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China grandma spends hell money without complaints...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/20

A video clip of a woman in her 70s using ritual hell money or toy cards to “buy” snacks at a food street in eastern China without any trouble has touched mainland Chinese internet users. The story unfolded on a food street in Zaozhuang, Shandong province where a poorly dressed grandma often uses her special currency to buy roasted chicken drumsticks, cakes and steamed stuffed buns, the local media outlet Qilu Evening News reported. On February 9, a barbecue booth owner released a video

China-Germany ties ahead of Merz’s visit

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/20

As German Chancellor Friedrich Merz prepares for his high-stakes visit to Beijing from February 24 to February 27, he faces a new reality – China has become less reliant on Germany. While China is once again Germany’s top trading partner, the relationship has become distorted by a record €89 billion (US$105.6 billion) trade deficit. China’s economic slowdown has cut demand for German exports while the German appetite for Chinese goods grows. SCMP Plus subscribers enjoy early access to

Hongkongers make 1.4 million outbound trips over...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/20

Hongkongers made more than 1.4 million outbound trips over the Lunar New Year holiday, up by about 20 per cent from 2019, while the number of arrivals over the same period remained below pre-pandemic levels. Immigration Department data released on Friday showed that from Lunar New Year’s Eve to the third day of the holiday, residents made 1.44 million trips out of the city – 20.4 per cent more than the 1.2 million recorded in the same period in 2019. By contrast, mainland Chinese visitors

Hong Kong Observatory detects tremors felt by residents

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/20

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. The Hong Kong Observatory detected locally felt tremors from a 4.0-magnitude earthquake in Guangdong province on Friday afternoon, confirming more than 100 reports from residents. The weather forecaster’s initial analysis indicated that the 4.0-magnitude earthquake occurred at 2.28pm in Guangdong’s Yangjiang, with the epicentre located about 260km (161.6...

Over 1,000 Kenyans recruited to fight for Russia in...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/20

More than 1,000 Kenyans have been recruited to fight on Russia’s side in the war in Ukraine, according to a Kenyan intelligence report presented to lawmakers this week, five times more than authorities had previously estimated. The Russian embassy in Nairobi denied on Thursday that Moscow was involved in illegally recruiting Kenyans to fight in Ukraine, though it said ‌foreign citizens could voluntarily join its armed forces. Reading the report of Kenya’s National Intelligence Service to...

The next interface race: how AI is bringing smart...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/20

The artificial intelligence boom has swept through consumer electronics – from smart wearables and AI-powered home devices to voice-interactive toys and robotic pets – but its most significant impact may be on the interface itself. Technology is moving off the screen and onto the face, with smart glasses increasingly seen as the next frontier. “The next interaction revolution will happen right in front of our eyes – driven by AI agents and the inevitable miniaturisation of hardware,” said Wu...

First royal arrest in centuries presents existential...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/20

Until Thursday morning, it had been nearly four centuries since the arrest of a senior British royal. On his 66th birthday, the late Queen Elizabeth’s favourite son was detained on suspicion of misconduct in public office. By evening, the former prince was released from police custody. But the ongoing investigation will unpick years of lurid allegations about Andrew’s ties to the disgraced US financier Jeffrey Epstein that have heaped embarrassment on his brother, King Charles. The arrest of...

Trump says Gaza war ‘is over’, but analysts warn...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/20

US President Donald Trump declared the war in Gaza “over” at his inaugural “Board of Peace” meeting on Thursday, even as regional analysts warned that Israeli military operations could resume within weeks. At the gathering in Washington, attended by senior officials from more than 20 countries, promises of reconstruction and a “bright future” for Gaza were coupled with blunt US warnings that the alternative to disarmament would be a return to war. Outside the meeting, Israeli officials...

Hong Kong airport’s Terminal 2 projected to serve 15...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/20

Hong Kong International Airport’s second terminal, set to fully open in May, is projected to serve 15 million travellers by the end of this year, with a midterm goal of increasing capacity to 30 million. The target was revealed by Rock Chen Chung-nin, lawmaker and board member of the Airport Authority, who said on Friday that the 15 airlines scheduled to operate from the terminal would primarily be budget and newer carriers flying short-haul routes. The carriers would include Hong Kong

Hong Kong public hospitals report decline in...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/20

Hong Kong’s public hospitals recorded a year-on-year decline of up to 15 per cent in the number of patients seeking emergency treatment during the first three days of the Lunar New Year holiday, following fee adjustments introduced at the start of the year. The decline was revealed on Friday by Dr Axel Siu Yuet-chung, chairman of the Hospital Authority’s coordinating committee in accident and emergency. He noted that accident and emergency departments (A&E) in public hospitals often became...

