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Viral stories

Viral stories
Trending events, happenings and people that have made waves on social media or online in wider Asia, and the world beyond.
Screenshot from Philippine Airlines’ new soap opera-styled safety video. Photo: Philippine Airlines
The Philippines

Soap opera in the sky: why Philippine Airlines’ safety video became a viral hit

The melodramatic Filipino teleserye-style video has racked up millions of views online by blending safety rules with storytelling.

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Social media

Video | Viral video of bare hands in drinks gets milk tea shop closed

Trending in China

Japan zoo makes workers mimic pandas after 4 bears return to China, launches fan club

Japan

Japan insecticide firm holds memorial to honour bugs killed during product testing

Unusual 40-year-old tradition sees monk chant and employees pray for dead cockroaches, mites and fleas; critics find ceremony ‘ironic’.

A Japanese insecticide company holds an annual memorial service to honour the insects it killed during product testing. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock/YouTube
US-Venezuela conflict

Nike tracksuit worn by Maduro is selling out after viral photo

Global searches for the distinctive Nike grey hoodie and joggers spike after Venezuela’s leader is pictured in US custody.

Fame and celebrity

Explainer | What is the relationship ‘swag gap’? Just ask Hailey and Justin Bieber

It’s been 2 years since the Biebers attended a Rhode beauty drop in wildly different outfits – and TikTok seems to think such ‘swag gaps’ are relationship deal-breakers.

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Japan

Japan gamer, 12, plans to quit school for esports, backed by parents, sparks debate

Boy with capacity for focus far exceeding ordinary child aims for top of professional gaming; once concentrated on game so much, he wet himself.

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A 12-year-old Japanese gaming influencer who plans to drop out of primary school to pursue esports full-time has sparked online controversy. Photo: X.com
South Korea

Korean professors fined for taking students’ tests to inflate scores, stop budget cuts

Teachers sat ‘key’ exams to keep poorly performing people at university amid school closure threats; one academic faces extortion bid.

Malaysia

Inspirational one-armed Malaysian man works as food delivery rider to save for wedding

26-year-old suffered horrendous injuries after being dragged along road in an accident; shuns use of prosthetic arm as it causes too much pain.

Mainland China

Video | Watch SCMP’s most watched viral videos of 2025

Watch SCMP’s most viewed viral videos of 2025.

Watch SCMP’s most watched viral videos of 2025
02:21
Hong Kong

Video | Hikers scale steep slope in Hong Kong’s Ocean Park

Video apparently taken from a cable car at the attraction and shows hikers climbing down giant seahorse carved into Brick Hill.

Hikers climbing down giant seahorse carved into Brick Hill.
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Japan

‘I am dead’: Japan man posts posthumous social media message; many admire strength

Optimistic post appears 2 days after man dies following battle with rare cancer; death reveals new side of his personality to farmer father.

Japan

Japan stabbing rampage leaves 15 injured at Yokohama rubber factory

Authorities confirm injuries after a weapon and ‘spray-like liquid’ attack. Local media report one man arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.

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Thailand

Thailand rediscovers ‘extinct’ flat-headed cat after three decades

Elusive feline spotted with cub, offering hope for endangered species’ survival.

A picture taken with a camera trap shows a recently rediscovered flat-headed cat in southern Thailand. Photo: Thailand’s Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation/AFP
Singapore

Gaffes, breaches and sinkhole stars: Singapore’s 2025 social storms

Passionate online discussions have revealed concerns about power, accountability and how the country sees itself.

A still from a social media video shows a submerged car after it fell into a sinkhole in Singapore on July 26. Social media users hailed migrant workers for their quick response in saving the driver. Photo: X/HaggerDarren
India

Indian doctor suspended, charged after allegedly assaulting patient

Dr Raghav Narula is accused of speaking disrespectfully to a patient at a hospital in Shimla, but has denied wrongdoing in the confrontation.

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World of performing arts

Meet the Korean viral ‘dancing conductor’ who says he’s not actually dancing

Some conductors are visibly moved by the music, but Korean maestro Baek Yoon-hak takes that concept a step or two further.

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Trending in China

Japanese tourist in China gets extreme kindness after car crash, changes perceptions

Amid Sino-Japanese tensions, woman describes treatment she received as ‘incredibly warm, genuine and professional’.

A Japanese tourist in Beijing has expressed gratitude after she received extraordinary kindness following a car accident. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock/X.com
Japan

Japan girl pop star comes out as transmasculine non-binary after breast removal

20-year-old rapper says being born, raised a woman caused her ‘deep discomfort’; hopes operation can ‘shine a light’, divides online opinion.

Chinese Basketball Association

Pair arrested for faking AI video featuring China women’s basketball star Wang

Two 32-year-old suspects, surnamed Lin and Chen, detained over video using images and manipulated voice of Wang Siyu, head coach Gong Luming.

Thailand

Bangkok puppy yoga studio offers comfort and stress relief for US$60 per session

Studio collaborates with local dog shelters and breeders, showcasing breeds such as Samoyeds, golden retrievers, and huskies.

A puppy yoga studio in Bangkok offers visitors comfort and stress relief for US$60 for each one-hour session. Photo: RedNote
Hong Kong healthcare and hospitals

Hong Kong teaching hospital investigates staff over viral ‘water fight’ video

Queen Mary Hospital vows disciplinary action after staff caught on video using syringes as ‘water pistols’ inside a ward.

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Queen Mary Hospital has pledged to take disciplinary measures. Photo: Winson Wong
Japan

Japan social worker opens ‘It is OK to be useless’ bar to relieve daily pressure

Fish Akiko grew up with a chauvinistic father; she is determined not to replicate her mother’s sacrifices.

Turkey

Turkish court rules man liking women’s posts may erode marital trust, prompts debate

Judges rule against husband who ogled at ‘seductive’ and ‘suggestive’ photos of women online; lawyers say actions may be grounds for divorce.

United States

‘The wheels fell off’: Coldplay kiss cam woman breaks silence

Kristin Cabot shares the fallout, online hate, and life after her viral jumbotron embrace with ex-Astronomer CEO Andy Byron.

Kristin Cabot says she was doxxed and threatened after the video of her, and her former CEO hugging on a video screen went viral. Photo: Handout
Malaysia

‘Was he the Hulk?’: Malaysian officer goes viral after ripping off car door

The officer became an unlikely internet sensation when a dashcam video showed him ripping apart a suspect’s car door ‘like a banana leaf’.

A Malaysian police officer is seen wrenching a suspect’s car door open with his bare hands in a dashcam video that has gone viral. Photo: TikTok/Mazmar93
Japan

Japan city launches edible-looking boot souvenirs just like Taiwan braised pork rice

‘Mysterious’ footwear fashion item crafted to look identical to iconic dish takes culinary craftsmanship to a new level; includes ‘soft-boiled egg’.

Malaysia

Paws for thought: Malaysian mall reverses pet-friendly policy after uproar

The reversal comes after videos of a dog being wheeled through the mall in a trolley stirred anger in the Muslim-majority country.

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