8 h. ago Does Philippines have ‘credible’ undersea might against China?

The Philippines remains dangerously under-equipped to counter China’s growing undersea operations in the South China Sea, analysts warn, as joint anti-submarine drills with Japan spotlight the urgent need for Manila to strengthen its underwater warfare capabilities. The two-day exercises, which began on Saturday, were the first large-scale joint exercises since Japan’s Diet ratified the Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) with the Philippines earlier this month, following Manila’s approval last...

Politics

9 h. ago Dying Thai boy, 6, fulfils final wish to meet famous pygmy hippo Moo Deng

A six-year-old Thai boy with terminal cancer fulfilled his final wish by meeting Moo Deng, the world-famous pygmy hippo at a zoo in eastern Thailand, before passing away. On June 2, the social media account managed by Moo Deng’s keepers, Khamoo and the team, announced the heartbreaking news of his death. The boy, affectionately nicknamed Auto, had long dreamed of meeting Moo Deng in person at Khao Kheow Open Zoo, located in Chonburi province. Moo Deng, an adorable pygmy hippo born in July last...

Events

10 h. ago Singaporean singer Stefanie Sun's Beijing concert draws 50,000 people on first night

Singaporean singer Stefanie Sun's Beijing concert draws 50,000 people on first night  CNA Lifestyle

Politics

13 h. ago China online shops sell ‘wisdom inspiring’ water from Peking University lake

Online shops in China are selling “wisdom-inspiring” bottled water taken from a lake at the prestigious Peking University. The so-called special water has captivated social media and delighted many internet users. Sellers usually advertise it for sale on second-hand product platforms, China News Service reported. It costs between 30 and 99 yuan (US$4 and US$14) for 500ml, the report said, far more expensive than normal bottled water, which sells for around 5 yuan. Peking University is one of...

Politics

13 h. ago John Lee pledges to improve Hongkongers’ lives amid ‘restructuring’ of economy

Hong Kong’s leader has pledged to improve people’s livelihoods and foster growth amid an “economic restructuring” of the city, as public consultation for his coming policy address was launched. The government said in a statment on Monday that it would hold more than 40 consultation sessions ahead of Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s fourth policy address this September, while also conducting district visits to meet with members of the public and representatives from different sectors. “We are...

Politics

14 h. ago ‘Fear and pain’: Filipino, other Asian communities slam US immigration raids

The Asian community in the United States, including Filipinos, is reporting an atmosphere of “agitation, fear and pain” as protesters in Los Angeles continue to rally against raids by immigration agents, amid US President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown. “What we’ve witnessed are military-style raids where Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), along with other federal agencies and the military, are going to the communities with their faces covered, armed and taking people from their...

Politics

15 h. ago PLA patrols in the South China Sea as Philippines, Japan hold joint drills

The Chinese military carried out patrols in the South China Sea on Saturday, as the Philippines and Japan held a joint drill in the disputed waters. China’s People’s Liberation Army joint sea and air patrols were conducted by the Southern Theatre Command, its spokesman Senior Colonel Tian Junli said in a statement on Sunday. The PLA patrols were a response to the Philippines-Japan joint maritime drills – their second since August – which Tian called a threat to regional peace. “The Philippines...

Politics

18 h. ago China twins, separated at 10 days, reunite at 17, become besties before truth revealed

Twin sisters in China who were adopted by separate families at just 10 days old have been miraculously bound together by fate, becoming best friends at 17 before realising they are sisters. Zhang Guoxin and Hai Chao were given away by their parents, who could not afford to bring them up. One of the conditions of the adoption was that the two families must be from the same city in northern China’s Hebei province. They had been living separately without knowing of each other’s existence until they...

Politics

19 h. ago ‘Mole people’: invisible reality of the homeless in the Philippines

First, a head emerged from a drain hole in broad daylight. Then came arms and legs. Like a scene out of a horror film, such was the eerie image that unfolded when a woman was spotted crawling out of a sewer on the corner of the streets of Adelantado and VA Rufino, one of the busiest areas in the financial district of Makati City in the Philippines. The photo, which had quickly gone viral online and was later published by several local media outlets, was taken by a hobbyist photographer, who...

Politics

19 h. ago Food security takes root: how China’s Xinjiang is at forefront of national push

Chinese agricultural scientists have turned 40 hectares (99 acres) of salty soil in Xinjiang into fertile land capable of supporting multiple crops – part of a national strategy to bolster food security by transforming vast swathes of non-arable terrain into farms. The breakthrough followed seven years of effort in the Uygur autonomous region’s Shihezi, led by a research team from a local university, the state-owned People’s Daily reported. The previously degraded soil now sustains wheat,...

