Latest news with #TheSouthChinaMorningPost
News18
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- News18
Dad Spends Rs 6 Crore To Show Off Son's ‘Adorable' Pics, He Calls It ‘Embarrassing'
Last Updated: Yu-kun's father, who runs a real estate company in Tokyo, launched what may be the most elaborate parental tribute in modern marketing history. In a corner of Japan's Tokyo, the face of a 16-year-old boy is more recognisable than any local politician or pop idol. His image beams down from footbridges, goes by on buses, and greets commuters at convenience stores. This isn't a case of early stardom or teenage fame. It is the result of one father's very public, very expensive and slightly awkward declaration of love. Meet Yu-kun, now known across the Adachi area as 'The Landmark Kid." Yu-kun's father, who runs a real estate company in Tokyo, launched what may be the most elaborate parental tribute in modern marketing history. He spent 100 million yen (almost Rs 6 crore) to display his son's childhood photos across the city. 'My son was just too adorable when he was little. I thought all of Tokyo should know," he told The South China Morning Post. And Tokyo certainly does. The streets are now dotted with over 10 different versions of advertisements featuring Yu-kun's baby faces. They range from cute grins to full-on toddler meltdowns. The most iconic one is a two-metre-tall poster of Yu-kun crying, face contorted in shock and tears, after being startled by a street performer. It is placed right at the entrance of an underground station, making sure thousands see it daily. While his father is clearly proud, the teenage boy is a little less enthusiastic. 'I do not like it. I really do not," Yu-kun said. 'If you really think I am that cute, why not just transfer that 100 million yen into my bank account?" His frustration is understandable. Yu-kun never signed up for this level of exposure. He is not a child model or a celebrity, but only the son of a man who thought his kid was too cute. 'People might not recognise my baby photos, but now that I am older, it is just embarrassing," Yu-kun added. The campaign started with his father collecting funny and sweet pictures of his son since early childhood. Over time, that private collection morphed into a public campaign. He decided the best way to celebrate his son's cuteness and promote his real estate business was to merge the two. Yu-kun's photos now share space with slogans and logos promoting his father's company. His father continues to commission professional photographers to take new portraits of his son, intending to use them for upcoming property launches.
Mint
04-06-2025
- Business
- Mint
Company earns ₹44 lakh from ‘desperate' parents for fake kids' fashion show, uses luxury brand names like Dior, Gucci
A Chinese company has been running fake children's fashion shows under the name Paris Kids Fashion Week. Since 2020, it tricked many parents by claiming links with Paris Fashion Week. It also used images of The Louvre and luxury brand names like Dior and Gucci. The company charged 6,000 yuan ( ₹ 71,000) per child to walk the ramp and even organised events where parents joined their kids. It collected 367,000 yuan ( ₹ 44 lakh) from parents as registration fees. The scam ran shows in Shanghai, Paris and Toronto, The South China Morning Post reported. The Shanghai Market Regulatory Bureau confirmed it was a fraud after Gucci's office had complained in 2023. The firm had also used fake logos like Gucc100 and Gucc101. The company has now been fined 600,000 yuan ( ₹ 71 lakh). During the investigation, a staff member revealed the company charged over 10,000 yuan ( ₹ 1.20 lakh approx) for each costume children wore. But, many of those clothes were fake, SCMP added. The owner, Huang, admitted buying fake clothes online but said they were only used for photo shoots, not sold. Still, the authorities found this was trademark misuse. A legal officer in Shanghai said this wasn't the first time the company was fined, yet it didn't stop. Their social media pages still remain active. When dug further, we found such social media pages on platforms like Instagram and Facebook. However, the pages had very little engagement. The last posts on those pages were shared back in 2023. The South China Morning Post shared how Chinese social media users reacted to the scam. 'Such phenomena are quite common these days. Many art and sports training centres also charge parents a big sum of money to send their kids to unauthorised contests,' wrote one user.
Mint
04-06-2025
- Business
- Mint
Company earns ₹44 lakh from ‘desperate' parents for fake kids' fashion show, uses luxury brand names like Dior, Gucci
A Chinese company has been running fake children's fashion shows under the name Paris Kids Fashion Week. Since 2020, it tricked many parents by claiming links with Paris Fashion Week. It also used images of The Louvre and luxury brand names like Dior and Gucci. The company charged 6,000 yuan ( ₹ 71,000) per child to walk the ramp and even organised events where parents joined their kids. It collected 367,000 yuan ( ₹ 44 lakh) from parents as registration fees. The scam ran shows in Shanghai, Paris and Toronto, The South China Morning Post reported. The Shanghai Market Regulatory Bureau confirmed it was a fraud after Gucci's office had complained in 2023. The firm had also used fake logos like Gucc100 and Gucc101. The company has now been fined 600,000 yuan ( ₹ 71 lakh). During the investigation, a staff member revealed the company charged over 10,000 yuan ( ₹ 1.20 lakh approx) for each costume children wore. But, many of those clothes were fake, SCMP added. The owner, Huang, admitted buying fake clothes online but said they were only used for photo shoots, not sold. Still, the authorities found this was trademark misuse. A legal officer in Shanghai said this wasn't the first time the company was fined, yet it didn't stop. Their social media pages still remain active. When digged further, we found such social media pages on platforms like Instagram and Facebook. However, the pages had very little engagement. The last posts on those pages were shared back in 2023. The South China Morning Post shared how Chinese social media users reacted to the scam. 'Such phenomena are quite common these days. Many art and sports training centres also charge parents a big sum of money to send their kids to unauthorised contests,' wrote one user. 'The company was exploiting the desperate need of parents to make their kids successful and famous,' came from another.
