US tenor Christopher Macchio booked for Xi-Trump state dinner performance

South China Morning Post - Sep 24, 2026

American tenor Christopher Macchio will perform at the White House banquet for Chinese President Xi Jinping during his first state visit to the United States in more than a decade. “An honour to return to Washington DC to perform for the State Dinner with Donald Trump (originally @realDonaldTrump) and President Xi,” Macchio said on social media, tagging the official accounts of Trump, the White House, and the Trump campaign. Often referred to as “America’s Tenor”, Macchio is a...

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Traffic eases on 1st night of Chuseok as people head home

Traffic eases on 1st night of Chuseok as people head home

Traffic congestion on Korean highways eased Thursday evening as people headed to their hometowns to reunite with family on the first day of the Chuseok holiday period. This year's holiday period marking the fall harvest runs from Thursday to Sunday. Traditionally, Koreans return to their hometowns during Chuseok to reunite with family members and pay respects at their ancestors' graves. As of 7 p.m., travel time from Seoul to Busan was estimated at four hours and 40 minutes, three hours and 30 minutes to Daegu, three hours and 20 minutes to Gwangju, and three hours and 10 minutes to Daejeon, the Korea Expressway Corp. (KEC) said. Travel time to Seoul was estimated to take four hours and 30 minutes from Busan, three hours and 30 minutes from Daegu, three hours and 20 minutes from Gwangju, and one hour and 30 minutes from Daejeon, according to the KEC. An estimated 6.16 million vehicles were expected to be on the road nationwide Thursday, including about 510,000 cars departing the greater Seoul area and 380,000 vehicles heading toward the capital from other regions.

Russia invites N. Korean leader to visit: TASS

Russia invites N. Korean leader to visit: TASS

Russia has invited North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to visit the country, a Russian deputy foreign minister said, according to the TASS news agency Thursday. Details of the visit have not yet been determined, and the schedule is still being discussed. Pyongyang and Moscow have deepened their alignment since North Korea deployed troops to support Russia's war against Ukraine.

Private jet flap scare triggers ‘local standby’ at Hong Kong airport

Private jet flap scare triggers ‘local standby’ at Hong Kong airport

A mechanical fault on a private jet triggered a precautionary “local standby” at Hong Kong’s airport on Thursday, with the aircraft later landing safely. The Gulfstream G650 reported a flap problem at around 5.21pm, with an estimated time of arrival of 5.53pm, prompting the Fire Services Department and other airport rescue units to deploy personnel to strategic positions along the runway in readiness for immediate assistance. An ambulance was also dispatched as part of the initial emergency...

Xi-Trump summit day 1 highlights: red carpet for China’s leader, Rubio defends visit, and more

Xi-Trump summit day 1 highlights: red carpet for China’s leader, Rubio defends visit, and more

We have put together stories from our coverage of Xi and Trump’s meeting in the US so far. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Big picture or big deals? What the Xi-Trump summit holds for China and the US With the balance of power shifting between the US and China, the success of this week’s summit hinges not on headline-grabbing deals, but on practical, cautious consensus under a new strategic stability framework, according to Chinese researchers. 2....

First lady Peng Liyuan’s English takes the spotlight in exchange with Melania Trump

First lady Peng Liyuan’s English takes the spotlight in exchange with Melania Trump

China’s first lady Peng Liyuan has sparked online buzz over her English-language exchanges with the US first lady without an interpreter during her visit to Washington with President Xi Jinping this week. On Wednesday, US President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump greeted Xi and Peng at Joint Base Andrews in a rare diplomatic move. After Xi and Peng stepped off the plane, the two couples spoke with the help of interpreters. But as they walked along the red carpet, Peng and Melania...

Hong Kong authorities won’t appeal court halt to 12,000-flat project on golf course

Hong Kong authorities won’t appeal court halt to 12,000-flat project on golf course

Plans to build 12,000 public flats on part of Hong Kong’s oldest golf course have been thrown into serious doubt after the government chose not to appeal a court’s decision to uphold a ruling revoking the project’s environmental approval. Authorities said on Thursday that they had decided against appealing after “holistically” considering legal advice following the Court of Appeal’s decision to uphold the overturning of conditional approval for the construction of 12,000 flats on part of the...

