6 m. ago ‘Nobody said anything’: Malaysia confronts its deadly school bullying problem

The guilt hangs heavily over Jerry* whenever his mind drifts back to his school days in Kota Kinabalu and that quiet “awkward kid” he once tormented. Sitting at the back of the classroom, the boy was an easy target for Jerry and his friends, who delighted in humiliating him by stealing his shoes, tugging down his trousers or meting out the occasional beating. They were only 12, behaving as children do, he once thought. But more than two decades later, Jerry feels the weight of what those moments...

Events

2 h. ago China shows off advanced hypersonic missiles, ICBMs and drones in military parade (photos)

China shows off advanced hypersonic missiles, ICBMs and drones in military parade (photos)  Space

Events

6 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 stocks wobble as Wall Street wrangles with whether job market is too weak

US stocks wobbled lower on Friday as Wall Street questioned whether the US job market has slowed by just enough to get the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates to help the economy, or by so much that a downturn may be on the way. After rising to an early gain, the S&P 500 erased it and fell 0.3 per cent below the all-time high it set the day before. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 220 points, or 0.5 per cent, after swinging between an early gain of nearly 150 points and a loss of 400....

Politics

10 h. ago Europe’s summer from hell, China’s stablecoin dilemma: SCMP daily highlights

Catch up on some of SCMP’s biggest China stories of the day. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Europe’s summer from hell bleeds into autumn as Trump and Xi turn the screws If Brussels’ bureaucrats returning from their long summer breaks this week were wondering what they missed, the local press had them covered. Unbecoming scenes at June’s Nato summit, the “hopelessly one-sided” trade deal with the United States in July, as well as Chinese President...

Politics

10 h. ago Europe’s summer from hell, the future of air combat: SCMP daily highlights

Catch up on some of SCMP’s biggest China stories of the day. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Europe’s summer from hell bleeds into autumn as Trump and Xi turn the screws If Brussels’ bureaucrats returning from their long summer breaks this week were wondering what they missed, the local press had them covered. Unbecoming scenes at June’s Nato summit, the “hopelessly one-sided” trade deal with the United States in July, as well as Chinese President...

Politics

11 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

12 h. ago Taiwan holds back on penalties for Victory Day parade supporters

Taipei authorities have taken a softer line on Taiwanese individuals attending Beijing’s Victory Day military parade this week, despite repeated warnings in the weeks leading up to the event. Former Kuomintang (KMT) chairwoman Hung Hsiu-chu defied the warnings and appeared on the rostrum overlooking Tiananmen Square on Wednesday, watching the parade marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. The next day, Liang Wen-chieh, deputy minister of Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council, said...

Politics

14 h. ago Belt and Road Summit marks a decade of deals as Hong Kong eyes new chapter of collaboration

[The content of this article has been produced by our advertising partner.] Co-organised by the HKSAR Government and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), the 10th Belt and Road Summit will return to the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre on September 10-11.  Bringing together over 90 speakers from 18 Belt and Road economies, this year’s two-day programme continues a ten-year run of policy dialogue, business exchange and investment matchmaking under the theme “Collaborate for...

Politics

15 h. ago Chinese man detained for ‘inappropriate comments’ about Victory Day parade

A man in the central province of Hubei was detained for allegedly making “inappropriate comments” about China’s Victory Day military parade and spreading rumours. According to cyber police in the city of Xiangyang, the 47-year-old man, surnamed Meng, made slanderous and derogatory remarks on Wednesday while commenting on a social media post about the parade held in Beijing to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. When others expressed patriotic sentiment, Meng “insulted them and...

Politics

15 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 Europe’s summer from hell bleeds into autumn as Trump and Xi turn the screws

If Brussels bureaucrats returning from their long summer breaks this week were wondering what they missed, the local press had them covered. Unbecoming scenes at June’s Nato summit, the “hopelessly one-sided” trade deal with the United States in July, as well as President Xi Jinping’s refusal to travel to Belgium for that month’s summit with EU leaders, were all cited by the Brussels media outlet Euractiv. “Now talk of a European moment has given way to fears of a European ‘century of...

