23 h. ago Eye on the prize: bags of rice, daily essentials up for grabs at Japanese arcade

An amusement centre in Japan is drawing crowds by offering bags of rice as claw machine prizes – a quirky marketing move that has struck a chord with consumers grappling with rising food costs. Since late May, the arcade in Kawagoe city, Saitama prefecture, has stocked its machines with 900-gram bags of rice to entice players with a shot at winning an increasingly expensive daily staple. The rice bags are the latest additions to the prizes customers can win at the machines. Over the past six...

Politics

25 h. ago What are Hong Kong’s best deals, discounts for this year’s July 1 celebrations?

Hong Kong residents and tourists will be able to enjoy plenty of discounts, giveaways and other deals when the city celebrates the 28th anniversary of its return to Chinese rule on July 1. From Star Ferry fares to must-see museums, the Post gives a rundown of what the city has to offer for the occasion. Free transport Commuters will have a chance to win one of the 71,000 MTR tickets available in a raffle being held on July 1 via the rail operator’s mobile app. The tickets are valid until January...

Politics

30 h. ago Former residence of South Korea’s Yoon under scrutiny over ‘pet pool’

A shallow pool inside South Korea’s presidential residence has sparked a debate among lawmakers over whether it was used by former president Yoon Suk-yeol and his wife for their pets. There has been increasing speculation that the pool was used for pets and not humans, said Representative Kim Byoung-joo at a meeting held on Monday by the Democratic Party, which became the country’s ruling party following President Lee Jae-myung’s election win last week. “I’ve looked around the space inside the...

Politics

58 h. ago Turkiye outlasts China for 4th straight win at volleyball VNL Beijing leg

Turkiye outlasts China for 4th straight win at volleyball VNL Beijing leg  chinadailyasia.com

Politics

68 h. ago Türkiye outlasts China for 4th straight win at volleyball VNL Beijing leg

Türkiye outlasts China for 4th straight win at volleyball VNL Beijing leg  Xinhua

Politics

3 d. ago A star is born as Hong Kong pianist wins Van Cliburn competition

Hong Kong pianist Aristo Sham Ching-tao has won the 2025 edition of the prestigious Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, putting him on track for global stardom. Sham, 29, is the first pianist from Hong Kong to win the competition, held in Fort Worth in the US state of Texas. The announcement on June 7 of his victory followed two-and-a-half weeks of intense anticipation as music lovers around the world followed live streams of the contest’s four gruelling rounds, which began on May 21...

Events

4 d. ago Baijiu blues and plum pickings: tastes of China’s Gen Z rewrite liquor industry

Selecting which crops to grow each season can be a make-or-break decision for farmers. And in the ancient Chinese town of Baisha, famous for its liquor production, more and more are sowing seeds of change in a bid to capitalise on the evolving tastes of consumers. Located in the southwestern megacity of Chongqing and home to the distillery of Chinese baijiu distilled-liquor brand Jiang Xiao Bai, the town is seeing its farmland increasingly being used to grow green plums instead of sorghum...

Politics

4 d. ago L’Oreal sees Middle East and Southeast Asia as next growth engines as China slows: ‘Eventually demographics have to win’

L’Oreal sees Middle East and Southeast Asia as next growth engines as China slows: ‘Eventually demographics have to win’  Fortune

Politics

5 d. ago Palantir CEO Karp says AI is dangerous and 'either we win or China will win'

Palantir CEO Karp says AI is dangerous and 'either we win or China will win'  CNBC

Politics

6 d. ago Will ‘TACO’ Trump cave to China again? Here’s what he said in latest rant

Will ‘TACO’ Trump cave to China again? Here’s what he said in latest rant  NJ.com

Politics

7 d. ago China seek 'perfect' Indonesia win to keep World Cup dream alive

China seek 'perfect' Indonesia win to keep World Cup dream alive  France 24

Politics

7 d. ago Xi congratulates Lee on election win as Beijing cautiously hopes for thawing ties

Xi congratulates Lee on election win as Beijing cautiously hopes for thawing ties  Korea JoongAng Daily

Politics

7 d. ago Chinese FM responds to what kind of China policy Beijing expects from Seoul following Lee Jae

Chinese FM responds to what kind of China policy Beijing expects from Seoul following Lee Jae-myung’s election win  Global Times

Events

9 d. ago South Korea’s presidential election puts its US alliance, Taiwan stance at stake

As South Koreans prepare to vote in a snap presidential election that could reshape Seoul’s defence spending and its approach to a potential conflict over Taiwan, the future of the nation’s foreign policy and its alliance with the United States hangs in the balance. On Tuesday, South Koreans will go to the polls to elect a successor to impeached president Yoon Suk-yeol, with Lee Jae-myung of the centre-left Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) widely expected to win by a comfortable margin. Observers...

Politics

9 d. ago Can Rodrigo Duterte serve as Davao mayor from ICC detention?

Rodrigo Duterte, the firebrand former president of the Philippines, has made political history – not once, but twice. First, as the only ex-Philippine leader to face charges of crimes against humanity before the International Criminal Court (ICC). And now, as the first to win a mayoral race while imprisoned abroad, securing an extraordinary landslide victory from a detention cell in The Hague. The post he won is no ordinary local office. It is the mayorship of Davao City, the southern Philippine...

Politics

9 d. ago A legal impossibility? Experts weigh in on Duterte’s Davao win from detention

Rodrigo Duterte, the firebrand former president of the Philippines, has made political history – not once, but twice. First, as the only ex-Philippine leader to face charges of crimes against humanity before the International Criminal Court (ICC). And now, as the first to win a mayoral race while imprisoned abroad, securing an extraordinary landslide victory from a detention cell in The Hague. The post he won is no ordinary local office. It is the mayorship of Davao City, the southern Philippine...

Politics

1 week ago China fails to win over the public with second chances for disgraced officials

Debate is raging in China over the case of a young Communist Party cadre who was disciplined over a drinking spree two years ago and is now up for promotion. State media reports have portrayed Xie Qin, a 38-year-old township party chief in southwestern Yunnan province, as a positive example of rehabilitation. But the idea is unpopular among the public, with many taking to social media to express frustration at officials like Xie being given a second chance and even “rewarded” for their...

Politics

1 week ago USWNT Takeaways: Macario's Shines, LaBonta Debuts in Friendly Win vs. China

USWNT Takeaways: Macario's Shines, LaBonta Debuts in Friendly Win vs. China  Sports Illustrated

Politics

1 week ago Pentagon chief says ready to 'fight and win' against China, urges Asian allies to boost defense spending

Pentagon chief says ready to 'fight and win' against China, urges Asian allies to boost defense spending  CNBC

Economics

1 week ago Summit Therapeutics Study Is a Win for China Biopharma Deals. Why the Stock Is Down.

Summit Therapeutics Study Is a Win for China Biopharma Deals. Why the Stock Is Down.  Barron's

Politics