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China Bao’an ethnic group’s ritual playfully whips...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/01

A unique wedding ritual among China’s Bao’an ethnic group known as “flogging the father-in-law” sees the family of the groom symbolically whip the bride’s father 20 times. As he endures his “punishment”, the bride’s father kneels to apologise for “failing to properly discipline his daughter”. The Bao’an ethnic group primarily lives in Gansu province in northwestern China and has a population of around 24,000. They practise Islam and speak Banan, which belongs to the Altaic language

Stuck in Malaysia with no Wi-fi or Grab: how a...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/01

It was like any other day for 24-year-old sales adviser Kanimolhi Krisnan from Shah Alam in Malaysia’s Selangor state. She was at the MRT station waiting for the bus to go home after work when a stranger approached her for help. Frida Pigny, an education strategist from Indonesia, was in Kuala Lumpur with her French husband Samuel Pigny and their daughter Axelle. “We were stuck at the Kuala Lumpur Sentral with no Wi-fi, no Grab, no taxi app; just faith and people,” Frida said. “We needed to

Zohran Mamdani takes over as New York mayor in the...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/01

Zohran Mamdani, the young upstart of the US left, was sworn in on Thursday to take over as New York mayor for a term sure to see him cross swords with President Donald Trump. After the clocks struck midnight, bringing in 2026, Mamdani took his oath of office at an abandoned subway stop to begin managing the United States’ largest city. He is New York’s first Muslim mayor. His office said the understated venue beneath City Hall reflected his commitment to working people, after the 34-year-old...

Zelensky says deal to end Ukraine war ‘10%’ away as...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/01

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Wednesday his country was “10 per cent” away from a deal to end the war with Russia, but cautioned that the most important issues were unresolved and warned against rewarding Moscow. US-led efforts to end Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War II have gained pace in recent weeks, but both sides remain at odds over the key issue of territory in a post-war settlement. Russia, which occupies around 20 per cent of Ukraine, is pushing for full...

We must not give corrupt officials any hiding place,...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/01

President Xi Jinping has sent a new warning to Chinese cadres – “no one should harbour any illusions” that they can get away with corruption as there will be no let-up in the long-running anti-graft campaign. He told officials at a key political meeting in October there would be no place for the corrupt to hide, according to excerpts from his speech released on Wednesday. “[We must] maintain a high-pressure stance against corruption at all times, investigate and punish corruption cases

Hong Kong public hospitals run smoothly despite fee...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/01

Emergency services at Hong Kong’s public hospitals have operated smoothly on the first day of the new year despite raising fees for non-urgent cases, but some patients from minority groups said they were unaware of the changes. Starting on Thursday, New Year’s Day of 2026, patients visiting accident and emergency rooms at Hong Kong public hospitals with less urgent conditions will have to pay higher fees of HK$400 (US$50) per visit. Meanwhile, the fees for those classified as critical and...

Chinese zodiac predictions, secrets to a long and...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/01

We have selected five Lifestyle stories from the past seven days that resonated with our readers. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Is the Year of the Snake’s 11th month lucky for you? Forecasts for all signs Feng shui master Andrew Kwan breaks down this lunar month’s prospects for all 12 Chinese zodiac signs in health, love, work and finances. 2. The 15 best K-dramas of 2025 ranked, from Melo Movie to Squid Game 3 The year 2025 was another big

North Korea hates K-culture but loves blatantly...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/01

Even as North Korea spent 2025 pushing a political strategy centred on ignoring South Korea, the country simultaneously copied South Korean products, designs and cultural content – from food packaging to football fan zones – revealing what analysts describe as a contradictory yet calculated pattern of imitation. While Pyongyang continues to warn against the inflow of South Korean culture, it has selectively adopted popular elements and repurposed them as its own through what observers call...

French professor arrested in Hong Kong over drug...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/01

A woman was found dead in a Hong Kong flat, while her husband – who called police for help – was arrested on suspicion of possessing dangerous drugs, with a source telling the Post the man is an associate professor at City University. The force said it received a call at 4.13pm on Wednesday from the 48-year-old Frenchman, saying his 30-year-old Filipino wife had passed out in their home at Avignon in So Kwun Wat, Tuen Mun. Both were Hong Kong residents. Officers and emergency personnel

Debate on Singapore’s elite schools flares as...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/01

A viral video has reignited a debate on elite schools in Singapore, with users sharing their own childhood experiences and views on whether such an educational environment may lead to insular views of society and indifference to those less better off. In an online clip, user Erica Lee recounts her time in an elite primary school and how her classmates’ families travelled several times a year for the holidays, had chauffeurs to ferry them to and from school, and threw extravagant birthday

