China

Hong Kong will “move with agility and steadiness” in the Year of the Horse to seize opportunities and overcome challenges, the city’s leader has said in a message to residents. The one-minute Lunar New Year video, broadcast on Monday, showed Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu admiring ceramic paintings featuring horses, some created by his wife, Janet […]

Gold, mahjong sets, fancy lai see packets and dinners with fireworks views are among the incentives Hong Kong banks are using to lure wealthy customers from the city and the mainland during the Lunar New Year, which kicks off on Tuesday. Hong Kong authorities estimated that as many as 1.43 million mainland visitors would cross the border during the holiday […]

Some shopping centres in Hong Kong display unclear parking discount terms that often lead to disputes, the consumer watchdog has said, citing a case where a driver was billed HK$1,210 (US$155) for a full day, more than seven times the advertised rate. The Consumer Council said on Monday that complaints about car-park services had remained persistently high […]

A foreign national has been arrested at Hong Kong International Airport on suspicion of criminal damage and drug possession after a viral video showed him wrecking self-check-in kiosks. The video, posted on social media on Monday morning, showed a man in the airport’s departure hall pushing over three self-check-in kiosks and hitting them repeatedly with […]

A man who paid HK$88,000 (US$11,300) for a hair growth treatment that promised “visible effect after one session” has been denied a refund after experiencing persistent scalp bleeding and no improvement in density, according to Hong Kong’s consumer watchdog. The Consumer Council on Monday warned against exaggerated claims of effectiveness, after […]

Electricity has been restored after a four-hour outage at a residential high-rise in a Kwai Chung housing estate, caused by a suspected water leak that triggered a power trip ahead of Lunar New Year’s Eve. The city’s biggest electricity company, CLP Power, said that at around 9.13pm on Sunday, a suspected equipment fault at Ha Kwai House in the Kwai […]

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Hong Kong could experience its warmest Lunar New Year’s Eve since records began in 1884, with temperatures expected to reach 28 degrees Celsius (82.4 Fahrenheit) on Monday. The Hong Kong Observatory said temperatures […]

The Year of the Horse is set to bring volatility for the investments of Hong Kong’s 4.8 million Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) members, following a record-breaking Year of the Snake that ended on Monday, according to analysts. The next zodiac year, which begins on Tuesday, is the seventh in the Chinese lunar calendar’s 12-year cycle, each represented by […]

(260216) -- PREDAZZO, Feb. 16, 2026 (Xinhua) -- Norway's Silje Opseth reacs reacts during the final round of ski jumping women's large hill individual event at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Predazzo, Italy, Feb. 15, 2026. (Xinhua/Huang Wei)

YANGON, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- The rhythmic beat of drums echoed across Thuwunna Stadium in Yangon, Myanmar, on Saturday evening as red lanterns swayed above over 1,500 spectators, ushering in a vibrant celebration of the Chinese New Year, the Year of the Horse.The event in Myanmar's commercial capital brought together government officials, cultural […]

MACAO, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- As the Year of the Horse approaches on the lunar calendar, Macao's streets are glowing with decorations and joy. Neighborhoods and commercial blocks across the city have launched New Year activities.Flowers remain central to the holiday tradition in Macao. At Tap Seac Square, the annual Chinese New Year market has opened with […]

Taipei [Taiwan], February 16 (ANI): Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence detected the presence of three Chinese military aircraft and six naval vessels operating around its territory as of 6 am (local time) on Monday.Nine of eleven sorties crossed the median line and entered Taiwan's northern and southwestern Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ).In a […]

We are ready to head into the Year of the Horse. But, before we do, let’s take stock of what the Year of the Snake brought Hong Kong. Some say the Year of the Snake is all about change and not meant to be comfortable. For Hong Kong, the past year has been a difficult one of shedding skin, baring our vulnerabilities for all to see. Just weeks into the Year […]

(260216) -- CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Feb. 16, 2026 (Xinhua) -- Marc Kennedy of Canada competes during the curling men round robin session 7 match between China and Canada at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics in Cortina, Italy, Feb. 15, 2026. (Xinhua/Lian Yi)

(Photo credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images)CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy -- Yannick Schwaller's Switzerland team downed world champions Great Britain to remain unbeaten in the men's curling competition at the Winter Olympics on Sunday.The British rink, led by Bruce Mouat, pushed the Swiss hard and forced an extra end, but their opponents had the hammer and […]

