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AdvertisementNepalThis Week in AsiaPeopleNepal probes illegal matchmaking as China cautions citizens over ‘bride buying’Officials say online brokers are promoting Nepali women to Chinese men, prompting detentions and official warnings
Reading Time:3 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPBibek BhandariPublished: 12:25pm, 29 Dec 2025Nepal is stepping up scrutiny of illegal cross-border matchmaking after authorities uncovered cases in which brokers and online intermediaries were marketing Nepali women as prospective brides for Chinese nationals, prompting increased enforcement and official warnings.The Chinese Embassy in Nepal issued a New Year’s travel advisory cautioning its citizens against what it described as “bride buying” in the country, urging them not to trust matchmaking agencies and brokers blindly and stressing that deceptive or profit-driven cross-border matchmaking is illegal under Chinese law.
“Fully understand the legal, cultural, property division and child custody risks involved ..

AdvertisementMexicoWorldAmericasTrain derailment in Mexico kills at least 13, injures dozensInteroceanic Train linking the states of Oaxaca and Veracruz went off the rails as it passed a curve
Reading Time:1 minuteWhy you can trust SCMPReutersPublished: 11:55am, 29 Dec 2025Mexican authorities ‌said on Sunday that at least 13 people were killed ‍after an Interoceanic Train carrying 250 people derailed in the southern state of Oaxaca.
The Mexican Navy said the train, which derailed near the town of Nizanda, was carrying nine ⁠crew members and 241 passengers.
Of those on board, 139 were reported to be out of danger, while 98 were injured, including 36 who were receiving medical assistance.
AdvertisementPresident Claudia Sheinbaum said on X that five of the injured were in ‍critical condition, adding that senior officials had been dispatched to the site ‍to assist the families of those killed.
An overturned train carriage. Photo: ReutersThe governor of Oaxaca, Salomon Jara Cruz, expressed ..

Influencer Melissa Mae Carlton announces heartbreaking death of daughter Molly after losing daughter Abigail (Image via Getty) Melissa Mae Carlton shared the most painful news a parent can ever face. The influencer announced that her daughter, Molly, has passed away. The loss came less than two years after her other daughter, Abigail, also died. Carlton shared the news in an emotional Instagram post on Friday. She revealed that Molly died on Christmas Day. She wrote that the family was completely shocked. They couldn’t believe what had happened. In her post, Carlton spoke honestly about her fear and sadness. She said she is scared of what life will look like now for her family. She also shared that her heart hurts deeply for her children. Along with the message, she asked her followers to pray for her family during this painful time. The post quickly drew support from thousands of people. Many shared messages of love, prayers, and comfort as Carlton and her family mourned yet another l..

AdvertisementHong Kong economyHong KongHong Kong EconomyCan Hong Kong mature as a wine hub? French vineyard owner calls for new focusSeventh-generation winemaker Erwan Faiveley encourages city to up logistical and storage services during first post-Covid fact-finding trip
Reading Time:2 minutesWhy you can trust SCMP1Oscar LiuPublished: 12:00pm, 28 Dec 2025Hong Kong could enhance its standing as a wine trade hub by further improving its logistics and storage services, according to a seventh-generation French winemaker overseeing a 200-year-old Burgundy estate.
Erwan Faiveley, owner of wine labels Domaine Faiveley and Billaud-Simon, also praised the Hong Kong government’s decision to axe its wine tax in 2008 during his first fact-finding trip to the city and mainland China since the Covid-19 pandemic.
“The greatest thing they’ve done was cutting all taxes,” Faiveley said, calling on the city to now focus on boosting infrastructure to bolster Hong Kong’s wine trading.
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AdvertisementChina-Japan relationsChinaPoliticsWhy Chinese victims of Unit 731 and Japan’s WWII bio-warfare are still waiting for justiceDark chapter’s telling complicated by Tokyo’s official denials, Washington’s immunity deals and Beijing’s shifting diplomatic priorities
Reading Time:9 minutesWhy you can trust SCMP2Xinlu Liangin BeijingPublished: 12:00pm, 28 Dec 2025On August 6 last year, atomic bomb survivors held their annual commemorative lantern-floating ceremony at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park in Japan. Two months later, their group, Nihon Hidankyo, won the Nobel Peace Prize for decades of campaigning against nuclear weapons.Fifteen years earlier, in Chongshan village in China’s eastern Zhejiang province, Wang Jinti took his last breath.
Wang died in near-total obscurity, never having received an apology or compensation for the suffering he endured – not from the atomic bombings but from Japan’s biological warfare that destroyed his village and ruined the lives of hundreds ..

