https://www.scmp.com/rss/326780/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Edmund Lee Edmund Lee Hailed as a triumphant reinvigoration of the Hong Kong police thriller, the star-studded 2012 film Cold War revolves around a high-stakes power struggle within the upper echelons of the city’s police force. Winner of nine prizes at the 2013 Hong Kong Film Awards (HKFA), the action blockbuster notably aligned itself with an institutional slogan of pride: “Hong Kong is Asia’s safest city.” Yet just 14 years after its release, the cinematic landscape – much like the city itself – has drastically... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3351683/how-hong-kong-crime-films-have-evolved-national-security-law-era?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3351683/how-hong-kong-crime-films-have-evolved-national-security-law-era?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Apr 2026 10:25:03 +0000 Michael Vatikiotis Michael Vatikiotis The fog of war is getting thicker. The world is beset by conflicts, yet we are increasingly in the dark regarding their causes. Without this understanding, we lack the insight necessary to resolve them. Understanding conflict is a basic tool of mediation. It helps us define who the main actors are, the context in which they operate and the positions they hold. These data points are vital precursors to resolving conflict through mediation, of any kind. Yet in today’s world, the basic information... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3351339/blinding-world-lies-makes-peacemaking-impossible-task?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3351339/blinding-world-lies-makes-peacemaking-impossible-task?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Apr 2026 03:00:21 +0000 Edmund Lee Edmund Lee It says much about the lack of quality and quantity in today’s Hong Kong cinema that the three films leading the race for honours in the 44th Hong Kong Film Awards (HKFA) are all “urban myth” titles – high-profile projects that wrapped years ago but languished on the shelf until 2025. This year’s nominations are dominated by high-concept genre filmmaking, with Juno Mak Chun-lung’s hyper-stylised crime thriller Sons of the Neon Night leading the pack with 12 nods, closely followed by the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3343068/hong-kong-film-awards-2026-nominations-full-sons-neon-night-leads-disputed-race?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3343068/hong-kong-film-awards-2026-nominations-full-sons-neon-night-leads-disputed-race?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Feb 2026 10:09:53 +0000 Lo Hoi-ying Lo Hoi-ying A Hong Kong travel agency has withdrawn from its role in a trip to Taiwan that centred on a private screening of a movie banned in the city on national security grounds. Jetport Travel on Saturday also distanced itself from promotion of the tour, which was organised by e-commerce platform As One and advertised as a HK$7,199 (US$923) four-trip to the self-ruled island departing late February that included private screenings of Hong Kong director Kiwi Chow Kwun-wai’s films Deadline and A Foggy... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3341125/hong-kong-travel-agency-backs-out-taiwan-trip-over-controversial-film-screening?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3341125/hong-kong-travel-agency-backs-out-taiwan-trip-over-controversial-film-screening?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 24 Jan 2026 14:59:54 +0000 Reuters Reuters Police in Indian Kashmir have asked at least three journalists working in the region to sign a pledge vowing ‌not to “disturb peace” in the region, two of them told Reuters on Wednesday. A third ‍journalist, an assistant editor with the Indian Express newspaper, was summoned to a police station in Srinagar, the capital of the federal territory, but did not sign the pledge, the newspaper said in a report published on Wednesday. India has imposed ⁠several restrictions in the troubled... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3340729/indian-kashmir-police-pressure-journalists-sign-peace-pledges-sparking-censorship-fears?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3340729/indian-kashmir-police-pressure-journalists-sign-peace-pledges-sparking-censorship-fears?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Jan 2026 13:17:36 +0000 Edmund Lee Edmund Lee On January 13, the Hong Kong Film Awards (HKFA) Association released its provisional list of contenders for the 44th edition of the city’s most prestigious film ceremony. The film list is meant to be a routine administrative update, a roll-call of the artistic output from the 2025 calendar year, and the definitive source of reference for HKFA voters filling out their nomination forms. However, this year’s list quickly threw the industry into turmoil. In an unprecedented development, four... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3340395/why-did-hong-kong-film-awards-drop-4-eligible-films-its-2026-list?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3340395/why-did-hong-kong-film-awards-drop-4-eligible-films-its-2026-list?