Politics

18 h. ago Hong Kong Observatory could issue T1 warning on Friday night

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. The Hong Kong Observatory has said it may issue the typhoon standby signal No 1 on Friday night at the earliest, as the forecaster warned of unstable weather from Sunday onwards. An area of low pressure near Luzon, which is currently about 800km (497 miles) away from Hong Kong, is expected to...

Events

20 h. ago Thaksin leaves Thailand ahead of court ruling that could see him jailed

Thailand’s former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra made a sudden and surprising departure from the country on Thursday, just five days before a court ruling that could open him up to a new prison sentence. His exit came a week after the Constitutional Court removed his daughter, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, from her position as prime minister. The court found her guilty of an ethics violation for a politically compromising phone call with Cambodian Senate president Hun Sen. Parliament was set to...

Events

20 h. ago Thaksin flies to Dubai after missing Singapore airport landing deadline

Thailand’s former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra made a sudden and surprising departure from the country on Thursday, just five days before a court ruling that could open him up to a new prison sentence. Thaksin told Thai immigration authorities at Bangkok’s Don Mueang Airport that his private jet was headed for Singapore. A police statement confirmed his plane was allowed to take off shortly after 7pm because he had no arrest warrant or court order preventing him from leaving the...

Events

20 h. ago Thailand’s Thaksin flies to Dubai after missing Singapore landing deadline

Thailand’s former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra made a sudden and surprising departure from the country on Thursday, just five days before a court ruling that could open him up to a new prison sentence. Thaksin told Thai immigration authorities at Bangkok’s Don Mueang Airport that his private jet was headed for Singapore. A police statement confirmed his plane was allowed to take off shortly after 7pm because he had no arrest warrant or court order preventing him from leaving the...

Events

21 h. ago Hong Kong consumer watchdog receives 9 complaints after balloon festival fiasco

Hong Kong’s hot-air balloon festival has been forced to deflate all its balloons on display due to the scorching weather, a day after failing to secure a licence for a tethered ride and suspending the attraction, which led to at least nine complaints to the city’s consumer watchdog. The Consumer Council said it had received nine complaints totalling HK$16,933 (US$2,171) regarding the AIA International Hot Air Balloon Fest Hong Kong as of noon on Friday, with one case involving HK$4,956. The...

Politics

22 h. ago China’s drone display at Victory Day parade signals new era of air power

Among the many pieces of advanced military hardware showcased during Wednesday’s Victory Day parade in Beijing were at least four unnamed drones, at least one of which was a “loyal wingman”, a stealth attack drone supposedly capable of coordinated aerial warfare alongside crewed jets, according to state broadcaster CCTV. The appearance left military observers to speculate about what they had seen, and raised many new questions. Some experts believe the advanced aircraft are capable of hypersonic...

Events

22 h. ago Beyond the parade, what China’s new stealth drones mean for future air combat

Among the many pieces of advanced military hardware showcased during Wednesday’s Victory Day parade in Beijing were at least four unnamed drones, at least one of which was a “loyal wingman”, a stealth attack drone supposedly capable of coordinated aerial warfare alongside crewed jets, according to state broadcaster CCTV. The appearance left military observers to speculate about what they had seen, and raised many new questions. Some experts believe the advanced aircraft are capable of hypersonic...

Events

24 h. ago Japan’s ‘house of cards’: Ishiba clings to power as hawks demand LDP election

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is presiding over a political “house of cards” that analysts say is looking more shaky every day, as he continues to resist growing calls from within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) to step down. This week, the chorus demanding Ishiba’s resignation grew louder after the LDP released an internal report examining its dismal performance in July’s Upper House election. The party lost 18 seats, leaving it short of a parliamentary majority even with its...

Politics