35 y. ago State Visit to the People's Republic of China by HM King Taufa‘ahau Tupou IV and Queen Halaevalu Mata‘aho

State Visit to the People's Republic of China by HM King Taufa‘ahau Tupou IV and Queen Halaevalu Mata‘aho  Matangi Tonga

Politics

67 m. ago Japan survey exposes social media’s role in disaster misinformation

More than a quarter of Japanese citizens were exposed to rumours or falsehoods on social media following natural disasters, according to a new survey, with some admitting they inadvertently hampered emergency responses by sharing the misinformation. The study was conducted by the Japanese Red Cross Society in the run-up to Disaster Prevention Day on Monday. The annual event commemorates the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake, a magnitude-8 tremor that struck some 60km southwest of Tokyo and caused...

Events

67 m. ago ‘It’s tough, but good luck’: China eatery refunds meal payment to job

A street snack eatery in Shenzhen refunded 13 yuan (US$2) to uplift two young university graduates new to the city, and the gesture moved many people online. The two young women, Liu and Song, hailing from Hunan and Jiangxi provinces respectively, travelled to Guangdong in southern China for better job opportunities on August 15. On August 16, they visited a branch of Shaxian Delicacies, a well-known street snack chain in Longgang District, where they ordered food totalling 13 yuan and discussed...

Politics

8 h. ago What mainstream capitalist economists won’t tell you about China

What mainstream capitalist economists won’t tell you about China  People's World

Politics

8 h. ago Navy Seals killed North Korean civilians in botched 2019 mission: US report

US Navy Seals shot and killed a number of North Korean civilians during a botched covert mission to plant a listening device in the nuclear-armed country during high-stakes diplomatic negotiations in 2019, The New York Times reported on Friday. Citing unidentified sources, including current and former military officials with knowledge of the still-classified details, the newspaper said US President Donald Trump approved the operation during his first administration, as he was involved in...

Events

10 h. ago US Ally Plans 'Bodyguard' Against Russia and China's 'Satellite Killers'

US Ally Plans 'Bodyguard' Against Russia and China's 'Satellite Killers'  Newsweek

Events

12 h. ago Seoul expresses ‘concern’ over US immigration raid at Hyundai’s Georgia plant

South Korea on Friday expressed “concern and regret” over a major US immigration raid at a sprawling Georgia site where South Korean auto company Hyundai manufactures electric vehicles. South Korean Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lee Jaewoong described the number of detained South Koreans as “large”, though he did not provide an exact figure. His ministry would not confirm or deny South Korean media reports saying that about 300 South Koreans were detained in Georgia on Thursday. The Atlanta...

Politics

13 h. ago 1 person killed, 3 hurt in Xinjiang traffic accident involving Hong Kong tour group

One person has died and three others have been injured in a traffic accident involving a Hong Kong tour group in Xinjiang. The Travel Industry Authority said on Friday that it was notified by Travel Circle International on Wednesday that the tour group was involved in a traffic accident that day in the autonomous mainland Chinese region. The group, which included 20 tourists, departed on August 27 on an 18-day visit to Xinjiang. Four tourists from two families were injured, including one who...

Events

13 h. ago Solution to Ukraine war must be found in the UN, not the killing fields

This year marks the 80th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War II and the founding of the United Nations. Humanity learned with great pain that peace and security must coexist for all nations, and the vicious circle of war must not be repeated. In 1941, the United States imposed an oil embargo on Japan in response to its expansion in Asia and invasion of French Indochina. For the US and its allies, Japan’s militant aggression was a blatant violation of peace; for Japan, the embargo was...

Events

16 h. ago Chinese delivery rider and biker face off for 4 hours at narrow crossing

A food delivery rider and a man on an electric bike in southern China blocked each other for at least four hours at a narrow crossing, as neither was willing to budge. Video clips of these two determined individuals went viral on mainland China, delighting millions of internet users, according to Dafeng News. The incident took place on August 24 in the bustling Huicheng District of Huizhou, Guangdong province. It involved a food delivery man and a young man, both perched on their electric bikes,...

Politics

16 h. ago ‘Better than being killed’: Japan’s women turn to pepper spray – at legal risk

As dusk falls across Japan’s cities, a sense of unease falls upon many women on their journeys home. Reports of brutal femicides have struck a deep chord, fuelling a surge in the purchase of self-defence items – even as legal experts warn that arming oneself may come at a cost. The recent killing of Megumi Katayama, 24, who was stabbed multiple times by a stranger in a Kobe residential lift last month, has stoked public concern. Social media platforms buzzed with messages urging women to take...