Events

20 h. ago Standard Chartered sees affluent clients putting more money to work in Hong Kong

Wealthy people are increasingly drawn to structured products and diversified investments in light of market uncertainty, according to Standard Chartered Bank’s Eliza Law, who sees affluent clients putting more money to work in Hong Kong. “Our clients’ interest in investing has grown,” Law, managing director and head of affluent segment and distribution, wealth and retail banking at Standard Chartered Hong Kong, said in a briefing on Thursday. “They are keen to enhance their investment knowledge...

Economics

32 h. ago China's Military Conducts Patrols in South China Sea, Warns Philippines

China's Military Conducts Patrols in South China Sea, Warns Philippines  U.S. News & World Report

Events

33 h. ago Chinese woman schemes to make US$1.4 million, lives with rich men, loots homes

A woman in China set up a scheme to save 10 million yuan (US$1.4 million) to buy a house by dating rich men, moving in with them and then looting their homes. Yin Xue, 24, from rural Hunan in central China, grew up in a poor family. At the age of 18, she went to the lavish wedding of one of her boyfriend’s friends, according to the mainland media outlet Guangming Net. Seeing the couple’s designer clothes, villa and private staff sparked envy and ambition in Yin. “I realised I wanted that kind...

Society

37 h. ago Public shock as Taiwan actress reveals face pinned with needles from skin therapy

Taiwanese actress and singer Joe Chen Chiao-en has caused shock by revealing photos of herself after she underwent an all-over acupuncture treatment. The glaring images have sparked controversy on social media in mainland China. Known as the Queen of Idol Dramas, Chen, 46, first rose to fame in 2013 for her portrayal of Dongfang Bubai in the series Swordsman. She solidified her popularity with hit dramas such as Fated to Love You and The Prince Who Turns into a Frog. Her performance in Fated to...

Events

37 h. ago How the next Philippine president could reshape its South China Sea policy

With Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr about halfway through his six-year term, questions are growing over whether his successor will uphold his firmer stance on the South China Sea or, as one senior official has warned, retreat to the symbolic “jet ski” posturing and softer policies seen under his predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte. Last month’s midterm elections delivered a split Senate, with Marcos-aligned candidates winning five of the 12 contested seats and Duterte allies clinching the...

Politics

42 h. ago China zoo visitors slammed for ‘lucky’ tiger hair pulling, warned over provocation

A group of tourists who pulled out the hair of a tiger at a zoo in China, thinking it would ward off evil spirits, have sparked outrage online. On June 8, a viral video showed several visitors at a zoo in Liaoning province, northeastern China, pulling hair from the big cat’s belly and tail through a metal fence. The incident took place in a special zone where tigers often rest on top of a steel viewing tunnel. In the video, one of the tourists, a woman, is heard saying: “Let’s pull more! Tiger...

Events

55 h. ago Stefanie Sun performs in Beijing's 'Bird's Nest' national stadium to 50,000 people

Stefanie Sun performs in Beijing's 'Bird's Nest' national stadium to 50,000 people  Mothership

Politics

57 h. ago Kind China pupils rush to help crashed delivery rider, pick up scattered lunchboxes

A group of school pupils in China have moved internet users by supporting an electric bicycle and picking up lunchboxes left scattered on the road after a food delivery worker crashed while working. The touching scene was filmed by a camera worn on the chest of delivery man Dong Ziheng while he was riding the electric bike in an alley in Xingtai, northern Hebei province on June 3. Dong fell off the bike as he tried to avoid hitting another electric bike coming in the opposite direction. After...

Events

59 h. ago China scenic site seeks dancing ‘savages’ for US$70 daily, requires eating raw food

A top natural scenic spot in central China has come under the spotlight for hiring people to pose as savages for tourists, and paying them 500 yuan (US$70) a day to do so. Since Shennongjia National Nature Reserve in Hubei province began recruiting on June 7 about 10,000 people have applied for the job, the scenic zone’s management company told the Beijing News on June 9. Included in the Unesco World Heritage List, the Shennongjia tour zone features primeval ecology, rich biodiversity and...

Politics

59 h. ago Why are mainland Chinese tourists posing in front of MTR stations in Hong Kong?

Surrounded by a stream of passengers on an MTR platform in Hong Kong on a regular weekday, a couple paused to pose for photos next to a station sign to mark their journey. “We took photos at most of the metro stations we visited, just to record our metro route,” said Arale, a 36-year-old tourist who was visiting the city with his wife, Qing, 37, for the first time. Recording such a visual diary is part of a popular trend on Chinese social media in which people travel around Hong Kong to take...

Politics