SCMP’s highlights: 7 of this week’s most read stories
- From Singaporeans waiting 16 hours for a visa to a controversial Hong Kong cartoonist, here are a few highlights from the Post’s recent reporting
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 or shed light on topical issues.
1. Singaporeans spend up to 16 hours waiting in line for China travel visas
Nearly 100 people lined up outside Singapore’s China Visa Application Centre last weekend, with some waiting more than 16 hours in total, in hopes of securing visas to travel to the country. Braving the heat and armed with sleeping bags, many were left disgruntled. For one Singaporean, it was his second time queuing for an appointment despite numerous attempts the previous day to book slots online. “This is unthinkable and it should not persist,” he said. Meanwhile, others have questioned “the change in the Chinese treatment of Singaporeans”.
2. 300 crabs, 80 dessert cups, 50 boxes of durian
Seven patrons at an all-you-can-eat buffet in Qingdao, China, went viral after a video posted on social media by one member of the group showed the party gorging on seemingly endless dishes. Another member of the group, surnamed Zhang, said that he and his friends all have big appetites. However, many online were not impressed with what they saw as overconsumption, with one commenting: “You don’t have a moral bottom line.”