Jeffrey Epstein committed at least US$113,000 to American scholar Ben Goertzel – known for popularising the term “artificial general intelligence” – to help him secure at least HK$8.9 million in Hong Kong government grants at a top city university, a South China Morning Post investigation has found. The almost two-decade relationship between Epstein […]

China to grant visa-free policy to Canadian, British nationals from Feb. 17To further facilitate cross-border travel, China decides to, starting from Feb. 17, 2026, extend its visa-free policy to ordinary passport holders from Canada and the UK, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Sunday.According to the spokesperson, ordinary passport holders from […]

A group of scholars, professionals and former government officials has formed a new think tank in Hong Kong that aims to fill what it calls a talent gap in the shrinking field of local studies. The newly established Hong Kong Future Economy Institute also pledged to conduct studies on housing planning, population policy and impact assessments of […]

Taipei [Taiwan], February 16 (ANI): Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te aka, William Lai, on Sunday (local time) assured the public that the government would strengthen national defence and advance economic development, Taipei Times reported.In his Lunar New Year address, President Lai noted that Taiwan has faced several challenges and expressed gratitude to […]

(260215) -- MILAN, Feb. 15, 2026 (Xinhua) -- Gold medalist Femke Kok (C) of the Netherlands, silver medalist Jutta Leerdam (L) of the Netherlands, and bronze medalist Takagi Miho of Japan pose for photos after the awarding ceremony of the speed skating women's 500m at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan, Italy, Feb. 15, 2026. (Xinhua/Du […]

(260215) -- CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Feb. 15, 2026 (Xinhua) -- Pia Vucinic of Croatia falls during the alpine skiing women's giant slalom run 1 at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Cortina, Italy, Feb. 15, 2026. (Xinhua/Fei Maohua)

As the Chinese Spring Festival draws closer, hundreds of people gathered in Pretoria, South Africa's administrative capital, for a front-row experience of Chinese New Year traditions.by Xinhua writers Bai Ge, Hang ZeboJOHANNESBURG, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- As the Chinese Spring Festival draws closer, hundreds of people gathered in Pretoria, South Africa's […]

(260215) -- LIVIGNO, Feb. 15, 2026 (Xinhua) -- Iwabuchi Reira of Japan competes during the women's snowboard slopestyle qualification at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Livigno, Italy, Feb. 15, 2026. (Xinhua/Wang Peng)

Chinese cinema maintained a notable presence at this year's Berlinale. Titles such as Shanghai Daughter and Light Pillar were screened in sections including Panorama and Perspectives, underscoring the diversity of contemporary Chinese filmmaking.BERLIN, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- As the 76th Berlin International Film Festival unfolded, snow fell gently over […]

(260215) -- MILAN, Feb. 15, 2026 (Xinhua) -- Athletes of Germany compete during the speed skating men's team pursuit quarterfinal at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan, Italy, Feb. 15, 2026. (Xinhua/Wu Wei)

(260215) -- CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Feb. 15, 2026 (Xinhua) -- Chen Wenhao (R) and Zhao Dan of China pose for photos after the skeleton mixed team competition at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Cortina, Italy, Feb. 15, 2026. (Xinhua/Ding Xu)

(260215) -- ANTERSELVA), Feb. 15, 2026 (Xinhua) -- Gold medalist Lisa Vittozzi of Italy weeps during the awarding ceremony of the biathlon women's 10km pursuit at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics in Anterselva, Italy, Feb. 15, 2026. (Xinhua/Zhang Tao)

New Delhi [India], February 15 (ANI): Only securing his entry at the last-minute, 26-year-old M Sureshkumar lit up day 1 of the ATP Delhi Open 2026 with a come-from-behind win over fifth seed Lorenzo Carboni of Italy in the Men's Singles first qualifying round at the DLTA Complex on Sunday. Conceding the opener, Sureshkumar rallied to sweep the 19-year-old […]

TESERO, Italy, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- Norway secured gold in the men's 4x7.5km cross-country skiing relay at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics on Sunday, with star skier Johannes Hosflot Klaebo skiing the anchor leg to seal victory and claim his record ninth Olympic gold medal.Competing at the Tesero Cross-Country Stadium, the Norwegian quartet clocked 1 […]

(Photo credit: Reuters/Hannah Mckay)LIVIGNO, Italy -- Canada's Mikael Kingsbury, widely considered one of the best moguls skiers of all time, ended a decorated Winter Olympics career on Sunday with a fast-paced final run that earned him a gold in the Italian Alps.Kingsbury won the new Olympic event of dual moguls, three days after he had to settle for […]

