Author: Verified News Online

AdvertisementPop culture in AsiaThis Week in AsiaLifestyle & CultureSoft power, hard cash: Southeast Asia’s billion-dollar anime obsessionDriven by Gen Z spending and streaming, the region’s US$1.3 billion anime market represents a triumph for Japan’s cultural push
Reading Time:4 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPUshar DanielePublished: 1:00pm, 11 Jan 2026Updated: 1:08pm, 11 Jan 2026For Sana Kok, anime has always been more than entertainment.
The 28-year-old Malaysian still remembers the first series he caught on television as a child: the bright colours, larger-than-life characters and cinematic storytelling unlike anything else he had ever seen. By his teens, action-packed anime titles had become a fixture of his evenings.“Anime has some of the best storytelling out there,” said Kok, now a digital marketer who sees his childhood fascination reflected in a new wave of Southeast Asian fans, many introduced to the genre by the rise of streaming platforms.
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AdvertisementUS-Venezuela conflictChinaDiplomacyCan Peru keep both China and US onside in an increasingly volatile environment?Its mineral resources make it a focus for superpower rivalry, but analysts say the country is in a very different situation to Venezuela
Reading Time:3 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPCao Jiaxuanin BeijingPublished: 11:54am, 11 Jan 2026Last weekend’s US raid on Venezuela has shone a spotlight on the wider strategic concerns in play in South America, including the US-China rivalry in countries such as Peru.The country is a key hub for mineral exports to Asian markets, but it has tried to maintain a balance between Beijing and Washington.
China had funded a strategically important port on Peru’s Pacific coast, but it had remained “broadly aligned” with US interests, analysts said. Washington also regards it as part of its “western hemisphere backyard” when it comes to law enforcement and anti-drugs operations.AdvertisementDespite Peru’s increasingly chaotic politics..

Beyond the Likes: Khalid Al Ameri Calls Out the ‘Destructive’ Race for Followers at Dubai’s 1 Billion Followers Summit Content and social media personalities from different parts of the world are thronging one of the greatest gatherings for the creator economy in the world, the 1 Billion Followers Summit taking place in Dubai. The 4th version of the 1 Billion Followers Summit, a three-day international event where 30,000+ content personalities attend, is actually not a boasting stage for the number of their followers but a learning platform where speakers inspire them to think beyond the figures.Organised by the UAE Government Media Office and held at iconic venues including the Emirates Towers, DIFC and the Museum of the Future, the summit is one of the world’s largest events dedicated to the future of digital content, hosting more than 580 sessions and workshops under the theme “Content for Good”.“Content creation is a responsibility and a mission,” said UAE leadership in welcoming g..

Oman announces Muscat fireworks at Al Khoudh Dam on Sunday, January 11, starting 8 PM sharp/Representative Image The General Secretariat of National Celebrations has officially announced a grand fireworks display in Muscat to mark the anniversary of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik’s Accession to the Throne. The event will take place tomorrow, January 11, at Al Khoudh Dam in the Wilayat of Seeb, and fireworks begin at 8:00 PM.The display is part of the nationwide celebrations being held across the Sultanate to commemorate Accession Day, an occasion of national significance. Authorities have invited the public to attend the event and participate in the celebrations, while urging everyone to adhere to the safety and traffic guidelines issued by the relevant authorities to ensure an orderly and secure experience for all attendees.

AdvertisementHong Kong societyHong KongSocietyMore than a game: rugby helps Hong Kong charity tackle cultural divides in schoolsRugby For Good, an Operation Santa Claus beneficiary, uses sport to help students of all backgrounds find common ground on and off the field
Reading Time:3 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPCindy SuiPublished: 1:50pm, 10 Jan 2026Passing, tackling and scrums – all part of the sport of rugby.
But in some Hong Kong schools, they take on a deeper meaning – helping to bridge divides between students of different backgrounds.
Since 2013, the charity Rugby For Good has been introducing the game to school campuses, using sport as a tool to bring together young people from diverse ethnicities and communities.
AdvertisementThis year, the NGO is one of 13 charities selected by the annual fundraising campaign Operation Santa Claus (OSC) to receive funding. The support will go towards training 500 students aged 12 to 15 next year – including those like past participants Aaminah..

AdvertisementHong Kong’s Tai Po fire tragedyHong KongSocietyRebuilding fire-ravaged Wang Fuk Court ‘not practical’, Hong Kong officials sayAuthorities plan to repurpose Tai Po site for community use, citing decade-long delays and HK$6 billion in acquisition costs before rebuilding
Reading Time:2 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPLam Ka-singPublished: 1:46pm, 10 Jan 2026Updated: 1:55pm, 10 Jan 2026Hong Kong authorities estimate that acquiring all homes in the fire-ravaged Wang Fuk Court will cost around HK$6 billion (US$770 million), with officials saying that rebuilding on the same site was “not really very practical”.
Deputy Financial Secretary Michael Wong Wai-lun said on Saturday that the site was expected to be repurposed for community facilities rather than housing, citing overseas examples where sites of similar tragedies were rarely redeveloped for residential use. He stressed that “no one will earn big money” from the land in future.
“In this moment, we feel on-site reconstruction i..