Could medical care help cure China’s services trade...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/20

Chinese demand for overseas schooling, holidays and medical treatment has contributed to a persistent deficit in the country’s services trade, but signs of a tentative counter-current are emerging as a growing stream of foreign patients heads to China. The change – modest in scale but symbolically significant – comes as China, long the world’s manufacturing powerhouse, seeks to build strength in exporting high-value services. While patients in the United States or Europe may wait months to...

Venezuela approves amnesty law that could free...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/20

Venezuela’s National Assembly on Thursday unanimously approved a long-awaited amnesty law that could free hundreds of political prisoners jailed for being government detractors. But the law excludes those who have been prosecuted or convicted of promoting military action against the country - which could include opposition leaders like Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Corina Machado, who has been accused by the ruling party of calling for international intervention like the one that ousted

Chinese EV maker Zeekr accelerates European expansion...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/20

Zeekr, the premium electric vehicle (EV) brand owned by Geely Auto, has entered the Italian market, with customer deliveries and retail openings set to follow in spring. The move is part of its broader European expansion, following the launch of sales in Germany in December last year. In partnership with local distributor Jameel Motors Italia, Zeekr began taking orders for its full model range on Thursday, according to a press release. “Italy is a key market in our European expansion, and the...

US drone presence worries China, top neuroscientist...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/20

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. Why the growing network of American MQ-9 drones is a challenge for China America’s increasing use of MQ-9 drones near China poses a challenge to Beijing and makes it more urgent for the People’s Liberation Army to improve...

Grey’s Anatomy actor Eric Dane dead at 53 after ALS...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/20

Actor Eric Dane, who played the handsome ⁠Dr Mark Sloan ⁠on the hit television ⁠series Grey’s Anatomy, died on Thursday aged 53, his family said, less than a year after revealing that he suffered from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS. For 15 years, Dane played a plastic surgeon nicknamed “McSteamy” by ‌female characters in the show. He also starred in the series Euphoria, and said after the diagnosis he would still return to the set for its third season. “Eric Dane passed on Thursday...

In China’s tight economy, a fake exam-takers scheme...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/20

In the cutthroat world of Chinese civil service exams, the most dangerous opponent is not necessarily the person in the next seat: it is the “ghost” candidate designed to scare you away before you even show up.A bizarre case of inflating applicant numbers to deter potential candidates has become a national talking point, as tougher job prospects raise interest in civil service examinations on the mainland. First reported by state media in December, the case involved the illegal purchase of...

Japan’s Takaichi pushes to scrap food tax, ignoring...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/20

When Sanae Takaichi strode into her first press conference as Japan’s reappointed prime minister on Wednesday, she delivered a clear message to the economists and editorial boards warning her away from her signature tax pledge. Food consumption tax is going to be scrapped, and nothing is going to stop her. Formally confirmed in office after the Diet voted to reappoint her – following a landslide victory in the House of Representatives election on February 8 – Takaichi reiterated her

Building Asean ties puts Hong Kong on path to...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/20

The Hong Kong government has started the year with initiatives that have far-reaching impacts on the city’s long-term growth. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu announced that he is spearheading Hong Kong’s inaugural five-year plan, which will promote broader integration with China’s five-year plan and ensure a bigger role for the city in the nation’s economic development. He also reaffirmed deeper engagement with countries in Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe and Central Asia to open up new

Indonesia seals ‘great’ US trade deal, agrees to send...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/20

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto signed a reciprocal trade agreement on Thursday with US President Donald Trump while in Washington to attend the first meeting of the Trump-led “Board of Peace”. Details were not immediately released, but the countries had reached a framework trade deal last summer to have Southeast Asia’s largest economy eliminate tariffs for most American goods, while the US would set tariffs on Indonesian goods at 19 per cent. That is the same rate as for Cambodia and...

China ‘history fangirls’ visit mausoleums, write...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/20

In quiet corners of China, a growing community is forging a deep, almost personal connection with history. Known as “history fangirls”, they visit the museums and mausoleums, write books about them and are keen on related merchandise. One such devotee, a woman known online as @bufashi, spent the past year visiting 52 gravesites, travelling through remote mountains and forests in search of the resting places of ancient Chinese figures. Each solo trip is more than an act of remembrance; it is a...

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