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South China Morning Post
6 days ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Harvard speech sparks privilege debate, China GDP growth outlook: SCMP daily highlights
Catch up on some of SCMP's biggest China stories of the day. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing Emotional remarks by a Chinese student who delivered this year's Harvard University commencement speech have sparked a debate in China about barriers to elite education. China's economy is projected to grow by 4.3 per cent next year, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) said this week as it trimmed a 10th of a percentage point off its previous forecast in the light of ongoing world trade strife. A rendering of a Tiandu test satellite. Photo: Deep Space Exploration Laboratory China's Tiandu-1 satellite has entered a critical fuel-efficient orbit that synchronises with the motion of the Earth and moon, but claims that it is the first spacecraft to achieve the feat have been challenged by US and Canadian experts.
South China Morning Post
17-05-2025
- South China Morning Post
Japanese officials want ‘selfish' Mount Fuji climbers to pay for off-season rescue
Officials in Japan are calling for new rules to charge climbers who require rescue from Mount Fuji outside the official climbing season, as concerns rise over high emergency service costs and the safety of personnel deployed to deal with such incidents. Advertisement The mayors of Fujiyoshida and Fujinomiya, along with the governor of Shizuoka prefecture, are urging the national government to amend legislation so that local authorities can impose such rescue fees during the off-season, which falls outside a three-month climbing window for the mountain in summer. The cost of a rescue helicopter could be as much as 500,000 yen (US$3,440) an hour, the Shizuoka governor said, with mountain rescue teams on the ground and medical facilities adding to total cost. The authorities' pleas came after a Chinese university student was rescued near the peak of the 3,776-metre mountain twice within four days in April. The 27-year-old man, who was not named, was initially helped off the mountain after he became nauseous and disoriented close to the summit and lost his mobile phone, crampons and other climbing equipment. Advertisement Four days later, another rescue team was deployed to save the man after he collapsed around 3,000 metres above sea level, apparently due to altitude sickness. After being carried down the mountain on a stretcher and handed over to doctors, he said he had returned to the mountain to try to find his mobile phone.
Japan Times
15-05-2025
- General
- Japan Times
Irresponsible climbing prompts debate over who should pay for Mount Fuji rescues
Following incidents in which people have been stranded on Mount Fuji as a result of irresponsible climbing, debate has erupted in cities near the national landmark over whether to make offseason hikers pay out of pocket for rescue fees. At a news conference held last Friday, Hidetada Sudo, the mayor of the city of Fujinomiya in Shizuoka Prefecture, expressed anger over some climbers' actions that suggest they have underestimated the dangers of the nation's tallest mountain. 'They are climbing on their own without listening (to warnings) and end up getting stranded,' said Sudo. 'The cost of rescuing them is enormous — I think that such fees should be borne by those stranded. It's their own responsibility.' Currently, fees for rescue from mountains around the country are in most cases paid from tax revenue, and are free for those who have been rescued. The situation has received heightened attention since an incident last month in which a Chinese university student studying in Japan had to be rescued from Mount Fuji twice in the span of a few days, after he went back to the mountain to retrieve his phone that he lost while being airlifted during his first rescue. Sudo also said that such inexperienced climbers have little regard for the grave danger rescue teams put themselves in to save those stranded irrespective of circumstances on the 3,776 meter-tall mountain, where conditions during the offseason can be incredibly risky. On the Yamanashi Prefecture side of Mount Fuji, Shigeru Horiuchi, mayor of the city of Fujiyoshida, agreed, saying at a news conference Tuesday that the cost of flying a helicopter for a rescue can be up to between ¥600,000 and ¥800,000. 'With the convenience of smartphones, I feel that there is an increasing tendency for people to call for help casually as if they were calling for a cab when they are stranded,' said Horiuchi. 'As a way to warn climbers to not climb with naive assumptions, we should charge the rescue fees.' The climbing season for Mount Fuji is between July and the beginning of September. During the offseason, the temperature can drop to well below freezing and the weather can be changeable, factors many inexperienced climbers tend to underestimate before going in ill-prepared. On Tuesday, Shizuoka Prefecture Gov. Yasutomo Suzuki said that although this is a problem for Mount Fuji, similar cases are seen across the country. Given that free rescue in the event of a disaster is assured under the law, he urged the national government to assess the issue.