(260215) -- BEIJING, Feb. 15, 2026 (Xinhua) -- A drone photo taken on Feb. 15, 2026 shows vehicles driving on an expressway in Yangzhou, east China's Jiangsu Province. Over 285 million inter-regional passenger trips are predicted across China on Sunday, the first day of this year's nine-day Spring Festival holiday. The figure represents a 10.5 percent […]

(260215) -- PRETORIA, Feb. 15, 2026 (Xinhua) -- People watch a performance during an event celebrating the upcoming Chinese New Year in Pretoria, South Africa, Feb. 13, 2026. TO GO WITH "Feature: New Year celebration deepens cultural bonds between China, South Africa" (Xinhua/Chen Wei)

Chinese President Xi Jinping's congratulatory message to the 39th African Union (AU) Summit held in Ethiopia is believed to demonstrate China's firm support for Africa's independent development.ADDIS ABABA, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping's congratulatory message to the 39th African Union (AU) Summit has resonated strongly across the […]

(Photo credit: Reuters/Lisi Niesner)CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy -- Italy's Federica Brignone completed a golden double on home snow at the Winter Olympics on Sunday, adding the giant slalom title to the super-G won last Thursday, as U.S. Alpine ski great Mikaela Shiffrin again missed out on a medal.Sweden's Sara Hector, champion at Beijing 2022, shared silver […]

Washington, DC [US], February 15 (ANI): The World Uyghur Congress has released its weekly brief, highlighting developments ranging from parliamentary victories in East Asia to courtrooms in Australia and diplomatic platforms in Europe and North America concerning China's oppression.In Japan, the World Uyghur Congress welcomed the election triumph of Prime […]

New Delhi [India], February 15 (ANI): Congress MP Karti Chidambaram on Sunday ridiculed the legal cases against him as 'absurd' and called himself 'the most raided person,' adding that nothing substantial has been found against him yet. In an interview with ANI, Chidambaram addressed the money laundering cases against him, including the Chinese visa and INX […]

BEIJING, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- When the Spring Festival lanterns light up the streets of her hometown Hangzhou in east China's Zhejiang Province, Lu Jing is watching the northern lights dance over Norway.Arranging such an overseas trip during the Spring Festival -- China's most cherished time for family reunions -- would have been unthinkable for many just a […]

(260215) -- ST. PETERSBURG, Feb. 15, 2026 (Xinhua) -- People visit a collection exhibition of Chinese Yixing ceramics at the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia, Feb. 14, 2026. (Photo by Guo Feizhou/Xinhua)

A souvenir shop in Hong Kong has taken down lettering from its viral wall featuring designs nearly identical to MTR station signage amid concerns over possible trademark and copyright infringement. The MTR Corporation on Sunday declined to say whether the move by the Causeway Bay store was done at its request. The company “attaches great importance to the […]

Unusually warm weather in Hong Kong has forced flower sellers at Lunar New Year fairs to contend with premature blooms while also navigating a retail landscape where heavy foot traffic masked a tightening of local purse strings. On Sunday, the Observatory recorded a maximum temperature of 26.9 degrees Celsius (80.4 Fahrenheit) at its headquarters in Tsim […]

SHANGHAI/TAIYUAN, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- While dumplings remain the quintessential dish for countless families welcoming the Chinese New Year, noodles hold a special place as a beloved alternative in certain regional traditions.In several cities across east China's Anhui Province, chicken soup noodles are traditionally enjoyed on the first morning of the […]

(260215) -- CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Feb. 15, 2026 (Xinhua) -- Huai Mingming of China competes during the bobsleigh women's monobob heat at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics in Cortina, Italy, Feb. 15, 2026. (Xinhua/Li Gang)

(260215) -- GUANGZHOU, Feb. 15, 2026 (Xinhua) -- People visit a flower market in Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, Feb. 15, 2026. China is alive with vibrant celebrations with the Spring Festival just around the corner. (Xinhua/Deng Hua)

The US secretary of state made the remark at the Munich Security Conference while trying to bridge the rift caused by the diverging policies of Washington and BrusselsThe US may be unable to prevent EU bureaucrats from destroying Western civilization, Russian President Vladimir Putin's envoy Kirill Dmitriev has suggested.The remark came in response to US […]