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Jan 2026 09:14:14 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The US State Department announced on Tuesday it was barring five Europeans it accused of leading efforts to pressure US tech firms to censor or suppress American viewpoints. The Europeans, characterised by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio as “radical” activists and “weaponised” non-governmental organisations, fell afoul of a new visa policy announced in May to restrict the entry of foreigners deemed responsible for censorship of protected speech in the United States. “For far too long,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3337562/us-hits-5-europeans-visa-bans-censorship-row?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3337562/us-hits-5-europeans-visa-bans-censorship-row?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Dec 2025 02:28:58 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran As Australia’s new restrictions on social media use by children under 16 take effect this month, governments across Southeast Asia are rolling out or weighing their own measures aimed at protecting young users online. From platform licensing rules in Malaysia to age-based access limits in Indonesia, the moves reflect a broader global push to rein in tech companies over child safety, cyberbullying and harmful content. But analysts say such policies can also open the door to wider regulatory... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3336820/southeast-asia-follows-australia-tightening-social-media-rules-safety-or-censorship?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3336820/southeast-asia-follows-australia-tightening-social-media-rules-safety-or-censorship?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Dec 2025 00:00:24 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen Mary Roettger was just one of millions of Americans seeking a social media life raft when she warily logged onto China’s RedNote platform for the first time in January. As fears loomed over a threatened US ban on TikTok, the Florida writer braced for a clumsy, spam-filled experience full of “negative people”. Instead, she was struck by a starkly different culture. Roettger was “blown away with the amount of tenderness and excitement” of the online community suddenly before her. “That was new,”... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3335401/soft-power-hard-work-can-china-harness-social-media-apps-rewire-its-global-image?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3335401/soft-power-hard-work-can-china-harness-social-media-apps-rewire-its-global-image?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 14 Dec 2025 03:10:47 +0000 Lawrence Chung Lawrence Chung Taiwan’s ban on mainland Chinese social media app RedNote has sparked fierce pushback on the island, making the platform a top download as users rush to access it through workarounds. The island’s interior ministry announced on Thursday it had ordered local telecoms and internet providers to block access to the app, also known as Xiaohongshu, for one year over “rising online fraud cases”. Authorities also cited a “lack of cooperation from its operator in Shanghai”. But the move has unleashed a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3335652/taiwans-ban-mainland-china-app-rednote-makes-it-top-download-amid-fierce-pushback?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3335652/taiwans-ban-mainland-china-app-rednote-makes-it-top-download-amid-fierce-pushback?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 Dec 2025 01:00:17 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar What happens when a democracy begins to fear its own internet? In Indonesia, that question is no longer hypothetical, as the government threatens to pull the plug on major online platforms many of its people rely upon. When Jakarta warned last month that it could block major platforms like Cloudflare and Wikipedia, the move was justified as a crackdown on online gambling – a vice officially outlawed in the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation. But for tech industry players and free-speech... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3335389/jakarta-vs-internet-indonesias-gamble-digital-freedom?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3335389/jakarta-vs-internet-indonesias-gamble-digital-freedom?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 06 Dec 2025 07:30:08 +0000 Mia Nurmamat Mia Nurmamat Shanghai has launched a crackdown on online content that talks down the property market, as the sector remains mired in a prolonged downturn and two leading data providers pull back on releasing updated sales figures for China’s top developers. The Shanghai branch of the Cyberspace Administration of China said it had instructed platforms including RedNote and Bilibili – often dubbed China’s answer to Instagram and YouTube – to remove content deemed to be spreading misleading or alarmist... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3335083/shanghai-launches-clampdown-property-market-doom-mongering?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3335083/shanghai-launches-clampdown-property-market-doom-mongering?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Dec 2025 14:00:10 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof Malaysia’s state broadcaster has suspended the animated Nickelodeon children’s series Santiago of the Seas following viewer complaints that an episode contained an LGBTQ scene. The controversy erupted after viewers reported seeing the character Rio, a mermaid, kiss his partner Martin on the cheek in an episode that aired on Sunday on TV2. RTM, which operates the channel, said an internal review had found no evidence of any such display of same-sex affection but halted the show “to avoid public... