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AdvertisementTrending in ChinaPeople & CultureTrending in ChinaChina girl, 12, pens essay to thank ‘second dad’ for support, offers him US$140 after job lossYoungster says she was left ‘shivering in the wind’ after death of father; love from uncle saved her from the darkness
Reading Time:2 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPFran Luin BeijingPublished: 2:00pm, 13 Jan 2026A heartfelt essay by a 12-year-old girl to the uncle who adopted her after her father died has moved many people online.
The essay, titled “My Second Father”, went viral after her uncle, Wei Yi, read it on his social media account.
Wei, 33, and his wife, surnamed Lu, adopted Lu’s niece Jia Jia after her father died from liver cancer in 2024.
Jia Jia’s uncle, Wei Yi, above, could not hold back his tears while reading her essay. Photo: QQ.comJia Jia’s mother is disabled and could not look after her well. Lu’s mother, Jia Jia’s grandmother, was also not in good health, prompting the couple to make the decision.
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Tulsi Gabbard Remarks Fuel Viral X Tweet Claiming Russia Held Secrets About Hillary Clinton During Barack Obama Era A viral tweet shared on January 10, 2026 by X (formerly Twitter) user @Real_RobN reignited a stormy debate over US political history, alleging explosive intelligence claims about former President Barack Obama and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton during the 2016 election. The post centered on a controversial clip featuring Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, in which she discussed declassified reports and intelligence interpretations about what Russia knew but didn’t release ahead of that campaign.The tweet repeated assertions claiming that Obama “knew Hillary Clinton was mentally unfit for office” and withheld that information from the public, linking this to an original Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA). According to the viral post, Russia possessed “high-level DNC emails” concerning Clinton’s health and behaviour but chose not to release them..

Viral Post on X Alleges 590,000 Buyers Paid $499 for Trump Phone, $45 Temu Lookalike Found A fresh controversy is brewing on X (formerly Twitter) after a viral post by prominent pro-Ukraine commentator and meme account Bricktop_NAFO (@Bricktop_NAFO) alleged that hundreds of thousands of people paid for US President Donald Trump–branded mobile phones that have yet to materialise. The claim, shared on X, alleges that 590,000 buyers purchased the so-called “Trump Phone” priced at $499, with no confirmed deliveries so far.Bricktop tweeted, “590,000 idiots purchased Trumps Mobile phone that went on sale. Not a single person has received it. Trump started taking money in June 2025. With a price of $499, they claimed it would ship in August/September 2025 The same phone and spec was found on Temu for $45. (sic)” Orders taken months ago, shipping deadlines missed
According to the viral post, customers began placing orders in June 2025, after promotional material suggested the phone would ship ..

AdvertisementHong Kong societyHong KongSocietyHong Kong’s Ma On Shan loses its only cinema amid wave of theatre closuresEmperor Cinemas shuts down its MOSTown shopping centre theatre on Monday, saying vouchers and coupons still valid at other branches
Reading Time:2 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPElizabeth CheungPublished: 1:37pm, 12 Jan 2026The only cinema in the Ma On Shan area has shut down, joining the wave of theatre closures in Hong Kong that began during the pandemic.
Emperor Cinemas announced on Monday that its branch in MOSTown, a shopping centre in Ma On Shan, had ceased operations on the same day. No reason for the closure was given.
“Thank you for your support. Emperor Cinemas (Ma On Shan) will cease operations from 12 January 2026,” the company said in a social media post.
AdvertisementThe group said all movie vouchers and coupons issued by the Ma On Shan outlet would remain valid at the eight remaining branches in Hong Kong during their validity period.
Movie premiums that ..

AdvertisementHong Kong propertyBusinessFinancial firm Ares doubles Hong Kong office footprint as real estate outlook improvesRents for prime offices in Central could rise up to 5 per cent, according to JLL, while Knight Frank expects a gain of as much as 8 per cent
Reading Time:2 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPCheryl ArcibalPublished: 1:10pm, 12 Jan 2026Updated: 1:11pm, 12 Jan 2026Ares Management, one of Asia’s largest alternative investment managers, is doubling its real estate footprint in Hong Kong, a move that aligns with a broader expansion by financial firms and demand for office space in the core Central business district.
The Los Angeles-based asset manager would add about 12,500 sq ft of space in Gloucester Tower, where it has been a tenant since 2017, according to a statement from the landlord Hongkong Land on Monday. The new lease will be effective in March.
“We are delighted that Ares has chosen to expand in Hongkong Land’s Central portfolio, underscoring our position as the ..

Viral Trades Are Dying, Forget Moonshots: Dubai’s Top Crypto Minds Say This Is How You Win Profits in 2026 Dubai, January 11, 2026: With the global cryptocurrency economy evolving rapidly, crypto traders in the UAE are sharpening their strategies for what many analysts predict will be a pivotal year. According to Dubai market specialists, 2026 could be a breakthrough period for retail and institutional crypto traders alike, provided they adopt smart, risk-aware tactics tailored to market realities.The call to action comes as the UAE crypto market continues to grow, with Statista forecasts suggesting local crypto revenues could reach $254.3 million by 2025 and an estimated 3.78 million users in the country, roughly a 39% penetration rate. This boom, backed by regulatory frameworks like Dubai’s world-first Virtual Assets Regulation (VAL) law, sets the stage for Dubai to serve not just as a regional hub but a global centre for digital asset trading and innovation.As cryptocurrency markets..

League of Legends streamer Drututt was hit with a seven-day Twitch ban just days after the new season launched. The suspension followed his use of a controversial hashtag, which he says was self-directed humor, not exclusionary. Fans are split over Twitch’s decision, especially as the ban disrupts his momentum during peak interest and a key competitive announcement. Just days into the new season of League of Legends, controversy has once again followed one of its most outspoken creators. Popular streamer Drututt found himself locked out of Twitch at the worst possible moment, right as fans were flooding streams to understand sweeping gameplay changes. The timing could not have been harsher, and the reason behind the ban has sparked fierce debate across the community.This is not unfamiliar territory for Drututt, whose confrontational humor and rule-testing style have often placed him under the platform’s microscope. Still, many viewers argue this latest suspension crossed into overreach..

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..