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Germany’s Merz meets China’s tech vanguard, including...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/27

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz visited China’s eastern tech hub of Hangzhou on Thursday and met leading figures including those from Alibaba Group Holding and Unitree Robotics, signalling growing international recognition of the country’s robotics and artificial intelligence technologies. Merz had lunch and took group photos with local entrepreneurs, including Alibaba CEO Eddie Wu Yongming and Unitree founder and CEO Wang Xingxing, according to a social media account run by Chinese state...

When did our ancient ancestor Homo erectus first...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/27

A direct ancestor of modern humans may have arrived in China much earlier than previously thought, according to a study that may rewrite our understanding of how early hominin species spread around the world. An analysis of Homo erectus fossils found in modern-day Hubei province using new techniques concluded that the remains were almost 1.8 million years old – pushing back their arrival date by around 600,000 years and suggesting the species may have spread across continents earlier and more...

Japan trans woman, 64, enjoys slow-paced life with...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/27

A 64-year-old trans woman in eastern Japan is embracing a quiet, slow-burn romance with a boyfriend 22 years her senior, often showing up to dates in princess dresses. Kuboyama, a retired information technology (IT) engineer from Kawasaki City who also goes by the name Catherine, was once known for her handsome looks and high-paying job before the sex reassignment surgery, TV Tokyo reported. She says she was drawn to women’s clothes and make-up from childhood and felt little interest in...

Indonesia’s bid to execute 6 cargo ship crew in drug...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/27

When 22-year-old Fandi Ramadhan phoned home from detention last May, he told his mother he had no idea drugs were aboard the ship he had just started working on as an engine-room oiler. Indonesian prosecutors, however, allege he knew about the illicit cargo and are now seeking the death penalty for him and five other crew members of the Thai-flagged vessel Sea Dragon, after authorities said they found nearly two tonnes of methamphetamines on board in what officials called the largest drug...

Starmer reels as Greens seize Labour stronghold in UK...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/27

Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour Party suffered an embarrassing election defeat on Friday in an area of Greater Manchester that it had dominated for almost a century, a loss that underscores the breakdown of Britain’s two-party ‌politics. The loss of one of Labour’s safest seats, in the biggest electoral test in almost a year, puts further pressure on Starmer to prove that he should keep his job following weeks of political turmoil and calls for him to resign. The left-wing Green Party’s...

Thailand eyes US$1 billion bounce from Tomorrowland...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/27

Thailand is eyeing a billion-dollar tourist bounce over the next five years from hosting Tomorrowland, which makes its Asia debut in December 2026. Some 150,000 young ravers are expected to flood the resort city of Pattaya for the world’s largest electronic music festival. Long a touchstone of global tourism, the country has seen its popularity wane in recent years as a strong baht deters some travellers while regional rivals Vietnam and Malaysia eat into its market share. To reverse the

New show to replace ‘A Symphony of Lights’ at tourist...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/27

A new light show to replace Hong Kong’s 22-year-old “A Symphony of Lights” will be launched in various sightseeing spots, such as The Peak, as early as the second half of this year, the city’s tourism minister has said. Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Rosanna Law Shuk-pui also said on Friday that the new show would build on last year’s “Immersive Light Show in Central”, which featured dynamic 3D projections and adaptable themes. According to the budget unveiled on Wednesday, the

Chinese regions cut growth targets for 2026

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/27

Twenty-one of China’s 31 provincial-level regions have set lower annual growth targets ahead of the unveiling of the national goal on March 5. Guangdong, the most populous region, cut its target for 2026 to a range of 4.5 per cent to 5 per cent, versus “around 5 per cent” last year. Tianjin, Hebei and Shanxi are also among provinces with lower economic targets. Jiangxi is the only region with an increase. The national goal may be reduced to 4.5 per cent to 5 per cent from “around 5 per cent”,...

Gloomy weekend forecast for Hong Kong, with showers...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/27

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Get faster notifications on the latest updates by downloading our app. Hong Kong can expect gloomy weather and occasional rain this weekend, with showers persisting into next week, according to the city’s weather forecaster. The Observatory said on Friday that, under the influence of a broad low-pressure trough, there would be a few showers on Saturday,...

Trump puts fate of world’s top conflicts in hands of...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/27

US President Donald Trump put his son-in-law Jared Kushner and long-time friend Steve Witkoff in charge of resolving the war in Ukraine and a stand-off with Iran. On Thursday, they juggled those momentous issues within hours of each other. Dispatched to Geneva, Switzerland, Kushner and Witkoff met Iranian officials at the Omani ambassador’s residence in a bid to seal a deal over Tehran’s nuclear programme and avoid what could be a massive strike by US and Israeli forces. Hours later, they...