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3333209/malaysia-pulls-us-childrens-show-air-over-lgbtq-kiss?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3333209/malaysia-pulls-us-childrens-show-air-over-lgbtq-kiss?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Nov 2025 05:19:54 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen A recent furore over the future of a popular independent bookstore has shone a fresh spotlight on concerns that the space for public debates and cultural events in China is shrinking. The announcement that the You Xing Bookstore in Chengdu – a venue that had hosted a number of events featuring prominent Chinese and foreign speakers – would shut later this month followed the closure of a number of other bookshops as well as cancelled cultural events and film screenings across the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3332045/how-fight-chinese-bookstores-future-heightened-concerns-over-cultural-squeeze?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3332045/how-fight-chinese-bookstores-future-heightened-concerns-over-cultural-squeeze?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 Nov 2025 04:00:16 +0000 Enid Tsui Enid Tsui Under intense political scrutiny, the real drama in Hong Kong’s arts scene often happens not on the stage, but in the offstage machinations of censorship. The planned rerun of Candace Chong Mui-ngam’s Cantonese play, We Are Gay – poignantly titled “We are the Happiest” in Chinese – has gone from defiant revival to seemingly insurmountable defeat within days. In mid-August, a November rerun of the award-winning play was announced, and advance booking began for the shows that would be performed at... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3329652/controversial-playwright-speaks-out-after-cancellation-gay-themed-play-starring-antony-wong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3329652/controversial-playwright-speaks-out-after-cancellation-gay-themed-play-starring-antony-wong?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Oct 2025 23:15:11 +0000 Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang A former Chinese state media editor and vocal supporter of the government has called for greater tolerance for free expression. On Monday, Hu Xijin, the former editor-in-chief of Global Times, a tabloid owned by Communist Party mouthpiece People’s Daily, wrote on social media that society “should be as open as possible within the constitutional order under [the Communist Party’s] leadership”. “There should be a collective consensus respecting individual rights on the Chinese internet,” Hu... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3328973/former-state-media-editor-warns-against-collective-silence-chinese-social-media?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3328973/former-state-media-editor-warns-against-collective-silence-chinese-social-media?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Oct 2025 10:14:37 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen When the horror film Together reached Chinese cinemas in mid-September, a scene featuring a same-sex wedding did not survive intact: one of the two men’s faces was digitally altered to turn him into a woman. Although film censorship is nothing new in China, this incident triggered a fierce backlash and calls for a boycott – both for the attempts to erase LGBTQ identity and allegations that artificial intelligence had been used to make the change. Although the distributors delayed the release of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3328117/ai-censorship-horror-film-together-raises-new-fears-future-chinese-lgbtq-film?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3328117/ai-censorship-horror-film-together-raises-new-fears-future-chinese-lgbtq-film?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Oct 2025 10:00:15 +0000 Alcott Wei Alcott Wei As China settles into its “golden week” National Day holiday, the country’s cyber watchdogs are hard at work scouring the internet for negative sentiment, and handing out harsh penalties or imposing bans on influential online figures and social media platforms. The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) said on Monday that the latest round of its “Clean Net” campaign aimed to “crack down on malicious incitement of negative emotions” and “create a more civilised and rational online... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3327678/why-china-targeting-negative-emotions-its-latest-online-clean-campaign?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3327678/why-china-targeting-negative-emotions-its-latest-online-clean-campaign?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Oct 2025 12:00:09 +0000 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan Malaysia’s government is facing allegations of muzzling free speech after the social media account of a leading independent news portal was suspended shortly after publishing a story critical of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. Prominent online news outlet Malaysiakini revealed that its Facebook pages were temporarily taken down late on Tuesday, hours after it had released an investigative report into the prime minister’s own social media use. The report alleged that more than 260 suspicious social... