7 h. ago Rome to charge tourists to get close to famed Trevi Fountain

Tourists who want to get close to Rome’s Trevi Fountain will soon have to pay a €2 (US$2.34) fee, the city mayor said on Friday, as authorities look to profit more handsomely from Italy’s many attractions. Mayor Roberto Gualtieri told reporters the new payment system would start on February 1, adding that the measure was expected to raise €6.5 million (US$7.6 million) a year. “Two euros isn’t very much and it will lead to less chaotic tourist flows,” Gualtieri said, stressing that citizens...

Politics

18 h. ago 10 times Asia overtourism and ‘limits’ to hospitality became a problem in 2025

Catch up on some of SCMP’s biggest stories about overtourism in Asia. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Bali fumes at frugal tourists who spend time but less money Locals in the Indonesian holiday hotspot of Bali have urged authorities to filter out cost-conscious travellers who spend more time but less money on the island, in a shift towards quality tourism. 2. ‘Can’t allow this to continue’: Japan’s tax-free tourist shopping under fire A group of...

Politics

23 h. ago Hong Kong stocks cap longest rising streak in 3 weeks on cooling US inflation data

Hong Kong stocks rose for a third day on Friday, sending the benchmark gauge to its longest winning streak in three weeks, after softer US inflation data bolstered the case for monetary easing and allayed concerns about frothy valuations of global equities. The Hang Seng Index advanced 0.8 per cent to 25,690.53 at the close, paring the weekly loss to 1.1 per cent. The Hang Seng Tech Index gained 1.1 per cent. On the mainland, the CSI 300 Index climbed 0.3 per cent and the Shanghai Composite...

Politics

26 h. ago TikTok reaches deal to sell US assets to American investor group

In a landmark move that ends years of legal and political uncertainty, TikTok CEO Chew Shou Zi informed employees on Thursday that the company has signed a binding agreement to sell its US operations to a consortium of American investors. The deal, which has received the backing of US President Donald Trump, effectively averts a looming nationwide ban and secures the platform’s future for its 170 million American users. The new entity, a TikTok US joint venture, is set to close on January 22,...

Economics

38 h. ago China sends special envoy to mediate as Thailand and Cambodia exchange fire

Beijing sent a special envoy to Thailand and Cambodia on Thursday for peace mediation efforts after the two Southeast Asian neighbours engaged in another major exchange of fire. “As a close neighbour and friend of Cambodia and Thailand, China closely follows the ongoing border conflict between the two countries and has shuttled between the two sides to promote peace,” China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced in a statement on Wednesday. “Through its own way, China has been working actively...

Events

40 h. ago How close is China’s EUV project to eliminating ASML’s monopoly?

How close is China’s EUV project to eliminating ASML’s monopoly?  Techzine Global

Politics

45 h. ago Trump rewrites White House history with plaques mocking predecessors

The White House has installed new plaques beneath photos of former leaders on US President Donald Trump’s “Presidential Walk of Fame” at the White House that sharply criticise his Democratic predecessors. The plaques are a striking addition because both Republicans and Democrats have traditionally viewed the historic building as a symbol of national unity. Trump, however, has not shied from using the White House as a stage for his more combative style of politics and for rewriting history. The...

Politics

47 h. ago Hong Kong stocks tread water as tech giants stumble on AI bubble jitters

Hong Kong stocks traded sideways on Thursday, with technology stocks retreating on growing anxiety that a global boom in artificial intelligence could turn into a bubble. The Hang Seng Index edged up 0.1 per cent to 25,498.13 at the close. The Hang Seng Tech Index dropped 0.7 per cent. On the mainland, the CSI 300 Index slid 0.6 per cent and the Shanghai Composite Index added 0.2 per cent. Xiaomi, the Chinese smartphone and electric vehicle maker, tumbled 2.5 per cent to HK$40.20 and Pop Mart...

Politics

48 h. ago Stranded China tourist in Japan invited to stay overnight sends 300 masks to host during Covid

A Chinese tourist stranded in Japan, having been assisted by a local man who invited him to stay the night, sent 300 masks during the Covid-19 pandemic as a gesture of gratitude. Recently, the Japanese variety show The World’s Astonishing News! highlighted a 2016 story of friendship between China and Japan, sparking discussions among netizens in both countries. Shaojin, a Japanese anime enthusiast from Yinchuan city in northwestern China, travelled alone to Takayama, a city in central Japan, on...

Politics

50 h. ago Brown University shooting: police seek witness who came close to gunman

A manhunt for the mass shooter who opened fire in an exam room at one of America’s top universities stretched into a fifth day on Wednesday with no apparent police progress in identifying a suspect or a motive. The only new information from police at a media briefing on Wednesday was an appeal for a witness believed by investigators to have come close to the suspected gunman on the grounds of Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. The shooting happened Saturday, when a man with a rifle...