Daily Mail
13-05-2025
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Instant karma for 'phone snatcher' who tries to steal Chinese student's mobile in lawless London theft hotspot
A suspected thief got a dose of instant karma after trying to steal a mobile phone out of the hands of a Chinese student on the streets of lawless London. In a short video clip, uploaded to Red Note, the alleged crook approaches the student and starts a conversation in a bid to distract him. In just a matter of seconds, it appears the man has swiped his phone before running off with the expensive device and into Tottenham Court Road Tube station. But, what the suspected thief doesn't realise is he's picked on the wrong person. The alleged victim chases after the man, dressed in a camel puffer jacket, into the Tube station, down the escalator and onto the platform. There, a struggle ensues and the suspected phone snatcher is restrained into a corner by the student who holds him in a vice-like grip before finally retrieving his phone. He then guards the alleged thief until before police and Transport for London (TfL) staff arrive and escort him out of the station. Police confirmed to MailOnline that a man was arrested on suspicion of theft in connection with the incident during rush hour last Wednesday. However, it seems the Chinese student (pictured in black coat) quickly served him instant karma, catching him and retrieving his device A Met Police spokesperson said: 'Police were alerted on Wednesday, 7 May to a report of phone theft in central London. 'A 28-year-old man had alleged his phone had been stolen between His Majesty's Theatre and Piccadilly Circus at 17:00hrs on Monday, 5 May. 'The victim retrieved his phone at Tottenham Court Road tube station after it had been thrown to the ground. 'A 32-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of theft, and has been bailed pending further enquiries, which are ongoing.' It comes as London has been hit with a phone snatching epidemic, with the issue reaching crisis point as victims as young as four being targeted. Figures show there were 22,253 incidents reported phone snatching incidents in Westminster alone in the year leading up to September 2024, equating to 85.4 thefts per every 1,000 people. Discussing the problem, Paul, who works by the London Eye, previously told MailOnline: 'I see it all the time. I would say every day. It's worst around this touristy part of London - particularly along Westminster Bridge. 'It happens to tourists a lot because they're unaware. I try to warn them but it doesn't always work. After racing through Tottenham Court Road, the Chinese appears to grip the alleged thief in a bear hug in a bid to stop him racing away The pair responsible for the brazen daylight attack then ran off past the other boutiques 'One time, a family asked someone to take a photo of them in front of the London Eye. And the guy they chose ran off with their phone. 'Usually though, they come past on their bikes and snatch the phone before anyone has a chance to react. It's a real issue.' The 51-year-old said he sees the same culprits at work repeatedly, adding: 'There are groups of them who are here all the time,' Paul said. 'The police know about them. 'I've had them trying to steal my phone too. Even though they know that I know who they are. It's bold.' Ovye, who works for a bus tour company, said the thieves target 'anyone' - and that even children aren't off limits. He said: 'It can happen to anyone. I once saw someone snatch a phone out of a little girl's hand while she was taking a picture. She can't have been more than four years old. Unbelievable.' Met Police commander, Owain Richards, told MailOnline: 'We understand the impact that mobile phone theft can have on victims – it's an invasive and sometimes violent crime - and we're committed to protecting Londoners and tackling this issue as we make the capital safer. 'Met officers are targeting resources to hotspot areas, such as Westminster, Lambeth and Newham, with increased patrols and plain clothes officers which deter criminals and make officers more visibly available to members of the community. 'We continue to use data and technology to build intelligence and track stolen items to target offenders. We are also working with phone firms to 'design out' the ability for phones to be reused and sold on as we seek to dismantle the criminal market that fuels robbery and theft.
Malay Mail
10-05-2025
- Malay Mail
‘He sounded too happy': Exchange student's gut feeling helps Singapore police foil S$70,000 fake bail plot
SINGAPORE, May 10 — Mike Chen didn't plan on staging a takedown during his exchange programme in Singapore — but when scammers came knocking, he turned the tables. According to The Straits Times (ST), the 20-year-old Chinese student was nearly conned out of $70,000 (RM230,000) in a government official impersonation scam, one of over 1,500 such cases reported in Singapore last year. Victims of these scams reportedly lost S$151.3 million in 2024 alone. It started in February when a man claiming to be a Chinese investigation officer contacted Chen, accusing him of being linked to an international money laundering case. The caller demanded constant video surveillance via laptop and five daily check-ins by text. The monitoring lasted a month before the scammer told Chen he could be 'bailed out' for S$70,000. 'The 'investigation officer' said he would be my bailor, but I had to have the money in my bank account,' said Chen to ST. 'I trusted him because I had been speaking to him every day for a month, and I felt like I had developed a relationship with him.' To raise the funds, Chen was told to lie to his parents — claiming local authorities were investigating him for selling personal data after losing his passport. On April 9, Chen was instructed to withdraw the money and deliver it in two batches to a 'colleague' in Singapore. He handed over S$40,000 at the first meeting, but started having doubts. The scammer's tone had shifted — from stern to strangely cheerful. 'He sounded quite happy, and spoke to me informally. I also thought their method of making me give them cash was old-fashioned,' he added. Chen shared his suspicions with a classmate, who helped alert the police. Then, channelling full detective mode, Chen went ahead with the second handover — this time with officers waiting nearby. At noon, police arrested the 27-year-old runner and recovered the earlier S$40,000, along with a fake police ID. The man, a student in Singapore, is believed to have been a victim himself, tricked into collecting money from others under the pretext of assisting official investigations. He's now being investigated for cheating and personation offences. Police reminded the public that no government agency — local or foreign — will ever request bank transfers or personal banking details over the phone or via text.