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3327474/malaysiakinis-facebook-suspension-raises-press-freedom-concerns-malaysia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3327474/malaysiakinis-facebook-suspension-raises-press-freedom-concerns-malaysia?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Oct 2025 05:02:40 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar The arrests of activists and social media users in Indonesia on accusations of inciting violence in the recent protests have prompted rights advocates to warn of a “serious threat” to freedom of expression in the world’s third-largest democracy. Jakarta police last week named 43 people as suspects behind “a series of anarchic acts” during the weeklong protests across Indonesia in late August. The protests were sparked by anger over the excessive perks given to lawmakers, which later morphed into... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3325207/arrests-indonesian-protesters-spur-fears-censorship-more-political-chaos?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3325207/arrests-indonesian-protesters-spur-fears-censorship-more-political-chaos?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 Sep 2025 10:30:08 +0000 Bibek Bhandari Bibek Bhandari Nepal’s Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli resigned on Tuesday as demonstrators defied an indefinite curfew and clashed with police, a day after 19 people died in violent protests triggered by a social media ban and mounting frustration over political corruption. “I have resigned from the post of prime minister with effect from today … in order to take further steps towards a political solution and resolution of the problems,” Oli said in a letter to President Ram Chandra Paudel. The 73-year-old’s... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3324890/nepal-prime-minister-resigns-over-deadly-social-media-protests?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3324890/nepal-prime-minister-resigns-over-deadly-social-media-protests?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 Sep 2025 09:01:09 +0000 Bibek Bhandari Bibek Bhandari The chants of students turned into screams in Nepal on Monday as police opened fire on unarmed protesters in Kathmandu, turning a simmering youth-led movement against corruption and censorship into the bloodiest confrontation the Himalayan republic has seen in years. By nightfall, at least 19 demonstrators had been killed by police gunfire, according to official figures, with more than 300 wounded across Kathmandu and other cities. Many of the victims were students in uniform. Videos... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3324821/nepals-gen-z-revolt-turns-deadly-police-fire-protesters-killing-least-19?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3324821/nepals-gen-z-revolt-turns-deadly-police-fire-protesters-killing-least-19?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 Sep 2025 03:17:10 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Police in Nepal’s capital of Kathmandu opened fire on Monday on demonstrators protesting a government attempt to regulate social media that blocked some of the world’s largest platforms, including Facebook, X and YouTube. At least 17 people were killed. Rallies swept the streets around the parliament building, which was surrounded by tens of thousands of people angry at authorities who said the companies had failed to register and submit to government oversight. At least 145 people were wounded,... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3324811/least-17-die-nepal-after-police-open-fire-pro-social-media-protest?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3324811/least-17-die-nepal-after-police-open-fire-pro-social-media-protest?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 Sep 2025 00:28:55 +0000 Reuters Reuters Malaysian authorities have summoned TikTok’s top management over the social media company’s alleged delays in tackling fake news on its platform, state news agency Bernama reported on Tuesday, citing Malaysia’s communications minister. Minister Fahmi Fadzil said TikTok, owned by China’s ByteDance, had been too slow in responding to requests for help in police investigations, prompting him to ask the firm’s chief executive for help, Bernama reported. Fahmi cited a recent case where a man had... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3324075/malaysia-summons-tiktok-meta-over-slow-response-fake-news-immoral-content?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3324075/malaysia-summons-tiktok-meta-over-slow-response-fake-news-immoral-content?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Sep 2025 10:56:33 +0000 Jean Iau Jean Iau American comedian Sammy Obeid has accused Singaporean authorities of trying to censor his stand-up show after his performance scheduled for Sunday was cancelled, but officials say the permit was rejected because the application was lodged too late. Obeid, whose material often criticises Israel’s actions in Gaza, claimed in a social media post on Wednesday that Singapore’s Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) asked for multiple edits to his script before approving an arts entertainment... