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World War II

World War II, or the Second World War, was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies and the Axis powers. Nearly all of the world's countries participated.

Forensic doctor Daniel Munoz shows the skull of Nazi war criminal Josef Mengele at the school of medicine of Sao Paulo University in Brazil in December 2016. Photo: AP

Switzerland

‘Angel of Death’: Switzerland publishes 200-page dossier on Nazi doctor

The war criminal was infamous for carrying out horrific medical experiments on inmates at Auschwitz.

11 Sep 2026 - 2:37AMvideocam

China-Japan relations

Chinese translation of Tokyo war trial records fill ‘critical gap’: state media

26 Jun 2026 - 6:04PMvideocam

Ukraine war

Poland’s president strips Ukraine’s Zelensky of top award

20 Jun 2026 - 2:51PM

US-China relations

How a US prosecutor’s private diaries documented Nanking Massacre evidence

Disclosure came ahead of Donald Trump’s high-stakes visit to China and amid Japan’s recent attempts to erode lessons of post-WWII tribunal.

10 Jun 2026 - 9:45AMvideocam

Japan

Japan’s new spy agency: a shield against China or ‘militarist surveillance’?

Japan has not had a centralised intelligence service since World War II. Sanae Takaichi wants to change that.

12 May 2026 - 3:40PMvideocam

China-Japan relations

China condemns Japan’s first overseas ‘offensive missile’ test since WWII

Beijing says Japan’s ‘neo-militarism’ is a ‘scourge’ that threatens regional peace and stability.

6 May 2026 - 9:48PMvideocam

Science

China’s new marine buoy says goodbye to classic Western design used since WWII

First-of-its-kind intelligent ocean-observation buoy with disc-shaped side anchor solves ‘tangling nightmare’ of traditional structures.

6 May 2026 - 6:56PMvideocam

The platform has officially joined the Yellow Sea observation network. Photo: Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Food and Drinks

Spam musubi? How American flavours were absorbed and adapted in Okinawa

Okinawa’s post-war food story is a delicious blend of American ingredients given a Japanese spin – think taco rice and Spam musubi.

4 May 2026 - 10:23AMvideocam

Hong Kong culture

On This Day | In 1946, Hong Kong’s governor Sir Mark Young returns after WWII – SCMP archive

On this day 80 years ago, Sir Mark Young returned to Hong Kong after being a prisoner of war during the Japanese occupation.

30 Apr 2026 - 6:45PM

Taiwan

Is it wrong to show Taiwan officers a WWII film about KMT forces fighting Japan?

Battalion commander’s screening stirs debate over Beijing’s state-led messaging to sway opinions on the self-ruled island.

28 Apr 2026 - 8:40PMvideocam

Wellington Koo, Taiwan’s defence minister, has pledged a review of the island’s oversight mechanisms, including stricter vetting of teaching materials. Photo: Reuters

Japan

Solomon Islands residents live in fear of WWII bomb explosions

With more people on the islands killed or injured due to the munitions, a UN team calls for international efforts to remove the danger.

3 Apr 2026 - 6:15PM

Billy, a resident of the village of Yandina in Russell Islands, Solomon Islands, sits next to unexploded munitions near his home. Photo: UNDP Pacific Office/Christopher Teasdale

The Philippines

250 men went down with a WWII ‘hell ship’. Now the US is coming back for them

Eight decades after the Oryoku Maru was sunk by American bombs, specialist divers are returning to retrieve the 250 men still trapped inside.

13 Mar 2026 - 11:38AM

Japan

Japan set to revive WWII military titles in controversial shift

While some argue the change aligns Japan with global norms, others say better pay – not historical titles – is what soldiers really need.

3 Feb 2026 - 5:27PM

Japan

Japan weighs disturbing grave of over 700 children to recover WWII relics

A US submarine attack in 1944 claimed 1,484 lives, and officials are now consulting families on whether to raise artefacts or let them lie.