Is China’s truck-mounted catapult system enabling...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/01

Pictures have emerged in China that appear to show a truck-mounted electromagnetic catapult system for large drones on a cargo ship apparently converted for military use, triggering speculation on social media platforms. Some images circulating online since the weekend show three linked eight-wheeled low-loader trucks in a line with a large combat drone mounted on a shuttle-like fixture at the rear. The configuration appears to form a ground-based launch track with visible details suggesting

China-Europe travel market’s resilience keeps Air...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/01

Despite China-EU trade frictions, Paris and other European cities remain the top destinations for Chinese travellers, with growing China-France trade and visa-free entry spurring companies like Air France-KLM to explore new opportunities. The Franco-Dutch airline group reported strong inbound demand from Europe in 2025, driven by China’s visa-free policy for travellers from more than 30 European nations, covering both business and leisure segments. In the first three quarters, the company

Bulgaria becomes 21st country to adopt euro in...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/01

Bulgaria became the 21st country to switch to the euro as it entered the new year on Thursday, a milestone met with both cheers and fears, nearly 20 years after the Balkan nation joined the European Union. At midnight, Bulgaria gave up the lev currency, which has been in use since the late 19th century, and Bulgarian euro coins were projected onto the central bank’s building. Successive governments in the country of 6.4 million people have advocated joining the euro, hoping that it will boost...

How Chinese robotaxi giants are steering the Middle...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/01

When hailing a car on Uber, riders usually choose between economy and premium options. But in certain areas in Abu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates, the first choice that flashes on the screen is “autonomous”. The availability of driverless cars underscores the urgency of the nation’s push to promote clean energy and reduce dependence on oil and gas. At the forefront of this effort are Chinese robotaxi developers, which see the Middle East as one of their starting points for global...

Hong Kong welcomes 6 babies into world in first hour...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/01

Three girls and three boys were born in Hong Kong’s public and private hospitals in the first hour of New Year’s Day. The CUHK Medical Centre, a private teaching hospital owned by the Chinese University of Hong Kong, delivered the city’s first baby of 2026 at 12am. The newborn boy is his parents’ first child. His mother, who asked to be referred to as Mrs Ho, said she would become a full-time parent to care for her son. She said she was deeply moved and excited to see her baby as the clock...

Trump takes swipe at Clooney and France after actor...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/01

US President Donald Trump piled on criticism Wednesday of a decision to grant Hollywood superstar George Clooney French passports after a junior government official in Paris labelled the move a “double standard”. An official decree on Monday showed that 64-year-old Oscar winner Clooney, his wife Amal Alamuddin Clooney and their two children had become French citizens. Trump, whose administration has backed anti-immigration parties in Europe, said that Paris was welcome to the Ocean’s Eleven...

China’s Moonshot AI raises US$500 million in latest...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/01

Chinese artificial intelligence unicorn Moonshot AI has raised US$500 million in its recent Series C funding round, according to a report, as start-up rivals MiniMax Group and Zhipu AI gear up for their initial public offerings (IPOs). Moonshot AI, developer of the highly lauded Kimi AI models, saw IDG Capital lay out US$150 million to lead the latest financing round, with existing stakeholders Alibaba Group Holding and Tencent Holdings also participating, Chinese technology news outlet

The politicians, athletes, everyday people who made...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/01

Hong Kong’s headlines in 2025 were shaped by a wide cast of newsmakers, from political heavyweights to everyday residents. Among them were former lawmaker Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee, gold medallist fencer turned legislator Vivian Kong Man-wai and a local mother who won widespread praise for speaking out after a hot-air balloon festival fiasco. The Post looks back at the figures who dominated the headlines over the past year. Regina Ip “Don’t block my way to the meeting … Move away,” the

US Coast Guard searches for survivors after strike on...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/01

The United States Coast Guard is searching for survivors of a US military strike against a convoy of suspected drug vessels in the Pacific Ocean, US officials said on ‍Wednesday. President Donald Trump’s administration has carried out more than 30 strikes against suspected drug boats in the Caribbean and Pacific since September in a campaign that has killed at least 110 people. In a statement, the US military’s Southern Command said the military had carried out ⁠a strike against three...

Why Japan’s notorious Setagaya murders still haunt...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/01

Early on the morning of December 30, Takeshi Tsuchida got down on his knees to carefully place flowers in front of a black-slab tomb marking the last resting place of Mikio Miyazawa, his wife and their two children.Tsuchida bowed his head, clasped his hands together and offered a silent prayer. Now 78, Tsuchida has retired as head of the Seijo police station in Tokyo’s upmarket Setagaya ward, but he has never been able to move on from the one crime that still hangs over his

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