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3323546/us-comedian-claims-singapore-show-axed-over-censorship-authority-cites-late-application?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3323546/us-comedian-claims-singapore-show-axed-over-censorship-authority-cites-late-application?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 Aug 2025 14:20:27 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang A provincial authority in China has lashed out at online stand-up comedy shows, accusing some of attacking men and “stirring up gender antagonism”. In its notice on Sunday, the Zhejiang provincial publicity department did not refer to any specific content but its comments come as a number of performances by women comedians addressing gender-related topics have gained popularity in recent weeks. The shows provide a unique space for discussing social issues, including problems faced by women, but... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3319097/chinese-officials-accuse-popular-online-stand-shows-stirring-gender-antagonism?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3319097/chinese-officials-accuse-popular-online-stand-shows-stirring-gender-antagonism?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Jul 2025 06:04:08 +0000 Coco Feng Coco Feng China has officially introduced a controversial national cyber ID system, despite concerns from some experts and netizens over privacy and censorship. The system aims to “protect the security of citizens’ identity information”, according to regulations that went into effect on Tuesday, backed by the Ministry of Public Security, the Cyberspace Administration of China, and four other authorities. The app, whose beta version was launched last year, issues an encrypted virtual ID composed of random... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3318302/china-rolls-out-voluntary-cyber-id-system-amid-concerns-over-privacy-censorship?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3318302/china-rolls-out-voluntary-cyber-id-system-amid-concerns-over-privacy-censorship?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Jul 2025 10:30:11 +0000 Coco Feng Coco Feng ByteDance has parted ways with a senior executive who oversaw content moderation and data labelling for its China-focused apps, according to sources and media reports, as the Beijing-based company advances content security amid Beijing’s strict censorship requirements. Li Tong, who led the Content Quality and Data Service (CQC) team under Douyin Group, was no longer listed in ByteDance’s internal employee system, according to people familiar with the matter. Douyin, one of ByteDance’s core... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3313681/bytedances-china-head-content-quality-leaves-amid-stricter-censorship-requirements?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3313681/bytedances-china-head-content-quality-leaves-amid-stricter-censorship-requirements?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Jun 2025 10:00:10 +0000 Hadi Azmi Hadi Azmi Contrary to the belief that Malaysians don’t read, the activity is experiencing a resurgence in the country through book clubs, new eclectic bookshops, and individuals spending their free time in the country’s numerous public parks, immersing themselves in novels. It is one of several signs pointing to a revival in the country’s reading culture. Yet even as Malaysians flock to book fairs and devour literature in record numbers, a parallel surge in state censorship has left writers and readers... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3313405/quiet-rebellion-malaysians-push-back-against-book-bans?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3313405/quiet-rebellion-malaysians-push-back-against-book-bans?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Jun 2025 00:00:12 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The United States will refuse visas to foreign officials who block Americans’ social media posts, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Wednesday in his latest crackdown. Rubio – who himself has come under fire for removing US visas from activists who criticise Israel – said he was acting against “flagrant censorship actions” overseas against US tech firms. He did not publicly name any official who would lose a visa under the new policy. But last week he suggested to lawmakers that he was... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3312183/us-scrutinise-visas-officials-targeting-those-responsible-censorship?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3312183/us-scrutinise-visas-officials-targeting-those-responsible-censorship?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 May 2025 15:20:37 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall Japan’s continuous low ranking for press freedom among the Group of Seven nations signals that it is still facing long-standing issues of political pressure, corporate influence and self-censorship in its media landscape, according to analysts. The annual survey by Reporters Without Borders released on Friday ranked Japan 66th out of 180 countries and regions, up four places from last year. But Japan was still the lowest-ranked G7 nation and below developing countries such as the Ivory Coast,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3309295/japans-low-press-freedom-ranking-signals-self-censorship-remains-rife-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3309295/japans-low-press-freedom-ranking-signals-self-censorship-remains-rife-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 May 2025 00:00:13 +0000 The Cultural Revolution was one of the most turbulent and radical periods in modern Chinese history. Its goal was to reassert Mao Zedong’s control and preserve communist ideology by purging “capitalist” and “traditional” elements from Chinese society. US President Donald Trump is in the early stages of unleashing his own cultural revolution in his attempt to “Make America Great Again”. Mao targeted those he saw as counter-revolutionaries, including party officials, intellectuals and capitalist... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3305887/maga-and-alarming-parallels-chinas-cultural-revolution?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3305887/maga-and-alarming-parallels-chinas-cultural-revolution?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Apr 2025 12:30:07 +0000 At 7.30pm Hong Kong time on April 1, the dissident Chinese-Australian artist known as Badiucao revealed to his 55,500 Instagram followers that he had managed to pull off a stunt in the city. His video posted to the social media platform shows the artist’s face, with his signature untamed beard, appearing in black and white on two large outdoor billboards for about four seconds. His mouth moves silently as traffic and pedestrians stream past. The Instagram post explains what he is mouthing, in... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3305442/chinese-dissident-artists-video-shown-hong-kong-billboards-gallery-says-it-was-conned?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3305442/chinese-dissident-artists-video-shown-hong-kong-billboards-gallery-says-it-was-conned?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 08 Apr 2025 03:15:07 +0000 Pacific nation Papua New Guinea opened an investigation on Tuesday after losing access to Facebook during a police test of “innovative technology” to regulate online content. Meta’s Facebook and Messenger platforms remained inaccessible to users in the country more than 24 hours after mysteriously going offline on Monday. The government said it had instructed the country’s technology regulator to investigate the “root cause of unsatisfactory access to Facebook during this period”. Meta had... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3303739/pacific-nations-facebook-blackout-tied-content-control-experiment?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3303739/pacific-nations-facebook-blackout-tied-content-control-experiment?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Mar 2025 04:32:06 +0000 Although Donald Trump came to office in America riding a tsunami of public hostility against “elites”, his enablers are leading members of the establishment and plutocracy. As during his first term, Trump – a wealthy businessman and celebrity – has surrounded himself with a mix of conventional Republican politicians, Wall Street financiers and economic nationalists. This time, these groups have been joined by members of the techno-right, represented most glaringly by Elon Musk, the world’s... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3300675/musk-bannon-trumps-rabble-backers-are-heading-brawl?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3300675/musk-bannon-trumps-rabble-backers-are-heading-brawl?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 01 Mar 2025 11:00:09 +0000 An Indonesian punk rock band’s apology for their anti-police song has sparked an outcry from rights groups in the country who claim the case is yet another example of intimidation by authorities. Critics warn the recent flurry of perceived crackdown on art and performances critical of the government is “typical” of Suharto’s New Order regime, and risks snuffing out cultural acts with its supposedly heavy-handed approach. Sukatani, a punk rock duo hailing from Purbalingga in Central Java, went... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3300071/indonesian-punk-bands-apology-anti-police-song-sparks-outcry-over-perceived-censorship?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3300071/indonesian-punk-bands-apology-anti-police-song-sparks-outcry-over-perceived-censorship?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Feb 2025 09:32:32 +0000 Jo Lusby Jo Lusby In 2023, British children’s publisher Puffin updated the work of author Roald Dahl to exorcise perceptions of bias and prejudice. Their goal was to retrofit the work for new generations of global readers. Out went the casual name calling, fat-shaming, othering and general linguistic cruelty. Witches were no longer “old hags”, but rather, “old crows”. The terrifying Twits were still “beastly”, but no longer deemed “ugly”. The work of Dahl, long criticised for his antisemitic views, was considered... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3299394/authenticity-checks-and-balances-help-writers-stay-within-fine-lines?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3299394/authenticity-checks-and-balances-help-writers-stay-within-fine-lines?