This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Hong Kong once again enjoyed a few sunny spells on Tuen Ng Festival, just a day after the city issued its top-tier black rainstorm warning twice only hours apart, as some hiking experts warned outdoor enthusiasts to be mindful of safety hazards. The Hong Kong Observatory said that Friday, the day of this year’s Dragon Boat Festival, would see sunny intervals...

Filipinos are losing faith in the news faster than audiences almost anywhere else in the world, as analysts attribute the decline to years of sustained attacks on the Philippine media industry and the growing reach of influence operations on social media. Only 28 per cent of Filipinos said they trusted news most of the time, down from 38 per cent in 2025, according to the latest Reuters Institute Digital News Report – the steepest decline among respondents across 48 markets. The figure placed...

The sportswear brand Lululemon has apologised and withdrawn its latest marketing video in China because of a controversy surrounding a big Japanese drum and the Great Wall. The video was designed to promote a yoga-themed event the brand held on the world-renowned historic site in suburban Beijing on May 30. The activity, which was supposed to salute Chinese culture, featured top-tier Chinese actor Zhu Yilong and the mainland’s leading Fanxiang Drum Corp, who played the drums together during the...

Hong Kong’s welfare minister has defended the government’s earlier decision to drop the poverty line as an indicator for allocating assistance, saying it was a limited “statistical concept” that failed to identify needy groups beyond those with low income, such as carers. A day after the government unveiled a new 21-indicator framework to identify vulnerable groups in a report, Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-Han on Friday said authorities would expand their focus to include how...

Visitors to the Acropolis can now see the Parthenon’s western side looking whole for the first time in about 220 years. Officially unveiled Thursday, restorers have slotted two new marble blocks into long-empty gaps high on the temple’s western end – the view visitors see when they first enter the ancient monument in Athens. The 25-century-old monument overlooking the Greek capital attracted about 4.6 million visitors last year. Long-term restoration projects address damage caused by war,...

We have selected seven stories from this week’s news across Hong Kong, mainland China, the wider Asia region and beyond that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Iran and US sign peace deal, Strait of Hormuz to immediately reopen: Pakistan Iran and the US have signed a peace deal that will take immediate effect, with Iran reopening the Strait of Hormuz and the US lifting its naval blockade,...

Drumming, powerful paddling and the cheers of thousands of competitors and revellers electrified the atmosphere along Hong Kong’s shores on Friday as dragon boat races went ahead during the Tuen Ng Festival despite unsettled weather. Just a day after a black rainstorm warning was issued twice, competitors and spectators were in high spirits. Beaches and waterfront areas in Stanley, Aberdeen, Sha Tin’s Shing Mun River, Tai Po, Tai O and Sai Kung were packed with crowds. In Stanley, 185 teams and...