PODCAST

News - South China Morning Post

All the latest breaking news from Hong Kong, China and around the world

All Episodes

EU finds TikTok ‘addictive’ in digital law probe, 6%...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/06

TikTok’s “addictive design” has been found to violate EU digital laws – in a move that could land the Chinese-owned company a fine of up to 6 per cent of its global revenue. Preliminary findings of the European Commission investigation, announced on Friday, said the video app’s infinite scroll, autoplay, push notifications and “highly personalised” recommender systems had addictive properties. Brussels wanted TikTok to change the basic design of its service, it said, including disabling some

Bargain hunting? Hong Kong retail investors snap up...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/06

Bitcoin’s collapse has prompted some retail investors in Hong Kong to snap up the world’s largest cryptocurrency after its value fell by more than half from its peak. According to crypto asset data tracker CoinGecko, the price of bitcoin slumped to almost US$60,000 on Friday morning, Hong Kong time, less than half its historical high of US$124,000 in October 2025. The slump also erased US$2 trillion from the overall digital asset market over the period. On Friday afternoon, dozens of

China’s military vows to improve scrutiny of training...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/06

The People’s Liberation Army said it would redouble efforts to crack down on “fakery that undermines combat capability” and improve scrutiny of training and drills to tackle “deep-seated problems”. The pledge was made in an article in official newspaper PLA Daily on Tuesday outlining anti-corruption priorities for the year. It came soon after last month’s announcement that top general Zhang Youxia, first vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission, was under investigation for corruption,...

New working group to push autonomous vehicle...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/06

Hong Kong authorities will form a new working group focused on the development of autonomous vehicles, as the government unveiled a raft of innovation and technology-led initiatives in its latest transport strategy blueprint. Other measures announced in the Transport Department’s plan released on Friday include the implementation of real-time adaptive traffic signals and a smart motorway management system for major roads to improve efficiency and convenience. “To further push the development

Kowloon East site attracts nine bids as Hong Kong...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/06

Hong Kong’s tender for a 3,132 square metre (33,712 sq ft) residential plot in Ngau Tau Kok, Kowloon East, has drawn nine bids, according to the Development Bureau. The site was estimated to be worth as much as HK$1.55 billion (US$198 million), according to real estate services provider CBRE. Sun Hung Kai Properties, Henderson Land Development and CK Asset Holdings submitted bids individually, while Sino Land and Great Eagle Holdings made a joint offer, the groups confirmed separately on...

China ‘most capable waitress’ begins career at top...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/06

The senior executive of China’s leading hotpot brand Haidilao, Yang Lijuan, has been hailed as “China’s most capable waitress” thanks to her legendary waitress-turned-CEO story. Yang, 47, started her career as an ordinary waitress at Haidilao, which used to be a small hotpot restaurant in southwestern China’s Sichuan province. In 2022 she became the restaurant chain’s CEO after its founder Zhang Yong stepped down. Now, Yang is the CEO of Haidilao’s overseas unit, Super Hi. Yang was born in...

Stung by Trump’s policies, German multinationals...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/06

German companies are turning towards investments in China as they lose confidence in the United States over President Donald Trump’s policies, but they still see obstacles in the world’s second-largest economy, according to an executive at a German chamber of commerce.That landscape would form the backdrop of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s planned visit to China later this month, said Oliver Oehms, executive director and board member of the German Chamber of Commerce in North China. Merz...

As Thailand prepares to vote, can election deliver...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/06

Thailand’s rival parties hold final rallies later on Friday in a last-ditch push to win over undecided voters among a public craving change but still deeply split over the remedy for years of ulcerous political and economic decline. The reformist People’s Party is expected to win the most seats in Sunday’s ballot, with many of the 3 million first-time voters likely to endorse its plan to share stakes in the economy and power more equally. But the conservative Bhumjaithai Party, led by

Fosun Pharma’s US$1.55 billion Eisai deal signals...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/06

A unit of Fosun Pharma has struck a US$1.55 billion deal to license its home-grown cancer drug to Japan’s Eisai, adding to a wave of out-licensing agreements that are channelling billions of dollars into Chinese novel drug development. The deal comes as Chinese novel drug makers are having more say in how their new medicines are developed with global partners, shifting from simple one-off licensing fees, where a company is paid for granting rights to its drug, to long-term

Hainan official who played key role building South...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/06

Xiao Jie, a senior official in the Chinese province of Hainan who played a leading role in building reefs in disputed territories in the South China Sea, has been detained on suspicion of corruption. Xiao, 66, became the first Communist Party chief and mayor of Sansha when it was established as a prefecture-level city in 2012 to administer territories held by Beijing, including the Spratly Islands, Paracel Islands and Macclesfield Bank. He was accused of “serious violations of discipline and...