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 22 Feb 2025 03:00:12 +0000 The new social media licensing framework that Malaysia implemented on January 1 via legal amendments marks a significant regulatory shift in the country’s digital landscape. This initiative mandates that social media platforms with more than 8 million users in Malaysia obtain an Applications Service Provider Class Licence. The government views this move as necessary to curb harmful online content, safeguard user privacy and hold platforms accountable for the material they host. Previously,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3298768/why-malaysias-new-social-media-licences-are-disconcerting?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3298768/why-malaysias-new-social-media-licences-are-disconcerting?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 15 Feb 2025 07:00:08 +0000 Two US lawmakers, including the chairman of a hawkish congressional committee, are raising concerns about the John F. Kennedy Centre for the Performing Arts’ decision to host the National Ballet of China, accusing the dance company of being a tool of China’s “political machinery”. They are urging the cultural institution to reconsider its ties with the Chinese ballet company. Representatives Chris Smith, a Republican from New Jersey, and John Moolenaar, a Michigan Republican who chairs the House... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3296875/us-lawmakers-raise-concerns-about-chinese-national-ballet-performance-washington?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3296875/us-lawmakers-raise-concerns-about-chinese-national-ballet-performance-washington?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 31 Jan 2025 05:25:18 +0000 With Donald Trump back in the Oval Office, TikTok is back online for American users. One intriguing aspect of the TikTok ban saga is that hundreds of thousands of users in the US have migrated to RedNote, the Mandarin-based social media app known as Xiaohongshu in China. For many of these young Americans, gleefully self-styled as TikTok refugees, it was their first direct interaction with mainland Chinese people. This contact is revealing important facts about the state of our world, in... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3295538/us-and-china-should-follow-lead-their-youth-bonding-rednote?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3295538/us-and-china-should-follow-lead-their-youth-bonding-rednote?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Jan 2025 21:30:09 +0000 The UN rights chief insisted on Friday that regulating hate speech and harmful content online “is not censorship”, days after Meta scrapped its fact-checking programme on Facebook and Instagram citing censorship concerns. “Allowing hate speech and harmful content online has real world consequences. Regulating such content is not censorship,” Volker Turk said on X. He said his office “calls for accountability and governance in the digital space, in line with human rights”. Meta chief executive... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3294318/regulating-online-hate-speech-not-censorship-un-rights-chief?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3294318/regulating-online-hate-speech-not-censorship-un-rights-chief?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Jan 2025 12:54:25 +0000 Dien Nguyen An Luong Dien Nguyen An Luong In the world of social media, bears have become unlikely emblems of digital control – one erased, the other embraced. In China, Winnie the Pooh, the honey-loving cartoon icon, vanished online after memes comparing him to President Xi Jinping went viral, alarming censors who saw the satire as a threat. South of the border, Vietnam offers a different bear story. On TikTok, wildly popular with the youth, pro-leader accounts affectionately call Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh “Gau U” (“Chubby Bear”),... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3293331/chubby-bear-censorship-vietnams-approach-tiktok-reveals-double-standards?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3293331/chubby-bear-censorship-vietnams-approach-tiktok-reveals-double-standards?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Jan 2025 02:00:18 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan China’s former gymnastics champion Wu Liufang, who caused controversy for releasing provocative dances and whose Douyin account was suspended briefly in November, has been banned again. Wu, 30, received a gag order and was suspended from using the platform, China’s version of TikTok, on December 24 for violating its rules and policies. It is not clear how long the latest ban will last. Her fan base has shrunk from 7 million to 44,000 because the social media platform deemed that 6 million users... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3292324/ex-china-gymnast-suffers-second-social-media-ban-over-sexy-dance-routines?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3292324/ex-china-gymnast-suffers-second-social-media-ban-over-sexy-dance-routines?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Jan 2025 10:00:10 +0000 China’s reputation as one of the world’s safest countries seems increasingly difficult to justify after a spate of seemingly random killings. Last month alone, two shocking attacks made global headlines: 35 are dead after a driver rammed his car into a crowd in Zhuhai city in Guangdong province, and another eight were killed in a knife attack in Yixing city in Jiangsu province. Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for enhanced risk prevention, timely conflict resolution and strict measures.... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3288836/spate-random-killings-rooted-chinas-social-and-economic-despair?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3288836/spate-random-killings-rooted-chinas-social-and-economic-despair?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Dec 2024 01:30:09 +0000 Short, fast-paced vertical videos are captivating a growing audience of young people in the United States. These mini-dramas, often featuring Western actors as the classic wealthy hero enamoured with a humble heroine, have surged in popularity. And in an interesting plot twist, the creators behind these addictive storylines are Chinese production teams. Kasey Esser is one of the American actors taking on such roles. Last year, he played a werewolf in a vertical miniseries about a conflicted love... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3287747/chinas-vertical-drama-frenzy-spreads-us-soft-influence-exports-bring-risk-rewards?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3287747/chinas-vertical-drama-frenzy-spreads-us-soft-influence-exports-bring-risk-rewards?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 23 Nov 2024 13:00:08 +0000 Controversial Donald Trump biopic The Apprentice began showing in Hong Kong cinemas on Thursday – despite an official release date of November 28 – but the film had not escaped local censors beforehand. Directed by Iranian-Danish filmmaker Ali Abbasi (Holy Spider), The Apprentice stars Sebastian Stan as Trump and chronicles his rise to power as a property tycoon in New York during the 1970s and ’80s, up until the publication of his ghostwritten book The Art of the Deal in 1987. Trump’s fraught... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3287644/why-trump-biopic-apprentice-was-censored-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3287644/why-trump-biopic-apprentice-was-censored-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 Nov 2024 04:15:05 +0000 Chinese government officials will no longer be allowed to avoid commenting on emergencies under new legislative amendments to give journalists better “legal protection”. A commentary published on Friday in Legal Weekly, a newspaper under the supervision of the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission – a Communist Party body with a wide range of supervisory powers over the legal system and security apparatus – said changes to the Emergency Response Law meant officials should not be evasive... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3285024/chinese-officials-told-stop-avoiding-media-questions-about-emergencies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3285024/chinese-officials-told-stop-avoiding-media-questions-about-emergencies?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 Nov 2024 13:00:13 +0000 Jodi Picoult remembers when everyone seemed to praise her novel Nineteen Minutes, a 2007 bestseller about a school shooting that now tops a list compiled by PEN America of the books most banned in schools. “Not only was it recommended for young adults to read, but it was on the curriculum in schools where it’s now banned,” the author said during a recent telephone interview. On November 1, PEN issued a report that expands upon numbers released in September for Banned Books Week in the United... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3284915/jodi-picoult-novel-most-banned-book-us-schools-atwood-alice-walker-close-behind?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3284915/jodi-picoult-novel-most-banned-book-us-schools-atwood-alice-walker-close-behind?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 Nov 2024 20:15:08 +0000 Reuters Reuters ByteDance-owned social-media platform TikTok is laying off hundreds of employees from its global workforce, including a large number of staff in Malaysia, the company said on Friday, as it shifts focus towards a greater use of artificial intelligence in content moderation. Two sources familiar with the matter earlier told Reuters that more than 700 jobs were slashed in Malaysia. TikTok later clarified that less than 500 employees in the country were affected. The employees, most of whom were... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3281982/bytedance-owned-tiktok-slashes-hundreds-jobs-shift-towards-ai-content-moderation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3281982/bytedance-owned-tiktok-slashes-hundreds-jobs-shift-towards-ai-content-moderation?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 11 Oct 2024 06:30:56 +0000 A Cambodian woman who worked as a maid in Malaysia has been deported to her homeland for comments she posted on social media criticising Cambodian government leaders, in the latest example of a Southeast Asian government helping another arrest a dissident. A Cambodia prison official and an opposition activist group said on Thursday that Nuon Toeun, 36, who had worked in Malaysia for several years, was arrested last week by Malaysian authorities following a request from the Cambodian... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3280991/malaysia-arrests-deports-maid-criticising-cambodia-leaders-social-media?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3280991/malaysia-arrests-deports-maid-criticising-cambodia-leaders-social-media?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 03 Oct 2024 15:02:09 +0000