Faze Clan, Image Via Twitter FaZe Clan is facing one of the most turbulent moments in its history as several prominent creators publicly confirmed they have left the organization. Over Christmas Day, names including JasonTheWeen, Lacy, StableRonaldo, YourRage, Kaysan, and Silky all announced their exits, signaling what many believe is the end of FaZe’s current house era. The situation quickly drew attention across the streaming community, as fans tried to understand why so many creators were stepping away at the same time. What initially appeared to be a quiet internal change soon turned into a very public fallout involving money, ownership, and personal relationships.The departures did not stop there. Longtime FaZe member Adapt also confirmed he had left after 14 years with the organization, posting that “the best is yet to come.” Meanwhile, creators who spoke later shared emotional messages reflecting disappointment and frustration. YourRage wrote, “I’m Sorry to any supporters I/we l..

Car crash in Japan after collision of 2 trucks (Video/X@volcaholic1) A massive crash on Japan’s Kan-etsu Expressway killed one person and injured 26 as the country began its end-of-year holiday season, officials said.The Gunma Prefectural Highway Police said the pileup began late Friday in Minakami, about 160 km northwest of Tokyo. It started when two trucks collided on the snow-covered road, triggering a chain reaction involving more than 50 vehicles, police added.A 77-year-old woman from Tokyo died in the crash. Of the 26 injured, five were reported in serious condition.Videos shared on social media showed fire erupting at the far end of the pileup, spreading to more than a dozen vehicles. Firefighters extinguished the fire after about seven hours.A warning about heavy snow was issued late Friday as many Japanese began their year-end and New Year holidays.Authorities said that the heavy snow had resulted in the accident. Parts of the expressway remained closed for investigation and c..

China on Friday announced sweeping countermeasures against 20 US defence-related companies and 10 senior executives, freezing their assets and banning business dealings in response to Washington’s approval of large-scale arms sales to Taiwan.The Chinese foreign ministry said the sanctions were imposed under China’s anti-foreign sanctions law and would take effect immediately. Pentagon Drops Bombshell: U.S. Losing Top Allies To China Over Stealth Fighter Jets?The move follows the US administration’s approval of a major arms package for Taiwan valued at over $10 billion, according to the US state department. Under the measures, all movable and immovable assets of the sanctioned companies located in China will be frozen, while Chinese organisations and individuals will be barred from conducting business or cooperation with them. Restrictions were also imposed on 10 senior executives, including Palmer Luckey, founder of Anduril Industries, limiting their assets and activities related to Ch..

AdvertisementThailandAsiaSoutheast AsiaThailand, Cambodia sign ceasefire deal after weeks of deadly border clashesThe truce came following three days ‌of talks between the ‍Southeast Asian neighbours
Reading Time:1 minuteWhy you can trust SCMPAgence France-PressePublished: 12:23pm, 27 Dec 2025Thailand and Cambodia agreed to an “immediate” ceasefire on Saturday, the two countries said in a joint statement pledging to end weeks of deadly border clashes.
“Both sides agree to an immediate ceasefire after the time of signature of this Joint Statement with effect from 12 hours noon (local time) on 27 December, 2025, involving all types of weapons, including attacks on civilians, civilian objects and infrastructures, and military objectives of either side, in all cases and all areas,” said the statement from the countries’ Special General Border Committee, issued by the Cambodian side.
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AdvertisementHong Kong politicsHong KongPoliticsBack reforms and align with nation, outgoing Legco chief tells new Hong Kong lawmakers‘I am confident that the new lawmakers can draw on their professional expertise … to fully support the government in driving reform and innovation,’ Andrew Leung says
Reading Time:2 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPMatthew ChengPublished: 12:10pm, 27 Dec 2025Incoming lawmakers should prioritise helping the Hong Kong government advance policy reforms and strengthen integration with national development, the outgoing Legislative Council president has said as he prepares to step down.
Andrew Leung Kwan-yuen also said on Saturday that the new lawmakers would need to assist the government in devising a prudent and pragmatic budget, set to be unveiled in February, and tackling the aftermath of the Tai Po fire that broke out on November 26 and claimed at least 161 lives.
According to Leung, China’s 15th five-year plan, which outlines the nation’s development bluepr..