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Business Standard
19-05-2025
- General
- Business Standard
2,300-yr-old silk manuscripts finally return to China after 79 years in US
Two volumes of the 2,300-year-old Zidanku Silk Manuscripts arrived in Beijing from the United States in the early hours of Sunday, marking the end of a 79-year journey abroad, reported The South China Morning Post. Volumes II and III of the ancient silk texts, which date back to around 300 BC during China's Warring States Period, were returned by the National Museum of Asian Art, part of the Smithsonian Institution. They are considered the oldest known silk books discovered in China and are over a century older than the Dead Sea Scrolls. The manuscripts were unearthed in 1942 from a tomb in Zidanku, Changsha, in central China. They were first acquired by a Chinese collector and later smuggled out of the country in 1946 by American collector John Hadley Cox. The fragments were gifted to the Smithsonian in 1992. Volume I of the three-volume set remains with the privately held Arthur M Sackler Foundation. Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported that efforts are ongoing to facilitate its return. China's ambassador to the US, Xie Feng, said the manuscripts' return represents a significant moment in China-US cultural cooperation. 'The return of the Zidanku manuscripts reflects a national revival, as lost treasures of Chinese civilisation make their way home,' he said. Cultural relics reflect the splendor of civilization, preserve the legacy of history, and uphold the spirit of the nation. Each artifact carries the spirit and lineage of a nation, touching the hearts of all Chinese people. I'm so delighted to witness the return of the Zidanku… — Xie Feng 谢锋 (@AmbXieFeng) May 17, 2025 According to Xie, around 600 artefacts have been returned to China from the US, including more than 40 this year. Experts believe the silk manuscripts contain ritual or divinatory texts, possibly linked to mythical figures such as Fuxi and Nuwa. They are seen as key sources for the study of early Chinese religion, cosmology, and intellectual history. Li Ling, professor in the Chinese department at Peking University, told CCTV that the Zidanku manuscripts are culturally comparable to the Dead Sea Scrolls. 'They speak to our ancient knowledge systems, our understanding of the cosmos, and the details of everyday life,' he said. The two returned volumes will go on public display in July at the National Museum of China in Beijing.
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Business Standard
12-05-2025
- Science
- Business Standard
China boosts Xinjiang rainfall using 1 kg silver iodide and cloud drones
Chinese scientists used cloud seeding drones and just 1 kg of silver iodide to add over 70000 cubic metres of rainfall in Xinjiang enough to fill 30 Olympic-sized swimming pools Boris Pradhan New Delhi China boosts Xinjiang rainfall using 1 kg silver iodide and cloud drones Boris Pradhan New Delhi Chinese scientists have successfully boosted rainfall by over 4 per cent in Xinjiang using a fleet of cloud seeding drones, The South China Morning Post reported on Monday. The researchers have published the findings from a weather modification experiment in Xinjiang, a dry region in western China, in a peer-reviewed paper. Using a fleet of cloud seeding drones, the operation boosted rainfall by more than 4 per cent across an area exceeding 8,000 sq km in a single day, according to the team led by Li Bin, a senior engineer at the China Meteorological Administration (CMA). The effort produced over 70,000 cubic metres of extra rainfall — enough to fill 30 Olympic-sized swimming pools at 2 metres deep — by deploying just 1 kg of silver iodide, a common cloud-seeding substance. This amount of powder, which is six times denser than water, is small enough to fit in a travel mug. The CMA's key laboratory for cloud-precipitation physics and weather modification in Beijing conducted the test, described in a peer-reviewed paper published in the Chinese-language journal Desert and Oasis Meteorology on 10 April. What is cloud seeding? Cloud seeding is a method of weather modification aimed at increasing rainfall by dispersing substances into the atmosphere that encourage cloud saturation. The process begins with identifying suitable clouds using weather data and tools like aircraft or ground-based systems. Once identified, substances known as seeding agents are released into these clouds. These agents help form larger water droplets by acting as nuclei, eventually resulting in enhanced precipitation. Common seeding materials include salts like silver iodide, potassium iodide, sodium chloride and dry ice (solid carbon dioxide). These compounds serve as the "seeds" around which moisture in the cloud condenses, promoting the development of raindrops. Cloud seeding not feasible in Delhi: CPCB Last year, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) stated that the feasibility of cloud seeding as an emergency measure to fight Delhi's severe air pollution crisis would be limited. The CPCB has stated that cloud seeding faces significant challenges due to insufficient moisture in the air and the dependency on pre-existing clouds influenced by Western Disturbances. Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai had floated the idea several times to his Union counterpart Bhupender Yadav. The CPCB shared its observations on a cloud seeding proposal by IIT Kanpur. The information was shared in response to a Right to Information query filed by activist Amit Gupta.
