago 8 arrested for road races in Hong Kong, including 1 who allegedly used police car

Hong Kong police have arrested a 29-year-old man who used a vehicle believed to be a retired squad car in illegal road races, alongside seven other men caught in the same operation. Chief Inspector So Chi-bing of the regional crime unit in Kowloon East said officers had arrested eight men on Thursday after the force investigated media reports and online footage depicting several cars chasing after one another and switching lanes at high speed last month. “In the footage, the force noticed that...

Events

33 h. ago 8 arrested after video of retired police car road racing in Hong Kong goes viral

Hong Kong police have arrested eight men on suspicion of taking part in illegal road racing, including a 29-year-old man who allegedly drove what appears to be one of the force’s retired vehicles. Chief Inspector So Chi-bing of the regional crime unit in Kowloon East said officers arrested the eight men on Thursday after the force investigated media reports and online footage depicting several cars chasing each other and switching lanes at high speed last month. “In the footage, the force...

Events

35 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

40 h. ago India, China agree to expedite resumption of direct air services

India, China agree to expedite resumption of direct air services  Reuters

Politics

42 h. ago Dan Wang observes the grandeur and tragedy of the Chinese ‘engineering state’

Unlike tourists in many places, those visiting China for the first time often consider subway stations in major cities attractions in themselves for their sheer beauty, innovative designs, or simply their novelty. Hell, if nothing else, they are sparkling clean! Those such as Panda Avenue station in Chengdu and Rainbow station in Guangzhou are mentioned in tourist guides as places to visit. Several stations in Shenzhen look more like the halls found in many of Asia’s ultra-modern airports. From...

Politics

45 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

48 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

55 h. ago China’s AI race heats up as SenseTime, ByteDance unveil model updates

China’s artificial intelligence (AI) market sees heightened competition, as various model providers – from SenseTime to ByteDance – step up efforts to enhance their services. Hong Kong-listed SenseTime has upgraded its Cantonese-speaking chatbot, Sensechat, with a comprehensive set of new features that include real-time audio and video-interaction capabilities, according to the company’s announcement on Thursday. Other enhancements include visual reasoning capabilities, which allow Sensechat to...

Culture

56 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

57 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

58 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

59 h. ago Synopsys restarts some China services, sales of core tools still blocked, source says

Synopsys restarts some China services, sales of core tools still blocked, source says  Reuters

Politics

59 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