Woman in India injured after gas-filled balloons...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/06

Two people were injured when a cluster of gas-filled balloons intended for a birthday party exploded inside a lift in India. A 21-year-old student, Himani Tapriya, suffered burns to her arm, neck and stomach while the delivery man, 32-year-old Raju Kumar Mahato, was also injured in the fireball. CCTV footage of the incident shows Tapriya wheeling a bag into the small passenger lift. Mahato enters with a plastic bag filled with white, gold and peach balloons and balances them against the

Hong Kong teachers to be given 1 year to obtain...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/06

Teachers in Hong Kong will be given a year to fulfil a proposed government requirement to obtain a practising certificate, in light of the large number of applications expected in the first 12 months of its implementation, the education minister has said. Secretary for Education Christine Choi Yuk-lin on Friday also warned schools not to help teachers submit their applications if they found that educators had not completed enough hours of continuing professional development, among other...

Apec’s quiet cooperation still matters in a noisy,...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/06

If anyone anywhere this week spares a thought for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, it will almost certainly be linked to the Apec leaders’ meeting set for Shenzhen in November. But this is to miss the massive value and purpose of the 21-member grouping inaugurated in Canberra in 1989. To witness Apec’s unique and distinguishing value, you should have been in Guangzhou this week, where over 1,000 have gathered without pomp or fanfare for the first senior officials’ meeting

Deputy chief of Russia’s military intelligence...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/06

A deputy chief of Russian military intelligence was shot and wounded in Moscow on Friday in an attack that follows a series of assassinations of senior military officers that Russia blamed on Ukraine. Lieutenant General Vladimir Alekseyev was shot several times by an unidentified assailant at a residential building in Moscow’s northwest and hospitalised, Investigative Committee spokesperson Svetlana Petrenko said in a statement. Petrenko did not say who could be behind the attack on

Gold still shines in Asia thanks to ‘pent-up demand’...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/06

Asian investors should brace for more volatility in the gold and silver markets in the near term following a plunge in prices of the two metals after a record-breaking surge, with demand expected to rise again ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday. The outlook for gold remains strong over the long term, even as investors turned their focus to the US dollar in recent trading sessions, according to analysts. Gold typically has an inverse correlation with the US dollar. Investors have shifted

Could India’s twin trade agreements set back its...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/06

In the deepening shadow of US-China rivalry, India’s back-to-back trade pacts with the United States and the European Union mark a major tilt towards stronger economic ties with the West. While critical details – especially the scope of any reduction in Russian energy imports under the vague US agreement – remain unclear, experts predict the twin deals will give India leverage in its relationship with China and may slow the fragile thaw between New Delhi and Beijing. Meanwhile, New Delhi is...

Hong Kong authorities repeal ‘flawed’ bus seat belt law

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/06

Hong Kong authorities have repealed a law requiring bus passengers to wear seat belts after finding that it only applies to vehicles registered since late January, with officials saying they will review the legislation again and conduct a public consultation. The government gazetted the Road Traffic (Safety Equipment) (Amendment) Regulation 2026 on Friday, which repeals Section 8D requiring passengers to wear seat belts. “The bureau will fully review the arrangements for passengers wearing

US pledges food aid for Cuba while putting squeeze on...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/06

The US government on Thursday announced an additional US$6 million in aid for Cuba as the island’s crisis deepens and tensions escalate between the two countries, with Cuba’s president accusing the US of an “energy blockade”. The aid was largely meant for those living in Cuba’s eastern region, which Hurricane Melissa slammed into late last year. The supplies include rice, beans, pasta, cans of tuna and solar lamps that will be delivered by the Catholic Church and Caritas, said US Department

China trials its largest locally made AI computing...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/06

China’s state-backed SuperComputing Network (SCNet), a major computing resource provider, has deployed a new node for beta testing, powered by the country’s largest domestically made artificial intelligence computing cluster. The node, which began trial runs on Thursday in Zhengzhou, central Henan province, consists of three scaleX platforms from Chinese supercomputer developer Sugon, which support the deployment of more than 30,000 AI acceleration cards, according to statements from both

Annoying or background noise? Japan’s sound trucks on...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/02/06

It starts as a distant series of distorted notes, carried on the wind through Tokyo’s suburbs. Gradually, it comes closer and the noise builds. Eventually, the van rounds a corner and I am subjected to the full power of a sound system that would not be out of place at a rock concert. Flags flutter from the rear of the white van, which has its party affiliation emblazoned across the bonnet and down both sides. A man in a baseball cap declaring his political preference is behind the wheel and...

21,615 results