Events

54 h. ago Chinese tourist arrivals to Japan lose momentum amid simmering tensions

The growth rate of Chinese tourists to Japan significantly slowed in November, according to official data released by Tokyo, as Beijing cut flights and issued travel warnings amid rising tensions with Japan over Taiwan. According to the latest report released by the Japan National Tourism Organization on Wednesday, although Chinese tourists continued to visit Japan in November and the numbers kept growing, it was at a much slower pace than before, both year on year and month on month. In...

Events

54 h. ago Chinese tourist arrivals to Japan lose momentum amid tensions

The growth rate of Chinese tourists to Japan significantly slowed in November, according to official data released by Tokyo, as Beijing cut flights and issued travel warnings amid rising tensions with Japan over Taiwan. According to the latest report released by the Japan National Tourism Organization on Wednesday, although Chinese tourists continued to visit Japan in November and the numbers kept growing, it was at a much slower pace than before, both year on year and month on month. In...

Events

54 h. ago Chinese tourist arrivals to Japan lose momentum amid tensions: official data

The growth rate of Chinese tourists to Japan significantly slowed in November, according to official data released by Tokyo, as Beijing cut flights and issued travel warnings amid rising tensions with Japan over Taiwan. According to the latest report released by the Japan National Tourism Organization on Wednesday, although Chinese tourists continued to visit Japan in November and the numbers kept growing, it was at a much slower pace than before, both year on year and month on month. In...

Politics

55 h. ago Son of US filmmaker Rob Reiner in court on charges that he murdered his parents

The younger son of Hollywood filmmaker and political activist Rob Reiner made his first court appearance on Wednesday for the two murder charges he faces in the stabbing deaths of his parents, who were found slain in their Los Angeles home over the weekend. The arraignment was delayed until January 7 and Nick Reiner, 32, did not enter a plea. Bearded and wearing a blue protective vest, he made the court appearance three days after his arrest and a day after he was charged with one of the most...

Events

55 h. ago Son of filmmaker Rob Reiner in court on charges of murdering parents

The younger son of Hollywood filmmaker and political activist Rob Reiner made his first court appearance on Wednesday for the two murder charges he faces in the stabbing deaths of his parents, who were found slain in their Los Angeles home over the weekend. The arraignment was delayed until January 7, and Nick Reiner, 32, did not enter a plea. Bearded and wearing a blue protective vest, he made the court appearance three days after his arrest and a day after he was charged with one of the most...

Events

60 h. ago PLA division’s new leaders, lessons from 2025 trade war: 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. PLA division overseeing Taiwan sees newcomers in charge The Chinese military’s Eastern Theatre Command, the division that oversees Taiwan and that has been hit hard in Beijing’s anti-graft campaign, appears to be presided over by two officers who joined the division only recently. 2. Senior US and Chinese defence officials continue ‘military-to-military’...

Politics

61 h. ago Bondi Beach shooting: millions raised for ‘hero of Australia’ who stopped gunman

Like many Australians strolling at Bondi Beach on long, warm summer evenings, Ahmed al Ahmed just wanted a cup of coffee with a friend. Around him, a bloody massacre erupted as two gunmen targeted Jews during Hanukkah festivities at a park close to the shore. Soon al Ahmed was creeping, bent over, between two parked cars, before barrelling directly towards one of the unsuspecting shooters. In footage that has been viewed millions of times around the world, the 44-year-old father can be seen...

Events

61 h. ago PLA’s Fujian aircraft carrier transits Taiwan Strait as Taipei watches closely

The Fujian, mainland China’s newest and most advanced aircraft carrier, has made its first transit of the Taiwan Strait since its commissioning, with Taipei keeping a close eye on its movements. Taiwan’s defence ministry said on Wednesday that while the carrier, Beijing’s third, passed through the waterway, it appeared to be heading back to a Shanghai shipyard for repairs. The ministry also released a surveillance photograph of the Fujian, reportedly captured by F-16 fighter jets, showing no...

Transport

63 h. ago China bets big on copper, but ‘weaponisation’ risks low, unlike with rare earths: analysts

China is accelerating efforts to secure its copper supply chain, designating the metal as critical across strategic industries such as electric vehicles, artificial intelligence and defence amid rising geopolitical tensions. Provincial governments are leading the charge. On Monday, Jiangxi – already a hub for heavy rare earth mines – pledged in its 15th five-year plan to develop a world-leading hub for advanced copper-based new materials. That follows a similar move in Shandong, where provincial...

Events

66 h. ago Chinese Tourist Arrivals to Japan Slow Amid Simmering Tensions

Chinese Tourist Arrivals to Japan Slow Amid Simmering Tensions  Bloomberg.com

Events