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Offbeat
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Offbeat. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
The Harry’s View cartoon from June 8, 2026. Illustration: Harry Harrison
Hong Kong

Cartoonist Harry Harrison’s humorous takes on Hong Kong and beyond in June

Discover Harry’s View as our veteran cartoonist casts his satirical eye over the political, social and economic landscape.

United States

Russian daredevils scale Empire State Building for proposal stunt, then get arrested

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Donald Trump

Trump unveils new US passport with his own face inside

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Crime in Hong Kong

Porn star Erena So arrested in Hong Kong for promoting overseas gambling website

Police discover illegal betting website hiring local personalities as brand ambassadors to attract gamblers.

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A screenshot of Erena So from a video promoting an overseas gambling website. Photo: Handout
Donald Trump

American flag blue? Algae turns Trump’s reflecting pool swamp green instead

Mother Nature is interfering with one of the US president’s pet projects just days after it was repainted.

Science

Scientists find woolly mammoth DNA while digging through squirrel poo

A treasure trove of ancient genetic material was stashed away by the rodents before being ‘frozen in time’ by permafrost.

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Trending in China

Chinese homeowner buys 34th-floor flat in 32-storey building, gets no compensation

Buyer purchases new-build unit with limited property rights despite risks, ends up propertyless, mired in messy legal tussle.

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A man in China bought a new-build 34th-floor flat in a building that turned out to have just 32 floors. Photo: Shutterstock
Singapore

What does Singapore lose when the wrecking ball swings?

Relentless reinvention, long inevitable in the land-scare city state, puts pressure on beloved ‘third spaces’.

Donald Trump

Trump says may leave UFC arena on White House lawn permanently

The US president compared the structure to France’s Eiffel Tower, which was supposed to have been dismantled 20 years after it was built.

Mainland China

Cartoonist Harry Harrison’s humorous takes on Hong Kong and beyond in May

Discover Harry’s View as our veteran cartoonist casts his satirical eye over the political, social and economic landscape.

The Harry’s View cartoon from May 28, 2026. Illustration: Harry Harrison
Art

French museum reports theft of banana from multimillion-dollar artwork

Pompidou-Metz museum contacts police after a guard notices Maurizio Cattelan’s iconic duct-taped centrepiece has vanished.

A visitor looks at the “Comedian” artwork by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan at the Centre Pompidou-Metz in Metz in May last year. On Sunday, 2025. (Photo by Jean-Christophe VERHAEGEN / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY MENTION OF THE ARTIST UPON PUBLICATION - TO ILLUSTRATE THE EVENT AS SPECIFIED IN THE CAPTION
Italy

Milan restores bull mosaic’s bits worn down by an unusual tradition

Craftsman rebuilds animal’s cratered anatomy after visitors wear down the 19th century floor with their heels.

Bangladesh

Celebrity ‘Trump’ buffalo spared sacrifice, sent to Bangladesh zoo

The animal with a blond hairdo said to resemble the US president’s signature look was saved just hours before it was set to be slaughtered.

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United States

RFK Jnr posts video of him grabbing 2 snakes, as his wife asks ‘why?’

US health secretary has a bare-handed encounter with snakes, as his TV star wife tries to get him to stop.

Robert Kennedy Jnr handling two snakes as one of them tries to bite him. Photo: @RobertKennedyJr via X
Trending in China

Every dog has its day: stray puppy steals show at Chinese university sports event

Student runner broke the 3,000-metre race record with the fluffy campus resident guiding her to victory like a professional pacer.

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A stray puppy became an overnight internet sensation after a video of it entering the track to accompany a female student at the end of her 3,000-metre race gained millions of views. Photo: bjnews.com.cn
King Charles III

UK radio station mistakenly reports death of King Charles

Radio Caroline has apologised after a computer error triggered the so-called death of a monarch procedure.

Japan

Japan’s late-night cafes open doors to soothe mothers of crying babies

The idea of a ‘nighttime crying cafe’, which appeared in an online comic nearly a decade ago, is now gaining real-world traction.

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Japan

Japan’s hikikomori recluses are growing old. So are their carers

What happens to more than 1 million social recluses in the world’s fastest-ageing society when the last person who cared for them is gone?

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A Japanese government survey estimated that 1.46 million people were living as shut-ins as of 2023. Photo: Shutterstock
Academy Awards

Oscar statue goes missing after director forced to check it on flight

Pavel Talankin’s prize was misplaced for two days until it was relocated by Lufthansa after an international outcry.

Mainland China

Cartoonist Harry Harrison’s humorous takes on Hong Kong and beyond in April

Discover Harry’s View as our veteran cartoonist casts his satirical eye over the political, social and economic landscape.

Britain

New Banksy statue of man blinded by flag draws crowds in London

Satirical monument appears in Waterloo Place as speculation swirls over the artist’s ‘confirmed’ identity.

Statues are not what Banksy is primarily known for. He is far more famous for his spray-painting on buildings. Photo: AP
Vietnam

Survival of the sweetest: Choco Pies save Vietnamese hiker lost for 37 hours

The student’s 37-hour agony on Tam Dao Mountain – sustained by Choco Pies – has boosted the snack’s survival kit status.

Last week, Orion Vietnam uploaded a promotional post on social media celebrating the hiker’s safe return. Photo: Facebook/OrionVietnam
United States

How a bear costume cost these luxury car insurance scamsters their freedom

A bear-suit scam in California landed three people in jail for faking luxury car damage and seeking US$142,000 in fraudulent insurance claims.

Middle East

‘First of its kind’ flying taxi station completed in Dubai

Commercial operations, with flights by California-based Joby Aviation, are expected to begin by the end of the year.

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Hong Kong

Cartoonist Harry Harrison’s humorous takes on Hong Kong and beyond in March

Discover Harry’s View as our veteran cartoonist casts his satirical eye over the political, social and economic landscape.

Illustration: Harry Harrison
What to do in Hong Kong

Where are Hong Kong’s best swings? This man who has tested over 200 sets knows

Mr Swing travels across Hong Kong to explore the city’s many swing sets, from government parks to ‘home-made’ creations off the beaten path.

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Mr Swing, whose reviews of Hong Kong’s swing sets have seen him accumulate more than 11,000 followers across Instagram, YouTube and Facebook, sits on a swing at Hoi Sham Park at To Kwa Wan on March 24, 2026. Photo: Jonathan Wong
Nepal

Untouchable no more: Nepal to apologise to Dalits for first time

Nepal has banned caste discrimination, yet many Dalits still live in poverty. Can a formal state apology inspire change?

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Crime

400,000 KitKat bars stolen, as thieves ‘make a break’ with 12 tonne shipment

The heist could cause a shortage of the chocolate snacks in Europe right before Easter, Nestlé warns.

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