China

Two Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) graduates have lost a judicial challenge against their disqualifications from an election for the institution’s advisory body, after their pro-independence views or convictions arising from the 2019 anti-government protests were cited as grounds for barring them. Walter Tse Wai-lok and Anthony Suen Ho-yin jointly […]

Hong Kong police are investigating the suspected poisoning of four dogs on farms in the northern New Territories, with an animal welfare group saying two other canines are missing and describing the cases as “heartbreaking”. The Sai Kung Stray Friends Foundation said on Friday that the incidents were among at least 19 reported cases linked to poisonings […]

A law firm has asked a Hong Kong court to bar police from inspecting privileged documents seized during a raid earlier this month as part of an ongoing investigation into the rising number of “crash-for-cash” scams. In a written application for judicial review on Monday, Raymond Lam & Associates asked the High Court to issue an order for police to […]

Hong Kong’s jobless rate edged up by 0.1 percentage point over the past three months to 3.9 per cent after holding steady since the August to October period last year, with unemployment rising in the insurance, construction and finance sectors. But labour authorities expressed optimism, saying the growing economy would support the job market going […]

New Delhi [India], February 20 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla on Friday lambasted the Congress party for its protest against the AI Impact Summit, branding it as 'characterless, brainless, and emotionless,' even as Indian Youth Congress activists staged a dramatic shirtless demonstration at Bharat Mandapam, […]

Hong Kong’s residential property market made gradual and steady gains in the Year of the Snake, with the momentum set to continue in the Year of the Horse, according to the city’s largest real estate agencies. “The Year of the Snake marked the end of three years of decline and a strong rebound fuelled by policy easing and wealth effect [from the Hong […]

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Hong Kong astronomy enthusiasts can expect a “blood moon” lunar eclipse early next month, with residents able to view the phenomenon with the naked eye from some places. The global event will take place in the city […]

New Delhi [India], February 20 (ANI): Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi explained his Jiu-Jitsu analogy used in Parliament, saying Prime Minister Narendra Modi is 'trapped' in political 'grips' and a 'choke' that are not visible to the public.Posting a video on X, Gandhi explained the analogy, stating, 'A lot of people […]

New Delhi [India], February 20 (ANI). Cadres of the Indian Youth Congress on Friday staged a 'shirtless' protest stunt at Bharat Mandapam against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, criticising the AI Impact Summit and accusing the PM of being 'compromised'.During the protest, party workers removed their shirts as a mark of dissent. In a statement, the Indian […]

An attack on a Hong Kong man in the Japanese city of Sapporo that triggered travel warnings from Chinese authorities was reportedly caused by a dispute over “dining etiquette”. According to Japanese media this week, a 50-year-old company executive was arrested by local police officers on suspicion of striking the tourist with a bottle on Wednesday. The […]

New Delhi [India], February 20 (ANI): The Indian senior women's team defeated the Australian side Perth RedStar FC 5-0 in a closed-door friendly match at Dalmatinac Park in Perth, Australia, on Thursday, as per an AIFF media release. Preparing for the AFC Women's Asian Cup 2026, it was the Blue Tigresses' first friendly game after arriving in Australia on […]

Hong Kong authorities are set to offer flat owners who lost their homes in the deadly Wang Fuk Court fire buy-back options at higher-than-expected prices in a resettlement plan to be announced as early as Saturday, the South China Morning Post has learned. Government sources said on Friday that the acquisition prices for properties without land premiums […]

(260220) -- BEIJING, Feb. 20, 2026 (Xinhua) -- A molten iron firework performance is staged at a temple fair in Shangqiu City, central China's Henan Province, Feb. 19, 2026. China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism launched a month-long cultural and tourism campaign ahead of the Spring Festival, featuring a wide range of activities and promotional measures […]

(260220) -- BEIJING, Feb. 20, 2026 (Xinhua) -- A performance is staged at Hetou ancient street scenic area in Tangshan, north China's Hebei Province, Feb. 19, 2026. China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism launched a month-long cultural and tourism campaign ahead of the Spring Festival, featuring a wide range of activities and promotional measures to better […]

