TOKYO (AP) — Popular twin pandas at a Tokyo zoo are set to return to their homeland in China in late January, officials said Monday, leaving Japan without a panda for the first time in about half a century. Prospects for their replacement are not favorable either as ties between the two countries have deteriorated….
The global air travel market has bounced back to pre-pandemic levels, with the industry upbeat about 2026 and the Asia-Pacific region expected to lead worldwide traffic growth, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said on Monday. Load factors in Asia-Pacific were projected to hit an all-time regional high of 84.4 per cent next year, according…
HEFEI, China (AP) — Volkswagen is making a major bet in China, the largest and one of the most cutthroat auto markets in the world. The question is whether it will work. The German carmaker, which once dominated the market with a more than 50% share, has invested 3 billion euros ($3.5 billion) in a…
HONG KONG (AP) — Chinese demand for foreign luxury cars is waning as customers opt for more affordable Chinese brand models, often sold at big discounts, catering to their taste for fancy electronics and comfort. That is bad news for European carmakers like Porsche, Aston Martin, Mercedes-Benz and BMW that have long dominated the upper…
Incident in November latest reported instance of Trump administration’s increasingly aggressive maritime tactics. Published On 12 Dec 202512 Dec 2025 Click here to share on social media share2 Share United States forces raided a cargo ship travelling from China to Iran last month, according to the Wall Street Journal, in the latest reported instance of…
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. China reveals radio clip heard before mid-air stand-off with Japan fighter jets China on Tuesday released more details about Saturday’s mid-air stand-off between Chinese and Japanese fighter jets, as…
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng University has acquired office units in a commercial building in the New Territories for HK$90 million (US$11.6 million), making it the latest school to purchase real estate amid a government push to turn the city into a global education hub. The acquisition covers 16 office units measuring 19,139 sq ft on…
Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said Russian, Chinese planes entered its air defence zone during the joint exercise. South Korea and Japan separately scrambled fighter jets after Russian and Chinese military aircraft conducted a joint air patrol near both countries. Seven Russian and two Chinese aircraft entered South Korea’s Air Defence Identification Zone (KADIZ) at…
TOKYO (AP) — Japan and Australia urged calm on Sunday after Chinese military aircraft locked radar on Japanese fighter jets, a month after the Japanese leader’s recent remarks on Taiwan that stirred tensions between Tokyo and Beijing. Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said Japan formally protested the incident, calling it “an extremely regrettable” act and “a…
As Hong Kong grapples with the aftermath of a devastating housing estate fire that killed at least 159 people, the tragedy has revived some of the mistrust and divisions in the city that exploded in the form of 2019’s antigovernment protests. The city watched in horror on November 26 as the fire broke out at…