From 'Love Alarm' to 'Start-Up,' beloved K-drama pairings reunite years later

From 'Love Alarm' to 'Start-Up,' beloved K-drama pairings reunite years later

Some of K-drama's most memorable pairings are getting another chance to share the screen, years after their romances first captivated viewers. From Song Kang and Kim So-hyun of "Love Alarm" to Suzy and Kim Seon-ho of "Start-Up," actors who once generated buzz with their romantic chemistry are reuniting in a string of new projects — sometimes in relationships dramatically different from the ones fans remember. The reunions come anywhere from four to about 10 years after the stars first worked together, bringing nostalgia as well as curiosity over how their chemistry may have changed. Song Kang and Kim So-hyun reunite 5 years after 'Love Alarm' Song Kang and Kim So-hyun are set to reunite in MBC's upcoming drama "White Scandal," five years after the Netflix series "Love Alarm." Based on a webtoon of the same name, "White Scandal" follows Dan Yi-hyuk, played by Song, a third-generation chaebol heir who does not want to inherit his family's business empire, and Ji Eun-seol, played by Kim, a former child star whose career has fallen apart. The two enter a fake relationship to deceive the pub

From 'M' to 'Infinite Challenge': Korea's nostalgia revival takes over streaming

From 'M' to 'Infinite Challenge': Korea's nostalgia revival takes over streaming

In 1994, Korean television history was rewritten when the legendary horror drama "M" hit the airwaves, eventually peaking at a staggering 52.2 percent viewership rating. Starring iconic actor Shim Eun-ha, the series mesmerized the nation with a groundbreaking visual feat in the ominous glowing green eyes of its possessed protagonist, marking one of Korean television’s earliest uses of computer-generated special effects. Beyond its chilling aesthetic, "M" sent shockwaves through society by tackling the deeply sensitive and taboo subject of abortion, framed through a dark supernatural lens. Over three decades later, that iconic green glow is coming back to life. Tving has officially announced "M: Reboot," a modernized psychological horror thriller that revives the core identity of the 1994 classic while reframing it for contemporary audiences. The original's narrative centered heavily around demonic possession and the social taboo of abortion, with Ma-ri (Shim) possessed by the soul of an aborted fetus seeking vengeance in a supernatural medical horror with a clear social message. The new

Korean film 'The Assassin(s)' on track to lead box office during Chuseok holiday

Korean film 'The Assassin(s)' on track to lead box office during Chuseok holiday

The Korean historical thriller "The Assassins(s)" is poised to lead the local box office during the Chuseok holiday amid a slate of films seeking to bank on holiday moviegoers. The film, starring Yoo Hae-jin, Park Hae-il and Lee Min-ho, accounted for 31 percent of advance ticket sales as of 2 p.m. Wednesday, with more than 238,000 tickets sold, according to the data by the Korean Film Council. Directed by Hur Jin-ho, the film was inspired by the 1974 assassination attempt on then South Korean President Park Chung-hee, which resulted in the death of the first lady. The shooting remains one of the most shocking events in the country's tumultuous modern history. The global megahit "The Odyssey," which ranked No. 2, accounted for 17.1 percent of pre-ticket sales. The Christopher Nolan film has amassed more than 11.2 million admissions here since its release in August to become the second most-watched film at Korean theaters this year, only after the Korean historical drama "The King's Warden." Advance ticket sales for the Korean film "Tazza: Song of Beelzebub," the final sequel of the long-ru

Traffic clogged on highways as people travel for Chuseok

Traffic clogged on highways as people travel for Chuseok

Sections of expressways across Korea were congested Thursday as people headed to their hometowns for family reunions on the first day of the Chuseok holiday period. This year's holiday period marking the fall harvest runs from Thursday to Sunday. Traditionally, Koreans return to their hometowns during Chuseok to reunite with family members and pay respects at their ancestors' graves. As of 2 p.m., travel time from Seoul to Busan was estimated at six hours and 40 minutes, five hours and 40 minutes to Daegu, five hours and 30 minutes to Gwangju, and three hours and 10 minutes to Daejeon, the Korea Expressway Corp. (KEC) said. Travel time to Seoul was estimated to take five hours from Busan, four hours from Daegu, three hours and 20 minutes from Gwangju, and two hours and 10 minutes from Daejeon, according to the KEC. An estimated 6.16 million vehicles were expected to be on the road nationwide Thursday, including about 510,000 cars departing the greater Seoul area and 380,000 vehicles heading toward the capital from other regions.

Summits for all diplomatic seasons: how the US has set the stage for Xi Jinping

Summits for all diplomatic seasons: how the US has set the stage for Xi Jinping

Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to the US is his first to the country since 2023 and his eighth face-to-face meeting with Donald Trump. From informal walk-and-talks to a state dinner, Xi’s meetings across four American administrations show how personal rapport and official diplomacy reflect the growing complexity of US-China relations. Xi’s first US visit as president: a shirtsleeves summit In June 2013, just months after assuming the presidency, Xi travelled to the United States following...

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