20 Jan 2026 - 5:01PM

The Tsushima Maru, a Japanese vessel carrying more than 1,700 civilian evacuees, including schoolchildren, was en route to Nagasaki on August 22, 1944, when it was sunk by a US submarine. Photo: Handout

China-Japan relations

Why Chinese victims of Japan’s WWII bio-warfare are still waiting for justice

Dark chapter’s telling complicated by Tokyo’s official denials, Washington’s immunity deals and Beijing’s shifting diplomatic priorities.

28 Dec 2025 - 12:00PM

Chinese journalist Nan Xianghong interviews a resident of Chongshan village in Zhejiang province, who recounts witnessing Japanese soldiers performing vivisections on plague victims during World War II. Photo: Handout

Hong Kong society

WWII bomb in Hong Kong’s Quarry Bay linked to US military air strike: experts

Bomb’s explosive power ‘practically intact’ because of high production standards, military historian says.

22 Sep 2025 - 3:35PM

China-Russia relations

Why some Chinese academics say it’s time to rethink WWII history

The ‘Western-centric’ view of events plays down the role of Chinese forces in defeating fascism, one observer says.

9 May 2025 - 11:34AMvideocam

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World War II

‘Angel of Death’: Switzerland publishes 200-page dossier on Nazi doctor

The war criminal was infamous for carrying out horrific medical experiments on inmates at Auschwitz.

Chinese translation of Tokyo war trial records fill ‘critical gap’: state media

Poland’s president strips Ukraine’s Zelensky of top award

How a US prosecutor’s private diaries documented Nanking Massacre evidence

Disclosure came ahead of Donald Trump’s high-stakes visit to China and amid Japan’s recent attempts to erode lessons of post-WWII tribunal.

Japan’s new spy agency: a shield against China or ‘militarist surveillance’?

Japan has not had a centralised intelligence service since World War II. Sanae Takaichi wants to change that.

China condemns Japan’s first overseas ‘offensive missile’ test since WWII

Beijing says Japan’s ‘neo-militarism’ is a ‘scourge’ that threatens regional peace and stability.

China’s new marine buoy says goodbye to classic Western design used since WWII

First-of-its-kind intelligent ocean-observation buoy with disc-shaped side anchor solves ‘tangling nightmare’ of traditional structures.

Spam musubi? How American flavours were absorbed and adapted in Okinawa

Okinawa’s post-war food story is a delicious blend of American ingredients given a Japanese spin – think taco rice and Spam musubi.

.css-1f6sr3w{color:#727272;}On This Day | In 1946, Hong Kong’s governor Sir Mark Young returns after WWII – SCMP archive

On this day 80 years ago, Sir Mark Young returned to Hong Kong after being a prisoner of war during the Japanese occupation.

Is it wrong to show Taiwan officers a WWII film about KMT forces fighting Japan?

Battalion commander’s screening stirs debate over Beijing’s state-led messaging to sway opinions on the self-ruled island.

Solomon Islands residents live in fear of WWII bomb explosions

With more people on the islands killed or injured due to the munitions, a UN team calls for international efforts to remove the danger.

250 men went down with a WWII ‘hell ship’. Now the US is coming back for them

Eight decades after the Oryoku Maru was sunk by American bombs, specialist divers are returning to retrieve the 250 men still trapped inside.

Japan set to revive WWII military titles in controversial shift

While some argue the change aligns Japan with global norms, others say better pay – not historical titles – is what soldiers really need.

Japan weighs disturbing grave of over 700 children to recover WWII relics

A US submarine attack in 1944 claimed 1,484 lives, and officials are now consulting families on whether to raise artefacts or let them lie.

Why Chinese victims of Japan’s WWII bio-warfare are still waiting for justice

Dark chapter’s telling complicated by Tokyo’s official denials, Washington’s immunity deals and Beijing’s shifting diplomatic priorities.

WWII bomb in Hong Kong’s Quarry Bay linked to US military air strike: experts

Bomb’s explosive power ‘practically intact’ because of high production standards, military historian says.

Why some Chinese academics say it’s time to rethink WWII history

The ‘Western-centric’ view of events plays down the role of Chinese forces in defeating fascism, one observer says.

On This Day | In 1946, Hong Kong’s governor Sir Mark Young returns after WWII – SCMP archive