Events

16 h. ago 2 Italian swimmers warned, banned from Singapore after airport shoplifting bust

Two Italian swimmers have been given a 12-month conditional warning and banned from re-entering Singapore after they were caught shoplifting three bottles of perfume from a duty-free shop at Changi airport last month. Singapore police on Thursday confirmed media reports that Chiara Tarantino, 22, and Benedetta Pilato, 20, had been arrested on August 14 for shoplifting, CNA reported. The pair had been in Singapore to compete in the World Aquatics Championships, in which Pilato won a bronze for...

Events

17 h. ago ‘Legitimate targets’: Putin warns West about deploying troops in Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin warned on Friday that any Western forces deployed to Ukraine would be a “legitimate” target for Moscow’s army, a day after Kyiv’s allies said they had committed to a troop presence in the event of a peace deal. Two dozen countries, led by France and Britain, pledged Thursday to join a “reassurance” force on land, at sea and in the air to patrol any agreement to end the conflict, unleashed by Russia in February 2022. Tens of thousands have been killed in...

Events

18 h. ago 512 arrests and 14 tonnes of drugs seized from Hong Kong’s cross

Authorities of Hong Kong, Macau and Guangdong province have called for increased joint operations to combat narcotics following their efforts over the past 18 months, which have resulted in the arrest of 512 people and the seizure of 14.4 tonnes (31,746lbs) of drugs. Officials from mainland China’s central and local anti-drug authorities warned on Friday that the fight against narcotics had become more severe and complicated, with new technologies and types of drugs emerging. Hong Kong hosted...

Events

18 h. ago Israeli military says it controls nearly half of Gaza City in push for takeover

Israel controls 40 per cent of Gaza City, a military spokesperson said on Thursday, as its bombardment forced more Palestinians from their homes there, while thousands of residents defied Israeli orders to leave, remaining behind in the ruins in the path of Israel’s latest advance. Gaza health authorities said Israeli fire across the enclave had killed at least 53 people on Thursday, mostly in Gaza City, where Israeli forces have advanced through the outer suburbs and were a few kilometres from...

Events

19 h. ago Hong Kong father suspected of murdering his 2 children has depression: court

A Hong Kong father who allegedly killed his two young children before a failed suicide attempt last month is suffering from depression, a court has heard. Salesman Chen Guocheng, 40, appeared in Kowloon City Court for the first time on Friday to face two counts of murder, as prosecutors asked for a 12-week adjournment for police to conduct further inquiries. A psychiatric report issued by Queen Elizabeth Hospital found Chen to be suicidal but fit to attend hearings, the court heard. Deputy...

Events

19 h. ago Hong Kong father suspected of murdering his children has depression, court hears

A Hong Kong father who allegedly killed his two young children before a failed suicide attempt last month is suffering from depression, a court has heard. Salesman Chen Guocheng, 40, appeared in Kowloon City Court for the first time on Friday to face two counts of murder, as prosecutors asked for a 12-week adjournment to allow police to conduct further inquiries. A psychiatric report issued by Queen Elizabeth Hospital found Chen to be suicidal but fit to attend hearings, the court heard. Deputy...

Events

19 h. ago Ukraine’s drone pilots are ‘killing for points’ as war becomes gamified

Rubik, a Ukrainian military drone pilot, had tracked the every move of one particular Russian soldier for weeks, with the promise of earning at least six points for killing him. In a war increasingly dominated by drones, Ukraine’s military has launched a new score-based purchasing system for units to replenish their stocks, and Rubik - his military nickname - was looking to help his brigade cash in. On the “Brave1” platform launched by Ukraine’s digital transformation ministry, new drones for...

Events

20 h. ago Japan star in dreamland as Jackie Chan blesses her baby bump with ‘miracle’ touch

A lifelong dream came true for Japanese anime icon Shoko Nakagawa, who is nine months pregnant with twin boys, when she met her idol, the legendary Jackie Chan. Chan blessed her baby bump with a heart-shaped kiss in a moment that quickly went viral online. Nakagawa, 40, who is affectionately known as “Shokotan”, is widely recognised as an anime icon and boasts over 345,000 followers on a major social media platform. She is best known as the host of Pokémon Sunday and as the performer of the...

Politics

20 h. ago Japan star in dreamland as Jackie Chan blesses baby bump with ‘miracle’ touch

A lifelong dream came true for Japanese anime icon Shoko Nakagawa, who is nine months pregnant with twin boys, when she met her idol, the legendary Jackie Chan. Chan blessed her baby bump with a heart-shaped kiss in a moment that quickly went viral online. Nakagawa, 40, who is affectionately known as “Shokotan”, is widely recognised as an anime icon and boasts over 345,000 followers on a major social media platform. She is best known as the host of Pokémon Sunday and as the performer of the...

Politics