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China’s military command tightens discipline at the...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/07

China’s top military command body has moved to tighten Communist Party control over the armed forces with updates to disciplinary rules for party members in the People’s Liberation Army. The PLA Daily, the military’s official newspaper, reported on Saturday that the revisions were to “actively respond to key concerns” in disciplinary enforcement practice. It did not specify the changes, but the report came just two weeks after the announcement that top general Zhang Youxia, first

Alo Yoga takes over waterfront store space in Hong...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/07

American athleisure brand Alo Yoga has taken over a large waterfront commercial space in Hong Kong after being vacated by a British luxury food retailer, with analysts saying “experience-led” wellness brands are emerging as rare bright spots in an otherwise uneven retail recovery. The local debut of the brand at the 7,000 sq ft, two-storey space at K11 Musea in Tsim Sha Tsui follows the exit of food retailer Fortnum & Mason on January 25. The move comes amid a prolonged retail downturn and a...

How Chinese scientists made petrol building blocks...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/07

Chinese scientists have developed a plant-inspired method to convert carbon dioxide and water into valuable chemicals, such as the building blocks for petrol, by using solar energy. The process – inspired by photosynthesis, where plants harness sunlight, carbon dioxide and water to generate energy – could help produce a sustainable source of fuel, the researchers said. The team, from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, said they had developed

Foreigners flock to China for affordable medical...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/07

The increasing flow of foreign travellers to China in recent years has been given a shot in the arm with many people coming to the country to seek medical treatment. The trend has attracted attention online recently after overseas bloggers shared their experiences of visiting Chinese hospitals. A prominent case involved a British woman called Amie who told of her trip to China in December, to treat her long-standing stomach problem. She said she could not see a doctor because of long waiting...

Temperatures on Lantau, in rural areas to go as low...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/07

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Temperatures on Hong Kong’s Lantau Island and in some rural areas could reach as low as 8 degrees Celsius (46.4 Fahrenheit) on Sunday morning, the local forecaster said. The Hong Kong Observatory said on Saturday that minimum temperatures in Lantau and Sai Kung were likely to sit at 8 degrees and just a degree higher in Ta Kwu Ling the next day. The...

Cambodians lose homes as Thailand makes gains...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/07

A sign hanging from a rusty shipping container installed by Thai forces on what they say is the border with Cambodia proclaims: “Cambodian citizens are strictly prohibited from entering this area.” On opposite sides of the makeshift barricade, fronted by coils of barbed wire, Cambodians lamented their lost homes and livelihoods as Thailand’s military showed off its gains. Thai forces took control of several patches of disputed land along the border during fighting last year, which could

Man arrested over threatening to bomb Hong Kong’s...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/07

Hong Kong police have arrested a man on suspicion of threatening to bomb Admiralty MTR station on the first day of the Lunar New Year holiday later this month. Inspector Luke Hung Sze-tat of the Central police district said on Saturday that officers had arrested a 31-year-old local man in his Sha Tin home on Friday evening and seized three imitation guns from the flat. “Although the crime only involved one person, his threat to place a bomb in one of the busiest and densest MTR stations in

Nepal’s tourism sector welcomes arrests in fake...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/07

Many tourism entrepreneurs in Nepal have welcomed the arrest of executives accused of orchestrating fake rescue operations on the country’s Himalayan trekking trails and swindling millions of dollars from insurers. The arrests follow a nearly three-month investigation by Nepal Police’s Central Investigation Bureau into a long-running insurance fraud scheme where travel and rescue companies allegedly staged helicopter evacuations from the mountains to pocket insurance money from foreign travel...

Chinese sports brands set sights on European...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/07

With the Winter Olympics now under way in Milan and Cortina, Chinese brands involved in the Games are mounting an ambitious marketing push across Italy and Europe, with sportswear and sports equipment naturally taking centre stage. At the forefront is Li Ning, the company supplying the national team with clothing and gear for the competition after returning as the official partner of the Chinese Olympic Committee (COC) – a role that had previously ended in 2004. The partnership coincides with

Silver surfers: how China ‘granfluencers’ steal...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/07

China is experiencing an extraordinary rise in “granfluencers,” or senior influencers, since 2019, as its growing ageing population embraces the online community. Major social media platforms in mainland China have seen a rapid increase in senior users in recent years. RedNote reported over 30 million active users aged 60 and older by 2024, a remarkable threefold increase in just two years. Collectively, these seniors contributed over 100 million posts to the platform. Similarly, Douyin, the...