BEIJING, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) --Ning Zhongyan, who had collected two bronzes in the 1,000m and team pursuit, clocked one minute 41.98 seconds to secure China's first-ever Olympic gold in the men's 1,500m speed skating at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics on Thursday.Oriol Cardona Coll of Spain and Switzerland's Marianne Fatton captured the first-ever Olympic […]

(260220) -- SACRAMENTO, Feb. 20, 2026 (Xinhua) -- Dancers perform wushu in the halftime show to celebrate the Chinese New Year during the 2025-2026 NBA regular season basketball game between Sacramento Kings and Orlando Magic in Sacramento, the United States, Feb. 19, 2026. (Photo by Sun Yuxuan/Xinhua)

New Delhi [India], February 20 (ANI): Union Minister G Kishan Reddy hit back at LoP Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi's 'PR spectacle' remarks on the AI Impact Summit, stating that the Congress MP only knows how to speak against anti-national people and speak against the country. Speaking to ANI, Reddy emphasised the positive feedback being received by the AI Impact […]

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 lower than 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 […]

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 […]

New Delhi [India], February 20 (ANI): China's economy expanded by 5 per cent in 2025 and is projected to grow 4.5 per cent this year, 0.3 percentage points higher than the IMF's October forecast, reflecting resilience driven by 'robust exports and fiscal stimulus,' according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF).However, the IMF cautioned that 'the […]

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 […]

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 […]

Sarah Lande said that the friendship between the two peoples plays a vital role in the stability and development of U.S.-China relations. For friends in Iowa, the 41-year bond with Xi is especially precious. "We are passing the friendship on," she said.BEIJING, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- During the Spring Festival marking the Year of the Horse, the small U.S. city […]

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], February 20 (ANI): Indian equity markets opened under pressure on Friday, with benchmark indices Nifty 50 and BSE Sensex declining amid rising geopolitical tensions between the US and Iran, higher crude oil prices, and cautious investor sentiment.The Nifty 50 index opened at 25,406.55, down -47.80 points or (-0.19 per cent), […]

SAN FRANCISCO, California: In dining rooms from San Francisco's Chinatown to New York's Hell's Kitchen, Chinese American chefs are asking why their cuisine is still expected to be cheap, even as they craft elaborate tasting menus rivaling French or Japanese fine dining. For Taiwan-born chef George Chen, the question is personal. Growing up in Los Angeles […]

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 […]

(Photo credit: REUTERS/Amanda Perobelli)MILAN -- Alysa Liu produced a dazzling performance to win the gold medal at the Milan Cortina Games as she capped a remarkable comeback journey to snap a 20-year Olympic medal drought for Americans in the women's figure skating event.Kaori Sakamoto secured silver ahead of teenaged Japanese teammate Ami Nakai, who […]

Washington DC [US], February 20 (ANI): As US President Donald Trump held an inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace, he expressed his desire to have China and Russia on the board. Interacting with the reporters, Trump said, 'A lot of countries are going through the process of getting on the board... I would love to have China and Russia on the board; they […]

Simon Leung has been without a full-time job since his contract ended in March 2024, after the Hong Kong government cut its budget for NGOs by 7 per cent. The social work event coordinator, who is in his late forties, now makes ends meet through gig jobs. With word spreading that the city’s coming budget will yield an early operating surplus, he wants […]

Thousands of Hong Kong bank employees will receive a return-to-work lai see on Friday, with some banks handing out extra benefits and gifts to their staff amid improving economic and market sentiment. While it is a Chinese tradition for companies to give their staff lai see on the first working day of the Lunar New Year as a token of appreciation for their […]

New Delhi [India], February 20 (ANI): Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi on Thursday highlighted a growing frustration among urban commuters and global delegates regarding India's 'insane' VIP security protocols. Following the India AI Impact Summit 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, Chaturvedi, a member of the Standing Committee on IT & […]