Chinese tourists flock to Seoul, child shoved in...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/27

We have selected seven stories from this week’s news across Hong Kong, mainland China, the wider Asia region and beyond that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Is China flexing its intelligence muscle by tracking US military moves near Iran? A Chinese private company has drawn the attention of security watchers after detailing US military deployments near Iran, a move experts say

US military laser shoots down government drone in...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/27

The US military shot down a government drone with a laser-based anti-drone system, an accident that prompted the Federal Aviation Administration to bar flights on Thursday in an area around Fort Hancock, Texas, congressional aides told Reuters. Congressional aides told Reuters the Pentagon used the high-energy laser system to shoot down a Customs and Border Protection drone near the Mexican border, in an area ‌that often has incursions from Mexican drones used by drug cartels. The Pentagon,...

Panama raids CK Hutchison subsidiary office, days...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/27

Panamanian authorities have reportedly raided the office of a subsidiary of Hong Kong conglomerate CK Hutchison Holdings that previously operated two ports at either end of the country’s canal, days after the terminals were taken over against the company’s will. According to Panamanian media on Thursday, local authorities had searched the office of the Panama Ports Company, which operated the Balboa and Cristobal ports until this week. Boxes of documents were seen being taken away during the...

Pertamina corruption trial: 9 jailed in Indonesia...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/27

An Indonesian court has jailed nine people in a major corruption case involving subsidiaries of state energy firm Pertamina, including two former chief executives of its units, which prosecutors say caused US$17 billion in state losses. The case, which centres on alleged illegal leasing of a fuel terminal and illegal imports of crude oil, among other offences, is one of the biggest launched under the administration of President Prabowo Subianto, who has vowed to eradicate corruption. The nine...

Legendary Hong Kong actor Ng Man-tat dies at 70 in...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/27

This article was first published on February 27, 2021. By Phila Siu Legendary Hong Kong actor Ng Man-tat, best known for co-starring alongside “king of comedy” Stephen Chow Sing-chi in many popular films, died on Saturday afternoon of liver cancer. He was 70. Ng’s friend, Tenky Tin Kai-man, chairman of the Federation of Hong Kong Filmmakers, said the famous actor died peacefully at Tai Wai’s Union Hospital at 5.16pm, accompanied by his children and wife. “He left peacefully,” Tin said at the...

Indian tycoon Anil Ambani’s US$410 million building...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/27

Indian investigators have seized a US$410 million luxury condominium building owned by Anil Ambani as part of a widening investigation into alleged bank fraud by the tycoon. The Enforcement Directorate, India’s anti-money-laundering agency, said on Wednesday that it had provisionally taken Ambani’s 17-storey property, known as “Abode,” in the upscale Pali Hill neighbourhood. The agency alleged Ambani had defaulted on over 400 billion rupees (US$4.4 billion) worth of loans from Indian and

What does Taiwanese leader William Lai’s rare...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/27

Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te’s rare reference to “mainland China” signals caution ahead of a highly anticipated Xi-Trump summit, according to analysts who say it is premature to declare a shift in his cross-strait policy. Addressing a group of Taiwanese businesspeople operating on the mainland on Tuesday, Lai used the term “mainland China” multiple times, contrasting with his frequent use of “China” in major speeches since his 2024 inauguration as the self-ruled island’s

Which Hong Kong government departments get budget...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/27

Hong Kong’s innovation and technology (I&T), intellectual property and investment promotion departments will receive budget increases of at least 10 per cent in the coming financial year, even as the government moves to curb recurrent spending, while the environmental branch and public broadcaster face sharp cuts of 70 and 28 per cent, respectively. The Home and Youth Affairs Bureau will expand its civil service workforce by 16 per cent in 2026-27 – the largest increase among all departments

Europe is ready for strategic autonomy, but at what...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/27

This year’s Munich Security Conference arrived as less of a shock to Europeans, who have largely accepted that the good old days are gone for good. A few might still have got teary-eyed when US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described America as eternally “the child of Europe”, but most in the audience understood the underlying message: “You are on your own now, Granny.” The difference between Rubio’s more measured phrasing and Vice-President J.D. Vance’s blunt remarks last year is largely a...

China zoo uses old videos of dead tiger cub to seek...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/27

A Chinese zoo has been accused of using old videos of a tiger cub to attract donations after she died, triggering public controversy. The Puyang Central Zoo, a privately run zoo in Puyang city in central China’s Henan province, was reported to have been using old videos of a dead tiger cub to keep tricking “sponsorship fees” from live-stream viewers. On February 10, local authorities confirmed the case and announced its decision to suspend the zoo’s operations and place its director under a...

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