Russia launches ‘massive attack’ on Ukraine power...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/07

A “massive attack” by Russian forces on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure has caused power outages across the country, the state grid operator said on Saturday. Russia has pressed on with its invasion of Ukraine in recent days despite the two countries holding US-brokered talks to end the nearly four year long war. Ukrainian officials have accused Moscow of deliberately targeting energy infrastructure, causing outages that have left hundreds of thousands of people without lighting or heating in...

Hong Kong plans to revive privacy law mandating that...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/07

Hong Kong’s privacy watchdog plans to consult lawmakers this year about introducing mandatory data breach reporting and related penalties, the body’s chief has said.Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data Ada Chung Lai-ling on Saturday revealed details about the proposed legislative amendments to the city’s privacy ordinance, after authorities stalled the measures in 2024 due to opposition from the business community. “We really hope that we have some specific recommendations this year, so we...

India’s Modi hails ‘great news’ after US slashes...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/07

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday hailed an interim trade agreement with the United States, saying it would bolster global growth and deepen economic ties between the two countries. The pact cuts US “reciprocal” duties on Indian products to 18 per cent from 25 per cent, and commits India to large purchases of US energy and industrial goods. US President Donald Trump, while announcing the deal Tuesday, had said Modi promised to stop buying Russian oil over the war in Ukraine. The...

Hong Kong to enforce stricter measures at nature...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/07

Hong Kong authorities are tightening crowd control and environmental protection measures at popular hiking and camping spots ahead of the nine-day Lunar New Year holiday, with officials estimating that 1.43 million mainland Chinese tourists will visit the city. Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Rosanna Law Shuk-pui said on Saturday the government was taking a more proactive approach to managing visitor flows at nature sites this year, following repeated incidents of overcrowding and...

Taiwan wants to train an effective reserve force....

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/07

Taiwan is moving to plug one-year conscripts directly into frontline combined-arms operations, mandating joint live-fire training with troops across all services to bolster resilience against a potential attack from Beijing. But the push is facing challenges, with experts saying that the inexperienced recruits could become a battlefield burden while the military also deals with training capacity issues and weakening public resolve on defending the island. The Taiwanese cabinet’s latest policy...

Cultural currents: how ‘Becoming Chinese’ trend is...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/07

If you’re enjoying a cup of apple herbal tea, starting your day with tai chi, and winding down with a soothing foot bath, you may be part of an intriguing trend known as “Becoming Chinese.” Since January, a TikTok influencer has unintentionally ignited a global movement centred on adopting Chinese lifestyle habits, with videos showcasing these practices attracting over 20 million views. In one engaging clip, Sherry Zhu Xirui, 23, humorously proclaims to her audience: “If you love hotpot, dim...

South Korea’s Bithumb gives away over US$40 billion...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/07

South Korean cryptocurrency exchange Bithumb said on Saturday it ‌had accidentally given away more than US$40 billion worth ‍of bitcoin to customers as promotional rewards, triggering a sharp selloff on the exchange. Bithumb apologised for the mistake, which ⁠took place on Friday, and said it had recovered 99.7 per cent of the 620,000 bitcoin, worth about US$44 billion at current prices. It had restricted trading and withdrawals for ‍the 695 affected customers within 35 minutes of the

Inside Indonesia’s inner circle: Hashim...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/07

Hashim Djojohadikusumo is smiling almost beatifically, but the trademark feistiness is unmistakable. We are sitting down for a chat amid the turmoil gripping Indonesia’s capital markets and he says emphatically that “it’s good, it’s good” that it happened. This unvarnished answer is one of several he gives as we talk about his country, nearly two years after his elder brother, Prabowo Subianto, won the presidential election by a wide margin, securing 58.6 per cent of the votes on his third...

Pentagon ditches Harvard as Hegseth declares...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/07

The Pentagon is cutting ties with Harvard University, ending all military training, fellowships and certificate programmes with the Ivy League institution. Friday’s announcement marks the latest development in the Trump administration’s prolonged standoff with Harvard over the White House’s demands for reforms at the Ivy League school. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said in a statement on Friday that Harvard “no longer meets the needs of the War Department or the military services”. “For too...

Hong Kong summons Panama envoy over court ruling on...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/07

Hong Kong’s commerce minister has condemned a court ruling to annul CK Hutchison Holdings’ right to operate two ports in the Panama Canal – after summoning the country’s envoy in the city – warning the decision “seriously undermined” international trade rules. In a meeting with the Panamanian Consul General, Jose Ramon de Jesus Varela Fabrega, Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Algernon Yau Ying-wah expressed “strong dissatisfaction and opposition” to the ruling, according to a...

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