(Photo credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images)LIVIGNO, Italy -- China's Eileen Gu bounced back from a mistake to qualify on Thursday for the Winter Olympics freestyle skiing halfpipe final, giving the defending champion a chance to pick up yet another medal.Gu crashed on her first run, after clipping the edge of the U-shaped ramp that defines the halfpipe […]

(260219) -- MILAN, Feb. 19, 2026 (Xinhua) -- Zhang Ruiyang of China waits for her score during the free skating match of figure skating women single skating at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan, Italy, Feb. 19, 2026. (Xinhua/Xue Yuge)

(260219) -- CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Feb. 19, 2026 (Xinhua) -- Jiang Jiayi (L) and Dong Ziqi of China compete during the curling women's round robin session 12 match between China and Japan at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics in Cortina, Italy, Feb. 19, 2026. (Xinhua/Lian Yi)

(Photo credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images)Americans Amanda Anisimova, Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula reached the semifinals of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships along with Ukraine's Elina Svitolina on Thursday.The second-seeded Anisimova will meet the fourth-seeded Pegula, and the third-seeded Gauff will take on No. 7 seed Svitolina on Friday in the […]

(260219) -- LIVIGNO, Feb. 19, 2026 (Xinhua) -- Gu Ailing of China competes during the qualification of freestyle skiing women's freeski halfpipe at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Livigno, Italy, Feb. 19, 2026. (Xinhua/Xia Yifang)

ISTANBUL, Feb. 19 (Xinhua) -- As winds whipped across the Anatolian plateau, driving temperatures toward freezing, the roar of a hot air balloon burner pierced the stillness over Cappadocia, sending bursts of orange flame into the darkening sky, where Chinese characters gleamed: "Auspicious Year of the Horse."With the arrival of the Chinese New Year, this […]

France welcomed 102 million international visitors in 2025, compared with 100 million in 2024.PARIS, Feb. 19 (Xinhua) -- France recorded a historic high in international tourism revenue in 2025, reaching 77.5 billion euros (91.5 billion U.S. dollars), up 9 percent from the previous year, the tourism ministry said on Thursday.In its annual report, the […]

(Photo credit: Reuters/Guglielmo Mangiapane)MILAN -- China's Ning Zhongyan won the men's 1,500 meters at the Winter Olympics on Thursday, denying American Jordan Stolz of his third speed skating gold medal of these Games.Stolz claimed silver, while two-time defending Olympic 1,500m champion Kjeld Nuis of the Netherlands secured bronze to round out a […]

(260219) -- BORMIO, Feb. 19, 2026 (Xinhua) -- Athletes compete during the heat 1 of the ski mountaineering women's sprint event at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Bormio, Italy, Feb. 19, 2026. (Xinhua/Yan Linyun)

(260219) -- TESERO, Feb. 19, 2026 (Xinhua) -- Athletes compete during the cross-country event of the nordic combined team sprint at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics in Tesero, Italy, Feb. 19, 2026. (Xinhua/Peng Ziyang)

Rajouri (Jammu and Kashmir) [India] February 19 (ANI): In a major crackdown on the narco-terror nexus, the Jammu and Kashmir Police, in a joint operation with the 54 Rashtriya Rifles, arrested a man with Pakistan-based links in the Rajouri district on Thursday. According to the District Police Office Rajouri, the arrested individual has been identified as […]

New Delhi [India], February 19 (ANI): Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MP Sasmit Patra on Thursday said that the controversy surrounding Galgotias University over a 'robodog' display has marred the positivity around the India AI Impact Summit 2026, held in the national capital.Speaking to ANI, Patra termed the incident 'unfortunate' and said that such episodes divert […]

(260219) -- BORMIO, Feb. 19, 2026 (Xinhua) -- Bu Luer of China competes during the ski mountaineering men's sprint event at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Bormio, Italy, Feb. 19, 2026. (Xinhua/Yan Linyun)

(260219) -- MILAN, Feb. 19, 2026 (Xinhua) -- Ning Zhongyan of China competes during the speed skating men's 1500m event at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan, Italy, Feb. 19, 2026. (Xinhua/Du Xiaoyi)