Tokyo summoned Russia’s ambassador after a Japanese reporter was arrested in Russia’s far east and accused of collecting military intelligence.
Autumn is a popular season for hiking in Hong Kong, offering crisp air and sweeping vistas across the countryside. Yet beyond leisure, October brings a significant cultural occasion to climb the hills: the annual Chung Yeung Festival, which falls on October 18 this year. The name of the festival, which translates to “double yang” in Chinese, originates from its occurrence on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month. This numerical alignment also gives the occasion its alternative title, the Double...
Autumn is a popular season for hiking in Hong Kong, offering crisp air and sweeping vistas across the countryside. Yet beyond leisure, October brings a significant cultural occasion to climb the hills: the annual Chung Yeung Festival, which falls on October 18 this year. The name of the festival, which translates to “double yang” in Chinese, originates from its occurrence on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month. This numerical alignment also gives the occasion its alternative title, the Double...
The EU’s surprise deal with China on hybrid cars last week was supposed to ease the pressure on Beijing. Instead, Brussels is preparing to intensify its crackdown on Chinese trade practices, emboldened by the discovery that its threats are finally delivering results. Now, those driving trade policy for the bloc believe they have landed on a two-track formula. Intensive dialogue is seen to have yielded results and will continue. But so too will the European Union’s efforts to counter what they...
OPM is hoping to go next-level by getting recognized by the Recording Academy.
Hong Kong received about 4.03 million visitor arrivals in September, up 22 percent year on year, pushing the cumulative total for the first nine months of 2026 past the 40 million mark, the Tourism Board announced on Thursday. The board said September's figures were boosted by the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday and a series of festive events across the city, including the Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance and the inaugural "International Lantern Spectacular". A low base of comparison due to adverse weather in the same period last year also contributed to the growth, it added. Arrivals from the mainland rose by nearly 30 percent year on year in September. The board said long-haul markets continued to grow at an ideal pace, while short-haul markets also benefited from the festive events but remained under pressure due to flight capacity constraints and fuel surcharges. Looking ahead, the board said it would continue to promote Hong Kong through event tourism, Mice – Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions – tourism and diverse "Only in Hong Kong" experiences. Upcoming highlights for the rest of the year include "Hong Kong Halloween Month", the "Hong Kong Wine & Dine Festival", "Hong Kong WinterFest" and the "Hong Kong New Year Countdown Celebrations", it said. Edited by Aaron Tam
YANGPYEONG, Gyeonggi Province — Reconnaissance drones swept across the sky, searching for enemy positions. Their live footage reached a command post, where an artificial intelligence (AI)-based decision-support system recommended weapons for an attack. Once a battalion commander gave the order, a 120-millimeter self-propelled mortar fired, followed by explosive-laden drones diving toward their targets. The sequence was part of the Army’s Army TIGER+ integrated combat exercise at the Yangpyeong General Training Ground, Wednesday, offering a close-up look at how Korea plans to fight with soldiers, drones and robots working together. The demonstration covered reconnaissance, strikes, minefield clearance, counter-drone defense, an armored advance and resupply — with unmanned equipment sent into dangerous areas before troops moved in. The first to appear were short-range reconnaissance drones. Several flew simultaneously, transmitting images to the command post. One drone fitted with a rifle demonstrated how the same aircraft could both locate and attack a target. They were followed by b
Veteran Cantonese opera teacher Leung Sum-yee does not expect every child who enters her classroom to become a performer. If they leave knowing what good Cantonese opera sounds and looks like, she considers that worthwhile too. “My purpose was not to train stars or idols. I wanted more people to understand Cantonese opera and to have more audiences,” she said. That approach has guided Leung through more than three decades of teaching and cultural advocacy. She founded an opera organisation in...
The Consumer Council has called on the retail sector to proactively follow up on customer complaints and ensure that their handling of any ensuing disputes are transparent instead of solely relying on technology. The call came on Thursday as the watchdog saw a nearly 60-percent year-on-year surge in the number of customer service complaints in the first nine months of the year to 3,078. The figure surpassed that for the whole of last year. While artificial intelligence is widely adopted in handling customer grievances, the council said the technology also contributed to the rise in complaints. Chief executive Alaina Shum said complaints caused by AI-powered customer services rose from 48 in 2023 to 158 as of last month. They included the failure to provide practical assistance and offering incorrect information. "It is also important for the traders to provide sufficient guidance as of how to guide the consumers to use the AI chatroom to obtain the responses that they need," she said. "At the same time, they can actually provide different channels for the consumers to contact them in addition to the AI chatroom in case the AI chatroom cannot provide satisfying responses to the consumers, such as an alternative to contact a human representative to address the inquiries." It is also crucial, Shum said, for traders to set out clear service commitments to allow users to have a clear picture of when they can receive a response. Consumers could also turn to the watchdog's new complaint handling e-platform, which offers a dedicated chatroom for buyers and merchants to resolve disputes and allows complainants to track the process. Since its launch on a pilot basis in November, the platform has handled about 31,000 complaints as of August. Edited by Aaron Tam
'A liveable Cebu is one where no one is left behind,' says urban poor community leader Lourdes Bueza